Mom and E.'s Big Adventure!

I've never seen the bridge from here before! 
Five miles of amazing engineering.

The Mighty Mac

   What a whirlwind summer it's been! I can feel it slipping away. The past two nights have been great for sleeping (in the 50's), but it smells like September. My two older boys have started two a days for football. For me, that just means they are already on a school schedule. I wake up, and they are gone. They don't get home till 2:30. It never fails that summer seems to fade away long before I feel I've had enough of my kids to myself!

    I shouldn't complain too much, we've had a great time this summer! One on one time with any of the boys is a good thing. We were up north for a little over a week. Mark, M. and B. left early along with a friend of M's that we brought along. This left E. and I up to our own devices for two days! Monday, E. and I took Mackinac Island by storm!!

    We awoke to sunshine, blue skies, and bright fluffy clouds. Perfect! Whipped up some pancakes, settled the dog into the camper. Camera, wallet, cell phone attached to belt loops and inserted into hidden pockets. No bags today! We will be biking the island!!

There are several ferry lines that can take you to the island. One of them is some kind of jet boat that spews water fifty feet into the air behind it, and is supposed to get you there in fifteen minutes. That was not for us! This was mom and E.'s Big Adventure!! We wanted to savor every moment and make it last. A half hour ferry ride gave us time to take pictures, people watch on the boat, and feel the wind in our face.

Me and E. at the beginning of our big adventure!

First view of the Island

   Upon our arrival, the first thing we saw as we left the docks, was the bike rental place. This is no coincidence. Mackinac Island has no cars! As the story goes, when cars were first brought to the island, one backfired and spooked a horse, since then...NO cars allowed! While standing in line and surveying our choices, we spotted the tandem bike! Neither one of us had ever been on one, and the thought was appealing...we went for it! We got on, adjusted and took a wobbly spin down the first block.

    The toughest part is merging into traffic after stopping at a scenic spots...and there are a lot of them! Bike traffic is heavy, and small children (as well as some adults) tend to think they are the only ones on the road. They'll stop and converse in the middle of the street (and even park their bikes), forcing those coming up behind them to swerve into oncoming traffic!

You have to really trust the person "driving"...I drove!!!  lol!!!

    We made sure to stop at Arch Rock. It took me ten minutes just to find a parking spot among what seemed like hundreds of bikes! Nobody worries about chaining them up. If you are going to steal anything, it's for sure not going to be a rental bike. We started the steep climb up the hill to the arch. We must be in tough economic times, because it doesn't look like the state of Michigan Parks System has done anything to the steps or handrails in a good 20 years! This isn't comforting to someone who loathes (and I don't use the word lightly!) heights. I made it to the top, and was it worth it!! Amazing views of Lake Huron! Michigan is so much more than auto plants. Now, for the hike down, which was worse because you can see exactly how high up you are!

 

Arch Rock

Look at those little bikes down there!

Incredible views!

As we  peddled our way around the eight mile perimeter of the island, we noticed rock towers all along the beach.  Some big, some small, some with embellishments such as pine twigs added, or beach wood connecting two towers.  People would pull their bikes off to the side and create their own little monument as proof that they had visited the island.  Not wanting to miss a thing, E. and I pulled over to make a rock monument of our own!  As I looked at the time on my cell phone (we were renting the bike by the hour) I began to imagine the owner of the bike rental shop sneaking out to the area beaches under the light of the moon, making tower upon tower of rocks!  A slick, marketing scheme to keep customers out on the trails longer!!

Little stone towers everywhere along the beach!

You have to find good flat stones to make your tower taller.

Michelle and David Miller (whoever you are) we found your stone!!

E. and I with the tower we built.

Most of the island is owned by the state parks system, so once you leave the town proper, there are only a handful of houses that line the trail. Small cottages with forest behind and stunning views of the lake in front. Occasionally, you would see horses corralled in the yard. So it came as a surprise to find the big, lodge style home atop a hill! The windows on the first floor had been boarded up, and many on the second were broken. The paint was chipped and the weeds had taken over. It semed a hundred years old!  The Ghost and Mrs. Muir come to mind.  But it had mystique...and I loved it! Who would have left it? The house had a history, and I wanted to know more!

The cottage adjacent to the main house.

I just love it!!  If I win lotto, I'm buying it!

Tell me if you see a face in any of the windows...

Beautiful old boat!  I would love to see the inside.

Devils Kitchen

We passed beautiful boats, stunning homes, amazing scenery, and after two hours on our tandem bike, I was happy to hear E. exclaim, "I'm tired, my butt hurts, lets get lunch!!"  That was just what I was thinking.  We made our way to the rental place, then tossed around our options for lunch.  It really was a no brainer.  I told E., there's only one place to go...The Pink Pony!  We made our way through the bar and to the hostess station.  It would be a 20 minute wait, but that was okay.  We were on "island time"!  We decided to find a way to fill our time.  We walked over to the front desk of the adjoining hotel and managed to talk our way into a self guided tour of the Honeymoon suite.  Very nice!  E. was impressed with the hot tub in the room and commented that it would make for a very romantic evening!!  YIKES!!

E. checking out the amenities in the Honeymoon Suite.

The whole place was just charming!

   Our tour was cut short when our buzzer went off to let us know that our table on the patio was ready.  The patio at the Pink Pony was voted best in Michigan, and for good reason!  The views of the harbor are amazing!  So, my  review?  Views...exceptional.  Food...good.  Service...our waiter mumbled!  I kept having him repeat himself!  General atmosphere...the music was tuned to a local pop station (the banter of the DJ was annoying), and was too loud.  I was hoping for something somewhat more sophisticated to go along with the setting.  The company...couldn't get ANY better!!  As we sat chatting over our morning ride, E. became quiet and stared at me.  Being the smart alec that I am, I asked if he was impressed with how beautiful his mother is?!  ;)  He said "No."  (eh~hem!!)  He said he was thinking about how awesome it was that I would do all of this for him today, this "Mom and E's Big Adventure".  WOW!  I almost started to bawl, but I didn't want to lose the upbeat tempo of the day!  It wasn't an extravagant day.  We spent some money, but not too much.  It was just an adventure, just the two of us, but what an impact it had!  We need more adventures.

E. at the Pink Pony

Pink Lemonade at the Pink Pony!

I'm a ham.  I know.

View from the lower patio.

I enjoyed the whitefish taco with sweet potato fries!

   Our day began to wind down after lunch.  We strolled on over to the Museum on Merchant street where fellow blogger Brenda (of Bree's Mackinac Island Blog http://bree1972.wordpress.com/) works on Mondays.  I enjoy her blog, filled with stories and info on the Island.  I thought it would be fun to meet her.  She had worked earlier that morning and we had missed her.  However, we weren't disappointed!  Candy (who works the afternoon shift at the museum) and her cousin Stella, were a HOOT!!!  Truly, friendly Island natives!!  I look forward to seeing them again!  (Stella, stay on the Island!!!)
   I asked Candy about the big, old, abandoned house we had seen on our bike ride.  They knew of the house and said that it had been owned by...wait for it...the island's UNDERTAKER!!  I asked how long it had been abandoned, they said it wasn't.  The story gets better...apparently, his son still lives there!  Images of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir disappeared, only to be replace by visions of Psycho racing through my head.  It all seemed great fodder for the overactive imaginations of the Island's children at Halloween!

Candy and I

...and Stella too!

E. thought it was cool that this little one was bidding us farewell, and snapped a pic!

A favorite stop whenever we are up north..."The Big Dipper"!

     Our last stop on the Island was at May's for some fudge.  You can't go to the Island without bringing back fudge.  It's okay, I embrace the title "Fudge Sucking Lowlander"!  We thought about a carriage ride, but decided that would put us back at camp later than we wanted.   We went to the docks, and waited for the ferry to take us back to the mainland.  On the drive home, we hit our favorite ice cream shop in Cheboygan.  My kids are growing up so fast.  And my time with them is so short.  School and will be staring soon, and along with it a crazy schedule filled with extra curricular activities.  And in the midst of it, I will remember a warm summer day with a gentle lake breeze, and a twelve year old boy who thought I was the best because I spent it with him.
    
 

Sisters, Boobs and Breast Cancer!

  Wow!  It's been  while since I've been here.  July has been a busy month!  Campfire Musings all across the east coast!  I've just gotten back from Massachusetts.  I was out there for the wedding of my youngest sister.  The trip coincided with my middle sisters recent discovery that she has breast cancer.  The news came as quite a shock.  This is going to take a while to write, I feel it already!  Are sibling relationships the most complex?  This is as much about relationships, as it is about my sisters cancer.
  We are as much alike in some respects as we are different.  And when we fight?  Ohhh....don't get in the way!!  It's like watching hurricane clouds over a boiling sea!  I can fight with her, but I get very defensive if someone else messes with my sister!  Her husband is an only child.  He doesn't get it at all! 
  In actuality, the older we get, the less we fight.  Chalk it up to maturity.  But every now and then, like a volcano, it blows!  Is she at fault?  YES!  Am I?  Yes.  But here's the thing, I can't control her.  I can't control her actions.  I can only control me.  She may still act poorly,  (she probably will!!  lol!! )  as will I, but it's my responsibility to change my behavior.  People are who they are.  It's a matter of accepting  them as such.  Diplomacy is an art!  Not saying that you can't discuss issues that arise.  But it's not my job to change anyone.  Leave that up to God.  He gave us 2 ears and one mouth so that we could listen more than we talk.
  So...cancer.  Fortunately, we had very gradually come back to a decent place in our relationship before she was diagnosed.  For that I am thankful.  She will be having both breasts removed.  She is 36.  She has a beautiful 1 year old daughter.  Her treatment will be aggressive and there will be a 50% chance that she will be infertile when all is said and done.  IVF is not a viable option.  This has been the biggest blow as she and her husband looked forward to adding to their family.  But, despite everything, she is taking on this battle with determination, strength, and a Whitcomb sense of humor.   You don't have to whisper when you say cancer!   I never knew there were so many "boobie" jokes!
  In a little over a week, she will start treatment.  I wish I could be out there for her while she goes through this process.  She will be having a "Head Shaving Party" at her salon.  I LOVE this idea!  Talk about turning a negative into a positive!!  Others will be getting their heads shaved, and there will be snacks and drinks.  Wanting to do what I could I eagerly offered to shave my head as well!!!  It seemed a good idea at the time...until I saw her really cute wig, done in a sassy blonde style.  Hmmm.  I reconsidered as my insurance won't cover the super cute wig. 
  What can I do to support.  Pink ribbon?  Eh.  I want to do something that would remind me daily to pray for her.  I want to do something pro active.  I want to fight with her.  For a long time I have been battling my weight.  The older I get, the less healthy I become.  Along with the extra weight comes a higher risk of cancer and a myriad of other health problems.  I've taken my health for granted.  Tricia has to fight.  If she can take on battling breast cancer, a fight she didn't start, I can for sure take on the extra pounds that have been torturing me!  Each time I am tempted, is a reminder to meditate and pray for her.  So I dedicate my struggle to her.  It may sound weird, but it's what I'm doing.  So keep her in your prayers, and I'll update you on the progress!   Here is a picture of Trish and her boobies!

Oh, the hat?  Looong story!

Tricia and Tracy

Fathers Day, Quantity Time!

  Thinking about the dads in my life.  I'm with neither of them today.  Mark has taken M. to his second football camp of the summer, so they are gone for the day.  My own dad lives 800 miles away, but I will see him in two short weeks. 
  When I was little, we lived in the small town that my dad grew up in.  My dad spent time with us.  What I remember most fondly, were Saturday mornings!  It would be just the two of us.  I would run errands with him.  We would bring the trash to the dump.  This was a fascinating adventure!!  A busy place, with mountains of trash, and birds circling overhead.  Then, off to pick up donuts and a newspaper.  I think the name of the place was "Honey~Dew".  Often times we would stop at my grandmothers who lived just across town.  Another busy place!!  My dad had 1 older brother and 5 younger brothers, so something was always going on there!  He'd have a cup of coffee and catch up.  I'd find a cousin, uncle, or neighbor to run off outside with.  In the summer we would spend the afternoon washing the car.  I don't ever remember my dad bringing the car to a car wash!  It cost money, that (at the time) they didn't have a lot of.  Plus, nobody could get a car "shining like new money", like my dad could!!  He worked in auto body for years.  First doing, then teaching.  He had a red, 1970, Cutlass Convertible.   I would scrub white walls, rinse off soapy water and "turtle wax" the chrome.  He'd tell me, "You just ain't cool if your chrome don't shine!"

This wasn't ours, but looks a lot like it.  Ours had a black rag top.

  He often had to work a second job, but it was out of necessity.  If he had painted a car during the week, I would get to go to Morris' shop, (don't even remember the name of the shop, but I remember his bosses name) and help him peel paper and tape off of the car.  I loved this.  He made me feel as if I were really helping.  It smelled of bondo in there.  I love the smell of bondo!  Often times my uncle and cousin would be there.  My cousin and I would explore the shop, and since it was a weekend, nobody would be there.  It was a spooky place to a couple of five year old kids, a rambling old building on the edge of the woods. 
  When I got older, he would often work on a car in our garage at home.  But it was in these everyday activities that a father/daughter relationship grew.  Conversations were had.  It wasn't planned.  We didn't have to "do something".  But in everyday life, he made his children a part of it. 
  These are the qualities that I love in my husband.  We do things together!  It could be as mundane as going to Sam's Club, and Mark would say we go "As a family!"  Obviously, as the kids get older, it gets more challenging.  But we do our best to make it a priority.  I don't buy the "Quality Time" theory.  Try telling that to someone you've just started dating.  Don't you want to spend as much time with them as possible?  It's not about going to an expensive restaurant, it's about being with them.  Sharing life!

Me and my dad! And a little B!  ;)   (A while back!!)

  We are given a very short amount of time with our children, a small window of opportunity to make an impact on their lives.  (And it goes by fast!!)  I'm glad my dad made time for me!

My boys dad!

Strawberry Fields Forever!

  Summer vacation!  Tomorrow is the first full day.  This past year, I have had two of my guys still learning at home. With M. in public school, I'm excited to have a little more of his time now that break is here!  It's a bittersweet summer.  Next September I will be sending B. off to public High School.  I'm going to miss B., so I want to make sure that we make the best of the summer!  (despite all of our crazy schedules)
  Today was a family outing that marks the beginning of summer.  Strawberry picking!!!  I love seeing how different activities have turned into tradition.  The kids expect to kick off the summer this way.  It wouldn't seem right if we didn't do it.  Our first year, M. hated strawberries.  However, he had only tasted the ones in the grocery store, that had been picked green and left to ripen on a shelf.  Sitting in a field full of berries, ripened by the sun was a whole new thing! Sweet, juicy, and he couldn't stop eating them!!  It was warm today, but not too hot, blue skies and a breeze.We spent the afternoon picking way too many strawberries!  The first season we went picking, we had so much fun, (and the weather was similar to today's), that we just kept picking!  (I don't know what I was thinking!)  When we finally had them weighed, I just about choked when he told me my bill came to $75.00 worth of those ripe, red berries!!  It seemed like a good idea at the time!  We are experienced pickers now, and are far more self controlled.  We leave the strawberry fields with red stained lips, fingers, bottoms and knees.  A perfect afternoon made better only by a trip to the local dairy freeze for some soft serve.

The fist step in a successful berry picking trip, is testing the product to ensure it meets standards.

Poor attempt at self portrait, esp. when I'm not looking at the camera! 
But I thought the reflection in the glasses was cool!

Looking for good ones.

Our job is to fill the box!

Dear Santa, please bring me a REAL camera for Christmas!!

B. lost in the fields.  I had to keep them from whipping the rotten ones at each other!

It's exciting when you find the perfect, plump, red berry!

Our reward!

  Later I will scour the Internet for strawberry recipes.  Breakfast on our first camping trip of the season is already planned.  Pancakes with homemade strawberry syrup!  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  (By the end of the week the kids are begging for scrambled eggs!)  Welcome summer!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

  May 20th...
    I've had 3 birthday surprises today and it's not even my birthday yet!!  I'm like a kid!  It's my birthday week.  I don't care that I'm getting older.  I like who I am much more than who I was.  So, let me tell you about the surprises I got today...
  It's always fun to get a surprise in the mail.  I came home from running errands to find that the mailman had dropped off a brown box on the front doorstep.  My mom always sends my gift along with E's at the same time.  Our birthdays are within days of each other.  Inside were 2 gift bags.  Mine was obviously the more "girly" of the two.  Now, really, do you think I can wait over a week to open it?!  Heck no!!  Inside were two books on canning.  These are good things as I've been wanting to learn!  I was a typical suburban kid, raised far from a farm and the canning rituals that went along with it.
  After opening my gift, I left to pick up M. from school.  On the ride home, he announced that he had to give me my birthday gift early for fear the dog might chew it!  Really?!  What on earth could he have gotten me?  Pig ear?  Rawhide?  I'm not Shania Twain, but I think I'm kinda cute!  But, whatever, I get to open another present early!!  When we got home, he pulled a paper bag from his backpack.  Now I'm wondering, when did they start selling rawhide at the school store?  Out of the bag I pulled a carved wooden coyote, decoratively painted in bright colors!  (no coyote comments please!)   Apparently the Mexican artist who creates these wonderful pieces came into his Spanish class today.  Very cool stuff!  M. said he thought it looked "artsy fartsy" enough that I would like it.  (I really don't think the dog would have chewed it, I think he just wanted to give it to me.)
  Later in the evening I got a call from my friend Lena.  She and her husband Mike had just seen a great play at the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea.  Mark and I were to have joined them but due to budget constraints, had to bow out.  Lena raved about the play, and insisted she take me for my birthday!  Am I lucky to have such good friends, or what???

...Fast forward, Birthday!!!!
   I really did have a great day!  I awoke and went about my usual routine.  After checking emails, I hopped over to fb.  Your birthday really is the most fun day on face book, am I right?  Fun to read through all the well wishes from family and friends.  E. stumbled downstairs and into the office.  I was showered with kisses and lilacs picked fresh from the garden!  (They sit right beside me on my desk in my favorite coffee mug.)  He then headed off to the kitchen to make me breakfast.  B. gave me the gift of a clean room.  (Trust me, this is a treasured gift!)  The boys share a room, and nobody knows how to de-clutter like B.!!
  After breakfast I slipped out of the house for a pedicure.  Really no better way to start any day than to sit in the massage chair and have a stranger rub your feet!  Then headed off to lunch with Lena.  Great, leisurely meal at the Common Grill.  Two glasses of cabernet later, we headed off to The Purple Rose theater to see "Some Couples May".  Great show!!  It would be really nice to do that once a month.  Perfect girls day out.
  When I got home, Mark had a card with a lotto ticket in it.  Apparently, he and E. had watched  a program on lotto winners, and since it was my Birthday, I was sure to win!!  (I think I'm supposed to sleep with it under my pillow!)  Along with a copy of Michigan Blue, with a campfire on the cover.  Does he know me or what!?  Later that evening, my guys took me out to dinner.  To spend the evening uninterrupted, just us, was gift enough. 
My point with this post?  Nothing but to express my thanks and gratitude for family and friends that love me!  I am very fortunate.  Do I have issues with the passing of time?  Nah!  I'm pretty happy with who I've become and the life I have.  Thanks everyone!!  Happy Birthday to me!!

P.S.  I didn't win lotto!!

Hometown History

  I came across a "challenge" while blog hopping.  You never know what you'll encounter while blog hopping.  The challange was to write a history of your hometown.  Well now, that presents a problem for me.  The town I was born in, I only lived in until I was 10.  Not enough time to develop those "homey" feelings.  We then spent a brief time in New York, and then off to Michigan.  I only spent enough time in that particular suburban town we landed in, to finish highschool and meet my husband.  At that point, I moved to his hometown.  A setting far more urban than I would have preferred.  So, I've never felt at home here.
  If you've ever checked into my blog, I'm sure you know where I'm going with this!  The place where I truly feel at home is the place where our family goes to come together.  To get away from the chaos of day to day life in the city.  The pictures are all throughout this blog.  I'll claim Bearinger Township as my hometown.
  Bearinger Township sits at the tip of Michigans lower penninsula.  It's approxomately 1/2 way between Rogers City and Cheboygan.  The eastern border of the town touches the western shores of Lake Huron, while the west side of the township enjoys sunsets on Black Lake.  Bearinger (as of the 2,000 census) has a whopping 329 residents!  We don't have our own schools, I don't think there is a store within the township limits.  Is there a gas station?  Thinking...No!  Really, the only thing we have are woods, and water!  (And a few homes, cottages and an array of hunting cabins!)  It's history revolves around logging.  And later tourism.  Not the kind of tourism that has you buying fudge, and t-shirts that say "Grandma went to Bearinger and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"!  No, the kind of tourists that Bearinger attracts wear Stormy Kromers!  (google it!!)  They boat, sail, salmon fish, hunt, snowmobile, quad ride, hike, swim, canoe and have long conversations 'round campfires.

   The township of Bearinger is located in Presque Isle County.  The county seat is Rogers City.  Now

Rogers City, there's a story!  Founded by the illegitimate son of a King in Germany, by the name of Albert Molitor.  Molitor hooked up with William E. Rogers.  (see the connection?  Rogers...) Anyway, the two worked for the dept. of Lake Survey, and stumbled upon a sizeable stand of virgin timber in 1869.  The pair headed north to exploit their findings!  And so the birth of Rogers City.  Rogers spent only one winter before he said nuts to this!  He headed back east, where winters were more civilized.  Yet the town bears his name.  And there's more!  Money, greed, murder, politics, manipulation!  It certainly didn't start out as a sleepy little town.                                                                                       But, enough about Rogers City.  This is about Bearinger.

  Perhaps the best way to tell you about my town, is to show you my town...

Harbor of refuge run by the state of Michigan.

A wintery view of the harbor!

Quad/snowmobile trails criss cross the county.

Beach roses!  My favorite time of the year!!

A bouquet my boys picked to dress up the picnic table.

Out in the woods of Bearinger township.  B. with the blind he built himself!

Headed to the beach!

A Good Man!

  Ladies, let me tell you, I am truly blessed!  And I tend to take it for granted.  I have a good man.  Some women may find someone like Mark too abrasive.  He can be, hmmm...loud.  Sometimes to the point of causing embarrassment!  Like the time we attended my cousins wedding in a very reserved Catholic church.  Mark felt the need to give a hearty, booming (and very deep) "AMEN" each time the priest finished a prayer.  This, causing the brides side of the church to turn in unison in search of the rabble rouser from the grooms side.      He's a big guy, and is known for his lack of neck.  It matches his voice and the size of his personality.  He's the guy who will create a scene at Wall Mart to embarrass his kids.  He shows no hesitation at using his voice to call for a family member in frozen foods while he is in the auto parts department!  While appearing horrified in the store, the kids chuckle at his behavior once removed from the scene of the outburst.
  Touchy, feeley and emotional are not his style.  It doesn't mean he doesn't care.  He's not one to send flowers, but he will call me a couple of times a day just to see how it's going or to tell me he loves me.  Other men look forward to a week away at deer camp with their buddies, my husband takes his wife and kids because he likes having us around!  And I am happy to go.  He doesn't plan romantic, candlelit dinners, but he will spend a day walking through an art fair with me just because he knows it makes me happy!
  When he does get emotional, pay attention!  Because it's few and far between, and usually very poignant.  We had just such an evening up at camp.  A snort or two of Brandy, and dad was sharing all kinds of insights by the fire!  The kids know their dad loves them, he tells them all the time.  But usually they spend their time with him goofing around.  It was by the fire on our last night that I sat back and watched as Mark had total control of his audience.  He shared with them how proud he was of their accomplishments, how they had passed him in ability on differing accounts.  Of how much he loved each of them and why.  Then he told my sons how special I am.  How he couldn't imagine living out our future without me.  How lucky they all are to have me as mom.

  No mothers day gift, jewelry or flowers could have meant more to me than that evening by the fire.  We've been married twenty one years and I love him more each year!