"Top Flight" Weekend in Chicago!

What a Super Sister - She Made Katie a Cake!

Just returned from a wonderful weekend in Chicago - as my dear sister, Carol, likes to say, "It was top flight." First off, our host and hostess, Mr. & Mrs. David Schwartz, were delightful. Not only did they open their home to us, they also cooked for us (delicious salmon that Dave caught in Lake Michigan, a yummy fruit salad, and other goodies, including a chocolate cake that Rachel made to celebrate Katie's new apartment (see pic above. You will notice I went a little nuts with the pictures in this post....) Next, we also had the company of our sweet Katie all weekend. And to top things off, the weather was great and Ally went everywhere with us!

We got into Chicago early Friday evening and met Katie at the Dick Blik art store on State Street (Scott wanted to check out that store). From there, we decided we wanted to eat outside, so Katie suggested the Park Grill in Millenium Park. Great fun and good food. The Tiger/White Sox game was on, and fortunately for us, we left before the disastrous last couple of innings. Next, I talked Katie into showing us her office in the AON building, right next to the park. That was great fun - she works on the 10th floor, and has a great office space - I kidded her that it's even bigger than her boss'. Ha Ha. I am so proud of her!

Then it was on to Rachel and Dave's place, where we were welcomed with open arms - their condo looks so beautiful, and we were able to see all of the lovely wedding presents they received. They also bought a terrific new china cabinet to hold all of their china and silver and it looks gorgeous sitting in their living area. Miss Ally seemed very happy to see us, too!

Most of the weekend was spent relaxing and enjoying the Wicker Park neighborhood. We drove past Katie's new apartment on Saturday. She showed us some pictures of the inside - it looks great! - but we weren't able to go inside just yet because she won't be moving for a couple of weeks. But, we saw it from the outside, and it looks very, very nice. I am just tickled with the location, because she is just a few blocks from Dave and Rachel's place. Then we walked around at a neighborhood sidewalk sale and street festival. We took Ally to a dog park on the way back to the condo. That evening, Katie left to attend a going away party for her friend Leslie, who will be moving to L.A., but Scott and I spent a lovely evening with Dave, Rachel and Ally. After the delicious dinner on their rooftop deck, we watched the fireworks from the Venetian Festival. We could see them quite well from there!

This morning, Dave drove all of us (including Katie) to a dog beach on Lake Michigan, not more than 15-2o minutes away from Wicker Park. What a sight to behold! Tons of dogs from all over, all shapes and sizes, were scampering in the sand and swimming in Lake Michigan. Of course Ally was in heaven. She fetched her ball until she could hardly swim anymore, and then of course we knew it was time to go. She will sleep very well tonight, I'm sure. We ended our visit by going out for brunch at a resturant right around the corner from the condo. What a totally fun, enjoyable weekend we had! It was just great.

The older I get, the more I treasure family times together. We are so blessed to have such wonderful children, and extended family too! Love to all of you!

"The Bean" at Millennium Park - picture taken from our outdoor table.

Katie with Dad.....

"Here Dad, see the pictures of my new place!"

Katie Kat and Me.

Ms. Hamberg, at your service...

Anyone who has their own printer must be someone special!....

Sidewalk sale in Wicker Park....

That Dave - he fits right in with the family, doesn't he?

Lucky me.

Dog Beach

Ally could stay here all day....

Fun times.....

Awwwww......

One of the "apples of his eye..." (brunch at "Moonshines")

The other "Apple of her Dad's Eye". What does that make Dave? The core? Ha Ha. We love you, Dave!

I did it! Below is my first attempt at posting a video.....

It's Been A Weird Week.....

Sleeping like a baby at the Stafford Bay Inn in Petoskey - does he look comfortable or what?

Scott and I enjoyed a pleasant few days "up north" last week, and returned to work this past Monday, as usual. Things seemed kind of quiet in my department at Haworth, and the few people who were there seemed a bit subdued. I didn't think much about it, until my manager walked in and stopped by my desk to ask about my weekend. I told her it was nice and then asked "did I miss anything while I was gone?" She gave me a funny look and said, "let's talk." So, she took me aside and filled me in on what everybody else already knew - she was going to resign that day. This is a person who has worked at Haworth for 21 years (she's 49), and has been the only manager I've had since I've worked there (her name is Beth Straebel). She made the decision after much soul-searching, various life-changing events, and other stuff that's going on at Haworth right now. I think she just realized that life is too short and she needs to follow her heart (she's really a free spirit, and she's married to an artist), so she's stepping out on a limb and going for it (no kids, so that helps as far as finances). Anyway, we're all in a state of shock, and today was her last day. She was a great manager, and I'm going to miss her, but beyond that, our department is in kind of a mess, now. None of us know where we're going to end up, so that's a bit unnerving. We'll probably all end up working in different parts of the company, but we really don't know. Hopefully things will become more clear soon, or I may just follow her out the door. Ha Ha. Time will tell...

On a much more cheerful note, I'm happy to report that the lovely Miss Kate has just found herself a new apartment! It sounds beautiful, and she is very excited. It's in an older building but it's been completed gutted and rehabbed (3 apartments total, one on each floor). So it has hardwood floors, all new appliances, etc. I'm glad that my girl will have such a nice place! She will be able to move in in just a couple of weeks. Also, what's really nice is that she'll be living in Wicker Park, just a few blocks from Dave & Rachel! OK, girls - time for a road trip!

We're looking forward to seeing the kids and Ally. We'll be staying at Rachel and Dave's, and they are even going to make us a nice dinner on Saturday night. It happens to be the Venetian Festival in Chicago this Saturday, so we'll be able to watch fireworks from their deck. Fun times!

Meanwhile, the Tigers are making me very happy - they are really on a roll. Keep it up boys!

Hope all of you have a great weekend!

My Boss and Friend, Beth (Going Away party at Holland Brewery tonight)

We both stopped by to wish her well...

My goofy friend, Claudia....

Tears were shed (Beth and her husband, Phil)

No Matter the Score, What a Fun Day!

Cute Tiger Fans Who Sat Next To Us!

Scott and I thoroughly enjoyed taking in the Tiger's game with Keith and Brenda yesterday! As Brenda says in her blog, we also stopped at Tiger Stadium on the way to Commerica Park, to take some pictures. After the success of his Wrigley Field print, Scott is planning on painting pictures of both ballparks. I must say, it was sad to see Tiger Stadium being torn down and looking so poorly, but it brought back memories of great games I've seen there. With Yankee Stadium being torn down after this year, looks like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are two of the last old ballparks still around.....

We had great seats (thanks, Rachel, for finding them online for us!), along the 3rd baseline, 35 rows behind the Tiger dugout. A group of six guys from Connecticut sat in front of us - they were a lot of fun. Every year this group of guys goes to a different ballpark together, and this year it was Commerica Park. They each had $5-10 bucks (all dollar bills) that they bet on different plays ("I say 3-1 that this will be a double play", etc.) and I took my little $5 in bills and got in on the action, too. Ha Ha. It was fun, even though I lost my money in the end. One guy in the group (who wasn't playing) said, "just watch, by the end of the game everyone will end up with the same money they started with", and I think he was right.

The people next to us were fun, too. It was a couple who had three teenage girls who had dressed up as the ultimate Tiger fans - see picture above. They were really cute, and spent most of the time walking around the stadium.

PAWS, the Tiger mascot, spent a lot of time in our section, and for a time he was right behind us. After he patted Scott on the head, I took a couple of pictures.

I'm writing this blog after Sunday's game and I'm happy to say that finally the Tigers beat the Twins! What a struggle. I was glad to see that this time Todd Jones was able to finish the game and not blow the lead. Let's hope they get on a major roll after the All Star break.

Looking forward to this week, only two days to work, then we head up to Petoskey....

This Website Made Me Laugh Out Loud

I was looking online today at a website about a craft show in Chicago, called "The Renegade Handmade Craft Fair" - it's taking place right around the corner from Dave & Rachel's condo, on Sept. 13 & 14. Sounds like fun.

http://www.homecompanionmag.com/help_me_find_it/worth_the_trip/craft_for_cool_customers.asp

Anyway, while reading their website, I came across this company from Chicago that makes handmade items - it's called "Mr. Pickles." The name intrigued me. I visited the website. I proceeded to almost die laughing. It's probably my warped sense of humor, but I thought the descriptions of their "friends" (click on the "Friends" tab) were hilarious. We can all use a good laugh, right?

http://www.mrpickles.com/

Oh, and by the way, I WASN'T laughing after that Tiger's loss, after being ahead 6-2 for most of the game. Ahhhhhhhhh, wha' happened? (Carol, I think they actually sent "Jethro Bodine" back to the minors..)

How CUTE Is This?

So enjoyed seeing all of the pictures from Bren and Jen's trip to Colon, but was not as happy when I read sister Carol's blog about her physical problems, as I feel so bad for her! She is an inspiration to me, how she carries on with a good sense of humor even when she's so tired and achy all the time. Let's hope these meds she is now on can offer some relief, especially helping her to sleep better at night - because as we know, when you can't sleep, it throws everything completely off kilter in and of itself.

On a brighter note, back on the 4th of July, Katie sent me this adorable picture of Ally. What a life that dog has. How cute! I just had a memory blast from the past: I remember when the girls (and I think Brenda and Jenny did this, too), at least I know my girls did (especially Katie) - they used to call our dogs "precious gems." Anyway, she sent the pic to my cell phone, and for the fun of it, I decided to try to send it to my computer (from my phone), so that I could post it on my blog. Well, don't you know, it went through! I was pretty proud of myself.

It's been a long day, but wanted to post the pic and say hi to all my loved ones. I hope tomorrow is a very good day for all! Extra hugs to Carol....

The Whole Weekend Was "Top Flight" - where have I heard that one? - (except for the boat mishap!)

Well, we certainly were relieved when we heard from Brenda Lee on Saturday evening that she and Keith were FINALLY home! We had gotten a call from them around noon on Saturday that they were having trouble with the boat and couldn't get it started and that they were on Lake Michigan. At first I pictured them several miles out, which really made me nervous, but we were able to figure out that they were marooned at Laketown Beach so we headed over there. There they sat, Dolly included. Scott tried for quite awhile to get the boat started, but no go. That had never happened before, and we felt bad! Anyway, after Brenda was able to reach Dave to come get them with a SeaDoo, we left since there was nothing more we could do. Little did we know that most of the adventure was still in front of them! What a tale, that's for sure. That Brenda - she was still in good spirits and laughing when she called to tell us the rest of the story later in the evening on Saturday. Bless her heart. I hope their neighbor (who works for Drummond Marine and specializes in Evinrude motors - like the one on the boat) can get it fixed for them, so they can enjoy some fun times on the water - but maybe not Lake Michigan next time!

Everything was also "top flight" in Chicago for the 4th of July, as I hear Dave & Rachel put on a lovely party complete with many homemade dishes, including a cake decorated like a flag. Ally has a new hard-sided swimming pool, so she is a very happy puppy! And our Katie Kat is beginning her search for a new apartment, as she will be moving at the end of next month.

Scott and I had a pretty successful day at the South Haven art show on Sunday. It was nice to see Jim and Rachel there! The Wrigley Field print was also very popular there, just like it was at the Reeds Lake show in G.R. Everyone who buys one has to hear the story about how the original was painted for our son-in-law, and that he, our daughters and their dog Ally are all in the picture! Everyone seems to love that story. We hear a lot of "awwwwww, that is so cute's" when they hear it. People have such an affection for Wrigley Field and the Cubs!

Speaking of baseball, we are looking forward to seeing the Tigers play this Saturday at Commerica Park (with Keith and Brenda - I'm so glad they're coming, too!). I wonder if that means that Keith will be shirtless and paint his chest with the "old English D" or something. Or maybe he'll paint his head blue. Guess we'll find out!

The following week we'll be in Petoskey for a few days. We thought we'd combine a mini-vacation with an art show that we'll be doing up there on the 19th. If we get near where our October family cottage is, we'll stop by and check it out!

Well, it's First Church baseball night. Time to go......

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to all our family and friends, and especially to our loved ones in Chicago - Katie, Rachel, Dave & Ally! We love you. What a beautiful day in Michigan - sunny and warm, with no humidity. Should be a great day for your party in Chicago - I'm sure you'll all enjoy watching the fireworks from D&R's deck! We had breakfast at Russ' southside this morning, with quite a few of the family there, as you can see (pics below). Good times. We were relieved to hear that little Kelsey had no fever this morning, and is feeling better. Jen gave us a great picture of her that is going straight on the refrigerator door. Macey was her adorable self, and enjoyed making pictures for us on her mini Etch-A-Sketch.

I've received word from up north that they have received our deposit, so that got me to thinking of more things we might enjoy visiting up there. For a beautiful drive along the dunes, you can't beat the Pierce Stocking Drive that starts in Empire.

http://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/psscenicdrive.htm

We could pack a picnic lunch and be good to go! But, before we start our drive, a stop at the Grocer's Daughter Handmade Chocolates might be in order:

http://www.grocersdaughter.com/

Sutton's Bay is another one of our favorite towns, and there are several adorable shops and restaurants there.

http://www.suttonsbayarea.com/

One of our very favorite things to do is to drive along the Mission Penninsula and visit a couple of the wineries along the way. Our two favorites are Chanteau Chantal and Black Star Farms.

http://www.oldmission.com/

Mission Penninsula also has a couple of great restaurants, an old general store, and an inn that's haunted - pretty interesting story behind that one (click below).

http://www.bowersharborinn.net/aboutus.html

http://www.offbeattravel.com/old-mission-michigan.html

I could go on and on, but you get the idea....we'll have plenty to do to keep us busy, and of course we'll want to relax, too!

I'm tickled to say that Keith and Brenda will be going to a Tiger's game with us next Saturday - that should be great fun. It's a nationally-televised game that starts at 4:oopm EST, so Carol, you might just see us!

That Keith is a nut!

Making pictures with grandpa.....

Caught Dave in mid-chew......

Enjoying the day and each other's company...

Dad is looking forward to those blueberry pancakes....

I love my Aunt Brenda!

Cottage Rented and We're Ready To Go!

I'm happy to say that I've reserved the Farmhouse Cottage for October 1-5, so pack your bags and get ready for some fun! I was happy to hear that the pontoon boats will still be available at that time, so we'll have the use of one of those - looks like probably the whole family can fit on it at one time, so that will be fun. For those of us who go up early, I've added a few links below of places that I love up there, and thought we might visit. Just driving along the Lake Michigan shoreline is fun, and a stop in Glen Arbor is well worth it. There are several things to do there. One can't miss place is the Cherry Republic (all kinds of cherry products, a wine room and a cafe - their cherry chicken salad and cherry pie are to die for!).

http://www.cherryrepublic.com/

If you like tea, the Great Lakes Tea and Spice Company:

http://www.glteaandspice.com/index.asp

A neat place where this woman make homemade soap from herbs from her garden, called the Bay Lavendar Trading Company:

http://www.glenarborsun.com/archives/2006/06/dive_into_lovel.html

And of course, "Wildflowers" - a store where Scott sold his art for quite a few years.

http://www.wildflowershop.com/

And that's just for starters in Glen Arbor. Let's not forget the Cherry Bowl Drive-In - near Frankfort (I hope it's still open in early October) - that would make a fun evening!

http://www.cherrybowldrivein.com/

In my next blog, I'll add some places to check out in Suttons Bay - Scott has his art in a gallery there, called the Treeline Gallery.

http://www.treeline-gallery.com/

All for now! Toodles!!