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. '

Lake Break -- Some Family Time but Someone was Missing

We had a wonderful time during our trip to Minneapolis, but someone was missing from our family gathering. Rick's aunt Beth, the woman we were going to honor and remember, died earlier this summer. It was our time to remember her, to celebrate the joys of being with family and to cherish every moment spent together. Beth would have loved it.

Lots of Christmas!

Happy In-Between Week! I hope your holidays have been as full of fun as ours. There was baking, a road trip, a visit to Rick's ancestors' final resting places, fun with little grands, music, merriment -- and an epic fail in the dessert line! Grab your tea and a Christmas cookie and settle in!

My house was decorated, literally one step at a time as I slowly brought up things from downstairs step by step due to a challenging back problem. 

But I couldn't resist bringing up as much as possible. These are the things of memories. I want to use them all -- or as much as possible -- before the inevitable downsizing. 

Summer at Home: The MSU Gardens

We came back to Lansing from the lake so I could go to some doc appointments and that Rick and Kitty could prepare to go meet the grands (and her great grands) over the weekend. But it was a lovely day and a good time to take Kitty on a walk through the beautiful gardens at Michigan State University.

Postcards from the Lake: Another Visitor!

It has been a month of house guests and the most recent has been Rick's mom, Kitty, who is visiting from Texas. She picked a good time to leave that hot state in the south for our much cooler Michigan summer.

Postcards from the Lake: A Birthday and a Mass Invasion!

Everything this summer has been more than a little topsy turvy with a few big monkey wrenches thrown into the mix. Would my birthday be the same? Nope! It was terrific!

Postcards from the Lake: Friends and Family

Summer is a time for friends and family and we've had both to enjoy this year.

A Few Days In Dallas

It was more than a bit of a whirlwind. I took off for Dallas on a gloomy Thursday afternoon for the memorial of Rick's stepfather and his mother's birthday celebration. I arrived at Detroit Metro with a standby ticket (which apparently was a computer snafu). After more than a little angst (and a very helpful person from American) I at least got a pass to get through security and got on the standby list, finally getting a seat. Then our plane was grounded due to problems on the ground in Texas and we took off two hours late. What a start!

After arriving, Rick's mom picked me up and a couple hours later we were back at the airport, getting brother Randy and his family. And then, back at 12:30 a.m. to get Rick, whose delayed plane caused a missed connection and late arrival. We were toast!

I was hoping for sun and something warmer and drier than the gray gloom and damp of Michigan. For the most part, it wasn't to be had! It was cold and pouring rain! But the company more than made up for it!

More family arrived the next day and on Saturday afternoon after the memorial and lunch, we headed to the hotel where preparations for the birthday were in order!

There's something about being with family for something like this -- loads of support, lots of energy, loads of conversations.

And lots of activity! Rick was a hit, serving as the balloon guy. The kids had fun pummelling him into a corner with an attack of balloons!

He defended himself admirably! And there were loads of smiles, which was extra fun.

Kitty was thrilled to be surrounded by her grands and great grands...

...and by her five boys.

Of course there was cake. And plenty of love to go around!

Most of the family left Sunday, which gave Rick and I time to spend with his mom, doing some household and legal things.

On Monday, during Rick's business appointment, I had the great good fortune to have breakfast with Laura Ingalls Gunn of Decor to Adore. We talked for a good three hours and every minute was delightful. And no, I didn't take photos. 

 
We made it home Monday night at about 11, totally exhausted but smiling with loads of good memories. Where we were greeted with lots of snow. And this one.

And yes, the tree is still up. But I hope it will be down VERY soon! Because it's driving me nuts.

Traditions!

My desk calendar (created by my friend Kate) turns to December on Saturday. Time to celebrate, wrap, bake, party, and be with the ones we love.

I'm writing about Tradition over at Modern Creative Life this week. I hope you'll check in there and take a look at some of our traditions and share some of yours in the comments. This is my last post for this wonderful online site before it stops publishing new work, and I will miss it. I thank Debra, Becca and Melissa, the site's editors, for giving me the opportunity to write pieces slightly different than most of those here on the Gypsy, and wish them wonderful things as they pursue new opportunities. Older posts will remain and I suggest looking down the pages. Lots of inspiring, thoughtful work there.

Our Thanksgiving was anything but traditional this year! Normally, you find us at home but this year we had two Thanksgivings. The first was with Rick's cousins and aunts. We brought bread and pie to the table!

Stephanie and Brian brought this fun cheese ball turkey with peppers and pretzels as the feathers and face. It doesn't show as well here as it should but it was so cute and really tasty too!

The kids were especially great and fun to be around. (I love that in the background in the photo below, Evan and Jilly (age 2) seem to be having quite the conversation.

Plenty of smiles! (Jilly definitely loves to laugh!)

The second was with Molly's family. And of course we got to see the Baby Grands! It's fun that our Little Big Guy is big enough to go walking and even though it was a bit drizzly, we enjoyed the time outside with him.

Of course we had to take some pix.

In the series of pix with me holding him, he went from the above to...

Time for Grandpa, where they engaged in a little bit of mimicry (Rick was mimicking the new tongue-out habit!)

But I loved this picture most. Snotty noses and all!

And of course our Little Guy is getting bigger every day -- he's in the 100th percentile for his age and two inches taller than his brother was at four months! And he's very happy. We hope he's still happy when Rick and I baby sit for them this weekend!

I leave you with the moon. This was a morning moon at the ditch last week.

Took my breath away.

Sharing with:    Pink Saturday      

Here, There and Everywhere (and the other Great Lake!)

We came home from the lake to deal with a couple of appointments, a visit to Rick's brother's place and Rick's birthday! Yes, it's been a little busy.

Rick's brother has a condo over in Muskegon, a stone's throw from Lake Michigan. Yes, last week, Lake Huron. This week, Lake Michigan. Maybe I'll get to all five this summer! Much of the time Rick and two of his brothers spent down at the water, getting brother Tim's boat ready for a sail north with other brother Dan. So Tim's wife Kim and I took a walk on the beach.

I am a sucker for lighthouses, so to see three simply by turning my head was fun. There was this one...

...and this one...

...and the one we got to see up close and personal.

You can't go inside but it was a magnificently tall structure.

I loved seeing the gull perched on top.

Have I mentioned I love my zoom?

I think Kim may have been bemused at my fascination with taking tight shots of the graffiti on the lighthouse.

But don't you think they'd make good collage paper backgrounds?

Feel free to click, enlarge and save if you are so inclined! (And there's more where that came from!)

I found the color, texture, rust and shapes of this lighthouse to be visually intriguing! I couldn't resist overshooting.

Or shooting this magnificent sailboat coming in.

There was a sand soccer tourney going on with kids from across the state. I'd never heard of sand soccer before but running in that soft sand strikes me as being difficult!

Back at the condo, I couldn't help but admire Kim's hydrangeas! They were dazzling.

Two of Tim's kids and three grands joined us for dinner.  I learned a new card game which I have unfortunately forgotten the name of and details to! But then lots of family pics.

Rick and I left the next morning and that night was his birthday. We dined out with friends and then returned to their house for cake. I made Ina Garten's sheet cake and I messed it up royally. It's a white cake but Rick likes chocolate so I subbed a half cup cocoa for a half cup flour and it ended up being very dry. (Her frosting didn't work, either and that wasn't my fault!) Disappointing because Ina's recipes usually do.

Then back home for presents!

In any language, a red letter day!

Spending Time in a House Full of Love

Our road trip continued with time in Western Massachusetts. Rick's main purpose of the trip may have been to sell his wares at a trade show. Mine was to not only help him but especially to spend time with Elaine and Randy. Randy is "the middle brother" in Rick's clan and the best part of our time on the road is being with them. This time, it was extra special because they hosted a small dinner where we could meet some of their friends (who, not surprisingly, were just as fun as they are!).

The theme of the dinner was New Zealand food, as that's their "heart place," and the site of their recent travels. We had amazing kebabs (not kebobs)...

...and tornado potatoes with a wonderful Gruyere topping!

I told Elaine that it had to take her hours to prep up all the veggies for the kebabs -- tomatoes, onion, pumpkin, squash -- and wrap them with bacon. Oh, yes it did, but WOW!

For dessert we did something called the Tim Tam Slam. Tim Tams are little chocolate cookies.

You bite off opposing corners, dip them in your hot liquid and slurp it up through the cookie quickly!

Randy's concoction was coffee ice cream with kahlua and vodka. You couldn't drink a lot of it but on a bitter cold night it was a perfect way to end the dinner!

Of course I had to bring a bit of Michigan with me! If I'd known it was more than the four of us, I would have brought a bigger pie! But with the Tim Tams, just perfect!

The next day Rick and Randy went on a hike. Meanwhile, I couldn't resist taking a few photos of the many birds that flock to their feeders.

I put the zoom to the test with this chickadee!

And I am wild about cardinals, anytime, any place. I missed the shot with five or six of them, but this one posed!

After the guys returned, Rick and I went to the Norman Rockwell museum where there was also a Hanna and Barbera exhibit. (More on that later!) We explored the town of Stockbridge, NY and returned home for a family dinner and time with Pickles and Daisy.

Pickles and Daisy are cats. Pickles is one of the coolest cats of all time, right up there with the Marmelade Gypsy and Lizzie. He's a senior but still unbearably sweet.

Daisy is the fluffier version of sleek Pickles and she, too, is a love.

But they don't often photograph together!

Look like twins, don't they? Both great cats!

We were out early the next morning, the impending blizzard motivating us to get home before the east was snowed in. Randy and Elaine's pond was definitely looking cold!

Past the Shaker Village...

...and on the road. Where we were continually warned about the weather.

Home now, safe and sound and no blizzard to shovel. If we hadn't left when we did, I think we'd still be there!  Lizzie was glad to see us and it's time to do laundry. But oh, what fun! Thanks, Randy, Elaine and and all who made our trip terrific!