Tag Archives: Family

Day 66: The cousins arrive

Family, history, Life in General, teaching, , , , ,
Ivy sleeps in front of the door with the wind blowing over her and making her 'wispies' fly.

Today was the day, really the day. Olivia was going to get her stitches out. It was also the day William and she had been looking forward to – their cousins were arriving from Texas. It was going to be a great day. However, first we needed to finish the cleaning and moving we started Sunday.

Olivia woke and reminded me about our ‘date’ and we took off for the hospital to have her stitched removed. We checked in and it was a not a busy morning. The doctor checked in and the stitches were out. Olivia noted it took hardly any time at all. Even though the stitches were out, Olivia’s wound was not finished healing. She had to stay out of the water for another week.

Olivia pleaded, ‘What about tubing?”
The doctor replied, “No, swimming, what happens when you fall off?”
Olivia, retorted, “I won’t fall off.”

That is Olivia for you. We stopped at the bakery and got doughnuts and newspapers to ease the pain of no swimming. Continue reading Day 66: The cousins arrive →

Day 65: Our last Sunday at the cottage

Family, Life in General, teaching, , , ,
The fog shrouds the shore on the other side of the lake.

This is our last week at the cottage. It has been a great summer. We can all look back at the summer, smile, and realize that our days have counted. Each day has been a great day, for one reason or another.

For the past few years, this Sunday has marked our return to Wheaton and reality. Not this year, William decided not to play football this year and it means we do not need to be back for evaluations and ‘team selection.’ His decision gives us more time up north and we can visit with Beth’s sister Jill and her two boys: Sam and John. They arrive Monday afternoon and the kids cannot wait to see them. They live in Texas and we do not get to see them except for holidays and briefly during the summer when our paths cross at the cottage. Grandma and Grandpa will be driving up from Ohio Tuesday and it will be a full house, or rather a full cottage. Continue reading Day 65: Our last Sunday at the cottage →

Day 59: Driving to Normal, my 50th post.

country, Family, jobs, Life in General, Teaching and Learning, travel, , , ,

I have reached a milestone in my blog: fifty, five-O, 50 posts, or a half century. However, I look at it – it is a lot of writing. I never imagined I would have written so much. I have looked back at my writing, not all of it, and decided it needs polishing, revisiting, and it helps me remember what I have accomplished this summer. Some of the writing is reflective and some informative. It has been a pleasure to write. Continue reading Day 59: Driving to Normal, my 50th post. →

Day 58: The Finish Line

adventure, Family, Hobbies and Fun, Life in General, racing, teaching, , , , ,
The moon rises out of the forest in the east as I drive south on US 131 towards Grand Rapids

I woke early Sunday morning, it was dark out, and Ivy barked. Not the bark I had learned that meant she needed to go, but a different bark. I opened the door and there was Beth coming in from the race – it was 4:36 AM and she and William had just gotten home from following the race. Continue reading Day 58: The Finish Line →

Day 56: Racing and the Emergency Room

adventure, Family, Life in General, racing, Teaching and Learning, , , ,
Borcher’s – the sponsor of Casey’s Challenge

Friday began like the past two days, cloudy and overcast with the lake still, but no rain. We had had rain overnight Thursday leaving the ground moist. It is good for the Ausable Canoe Marathon because it raises the water level and allows paddlers to race faster. The forecast called for clearing Friday by midday and rain on Saturday. It will be a wet parade and wet start to the race. But, for Friday, it looked to be dry with time to be outside and enjoying Michigan. We had William’s race at ten and we needed to be ready to go at nine.

Continue reading Day 56: Racing and the Emergency Room →

updated – Day 55: The sandman cometh and so does the rain….

Family, Life in General, racing, , , ,

Rain in Northern Michigan remains a constant part of summer. I can remember summers at the cottage when the temperatures did not rise above 70 and it rained most of the time. Yesterday afternoon the rain came and brought grayness with it. It had not rained since Sunday and we have had four good days in between for outdoor activities, moon watching, and campfires, not a bad trade. Continue reading updated – Day 55: The sandman cometh and so does the rain…. →

Day 54: Perspectives….

Family, Life in General, Scouting, teaching, Teaching and Learning, , , ,
The moon crosses the lake early Wednesday evening

It is early Thursday morning and still on the lake and in the house. I am in the front room, Ivy is curled up on her cushion, and everyone else is still asleep. Last night was a beautiful sunset and moonset on the lake. I tried to capture both with the camera. Another beautiful day at the lake, Ivy and I enjoyed a long walk toward M72 along Danish Landing. There was a good breeze coming off the lake and it cooled the shore. The sun was bright high in the sky and walking along the road with the wind blowing through the trees was peaceful.

Today marks four weeks until I go back to school. It has been over seven weeks since school let loose and I began writing Making the Days Count. It has been quite a journey and I have written more than I imagined and about more than I realized I could. I was looking back at my writing from my trip to Paris in June. My stepmother does not have access to the internet and I am not sure she is there, too many things for her to worry about, and I was printing the pages I wrote to send to her. I realized that I make mistakes, not large ones, but small typos that I read recklessly over and miss before I post to the blog. Nonetheless, I reflected on what I have learned about writing and the writing process. Continue reading Day 54: Perspectives…. →

Day 51:Rain, rain, and more rain….

country, Family, history, Hobbies and Fun, Life in General, , , , ,
Deer abound in the Grayling area.

We began today with overcast skies and it slowly started to drizzle and then light rain. It stopped and then started again. The pattern repeated itself many times until midday when the big rains came. By the end of the day, we had over an inch of rain on the ground and excited Ivy who did not get our much today. If she was anything like us, she relished in the light day. It was nice and I did get a few things done.

Our friends, the Harrison’s, returned to Wheaton this morning leaving us to entertain ourselves. We all got up to wish them goodbye and then the rainy morning took over. It left us all sort of lethargic and sleepy. William went back to sleep and took a long nap. Beth crawled back in bed and read a book. Olivia and I had fun in the front room: she watched the CBS Sunday Morning and the Tour de France with me trying to change the channel when I was not paying attention in bed and I wrote and paid minimal attention to the television. Both are classic Sunday morning television shows for July at the cottage. Unfortunately, the CBS Sunday Morning episode was a repeat and I remember watching part of it last fall. The Tour was not a repeat and Lance Armstrong is not leading this year. Continue reading Day 51:Rain, rain, and more rain…. →

Day 48: Rain, rain, go away…

adventure, Family, history, Life in General, teaching, , , ,
The moon and the sun set on another wonderful day at the cottage.

 Thursday began with overcast and light rain. It remained that way until midday. However, we found a way to have a great day, anyway. Sometimes your weather is internal. 

Mark’s family, mom, dad, and older sister, had arrived the day before and had played on the water yesterday evening and everyone slept late, including me. We woke hoping to get out on the water in the morning, but we had to wait. It would rain, then, stop. After breakfast, mark’s dad suggested we visit the Michigan CCC museum in Roscommon. The CCC is the Civilian Conservation Corps and was in operation during the Great Depression from 1933-1942. The museum told the story of the CCC in Michigan. The corps’ responsibilities were to reforest Michigan and fight forest fires, which plagued the regions vast forests. The CCC was a program initiated by FDR to combat the rampant unemployment of the Great Depression. The museum buildings were restored from CCC camps in Michigan and had detailed explanations of the jobs performed in the buildings and explained the overall purpose of the CCC. The museum was well done and I walked away with an understanding of the period. It must have been bleak. I wish I could spend more time walking and reading, but it is difficult with children who want to be out on the lake. William, Olivia, and the rest of us returned to the cottage for lunch. Continue reading Day 48: Rain, rain, go away… →

Day 47: On the Road, again.

adventure, Family, Life in General, teaching, , , , , ,

Tuesday night and Wednesday morning blended in to one, and I did not get much sleep. I woke and slowly started moving, made coffee, and woke William. We loaded the car and checked our list, twice. What we did not check was whether we had everything we needed. We turned around twice to get Beth’s clothes and letters, which needed mailing. Fortunately, it only delayed us twenty, or so, minutes.

Six hours is a long time and it gives me plenty of time to think, listen, and talk with William. For William it was time to watch a DVD, sleep, or talk to me. Yet, this time he was reading. I had purchased Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka and he cannot put it down. It is all exciting to see. I just hope I can find another book that has the same appeal and same reaction – he reads! I recommend it! Continue reading Day 47: On the Road, again. →