40th Class Reunion SMC

We had such a great time last night - even though there was a small turn out for our reunion it was so nice to have time to talk to everyone. Tom and Steve were our hosts at FANDANGLES in Flushing, Michigan and it was the most beautiful setting we could have imagined.

Clarence was invited to bring his artwork and Tom set it up so it was a perfect backdrop to the evening. The table settings were all done in red and white - our school colors - and the food was fabulous.

Some things never change - Jon and John had different stories about how they remembered the same events. Clarence explained why he didn't begin to dabble in art until way after 7th grade. We heard about taking tests in high school - we took a test that Mary Beth put together which was fun to remember teachers that changed our lives and activities that we enjoyed participating in all through our grade school and high school years. Mary Beth reminded us that we all will have a 60th birthday soon! Where did the years go?

We were happy to have so many people come from so far away to be with us for such an enjoyable evening. I was the official picture taker and my classmates are going to kill me - the camera settings were screwed up - but even with that I did get some good pictures - I'll post a few here and on the smcreunion.blogspot.com

Fandangles

Even though I have been to Tom and Steve's restaurant before it just shimmered and glimmered last night. I must say the ambiance and the food and the classy decorating from chandeliers to the ever-changing beautiful art on the walls. They have been long-standing supporters of the arts by always having new artists featured in their restaurant. The pictures do not even come close to the brilliance cast from so many sources of light.

Surprise Soldier Homecomings

GET READY TO CRY - my classmate, Rosemary shared this on my facebook and it is just too beautiful not to share here - I cannot believe the difference this makes in our lives - the love - the sacrifice - the peace upon them when they are hugging - thank you to all of them for the service to our country.

Mary Lynn Does it Again

Mary Lynn has a new show with David Hilty at Gallery194 in Lapeer. Her Chihuly-inspired quilts are paired with beautiful glass pieces in an extraordinary exhibit in Lapeer. This display is my favorite from the pictures I blatantly stole from her friend Robbie's blog.

Breakfast, Balloons and a trip Up North

By 6 am we were on our way to Kochville Township to see the balloons - we had pancakes and sausage that they were selling for a fundraiser and then we watched as they put together the gondolas and attached the balloons and blew them up. It was very fun - saw friends from Hoyt Street and St. Mary's and had a nice morning.

On our way up to Tawas we saw a balloon that was not a part of the Kochville celebration come down in a sugar beet field - they lost their power and it was sort of scary watching them come close to wires. The balloon chaser came to help almost immediately and he pulled the balloon away from the wires with a long cord.

Then we went to Tuttle Marsh and saw more wildlife than we have in ages on our visits there. A snake, deer, ospreys, egrets, kingfishers, and tons of small birds. It was fun. Then off to Pier 23 for lunch where we watched about 30 sailboats out on Lake Huron. We had a very enjoyable day.

AAAAHHHHHH

Finally, the weather has turned and it actually cooled off last night. We sat outside with our neighbor talking and laughing. We watched the boys next door run around, ride bikes, and just having fun. It made me remember how much I loved going bike riding with Sue, my neighbor on Hoyt Street.

Many times we would ride with me on the handlebars but then we got a tandem and we were off all through the City. We would ride our bike past "boyfriends" houses, to sneak a cigarette (yes I smoked when I was young and stupid!), or just to get away from home and feel like we were free.

Our lives expanded when we went off on the bike. We actually rode across the bridge and started to explore the west side of Saginaw. This was a brand new horizon - one we thought of as the rich side of town. The houses were newer, the yards were bigger, but I noticed that our houses had more character and there were lots more kids playing outside in our neighborhood.

It wasn't very much later that our family moved about 6 blocks away into a neighborhood with no kids at all. So many times I would ride over to the old neighborhood and pick up Sue and we would be off again on our bikes - but moving changed things - it seemed we didn't go as often as before. It took a few years until I got my license that we again began to go off riding past "boyfriends" houses again, sneaking cigarettes and again just to feel like we were free. Isn't amazing how things don't change very much as you are growing up?

I enjoyed growing up in Saginaw - we had a great time!

Nursery School Moms

Our children are now older than we were when we took them to co-op preschools! We had a dedicated group of women working to promote cooperative preschools in Michigan. We became good friends in the process with other women throughout the State of Michigan. Some of us still get together as often as we can - sometimes once a year - sometimes we have to miss a year. Jan is the one who organizes us - she sends out an email that she is coming to visit and as many of us that can get together do.

We catch up on our children, their children - and of course now, my great grandchildren. We see who is working, who is retiring, who has moved and just what is going on in our lives.

Friends from long ago - they are so much fun to be with because we know so much about our families and it is fun to watch the families change throughout the years. We missed Jackie and Robbin - maybe next year!

More Chihuly

The bowls are so spectacular (I am running out of adjectives!) These were in the tropical exhibit and they did seem to belong there.

Flowers at the Gardens

The flowers were so beautiful - the colors vibrant - the landscaping fabulous - there were orchids and hibiscus and flowers that looked like a Chihuly!

Back from Grand Rapids

I know I've said this before - but - I LOVE CHIHULY! We went to Grand Rapids to see the show at the Frederik Meijer Gardens. The pictures above are my FAVORITE - of course it brought tears to my eyes just looking at it. The setting was perfect for the sculpture and the colors were brilliant - it so reminded me of Pentecost.





The pictures above were the favorite of all the people going to the exhibit. I just loved the outside exhibits - but the inside ones were really fabulous, too. I will post some of those the next time I'm in here!

We really had a wonderful time - the weather channel told us it was going to rain ALL DAY with thunderstorms - HAH - it didn't even rain but a few raindrops. The day was perfect for walking through the gardens. We even decided to stay an extra night because we were both exhausted from all the shopping and the walking around the gardens.

What an exhausting day!

We have been to several thrift stores - a few antique stores - and best of all Meijer Gardens to see Chihuly in the Gardens and the Davinci Horse. I will update tomorrow when I have more time - but the trip to Grand Rapids was REALLY FANTASTIC!

Reunion Planning

We had such a nice visit with John and Mary Beth and Joan and Tom and Steve last Sunday. We decided to send out postcards for the class reunion. Their home is so beautiful and the backyard is such a relaxing spot.

Steve took care of us all afternoon - we laughed until our cheeks hurt - and we had a preview of some of the foods that will be served at the reunion. IT WAS FABULOUS!

It's only a few weeks away and I can't wait to see our friends from YIKES 40 years ago.

Robbie and Sheala

A visit from the Jacklin family last night was such fun.

Pat and I had to go to the store because we only had chicken for dinner - no sides - so we went to Kroger and I bought 8 different salads, corn on the cob and a loaf of jalepeno bread and hummus and some sushi. (My grandkids LOVE sushi.)

Sheala and Robbie were playing cards in the kitchen when we walked in from the store and I set out the bread and hummus for them to eat. Joanna found some celery in the frig and had that with hummus, since she is now on the Atkins diet with Robin.)

The kids stayed in the kitchen playing cards and I went to sit with Jo in the living room. Pat started cooking chicken on the grill and we waited to see if Robin would get out of work in time for dinner with us.

Sheala was humming away in the kitchen (a sure sign she is winning at cards) and Robbie was laughing and bugging her. Joanna was working on Soduko (which by the way she does in pen with nothing scribble out or written over!!!!)

Then Robbie and Sheala decided to make smoothies - frozen blueberries that our neighbor picked for us a few weeks ago. Then Robbie sat on the couch with me and told me "there is no love in his family" he proceeded to tell me that Joanna and Sheala saw him fall on the stairs at home and they didn't even care - they just laughed at him - he wasn't feelin' any love! I told him I loved him more than life itself.

Our nephew, David, called and I talked with him a bit and then Pat talked with him until it was time for dinner. Then Robin came in, Pat brought in the chicken and we sat down to a yummy dinner. We sent them all home right after dinner (they usually help us clean up but we insisted they needed to leave for their errands).

Then we went to the park for a bit and came home. It was a very nice night in Saginaw.

Rain Rain Go Away

We have two outdoor weddings to go to today! The rain is threatening with gray clouds and nastiness out there! Hopefully the sun will peek out for the weddings.

We played cards with Bill and Amy last night - what fun. Bill and I even traded hands a couple times because we both were complaining so much about the rotten cards we were getting. One time I got better cards and the next time MUCH MUCH worse. We played a couple of games of Spades and a couple of Hearts. I don't think I've been up that late in a long while. We drank gin and tonics and of course I had leg cramps last night, all night long. But - it was a fun night.

It is official - I got my numbers for retirement - I'll take a hit by going a year early - but - we can actually do it financially. However, after January there will be no more Keno! A small price to pay to start having a great time with my sweetie!

1/2 Day

Pat and I took off for up north this afternoon - what a nice ride. I can't take it for granite anymore - it feels so good to have my knee feel fine on a long ride - I wasn't sure I would be able to go on our adventures anymore - but not one bit of being uncomfortable when we went today! YEAH!

I haven't even started "cleaning for the cleaning lady" as my Mom would say and she comes tomorrow! I will have to scurry around in the morning in order to have the place be clean enough to be cleaned!!!!

Remembering Paula

Being a Great Wife and Mother
A Sister and Friend,
Playing Pinochle – always my partner and
Always bidding high against David,
Cooking Sweet and Sour Pork,
Selling at the Antique Festival,
Going to Thrift Stores and Garage Sales,
Encouraging Artists and Painting Beautiful Art,
Opening and Closing Her Gallery,
Filling up Every Available Space with Treasures,
Coaxing David to Make More Space Available,
Camping, Talking, Laughing,
Enjoying Life and Making Other People Enjoy it, too.
I'll miss you Paula

New Business Card

I love my new business cards - I've resisted getting any but when I am at the craft shows lots of people ask for them - so - when Vista started advertising on TV I decided to try them - they were very affordable you just have to wade through one or two emails every day from them. All in all - that is worth the price to me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE SCHMANE

Just a short fireworks from Saginaw, Michigan 2009 - Happy Birthday, Sister Dear - all these people were ooohing and ahhhhing for your birthday celebration!

First Blueberry Pie

MMMMMmmmmm..... Our tenant, Marge and our next door neighbor, Juanita, went blueberry picking this morning - they came back and gave us enough berries for blueberry pie - the fruit was tart and the crust turned out great - mmmmm.... I know my friend Kay is cringing at the thought of ruining a good blueberry - but we loved it!

I spent the morning, with Pat's help, finishing up the dishes and knives from the Frankenmuth show - we had lots of bugs at the show and I didn't want to bring them in the basement so we left everything in the garage until I could get to them. Pat bullied me into doing it this morning and by the time we were done I thanked him - it has been on my mind but I just hate getting started!

Then we went for a nice drive - to the Wooden Shoe restaurant - it was a great drive but I don't think we would go just for the restaurant - even though we ate outside on the patio on the Tittabawassee River it was just an okay place. The Dockside in Bay City on the Saginaw Bay has us SPOILED.

YEAH

I just found out I can retire in January 2011 instead of 2012!!!!! I am SOOO happy - the smile hasn't left my face. We had our friends Bill and Amy and Jan and Jim over for dinner to celebrate - I tried my niece Kim's shrimp recipe - but I made it a little easier. We bought already cooked shrimp at Jack's then added:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp ginger
Juice of one lime

Marinated for 1 hour then we put it on a flat screen type grill pan and covered it with foil - then we put it on the grill for about 5 minutes - just to warm it up.

YUMMMMMM!!!!