Wordless Wednesday

Rebel Cloud
August 17, 2008

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

St. Ignace Mission

July 21, 2008

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Huron Indians

July 21, 2008

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Star Line Ferry

July 21, 2008

edited: Sep 12, 2008
The Star Line Ferry service is privately operated by the MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) to transport people from the mainland to Mackinac Island. What makes these ferries distinctive is they are hydro-jets shooting an impressive 35 foot roostertail spray. It can be a bit pricey at $25 per adult (13 and older), $12 per child (5 - 12), and $7.50 for bike or cart rental but it is a pleasant way to spend the day. Mackinac Island prohibits the use of personal motorized vehicles. You can enjoy carriage rides, fishing, biking, hiking, shopping and special events on the island. There are over 40 places to stay and many places to dine. During the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August a sunset cruise under the Mackinac Bridge is offered as well. Reservations for the cruise can be made by calling their reservation line.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Michigan State Ferry

July 21, 2008

The Michigan State Ferry service was established in St. Ignace in 1923 to transport vehicles from St. Ignace to the Lower Peninsula. Cost for the hour long trip was $2.50. In the first year of operation the ferry transported 10,351 vehicles! In 1956 with five ferries were running almost a million vehicles were transported with as many as 9,000 vehicles being transported on summer weekends. The wait times were as high as twelve hours. In 1957 the Mackinac Bridge replaced the ferry service.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

St. Ignace Historical Sign

I just love historical signs especially when they relate to my family history. My French Canadian ancestors came from France and settled in the St. Lawrence Valley (Québec City 1608, Montréal 1642). These founding French ancestors, my great greats, appear in the Fichier Origine database. Many of them were fur traders or involved in the fur trade in other capacities. Father (Père) Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit named the mission after St. Ignatius Loyola founder of the Jesuits. A military fortress was built shortly after becoming a military strong point however, in 1701 the garrison moved to Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit under the control of the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. Why should this be of interest to me?

Père Marquette appears in my database but not as an ancestor. I know some of my ancestors were in St. Ignace and some of their descendants still live in the area. Cadillac was in St. Ignace then came to establish Fort Pontchartain in 1701. My sixth great grandfather was the first white man in the area of the fort. He was an interpreter for Cadillac and was a highly respected individual in the fort. Cadillac granted him land in the fort yet he chose to live in the Miamis village beside the fort with his wife and children. He was buried under the original location of Ste. Anne's Church in Detroit which speaks to his importance in the fort. Ste. Anne's Church was moved to it's current location to accommodate the Ambassador Bridge spanning the Detroit River connecting Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, Michigan.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

how much is that doggy in the window?

The Dog
July 21, 2008

Now this is a real fitting picture! This dog (and yes it is a real dog) was sitting in the window of a store is St. Ignace, Michigan. I want a dog oh so bad yet my husband doesn't want one. According to him and since we have a boat any dog had best be able to swim from the middle of the lake. I still want a dog! It doesn't matter that I have allergies, I want a dog! Not a huge dog or a fancy dog but a dog. I had a dog for 18 years of my childhood and I had multiple dogs that also shared our home. I need a dog! We tried one of the oh so cute spaniels from the Beanie Baby® collection. I'm not kidding he used it to turn out the light in our room! He could whip that stuffed dog across the room and hit the light switch every time. So I figured out he didn't really like spaniels even though they are oh so cute. And this really comes as a surprise since he actually allowed the kids to keep Tiger (a tabby cat) for over 20 years! Men are so complicated sometimes. Here's the deal I will cook, clean, entertain, quit complaining and in short your life will be heaven [much the same as it is now] if you just let me have a dog. Man! I won't even complain about him having to control the tv remote 24 hours a day 7 days a week or his belching or even when he laughs because he toots (what's with that anyway?). And when the scary parts of Law and Order or Criminal Inten come on I won't have to run to the washroom because my dog (aka my dog) will make it ok. From my perspective, that seems like a pretty good deal :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Wordless Wednesday

Sunset
Aug. 6, 2008

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

gnomes

Michigan State Spartan Gnome
July 21, 2008

We play the gnome game when traveling. That means I spot gnomes but because I tend to be a bit on the frugal side I will take a picture instead of buying unless the gnome fits in with my collection. We spotted this cute little gnome in a gift shop in St. Ignace, Michigan. This one didn't fit my collection even though my husband watches their games. He stresses is a fan of Go Blue Wolverines! Now if they could just get a Detroit Redwings gnome he would be a real happy camper and the gnome would have been invited into my gnome empire :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

parasailing

Parasailing
July 21, 2008

Back to our summer vacation: If you recall we went to Wisconsin for one of our kids' wedding then travelled to St. Ignac, Michigan before heading home.

We stayed at a lovely Day's In in St. Ignace in Michigan. The balcony overlooked Lake Huron and had it been a little nicer weather we would have seen some gorgeous sunrises! We woke to threatening clouds and misty rain the first morning. That did not stop some daring folk from parasailing. This is something I would really love to try however my stomach is just a tad prone to being sensitive. The prospect of hitting the ground covered with stomach contents is not quite appealing not to mention I have a healthy dose being a chicken. Seriously, I can handle being off the ground on my kitchen step stool as far as the first step and it is a two stepper. On a very good day heavily dosed with anti-nausea medication I might actually be able use an elevator. When we were dating my husband pooh poohed at me not being able to handle fair rides including the merry-go-round. Not less than 3 minutes into the Zipper, he changed his mind and tout suit! He has never asked me on a fair ride since. At the time it wasn't funny but now it is hilarious. Anyway, I want to try parasailing. I'm thinking if I had a tank of nitrous oxide strapped to my back along with a lot of other medications I could do it. Nope, I'm thinking I just want to try it anyway. What is the worst that could happen?

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

the kitchen is finished!

The biggest blessing this week is that our kitchen renovation is finally complete! The renovation actually began shortly after moving here late June of 2007 then life got in the way. The tile supplies sat in a convenient place perfect for stubbing toes each morning just inside the kitchen since March 3. May 26 saw the start of refinishing the cabinets. Tiling began on the 4th of August. Now I should point out that my husband and I are DIYers but that does not mean we work well together even though we have fairly well defined roles during remodeling and the end result is always worth it. The problem is I have the idea and will research how to do something but sometimes he doesn't listen. As this continues I find myself repeating the same thing several times leading to frustration and failing to listen to him so really we are not effectively communicating. Compounding this problem is my temper is always the first to flare. Allergies and sinus headaches tend to make me irritable. Both of these are affected by the dust and chemicals involved with renovating. Even though we try to use eco-friendly products some things simply cannot be avoided during renovations. The worst part is the chaos involved that really makes me feel disoriented! Anywho despite the delays, frustrations, bad advice, chaos and occasional temper flares the kitchen is finished (huge blessing) and I think it looks wonderful. I've been posting our progress here where pictures of the finish will also be posted. In the process we both discovered the ineffective communication was hindering our progress. After all these years and all the renovations we have done together this discovery was like a weight was lifted off of both our shoulders. Learning more about each other as we journey through life together is always a true blessing! We will be working on improving our listening skills in preparation for our next renovation project.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

great news

If you have been following this blog you will have noticed a new baby ticker under the header. I put it up then with all the distractions from finishing the kitchen forgot to share the good news. Oldest grandbaby who is now 20 months old will soon be joined by a little brother or sister! Everyone is thrilled by the news. The little one has already had his or her first photoshoot aka ultra sound confirming our suspicions that this grandbaby will be another little cutie :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Wordless Wednesday

Straw Bales
Aug. 7, 2008

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

small miracles

I really should have blogged about this earlier but it makes for a very good bybs post. Youngest grandbaby who is 4 months and a real sweetheart visited us mid August. Everything was fine and she was smiling and interacting. Then all of a sudden she vomited from not only her mouth but nose. She stopped breathing! Mom of course was frantic. Breath, baby breath! I went into autotpilot and seriously I can't remember a lot because my mind was focused on grandbaby. The only thing I could think of was flip her over, head down and tap her back sharply until whatever it was blocking the air way passed. Get her to cry! Crying means the airways are clear so that a good sign. I knew I had to do this but I was still on autopilot, semi-detatched. At the same time I'm taking in the colour of her fingernails and her faciditiy. It was an automatic really not thinking thing, just doing. Silently I counted the seconds thinking I would have to do CPR on grandbaby. She started weakly crying but was still struggling. Mom picked her up to comfort. All of a sudden she spewed forth (not a nice term but that was what it was) a huge amount of vomit heavily laden with mucus. Her breathing was still laboured so her parents took her to the nearest ER to be on the safe side. I called ahead when the kids left so the hospital would know they were coming and I will tell you they were none to pleased that the kids were driving her in instead of an ambulance. The thing is we live in the boonies so driving into emerge is a lot faster than waiting for an ambulance. Well, she came back with a clean bill of health, no worse for the wear and tear She's still spitting up a lot of mucous but her lungs are clear. So that really has to count for a huge, and many thanks to the angels above that guide and protect us, blessing there! [And GGV, GGR, GGL, GGGD I know you had a hand in this one along with a few other angels.]

I'm sitting here writing this wondering what would have happened if I over reacted, or didn't know first aid or CPR. If the angels above weren't protecting this little one and guiding my hands. If they hadn't allowed me to detach and be able to respond. Blessings come in all kind of forms large and small. This one just happened to be a huge blessing! Each one should be cherished as it comes whether larger or small.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

The Trail
July 19, 2008

Just off of where we were standing to take pictures of Holy Hill at Glacier Hill County Park, there was a beautiful trail. I love wooded tails! We have as a family hiked many trails over the years, some more rugged than others. It started out years and years ago when we camped with the kids every chance we got and it continued for many years. We now boat and still we will set anchor and walk the trail to the lake where we swim. Never far from our mind is buying a motorhome so we can do some serious camping again. Still we drive to trails where we enjoy a good walk in nature, enjoying her beauty and serenity.

Trails are wonderful! It is a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours any time of the day. Their shady canopy ward off the heat of the day. The sights and smells, and I do have to stress smells because there is just a certain woodsy smell with trails, are a true delight. Woodland critters dart about but you have to be quiet so you don't startle them. Life doesn't get much better that walking under the cool canopy of a woodland!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Children See, Children Do

A must see video! And you thought what you did didn't have any influence.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Wordless Wednesday

Field of Sunflowers
Aug. 7, 2008

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Basilica of Holy Hill
July 19, 2008

On the way back to the kids' house we made a detour up a long and winding road to Glacier Hills County Park. From the top of the road there is a good view of the Basilica of Holy Hill in the distance. Holy Hill is located on 435 acres of scenic land in southeastern Wisconsin on the highest elevation in the area. The Basilica is undergoing repairs as seen by the scaffolding in the picture. The view of southeastern Wisconsin is said to be spectacular from the scenic observation tower making the climb of 178 stairs well worth it! The tower is closed until the repairs are finished in September so we should be able to go up the tower our next trip to Wisconsin.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

play ball

Miller Park
July 19, 2008

Pa and I are getting so good at playing tourist that we can even get some pretty good shots out the car window at 80 miles (US measurements) with one of our arms holding the camera out as far as it will reach. Thanks to the wonders of digital cameras we can take as many photos and video clips as we want. Thanks to the powers of PhotoShop those crooked shots can be straightened, colours enhanced and things like pesky power lines can be eliminated. Hmm, life as Ma and Pa go to the city is good!

Pa snapped this great picture of Miller Park give or take a few little wires. I thought the picture wasn't all that bad so played with it a bit. Miller Park located in Milwaukee is home to the Milwaukee Brewers. Now I'm not a huge sports fan but my husband is. Still I love going to both hockey and baseball games, more so for the people watching and stadium food but also because I just enjoy them. It's always a great day spending time with my husband and/or family watching them get excited over their respective teams. Oh I should mention we go to football games too and they are pretty exciting especially when you have to wear several layers of clothes, battle snow and pry frozen fingers off of cold beer which is why they also serve hot chocolate. Anyway, the Brewers were away from home that weekend or we would have taken in a game. Maybe the next trip...

Garden Gnome

©2006-2008

through the eyes of a child

We all get cutesy chain letters in our email with the instructions to pass it along. I seldom do this but the following sent to be by a friend is worth passing along through this blog instead of email format. Thanks so much (to a friend)! The following reminds us to be thankful for the true blessings in our lives and that our actions say a lot more about us than our words. I do not know the author of the following but I'm sure I would really like him or her. The focus is on the important things in life, the true blessings, not the material things. The story is a good reminder of the Golden Rule and quite reminds me of my beloved Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year - old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the
floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.' So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.

There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood
scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I
grow up.' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back
to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for
some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped,
milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life..' I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you.

But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually
make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about ...I just did.

Angels have walked beside me all my life

This is to all of you who mean something to me,

I pray for your happiness.

May God richly bless you!

~*~*~*~*~*~

May you have a blessings filled week - a week filled of the true blessings of family and friends, of love and laughter, of faith and hope, of well being and peace!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Watertown Plank Road

Historical Plaque
July 20, 2008

We were on the historical Watertown Plank Road! Plank roads were made from basically clearing a road 24 feet wide between the ditches. The road was sloaped in the centre towards the ditches to help with drainage. Stringers provided the support upon which wooden planks made from white pine were laid to form a road (more information here). There's little left of this historical road aside of the marking plaque although it does follow the same route.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Miller Brewing Company Tour

Miller Brewing Company
July 20, 2008

Our next stop for sight seeing was the Miller Brewing Company that first began brewing beer in 1855 where we took in the tour. Now I have to say with being very much into genealogy and family history, I love old architecture. I also love spending time in museums, cemeteries and other archival repositories. The tour itself was nice even though we didn't get to see much in action but in fairness it was getting late on a Saturday so the lines were likely shut down for the weekend. Oh we saw the mixing tanks and fermenting tanks, where the beer was bottled or canned and where it was stored but other than a couple of fork lifts, nothing was moving. There was that nice aroma of fermenting beer about the premises. After the tour they took us to a lovely indoor room where we enjoyed free samples. These rooms are not licensed to the general public which is a pit because the are absolutely gorgeous! They are used mainly for the tour groups but can be rented for special occasions like weddings.

The Miller Brewing Company is located in Miller Valley in Milwaukee at 4000 West Street. Tours start at 4251 West Street and conclude at the historic Miller Inn. Tours last an hour but figure a good hour and a half if not more if sampling. You must be 21 years of age or older to sample but children are welcomed. Even if the factory is not operational this really is a must stop at tour. The architecture of the buildings is very impressive. There is the original cobble stone in one portion of the road that goes through the factory. The Miller house near the Miller Inn is simply a replicate facade, unfortunately. It would have been nice to be able to go through the Miller house just to see what it was like back then. I was a bit disappointed in that aside of the 10 minute introductory video there was little more on the actual history. Still it was a very enjoyable tour.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion
July 19, 2008

The day after the wedding, the kids took us sight seeing. Pa and I sure love playing tourist! The area of Wisconsin where they will residing is beautiful with its rolling hills and lots of trees. One of our first stops was the Cedar Valley Cheese Store (more here) where Pa and I made out like bandits with our cheese score. Leaving the countryside we headed into Milwaukee. As we passed the Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion one of the kids mentioned they had always wanted to go through so we stopped. By then it was drizzling rain. We joined the guided tour through the mansion. Oh my!

The Pabst mansion was built in 1892. The rooms that have been restored are simply breathtaking by any stretch of the imagination. The rooms on the first floor have 16 foot ceilings all beautifully painted and gilded! The furniture is elegantly impressive. The mansion must have been even more impressive in its hey day, a blatant symbol of wealth in every detail and activity like the popular beer gardens they hosted. Even so many years later the presence of wealth permeates throughout the mansion. There is a beautiful atrium to the right side of the house with a domed ceiling and ceramic tile flooring. It must have been quite lovely when it was filled with plants!

We found out some interesting things like the pies were kept in a locked pie safe! The silverware was also under lock and key to be counted each day. The beds were shorter not because the Victorians were shorter but because the slept sleeping up to prevent spirits from entering their lungs. Tour prices for adults are $8 and the guided tour is well worth it. This is a must see tour when in Milwaukee!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Wordless Wednesday

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

back to the land

Wisconsin Dairy Farm
July 19, 2008

We were in an area of Wisconsin with beautiful rolling hills and a lot of farmland. Wisconsin is the dairy state so not surprisingly we saw a lot of dairy farms. I couldn't help taking a lot of pictures including this one of Holstein cattle. As I was taking pictures of this farm with cattle in the barn the farmer drove by on his tractor. He waved and chuckled as I took his picture too but likely muttered under his breath "dang tourists"! It not like we don't have dairy farms here and unlike a lot of folks we get quite close to cows. Still I can't help wondering about those who have only seen cows in pictures or on television.

A large fraction of our society have a lack of connection of where their food comes from. One of my kids teaches grades 2/3 in an urban setting. As a science lesson each student planted a tomato plant. They were totally amazed that from that seed grew a plant that produced tomatoes. Apparently they thought tomatoes grew in boxes in the store! This really presents a problem. If you don't connect to your food source then it is difficult to realize that what you do in your daily life ultimately affects your food source directly.

It can be something as perceivably benign as leaving a light on or tossing the last of an expired medication down the toilet. One affects our carbon footprint and the other our water source. It can be something a little more blatant like ignoring smog day warnings or tossing litter out of the car. Or it can be worse, much worse and it all comes from not being connected with the food source.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

the wood fired oven

Wood Fired Oven
July 18, 2008

The wedding meal was at Louise's Italian Cafe in Broodfield, Wisconsin (photos here). The food and service was excellent! The decor was lovely with copper accents. Copper has to be my favourite metal because it has a warm, comforting glow to it. The focal point was the copper clad wood fired oven. I would love to have an oven like this! Hmm, I should have put in my request for this kitchen renovation. Unfortunately the best I can hope for is an outdoor wood fired oven due to indoor space limitations. Why on earth would I want a wood fired oven? Wood adds a flavour to breads, pizzas and other baked dishes that can't be duplicated on a gas or charcoal grill. Bread baked in a wood fired oven is wonderful! Now I've done it. I will have to bake a loaf of bread on the grill today just to satisfy the craving :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

The Wedding Day

Babbling Brook
July 18, 2008

After the marriage ceremony we went to a small park for pictures. This small stream provided an ideal backdrop for the happy bride and groom. We took several pictures and short video clips. Then they climbed up the side of a hill to stand on a railway bridge for more pictures. Upon completion of the photo shoot, we all headed back to their house to change into dress casual for the restaurants and to take more pictures. The wedding cheesecake was staying at the house to be enjoyed after the restaurant meal. Pictures of this wonderful cheesecake and some of the dishes enjoyed at the restaurant can be seen here. I'm so glade everything went well for the kids. After such a long and frustrating wait to be married, it was nice to see them so happy. It was really a lovely, peaceful day filled a lot of love, laughter and many photo opportunities.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

the woods

The Woods
July 18, 2008

For almost a year one of our kids patiently awaited the coveted K1 visa. During that time spent here, there was a calming force to help ease the anxiety and stress - water. Our view is incredible! It's calming, relaxing and refreshing to the spirit. Of all of our kids I knew city living would not go hand in hand with this one so I really worried after the K1 arrived. I worried constantly hoping the surrounding environment would be as soothing and as close to nature as this kid needs.

We arrived in Wisconsin after dark so I really didn't get to see much other than the huge or voracious mosquitoes. The next morning I wandered onto the back deck to be greeted with this amazing view. The woods unfolded before my eyes with all the sights and sounds. Finally I could relax knowing this would be a good, soothing place! The neighbours much like ours are close enough to be friendly and offer help if needed yet far enough away to give privacy. The scenery is absolutely beautiful and while not the sights and sounds of the water it has it's own unique sights and sound. At night various wildlife visit while coyotes howl in the distance. Absolutely stunning!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Chicago

Chicago Skyline
July 17, 2008

Note: The last few entries have been about our recent Wisconsin trip and not a current road trip. I will continue highlighting interesting details from this trip mingled with whatever else I find interesting at the time so I do hope you enjoy this trip's highlights.

I have to admit to loving cityscapes but only because they are such a vivid reminder that humans are the only animals that can change their environment in the way they do. We don't like the cold so we invented indoor heating. We don't like the hot, muggy weather so we invented air conditioning. We have modified our environment to such a degree it really is mind boggling. Nowhere is that more apparent than in cities. What is even more thought provoking as I take pictures of cityscapes is you really are seeing a facade. Out of range of the camera's eye there are so many activities, sights and sounds happening, some good and some not so good. Some are just plain evil and yet the city's facade glosses that over with the towering buildings. It's only when you drive through the city you get a better feel for it and better still is walking yet there are places in any city that you would not want to walk.

Chicago's skyline is marked with the Sears Tower the tallest highrise as pictured above is impressive! . It is hard to take pictures of skylines from the inside of a moving vehicle yet I think this one came out not too bad. It was getting close to 8:30 pm so the light was really getting pour and my camera does not take good landscape pictures with the flash. So I settled back to enjoy the rest of the ride to Wisconsin. We arrived there almost two hours ahead of our estimated time of arrival, not bad for getting a late start to the trip.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

The Circle
July 17, 2007

As we neared the downtown area of Chicago on the Kennedy Expressway there were lit signs as to how many minutes it was from that point to certain exits and something called the circle. We had no idea what the circle was so had to google it when we arrived at the kids. The Circle Interchange is where four [Kennedy Expressway - northbound, Dan Ryan Expressway - southbound, Eisenhower Expressway - westbound and Congress Parkway - eastbound] highways converge on the downtown area forming a a huge mess of spaghetti with the many entrance and exit ramps. It is the centre of the Chicago's downtown area and let me tell you it is impressive!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

approaching Chicago

Approaching Chicago
July 17, 2008

As we approached Chicago around 8:20 pm the traffic increased and there were a lot more signs to get pictures of as well as traffic, construction and buildings. We stayed on I-94 instead of going the Skyway because my husband wanted to make up time instead of sight see. Our primary concern was to get to the kids as early in the evening as possible and we already knew it would be after 10 pm, closer to 11 pm if not a bit later.

Our road trips tend to fall into three categories: mosey and get there when we do with a lot of sight seeing; flexible but want or need to be there within an hour or two of the ETA; and have to be there by that time no ifs, ands or buts. I much prefer the first type of travel and don't mind the second but the third always causes anxiety. These are trips that include "getting to the airport on time" or "catching the last ferry*" or with the boat "when the bridge is open**" trips.

* The worst of the catching the last ferry trips was back when I was expecting one of our kids. Two of the kids were safely tucked in their car seats. Back then seat belts were just a suggestion but I was a stickler in the car didn't move if everyone wasn't strapped in. We were heading home for a visit and had to catch the Chi-Cheemaun from South Baymouth to Tobermory and we had a reservation for the 10 pm ferry. We hit Baldwin the point to turn down to South Baymouth hitting Espanola then realizing we were cutting our timing very short. Missing that ferry would have meant we would be sleeping in the car that night and the ferry reservation would have been lost something we could not afford at that time. Well to make a long story short, we were flying down an unfamiliar road full of curves, in the dark. We pulled up as they were loading!

** A lot of times when traversing smaller waterways you have to wait for the bridge to go up so your boat can pass through. This can be a problem is the bridge only opens on a schedule like hourly. If you miss the opening then you have to sit and wait until the next opening. Consider the consequences of not only storms but hot and humid conditions that can be stiffling at best. Ideally you want to be in line to go through about 15 minutes before the bridge opens because other boaters also know about this problem.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

entering Illinois

Entering Illinois
July 17, 2008

We entered Illinois at 7:42 pm, only four hours and twenty minutes after leaving the tire place. Up to that point we had been making good time and the trip had been uneventful. Traffic was indeed heavier with more than a few less than considerate drivers. Honestly, the chances some drivers take is beyond imagination! Then we hit the wonderful construction with lane closures and reduced speeds mingled with a few "I'm more important than you so I'll jam in between you and the car ahead then slam on my breaks just because I can.", a few "What the heck am I thinking?" and the ever precious "I knew I wanted that exit a half hour ago so let me through while I jump across 4 lanes of traffic!" types. It's a good thing my husband was driving because my nerves were raw and my startle reflex was on heightened alert. That was before we hit Chicago!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

entering Indiana

Entering Indiana
July 17, 2008

We entered Indiana on I-94 a little over three and a half hours (6:56 pm) from leaving the tire store (3:30 pm). At that point we were 30 miles from the Illinois state line. My husband was pleased as that meant we would avoid a lot of the heavier traffic going through Chicago. It also meant we were making better time than we thought we would so would arrive in Wisconsin a couple of hours before our estimated time of arrival after taking the delays into consideration. So far the trip was going remarkably smooth!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

on the road

Historical Plaque
July 17, 2008

Recent Road Trip Continued:

If my husband hand his druthers, he would have made the long journey without stopping except for refueling. I'm quite content snapping a multitude of photos unless it is after dark where I will nod off a little sometimes. Our first stop after getting the tires on the car was the rest stop on I-94 at Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was such a hot and humid day that stopping was not refreshing but it was a must. Of course the camera was with me so I happily snapped a few more pictures while waiting for my husband. This sign is one of three identical signs erected in the Kalamzoo region giving a brief history of the area. I have to tell you the area is beautiful!

I take a lot of pictures of historical signs and markings. I always take pictures of and in museums unless forbidden. It just comes second nature with doing genealogy. My camera tends to be one of my most valuable assets on any given road trip not just for documenting history and genealogy but for capturing those special moments. I take pictures of everything including the food we eat as you can see on my cooking blog. Why? I do this for three reasons the first being I get pleasure of just simply being able to capture that special moment or scene. Second it is an ideal way to document any trip for scrapbooking later. Sometimes the mind fails so a quick photo reminder helps. The third reason is historical value. True it is difficult to see what we are doing today has a whole lot of historical value but in the terms of genealogy it does much the same that diaries and bibles now hold when we are doing genealogy research. At some point some of the sights will be no more. Today's photos will become a way for our grandchildren and their children to understand what our lifestyle was like, what it meant to live in the 21st century and what it meant to be us.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

kids

The Proof
July 27, 2008

I promise I will get onto our trip but I just had to share this one with you. Kids, the human kind not the goat kind can be downright hilarious! Oldest grandbaby was in the washroom getting the hair do when mommy said don't do that followed by a louded no followed by a I told you not to do that followed by loud cry. Grandbaby emerged from the bathroom chomping on soap with quite a discusted look on her face partly from mommy having no sympathy and the taste while hoping grandma aka me was going to fix it. As you can see from the picture she got a good chomp on it. Towel in hand I wiped what I could from her mouth while seriously biting my tongue to stop the laughter. I have a wicked sense of humour and this was just so funny! So in defense of dear grandbaby, I'm going to tell a little story about her mommy when she was little.

Her mommy was just a little older than grandbaby but not by much, talking quite clearly in well formed sentences. I said it was time for bed and at that time our kids' bedtime was 7 pm. She looked at me quite innocently and said I can't go to bed. Of course I had to ask why. With a very angellic look on her face the response was there's buttons up my nose. Sure enough on each side there were buttons up her nose and I still don't know where she got them from. Now the problem was my husband was away, I had three kids under the age of four so I called my husband's dad aka grandpa to drive us to the hospital while grandma watched the other two. They confirmed there were buttons up her nose. They had to freeze her nose then pull them out. What a nightmare at the time and I felt horrible that it had even happened because I watched the kids like a hawk! A week later my friend's kid somehow got all the tires off a hotwheels car, stuck them up his nose and they had to drive him 40 minutes to the hospital to get them out.

The button incident has become a long standing family joke. As I watch our baby going into the next phase of parenting when kids learn that very all important and powerful word no and assert themselves with that hissy fit aka temper tantrum and I see the patience, mixed with biting the tongue to stop from laughing combined with the love and guidance, I seriously cannot help but be proud of the mother she has become. The little one is under good guidance, soap and all. Someday she will tell the story of how she bit the soap and ended up eating most of it!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

simply complicated

Staying Connected
July 17, 2008

Jimmy Buffett has a wonderful song called Simply Complicated that explains how your life can follow this oxymoron. With the Wisconsin trip I realized exactly how simply complicated out lives have become thanks to technology. Road trips are not for the faint of heart anymore. It was a 6 day trip but we needed more than clothes! We needed my husband's laptop, our iPod Touch, the Sony Clié, two cell phones, the digital camera (Canon), the battery charger and all the wires and adapters plus a huge bag to carry them in! We can download, upload, blog, email, take pictures, chat and entertain ourselves all from the comforts of our vehicle, motel room or our kids home at the drop of a hat. We have our entire contact list, genealogy database and mapping system at our fingertips. Heck we don't even have to chat with them in person or face to face if we don't want too because we can simply use Yahoo chat or IM but more important we can chat with them while en route in real time. You just have to love wireless internet connections :) So our lives are simply complicated with all this technology but what it really allows us to do is stay in touch with those who mean the most to us.

When we are on the road things continue much the same as at home as far as technology goes, less for surfing and more for information seeking. We no longer have to scout out telephone booths or use those paper maps, even though we still use the maps on occasion. En route we can push a button to be sure we are on the correct course complete with detours. We can be a couple of hundred kilometers away from an attraction yet still get information to decide if we want to stop. We can book a motel room online while we are traveling so we know know there's a room waiting for us when we get there. We can check restaurant reviews before stopping. With a push of a button we can let our kids know we arrived safely at our destination. What's really neat is with a click of a button we can simply share. So yes our lives are simply complicated but in a good way for the most part :)

Enjoy!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008
Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

thoughts on blogging

Lake St. Clair
July 17, 2008

There really isn't much about boating that I don't like so of course I was quite pleased to get a boat ride in before leaving for Wisconsin. As we headed further into the lake away from the comforting sight of land, I couldn't help but ponder at what a perfect metaphor it presented in more ways than one. In the big picture it reinforces just how small and insignificant you are. On a smaller scale I'm going you use it as a metaphor for blogging. And you thought I was going to blog about the trip which I will as soon as I get these thoughts out.

In my travels through the blogosphere yesterday I came across a blog that showed a graph of the life cycle of a blog. According to the author most blogs last an average of 3 months before the author get tired or bored with blogging or the author gets frustrated because they aren't getting traffic. The thing about blogging is you really are in a huge sea with a lot of other bloggers. If you don't make yourself stand out you won't get traffic. Like many blogger I have used traffic generating websites with my favourite being BlogExplosion until I discovered Entrecard. Both get blog exposure using an earn credits that can be used for advertising your blog however, unlike BlogExplosion credits Entrecard credits have a monetary value. I really do think that Entrecard has been good for my blogs especially in terms of meeting other bloggers and generating traffic. Within a couple of days of joining my cooking blog made its way to the most popular page in the cooking and dining category of Entrecard and has remained there since. This morning I was in fourth position so that means I must be doing something right.

Recently Entrecard encouraged joining Digg to increase blog commenting which I did so now you see a Digg button on all of my posts. The premise is if another Digg member sees one of your posts they like they click the Digg button to register a vote. If you get enough votes your entry will make it to Digg's front page thus generating a lot of traffic to your blog. The newest thing Entrecard has done is to pair with SezWho, a comment rating site. Members can rate the quality of your comments and earn Entrecard credits for it. I'm not fond of rewarding people for commenting on my blogs as I would rather them simply comment if they feel like it. At any rate I added the code to all my blogs and of all times when we were in Wisconsin SezWho had a problem so many blogs including mine were not loading at all or crashing browsers. That's a bad thing for any blog so as damage control I took the SezWho code off my blogs for the time being. I want to be sure it is working properly before using it. But Entrecard as good as it is presents another problem.

You are allowed EC drops per blog per day or 600 drops per IP address daily if you have multiple blogs. So I aim for a split of 300, 150, 75 and 75 for my four blogs. Despite claims that you can drop 300 in 15 minutes there is no way unless you are using some type of script. So essentially you are working for your traffic each and every day. What some bloggers are doing is focusing on dropping aka generating traffic but forgetting that if you don't blog on a regular basis you will lose your readers. I've come across some very good blogs that unfortunately the author has not posted anything new in well over a couple of months. All of a sudden these authors will check their stats to find the only traffic they are getting is EC traffic that are staying on the blog for less than 30 seconds. That means no one is reading their blog. These blogs are destined for failure which is a shame. Others are taking a different approach by posting short almost nonsense entries that have nothing to do with their theme with the premise being that any entry is better than no entry.

Now if you put everything in perspective a blog needs good entries with some substance in order to survive. Sure you can get away with the occasional short post or participate in things like Wordless Wednesday or even the occasional cartoon as long as you are making quality entries on a regular basis. A good blog can even weather going close to a month without an entry but I don't recommend that especially now that entries can be scheduled ahead (Blogger). Generating traffic is secondary. So both BlogExplosion and Entrecard are very good traffic generating sites but the main focus of any blog should remain on making regular entries.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

honey, I'm home :)

The Island
July 17, 2008

Last Thursday we planned on leaving for a very special road trip to Wisconsin for one of our kid's wedding. This has been a long and frustrating process filled with copious amounts of red tape so there was no way we were going to miss this monumentous event! We had planned on leaving in the early morning however my husband who had our boat out on the annual boat trip could not get the boat back to the marina where we have a slip because of the horrible thunderstorms the evening of their departure. He got the boat to a safe harbour and secured it for the night then came home with the other guys. The next morning we had to go and get the boat before leaving on our trip. Since we had to bring it across Lake St. Clair he needed another rider with him and asked if I wanted to go. Well, heck yes even though he had a back-up just in case. We drove to our marina to park the car where a friend met us to drive us to where the boat was. My husband was rather excited but did not hint at the surprise. We left that marina putzing rather slowly given we were supposed to be on the road to Wisconsin but the day was nice so I figured a leisurely boat ride would be a pleasant start to our road trip. He slowed the boat to a crawl and pointed - see that island? Then he calmly said you might want to take a few pictures. I asked him why. Well it turns out my 3rd great grandparents, the ones I have mentioned before farmed the property on shore but this island was owned by descendants and is still in the family now although there is no longer a cottage on it. The only way to reach the island is by boat. He found all this out through talking to a few of his friends! Here I thought he made no never mind to my genealogy. It turns out that through him I will be able to get a bit more on that line so it was a beautiful way to start the day.

I took a lot of pictures then we went up onto plane to reach cruising speed for over the lake. I didn't even mind that the lake was a bit rough. Finally we turned up the channel and headed towards the marina. Having to get the boat set us back almost 3 hours but it was worth it. We are going to take a trip to the island later this month for better pictures. I'm in seventh heaven!

Ok, so a little bit more on our road trip now the figures are coming in. The total round trip was 1170 miles with stopping 3 nights in Wisconsin and 2 nights in St. Ignace, Michigan. We ate one fast food meal (McDonald's) while waiting for the tires to be installed. Other than than we ate some very lovely meals of which you can follow on the next few entries on my cooking blog. We saw some amazing sights. Much of the roads travelled were total eye candy! Within the period of 6 days we took in Lakes St. Clair, Michigan, Huron and the Straits of Mackinac. We were very close to Lake Superior so the next trip we will see that as well. Total cost for gas was $210 at 23.25 miles per gallon. Total images downloaded today from 2 digital cards was 829. Six of those were short videos. We saved $50 on the room in St. Ignace so that cost a total of $168.30 but that came with a free roll of coins each for Kewadin (casino) where we cashed out at $49.35 to the good on the rolls and $300 up on blackjack so basically the room and meals in St. Ignace cost us nothing with a little extra left over. Total meals cost about $214 including tips. Total souvenirs cost $35. I brought home about $100 worth of cheese from Wisconsin and $50 worth of whitefish and perch from the Upper Peninsula. Total cost of the trip $427.95 less the winnings and including the fish and cheese. Total cost of seeing the smile from ear to ear on the kids face as they said their vows totally priceless!

We have beautiful new additions to our family (children and pets). It has been such a struggle that anyone without love and faith would have given up a long time ago. They didn't and now hopefully things will settle down to where the focus is not on all the rules and regulations but rather on the family and love where the focus should be. I have to brag just a little as they make a beautiful couple! And that is not just in looks but in temperments and attitude. There is just a melding where you can see the love in even the simplest things. We are truly blessed to have been able to share this very special time with the kids.

I'll be posting a series of entries on the entire trip starting tomorrow.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

blessings en route

This entry is just coming under the wire for Blog Your Blessings Sunday. As you know we are on a road trip. We left Wisconsin early this afternoon and have just settled at our next destination. I had to do a quick blog entry.

This was a very special trip as we made the long drive to Wisconsin to share the joy of welcoming in another member plus two to our family. The long awaited for and very frustrating process for the K1 Visa to enter to the US with the intent to marry is still quite vivid but Friday the kids were united in marriage! I will blog more on this when we are home side. We are so blessed to have been able to share this very special time with them :)

May everyone have a blessings filled week,

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Smurfs

When our kids were young and the weather was less than ideal, Saturday mornings meant cartoons. I often sat with them. One cartoon we really enjoyed was the Smurfs by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo. The video shows the theme song but there are several episodes available on YouTube. I don't know if you see a little theme with me having a troll doll as a child and loving gnomes now but there likely is. Little folk living in the forest and gardens just spike the imagination. These little blue beings were only three apples tall and at least 100 years old but were simply a delight. Originally they appeared in 1958 as a cartoon strip but our kids remember them for the animated cartoon series The Smurfs by HannaBarbera Productions (1981-1990 tv series). The smurfs lived in a village in the forest but humans couldn't find them. Papa Smurf wore a red cap and red pants while the rest wore a white cap with white pants except for Smurfette who wore a white hat, white dress and white high heeled shoes. Smurfette was originally created by evil magic by Gargamel but after discovering the deception Papa Smurf used good magic to change her into the Smurfette seen in the rest of the series. For the most part they taught fairly good values too although some have argued that the whole smurf way of life was based on Communism. We never analyzed their lifestyle in terms of politics. We simply enjoyed the shows as a family. Even now I still enjoy watching the Smurfs on YouTube as a nice diversion to the news before going to sleep. The kids gifted me with a 2 CD collection of season one for Mother's Day. These shows bring back good memories of little ones curled up on the couch enjoying family time on Saturday mornings :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Iowa Mother Ticketed for Spanking

An Iowa mother was cited with injury to a child after publicly spanking her toddler at a Fourth of July Parade. Several witness signed the police report. What I find interesting in this day and age with so many digital cameras and cell phones with cameras that no one to on the scene coverage. I'm sure someone does and will at some point come forward. There are a few issues raised by this story.

My comments are based on my belief that children should not be spanked. We raised a larger family so I certainly understand the difficulties that toddlers can present. Every mother can relate! Our oldest grandbaby is now 19 months old so I'm being reminded of those difficulties. Toddlers are asserting their independence while absorbing their surrounding like sponges but at the same time don't fully understand about danger so is it any wonder there are bound to be parental clashes with toddlers? Consistent constructive parenting and proper discipline that promote long term learning is what is needed. In my opinion, corporal punishment has only short term effects and sends a negative message to the child that violence (hitting) is acceptable. One reasoning for this is you should never hit a child when angry but the only time you would hit a child is when you are angry. Ok, I'll step off my soapbox now.

It is hard not to notice that she has three children under the age of four which likely means she is tired most of the time and a bit frustrated. She was apparently have troubles with all three at the parade. They were likely hot, tired and over stimulated by the sights and sounds. They might even have been a bit frightened. I can so relate to this however my solution would have been to simply leave the parade!

What I can't relate to is the aggressiveness she consistently displays towards her toddler. What scares me is she is this aggressive in front of the cameras so my first question is what is she like behind closed doors? Sadly lacking is effective parenting skills. This might have been a first time event but I highly doubt it. I think that this is a child at risk! It is only a matter of time before the child does something she shouldn't and the mother over reacts with full aggression towards the child. The citation as pointed out likely won't stand as there were no physical injuries but what about the next time? It would be a shame to have something tragic happen a few months from now when it could be prevented. This is a child at risk for abuse and a mother at risk for abusing. If anything the citation should serve as a wake-up call to the family that they need help. At the very least Child Protective Services should be involved to fully assess the potential risk and make recommendations to help this mother and child.


Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

World's Oldest Blogger Dies

The world's oldest blogger passed away on July 12, 2008. Olive (Ollie) Rily of Australia and author of the blog The Life of Rily was 108. Eric Shackle, a long time friend, encouraged Ollie to start a blog after he discovered Maria Amelia aged 95 blogging in Spain. Ollie began blogging 15 months earlier and became an inspiration for elderly folks everywhere learning to use computers and the internet. The interesting thing is Ollie never actually worked the computer or posted a blog herself. Instead she retold stories of her life and Mike Rubbo did the actual computer work for her. Eric blogged for her shortly before her death on a temporary blog World's Oldest Blogger when the main blog could not be accessed. It is here where Ollie's last blog entry Settling In was posted on June 26, 2008. On July 10 Eric made an entry to say Olive was seriously ill followed by the final entry on July 12 to say she had passed away. Mike has posted a further entry on the main blog. No further entries will be made but comments will be approved and posted by Mike as soon as possible. If you get a chance do stop by and read this remarkable blog. Olive's main blog can be difficult to access because of the heavy demand right now so you may have to try a few times. What a wonderful legacy she has left for her children and grandchildren!


Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

morning visitors

Mamma & Babies
July 14, 2008

One of the best parts of getting up early is catching those photo opportunities others miss by sleeping later. For some reason my body has been craving sleep so I have been sleeping a bit later than normal. This morning my husband was leaving early for a couple of days so I got up to see him off. The beauty of the morning was amazing! The camera was in full action and I got a lot of shots. Needless to say I'm going to be setting the alarm so I can get up early tomorrow morning. It's really on a matter of getting myself back into routine.

We have a fair amount of wildlife that visit and I do tend to get quite attached. A female Mallard duck along with her mate frequented our yard for a couple of weeks. It looked for awhile like she would be making a nest under our globe cedars but they must have moved on likely for easier access for the signets. This morning she was back with five of the cutest little babies you have ever seen! I quickly snapped a few pictures then realized the drake was nowhere to be seen. Ducks mate for life and are very faithful partners. A female Mallard and signets with no drake for protection is not a good thing. I hope this family survives. The female will remain faithful and not breed again so this will be the last of her babies. I understand the laws of nature but still couldn't help but be a saddened.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

boaters help boaters

Decker's Landing
July 1, 2008

We are do a lot of boating but that isn't surprising considering we our property backs onto the water. Our main boating grounds are Lakes Huron, St. Clair and Erie along with their connecting waterways and waters emptying into those waterways. We know every good marina and restaurant to stop at in that area when docked. If you want to see pictures from Decker's please read my cooking blog. We're boaters so when I saw Decker's was hosting a special fund raiser, I just had to react:

Decker's is hosting a Margaritaville Weekend Memorial on July 18 and 19, 2008 in memory of Susan Bell, Joe Hamilton and Katy O'Neil who We went to Decker's last week. The one thing about boaters aside of being some of the friendliest folk you have ever met is they stick together and help each other. I saw where they are holding a Margaritaville to raise funds for the children of those who tragically lost their lives in a boating accident on Lake St. Clair on May 24, 2008. Brian Lepp and Robert Diegel were seriously wounded with severe facial injuries. Trust funds have been set up for Austin and Lucas Bell as well as Lydia Hamilton. If you would like more information on this event, would like to book a boat slip or donate to the cause please call Deckers at 1-810-794-0581. Please support this cause if you can.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008