MAS*H Quote of the Day–7/4/26

“Next 4th of July, you can eat it on the cob for all I care.” Private Igor Straminsky, “A War for All Seasons,” season nine, episode six

Sartorial Saturday–MAXImum Effort

After falling in love with my first Miss Candyfloss maxi dress, I couldn’t resist when they released one in my favorite style, with buttons all the way down the front. The Shayna-Mai was a surprise addition to the “Legendary Liz” collection and has a beautiful floral print in bright shades of pink.

I accessorized with a boater hat from Vixen by Micheline Pitt, an Erstwilder brooch, necklaces from RockLove Jewelry, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles:

This lightweight dress has the same lovely, breezy feeling as the Ashley-Naia.

I feel garden party ready!

After avoiding maxi dresses for so many years, I now realize that they’re a great, cool style for summer, and don’t look anything like I thought they would on me, in the best way possible!

MAS*H Quote of the Day–7/3/26

“Unless we each conform, unless we obey orders, unless we follow our leaders blindly, there is no possible way we can remain free.” Major Frank Burns, “The Novocaine Mutiny,” season four, episode 20

What We’re Reading (and Watching)–Route 66

This year’s summer school is all about the 100th anniversary of Route 66! This is the first time that we’ve had a unit built more around field trips than anything else, but I do still have a short list of books, documentaries, and a few bonus fun activities, too:

The Best Hits on Route 66: Essential Stops on the Mother Road
Route 66: A Tribute to An American Icon
Driving the Green Book
Route 66 Road Trip Activity Book
Illinois Route 66 Passport (a fun freebie we picked up along the way)
Henry Reed’s Journey (not technically a story about Route 66 specifically, but it captures the spirit of the Great American Road Trip!)
The Route 66 Cookbook
Rand McNally Official Route 66 Centennial Map
Modern Marvels: “Route 66”
Show Me 66: Main Street Through Missouri
Cars (a just-for-fun selection that actually captures the spirt of 66 better than any documentary I’ve ever seen!)
Lego Speed Champions Lightning McQueen

I’m not going to lie…I think this is one of the best summer schools I’ve put together, and I’m thrilled that the Route 66 Centennial lined up with it so well!

A New Beginning for Route 66

If you’re familiar with Route 66, you know that it went through some realignments over the years to make it a more efficient route and to address safety concerns (some of those old mountain roads are downright terrifying!), which is why it doesn’t bother me that to celebrate the centennial, they did this:

Yes, they gave old Route 66 a new beginning by moving the “official” start to Chicago’s Navy Pier, which means the Mother Road now runs “pier to pier,” from where it begins in Chicago to the end at the Santa Monica pier in California. I actually think this was a really cool thing they did to honor the centennial and tie the two ends of Route 66 together, and Navy Pier is a really special location to honor a historic road.

Sometimes a fresh start is just what you need!

MAS*H Quote of the Day–7/2/26

“When I was born, my father took one look and said to my mother, ‘Thanks a lot for the eight-pound baby nose.'” Corporal Maxwell Klinger, “Some 38th Parallels,” season four, episode 19

West End Service Station

Vintage service stations are an iconic part of Route 66 history, and there’s a repurposed one in Edwardsville, IL!

This building began its life in 1927, just a year after Route 66 got rolling, and served travelers on the Mother Road until 1964. It then became a different kind of “filling station”…it operated as a dental office! But in 2023 it was restored to its former glory, and reopened with a small museum inside:

We even got to flip through magazines that are 100 years old!

It’s a very cool place!

I’m always glad to see a historic location find a way to share the past with new generations!

Chickadee Thursday

Chickadee has a great time at the Pokémon Fossil Museum at the Field Museum in Chicago!

And we stopped at Navy Pier (the new starting point for Route 66) for ice cream!

MAS*H Quote of the Day–7/1/26

“Believe me, this hurts me a lot more than it hurts me.” Captain Hawkeye Pierce, “Hawkeye,” season four, episode 18

Umbrella Sky Project 2026

Today I’m taking a look at this year’s Umbrella Sky Project in Elmhurt, IL!

After last year’s failed attempt to see the colorful art installation (it was raining and they were closed), I was a little worried that something would go wrong again this year. But, for the first time, we had a beautiful, sunny day to view them, and it was a very different display from the one Chickadee and I saw two years ago…this time, there was a whole rainbow of colors, plus some partially clear unbrellas that cast really cool, stained glass style shadows on the ground!