Life from Michigan

Mid Summers Dream

2009-08-02T09:25:00.026-04:00

Our summer has been full of great adventures and I want to share one of them with you.

In late July we were able to take Bella and Grace to visit Judy's Aunt Gerry and Uncle Louie in Mancelona, which is in upper Michigan. While we were there we took a day trip to Mackinac Island. For those who aren't familiar, Mackinac Island is located between the Upper and Lower peninsula of Michigan. No cars are allowed on the island and the only way to get around is either by bike or horse and buggy.

All visitors to the island are called "fudgies" because one of the main attractions on the island are the dozens of fudge shops located on main street. It is not a successful trip unless you eat about a pound of fudge while there.

We posed for pictures with the Mackinaw Bridge which connects the Lower and Upper Peninsulas.

The bridge is 5 miles long.

One of the first things we did was get a horse and buggy. The girls both

drove while I just kept my eyes closed.

The horse was named "Big Bob" and he was big !!!!

It started to drizzle but spirits were never dampened.

For Judy and I this September will be our 20th wedding anniversary. We were married on Mackinac Island by the mayor of the island at the Windermere Hotel by Margaret Doud.

She owns the Windermere hotel and when we walked into the hotel to show the girls where we were married she was standing right there in the lobby. The girls got to meet her and ask her about the wedding. We told them all about that day, how cold and windy it was and showed them the spot in the sun room where the ceremony was. It was a very special for Judy and I to be able to share it with the girls.

In front of the Windermere.

You have to take a boat ride to get on and off the island.

Grace trying on a hat in one of the many gift shops.

Main Street. Bikes and horses.

Isabella is getting so grown up.

Leaving the island as it gets dark.

This was the highlight of the summer for us. It difficult to express how much the trip meant to us.

Life is great.

Let the Boating begin ....

2009-06-15T09:53:00.006-04:00

We have finally got the boat in the water. When the boat would not start I attempted to fix the problem myself. After unsuccessfully working on the motor I had it taken to a marina where they fixed what was really wrong with the boat and also repaired what I had tried to fix.

All's well that floats well.

On Friday we went to dinner with Kate and Roger to Andiamo's in Rochester and then went to a play, Jeckle and Hyde, at the Avon Theatre. A good friend of ours, Jeff Stillman had a part in the play. It was a musical version and was done very well. After the play we returned to Kate and Roger's house to watch the 7th game of the Stanley Cup. Detroit versus Pittsburgh. The Red Wings lost 2-1 and now that the season is over and we can resume what little normalcy we have to our lives. Better luck next year.

Polly went to New York for a wedding with her sister Sarah and Mark stayed on their boat with the girls on Friday night. But by Saturday the girls asked Mark if they could stay at Camp Ortonville with us. Of course we said yes. On Sunday morning the girls wanted to do more things than we had time to do. They got up watched cartoons, had waffles for breakfast, went into the hot tub, went for a bike ride, made water balloons, played with water from the hose, and wanted to go for a boat ride.

Watching cartoons is exhausting work.

Waffles are becoming an Ortonville Tradition.

I'm never sure who has more fun.

The ammo.

All Grace needed was a balloon and a puddle of water.

Water and a driveway... What fun.

We had a wonderful time on the boat even though the water was freezing. We got the girls back to Mark tired and hungry. Sorry Mark. We got back home exhausted from too much fun.

I received an e-mail from a friend with an article on diet and exercise. It ended with the following advice:

'Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'

Life is Good.

Life is just Blogging along.

2009-06-06T08:57:00.008-04:00

It's been a little while since I last wrote. Retirement is not easy. It is is amazing how anything ever got done while I was working, cause nothing gets now that I'm not.

Since last I wrote much has happened and it would be a long boring list to anyone who actually reads this. But since I realize so many people just hang on all the things I write ( Who am I kidding? ) I'll list a few.

Of course the Grand-daughters always top the list of things I comment on. Sadly Judy and I have not been over to see them as much as we want to. I cannot imagine being as far away as some their other Grandparents are and not being able to just go and see them when-ever we want to. Sorry Dick and Nancy and Steve. When we see them we will kiss them both for you guys.

Two weeks ago Dick and Nancy were in town from Maryland.

Nancy and Judy

Dick and Grace

While they were here Isabella had a music recital at her school. We all attended and of course Bella was the best child at the performance. She sang with the class, performed on the xylophone and dressed up for a musical number with part of her class. Such talent and only 8 years old !!!

Not sure what was really going on here. Bella is in the Black and White wig.

Two of the cutest girls in the audience.

Since that time we have been busy. I'm trying to get our pontoon boat into the water, but had trouble getting it started. My brother Steve tried helping me and after no luck starting it I decide that he carburetors needed to be rebuilt. When that didn't work I called a marina and had it taken to them to be fixed. They told me that it was the ignition and since someone messed up the carburetors ( I didn't tell them it was me ) they need to be fixed as well. If warm weather gets here I will be ready.

Last week-end I had my annual golf outing near Battle Creek. This is the 25 th year I have been going with my golf buddy Mark. He organizes the 4 day tournament. We play at the Gull Lake golf courses, it's called the Ham-bone Invitational. Our four-some plays to see who pays for a ham we bring along for breakfast, and a traveling trophy. We won it this year. Did not play well but as always had a great time.

Judy spent the long week-end in Mancelona with her sister Sandy. Visiting her Aunt, Uncle and cousins. It was cold and Judy complained that they didn't even have a campfire while up North.

Yesterday I played golf in an outing put on by my High School, St. Ambrose in Detroit. It's for graduates from all years and I golfed with 3 guys I have not really talked to in almost 40 years. I had a great time reminiscing with these guys. Talk was about family and work but it was mostly about playing football since 2 of the guys were Michigan All-State players in 1968. We had a pretty good team back then for a small school. We lost only 1 game in 4 years.

The best news is about Judy. She has been seeing a neurologist about her headaches and after trying several medications she has found one that seems to be helping. It's called Topamax. It's side effects are dizziness but the Dr. says that will subside. Judy had another angiogram Thursday at Harper hospital to check the coiling and stent she had done in March. Everything is still in place and the doctors are happy with what they saw. This is finally some good news for Judy. She has suffered so much since January.

Life is Good in Ortonville.

Mother's Day ... Different but good.

2009-05-11T08:58:00.014-04:00

Mothers Day 2009

Judy and I made plans to celebrate Mother's Day with Mark, Polly, the girls and Deanna by going out to brunch. We went to Mark and Polly's early so we could spend some time with them. We hadn't seen the kids for a whole week.

Judy told me that she will always remember when Mark and Deanna were just kids, and on Mother's Day morning they told her to stay in bed because they wanted to make her breakfast in bed. She said listening to them argue in the kitchen over who would make what and who was burning the bacon, is still one of her best memories of Mother's Day.

When we arrived the girls gave Judy a handmade ceramic vase with their hand prints and fingerprints pressed into side. The vase was filled with pink geraniums .. it is beautiful.

Mark made us mimosa's and we toasted Judy and Polly for Mother's Day. Deanna and Mike came over shortly after and we rushed over to Kruse and Muir for brunch.
We had a great time exploring the buffet tables as we waited to be called to sit down. The girls spotted the dessert table first and were planning exactly what toppings they wanted on their ice cream. Gummy bears, caramel sauce, Oreo cookies, sprinkles, even I could hardly wait.

After we were seated we almost ran for the buffet. So much to choose from, such small plates. Everything was fantastic. Creme Brulee french toast, pancakes with strawberries and special sauce, Parmesan talapia, Maryland chicken, special Troy eggs, sausage, bacon, it went on and on and so did we. The girls ate almost everything there. Grace couldn't be talked into trying the shrimp cause her Mom doesn't eat them, so neither does she. We all ate like it was our last meal.

After brunch we were full but the girls did not forget dessert. I helped Isabella and Grace make their ice cream sundae's with all the available toppings including the gummie bears.

Her Favorite Dad

What a lovely Couple !!!

Deanna and Mike

We really had a wonderful time and the food was great.

This is hockey Stanley Cup playoff time. So with the Red Wings in contention we returned home where Judy's sister Sandy and her family were suppose to come over to watch the hockey game. They didn't make it so we watched the Wings beat the Anaheim Ducks in game 5. Even though we were full from dinner we had to have the our traditional good luck popcorn during the game. We won the game 4-1.

This is the first Mother's Day since my Mom passed away last summer.

Mother's Day was good but different.

Happy Mother's Day Mom ... I Love You.

Earth Day - Lake Orion Recycled Art Show

2009-04-23T16:13:00.006-04:00

Last night we went to the Recycled Art Show in Lake Orion, Michigan. The rules stated that all entries were to be made made from recycled materials.

A very close friend of ours, Roger, had entered one of his "Camera Purses" into the Show. Roger is a camera collector and makes women's purses out of antique box cameras. We met at Roger and Kates house for pre-show drinks and then hurried over to the opening of the show.

Roger ... Artist Extraordinaire with his camera purses.

It was very exciting ... The little house that was hosting the show was packed with local artists and all their adoring fans. Recycled art was displayed everywhere you looked. Roger's art was predominately displayed on a small pedestal in the center of the room. We were told 49 different artists had entered their work. After a few minutes of checking out Roger's competition we were sure he was in the running for a "major award".

We held our breathe as the awards were being announced. Roger's small contingent cheered as his camera purses were awarded with an honorable mention from the judges. It was very cool to be there when Roger won his award, he was so happy and couldn't stop smiling the rest of the night.

Roger with his purses, his ribbon, and his ever-lovely wife Kate.

We celebrated with dinner in downtown Lake Orion at Valentino's Restaurant. A very nice evening where we started with a toast to the almost world famous artist, Roger.

Jim and Deb were just part of Roger's Fan Club attending the art show.

Great Fun ...

Great Friends ...

... And In the Morning I'll make Waffles.

2009-04-07T12:49:00.020-04:00

Life is moving slowly these early days of spring.

Judy is slowly recovering from her procedure and last Friday we had a visit from Kate and Deb. They came at lunch time and brought lunch. We had a terrific visit all afternoon. Drinking wine and gossiping until late afternoon.

Saturday I helped my brothers move my Dad into a one bedroom apartment from his two bedroom place in the same independent living complex ( his idea ). My brothers are getting too old and weak to carry furniture any more. I of course have no problems at all. We stayed and had dinner with him and I hurried home to watch Michigan State beat UCONN. Go Spartans.

Polly,the girls and Deanna came over on Sunday to visit Judy and as always we had such a good time. The girls were visited by Jack the neighbors dog who stops by every so often. The girls were just thrilled. They want a dog of their own so bad but Polly and Mark don't agree with them. So they settle for hoping Jack will be here when they are. They played with him all afternoon.

Jack and the girls...

Grace just loves Jack.

For everyone who knows Polly ... She loves the dog too. Yea Right !!!

While Polly was here she arranged to get tickets for the MSU / NC game on Monday night. Mark didn't know that Polly was getting the tickets and when they got home they surprised him. Polly asked us to babysit for the girls on Monday night. It was a tough decision , but we said yes. We all had dinner and everyone went home happy.

During the evening Sunday night we had a big snowstorm. We had 8 inches of snow on the ground when we woke up. I thought we were done with snow. I had to get out the snow blower one more time. I am sick of snow. For crying out loud it's spring !!!

This is getting ridiculous.....

Andrea, who watches the girls while Polly works, brought the girls to our house on Monday afternoon. We planned a special outing for dinner at the local A&W drive-in but it was closed. We were all disappointed.

Judy and the girls watched Shrek after dinner. Grace said she didn't like Shrek because he was a "mean yogurt". Grace did like the donkey and decided that she wanted waffles for breakfast.

The big plan for the rest of the evening was to watch Michigan State beat North Carolina in the NCAA Championship game. The whole state of Michigan was rooting for MSU to win. We watched as MSU got off to a bad start and never got back into the game. Bella was doing MSU cheers and screaming and yelling at every shot, but they lost anyways. What a terrible game. We are proud of the Spartans but they ran into a better team this time.

Judy and I watched Cinderella with the girls when they woke up this morning. As promised I made us all waffles for breakfast. Yummy !!!

It's late afternoon and Andrea has just picked up Isabella and Grace and taken them home.

The house is straightened ...

The house is quiet ...

We miss them already.

Snow, Sun, and thoughts of golf.

2009-04-02T09:28:00.003-04:00

The weather at this time of year in Michigan can be anything from snow and winter jackets to warm 70 degree days and shorts. This year has been is no exception. We woke up to an inch and half of snow on Sunday and today it's going to be in the mid 60's.

The local golf courses are starting to open and I haven't swung a club since early October. Not that I haven't thought about golf ... I replaced the grips on my clubs about 3 weeks ago and I am planning to get to a driving range soon.

Just to let you know Judy did have her aneurysm procedure last week and everything was successful. Judy has been recuperating and still has a headache and some bruises from the IV's but is feeling a little better each day. I want to thank everyone for the calls and cards and flowers. It's good to know you have so many friends and family that care so much.

This is turning out to be a big week-end here in the Detroit area with the NCAA Men's Basketball finals at Ford Field. The Michigan State Spartans are one of the final 4 and green and white are the colors of choice. Mark and Polly along with my niece Kate are Michigan State alumni and they are so proud to be Spartans. Isabella and Grace have been turned into big State fans and follow basketball just as close as Mark. Grace loves the Michigan State mascot "Sparty" but every time she refers to him it comes out as "Farty". Just about the funniest thing you have ever heard.

So for Grace it's " GO FARTY !!!"

And for the rest of us it's ... "GO SPARTANS !!!"

Dinner and Rocks !!!!

2009-03-23T08:28:00.005-04:00

Quiet week in Ortonville. Just waiting for Judy's procedure on the 25th.

Saturday we went out to dinner and a play with Polly and Mark. No girls just Polly and Mark. Chuck came over to babysit with Isabella and Grace.

We had dinner at Greektown in downtown Detroit at one of Judy's favorite restaurants, Pegasus. Lamb chops for Judy, chicken lemonato for Polly and Mark and I had veal. Great dinner with traditional flaming saganaki as an appetizer. Not sure how they don't burn down that restaurant with the flames going all the way to the ceiling. Everything was delicious.

Following the play we went to the Gem Theatre to see the play, " I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change". A musical comedy that made fun of the relationships between men and women from starting to date through old age. What a great play! I highly recommend it.

We finished the evening by stopping for a carry-out desert from Maggiano's Italian restaurant and took it back to Polly and Mark's to eat. We commented on how we don't remember the last time only the 4 of us had gone out. Not since the girls were born for sure. It was a wonderful evening and we will do again soon.

On Sunday afternoon we had a "Rock Party" at Eileen's house ( Judy's sister ) It was an excuse to get the family together for the afternoon and eat and drink. Judy's Dad was a rock collector and Eileen still had his collection of agates and Petoskey stones in the basement. All the rocks were brought up from the basement and everyone had a chance to pick out the rocks they wanted.

They may look like rocks to the untrained eye, but to Judy and her brothers and sisters they are priceless treasures.

Training Wheels... Gone .

2009-03-17T19:12:00.024-04:00

Things here in Ortonville have been hectic lately and it's not letting up.

Judy has been going through a tough time recently. Those of you who know us are aware that Judy found out she has a brain aneurysm and is attempting to have it taken care of. She had a angioplasty performed last Thursday at Harper Hospital in Detroit to place a coil inside the aneurysm. After waiting for 3 emergency procedures that took precedence over her, it was discovered that her aneurysm needs to have a stent implanted along with the coiling. She was told they will reschedule and we went home that night. Judy has had to put her life on hold until this is taken care of. She is ready to get this over with!!! She is getting so much support from her kids, family and friends. Thanks to everyone.

Some goods news .... Today the hospital called and Judy is scheduled to to have the angioplasty repeated on the 25th of March. Lets hope it all gets fixed next week.

The week-end was not going well for Judy until Mark and Polly stopped by on their way home on Sunday afternoon from skiing at Shuss Mountain. A dose of Isabella and Grace were just what she needed. It was a warm afternoon and Isabella spotted her bike still hanging from the garage ceiling and wanted to ride it. Bella has not yet mastered to art of bike riding without training wheels and said she is the only one in her class who cannot ride a bike. Obviously a source of embarrassment for her. She rode with the training wheels until we called her in for dinner. After dinner she asked me if I would teach her to ride without the training wheels. We took them off and with a determined look on her face she hopped on and stated she was going to learn to ride. We worked on how to use the brakes and balancing herself and off we went down the drive. After a few shaky attempts I could tell she was closer than she thought to doing this on her own. It didn't take too much longer and when she realized that I was not holding on to her she rode about 30 feet all by herself. She stopped without falling and turned to me and said " Pa, I have never gone that far on my own before".

Her smile is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

From then on she worked on riding farther and farther by herself. The evening ended when she was riding down the drive, lost control and fell down a slope head first into the trees. We all held our breath until we saw her get up and start laughing. We then knew we had a great ending to the story of Isabella learning to ride her bike.

A Historic Moment in History. The first Ride !!!

Proud to be a Biker Babe !!!

Grandma and Grace gave their approval.

Catching up with February ... Week-end at Ortonville ... Snow and Fun

2009-02-22T10:05:00.016-05:00

February 21st - Another cold week-end in Camp Ortonville with Isabella and Grace. Mark and Polly are starting to re-finish their basement and they needed some time without the girls to get started.

Over the week-end we watched movies and hockey games and Disney.

Madagascar 2 ... High School Musical 3 ... Red Wings ... and Mickey Mouse.

Saturday during the day we had about 3 inches of new snow and Bella and Grace helped me shovel.

And we ate anything we wanted. Chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on Friday. Grilled chicken and french fries on Saturday. In between we had candy and popcorn and ice cream.

Message from Grace.

Going crazy !!!

Sunday morning we had pancakes with ice cream, chocolate sauce and cherries.

As always having the girls visit Camp Ortonville is wonderful.

Sunday evening we were invited over to Deb and Jim's house to watch the Oscars. Just an excuse to get together to eat and drink.

Our wonderful co-hosts ... Jim and Deb.

Special invited celebrities ... Jerry and Joann.

Almost movie stars ...Katie and Roger.

Deb made so much food.. and had fun with the Oscar movies as a theme.

Benjamin "Button" cookies

Frosty Nixon Martini's and Harvey Milk shots..

Winnie is Deb and Jim's dog.

She was so disappointed that 101 Dalmatians didn't win an award.

We had a great time . It was a blast !!! Thanks guys.

Catching Up with January 2009 ...

2009-02-02T13:15:00.016-05:00

If I wasn't so lazy these last few weeks I wouldn't have to try and catch up with all that has happened in January.

So many things happened and so many things we have done. It is impossible to mention everything but I have some pictures to document some of the things.

Grace's 3rd Birthday ... January 11, 2009

Grace had her 3rd birthday on the 11th and Mark and Polly had the family over to their house. Dick and Nancy came in from Maryland. Grace decided she wanted her birthday to be all about Princesses and Nancy made a fantastic Princess cake for her.

What a beautiful cake !!!

Not sure what Grace is actually thinking here ( we never are ) but we know she loved the cake.

Opening presents is always an exciting time.

And trying on the robe, the socks, and the hat were hilarious.

Even Great Grandpa Bernard enjoyed the Princess gifts.

Yet another Camp Ortonville Visit ... January 17

We love having the girls to our house and Polly and Mark love to get a break. They think we are doing them a favor, but it's us who benefit.

Just taking a break from playing games.

Grace and Grandma.

Every so often we have a neighbor's dog come by and visit us.

Today was one of those days and the girls were just thrilled to play with "Jack".

Skiing at Mt. Holly ...

Grace's first time on the slopes. January 31,2009

Friday night Mark and Polly took Bella and Grace to Mt. Holly and met Deanna to ski. Afterwards they stayed at our house and spent all day Saturday hanging out and playing games.

What a couple of cute snow bunnies !!!

Grace preparing for the slopes.

The only video of the girls on the hill would not load on the page. I am so disappointed. I will continue to try and get it on later.

Grace told us she wanted bacon with breakfast. We used a great recipe Polly has for baked french toast. It was the "Best".

Video of Grace helping to make the french toast.

Polly and her girls.

Mark got this hat from Deanna.

Life is good in Michigan ... See you next time.

Slacker, Slacker ...

2009-01-07T18:43:00.026-05:00

I will only admit to two "slacker's" since it's only been about 2 weeks since I last sat down at the computer. It certainly has been a busy time since those days included Christmas and New Year's. It will be difficult catching up without being too long, but I will do my best.

Christmas Eve was spent at my brother Steve's with my Dad and Steve's family. His family includes Steve and his wife Mari. Their children and their spouses. They are Kate and her husband Bryan and their daughter Emily. Steven and his wife Lisa, and Dan and his wife Kelly.

We had a great dinner and opened presents next to the Christmas tree. Emily was the center of attraction. Emily will be 4 years old in March and she is just a doll. She reached for each present as if it was a race and giggled with delight as she opened it. At her age getting toys took preference over clothes every time.

Dan , Steve, Kate, and Steven ..... We are all kids when it comes to presents.

.......................................... Steven, Dad and Lisa.

...................Dan and Emily wrapped in a present for Dan ... a Red Wings blanket

Left:

Kelly arranging her schedule to use that gift certificate.

Right:

Kate just hates to have her picture taken. " Oh Uncle Dave !!!"

Later in the evening we took my Dad home and headed for Mark and Polly's house as we were invited to stay the night and be there when Isabella and Grace opened presents in the morning.

Polly's Dad Steve was in town from Virginia and met us at the door telling us the girls had gone to bed but left us a message that we all had to go to bed early so Santa could come with the presents. We talked for awhile catching up on how everything was with Steve, made sure cookies were by the fireplace ready for Santa and carrot's were placed with care on the porch for his reindeer. Off to bed we went.

After a quick night's sleep Isabella was standing next to the bed yelling to us that Santa had been there and we had to hurry and open the presents. We met Steve and Grace who were waiting by the tree for everyone else to get up.

Steve let us know that he had already been up with Isabella for at least an hour and was trying to keep her from waking the rest of us as long as he could.

Thank You Steve !!!

After that all Santa broke out. There were presents and then more presents. Paper and ribbon everywhere. The girls were just thrilled with all they received. Toys, books, clothes and socks !!!

Seeing the girls open their presents has become the best part of Christmas and just writing about it makes me smile.

Enjoy the pictures !!!

To be continued .......... Merry Christmas !!!!

The Day's before Christmas.

2008-12-26T10:28:00.027-05:00

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 !!!!!

2008-12-19T13:10:00.012-05:00

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

2008-12-14T12:49:00.018-05:00

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

2008-12-10T20:27:00.022-05:00

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

2008-12-01T20:12:00.008-05:00

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

2008-11-28T09:06:00.009-05:00

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

2008-11-24T13:27:00.014-05:00

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

2008-11-17T14:05:00.017-05:00

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.

Bella Birthday Week

2008-11-12T13:24:00.044-05:00

Judy went to visit her Aunt Gerry and Uncle Louie in Mancelona last Wednesday, while I had to stay home for a dentist appointment. Judy was able to golf for what appears to be the last time this year with her cousin John. Of course she shot the best score of the whole year. She can't wait till next spring !!!

Saturday November 8, 2008

Isabella's Birthday Party

Mark and Polly had a wonderful birthday party for Bella's 8th Birthday at their house. Dick and Nancy ( aka: Nonna and Poppy ) came in from Maryland for the party. Bella was so happy to have them here. We all were.

Nonna made the beautiful ( and delicious ) cake and also some special cookies just for Bella.

Those who attended included ... Chuck and Linda, Dick and Nancy, Dave and Judy, Deanna and Mike, Great Grandpa Bernard, Aunt Eileen and Jenny, Leo and Diane, Mom, Dad and Grace.

The highlight was the opening of the presents and Bella of course got help from Grace. They both had a great time.

We ate cake, ice cream and pizza into the night.

Tuesday November 11, 2008

Tuesday is the actual date of Bella's birthday and Polly made it very special by keeping Bella home from school and taking her shopping, to lunch, and getting a pedicure. Polly made dinner of cheez-it chicken and rice. She also made another cake for Bella. Judy and I were lucky to be invited for dinner.

During dinner Bella received phone calls from Aunt Sarah, Uncle Wes and Ella. They all sang Happy Birthday and it was wonderful to see Bella's reaction. As soon as she hung up Bella got another call from Grandpa Steve and he also sang Happy Birthday. You both need to know how special those calls were to Bella. She knows she has a very special family.

The cook.

Licking the candles is a tradition.

Judy and I teased Bella by telling her all she was getting for her birthday was socks. She was surprised and "somewhat happy" to get them.

Best Friends.

Way too much cake and ice cream !!!

Summer is almost over

2008-11-06T08:19:00.001-05:00

Last summer Judy and I bought a pontoon boat as part of our retirement plan. We have enjoyed this boat more than we could have imagined. Judy's brother Leo lives on Deer Lake in Clarkston and has a dock on his lake. He allows us to keep our boat on his lake in return for using it whenever he wants. It is a great deal for us. Only 10 Minutes from the house.

This is the time of the year that we take the boat out of the water and store it for the winter. My brother Steve lets us keep the boat on his 5 acres of property for the winter. ( Thank God for relatives or we wouldn't be able to do anything. ) This year I decided to buy my own shrink wrapping gun and material and cover the boat myself. I have never done this before and have only seen videos on how to do it. With the help of my brother Steve, yesterday was the day it got done. I am pleased to report it was pretty easy to do and with no major injuries ( Steve only lost a small amount of arm hair in the process ) it turned out perfect.

You start with a boat.

Add the peanut gallery.

From the left ... Ted, A friend of my Dad's. My Dad. John, my brother's next door neighbor. Mari, my sister-in-law. and my brother Steve. Thanks to Judy for taking all the pictures.

Yes even popcorn and drinks were served.

Cover with shrink wrap material.

Using a propane blow torch, and trying not to burn the hair off your brother's arm, you heat the wrap until it melts and shrinks.

Heat the entire wrap until it is tight.

Before and...

After.

Thanks to all who helped.

Week-end at Camp Ortonville - Sunday

2008-11-03T00:36:00.000-05:00

Isabella and Grace

With today being the last day of Camp Ortonville ( for this week anyway) the day started early ... or was it late? This morning was the changing of the clocks for daylight savings.

How does that go? Spring forward ... Fall asleep.

Whatever we got going with waffles for breakfast and then Grandma brought out the paper and pens, stamps and scissors and the girls were busy all morning.

Danger - Artists at Work !!!!

Of course they do...

After Grandma and Grace finished the puzzle it was time for Donuts and cider at Porter's cider mill in Goodrich.

Grace made sure the cider was sweet.

All Aboard !!!!!!

I want the shiny one.

We had a hard time getting Isabella to stop playing on the "Zip Line" Good thing Polly wasn't here this would have driven her crazy !

As it started to rain we went back to Ortonville for dinner and then packed up the girls to go home to their parents.

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Mark and Polly always thank us so much for watching the girls. They do not know how much it means to Judy and I to be able to have the girls stay here. Thank You.

Week-end at Camp Ortonville - Saturday

2008-11-01T19:33:00.000-04:00

This is something we call Week-end at Camp Ortonville. We have been having these with our grand-daughters ever since Mark and Polly were first able to let Isabella out of their sight. Now we get to host both Isabella and Grace and nothing can beat the conversations we have with them. Isabella is now 7 1/2 with her 8th birthday in 10 days. Grace is 2 1/2 and growing so fast.

We had a busy day......

Today was Grace's first haircut. The big event happened at a hair salon in Ortonville called "Amedae". This is where both Isabella and Grandma get their hair done. Grace was great. No problems. Mark, Polly, Isabella, Grandma and Pa. were witnesses. We wished all the Grandparents, Aunts and Uncle's could have been there.

Mom and Grace Planning "The Style".

Bella always making sure Grace is OK.

The First Cut ...

After a while this is no big deal.

Hey ... This was not in the PLAN !!!

Ok this is better.

Everyone says "You look Marvelous"

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The rest of the afternoon we spent at a 6th birthday party for Karisa Kyle, Bella and Grace's cousin. The party was given by her parents Chris and Rochelle at a "Bounce House". This is a place where you climb, bounce and slide until you get sick. Pizza, Cake and Ice Cream.

Karisa ... The Birthday Girl.

Pa is way too old for this stuff..........

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Week-end at Camp Ortonville.

It's starting to get colder.

2008-10-29T15:09:00.000-04:00

Today is the type of day you picture in your mind when you think about winter approaching.

Cold, crisp, and windy.

The sky is filled with those grey clouds you know are just waiting to let go of the first snow of the season. Most of the leaves have fallen and only those stubborn yellow and red ones are clinging to the branches.

Judy and I went "Up North" last week-end with our good friends, Katie and Roger. Up North is what we call it here in Michigan when you go anywhere north of your house. Visited Boyne Mountain where the ski lifts are ready and waiting for snow.