The Books of June

June wasn't a bad reading month. (When it's really hot, that's about all you can get the energy to do!) Again, mysteries took center stage, but I also managed to include some fiction and a series of somewhat twisted short stories that I found oddly delightful. (Don't judge me.) 

 

At Home: Strawberry Season

Those last days before heading north for the summer are always busy ones. This year, they were also the hottest days of the year and it sure wasn't fun doing much but reading and essentials! My life included doc appointments, lots of reading, catching up on blogs, seeing a friend's play, popping corks with Cork Poppers and time with other friends, too. In the morning I would water plants and pull some weeds, bemoaning my strawberry crop.

 

That was it. (Well, there were about four more that birds and a squirrel got to -- I saw him, sitting out there, a little red berry in his paws and munching away as happily as could be!

At Home: Cork Poppers Sample Wines of Summer

It was the hottest day of the year (to date!) -- and a perfect time for Cork Poppers to check out some wines to enjoy in the summer!

  

We gathered at Barb and Mike's house to celebrate the Summer Solstice and sample a variety of mostly whites. 

Postcards from the Lake: The First Visit

Well, I finally made it to the cottage. As you may remember, Rick came up in May and oversaw work on the ice storm damage and installation of a more reliable electrical system. He was without power and water for about six days! But now we have it and I am back.

 

That first visit always comes with ups and downs. Rick did a lot of the heavy lifting on the house but I needed to do a lot of the heavy lifting IN the house. That includes setting up the porch (which sounds like no big deal) but it takes a surprisingly long time to clean it up, work around the furniture, replace the heavy rug solo and get all the furniture back into place.

At Home: Sketchbook Revival

For the past few years, I've taken part in an online series of art workshops called Sketchbook Revival. A variety of artists covering watercolor, mixed media, drawing, journaling and more do free online workshops. The event ran over two weeks in June. (This post is heavy on the art, so be prepared!) 

 

This year instead of having all new workshops, coordinator Karen Abend pulled together the vault of five different years and participants could do any of those sessions. Some I'd never seen, some I'd never done before and some I wanted to do again! 

When Friends Leave

There were always five or six of us in the car as we drove through Michigan's frigid upper peninsula in the depths of winter, astounded by the banks of snow piled high on the side of the road, far taller than our car. We were crammed onto the bench seats of the vehicle, often singing, always laughing, as we passed through tiny villages en route to public schools in towns only slightly larger than the ones we had passed through. (For the younger readers of this blog, there was a time not all that long ago when three adults fit comfortably in the front seat!)

Patty, Andy and Jerry loading the cars on our theatre tour.

We were one car in a group of several, a band of happy actors studying theatre at Michigan State, and on the road, taking two shows to towns in the north starved for live theatre. One was a musical, "Carnival," the other, "The Pied Piper," a delightful musical for children.

At Home: No Kings! (Well, Charles is OK)

On June 14, between millions of people across the United States participated in what was called the "No Kings" rallies, expressing their displeasure in how the government, specifically by President Trump and his cronies in the cabinet and Congress, was being run. Sources vary between five and twelve million with "over five million US" being the most reported, but there were international demonstrations in 20 countries as well. (Personally, I think the event was badly named. Kings aren't necessarily bad but dictators are.) You can pretty much get the idea of what was happening here by the creative signs many displayed! Most rallies were peaceful, but some in larger cities had some elements of violence. 

At Home: The Ditch After the Storm and a Surprise!

With trees that had fallen during the tornado finally removed, I was able to walk around the ditch, eager to check out the storm damage. It really took quite a hit, being the most westerly part of our neighborhood and the first to bear the brunt of the winds. I was pleased to see a good deal of progress had been made.  Many of the fence slats (some already weather-worn) had fallen apart. They've repaired most of them. It will take some time for them to achieve the weathered patina of their still-standing mates, but they are strong.

 

There were many trees down and their removal, along with much of the other debris that went with them, has changed the landscape. This area once was thick with trees and small-branch foliage. You could never see through the the park bench. Now you can.

At Home: The Beauty of Irises

Many of you know that it is no secret that irises are one of my favorite spring flowers (and I have many favorites!). They are showy, lovely, colorful.

 

And most of all, as some of you also know, they remind me of my Aunt Iris.

At Home: Friends, Fun, and Farewell Tree!

Our spring has been so erratic -- sometimes very cold, occasionally warm. And now things are blooming big-time and it's looking lovely!

 

It wasn't so lovely at the cemetery when we went to plant geraniums for Memorial Day at my family's gravesite. As we rounded the corner to park in front of the site, we were confronted by a tree blocking the road  and yellow tape. We parked nearby and walked over to the site -- or what you could see of it.

At Home: The May Books

After a wimpy April for reading, May proved more productive and more diverse. This month we have a two memoirs, a fantasy, a novel set in the late 1800s, two British mysteries and a collection of essays. 

At Home: A House Concert!

A couple of years ago, Rick decided he would like to host a house concert, featuring a classical guitarist friend. He put out an alert on Facebook and emailed some others. About 30 people came and a tradition was born! Last month he hosted his fourth house concert and again, it was great success. 

This time, the "act" was the Grand Rapids Guitar Duo, who performed mostly classical guitar selections along with a jazz arrangement and some original pieces. The members were Brian Morris and Jonathan Marshall. 

At Home: April Books

After a bit of catch-up of at home activities, I thought it was FINALLY time to share the April book list. April was a tough month for me and when it's tough I go for comfort food. In this case, as you might expect, my reading was heavy (again) on the mysteries! I surrounded myself with some of my favorite characters by some of my favorite authors -- along with  introduction to a new one.

 

I confess, I was about four pages out of a fourth book -- one of what I call my "Bathroom and Waiting Room" books. (These are books with short bits that you can read, put down, and return to  whenever you choose!) I guess it's only fair to put that on in the May books! Onward!

At Home: Books, Birds, Buddies and Grandboys!

I'm having a hard time getting my brain around the season. It's almost June and summer will be here before we know it and yet spring seems oddly erratic -- cold or rainy one day (or two or three), then a short burst of warm, and back to cold. Stormier than usual. The sun was out today and we tried to plant flowers at the cemetery but so many trees were down, we couldn't get to the grave. That's a story for another day. On a cheerier note, things have greened-up a lot! I'm sure you all delight when you have the chance after winter to see what is my favorite color combo come to life -- chartreuse against a blue sky! And now, there is more green!

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Still catching up on pre-storm activities and there were some good times. One such day was celebrating friend Kate's birthday with a road trip to IKEA and a stop at my favorite Italian grocery in Livonia/Northville for lunch.

At Home: Cyclists, Lizzie and Springtime at the Ditch

The trees are past their peak, and by the as I post this, storm damage is being cleaned up and our world is  covered in beautiful, deep green foliage. I've already seen new goose families. But I'm taking a look back as I catch up on "real life."

A couple weeks before the storm, Rick and his buddy Nino took off for a tandem bike hike into Ohio -- about 350 miles of riding on (mostly) lovely (albeit windy) spring days. 

At Home and Beyond: Stormy Weather, Ice and Tornadoes

It has been quite a ride these past couple of months. The classic song "Stormy Weather" could be our theme song for spring in Michigan. Sunny days are the exception, rather than the rule and while it's not raining daily, the sky hasn't been all that blue. With storms comes clean-up. And that is never fun.

I mentioned the first storm back about a month ago. It was at the lake in early April. Our ice storm made national headlines. The cottage got hit pretty hard (though it could have been harder -- no structural damage, apart from a couple of broken windows in the garage; some neighbors had it worse). Rick finally got up to see what it looked  like.

This England: Looking Back -- Some Thoughts on Travel

First, I want to thank everyone who has hung in here with my many posts on our England trip. I've loved your comments and hope I have answered some of your questions. This post might answer a few more. I wanted to wrap up with a few thoughts about travel in general (and maybe England in particular.)

All good things come to an end. We boarded our plane home from England, tired and happy -- ready to get back to Lizzie and not ready to leave! 

This England: One Last Day

Our last day in London! And there were places to go, people to see, things to do! On the "things to do" list was one last concert, this at the historic St. Olave's Church. It was one of the few medieval City churches that survived the Great Fire of London, thanks in large part to Sir William Penn who ordered his men from the naval yards to blow up the houses surrounding the church. This created a fire break. That, and a shift of wind, kept the church intact.

Rick, Jenny, T and I took off on the tube and took a short walk to Hart street. We had plenty of time before the concert to explore this small church with its lovely churchyard. Diarist Samuel Pepys called it  "Our Own Church," and supported it both financially and artistically, creating a memorial bust of his wife in the church after her death so he could "see" her on Sundays. In "The Uncommercial Traveler," Charles Dickens described it as "one of my best beloved churchyards."

This England: A Hampstead Walk and a Play

It's lovely to start out the morning with good friends and that's exactly what Rick and I did after moving over to spend the last few days of our London visit with blogger Jenny and her her husband T. After kicking off the morning, we decided to split ways again. Rick and T would go for a bike ride. Jenny and I would take a long walk through Hampstead.

Hampstead is a beautiful area/neighborhood about fifteen minutes north of the center of London on the tube. We took off to see old houses and landmarks, passing by, among others, that of Sigmund Freud, continuing through narrow streets.

This England: The National Portrait Gallery

After our visit to the College of Arms and Gordon's wine bar, we had a bit of time before checking out of our hotel and moving over to Jenny and T's for a couple of days. Rick wanted to return to the guitar store so we split up. As I was walking down Charing Cross I noticed the National Portrait Gallery, which I had been interested in visiting. It seemed like a good time to do it, or at least do what I could.

The National Portrait Gallery is just one of many fine art museums in London. This one has the specific focus of portraiture in a variety of media, though most is photography or painting/visual art.

This England: Family History and Fine Wine!

In an earlier post I mentioned that one thing Rick really wanted to do while in England was explore a bit more of his family history. That included investigating a family tree pedigree dating his ancestry back to King Edward I of England.

About five or six generations back, a man named Melville M. Bigelow, who is related to Rick on his dad's side, had his pedigree officially validated by the College of Arms in London. The info Rick had also included written-in lists by someone in Rick's family, continuing the line through his grandparents' generation. We had an appointment at the College of Arms to meet with one of their heralds to see what was involved in getting the pedigree updated to include those "written in" generations and those that followed, including Rick's dad, brothers, and their offspring.

This England: A Day at the V&A

We are back to the last bunch of posts from England! If you were to ask me "what is the one museum I should visit during my very short time in London," I would probably say (unless you were into a specific topic, like "I only want to see art"), don't miss "The Victoria and Albert" (aka the V&A).

Why? Because it has it all. Decorative Arts. Painting. Photography. Sculpture. History. Jewelry. Glass. Architecture. Media and Performing Arts. And probably more than a few things I've forgotten.

At Home: One Last Post Before Back to England!

Just a few good things before I return to the last of England posts. 

Blogger Lisa was coming to Detroit for a business trip and she took the afternoon to drive up to East Lansing where I was lucky to meet TWO bloggers for the first time -- Lisa and blogger Maya (who lives here!)

At Home: Easter Fun

It finally feels as though spring has arrived here in Michigan. That doesn't mean it won't be cold, but not as cold or gloomy as it has been. Always a plus! I think celebrating a late Easter adds to the spring feeling. More sunshine. More flowers. More merriment.

Definitely more merriment.

At Home: Nature Is Waking Up!

It's been a bit since I've taken you to the Ditch. For that matter, it's been a bit since I've taken myself there. Cold, gray, gloomy weather doesn't make for a fun walk. But when the sun comes out, even if it's cold, it's time to venture forth!

Alas, I've not seen Harry the Heron yet, though I've heard he is back. But there are plenty of Canada geese!

At Home: Do You Support Public Broadcasting?

I always love it when I'm reading blogs and someone says they have been watching a show on PBS that I have been enjoying too. I even get a kick out of it when someone speaks of something on the network that might not be my favorite but that matters to them. Now is the time you might want to share that same thought with your US Representatives and Senators.

You  may have seen the article in the April 14 New York Times headed "White House Asks Congress to Claw Back Funding from NPR and PBS." Longtime Gypsy readers know that for 32 years I worked for our local public broadcasting stations, first for television only, then also TV and radio. It was truly a privilege to go to work each day for an organization that I was happy to support, whose services I personally used and valued. I am still a PBS/NPR supporter, viewer and listener. 

The early days of my public broadcasting life! Pledge breaks.

At Home: All Things Home

It's hard to believe that Easter is about a week away -- and it's as late as it can be this year, so we are well into official spring. Not that you would know it by the weather! But the mini-daffs, the first to pop each year, are looking perky outside and buds on the later spring bulbs. For the bigger ones? It's Trader Joe's! You go with what you can, right?

The house is looking a bit more springy. The spring/Easter decorations have been up for a bit, but I keep adding to them, moving them around!

At Home: Hands Off!

Though the numbers vary in different reports from 7,000 to 10,000, the headline about the "Hands Off!" rally this past week was spot on: "Thousands protest Trump's policies at Michigan State Capitol on Saturday" is an accurate one. 

Rick and I were among the crowd and it was an energizing, motivating, peaceful event. 

At Home: The Books of March

I finally feel like I'm getting closer to my reading stride! March was productive and with a good mix of subjects (but most, as usual, mysteries). The four mysteries (by Ann Cleeves, Deborah crombie, Louise Penny and Donna Leon) are all "series" books with beloved characters. Add to it a bio-fiction book and a non-fiction look at a favorite composer and you have my March list!

At Home: Early Spring Fun -- and Storms

I've been getting my house pulled together for Easter decorating at long last (and probably a way to go!). I did get a few things up early to celebrate the advent of spring, though you wouldn't know it from our weather.

I know many of my blog friends in Canada and New England were hit by snow and ice storms over the past couple of weeks. Michigan got them too, in the north. Power was out for close to a week (and still is in some areas) and the roads were covered with ice and downed trees. We were concerned but no one we contacted could even get out of their own yards straight away, much less check ours, in hopes none of our tall, thin pines came down. Finally, one of our down-state friends, whose cottage is near ours, went north to check on things. Here's a photo. If this is the worst we have to deal with, I can work with that. (That said, as I write this, another ice storm is in the offing up there for tonight or tomorrow, so we're not out of the woods yet, no pun intended.)