Up North

We have been semi planning a trip up north for this Tuesday, but on Monday morning it sounded like a good thing to do, right now. Started packing at 10:30 and we were on the road by 1:30 in the afternoon. We decided to go to Manistee and camp at the Little River Casino. The closer we got to the lake, the cooler it got. A good decision to leave. It is a nice campground full of old people who are very quiet. Good sleeping.

So we did a little gambling, Paul won and I lost 51 quarters in a very few minutes, without winning anything. We went over for breakfast in the morning, half price if you are card carrying gamblers, which we became very fast! Then Paul went and won some more money. Paid for gas and breakfast! Mr. Lucky.

Our plan was to play golf but it rained, so we drove up 22 through Frankfort, Glen Arbor, etc to the Wild Cherry Campground to visit with Rex and Nellie, friends we met in Texas. Rex turned 84 on July 9, Nellis is 82. They both look and act much younger. On July 11, Rex fell headfirst down a spiral stairway at a local restaurant. He is still was wearing some bandaids, he had a broken rib and a cut on his head. Nellie says that all their clothes had blood on it. He is recovered enough to go fishing at 4 am today. We went with Nellie when she picked him up at 5 pm, he was still going strong and he and his fisher friends don't even eat lunch. Maybe that is the trick! He caught several King Salmon. I have pics of him and the fish as he was cutting them up. And his friends boats.

Then we went to a little place called Happy Hour for dinner. Rex and I had amazing fresh perch, Nellie had clams and Paul had a steak sandwich. Very good food, and way out in the sticks, we will never be able to find it again.

Tomorrow I will post photos of Nellie doing something I never thought I would see, stand by for updates.

Boatin' and Fishin'

Went on a ride with the Boyles last night on the lake, Teigan went fishing. I know his name is spelled wrong. Sorry.

Ghosts at Gettysburg

After mass today I asked Fr. Patrick if he ran into any ghosts on his vacation to Gettysburg. He said no, but he had an interesting experience. He stayed after closing time in an area that is know for strange occurances. Cell phones don't work, watches stop, cameras don't work. He was about 200 yards from his car, in the dark, he set his 3/4 full Gator Aid on the ground and took some pictures. When he got back to the car he noticed he forgot his drink. Using his camera as a light, he walked back for it. There was about half an inch left in the bottle, which was still capped. Pretty cool.

Dancing Angels

Have to comment on Thursday nights "So You Think You Can Dance" results show. First, this is the last show I ever thought I would watch, and love! Cyndi hooked me on it. The talent is amazing and with TiVo I don't have to listen to the judges unless I agree with them. And generally they are positive and not insulting.

Anyway, Mia, a judge, took the week off from judging and choreographed a dance for the last five lady contestents. I didn't even recognize them because they all had very long hair with intricate braiding, unusual makeup and were in cute little costumes that had an angel look to them. Turns out, they were dancing angels. They started out sitting on the curved edge of the stage,just swaying. The music was Celine Dion singing "Ava Maria." Incredible dance. Amazing. Very powerful.

If you can watch TV on your computer, it was on Thursday night on Fox. Early on in the show, maybe 10 minutes into it. Also, way back (may have been the first competition show), perhaps the last week in June, the first couple dancing on the show was incredible. Their dance was rightly described as a scene from Tim Burton's wedding, very beautiful and unusual.

Beautiful Morn

Not a ripple on the lake this morning. Ran out at 6:30 am and took some pics. Just a little mist on the lake and soft early sun. Weather has been very hot and humid this week, finally broke last night. Good tubing weather though. Taking a short camping trip this week up near Traverse City.

Deep thoughts from 3 to 5 am

I awoke in the early am and my brain started spinning. We are going to have our bathroom redone this fall and I have been making decisions. Hard work for me. Should we leave that outside door in the room? Don't know. Probably not. Minor details. My sleep deprived brain was agonizing over more important issues, mainly where do I put all the stuff in the meantime? Which leads to weighty issues like where do I put my baskets that are stored in the room? I love my baskets, some are very nice. Maybe I could give them to a daughter, but only if they don't throw them away. And the Norman Rockwell houses are stored up there, what if they all want them? What if no one wants them? They were perfect in our 1911 house on Fancher Street, on the fireplace mantle. I wonder if Katie's new house has a fireplace? I read the Saturday Evening Post every week of my childhood with Norm's paintings on the covers. Loved them.

We have some clothes stored in the laundry room, soon to be bathroom. Where can I put them? Ah, maybe in the under bed baskets in our bedroom. Just have to move out some future gifts, and my teddy bears. What about my teddy bears? They take up two whole baskets. I could just fill up the old cradle in the living room. I don't really even want that in the living room, no place else to put it. I wish Andrea had a huge house. She would take it all. Can't put them in the basement, too damp down there. Maybe the cottage loft with all the toys. Then what is the point. Could I sell them on ebay? Lots of them were gifts, that is just cold. Besides, I really like them. sigh. Who could sleep through this? Birthday gifts for the grands??

Maybe I should get rid of my desk top computer, it takes up so much space in the office/craft/sewing room. Steph has to quit giving me yarn, or maybe I need to get organized! Yes, this is the solution. Maybe I will find the pink yarn I bought for Megan's sweater. Need to get started on that, it will be fall before you know it and she has surely outgrown the last one I knit her. It was too small from the start, I need to knit faster or she needs to grow slower.

Maybe I can sneak in a nap today, after I organize things and take a swim in the lake.

Summer Reads

It has been a cool and rainy summer so I have been reading more than usual. I should be quilting on Charlie's cowboy quilt, and I will. On my last book right now.

Marti has been providing me with some different authors to try, we both love mysteries. The latest is J. A. Jance. I have been reading her J. P. Beaumont mysteries. They are set in Seattle area. She is a very good writer. The plots are complex and clever and difficult for me to solve. Usually I am pretty good at solving mysteries. She also has a series called the Joanna Brady mysteries that are centered in Bisbee, Arizona, and apparently have Native Americans in them. Will try one of them next. We have spent some time in southern AZ and like it a lot. We sure loved spending a few days in Tombstone. Great cowboy atmosphere.

Last fall I started reading some of the James Patterson books. Enjoyed several of the Alex Cross books, there must be 40 of them. Loved all of the Women's Murder Club books and the TV series that was exactly like the books, a rare and unexpected pleasure. I accidently bought cassettes of "Step on a Crack" and am enjoying my first audio book.

Started reading Kathy Reichs last summer, the series that the TV show Bones is based on. Interesting but gory. Dr. Brennen is very complex and foolishly brave and bad at relationships. Same goes for Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series of books. Both authors write very interesting mysteries though. They are both Forensic Anthropologists and know what they are writing about.

I am also rereading some of Lawrence Sanders McNally books. Good summer reads, clever and full of food and drink. Set in south Florida. Sanders has been dead for several years but the books don't feel dated. I am sure every library has them. Another author took over writing these "Archy" books, but they didn't seem as good to me as the originals.

Another favorite writer is Adriana Trigiani. She writes about Italian Americans. She wrote a very nice series: Big Stone Gap, Big Cherry Holler and Milk Glass Moon. Rococco seems to be my favorite, but I am only half through Lucia, Lucia. Her books are surprising and full of wonderful details. Makes me want to visit the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Alps in Northern Italy.

I just picked up Jan Karon's latest book at the library. She wrote 15 books about Fr. Tim and the little hill country town of Mitford. Delightful books that make you want to move to Mitford and are relaxing to read and you can fall asleep reading them and not have nightmares. She has now started a new series about all the same people. I am reading the first one, "Home to Holly Springs." Seems like more of the same. A good thing.

Brenda just brought me a bowl of hot peedogs. Which are chopped ham, bacon and onion, wrapped in bread dough and baked. So yummy. Lucky me. Just ate one with mustard on it and can't remember what else I wanted to write about. Guess it's time to quit.

Oh my, a sharp shinned hawk just grabbed a little bird off a tree and flew off with it. That quieted things down in the yard. There are two tiny finches on the ground by the feeder that haven't moved in 2 minutes. Blending in no doubt. Paul thinks it was a starling.