Stuck

Due to the blizzard northern Michigan is experiencing, there are no boats to or from Mackinac Island today. That means we're stuck on the mainland with no way to get home, which is just part of living on Mackinac. In the 33 years I've lived on the island, I've been stuck on the mainland twice - once for three days. There have been other times where I was stuck on the island, but since I wasn't trying to leave and it wasn't a big deal, I didn't keep track.

Luckily, my mom has a house on the mainland with plenty of  room for guests. While Mackinac Island hasn't lost power during this storm (yet), my mom's house did lose power for a few hours this morning. The power flickered on and off in a way I've never seen before. It almost seemed like someone was jiggling the powerline that fed the house for a couple of minutes before it finally went out for good.  In addition to her furnace, my mom has a wood stove, and we wanted to make sure to get a good stockpile close to the house so she wouldn't have to trek out to the woodpile if the power stayed out. (In April, she was without power for a full week.) So this morning while she shoveled, Allen and I hauled wood. It wasn't pleasant with the wind whipping snow in our faces, but I was glad to do it. And I'm happy to know, now that the power is back on and she'll use less, she has a few weeks worth of wood just outside her back door.

2025 Student Sewn Ornaments

Somehow, in the craziness of the week before break, I didn't share a picture of the Christmas trees my students made. Sadly, I didn't get a single picture of a finished ornament! Luckily, this one is close enough to finished for you to see what the kids created. 

Each day we sewed, I taught the fifth and sixth graders what to do in the morning. Then, after they completed that step on their ornaments, my students coached the third and fourth graders in the afternoon. It worked beautifully; my kids were such great teachers! Their comments amused me to no end. I heard: "Mrs. Burt, so-n-so just wouldn't listen to me. I tried to explain, but he wouldn't stop talking," and "So-n-so wouldn't pay attention to me - even after I asked him three times!" I even had one student come to the realization that now she understands how her mother feels when she doesn't follow directions. Hopefully, those were valuable life lessons that will stick with them, even if the sewing skills do not. Either way, in this highly digital world, I loved watching them create something with their own two hands to give to someone they care about.

The pattern for the ornament came from the Country Stitches quilt shop in Lansing, Michigan. It was originally a pattern for a much longer wall hanging, but I shortened it into an ornament. I had hoped to share a link for the pattern, but I couldn't find it on their website. The fabric was leftover fabric I had in my stash.

The "Real" World

Michigan's Upper Peninsula isn't really known for its shopping. I'm ok with that - I'd rather be surrounded by beautiful landscapes and the Great Lakes than be close to big box stores. That said, when I am in the neighborhood of these stores, I take advantage of  what's available. Sometimes though, I'm a bit overwhelmed at their sheer size!  I wonder who thought a person might need to pick up vitamins, pajamas, and an entire frozen lamb in a single stop. For the record, the lamb did not come home with us; and we're not going to discuss how much I spent at Costco. Let's just say my sister-in-law is looking forward to her cash back check.

What we can discuss is the cheese isle at Kroger (or "Krogers," as we Michiganders say.) Walmart's cheese selection is abysmal, but Kroger's was amazing! I'm glad I took the time to look at the choices, because their marketing person is hilarious.

Click on the picture to make the text larger; trust me, it's worth your time. The d'Affinois sign made my day; whoever wrote those signs definitely deserves a raise. While I didn't see it quiver, it it did beckon and it was creamy and delicious.

Merry & Bright

To all those who celebrate,

I wish you and yours

the merriest of Christmases. 

Christmas Miracle

Something miraculous happened at school recently. My students entered the classroom and discovered Camilla the Christmas Chicken was no longer a stuffed chicken - she was real!

Needless to say, they were all rather surprised, and a couple of them were a little scared. Luckily, Camilla's sweet personality and calm demeanor won them all over instantly.

Unfortunately, Camilla couldn't hold a pencil to take the spelling test so she had to leave. We called my  daughter who was willing to drive down to school,  pick her up, and take her home to our chicken coop. Thankfully, the next day Camilla was back to her old, stuffed self!

Letters to Santa

Every Christmas, Mackinac Island's Postmaster puts out this cute mailbox. Since the Post Office is only about a 10 minute walk from school, it is a fun excursion to take the week before Christmas break. Our Postmaster personally makes sure Santa receives each letter and the kids always get a lovely note back. (Plus it gives me the opportunity to teach my students how to address an envelop.) 

The kids also get the opportunity to hand cancel their letters before putting them into the box. How cool is that?

In case you are curious, the kids don't have to write to Santa. If they'd rather write to someone else, they can send that letter instead. And yes, that's all of my students this year - three fifth graders and six sixth graders.

Old and New

I haven't really felt much of the Christmas spirit this year. I'm not really sure why, but from shopping to decorating to baking, my heart just hasn't been it. It wasn't that I haven't had any Christmas spirit - it's been more of a "tank half full" kind of feeling. I know myself, and my tendency is to push through things and do what I feel like I should do, or need to do, but not this year. This year I told myself that whatever I managed to get done would be enough. So... the Christmas cookie spread was a little lighter this year, but that was OK.

I did decided to try a couple of new things. I found a madeleine cookie pan at the thrift shop recently for $1.00, so I made madeleines for the first time, which was fun. Especially after seeing them made on the Great British Bake Off. For the record, mine had a lovely hump. I also tried a new recipe for cutout cookies (the blue and white ones above), which taste really good. To go with them, I tried a different decorating technique (found here.) While the spread may be lighter than in past years, for this year, it is enough...

Hopeful

Local lore says the lake has to steam seven times before she freezes and we get ice. Today makes steam number one...

Too Close for Comfort

Putting up the window candles for the holidays is typically a fairly dull task, but this year it brought a bit of excitement when the light* pictured above caught fire. Luckily, the fire started quickly and my daughter was still close by. After she came down from her adrenaline rush, she found it quite ironic that the object intended to mimic a flame had actually burst into flame.

She grabbed it by the as-yet-not-on-fire base and ran outside. Luckily, her fleece bore the brunt of the damage, and apart from a scorched spot on the sleeve and some melted plastic on the window, all is well. Thankfully. Had my daughter put that lamp up in a different room and then walked away, this would be a very different post. So, today I am feeling extra grateful for my quick thinking daughter who, while thoughtfully trying to lighten my holiday load, quite literally saved the day. 

*The lamp was UL listed, had the correct wattage bulb, and was plugged into a wall outlet (not an extension cord.)

Happy Stitchers

Another thing we do in my classroom during the month of December is we sew. Most of this group has been sewing with me for a few years now, so they are quite adept! I'm not sure I could do a project like this, by myself, with a classroom of 30 kids, but since I only have nine it's quite doable. 

I'll be sure to share their ornaments once they're finished.

Happy December

My students have been counting down the days until Camilla the Christmas Chicken returns to the classroom. She came back today - and brought treats! (This year my students have been bringing treats in for their classmates for no reason. One Tuesday, someone brings in donuts, then the next the next week we're getting cupcakes. We've decided to call those days "Random Treat Days," and Camilla decided she needed to celebrate, too.)

Perfect Timing

Mackinac Island awoke today to a blanket of snow. We had a smidgen yesterday, but today we had more than enough for our snowmobiles. Not much makes us happier than that! For me it was perfect timing - now getting several large boxes down to school in the morning will be much easier.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you and yours have a lovely day filled with family, friends, and food!

Teachable Moment

Mackinac Island kids aren't usually able to get up close and personal with semi-trucks. When a truck showed up today to drop off a load of wood chips for the play ground, I asked the driver if he'd talk to the kids about his rig. 

They learned how it was loaded, how many cubic yards of wood chips it could carry, and how much it weighed when it was full. He even let them climb up so they could peek in the cab and get a quick tutorial on all the dials and levers he had on the dashboard.

He was an absolute peach of a guy to answer all of their (and my) numerous questions. The fact the kids found the most surprising was the truck could only travel three miles on a gallon of diesel (about 1.8 km per L). 

Grand Rapids Comic Con 2025

We had a great time in Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids Comic Con was larger than the ones we went to in Lansing and Traverse City, with many incredible costumes. Keith looked amazing in his Rebel Fleet Trooper kit, I debuted my A New Hope Princess Leia, and Keith's R2D2 was a big hit. Our friends, Dan and Kelaine, joined us and Kelaine even wore my Endor Leia kit. Next time I need to make sure to have makeup for my eyebrows. I'm use to them being invisible, but it looks really odd with the dark brown wig. 

 

The cosplay really was amazing! There were lots of things I didn't recognize, but here are a few of my favorites:

You've got to love Waldo.

(I even saw this guy!)

Chewy was so tall!

Santa Vader gave me a big hug after I called him, "Dad."

I was glad to see a number of different Star Trek shows represented. (One of these days I will put together a Yeoman Rand kit.)

Everyone loved the Black Night from

Monty Python's Holy Grail, but

this Dalek from Dr. Who was, hands down, the coolest cosplay of the day. I'm so glad we made the trip down state - it was a great day full of good times with good friends! It sure would be fun to organize something on the island. I think it would be a hoot to have Storm Troopers garrison Fort Mackinac for an afternoon!

Morning Musings

The sky was beautiful this morning. There's just something about my morning walks to school...

I'm not sure if it's the exercise, the solitude, or the quiet contemplation, but whatever it is, it gets my day started on a positive note. 

 

I Can't Resist

Let me tell you, I really appreciate being able to sew. I'm dressing up as Princess Leia for Comic Con this year. I made sure my dress had pockets, but I knew I couldn't make them big enough to carry everything I would need for a day out (glasses, phone, drink, wallet and, of course, snacks.) Even though a bag isn't part of Leia's official costume, I wanted one. Canvas and strap from Amazon, an inexpensive graphic from Etsy.com, a free Star Wars font, and an hour or two was all it took to create a bag fit for a princess.

Homemade Rebel Fleet Trooper

This year when my friend, Keith, and I head to the Grand Rapids Comic Con, he didn't want to go as Boba Fett again. He wanted to be a Rebel Fleet Trooper instead, so I got sewing. Purchasing a vest on Etsy was going to run over $300, and I knew I could do it cheaper. I've got to say - I am pretty proud of that vest. Almost every pocket on that thing, was self-drafted! I started with pictures of a vest and using - gasp - math, figured out how big they should be on the real shirt. (See kids - understanding ratios and proportions is a useful, albeit nerdy, life skill!)

Just to be safe, my first version of each pocket was made with scrap fabric. That way I could alter the pattern and not waste my actual fabric. The vest started out as two black BDU shirts. The sleeves of shirt one as well as the sleeves and back of the second shirt became the pockets. (A BDU shirt is a military style shirt, readily and cheaply available at surplus places.) I also added the placket to the front of the blue shirt to cover up the buttons. Apparently there are no buttons in the Star Wars universe...

Keith lives an hour away, so getting together to try things on can be a challenge. Fingers crossed that everything fits! If you happen to be here because you are looking to make your own Star Wars Fleet Trooper vest, shoot me a message and I will happily share my pocket patterns with you.

A Beacon of Light

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the person who suggested I call Beacon House. After the whirlwind drive up to Marquette to be with my son, it was wonderful not to have to worry about where I was going to sleep, finding a parking spot, or figuring out where I could find a cup of coffee. Beacon House took care of all of it. Plus - it's just a quick walk to and from the hospital. Let me tell you, it's been a godsend. 

Probably my favorite thing so far has been the guest book. Inside, it has the name and a photograph of the couple who sponsored my room. Guests are able to leave a note in the book, which at the end of the year is given to the sponsors. What a lovely way to for them to see the impact their generosity is having on people. 

If, heaven forbid, you ever happen to be dealing with a medical emergency in the Marquette, Michigan, area call Beacon House. They'll take good care of you.

Current Situation

I'm hanging out in Marquette for a few days with my son. He was brought by ambulance last night from Houghton to the hospital here. Apparently the medical center in Houghton isn't really a "hospital," so they thought it best to send him to a place able to provide a higher level of care. We didn't know where they were going to send him until after the last boat yesterday; and since Grand Rapids, Marquette, and Green Bay were all listed as possibilities, I couldn't really start driving driving I had a clear direction to go. After catching the first boat off the island this morning, I headed north and caught up with him at about noon.  Please don't worry - he's going to be OK, and is in good spirits.

Yooperlites!

We spent a recent weekend in a lovely spot up in the UP. We've wanted to stop there for a while, but we've been told it is usually quite crowded and very buggy. We thought waiting until fall might give us a better chance and we were right - somehow we managed to snag the last campsite available at The Mouth of the Two Hearted River. 

It was gorgeous, and totally worth the hour-long drive on sandy washboard roads to get to the campground. The shore of Lake Superior was a quick walk from the campground and it did not disappoint.

The beach is a rockhound's dream. We found a ton of interesting rocks for Allen to tumble, including this one I dubbed "The Heart of Lake Superior."

I was surprised at just how many people were there looking for rocks. There were people everywhere with scoops and buckets finding treasures. We didn't do a whole lot of searching during the day - we couldn't find what we were after until after dark.

After a beautiful sunset and a nice walk away from the mouth of the river, we broke out the black lights, specifically blacklights with a 365 nm filter, and started searching. 

We were a little worried that the beach would be too picked over to find anything, but we had great luck. Allen and I managed to find sixteen syenite rocks rich with sodalite - a mineral that glows bright orange under blacklight. (They are also called Yooperlites, but that is a trademarked name.) That's why you have to look for them after dark - it's that bright orange glow that helps you find them, and that glow isn't easy to see in daylight. These rocks, first found along Lake Superior in 2017, have become a "thing" and lots of tourists are looking for them these days.

The Mouth of the Two Hearted River was a beautiful place to explore. I'm not sure we'll go back, but it was a great spot for a fall getaway.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Remember my post about the scary hay bale? Other things that can frighten horses are noises they're not accustomed to and things that seem to move in ways they are not familiar with. Hence the sign -you'll find this one on the corner of Fort and Market Streets. 

If horses heard training wheels every day, they would get use to them, just like they would acclimate to skaters. But since those aren't as common as bikes and walkers, to horses they're frightening. Believe it or not, when the Honor Scouts (also known as the Governor's Honor Guard) are marching in formation through town, they stop marching when they get close to oncoming horses. To a horse the line of 60 identically-dressed scouts looks like a giant snake heading their way. To many people these rules may seem silly, but a team of runaway horses is no joke. They're rare, but the do happen occasionally. 

 You can roller skate and skate board on the island - just not through the town area.

Today's the Day

Yep, today is the day I need to turn the heat on in my classroom. 65 degrees Fahrenheit is a bit chilly, even for me.

For the record, I did not come into school at 4:16 am today. I get here early, but not that early! The clock is just wrong...