Jackpot

My youngest child and I were in St. Ignace the other day to get their Covid-19 vaccination. We happened to have a few minutes to kill before catching the ferry home, so we popped into the local thrift shop for a quick peek. Nestled in with the rubber stamps I found these beautiful made-in-West-Germany cookie molds. Happy happy joy joy! 

The cookie molds are typically used to make traditional German springerle cookies, like the ones pictured above (from 2018.) To buy the molds new is quite expensive, so you can imagine my joy at finding the whole lot for $5.00!

Get Away

Lots of people ask me what people who live on Mackinac Island like to do to get away. For us, it usually means a quiet place where we can meet family, relax and my husband can fish. Something like this fits the bill perfectly.

And can you think of a more ideal place for morning yoga?

Or for cousins to get together to hang out?

For us, it's pretty much the perfect place to get away.

A Lilac a Day, Day Fifteen

Lots of the lilacs are starting to fade. It's probably a good thing they don't bloom all year - I don't think I would appreciate them nearly as much if they were here all the time. 

A Lilac a Day, Day Fourteen

This little lilac bush is just down the street from me. It's shaded so its blooms are sparse, but it more than makes up for it with how incredible it smells.

A Lilac a Day, Day Thirteen

Just a lovely little walkway to share with you this morning...

A Lilac a Day, Day Twelve

Nothing says June like a bright blue sky and lilac blossoms. It's a perfect picture for the first day of summer vacation...

That's a Wrap

These boys and I finished up their fifth grade year today, with ice cream, as is tradition. Words cannot express how delightful they are. I can't imagine having to spend a year teaching through a global pandemic with any other kids!

A Lilac a Day, Day Eleven

These bushes were planted to disguise the addition we put onto the school back in 2000. When we added the "Big Gym," it doubled the square footage of our building.

A Lilac a Day, Day Ten

This year the lilacs have put on a beautiful show! These were planted at a house in my neighborhood that was just built last year.

A Lilac a Day, Day Nine

Lilacs, the lake and the lighthouse - pictures don't get much more "Mackinac" than that. I snapped this one on my way to the Post Office yesterday after school. 

A Lilac a Day, Day Eight

I've often wondered why some trees, like this one, seem to be covered with blossoms, while other have virtually none. I initially assumed it was due to how much sun each tree received, but it can also be due to improper pruning. Lilacs bloom on the growth from the previous season, so they should be pruned within a week or two after the flowers have faded. They can  also be over fertilized (they don't like a lot of nitrogen). And, of course, they do need a minimum of  six hours of sun light each day.

A Lilac a Day, Day Seven

I think this may be my favorite lilac picture of the year. I love all the different shades...

A Lilac a Day, Day Six

The lilacs on the Island just keep getting prettier. These are across the street from the Post Office.

 

A Lilac a Day, Day Five

White lilacs aren't my favorite but they're still pretty, especially against that beautiful blue sky. Luckily I snapped this picture yesterday, after school, because the sky is gloomy this morning. I just hope the clouds bring some much needed rain.

A Lilac a Day, Day Four

I love the pinky color of these lilacs. They are right on the corner near my house, and when I come around the corner the scent is amazing.

A Lilac a Day, Day Three

The lilac bushes in Marquette Park looked beautiful yesterday. I just love those dark purple ones.

A Lilac a Day, Day Two

I pass these every day on my walk to and from work. Every morning a few more blossoms are open, and this morning they smelled wonderful.

A Lilac a Day, Day One

This year's lilacs are just starting to open. It is a perfect way to start June...

Downward Facing Pig?

Not much is cuter than a little piggy doing downward facing dog. Every time I see that tail, I giggle...

Animal Crossing Birthday

My youngest child turned 15 this spring and asked for an Animal Crossing themed birthday party. For those of you without kids, Animal Crossing is a video game. Players take on the role of a human who lives on an island inhabited by different anthropomorphic animals. Players create and build a village, interact with villagers, collect fossils, fish, and generally live out their happy lives in the village. Interestingly, Animal Crossing simulates the passage of time and players move through the different seasons in real time, or so my kids tell me.

For me the best part of this birthday was copying the cake from the game. (If you play AC on your birthday, the villagers throw a party for you - complete with a cake.) The only issue was - my kiddo is not a strawberry fan, so using real fruit on the top was not going to make them happy. Once again, my 3D printer came to the rescue.

I found a strawberry on Thingiverse, edited it in Tinkercad (changing it from solid shape into a cavity within a solid shape which I then cut in half) and printed out a strawberry mold. From there I just dyed some marzipan red and and made my own non-fruit strawberries. It sounds like a whole lot more work than it actually was.

At first glance, they look amazingly real. In the end all that mattered was the newly-turned 15 year-old was happy with it. Sadly, Grandma and Grandpa didn't get to have any because Grandma tested positive for Covid a few days before and had to quarantine! Thankfully, she'd been vaccinated and her only symptom was a runny nose.

Happy birthday K.

I hope you know how much we love you

and how proud we are of you.