Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Category Archives: Uncategorized


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No respect

I woke this morning to the news that someone has vandalized the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

Mr. Lincoln

Mr. Lincoln

One of the beautiful things about our monuments is that you can visit around the clock.  Wandering them late on a warm summer night, when they are all lit up, when they are quiet without the hundreds of tourists, is a gift.  Perhaps it’s a gift we won’t always have.

Climbing to meet an important man.

Climbing to meet an important man.

All I can say to the person or people responsible is this:  If you don’t have any respect for yourselves at least have respect for your own history.

Number 16

Number 16


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The compelling reason to visit Michigan

Scott wonders what about summer around here might compel a person to visit.  So he asked us to show him.

Well here is the reason you should visit northern Michigan.

A visit provides the opportunity to relax your shoulders, loosen the kinks in your neck.

You can empty your mind.  Or fill it with fresh new thoughts if you’d rather.

Relax

Relax

There’s nothing like the peace of sitting in the sand as the sun goes down…

Watch the light change.

Light.

…watching the light dance and change as your mind rests.

Come visit northern Michigan.

And let it renew your soul.

Gentle evening.

Sigh.


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We got a package!

Pretty sheltie

Pretty sheltie

Look what came in the mail today!

Katie, of course, was very interested, because her boyfriend, Reilly, tucked a special gift for her in among the bag that his Mom made for me.  In fact she was very interested in the whole package.  I think she knows Reilly is smitten.  She kind of likes him too.

Two pretty shelties.

Two pretty shelties.

Isn’t the bag beautiful!  It’s got pattern, slightly different, on each side.   I’m going to use it to haul stuff to and from work.  It’s perfect!  All you dog lovers out there should look at Bree’s website.  She’s so talented!

Thank you Bree!  And Reilly too.  Katie sends kisses!

Yummy! And all for ME!

Yummy! And all for ME!


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Nope. Not compelling.

Saturday I worked on Scott’s photo challenge.  He wants to see something compelling about summer in our hometown or state. I think it’s the word compelling that is intimidating me.  To go and create a photo that would compel you, my loyal readers, to book travel in my state is a big proposition.  Yet I know there is so much here in Michigan that you would love to see.

For many of us down near the city summer means going ‘up north.’  We pack up family and toys and jam our freeways heading north.

Two bikes, two kayaks.

Two bikes, two kayaks.

 

So Saturday afternoon I packed my camera and headed north too.  Oh I knew I wouldn’t have time to make it to my favorite places, but I thought I’d see how far I got and then I’d augment with photos from my archives.

I got as far as Frankenmuth, a little German town infused with flowers, tourists…

Shopping!

Shopping!

 

….and famous chicken dinners.

Can't stop in Frankenmuth without a chicken dinner!

Can’t stop in Frankenmuth without a chicken dinner!

 

You can buy German cheese….

Everyone needs a little cheese.

Everyone needs a little cheese.

 

….or sausage…

 

Doesn't everyone have a sausage store in town?

Doesn’t everyone have a sausage store in town?

…or stop at Bronners where it’s Christmas all year round.

Ho ho ho!

Ho ho ho!

 

Then while traveling cross country I got sucked into my favorite thing to photograph up there.

Wide open spaces.

Wide open spaces.

 

Barns.

I'm a country girl at heart.

I’m a country girl at heart.

 

So I didn’t get any further north, never got to show you Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Nothing but sand and sky.

Nothing but sand and sky.

 

Or Lake Michigan.

Water as far as you can see.

Water as far as you can see.

 

Or Mackinaw Island where all motor transportation is banned and horses haul everything.

Working like horses.

Working like horses.

 

Nope.  Didn’t find that compelling photograph that will make you want to come visit.  But I’m going to rummage through those archives and find something.

Just wait and see.

Come along with me!

Come along with me!


by 11 Comments

Define summer

Scott has posted another photo challenge.  I’ve been so busy I might have missed it except for Karma’s reminder.

Scott wants to know about favorite summer places, events, food from our areas of the world.  He’d like to see photos so compelling he’d book a vacation just based on what we show him!

It’s due next Wednesday which means if I’m going to do this I had better get out there this weekend.  Wait.  It already is this weekend.  How does this happen?  Anyway, it’s not too late for you to look around your hometown/state and find the perfect photo to showcase what you love about summer!

Meanwhile, let me share with you a photo my sister took while she was in Iceland.  It sums up how I feel about work lately.

It's called "The unknown clerk."

It’s called “The unknown clerk.”

Maybe you feel the same way?  In that case there’s double reason for you to get out and look for summer fun!  Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.

Yes I mean you too.

Much of my summer. Not compelling.

Much of my summer. Not compelling.


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Mulching…the musical.

The FIRST truck load.

The FIRST truck load.

I can tell you with authority that it takes 13 pitchforks of mulch to fill a wheelbarrow and 18 pitchforks to fill my Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof’s  inspired weed cart.

But on Saturday afternoon into evening as I was trudging from the mulch pile in the driveway to the garden at the opposite end of the house I wasn’t singing “If I Were a Rich Man” though I suppose that would have been appropriate.  If I were rich I’d hire someone else to do this!

make sure we get it ALL!

Make sure we get it ALL!

Instead I was channeling Jean Valjean from Les Mis.  You know the opening scene where all the prisoners are pulling on ropes and singing “Look down, look down, don’t look ’em in the eye.  Look down, look down, you’re here until you die.”  Well, that was going through my head.  It was about the right tempo and I was feeling some of their pain and I hauled wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow around the house.

Little cart worked hard.

Little cart worked hard.

We finished moving this latest 10 yards tonight after spending most of this hot afternoon avoiding the project.  The good part about stalling was that, though it was still hot when we began, part of the garden was in the shade!

Summer garden.

Summer garden.

Sure…I was still hauling mulch around the house…but the end was in sight., so there was less depressing singing in my head.  And it sure looks good when it’s done.

Don’t you agree?

Makes me smile.

Makes me smile.


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Guess what?

Katie here.  Guess what, guess what, guess what!?!?!  OK.  Maybe you can guess cause my Mama posted it on Facebook.  But I don’t know if all you doggies read Facebook.

This is MY window!

I love camping!

My Mama and I got to go camping!  I know, I know.  It was just in the backyard and some of you don’t think that’s camping at all.  But we have lots of wild animals around here that smell extra exotic when you’re in a tent.  Trust me on this.

It was a beautiful night to be sleeping outside.  With no rain in the forecast Mama didn’t even put the rain fly on the tent so we got to look at the stars and the fireflies as we dozed off.  Well.  She did.  After a little sniffing I went right to sleep.

And I didn’t bark at one thing!  Not one!!  Even when a creepy bird flew by and made squawking noises, or the motorcycle guy roared up the road, or the people at the party across the street got loud or those two planes went overhead, or the train came through town!  Mama said I was very good.

She kept trying to get a picture of me sleeping upside down.  But every time she turned on the camera I woke up.  I gave her my “don’t bug me now Mama, I was sleeping” glare and that pretty much settled her down for the night.  Mamas sometimes need to know who is boss.

Stop it Mama!

Stop it Mama!

Geesh.

She’s always saying that I get her up way too early.  And you know what?  Mama’s the one that got up at 5 this morning cause it was so light out and she said she had to ‘go.’  Whatever that means.

Now we’re getting ready to go to school.  Best weekend ever!

MY window!

MY window!


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Going for a bike ride

Abundant orange butterfly weed along the trail.

Abundant orange butterfly weed along the trail.

My sister and I went for a bike ride today on a rails to trails bike trail.  It was a pretty warm out there but we had a great time.

I don’t think we biked more than 10 miles all told, but along the way we saw lakes and gardens and a couple of cats.

Some of it was shady and some of it was downhill.  The best parts were shady and downhill!

Shady spot.

Shady spot.

We bought some lemonade from a stand run by a bunch of little girls.  It tasted wonderful.  And we found a huge patch of black raspberries to enjoy.  Those sure were yummy.

Yummy!

Yummy!

We stopped in a little town and bought a couple of cookies from the bakery and a sandwich from a local restaurant.  We ate them both at a picnic table while watching the town’s librarian do story hour for little kids in the park.

I guess, thinking back on it we did more eating than riding.   But that’s what makes a good ride!  We only have one more day of vacation left.   I don’t know how we’ll spend it but it will be together!

On the trail together.

On the trail together.