Update

Remember all those tulips?

They've exploded into a wash of glorious color.

I love spring... Though I would love it more if I was healthy. I've been to the doctor twice now due to this "crud," and I'm currently nursing two infected ears and an awful cough. But the silver lining is yesterday was my last day of school and I can stay home and take it easy every day from now until September eighth. That is exactly 101 days of summer.

However shall I fill it all? Why spending time with my children, of course. We'll go on a road trip to Indiana, camping, to the fish hatchery, to the Butterfly House, on about a million walks through the woods and to the park, we'll walk picnic lunches down to Papa at work, get baked goodies at Martha's, throw rocks into the lake, pick raspberries, weed the garden, draw on the road with chalk, and spend lots of time at the library. Even if I am still a wee bit sick, I plan to relish every minute - all 145,440 of them...

Sick

I mean really sick.

The sickest I think I've been in like, forever.

Been in bed since Friday night,

(hacking, sneezing, enjoying sinuses full of

lovely yellow goo,)

except for the trip to the doctor this morning.

Fell off my bike and hurt my leg on the way there.

Oh crap.

Screaming ear infection.

Nice doctor, fantastic nurse and a

darn good shot of torodol.

Plus prescription antibiotics and decongestant.

The big debate: work tomorrow?

Hubby says no - sternly.

My conscience says yes.

Nature's Bounty

Do you recognize this little beauty?

It's a morel mushroom - a black one - and are they ever tasty. My husband has a number of morel patches he frequents regularly this time of year; super secret patches. I've been sworn to secrecy never to reveal the locations on the island where these elusive little guys grow. When a friend of ours, another avid morel hunter, moved to Colorado, my husband sat down with him, a map of the island and a highlighter. A was thrilled to discover all of R's closely guarded spots.

Once the black ones have finished, the white ones will appear. Hopefully, that is, if the weather cooperates... They are kind of challenging to find, but I'm getting better at it every year. My husband amazes me - he can spot them growing on the side of the road as he rides by on his bicycle. I on the other hand, have to be practically on top of them before I see them.

We usually find enough each spring to make three or four meals. My husband dries them and then rehydrates them (with water, wine or milk) when he is ready to use them. If you've never had morels before, they have a wonderful, almost nutty flavor. I love them, but I'm not willing to shell out the $20.00 per ounce to buy fresh ones. Having to find them ourselves just makes them an even bigger treat.

Reflecting on a Rainy Day

Spring in Northern Michigan means rain. And when you live on an island with no cars, you must dress for the weather. I'm an avid thrifter, so you can imagine my excitement when I found that amazing yellow sow wester hat at one of my favorite thrift shops this winter for $1.00. It fits my son perfectly and he was quite pleased with it. So this morning we walked to the sitter's house in the rain. No bike cart for us today - just rain coats, pants, hats, boots and umbrellas (or rainbrellas as my daughter calls them.)

The entire way I was thinking about my son and how much he's grown this year. Today was his last day of school; the last day of his first year of preschool. Of course he is the same little person he was nine months ago, yet he's different, too. Over the course of the year he has learned to write his name, to identify letters and sounds, to sing a zillion songs, and to be a better listener. I love the little man he is growing into. I love how he usually remembers to say "please" and "thank you" without being prompted, how he always wants me to rock him in my arms before he goes to sleep, that he can remember the words to most of the songs he hears, and how he greets each new day with excitement. Even the simple little things in life, like walking in the rain wearing a big yellow hat, make him smile. If only it were that simple for all of us...

Thanks Girls

It is hard to believe that I have known these women for twenty years now. Most of us met in early June back in 1989. O.K., the math teacher in me has to admit that it is more like an average of 20, since I've known M for 25 years and the other M for only 15, but still - that's a long time.

While we may have worked in different jobs for Mackinac State Historic Parks (Historic House Interpreter, Cashier, Scout Coordinator and Collections Assistant,) working for the fort brought us together and we bonded. I think we can all agree that we are who we are today, in part, due to the time we spent on Mackinac. A lot of it had to do with our island living arrangements at the Mission House.

We spent many hours on that porch: pot lucking, watching lightening storms over the straights, celebrating and just being together in one of the most magical places on Earth.

I have one friend from elementary school I still talk to regularly, three from high school, maybe six from college, but there are probably 25 "Mackinac People" - (including my husband) with whom I remain friends and talk to regularly. I treasure their friendship and am thankful for the incredible memories we made together. We may live miles apart and have completely different lives now, but somehow I feel like they are always close to me. It sounds cheesy I know, but it's how I feel.

Thanks girls; friends just don't get any better...

Here's a gander at us back in 1989...

Spring on Mackinac

I think spring may have finally made it to Northern Michigan. The tulips at Grand Hotel, and in my garden, are just starting to open- though the daffodils have been open for about a week now. Lucky me gets to pass right by these beauties every day on my way to and from work. Which reminds me, I've only got two weeks of school left. It's been so cold here this spring that the end of the year has kind of sneaked up on me. The teacher in me enjoys cold springs because my students aren't pining away for summer quite so much when it is only 50 degrees (about 10 C) outside. But the other side of me wishes I still didn't have to wear my mittens to work in the morning. It's been so chilly that my little lilac tree just has little buds on it. It has me wondering if we will have an lilacs for the island's Lilac Festival; it's only three weeks away...

Special Treat

My friend, K, went to Japan recently. Given that she is really smart, she got the hint when I told her how amazing the sweets were that I bought at the Kyoto train station when I visited Japan seven or eight years ago. You can imagine how excited I was when she presented me with this little box when I saw her at our "Girl's Weekend."

I can't remember what they're called, but they are fantastic; sweet bean paste wrapped in a pasta-like wrapper made from rice flour. Mmmmmmm. My husband doesn't like these so I can eat them slowly and savor every one, safe in the knowledge that they won't disappear.

Thanks K. I heart you.

A lot!

Urine for a Good Time

Eight old friends, who all use to work at the fort on the island, got together this weekend for our annual "Girl's Weekend." For some reason we all need a break come spring, so we abandon our husbands and children for a weekend of friends, food, and conversation, which gives us all a much needed recharge. This year we met at T's house because she and her husband, K, were starring in the Midland Theater Guild's production of Urinetown. (OK, they wouldn't say "starring," but I will. T even got mentioned by name in one of the reviews!)

According to the audition call put out by the Midland Center for the Arts, "Urinetown is a town plagued by a 20-year drought, where water has become so scarce that only the extremely wealthy can enjoy private toilets; the masses are at the mercy of a greedy corporation that has a stranglehold on the town’s public amenities and charges the townsfolk exorbitant fees to carry out their most private and basic needs. Surely, an uprising must be on the horizon. . . Who will lead the downtrodden citizens to conquer these tyrannical bureaucrats . . .? Famous songs from this fresh new musical include "It’s a Privilege to Pee" and "Run, Freedom, Run."

I know it sounds odd - I thought so too, but it was an absolute hoot and I loved it. (A Tony Award winning show can't be bad, now can it.) The best part was seeing such good friends in action for the first time - they were amazing as two of those "downtrodden citizens."

Hopefully they'll keep us all informed about any other shows they do, because I know I'll do whatever it takes to be there.

Deep Fried Plaintains

The island has lots of foreign workers here in the summer. In the past we've had lots of Jamaicans,but this year due to visa issues it looks like we'll have a lot of folks from the Philippines. Since we have had so many Jamaicans in the past, one rather exotic food that our little island grocery store (Doud's) stocks all summer is plantains. That suits me just fine because I love deep friend plantains.

If you've never had a plantain, they look like a green banana but they aren't sweet. Lots of Caribbean cultures use them like we use potatoes. I've eaten them several different ways, but deep fried is my favorite. Believe it or not, they are really easy to make...

You'll need:

About 5 plantains (not too green, but not really yellow either)
deep fryer and oil (we use peanut oil)
A slotted spoon or similar to get them in and out of the fryer
salt
lime juice

What to do:

Peel the plantains and throw out the peels. Slice the fruit into about one inch sections. Deep fry a few of them at a time until they are golden brown.

Pull them out of the fryer and let them cool for a minute or two on a wire rack. (The wire rack lets the excess oil drip away.) Go ahead and fry more while these cool.
Once they have cooled off a bit, use a glass to squish them. Press them flat and thin - not potato chip thin, but as thin as you can get them. If they stick to your cutting board or place, just use a spatula to get them up. These are great to make after a rough day because you can get out all your frustrations as you squish them.

Then deep fry the plantains a second time. Fry them until they are golden brown and look done. If you are not sure, try one and let it cool. Taste it. Do you like the texture? We usually cook ours so the edges are crispy but the insides are still a bit chewy. I love how the cooking brings out the sweetness of the plantains.

Salt them heavily, dip in a bit of lime juice and enjoy a little taste of summer. Now I'm wondering what little bits of Philippine cooking I might discover at Doud's this summer...

Mystery Solved

Papa told us to be prepared to spend the day outside in the woods, so it was raincoats and boots for us this weekend. The kids were so excited as we rode the ferry to the mainland. The catamaran had broken down - so our weekend got off to a slow start on the slow boat. Thank goodness both kids were very well behaved during the 40 minute trip.

We met my dad for dinner in Petoskey on Friday. I think my fortune was a good omen...

Saturday morning we checked into "the cabinet" (according to my son) just a stones throw from the banks of the Platt River.

We spent the afternoon down by the river watching water gliders, throwing sticks in the water and basking in the sunshine.

At 7:00 it was time to go; guess where my husband took us.

Clue #1

Clue #2

Any ideas yet?

How about now?

Look closely...

Yep, you guessed it, he took us to a drive-in movie at the Cherry Bowl, Northern Michigan's largest movie screen. My parents always told me I wasn't allowed to go to the drive-in until I was married. I guess after 13 years of marriage my husband thought it was time.

What a fun trip! It was kind of nice not knowing where we were going and not having a packed schedule to keep. I think going to the drive-in may have to become a summer time family tradition.

Do you have any?

May Day

I bet you haven't seen snow in quite a while. You're probably not missing it either, but in case you are, here is some of ours for you to enjoy...

Here it is, May first, and we still have snow on Mackinac. While it may be out in the woods in deep shade and where the snow was piled up by the plow, it's still here. I think the high tomorrow is supposed to be 40 degrees (about 5 C.) Brrrrrrrrrrr! My husband is taking our family on a mystery trip this weekend (yeah!) - an outdoor mystery trip. Warmer weather would be nice, so please send warm thoughts my way...

I'll let you know about the mystery trip when we get back. (It's so exciting - despite the fact that the planner in me is going nuts. I think my husband is secretly enjoying it.)

Ruby

Ruby is the name my son has given to this new addition to the toy box. She kind of looks like a Ruby, don't you think? I'd love to tell you that she's my own creation, but she's not - I tested the pattern for Becky over at Whosies - Written Whatnots. She puts out some cute little patterns in her shop, but likes a few people to test them first.

Being a pattern tester has gotten me thinking about drafting a few of my own. Not that I have a shop or anything, but it might be fun. Hmmmmmm... Now what could I come up with? That might be a fun summer project...

The Un-Pillowcase Dress

When you live on an island, birthday parties can present a bit of a challenge. Since I work full time, I can usually only get off the island on weekends and that makes getting gifts difficult. It's not like I can run out to the store after dinner or on my way home from work. The closest Wal-Mart is a 45 minute boat ride and then an hour drive. If you want Target, it is more like a two hour drive. But, I am thrilled that a Meijer is opening in a couple of weeks - and it will only be an hour away! I love Meijer. Sorry, I'm going off on a tangent aren't it. Anyway...

Recently we got a party invitation just a few days before the party, and I wasn't able to got off the island to purchase a gift in time. If I hadn't been able to sew, I would have been in a bit of a pickle. Luckily I was able to make this the day before the party:

(Remember this in Northern Michigan. Wearing this dress without a shirt and quite possibly tights probably won't happen. At least not before August.)

I thought S and K's little friend, M, might appreciate something pink and bubbly instead of a vintage pillowcase, so I serged up a pillowcase-shaped tube and went from there. I am especially proud of my homemade bias tape. I bought myself a bias tape maker a few months ago and I was itching to try it out; it worked perfectly! Though I did find this tutorial on how to avoid using one. Now why didn't I think of that?

The best part of these little pillowcase dresses is they they are adjustable. I purposefully made it a bit long, so hopefully M will get at least two years use out of it. She thought it was a princess dress for her dress-up box, and if that makes her happy - I'm happy.

Another Birthday

I just had to share that little snippet of a drawing my son made for me on my birthday. At 4 1/2 he is just now beginning to draw images that appear to be more representative than scribble and each one makes me smile. He drew it for me at school and then gave it to me, so it now hangs in a place of honor behind my desk.

As of this week I am thirteen times my daughter's age. Which I suppose isn't as bad as it sounds because I really don't feel old. However, I seem to be perceived that way:

The other day when my son asked me a question I told him, "I don't remember."

"Did you forget because you are an old lady Mama?" he asked. Absolutely not. I am not an old lady. I'm not even ready for the baggers at the grocery store to call me "Ma'am." It catches me off guard every time. I may be 39, but I don't feel old. Sure I have more aches and pains than I did ten tears ago, but my body has a whole lot more miles on it than it did back hen. Thank goodness I feel young. With two little ones to chase after, I'd be in big trouble if I felt old.

How are you feeling this weekend?

Jaguar Jammies

One of my daughter's favorite things, well until this winter was her jaguar jammies. They were a pair of one piece velour footed pajamas that snapped up the back. Despite how they made going to the bathroom a challenge, she loved them. She was really upset the day we couldn't cram her growing legs into them any more and she sadly admitted that they didn't fit.

"We have to give dese to baby G," she told me. "And you can make me new jammies. With a tail Mama. I wanna tail. Preaseeeeeee." How could I resist that? Plus, the next time I was at Joann's - the fleece was 50% off! I think I may have bought cheetah by mistake, but it's close enough. So, as requested, I made new jaguar jammies.

The only problem is - she refuses to wear them. She tells me she likes them, but has yet to do more than try them on - once. My son, on the other hand, adores them, and asks K if he can borrow them regularly, though he still asks for his own pair. (Thank goodness I made her's big enough to fit again next winter.) "And Mama," he says, "I would like my tail to be attached. Attached Mama. Please don't put velcro on mine. Do you understand Mama?"

Yes dear. I understand.

I was always a bit scared of sewing with fleece, so I had never sewn with it before. What was I afraid of? If was wonderful! It had just the right amount of give for making the neck, and it let me try out some of the stretch stitches on my Bernina. I'm going to have to get some more to play with because I loved it. Who knows, I might even need some new jammies.

Just in case you are curious, the snow on the island is melting fast. The road in front of our house (which is not plowed) is now clear and the snow in the woods is melting fast.

Phew!

I feel so good about what I accomplished this weekend. Between Friday and today I managed to check the following items off of my list:

• raked the front yard
• swept and despiderwebbed the front porch
• cleaned the kitchen - twice
  
• broke down my daughter's crib and moved it to the basement
• helped both children clean their bedrooms
• put new sheets both kids' beds
• washed, folded and put away eight loads of laundry
• sorted and matched lots of socks in the "orphan basket"
• washed and organized all the kids hats and mittens and then packed the heavy ones away in the basement
  
• packed away my winter coat, snow pants and boots in the basement
• reinstalled the shower curtain in the kids' bathroom after an unfortunate incident with a broken bottle of blue plaque dying stuff
  
• organized, dusted, swept / vacuumed and washed the windows in the dining room and the entry way
• vacuumed the stairs
• took apart and cleaned our little Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner
• scooped the cat's litter box
• made oatmeal banana cookies

I still have a pile of papers to grade, but I needed a break...

Back into the Swing

When my son was born my friend from Japan sent him the cutest little smock. I loved the style but the oatmeal-color fabric wasn't my favorite. So I took it apart, used the pieces as a pattern, and made a new one. I love how it turned out. I'm going to have to make a few more of these because this one is heading off to a friend of mine who just had her second baby on Monday afternoon.

Three

My little girl turned three this weekend. Three - where did the time go? Wasn't I just on maternity leave?

K is such a little person now - full of personality and confidence. Despite my best efforts, she is not an adventurous eater and bread in its many forms is her favorite food. She loves baby dolls, being read to, her new little princesses, pretending to be a puppy, her umbrella and her pillow. And I love her with all my heart and soul. Despite all her faults (that all came from her father - not me!) - her temper, the battles over cleaning up the toys, and her heavy handedness when she deals with her brother, I adore her. She is my little bug, and she's three...

She told her Papa she wanted a rainbow cake for her birthday, so I went with the rainbow theme for our little family party. Well, I guess it wasn't so little since Grandma and Grampie drove all the way up from Southern Indiana and Grandpa Jack came from Petoskey. My son reminded her that, "Grandma Crissie is at Egypt and she couldn't come."

Birthday shirt? Check.

Rainbow room? Check.Rainbow cake? Oops, that cake looks white to me...

Papa apologized and told her that he forgot to make a rainbow cake. (Wink wink) She took it pretty well, but then chastised him at the dinner table for it. When he apologized again she said, "Dat's O.K. Papa. I'll eat dat cake." You should have seen her face light up when she and her father cut the first piece. "The rainbow's inside Papa!"

Apparently he didn't forget after all...

If you want to make a rainbow cake, just separate your cake batter (A used yellow cake) into different bowls and then use gel food coloring (A used Wilton brand from the cake decorating isle) to color each bowl of batter. He spooned each bowl of batter into the center of the cake pan, plopping the next color on top of the ones that were already there and hen baked according the the directions on the package. Though, it took two trips through the dishwasher to get the bowls clean...

The Camel Market

The camel market (souk al-gamaal) is just outside Cairo in Birqash. Even though it is just outside the city, it took us about an hour to get there. When we saw trucks like these, we knew we were getting close. (Enlarge it and look in the bed of the closest truck.) It cost 20 Egyptian pounds for each of us to enter, and I paid an additional 10 pounds for a camera permit.

Luckily my mom knew Fridays were the busiest day. The pictures just don't do the place justice - imagine about 1,000 camels walking, running, sitting, peeing, groaning. Just imagine camels everywhere.

If only I could understand Arabic...

This one is getting a closer inspection. I wonder what the going price was.Look at the camels behind the boy below. Notice how one of each camel's front legs is tied up. Most of them were hobbled in this way so they couldn't get too far too quickly. Every now and then someone would want to see one of the camels run, so they would unhobble it and "encourage" it to run around.

We were the only westerners there until right before we left, and then it was only a van load.

After the deals were made, it was time to load the camels.

This one was not interested in getting in the back of the pick-up truck.Once the camels were in the trucks they were tied down and driven off to who-knows-where. Mustafa, our driver, told us they were off to camel races in the Sudan.The hardest part of the day, for me, was seeing school-age children working rather than being in school. There were lots of young boys working that day. Many of them walked up to me, pointed to my camera and then back at themselves, as if to say, "Take my picture." So I did. Then they would rush up and want to look at the image on the back of the camera. When I showed them each one would get a huge smile.

As we left, this man asked me to take his photo too - he was the only adult who asked. You should have seen his smile when he saw himself.