Adventures

The kids and I have been having a wonderful summer; an absolutely wonderful summer!

One of our best days was when Grandma and Grandpa took us sailing aboard their boat. I spent a great deal of my childhood aboard a sailboat, but my children had never been. Both S and K have traveled between Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island hundreds of times, but never like this.

My daughter reacted in much the way I did as a child when I didn't have Dramamine- she fell asleep for much of the trip. My son, on the other hand, had his sea legs instantly and delighted in exploring as much of the boat as he could.

Grandpa, Papa, our friend Barb, the kids and I even got to go explore Round island. The kids loved the dinghy ride - especially when the water was shallow and they could see the rocky bottom.

But it was the massive amounts of monarch caterpillars on Round Island that were the hit of the day. My son counted eleven on one plant alone. Sadly, we've only found two here this summer. We had such fun raising and releasing them last year, which apparently, after some searching in my archives, I forgot to post about. Oops!

This weekend Papa has another adventure planned for us. We can't wait!

Instead of Blogging

You may have noticed a significant decrease in my posting this summer. It's because I've been spending most of my "free" time sewing. Well that, and rereading the Twilight series.

The mittens are selling so well, I can barely keep up with the demand! (Which is a very good thing, I know.) Thank goodness there are three of us.

What will you be doing today? One guess where I'll be...

A Grand Afternoon

The kids and I were lucky enough to meet grandma and grandpa at the Grand Hotel for lunch the other day. Was it ever fun to watch the kids at the buffet - especially the desert table! There's nothing like a seeming unending supply of cakes, candies, and pies to put a smile on a child's face. (OK, mine too.) My son got quite a few amused looks as he was jumping for joy, clapping his hands and saying "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" while eying all those goodies.

If you plan to visit Mackinac and are looking for a fantastic lunch, the Grand Hotel buffet is a wonderful option. Don't let the price tag scare you away; I guarantee you'll never forget your lunch at the Grand. Even my two little ones realized it was something quite special - they are still talking about it. Be sure to go check out the fountain (down in the garden) afterward - splashing your big brother (or whomever you happen to be with) is included at no extra charge...

Rainy Sunday

It rained all day yesterday, so I opened the windows in my sewing room and listened to the rain while I worked on these little dresses. The original idea came from here, though I use my own pattern. They were all safely delivered to Nicole this morning and will hopefully make some little girls very happy...

Fortunately

All new homes built on Mackinac Island, that tie in to the sewer system, are required to have a sewer grinder. Most of the grinders look like a small green dome about two feet across and are located in the front yard - the house and the sewer line (which is beneath the road.) Each grinder has an alarm that lights up and sounds when the grinder or the pump isn't working correctly.

Unfortunately, our light went on recently.

Fortunately, my husband was home at the time.

Unfortunately, our grinder is located right in the middle of a garden.

(Fortunately, I've been able to disguise it with hostas and daylilies.)

Unfortunately, when it stops working I have to dig up some of those hostas and daylilies so my husband can get to the pump.

Fortunately, the man can fix just about anything.

The inspiration for this post came from this book. It's an oldie but a goodie!

Camping

Camping at Sandy Pines was a hit. Literally.

We fought (but in a good way),

and we couldn't not follow the Sandy Pines tradition of pimping our ride for Independence Day. I mean come on, if you are going to drive a golf cart all weekend, it had better look really good, right?

The fish weren't biting, but we still had a great time. Mostly due to the fact that we met a bunch of friends for the weekend and had fun just being together. Living on Mackinac Island can make doing things like this challenging at times, but it's always worth it. You can bet we'll be there again next year. Thanks Shannon for organizing everything.

Yes, my 40 year-old body is thrilled to be back in my own bed! Now that I'm home it is back to my sewing room (stuffed as it is.) I have an order of bibs, dresses, and mittens to fill...

East

After leaving Grandma and Grampie's house we headed east. My children do surprisingly well during long car trips - undoubtedly having something to do with the fact that they ride in a car less than once a month. Oh yeah, and car toys; special toys that live in the car and are eagerly anticipated.

One of the highlights of visiting Uncle B and Aunt L (after seeing them and cousin K of course), would have to be the Columbus Zoo. Northern Michigan doesn't have one, so a zoo is a special treat for us.

The zoo is huge.Thank goodness we brought our navigator.

If you're ever in Columbus be sure to stop at the zoo. There are nice interactive displays and all over the zoo there are great sculptures for the kids to climb on.

Next we camp back in Michigan and then we head home.

When we get home my bed is going to feel so good...

South

We left Papa at home and headed south for some fun; a long way south. One of the highlights for the kids (apart from having Grandma and Grampie's undivided attention) was visiting Spring Mill State Park. They loved the trip into Twin Caves.

First we had to get a life jacket,

then we walked down the path,

and waited for the next boat.

Then it was time to get into the boat. We ventured about 600 feet into the cave on a specially designed boat - just wide enough to pass through the narrowest part of the cave.

The trip may have only lasted about 20 minutes, but the kids really enjoyed it. Though, if you asked the kids what was their favorite part of visiting Grandma and Grampie, I think Jiffy Treat (similar to a Dairy Queen) might win!

Next stop: Uncle Bill's...

A First

Mackinac Mittens has its first ever trunk show the other day. We managed to sell 15 pair of mittens during our two four-hour days. It was great fun. Watching someone you don't know try on something you made, and then shell out their hard earned money to buy it is quite rewarding. My favorite was a woman who was downright giddy to find a blue hat.

Making these mittens has been an interesting experience. Right now the three of us are trying hard just to keep up with the demand in the two stores here on Mackinac Island. Yesterday I got an email from a shop owner in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and she wants to sell them in her store, too. I don't know if we'll sell them off the island, but it was pretty exciting just to be asked.

On the grandma front, all is well. In fact, she has improved dramatically since she has stopped taking all of her medications. She is doing so well that my mom is moving her out of hospice and into an assisted living facility. Thank you everyone for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes. Know that they have been greatly appreciated!

Discovery

A week or so ago my husband discovered a wonderful little lake in Mackinaw City. At its deepest point it's only about 10 feet, so it's a perfect spot for adventurous little ones. My daughter was content to build sand castles on an old cinder block, but my son was in heaven. He and Papa waded around the edge of the lake - stopping to investigate every last inch. S found clams, crayfish, turtle eggs, shed insect exoskeletons and numerous other treasures, that much to his dismay, his horrible mother made him leave behind. In the end he agreed that the living clams really would be better off if he left them in the lake, and on two clam shells instead. If you live anywhere near Mackinaw City, Michigan, French Farm Lake is worth the trip.

Hello and Goodbye

Life has been hectic lately. The end of the school year with its report cards, room clean-up, inventory and permanent record updating usually throws me into a tail spin, but this year it's worse. So much worse. Several weeks ago my grandma (the one I wrote about here) went into hospice. Saying goodbye has been sad - even though I support her choice to stop taking her medications and let nature take its course. Despite the stress of dealing with her impending death, there has been a silver lining...

I took this photo on the first day my mother and her two surviving brothers had been in the same room in over 25 years. Yes, you read that right - 25 years. No, there wasn't a falling out; just a great deal of geography between them. Uncle Rob lived in Ecuador and then Japan, Uncle Andrew moved to Arkansas and my mom remained in Michigan (though she has been in Egypt for two years.) You should have seen grandma's face light up when the three of them walked into her room together. It was such a beautiful thing.

Blogging in these parts will be sporadic at best for the next little while. The kids and I will be spending quite a bit of time off the island with their Great Grandma. I'll still be crafting and trying to post, but I want to savor every minute with grandma we have left...

Sunshine

My husband chose our route home today just so I could see these little beauties. It's a lady slipper, and with all that has been going on lately (I'll go into details soon) they were just the spot of sunshine I needed...

Everywhere

While spring is not my favorite season on Mackinac Island, it is a wonderful time of year. In addition to the parade of tulips and the lilacs opening, the woods are full of trillium.

Mackinac Island wildflowers: one of my favorite things about spring...

Full

Our weekend in Kalkaska was a full one. Brimming with:

friends,

swings,

fish,

blacksmithing,
(which was quite nice since I hadn't picked up a hammer in about 10 years)

and caterpillars.
Thousands of caterpillars.

How about you?

Keeping Cozy

I've made a bunch of these tea cozies lately. I wanted to get them made and delivered to The Jaunting Cart before the lilacs opened. Let me tell you, I just made my deadline because the lilac trees on my street started to open yesterday. The only down side to Mackinac lilacs in mid-May is that they may all be gone before the Lilac Festival.

This year the festival is June 11-20. If you are on the island during Lilac Festival you may want to pick up one of this year's festival posters. I'm thinking I need one for myself...

photo courtesy of The Tourism Bureau

Green Home on Mackinac?

A team from Lansing Community College won the BuildUp Michigan design challenge and plans to start building their winning design on Mackinac Island this fall. According to Jeromy Clements, a member of the winning team, it will be "a 3,075-square foot, Victorian-style house, lathered in solar panels."

I love the idea that it is supposed to be a "net-zero" home; one which creates as much energy as it consumes. However, one island development has banned hanging laundry outside to to dry; how would they feel about a home covered in solar panels (in a historic district)? So now I'm curious; has the design has been approved by our local planning commission or the development's association? Does the City Council knows anything about it? And, of course, where will it be built? I'm not against the idea, I just want more information...

Mackinac's Bounty:

Wild Leeks and Morel Mushrooms

On a walk this past weekend my husband was lucky enough to find wild leeks (he calls them ramps) and morel mushrooms. Thank you Mother Nature!

My husband was careful to just pick a few leeks from the outside edge of each bunch so they'll regrow next year. The leeks, which he pickled, have a surprisingly sweet flavor. As for the morels, he carried them in a mesh bag so their spores could spread and hopefully create a few new patches of shroomy goodness. They are drying and will be saved for a few special dishes; I'm hoping for prime rib with a morel sauce...

Spring

Despite this weekend's snow, (yes, it did snow on Mackinac this weekend!) the island is starting to look pretty springy. I never realized just how difficult it is to photograph snow until I actually tried it. The above photo was the best I could manage of the big flakes we saw here on Saturday morning. Luckily, the ground was warm enough that, apart from a bit of slush on the porch, none of it stuck.

Thanks to the rain we got at the end of last week, the island is really starting to green up. I know most other people are already inching their way into summer, but for those of us in Northern Michigan, spring is still here in all its glory.

Phew!

I've been crazy busy lately - feverishly making mittens and pins to fulfill an order for Mittens. Two shops on the island, Some Wear on Mackinac (located next to the Gate House) and The Jaunting Cart (located on Market Street right across from the Biddle House) are carrying mittens and pins this summer. It's so exciting! In the week the shops have been open only two pairs have sold, but that's O.K. - it's a start. Now I've got dresses and blankets to finish up for Little Luxuries. So if you happen to be looking for me this weekend, you'll find me in my sewing room.