Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Escaping the cold

 We have left town and are trying to escape the N. Michigan winter. (We understand it snowed this past weekend so it was the right escape0 
Our first stop was Paducah, Kentucky the home of a great Quilt Museum. We only had part of one day there but I hit the highlights and am ready to go back with my quilting friends at some future date.  We spent a couple of hours in the museum and then the store.
 The other attraction in Paducah is this great fabric store.  Bud dropped me off and I shopped for about an hour while he ran some errands. It was a quick visit to the store but I managed to find quite a bit of fabric.  It was a great experience and the fabric was discounted because it was remnants.
                                   
That afternoon we headed to Tennessee to visit Matt and Diana.  Saturday we headed out to Cheekwood even though it was a chilly day.  We had lunch at a great cafĂ© in Nashville.

                                   
 Then on to Cheekwood to visit the gardens.  It had been a cool spring so the tulips were not out yet.  We did see many wonderful spring flowers though and the company was outstanding.
 What a great looking family. 
 Just lounging in the daffodils, such a great looking group. 
It has been our tradition to celebrate Diana's birthday on this spring trip so we visited the great cheesecake store and picked out this one.  It was delicious. 
I brought along her birthday book of course.  Please forgive the enlarged picture but I am still learning this new computer
 Today we arrived in Florida to visit the Angoves in the Sarasota area.  A little celebration was necessary.  Larry had an office next to Bud before he retired so that is how we became friends with them.
Bud had his celebratory drink too.  We were at a great place right on the Gulf.
Kathy is the other half of the Angove family.  She is a retired teacher so we have a lot in common. 
And finally, my toast to warm weather. 
 
So, that is what we have been doing the last few weeks.  We are both glad to escape the cold for a while.  


Saturday, March 21, 2015

  Well, I am a little slow posting this week but am agonizing about posting on my blog and Facebook.  I find the formats different.  On the blog I can post and write about each picture on  FB it seems that the postings are a little shorter and I can't explain each picture.  If I post to the blog and then put a connection to the blog, I have trouble controlling the picture that posts with my link.  So for now I will do both. 
Last weekend we went to GR to visit Eva, Jessica and of course that lovely little baby. Doug was out of town but I did leave him some TC beef jerky (if Jessica shared it with him)
 The girls went out shopping.  We had a nice Mexican lunch although E. doesn't eat Mexican yet.  I am sure that Gram will work on that and she will be eating chips and salsa soon. 
 She sure is a cute baby, and Momma too. 
 She was a real trouper, getting in and out of her car seat SOOOO many times without complaining. 
 In the late afternoon (after nap time) we went over to Jessica's house for dinner.  We were invited over to their house for Jessica's birthday dinner with us because it would just be easier and more fun to play with E. on her own turf, and we did have some play time.
 I can't believe they have this cute little 'walker' for babies and she loves it.  She will be walking on her own soon though.
 Eva and Jessica redecorated the house with 'spring' and of course E. needed to help.  Eva is so good at decorating.  I wish she would come up and do mine although I did manage to get my Easter things out before it is too late. 
 Gram did get some play time too.
 Eva made dinner so Jess didn't cook her own birthday dinner. It was great to spend time with them.
 Uncle Bud even got a 'high five' after a while. 
 AND she warmed up to him as the evening went on. 
 Jess requested my chocolate peanut butter cookies as her birthday treat so I gladly made them for her. They didn't travel too well but the broken cookies and crumbs were good too. 
Just as a little 'aside' I remember sending these same cookies to Sara when she was at Michigan and she told me that after eating them in the shower the next one to enter the shower was surprised by the brown crumbs in the shower.  I always remember that story when I make those cookies. 
 Jessica received a new light for her craft space from Eva. 
It was a great day with everyone.
When we got back to Eva's house she and Bud had their tax return/retirement meeting.  Bud loves to talk finances with anyone and Eva was thrilled to have her own financial advisor. 

We had a great weekend and are thankful for such a great family and such a wonderful little baby to bless our stay in GR. This coming week we are embarking on another family visit, our spring trip expanded this year for more days and more visitors.  I will keep you posted.

On another note, I had successful cataract surgery this past week and my vision is much clearer.  Just my right eye this time.  I will wait for the left eye until it gets worse but sure am thankful for such clear vision now. 

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Dance of Spring in Northern Michigan

Well, for three days in a row we have temps above freezing and the sun is shining.  That may mean that spring is coming to our little area of the world. 
Winter was pretty cold, especially in the month of February where it seemed to be below zero most nights and barely above in the daytime.  All that cold weather caused most of the Great Lakes to freeze for the second year in a row, something that happened more often when I first moved this far north in 1974 but hasn't happened very often in the last 10 years. 
However, with the sun shining and the air a little warmer the signs of spring include a warmer weather dance that includes kicking the area around your 4 car tires to get those large clumps of ice/snow out from under your car.  Those same clumps that make that buzzing noise that you hear when you turn a corner because your tires are rubbing against that ice/snow.  Where ever you go you see these 'dead' clumps sitting in parking lots, along the road and at gas stations.  People do this little kicking 'dance' as their sign of spring and the cars 'kick off' those chunks while going down the road because the drivers are hitting those famous potholes of N. Michigan.  Yes, Yes, Yes, dirty clumps of snow and ice, potholes and sunshine are hopeful signs of warm weather just around the corner. 

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Updating finally on new computer

I have a new computer and have been struggling to learn how to use it so I have neglected my blog so you will have to check my Facebook page to see other activities going on in my life without the pictures.  I have finally learned how to post pictures from this new computer.
 Our remodeling job has been going well.  This is the way it looked before the tub came out.  This tub was pretty useless to us and it was time for it to go.,
 This is  much better picture of the way it looked, complete with all those mirrors.  I hated cleaning the tub and the mirrors. 
 Just another view from the bathroom.
 Bud did a little work getting ready for Kevin.  We are also replacing the glass on the shower behind Bud.  That whole enclosure needs a little TLC without actually replacing everything.
 The walls around the tub came down.  It was pretty securely constructed.
 Lots of work
 Still another view.
 The mirrors ware taken down
 The wall needs a lot of work.
 Just a different view.
 
 A couple of views of the new space.  We are putting tongue and groove pine on the walls and painting it to match the rest of the room.  We have a remnant of carpet left to fill the space and maybe we will put the rug that was in our living room in this space.  We saved the two recliners from the living room and a table to put in there so we can watch TV in that room.  We will also put Bud's desk in that space so it won't be in our living room.  The other desk that is now in our living room corner will also be removed now that we don't need a desk for our computer.  Changes are happening here, slow but sure.  We started this whole thing over a year ago when we bought new furniture but slow and steady wins the race here.
Speaking of slow and steady, Bud finally took the tree down today.  I think this is the latest we have ever waited to take down our Christmas tree but it has been a cold winter.  Behind the tree you can see the white of the bay frozen from shore to shore and clear out the end of the bay so YES it has been a cold winter.  Today the temps are finally above freezing and we are having some melting but we still have a long way to go.  
Now on to Facebook  I have been posting in both places on and off.  I haven't decided to totally give up the blog and just do Facebook but am thinking along those lines.