Christmas -- The Merriment Continues

I think we were like many of you, who enjoyed multiple Christmases! As you saw in the last post, we had fun with the kids, decorating Rick's trees and doing the zoo walk. That was Monday. On Tuesday, it was our "Christmas Eve." I took the morning off so I could get a couple of things done at home (like sleep) and make cookies to decorate. But soon it was time for fun! (The clean-up would be later!)

 

We (I mean the collective "we") were going to build a gingerbread house. It started out well enough. 

Smile, and Keep On Tapping

The kids have moved on to their next Christmas after a good (and exhausting!) celebration. The tree is up and will be for a bit. I need the light and to be honest, have barely had time to sit with it and fully enjoy. I've had rough holidays before. This one has been overwhelming. But, as someone once said to me when I was doing theatre and we were all tired, not always sure of the steps, "Smile, and keep on tapping!" 

Friends and Fun at Holiday Time

We're closing in on Christmas and perhaps the best part is spending time with friends and doing some fun things, a bit out of the box. As I mentioned in the last post, my friend Suzanne came for a short visit and we did some Christmas shopping. The stores are looking good!

 

One spot we like offered snacks (they sell sauces and rubs and such, so it was good marketing!). It made for a nice treat on an impossibly frigid, windy day. They also had a couple of singers with an accordion come in and sing holiday songs. They were rather off key at times (but then, who isn't?) but very holly jolly and it was a nice touch.

More Hall Decking!

Things are on the upswing here as my friend Suzanne visits this weekend. But I thought I'd pop in the last of the home decorating pix. I'll start with this amaryllis from Trader Joe's. $7.95 and it has given me five huge blooms, still going after several weeks. I'd never seen a pink and white one before! Decorating and I didn't have to do a thing except put it on the table!

 

 And these flowers, sent by dear friends, are still going strong -- perfect Christmas colors!

Popping Corks with Cork Poppers!

It may be the December holidays now, but in late November, we were popping corks with Cork Poppers, celebrating fall and the upcoming "busy season" with some wonderful wines and delicious foods! This time, our hosts were Mike and Kate and the theme was Wines to See Us Through the Winter.

 

We started out with some festive Prosecco, because what is more festive than that?

Getting Up to Pace - and a Bit of Christmas Decorating!

Thanksgiving may be over but my personal season of gratitude extends to you. Thank you all for such kind, supportive words. I'm pleased to say the pacemaker implant surgery is over and while I'm still sore as all get out at the site, I'm back home, getting itchy to be back in holiday mode. I'm finding typing a bit challenging, between the sling and some soreness there, so if I don't visit as often or answer your comments directly (if I have contact info for you), I know you'll understand. And again, I am so grateful for you good thoughts.

 

That might take awhile to do well. Certain restrictions are for six weeks and I can't drive for at least two (or after my to-be-scheduled follow-up appointment.)The sling cramps my style! I may end up doing more shopping at the Evil Empire than I planned. I hate asking for rides to the grocery or having someone else shop for me, but I guess things like this humble us, so there you go. 

November Books and an Update

(If you're not into book chat, see the note at the bottom!) 

I'm not sure what I was doing in November. Yes, prepping for my art sale took a lot of time. Yes, there were three days of the sale. But that was over mid-November and let's be honest -- I didn't prep 24/7 for that. Somehow, I only managed to read two books, both mysteries. And both were worth my time.

The Day Trader Joe's Made Me Cry

Last weekend wasn't my best. I was nervous about my surgery, but what was really getting to me was wanting to get the house decorated before. I was told I'd feel pretty good within a couple of days, but that didn't factor in the sinus and lung infections! Still, I have Energizer Bunny characteristics when under the gun, so I decided I would power decorate the house before. And I was making headway!

One tree up -- but this photo is from last year!

(The main reason for this was that I wouldn't be able to lift my arm above by shoulder or carry more than 10 pounds for a week to ten days.)

Thanksgiving Afterglow and Self-Portrait Reveal

I hope those of you celebrating Thanksgiving had a lovely holiday, whether you were solo, with family or, as we did, enjoying a Friendsgiving. 

 

Our holiday weekend began a couple of days earlier when Rick got me along-awaited new toilet and installed it. Two trips to the hardware store later, it's a beauty (everything going down all right!). Now, what to do with the old toilet, presently sitting by the garage? I am contemplating decorating it for Christmas. We shall see. I don't have the energy to actually figure out how to get rid of it right now! 

Giving Thanks

Those of us living in the US will be celebrating Thanksgiving on November 27 -- the latest day in the year that this "moving around" holiday takes place. Four weeks from today will be Christmas.

 

This holiday has been happening since 1621 when the Pilgrims celebrated their first year in the new world and a successful harvest. They shared this celebration with the Wampanoag tribe of Native Americans. 

Birthdays and Greens!

You'd think after the last week, with the art sale eating most of the time, I'd be laying low. And in some ways, I would have liked to. But there was too much on the agenda -- the fun and the not-so-fun.

 

The fun was a belated birthday party for Rick and me and our friends Mark and Jan. Jan's birthday was in May, Rick's in July, mine in August and Mark's early this month. But we hadn't celebrated a one of them! So I decided to have a birthday party for us all.

It Was a Busy Week!

I am SO ready for a break! Last week was a bit of a zoo (and this one is, too). Mostly all good stuff, but still, sometimes enough is enough!

 

The sale ended up being pretty successful. But I confess, I'm wondering if I'm getting a little old for this! We had great vendors, a lovely time and it was wonderful to see many people come and love the work -- mine and that of my fellow artists. But it was good to get it over.

A Full, Hectic Week!

It's been a good week or two and not a lazy one! I've been busy ramping up for the art sale (which is November 13-15 and if you live in my area of Lansing, MI and want more details, let me know and I can email them to you!) There will be nine of us altogether and while we're all a bit apprehensive on how sales will go with things being financially precarious for so many, it will be fun, no matter what. Still, our prices are fair (and no tariffs!) These are some of the paintings I did this year that will be included. 

 

In addition to the framed (and matted) watercolors, I'll have lots of cards, many from photos and some original watercolors, and the felties. 

November Ramblings

It's been kind of lonesome around here of late. Rick's been north, doing his annual retreat at the cottage, which culminates with his closing it up for the year. Once the temps drop and the leaves have fallen, I'd rather be home! He's home now, but it felt like a long time! This was our first Halloween where I didn't make chili while he handed out the treats. That was a bit weird! (It was also weird that we only had 15 goblins come to the door and now I have to unload 45 packets of Oreos to someone who isn't watching their sugar!) The photo is just SOME of the leftovers.

The October Book Report

October was a surprisingly good reading month for me. Or maybe not all that surprising. About a week of that was spent up north with a foot that prevented a lot of things I would have otherwise done, so there was more time for reading. That continued, even when I got home.

 

The results? Three very different memoirs, four mysteries and another holiday selection, this time essays.  

Tis the Season for Fall Decor -- and Apple Bread!

It hardly seems possible that we are in the last week of October. What on earth happened to summer? It seemed winter went on and on and now we're looking toward it again. 

 

Life has been rather routine these days. I had a wonderful time with blogger Anno who came up to Lansing for lunch, enjoyed dinner with friends, went to a farewell dinner for a friend and had our WKAR retiree lunch. That, and an appointment with the Secretary of State's office to get my handicap permit and a long delayed skin check with the dermatologist (all is well), got me out of the house! Inside? I put up a few decorations (really cutting back this year) and have been prepping inventory for my upcoming sale.

Finding Old Photos: Netherlands Edition

Given that life is rather dull these days, let me take you on another "Finding Old Photos" journey, this time to the Netherlands. Alas, no dazzling fall colors, as in the last post. We visited in the spring. But color? Oh yes -- there was color!

Our trip to the Netherlands in 2018 was a first for both me and Rick and it was a memorable time in a lovely country. We were only there for about four days but crammed a good deal into that time -- a concert at Concertgebouw; a stop at the wonderful Rijksmuseum where we were lucky enough to see "The Night Watch" before it went out for restoration; Anne Frank's house; a visit to the UNESCO heritage sight Kinderdijk (on a gloomy day, alas); Delft; several small towns, and we were lucky to be there in Amsterdam during "Queen's Day."

Postcards From the Lake: That's All Folks!

Well, lake time is over for this kid. It was especially hard to leave this time. Rick and I had a wonderful ten days there, excellent weather, and even though I couldn't do much of what I'd hoped because of my foot, I still reveled in being at the lake and seeing fall emerge.

 

Above is the cottage from the road and below, looking from the back door toward the road and garage. The color soared in the past few days. 

Postcards from the Lake: Winding Down

It's been both lovely and challenging, these final days at the lake. And for the most part, it has been simply beautiful.

 

Our color is very late this year. You see a great tree here, then another there, but no big swaths of color that are typical for this time of year. I'm suspecting it is late and when Rick returns in another week or so to close up, he'll have a much more colorful season. But when you see something lovely, you go for it!

Postcards From the Lake -- Sigh

October has arrived in all her glory! It may not be peak yet but it's still lovely!

 

After we dropped Rick's mom off at the airport, we continued to the lake for what will be my last visit of the season. (Rick will return for a final close in another week or so.) It was a terrific ride up, though for the most part the skies were more gray than blue.

A New Week

Last week was a mixed bag. I've felt very frustrated, very at sea. And then when I start to think globally, even nationally, I remind myself that life is full of "stuff," good and bad, and compared to war, insurance plans being eliminated (as has happened to friends with the recent changes in Medicare), American cities being invaded by National Guard troops they don't want, and compared to the current personal situations of many friends, my issues are nothing. '

September Books

Well, you can't say my reading has been anything less than diverse this month! Yes, there were mysteries (one a short story collection), novels, memoirs, and travel. Quite the combination!

There were some hits and misses here for me, but who knows? They might be your cuppa tea! 

Cork Poppers Go Italian!

The September gathering of our Cork Poppers wine tasting group featured a delicious array of Italian wines -- and some pretty tasty food to go along with it! Meeting at friends Anne and Clayton's home (about 90 minutes away), we were in for a tasty tasting afternoon! 

Our hostess, Anne

Ambling through Old Photo Files: Autumn Images

Among the things I did to amuse myself during my (very cold) few days at the lake in early September while Rick was still on his cycling journey, was go through old photos on my computer and take a look at some I'd forgotten. I wanted to finish this post during my most recent visit -- but with no computer, it had to wait. But now, the first of several collections to pop up here in the future -- "Fall Favorites."

Near Charlevoix, Michigan

Postcards From the Lake: September Flies!

What happened to September? It's like a magician's trick -- Now you see it, now you don't! Well, we still have some time but boy, it's flying by!

 

I headed to the lake to welcome my new refrigerator. I suspected Rick might want to sit this trip out, having been away from his own home for so long. The new fridge is lovely and the delivery couldn't have been better. Right on time, two very strong guys managed to get it in without having to remove my heavy wooden door!

Good Things

It's been a busy week since I've been home, with doc appointments almost every day. And the rest of the time? Bringing my house up to "code" -- it's amazing how many spiders start webbing when you aren't there for a huge chunk of time! And, a groundhog has dug two holes under the house. Now looking for a compassionate way to get him to leave!

 

Postcards From the Lake: Art Camp Ends, Rick Continues!

Sigh. We wrapped up art camp last weekend, after 18 days of friendship and creativity. And a good 18 days it was, filled with lots of painting, walks, good summer food and some good nature sightings. And, I might add, some pretty nippy weather. Even Lizzie hunkered down by the heater!

 

Our weather turned cool (no, cold!) and we found painting on the porch was no longer a possibility -- well, at least till the last day or two. It didn't stop us but it's not nearly so much fun! Here's some of the stuff I did. These are some cards.

The Books of August

Given that it's summer, I probably should have gone through more than six books -- but I was doing a lot of painting! Still, the ones I read were very enjoyable. Again, mostly mysteries, but two good novels were part of the mix, too. 

Postcards from the Lake: Art, Cold Days (and Rick Update)

Art camp usually brings warm sunny days and it certainly started out that way. Painting on the porch was a joy -- the sounds of the lake punctuating our foray into color, pattern and image.

 

More than once we've seen Harry North, our resident heron, stalk the beach for his early morning or twilight meals. And, we had another sighting of Eddie the Eagle, perched high in one of our pines. 

Postcards from the Lake: A Quick Catch-up

I'm enjoying my blog break at art camp and am popping in with a bit of a post to update you on things, before I disappear again. And I also have an update on Rick's bike ride. Being north, with very little media/computer involvement has been a very good thing for me. I've missed visiting (though on occasion I've lurked a bit in the morning before we get going!)

Postcards From the Lake -- Energetic Guests!

The morning after my ear procedure (thanks for the good wishes, too!), Rick and I headed to the lake to await the arrival of our guests later in the day. And arrive they did, with ten times the energy I had! One seven year old, one eight year old, and their lovely mom! 

 

It was a steamy hot weekend and that meant plenty of time for beach play! The lake water was warm and I enjoyed swimming with the boys (though, keeping my head out of the water, I was actually on my floatie!) Then there was a lot of construction going on!

Postcards From (Mostly) the Lake -- Art, Eagles, Harry and Tomatoes!

It has been quite a week! The day after Rick's baseball birthday gig, I took off for the lake solo, to spend a few days in the north before my ear procedure. It is, as always, lovely -- but also very smoky and hazy from the Canadian wildfires. It was a little hard on the eyes, the sinuses and the lungs with air quality falling well into the high yellow and sometimes red zone. We had our share of foggy mornings, too. 

 

So, there were times I was inside when I would have preferred to be out! I suspect many are feeling this here in the US. But certainly our Canadian friends and neighbors are having it much worse -- the smoke, the haze and the damage.

The Books of July

Gee, I love a good summer for catching up on reading! At the lake there are fewer distractions and for whatever reason, I don't feel overly guilty if I read during the day! Not surprisingly, mysteries make for good lake-reading fare but I also enjoyed a couple of memoirs and revisited a childhood favorite. 

 

This is a long one (ten books), but if you enjoy reading, onward!

At Home: Let the Merriment Continue

I can't say coming home for a few days was great -- it was beastly hot for much of the time (like so many other spots here in the US) and without air, I relied on fans in the evening, the car for quick air-con cool downs and ice beanbags to take to bed. Fortunately, a rain came through with a bit of a cool down -- relief at last! Rick stayed at the lake, cycling home just in time for some fun. But a broken bike had me on stand-by for a pick-up, just in case the repair made didn't hold. 

The high point of being home was seeing that my front yard no longer looked so bleak. The Black-eyed Susans and Sweet peas (above) came out and still look lovely. (The rest, not so much.) And the Annabelle hydrangeas have passed their white stage and are already turning green, which I actually prefer.

Postcards From the Lake: Roadside Blooms

Our days have been relatively temperate this summer. Sunny, warm (on occasion stifling hot after a few dances with the heat dome sweeping the country) and for the most part, lovely. We've seen a lot of haze from the Canadian wildfires so the sky hasn't been terribly blue and we've had a couple of rain storms but overall, a good time to be north. 

 

I have two or three walking loops, basically around the same area. There is a basic one-mile circle, another that is 1.8 miles (round trip), and another that is 2 miles even. (Back and forth to the cousin cottage is about a half mile each direction.) Every year I pay attention to the roadside blooms.

Postcards From the Lake: Rick -- 70 Years and Counting

Rick has not been looking forward to turning 70. I can relate -- I remember feeling somewhat the same. What is it about those zero (and to a lesser degree, the "five") year birthdays that can get us in a funk? At any rate, I was determined it would be a good time.

That said, how do you have a good time at the lake when all your friends and most of your family is elsewhere at the moment? Well, you extend the merriment!

Postcards From the Lake: Fortune Smiles

Every day in summer is a gift -- at least, it is for me. It's my favorite season -- or rather, it is when I'm at the lake. Apart from a couple of rainy days, the weather has been lovely. Warm, but for the most part, not too hot. Sunny, but even the cloudy days are comfortable. 

 

We've had a couple of major temperature drops, which was actually refreshing. And it gave us the opportunity to have a fire in the fireplace. First of the season.

Postcards From the Lake: Road Trip -- Leelanau Peninsula

Our road trip continued as we left Strings by Mail and headed to the Leelanau peninsula, which juts out from Traverse City and is bordered on the west by Lake Michigan. We were off to have an afternoon with our friends Mark and Jan, who have returned for several years to a resort called Jolli Lodge. It was a beautiful spot and I could instantly see why they returned.

 

Postcards From the Lake: Road Trip -- Strings by Mail

What looked to be a rainy day at the lake turned out to be a beautiful one when we did a road trip to Traverse City and later to the Leelanau peninsula. This post is about our first stop to Strings by Mail, an international mail order business in Traverse City for what has to be the largest collection of strings for all kinds of instruments including (not surprisingly) the classical guitar! Naturally, Rick had to stop!

Postcards From the Lake: Summer Days

If all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, does mostly play and not much work make Jack (or Jeanie) more interesting? Or just mellow? Or just plain happy?

 

Yes, there has been some work -- the earlier mentioned beach is a project! But here's how it's looking so far.

Postcards From the Lake: "Same" Can Be Wonderful

Truth of the matter is, life at the lake isn't particularly exciting. There are rarely dramatic moments, major crises. It's just good. And very much the same as it has been in years past. Quiet. Unscheduled. Productive. Lazy. Relaxing. Fun. And sorely needed.

 

When we were kids spending our summers at the lake, every day was full of fun and full of play. We'd be up and out of the house -- maybe enjoying the beach and most likely enjoying the water. We were back and forth between my house and my cousins, a half mile away, singing show tunes at the top of our lungs as we walked the same stretch of roads I walk now. Whenever the sun was out and the water reasonably calm, we were in the boat and on water skis.

Postcards From the Lake: Guests, Grands and the Fourth

We have settled into the lake and kicked off the summer with house guests and a "grand" birthday celebration -- not to mention the July 4 holiday. 

Postcards From the Lake: Arrival, Eventually!

We've finally arrived at the lake to stay for a bit (end of July; then I'll be back while Rick does a bike hike to Canada, down to New England).  

 

We took off on the same day -- I was about 20 minutes behind Rick and it was a good thing I was! He called me from a road on my route and said he'd had a flat. He does carry a small pump but I had the big one and using that would be faster. So, I stopped for a quick rescue! All was well.

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!