The Day's before Christmas.

This has been a very busy week for Judy and I. Being retired doesn't really seem to give you all the time you need to get ready for Christmas and then leave time to actually do all the things you want to do. So many things happened over the last several days I just cannot say all the things I want about each thing we did without making this too long to read.


Since last Thursday we have had a Christmas get together at our friends Mark and Nancy on Saturday the 20th. They have a Wii game and we all showed how uncoordinated we really are by trying the Wii Fit games. Kenny and Diane along with Larry and Sue proved that we were not "Fit" for many of the games we played.




Mark ... Our Host.



Mark was the best and the most amusing at the hula hoop part of the game.


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On Sunday afternoon we had a wonderful time going downtown Detroit to see a holiday concert by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with Kate and Roger and Jerry and Joann.



Dave, Judy, Joanne, Jerry, Katie and Roger. An afternoon at the DSO Christmas Concert.




In the lobby was an elaborate display of buildings in downtown Detroit made entirely from Lego's. Joanne guessed there were over 200 million Lego's in the display !!! We were told it was more like 200 thousand.

After the concert we went to an excellent dinner at a restaurant called "Boodles".



Jerry and Joanne ....................... Roger and Katie ................


Following dinner we stopped at Jerry and Joanne's house for drinks. Their house is on Watkins Lake and is just beautiful. The view from their deck is spectacular. They were waiting for Christmas like the rest of us and the house was all decorated.


The tree is ready !!!


Jerry and Joanne ... with Santa !!!!


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Monday the 22nd was my birthday... Judy and I had lunch in Fenton at one of our favorite little restaurants called The French Laundry. But in the evening we needed to travel to Grosse Pointe because the mother of a very good friend of mine from High School, Cathy, had passed away on Friday.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are next ...

Snow Day !!!!!

This morning we woke up to the highly predicted snow storm here in Lower Michigan. Seems to have started snowing around 5 AM and it was snowing at almost an inch an hour until 1 this afternoon. Judy and I went out and cleared the driveway and made a couple of tracks in the street so we can drive out in case of an emergency. We plan on staying in all day in front of the fire. It will be an old fashion snow day since the cable TV just went out. What will we ever do without Oprah ? I'm not worried since Judy always has a little list of things I can do around here.

The house is set back a little from the street. Just makes the drive longer to shovel out !!!




I think we eventually got about 11 inches of snow

Now I now what I'll be doing today ... Judy needs her firewood !!!_________________________________________________________________

Mark is in London this week on business and Polly asked us to help her last night by taking Grace to gymnastics while she took Bella to Girl Scouts. Grace is such little bundle of energy at gymnastics. She was running and jumping all over the place, couldn't have cared less if Grandma and Pa were really there. We had such a good time watching her. The only part of the night she had problems with is something they call "The Pit". Just the name alone would strike terror into any little person. This huge hole is filled with soft chunks of foam and all the kids and parents and Pa loved jumping in "The Pit". That is all except Grace.... She kept a safe distance from the edge and could not be convinced that the "Pit" was fun. It was her graduation night and they had a little podium ceremony for each child and presented them with a ribbon and a stamped star on their hand.


Christmas day is fast approaching and we are having part of both our families for dinner. Grandpa Steve is coming in from Virginia to see Polly, Mark, and the girls. We are looking forward to having him over for Christmas dinner at Camp Ortonville.

A Christmas Tree in Troy

On Friday evening Mark and Polly asked us to come over and join them in decorating their Christmas tree. Judy and I are so lucky that they want us to be part of their family traditions. I'm not sure if Isabella and Grace or Judy were more excited to be trimming the tree.

Mark started with the perfect size and shaped tree, about 10 foot. The kind with the very soft needles so you don't scratch yourself as it's decorated. As Polly opened the boxes of ornaments she told the girls the story behind each one as she gave it to them to put on the tree. She showed them the first ornament to always go on the tree, and with every discovery from the box came a description of where they got it, or who it came from. The girls listened each time Polly explained the history of the ornaments and I'm sure as they grow up they will appreciate knowing that history.

The first to be hung on the tree.

Polly explained this was a treasure from her Mom.

As each ornament went on the tree the room was transformed into the color and wonder that is only Christmas.

As we finished Grace was asked about Santa Claus coming and she got this terrified look on her face and asked " Is Santa Claus going to get me ?" Isabella explained that Santa was going to bring her presents. In order to help understand better about Santa Isabella read " The Night Before Christmas" to us.

It turned out to be the most delightful part of the evening.

And to All A Goodnight !!!!!!

A Christmas Story

The Christmas season is in full swing here in Ortonville. It is cold and it is snowing. Judy and I have started to put up our Christmas tree and are now finding it difficult to get the time to actually finish trimming it.

On Saturday morning we drove to Saginaw to visit Judy's brother Butch. He had surgery to replace a blocked artery in his leg. He is doing fine and came home on Monday. Saturday afternoon we had dinner with Mark and the girls while Polly and Sara were in Maryland surprising her Dad for his Birthday.

Mark and Grace made dinner...

After dinner Isabella taught us how to play "31", a card game she had learned while in Georgia for Thanksgiving. She has quite the mind for card game strategy. I'm sure Texas Hold-em is in her future.

On Sunday evening we were invited, along with our friends Kate and Roger, to a pre-play get together at the home of Deb and Jim. Katie and Deb retired from Chrysler at Thanksgiving and this was the end of their first real week being retired. Both are happy to be out of Chrysler and all the trouble Chrysler is having right now, but Katie already had an interview for a part-time job. We were meeting at Deb and Jim's for drinks and munchies before we headed off to a stage version of the now classic movie, " A Christmas Story". Deb and Jim have a new "puppy" Winnie, a beautiful Dalmatian.

Jim and Deb were the perfect hosts !!! ........................... And Winnie...

Katie and Deb .....Brand new Retirees.... They look so young !!

Roger and Judy.

After drinks we were off to the play at the Avon Theatre. The play was great and if you know the story line of the movie, the play was full of "you'll shoot your eye out" and all the other familiar scenes from the movie.

And of course no Christmas Story would complete

without the famous winning of the "Major Award"

Certainly a "Major Award" if I've ever seen one.

The stage manager was kind enough to let the "loud group " from the audience go up on stage after the play and pose with the lamp.

We stopped after the play in downtown Rochester to see the Christmas lights and have a drink at an all organic "green" restaurant owned by a friend of Jim's. All organic meant ... food, drinks and decor. We were told even the tables were made from compressed sunflower seeds. It was Trendy, Expensive and Fun !!!

My attempt at "Artsy" photographs...



And this is only the start of Christmas in Michigan.

Snow Belt

Judy and I started getting ready for Christmas yesterday. Judy had me get the decorations out of the basement and we started by putting up the outside lights. We had about 3 inches of snow last week and it was still on the ground as we installed the lights on the front walkway.

Judy really gets into decorating...

Making sure Judy has a nice fire.

Just before dark ....

As soon as we finished the lights it started to snow and by the time we got up this morning we had an additional 6 1/2 inches of snow on the ground. We spent the morning digging out the driveway. Judy put most of her decorations in the great room the rest of the day and all I can say it's looking a lot like Christmas. At least here in Ortonville. Watching the news on TV only 20 miles south of here there is no snow on the ground. We appear to be in the lower Michigan snow belt.

This was the view off our back deck this morning.

Aren't we lucky !!!!!

Thanksgiving 2008

We were invited to my niece's house for Thanksgiving this year. Kate is the oldest daughter of my brother Steve and is married to Bryan. They have a daughter, Emily, who is 3 years old and just adorable. They live in Holt, Michigan which is a suburb of Lansing. About an hour or so drive from our house in Ortonville.

This was Kate and Bryan's first Thanksgiving dinner at their house. They set up the dining room with a row of tables that extended into part of the living room and made the most wonderful turkey dinner for 13 people. At first Kate appeared a little nervous but both her and Bryan did a great job and everything turned out perfect.

Bryan's first Turkey !!!

Kate and Mari making final preparations for dinner.

My brother Steve and sister-in-law Mari along with Kate's In-Laws, the Tringals were also there, Tom, Vicki and their daughter Julie. Dan and Kelly ( one of Kate's brothers ) were there, but Steve and Lisa ( another brother ) could not make it. My Dad was also there and we all had a great time.

Dad patiently waiting for dinner.

This was the first holiday we have had since my Mom died in July. We talked about her and laughed at what she would have done had she been there. Kate, you can be assured that she is very proud of you for inviting everyone for dinner and handling it so well.

Kate, Emily and Bryan.

Thank You Kate and Bryan it was the perfect Thanksgiving.

Tradition - Making Sticky Buns for Thanksgiving

When Judy and I got married I was introduced to her family tradition of making "Sticky Buns" for Thanksgiving. This wonderful tradition starts the night before Thanksgiving and includes putting together these delicious cinnamon buns so the next morning you can eat them hot from the oven.

On Thanksgiving morning Hudson's Department Store ( now Macy's ) have their annual Thanksgiving parade in downtown Detroit. You make hot chocolate, bundle up the kids, ( it is always cold and snowy for the parade ) and drive downtown to sit at the curb on Woodward Ave. and watch all the parade floats go by in front of you. You yell and wave as each float comes rolling past you. High school bands play the first Christmas music of the season and you sing Jingle Bells with everyone else around you. It is always worth the wait out in the cold as Santa and his reindeer, always the last float, finally arrives and goes past you. You hurry home because you know the sticky buns are waiting to be put in the oven. The smell that spreads throughout the house as they come out of oven is amazing. You add a hunk of butter to the top of the hot sticky bun and wash it all down with a glass of cold milk.

As the years have gone by and the kids got too old for believing in Santa, and too cold for the parents to sit outside, we bake the sticky buns early and now watch the parade on TV. This is a tradition we will always continue.

Mark, Polly, Bella and Grace are going out of town for Thanksgiving and Polly did not want to miss out on the making ( and eating ) of the sticky buns. So we made them on Sunday with Deanna, Mark, Polly and the girls in Ortonville.

This year Bella took a greater interest in actually making the sticky buns. I showed her how to roll out the dough and add sugar and cinnamon and how to roll and cut the buns into pieces. She was amazing !!! A real natural at the art of making sticky buns.

We all helped in some manner by creating an assembly line of sticky buns. Melting butter, spreading sugar and cinnamon, arranging into pans. We made about 8 big pans of sticky buns for everyone to take home.

The pan we made for after dinner turned out to one of the best ever because it was made entirely by Isabella. She was so proud of what she did and so are we !!!

The day was topped off by Judy making a fantastic pot-roast dinner with carrots and potatoes. It was delicious.

This turned out to be a very special day for Judy and I. It seems rare that we get a whole day at home with Deanna, Mark , Polly and the girls. I hope it is a start of a new tradition because it meant so much to Judy and I.

Thanks Guys.......

Winter comes to Michigan

Saturday night into Sunday it snowed for the first time and we have about 1 1/2 inches of the white stuff on the ground. Judy always welcomes the coming of snow because she likes to sit in front of our fireplace and keep toasty warm. I on the other hand do not welcome winter as readily since I am the one who carries in the logs to put in that fireplace. Secretly I enjoy the fire as much as her but I have to complain in order to maintain my image.



The real problem with the snow is I have been so lazy that I have yet to bring in the patio furniture from the deck.
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Friday the 14th was the birthday of a very good friend of ours Katie Sharp. Her husband Roger invited us and a few more of her friends to dinner in downtown Clarkston. The restaurant is called the Clarkston Union and is a converted church. Very trendy. Half of the seats are church pews and they have a large selection of beers to choose from. Food is terrific with several specialties including a Mac and Cheese dish with lobster. Yummy !!!



Katie and her Cosmo !!!!! Happy Birthday !!!!!

There was another birthday celebration at the table next to us. We noticed one of the gifts given to the young guy celebrating was a gag gift of a statue of two sailors with their arms locked together. For some reason our table just had to have the sailors and we set out to get it from them. First we offered them all of Katie's birthday gifts. When that didn't work we offered them money, just like deal or no deal. We all had a great laugh and they finally "sold" the statue for 10 bucks. Not quite sure what will be done with the sailors but we got it.



Katie and Liz... with sailor friends.


We all had a great time.