Profound Moment

It's my baby having a baby.  

There is a wonderful party with friends and family. There are preparations made while your child incubates and life within her. A soul is inside a soul. A body with a body growing in it. 

May baby shower.

July 4th 

 Just before leaving for the hospital.  

 Baby love! Levi Daniel, born at 2:23pm July 26. 8 lbs 10oz.

Blessed people. 

I get to journey with them.

When Sister Comes to Visit

When sister comes to visit it is always an adventure, she brings her little hamster, her hamster's name is Chip.

We went looking for a lavender farm and met a lovely lady who owns a charming lavender-centric business in Jackson, MI. Nellie's Lavender Estate is located at Art 634 on Mechanic Street.  Art 634 are on the grounds of the old prison and has been tastefully converted to hold shops, galleries, studios, and the Jackson School of the Arts.

We hoped to eat crepes at City Limits Crepes, but the restaurant was closed for the July 4th weekend.

We browsed an antique store where I found a book on Oregon hiking trails, which I gave to Joel for a belated birthday gift.

We found a great coffee shop, Jackson Coffee Company, which had a Kaffee Hag tin.  I really really wanted to get a picture of the lady just right of the tin, but it just wasn't a nice thing to do because it would have been really funny at her expense.  Truth is I could have posed for that picture because sometimes I'm a coffee hag schlepping around in my robe and slippers looking for a pick me up.  I love the long mornings in pjs; reminds me of The Big Lebowski who extends the coffee drinking with his white russians.

I have inched away from the coffee though and have opted for green tea, which soothes my soul.  My belly just can't handle the caffeine any more. Plus I am finding that I am sleeping better now that caffeine isn't taxing my system.




                                                     

The Jackson Coffee Company has a little model of the shop sitting in the window.

Across the road was Imagine Planet which is a non-profit hands-on science center.  I really like the concept, but this operation desperately needed some organization.  

There's a popular burrito bar in Jackson that serves up some tasty food.  We had lunch there. 

Afterwards we headed to the Art 634 center. At Nellie's we both bought lavender chamomile tea, and sister bought lavender shortbread.  It was super tasty and later we regretted not buying more.

We hit a Goodwill and then we headed to McCortie Park and Flavor Fruit Farm. A wedding party was being photographed at the park. I wanted to take pictures of the activity because the bridesmaids dresses were some of the prettiest I have ever seen.  They looked lovely among the foliage and faux bois bridges.  

At Flavor Fruit Farm I bought an amazing loaf of whole grain bread, hard cider, and a garlic peeler which I really could have used a few weeks earlier when I was helping Jerry prepare the boiled dinner.

Marlene and I saw many, many wonderful things on our adventure. I believe in focusing on the good things that edify and build up a person or situation. It's an important habit focusing on excellence so you can build off this effort, but I can't deny that I saw disturbing things - a disgusting mess, rudeness, a junkie waiting for and finding her fix, sinfully overpriced items, filthy peculiar homeless people, neglect.  It's there and it needs love to clean it up, which reminds me that the love of the Triune God can change the ugly and indecent into something of incomparable beauty.  Christianity isn't a do-it-yourself, self-improvement course, the cure for our vile repulsive natures was accomplished by Christ who gifts us with faith and the Holy Spirit who works with and in us to transform our sinful natures in this earthly realm into holier, true, pure versions of ourselves, and who gifts us with the opportunity and ability to magnify God's love for us. This is miraculous indeed.

Little Finds

I got this cute skirt at a Grand Rapids Thrift Store for $2. 

I got this butter dish from Gwen and Mike's yard sale leftovers.  I gave it to Clarissa as a thank you for having me at her cool digs.  It has thistles pressed into the glass.  

A Fine Day at Rose's

The next day we saw Kim and she took us to Rose's on Reed lake in East Grand Rapids. The weather was perfect so we sat on the deck and watched kids taking sailing lessons.  The teacher went from boat to boat checking on how his students were doing by means of a motor boat. A few tipped their boats over.  I think this was part of their lessons.  The young captain then had to right his boat.  One boat was set right only to have it swing and fall in the other direction.  A large clap rang out from the restaurant as the boat rose out of the water only to be followed by a bigger "ohhhhhhh" when the boat went careening into the water in the other direction. It was funny.

Elizabeth and I each ate a large fruited farro salad. It was made with farro, pea sprouts, berries, nuts, and a fruity vinaigrette. It was delicious. 

Rose's has a long history dating back to when the lake was home to an amusement park. Rose's was originally a popcorn stand.  To honor this history caramel corn is served at the end of the meal.

Kim then took us to an indoor market where foodies (like me) can find specially crafted breads, desserts, meats, and beverages. 

It was a fine day.

***Fail- I didn't take a picture of Elizabeth and Kim.

Get Away

I had a wonderful opportunity to travel with Elizabeth to visit Clarissa in Grand Rapids. Claire's apartment has a wooded sanctuary feel to it. Her deck opens to a cool leafy canopy of shade. 

During our stay the air moved like a calm breath through the trees. I loved how bird songs were magnified as it traveled through wide spaces between trees.  

While Claire worked Elizabeth and I had a beach day.  A google search offered several choices.  We decided to go to Tunnel Beach in Holland, MI. 

 Here is a picture of me walking to the beach.  

It was a very nice beach with a dramatic tunnel entrance.  I got a rotten sunburn, but my soul let out a big exhale from being overinflated with tension. The water was cool and refreshing and it had a playful movement caused by a breeze that stirred up small white capped waves. 

Can you imagine my surprise when I saw a photo of the tunnel in Artful Blogging?  And imagine my surprise when I went to work and told the wonderful Emily where I had gone and she told me she spent her childhood summers at Tunnel Park because her grandma lived next to it.

There were sweet things that happened at the beach.  I saw a little girl who was black like coal sitting on a towel eating an apple with the whitest flesh.  She was absolutely beautiful with her pink palms and soles.

A tall, skinny hipster with dreadlocks and sagging pants offered his hand to help me up the stairs.  It was a much appreciated act of kindness.

Pleasures Along the Way

Scott bought this Grey Skies spirit in Grand Rapids. It was very good. 

 A rooster roamed my mother's neighborhood for a couple weeks.  He was very skittish - a real chicken, but I liked his crowing.  Unfortunately he pissed off the neighbors and was removed.  He reminded me of my childhood chicken Eggbert and the movie Chicken run. 

Shrimp Boil

Jerry Jr. brought up 8 or more pounds of shrimp for boiled dinner.  Fortunately Bandit was returned home so we could celebrate rather than cry while eating. The Mississippi shrimp were large and fully intact. Long feelers extended off the heads along with sharp defense spikes.

Added to the pot were Zatarain spices red skin potatoes, celery, 20 cloves of garlic, onions, and carrots.  The carrots were a last minute idea, and perhaps turned out to be a terrible one.  The carrots became very salty.  So if you want to put them in the pot to absorb extra salt put them in, but don't eat them.

 

Corn was added to the pot too, but a little too soon for my liking.  I prefer my corn to be just warmed through with a five minute boil.  FYI corn is edible raw and fully digestible.  In shrimp boil dinner the corn gathers a wonderful spicy heat that with numb your lips a little.

Andouille  is a smoked, garlicky, spicy hot, pork based sausage.  

 For this meal the shrimp was cooked in another pot with some garlic, onions and seasoning because Mike is allergic to shell fish.  

The table setting included butter for veggies and bowls for peelings. A surprising pleasure was the boiled garlic which was smashed into the potatoes.  In the end we wanted more potatoes.

***Zatarain's dry crab boil contains msg. In the future I would choose a brand without msg.

Dog Gone

Jerry jr. (Gwen's brother) came up around Father's Day for a week-long visit.  He brought his two little dogs Bandit (shih tzu) and Bambi (fox terrier, whippet, chihuahua mix). Bambi is smart, energetic, and full of personality. She if gifted and is known for her ability to locate an escape route out of a fenced in yard.  While visiting she found a way out of her auntie's yard and little Bandit followed her lead. 

Not long after their break out Jerry received a call about Bambi who was found a mile from home.  Investing in a dog tag engraved with the owner's name and phone number is money well spent, Jerry learned.  But little Bandit was not found.  The usual authorities were contacted along with Facebook about lost Bandit. There were long drives in the car and the mind had to be reigned in from imagining "worst case" scenarios. 

36 hours later and eight miles away he was found curled up on a very swanky front porch sunburned, thirsty and with a cut on his paw.  He evaded the coyotes. 

This is little Bandit destroyed by the excitement.

 This is the eyes closed tired smile he gave me when I asked Bandit if he was glad to see his dad.

Jerry is a professional gambler so I got this for Bambi and Bandit - safer risks are involved.

Learning from the more Experienced.

My colleague Emily is 28 years old, but plays in the Siena Heights University Youth Symphony.  
She invited me to attend.  I saw many friends there, but it was an enlightening experience for me. Older experienced musicians play in the symphony alongside young adults to give them the experience of playing well together.
It's sort of like putting a less experienced athlete on a "stacked" team.  This was interesting to me, because my granddaughter is in softball and is playing alongside other girls who have very little experience playing ball.  There are many concepts to be learned in softball that are hard to translate into practice just by verbal direction.  It seems that these girls could have benefitted by playing alongside older girls with more experience who could verbally command and visually demonstrate the goals of the game.

Farmington

I went to Farmington for a memorial service.  I arrived early and took a stroll around the town, bought cookies and bread at the local bakery, visited a few shops, walked around the historical museum and cooled off in the library, which had a perpetual book sale - one grocery bag for $4.  Yes, I got more books.

Many things were weighing on my mind when I went to the memorial service.  But God had this quiet comforting little adventure designed for me.  It was a sweet time and it filled my heart with gratitude so that I could come with grace to give to a grieving family.

French Cooking Class

I was offered the opportunity to go to Ann Arbor to take a French cooking class.  The chef teaches at a variety of venues, but class it was instructed in her sweet home.  Her lovely daughter assisted and we were taught how to make a raspberry meringue pie, chicken tenders with mushrooms, scallops and port.

The theme of the meal was Normandy. 

There was wine, water, sparkling water, and hard cider. Appetizers were baguette,  a platter of cheeses (the sheep cheese was the big treat) and roasted marinated eggplant with basil on french bread. Additionally there was scallops and port.  

My classmates were tax preparers from the H & R Block in A2.  It was an enjoyable and diverting activity to kick off the summer.

Brutus

 This is Brutus the Goldendoodle. He is a good natured dog. In fact he is the most laid back dog I have ever met.

He belongs to my friend Jamie.  She asked me to stay with him while she and her fiance' went on a trip scuba diving. Before I stayed with him he got trimmed.  Good thing too because we had a 90 degree plus day already.  I took my granddaughters for a swim in Brutus's pool.  As you can see he has his own life jacket.  This is mostly because he is an older dog who might tire out easily.

Honestly is was the best swim party ever!

More Little Joys

I gifted myself with this sweater for my birthday.  

I received more chocolates from Le Chatelain, Bozman MT. 

Joys

Many things go unposted because I don't have internet. But here is a sampling of the little joys 2016 has brought so far.

I won this small metal clay charm at the Hot Chocolate Hustle.  It was designed by an AHS art student. 

One day in March I went out with the girls from work and we visited the Humane Society.  A very sweet deaf pit bull was there.  She waited a long while to be adopted, but many people were rooting for her and she had a large following on face book. In the top frame her collar indicates that she is deaf.

 I found this decaying pumpkin in the Fedor's garage that I found strange and beautiful.

This is my young friend Emma as Dr. Watson in her school musical.  All the songs were written by a classmate and high school student.  This was very impressive, not at all schmaltzy.

Kitten Tracks left in an early March snow.

Cute handmade bunnies found at Peaceable Kingdom.

Friends and Family weekend at the Second Baptist Church. The youth group is directed by my friend and co-worker.  It was spiritually uplifting.

I spent Easter at friends.  This is their fine Blue Heeler Cooper.  This is a great dog. He is full of energy and can play ball all day.

This is their other dog Zoomer.  He can't be let loose or he will run, and run, and run.

 Cake at work

 I cut the happiest piece I could. I've never done that before.

 My grand daughter was a pirate in Peter Pan.

 I found these lovely English porcelain earrings at the second hand store. 

An early April snow. 

 This is a blue aka lilac aka silver beagle I met at the farmer's market.

 This is the beagles yellow lab mix companion. She is a little shy.

I bought these large may morels from the mushroom man at the farmers market. They were so tasty.