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Dog days of August blaze on

We continue through the "dog days" of August. Hopefully cooler weather will soon come.

On Monday, my school-age children planned to go canoeing down the river that runs behind the school. This was a school-sponsored event for students that wanted to go.

I decided to take the children, but we didn't get very far. We had just turned out of our driveway and on to the road when a buggy brace snapped by the shaft. This left the one end loose from the buggy. I was just ready to urge the horse into a run when I happened to see the shaft coming loose. I tried to get the horse stopped and then jumped off the buggy.

Our horse, Itty Bit, was shook up as I imagine she knew something wasn't right. I helped her while the children all got off the buggy. Elizabeth and I unhitched her from the buggy and Elizabeth led her to the barn while the other children and I pulled the buggy off the road. It wasn't too easy pulling the buggy with only one side attached. We were all shook up to think what could've happened had we been going down a hill or out on a busy road. If that had happened on a hill, that could make a horse start kicking and also to have the buggy ramming into their back. My husband, Joe, will take our buggy to the buggy shop to have it fixed. He's also going to have brakes put on right away. That will help — if something like that happens again we will be able to brake the buggy.

On Friday, the school is taking any student who wants to go to the zoo. Ours are going, and I am going as a chaperone. I asked if I could bring 4-year-old Joseph along, and they said "yes." My youngest, Lovina and Kevin, will stay at my sister's that day. Joseph is so excited to get to ride in a school bus and go to the zoo. Every day he asks me if he can still go and asks if he can wear his new pants and shirt. Sister Emma and her children are going along also. That makes Joseph more excited to have Emma's 4-year-old, Benjamin, along. The two cousins get along so well.

Joseph is such a neat little boy. He won't wear a shirt if a button is missing. He doesn't like it if his pants have a hole in them either. I guess that way I get my mending done sooner. Seven-year-old Benjamin is exactly the opposite. He doesn't care what I give him to wear. It's surprising how siblings can be so different.

Two-year-old Lovina is going through a stage where she repeats everything she hears. Joseph gets so annoyed when she always repeats what he says and does. Now Lovina is starting to complain about her dress when Joseph does about his shirt.

I managed to process 14 pints of salsa yesterday. I also did 12 quarts of pickles and 10 pints of jalapeño peppers this week.

Try this recipe for a good, easy lasagna.

Lazy day lasagna

12 ounces of cottage cheese

1 quart spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

2 cups mozzarella

1 /2 teaspoon dry basil leaves

1 pound ground beef, fried and seasoned

Mix cottage cheese with sauce and spices. Layer sauce, ground beef, and uncooked lasagna noodles in 9-by-13-inch pan. Add 1/2 cup water around edges of pan. Seal tightly with foil. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and add 2 cups mozzarella on top and bake

15 minutes longer.