It’s Time to Go North 5/17/15

Posted on May 17, 2015 by bree1972

It’s time to go north.

All of you will probably get sick of me saying that in the next few weeks (except for the week when we’re actually GOING north). Ted is certainly already tired of hearing it. But I can’t help it – I swear I just can’t. Y’all know I don’t like hot weather. Y’all know I am a sweat-er. and not a glisten-er. Y’all know at the mere mention of the word “humidity” my hair frizzes up like a 1950’s home-perm and my mascara runs down my face like big, ugly black teardrops. Yep – hot weather makes me a certified MESS!

It’s time to go north.

The only thing holding me together are the three hours from 7 a.m.-10 a.m. and the hours after 7:30 p.m. Those are bearable. In fact they’re pretty awesome. Those morning hours are cool enough to walk the dogs without fear of heat-stroke, and after 7:30 there’s a quick cool-down and a breeze . . . . not to mention a predictably gorgeous sunset. Other than that, all I can do is huddle inside over an AC vent and say once more . . . . it’s time to go north.

I know. I know. I know. Many of my northern friends will look at this (shot this morning around 9:30 from the deck of the Funky Pelican) and say, "What the heck is she complaining about"?

I know. I know. I know. Many of you will look at this (shot this morning around 9:30 from the deck of the Funky Pelican) and say, “What the heck is she complaining about”?

Espcially when I point out that added to the beautiful view was the wonderful experience of sharing breakfast with our beautiful Jordan. Have I mentioned lately how awesome it is to live close enough to see our grandchildren on a regular basis?

Especially when I point out that – added to the exceptional view – was the wonderful experience of sharing breakfast with our beautiful Jordan. Have I mentioned lately how awesome it is to live close enough to see our grandchildren on a regular basis?

But . . . you have to hear the rest of the story. Three hours later we were walking the dogs and I literally had to WRING OUT the hankie I took with me to daintily wipe my brow. Maddie and Bear spent the walk hurrying from one shaded spot to another, and I swear to you when we got home they both pulled me into a corner and whispered, “Mom, when are we going north?”

I know it’s just me. I know there are millions of folks who love heat and sun and would thrive spending the summer here. I’m just not one of them. Ted is. He could hike through the Sahara Desert and never break a sweat. Good for him.

Yes – I knew all this up front. And that’s why when we decided to make this our “only one house location”, it was with the promise that we’d go north at least two months during the hottest part of the summer.

Who would have thought the hottest months would begin in May, for Pete’s sake?

Now THIS is my idea of perfect May weather . . . . .

Reflections of he fort blockhouse in street puddles.(Photo: Clark Bloswick)

Reflections of the fort blockhouse in street puddles.(Photo: Clark Bloswick)

A little fog. (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

A little rain. (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

A bike auction (yes, folks are still in jackets and sweatshirts). (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

And a 95th birthday party for Jeannette Doud. Those lilacs Jason St. Onge is delivering to Jeannette were grown in Remus, MI by Glen St. Onge from a tree that was transplanted from the island. Jason met Glan halfway to pick up the bouquet so this special lady could have lilacs on her birthday.

And a 95th birthday party for Jeannette Doud. Those lilacs Jason St. Onge is presenting to Jeannette were grown in Remus, MI by Glen St. Onge, from a tree that was transplanted there from Mackinac. Jason met Glen halfway to pick up the bouquet so this special lady could have lilacs on her birthday. (Photo: Bruce LaPine)

So . . . I’m ready to go north.

__________________________________________________________________________

P.S. My sweet Ted popped his head in a few minutes ago and asked what the blog was about today. “I’m writing that I’m ready to go north,” I said. He rolled his eyes, and said, “Come with me.”

I followed him out on the second floor deck, then up the circular stairs to the skywalk, where he had a chair set up facing over the rooftop toward the ocean. I sat down, put my head back and my feet up. Immediately I was being swept by an ocean breeze that was blowing hard enough to tousle my hair and put a smile on my face.

Ok, ok. Maybe I can wait a few more weeks.

Mackinac Island Photo Night 5/14/15

Posted on May 15, 2015 by bree1972

I promised a post full of Mackinac photos, and that’s exactly what you’re getting tonight! Below are just a few of the photographs shared by island friends, and they all show that Mackinac is waking up fast, and the season is about to burst from the starting blocks.

When Ted and I spent our summers on the island, we always considered Memorial Day weekend as the official beginning of the season, but the photos below show there is a lot going well before May 25 – both downtown AND in the woods!

Here we go . . . . . .

A view of the boardwalk in front of the Mackinac Island school. (Photo: Bruce LaPine)

The first hummingbird of the season - as spotted by Clack Bloswick.

The first hummingbird of the season – as spotted by Clark Bloswick.

Greg Main reports we have some new downtown signage. Very nice!

Rarely captured - ferns unrolling in the Mackinac woods. (Photo: Clark Bloswick)

Rarely captured – ferns unfurling in the Mackinac woods. (Photo: Clark Bloswick)

Merchandise arrives on a daily basis at downtown stores. (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

Merchandise is arriving on a daily basis at downtown stores . . . (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

. . . . and horses are arriving daily also! (Photo: Mackinac Island Tourist Bureau)

The tulips are up at the Grand and will soon turn this bed into a dazzling array of colors!

The tulips are up at the Grand and will soon turn this bed into a colors that will dazzle! (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

Looks like the blacksmith shop is getting ready to open . . . (Photo: Jill Sawatzki)

. . . and the Grand is already in full swing! (Photo: Sue Conlon)

Wednesday night’s sunset from a ferry returning from the island. (Photo: Patrick Conlon)

And the sunrise today . . . as only Clark Bloswick can capture it. U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.

FYI: Here are just a few of the changes you’ll see this summer when you visit (via Stephanie Fortino’s article a few weeks ago in the St. Ignace News:

1) Seven new rooms have been added to the top floor of the Grand Hotel (and four parlors).

2) Doud’s Market is being expanded into the neighboring Alford’s Drug Store building (Alford’s has closed). The two buildings have been joined, and two additions off the back of the Alford building have been replaced with a new addition. Half of the first floor will accommodate the Doud’s Market expansion, the other half will house a retail shop coordinated by Bob Benser, co-owner of the building.

3) Mary’s Bistro has been remodeled to connect with the neighboring Draught House. A new wine bar has been added to Mary’s, and new booths, banquettes, and tables have been added.

4) Twenty-five rooms in the Island House have been renovated.

Ted and I are so excited our trip to the island is less than a month away. I can’t wait to get up there with my camera and write from Bree’s Mackinac Island Blog for a few days. Hope you all are marking those days on your calendar to switch over to that blog while we’re at The Inn at Stonecliffe (June 7-11)! http://bree1972.wordpress.com

Not to be outdone by those Mackinac sunsets, here’s one from our neck of the woods! See you back here on Sunday! Hugs and God bless.

Mother’s Day Weekend 5/10/15

Posted on May 10, 2015 by bree1972

Short post tonight . . . I’m too busy enjoying Mother’s Day to write!!

What a perfect weekend this has been! Well, not quite perfect, because Jason couldn’t make it down. But otherwise, it was pretty darn perfect. Blake was here, and we got to see the Hewitts yesterday!

We met over at Matt’s parents last night, and Matt grilled up some unbelievable steaks and lamp chops. We all contributed the “fixins”. Matt and Julie were doing the Mother’s Day “celebration thing” a day early because this morning they got up at 4:30 and took their boat out into the ocean for the first time . . . deep sea fishing!

From the looks of this photo, they had a giant case of beginners' luck! What a catch!

From the looks of this photo, I’d say they had a giant case of beginners’ luck! What a catch!

Ted, Blake and I went to early church this morning and then to the Funky Pelican for breakfast. We were trying to be smart and miss the big Mother’s Day lunch rush, but there was a 30-minute wait for breakfast! Seems like a few other people had the same idea!

We still are pinching ourselves that we get to do this any day of the week! By the way, that 30-minute wait was for an INSIDE table in the air conditioning. Those outdoor seats were in the sun, and they were HOT! I mean, after all, it’s summer in Florida.

This has nothing to do with Mother’s Day, but we finally got our sad, sad backyard grass replaced this week. It seems the sprinkler system has been out-of-service practically since they sodded our yard – and that was about a month before we moved in last November.

They brought in this big, heavy piece of equipment to dig up the sod and discovered they didn't need it. The roots on our grass were about 1/4" long, and all they had to do was pull it up by hand.

They brought in this big, heavy piece of equipment to dig up the sod and discovered they didn’t need it. The roots on our grass were only about 1/8″ long, and they could easily pull it up by hand.

Ahhhhh . . . green grass!

And now that the irrigation system is up and running again, we hope it stays that way!

In the “sweet neighbor” category, our new across-the-street friend has started making wreaths, and she brought me one for our door this week. I love it!

Great job, Sharon!

That’s all I have for today, but I promise to do better later this week, and I promise to have tons of Mackinac pics because – guess what – Jill is BACK ON THE ISLAND!!

Here’s hoping every mom reading this has had an awesome day surrounded by everyone you hold dear. Isn’t being a mom the greatest “job” God ever invented!

Hugs and Love and God bless.

Just An Old Pink Sweatshirt 5/7/15

Posted on May 8, 2015 by bree1972

It’s just an old pink sweatshirt. Mama bought it over 15 years ago when we were out on one of our weekly shopping trips. Over the years she found she loved the “Hanes Her Way” brand from WalMart and had them in all the pastel colors, with pink being her favorite. She loved the softness of the cloth – even before they’d been washed and dried 100 times. She loved the way they fit – loose and comfortable. She loved the warmth of slipping them on when the air turned chilly in the fall, or even over a summer shirt when she planned to eat out in an air conditioned restaurant in the summer. “You know it’s going to be cold in there, Brenda. I’ll need my sweatshirt.”

Mama’s been gone nearly nine years now, and even though I think about her every day, it’s on the special days – like her birthday or this Sunday on Mother’s Day – that the memories come back full force, and I allow my mind to travel back to when she was still here, and I could physically touch her.

There’s nothing more comforting than being held in your mother’s arms. Mama held me as a baby and as a small child, but I have no real memories of those times. It’s the times she held me as an adult – whether happily when she’d greet me, or tightly when I was sure my world was falling apart – that I remember and cherish. As long as she lived I knew there was one earthly person who loved me unconditionally. No matter how bad I messed up, or how many tears I caused – I knew she’d never, ever not love me.

It’s hard to lose that comfort.

Months after Mama died, as I was going through her closets, I pulled out a few things to save. With me at 5’7′ and Mama at 5′ even, we very seldom could wear each other’s clothes. Nevertheless, I saved her Christmas sweaters (every tacky one of them, and I wear one each Christmas), a short housedress (I’ve never had it on, but it was so “Mama” I couldn’t let it go), and one of her Hanes For Her sweatshirts – the pink one.

I wear that pink sweatshirt a lot in the fall and winter. Mama was right – it’s very soft and comfortable. But that’s not why I wear it. When I slip it over my head and put my arms through the sleeves, I can almost feel her arms wrapping around me. I can almost feel her hands patting my back and hear her whispering in my ear, “I love you, Brenda.” And that’s almost as good as the real thing.

When I get up on Mother’s Day this Sunday I’ll put that sweatshirt on over my pj’s. Then I’ll pour a cup of coffee and go sit out on the balcony. And for just a few moments I’ll pretend she’s sitting in the chair next to me – just the two of us – Mama and me.

And I’ll feel unconditionally loved.

God bless.

The Season Begins on Mackinac . . . and Bear “almost” Takes a Plunge 5/3/15

Posted on May 3, 2015 by bree1972

It’s been a quiet week here in the land of sunshine and ocean waves, so this will be pretty short and sweet tonight!

On Mackinac Island businesses began to open this week, and for the largest business on the island – The Grand Hotel – May 1 was the Opening Day for the 2015 season.

Sunset on April 30. (Photo: Patrick Conlon)

Sunrise – May 1 (Photo: Clark Bloswick)

That little speck at the base of the flag pole is my friend Jennifer King’s husband Kirby, who is about to raise the flag for Opening Day.

Early morning – May 1. The hotel is ready for the first guest! (Photo: Jennifer King)

I wanted to share something that friend Greg Main posted this week – just because I love anything Greg writes, and – being a year-round islander – he has some insights into things we folks who aren’t lucky enough to be there full-time may never know.

In Greg’s own words: Years ago, when I was working as a bike mechanic, the days were full of the usual and sometimes odd questions from tourists as they went through the process of renting bikes. When there was a large group rental, I would pitch in to help the “front line” co-workers deal with the quasi-chaos, in order to get everyone on the road as quickly as possible. One particular day, while helping out with a group, one lady asked me which way around the island was shorter. Now, I had heard this question many times already, but this was the first time it was asked of me. My initial response to her was (pointing in the direction of the Mackinac Bridge), “this way is shorter.” She smiled and said she was just joking as she knows it has to be the same distance either way. Displaying my best poker face, I explained I was serious because if she went the way I said, she would be on the inside lane all the way, naturally a shorter route. We both laughed, and the group eventually went on their merry way. I don’t lay claim to being the originator of that response to which way is shorter but I have passed it on to a lot of people over the years, and I now hear it quite often when passing various bike rental places.

O.K., I told you that story to tell you this one. For years, I have wondered just how much shorter the distance is when comparing the inside lane to the outside. So, the last time I was at my house, I dusted off my surveyor’s measuring wheel, brought it back to the island and, last Sunday, during the wave-raising, surf-pounding, break wall-beating gale, I chose to circumnavigate the island twice, once on the inside lane, once on the outside. Keep in mind, while the surveyor’s wheel is certified accurate according to the manufacturer and I did my best to not weave while bucking the headwind, I make no claims to just how accurate my figures are. Anyhow, in order to get the greatest distance discrepancy, I chose to ride the white line as best I could even though some of it wasn’t visible due to ice and snow. Keeping a longer story a bit shorter, the inside lane measured 42,195 feet or 7.99147 miles. Outside lane measured 42,201 feet or 7.99829 miles. A difference of 6 feet! No one requested this just like nobody requested my step-counting survey over this past winter. Just satisfying my curiosity and, for what it’s worth, passing it along.

Just thought I’d mention . . . in 34 days, 7 hours, 32 minutes, and 12 seconds (or thereabouts), Ted and I will be boarding a plane in Daytona Beach to fly to Mackinac for four nights! WooHoo!

SUNSET INLET – BEVERLY BEACH, FL

If we’re Facebook friends, you’ve already heard about this, but for those who haven’t, I share the following scary moment that put a few more gray hairs on my head:

I was walking Bear back to the house a couple of days ago via our seawall and, because of the way the gate opens, I had to ask him to go pass the gate so I could swing it open. When he turned around to enter the yard, his back feet somehow slipped off the seawall, and over he went – backwards. He caught himself before he hit the water, but was left dangling, clutching the cement with his front legs and with me holding onto his collar for dear life. I screamed for Blake, who thank goodness was just inside the backdoor of the house (and thank goodness we had the doors and windows open). Blake literally VAULTED the fence (we had the gate blocked), bent down and hauled Bear’s rear-end back up and over the seawall.

So thankful that 1) Bear didn’t panic and pull me in, and 2) Blake was right there so fast!

Lesson learned: No more dog walking on our narrow seawall and get the gate changed so it opens the other way.

That’s all I’ve got for today, but before I close I know you’ll all join me in welcoming friend and blog reader Jason Bergeron (Jason . . . the other one) back to the U.S. from Afghanistan (for good this time). Jason arrived in San Antonio Saturday, May 2.

WELCOME HOME, JASON!

See y’all back here later this week! God bless.

A Home for Gibbs 4/30/15

Posted on April 30, 2015 by bree1972

Mention a mascot dog for a fire department, and you’ll instantly conjure up an image of a Dalmation. Black. White. Spots.

Not so here in Flagler Beach!

The firefighters at the Flagler Beach Fire Department have happily broken with tradition and opened their hearts – and the run of the fire station – to Gibbs, a happy-go-lucky hound mix who’s mostly white, with a few beautiful brown freckles sprinkled on his ears and shoulders.

Meet Gibbs!

I remember photographing Gibbs the very first day I volunteered at the Flagler Humane Society. He was standing behind the wire doors of his cage with his kennel-mate (another hound mix), and I took the photo because they looked so poignant standing there together with those big eyes looking up at me. When I got home and enlarged the photo on my computer screen, I knew I’d never use the shot. It was just too sad.

Gibbs was picked up as a stray over a year ago, and his sweet temperament got him adopted out twice during that year. But back to the shelter he came each time – with claims he had not fit in with the owners’ other animals.

Gibbs was taken to almost every event the Humane Society held – over 60 hours of events in all, says Howard Tessler, volunteer outreach coordinator for the Society. At an estimated seven years old, he’d lost his puppy cuteness, but he was such a mellow dog the Humane Society refused to give up on him. While at a PetSmart adoption event, Cherry Murr met Gibbs, and although she could not adopt him herself, she was so impressed with his sweet face and manner she offered to pay the fees for whomever stepped up to adopt him.

The Humane Society brings dogs each week to the local Farmers Market at Flagler Beach, and Gibbs was there many times over the last months. Just a few weeks ago, Alan Forehand, a firefighter for Flagler County who saw Gibbs once again at the Farmers Market, mentioned him to Fire Chief Bobby Pace. The Fire Department had wanted a mascot for a long time, and after Chief Pace and Flagler Beach Mayor Linda Provencher checked on liability and care issues, approval was granted for the adoption.

Gibbs’ happy arrival at his forever home was reported in The Flagler-Palm Coast News-Tribune recently, but I wanted to check out “the rest of the story”. I called the Fire Department, and they said, “Come on down!”

Gibbs has the full run of the fire station and loves to hang out . . .

. . . in the firefighter’s den . . .

. . . as well as in Chief Pace’s office. He has doggie beds throughout the fire station, which he basically ignores, choosing instead the area rugs or the cool tile.

The station answers over 1,200 runs a year and is staffed 24/7. Gibbs never spends time alone at the station, and every loves taking him out for walks and runs.

The station answers over 1,200 runs a year and is staffed 24/7. Gibbs never spends time alone at the station (the mayor volunteered to come get him if the entire crew has to go out at once), and everyone loves taking him out for walks and runs.

Here with volunteer Seth Carey and firefighter Andy Thomas, Gibbs has come a long way from the sad-eyed dog I photographed a few months ago. Thomas said that everyone on the block knows him now from his daily walks, and a local restaurant cooks up a little extra bacon for him each morning. He also noted they’ve had food and dog toys donated for Gibbs since his arrival at his new home.

That’s one happy hound!

Although Gibbs’ adoption was rather unconventional, it just goes to show there’s more than one way to bring happiness into the life of an abandoned dog or cat.

For Gibbs . . . the best is yet to come!

More Springtime Stuff! 4/26/15

Posted on April 26, 2015 by bree1972

Hi Everyone!

Matthew and Jordan spent Friday night with us and had a great time playing in the

Matthew and Jordan spent Friday night with us while their parents were out of town, and they had a great time playing in the “sand box”, then watching an old late-50’s movie about surfing – Gidget (I remember watching this movie about 12 times as a pre-teen and having a really BIG crush on its male star, James Darren – aka Moon Doggie). Matthew thought it was hilarious because of the old surfboards and the really horrible “so fake” close-up shots of the surfing. I admit it was pretty bad compared to today’s standards on special effects, but it’s still a sweet story, and Jordan loved it! I guess it’s a girl thing.

Bear – taking in the cool breeze last night at twilight . . .

. . . while Maddie hunts lizards (the reptiles have taken over from south Georgia squirrels in her “let me at ’em” list of things to banish from the face of the earth.

We’re visited almost every day now by at least 2-3 manatees in our inlet. So fun to watch them swim in, feed, then swim back out to the intracoastal.

From Molly McGreevy: “The staph infection from my surgical drain following the initial surgery is gone now, but one of the antibiotics and the Motrin they were giving me to reduce my fever hurt my kidneys. My kidney function the day I came to the hospital was excellent. A couple days ago, not so good. It’s improving ever so slightly with time since the Motrin has been discontinued, but I have to stay in the hospital until my kidney function returns to normal. Other meds are causing GI issues and nausea, and I’ll probably have to have my PIC line replaced. Thanks again to all my friends and family and all the “strangers” along the way that have helped me or are helping. Sitting on my couch watching a movie with my husband and petting my dog sounds like Heaven right now. To breathe fresh air – don’t take it for granted. I miss my home. God bless.”

Please continue to keep Molly in your prayers. She’s been in the hospital for over a week now (although just today she was moved to one closer to Mackinac). She can’t start her chemo until all these issues have been resolved.

My good Mackinac Island friend, Orietta Barquero, posted the next photos on-line yesterday. These are so bittersweet to me, mainly because this is what the island looked like when Ted and I would arrive on Mother’s Day weekend for the last few years. We get so used to seeing the island either lush and green, with flowers in every possible color spilling out of hanging baskets and flowerbeds, or pure white with snow so bright it dazzles our eyes. But in May . . . in May the island is like a ticking clock. We know the green lies just below the brown of the grass, and the flowers are just beginning to bud and open. In another month it will be Lilac season, but right now there are miracles happening below all that brown. I LOVED being there to watch it happen. Oh heck, I just loved being there.

Have a great week! God bless.

Sand Box 4/23/15

Posted on April 24, 2015 by bree1972

A few weeks ago I was in a florist shop in the European Village in Palm Coast. I fell in love with something they called a “Fairy Garden”, a miniature world nestled into a large bowl of sand. Since the “garden” at the florist cost almost as much as next week’s groceries, I immediately started working on putting one together on my own. I didn’t want a fairy garden though – I wanted a sand box!

I chose to use the large round tray on our family room coffee table.

The hardest part was the sand. You’d think all I’d need to do is walk across the street and fill up a couple of buckets, right? But – after doing some research, I learned I’d have to wash and sift beach sand many, many times and then go through a long, slow process of baking the sand to make sure the millions of organisms left by tiny sea creatures were all killed and the sand sterilized. Add to that a couple of pooches with radar noses who would have sniffed out anything “leftover” that remotely smelled like sea life! Who’s got time for that?

At first I thought I’d buy a bag of sand at Home Depot (like for a child’s sand box), but it just wasn’t the texture I wanted. I called the fairy garden florist, and she told me to go to a pet store and buy the sand used in the reptile cages! It was perfect!

I’ve had a blast adding miniature items to the sand box. I purchased the starfish, the fox shell and the spider shell from a local shell shop, but the other shells we picked up on the beach. There’s a bench with an iced-down bucket of soda, some tiny tools for raking and shoveling, a bicycle (thoughts of Mackinac), and a faux succulent plant.

At night I throw in 2-3 votive candles, and the sand box turns into a moonlit beach.

I plan to add a sea turtle when I find the right one. Who knows what else?! Visitors can “play in the sand” to their heart’s content and add treasures they find on the beach. When it gets too full, I’ll just cull it out and make room for more!

A work in progress . . . . . .

CATS OF THE WEEK

Oliver – a 3-year-old male with a heart of gold to match his eyes!

Sweet Whiskers whose neck and chest reminded me of a penquin! Whiskers is only one, and you can just tell he is Mr. Personality!

Precious little 6-month-old Moonbeam was very scared. Notice how one side of her face is gold and the other side is black?

Precious little 6-month-old Moonbeam was very scared (she made the trip back to her cage riding on my back, with me bent over from the waist, but hey – whatever works). Notice how the right side of her face is gold and the left side is black?

Her sister’s (Sunshine) face is the exact opposite – left side gold and right side black.

This is Lil’Bit – a seven-year-old female.

They tell me Lil'Bit came to the shelter afraid to be touched, spitting and hissing at everyone. Now she loves poses for photographs and has a purr-motor that didn't run out of the gas the entire time I was working with her.

They tell me Lil’Bit came to the shelter afraid to be touched, spitting and hissing at everyone. Now she loves posing for photographs and has a purr-motor that didn’t run out of the gas the entire time I was working with her.

Sagittarius (aka Sage) has been with us since she was a very small kitten. She’s now six-months-old and more than ready for her forever home.

Black cats and dogs get overlooked so often, but they have the same loving hearts as their multi-colored brothers and sisters. Sage is a doll-baby!

SO HAPPY to report that the vast majority of the cats you’ve seen on the blog so far have been adopted and are enjoying being pampered and spoiled by their new families. A few of them (ones that had been with us for a long time) were moved to Jacksonville last week in an effort to make them available to a larger group of people. Flagler Humane Society will do just about anything to get a dog or cat adopted, including transporting them to larger cities. I love that about them!

WHERE WE’RE HEADED!

The Inn at Stonecliffe posted a new video today of this fabulous vacation destination. Ted and I are so excited to be going up to Mackinac Island for four days in June, where we’ll be staying at Stonecliffe, and I’ll be writing a series of blog posts about this special venue. This video just makes me that much more ready to go!

Click here: https://www.facebook.com/stonecliffe/videos/741280812582222/?fref=nf

A FEW EXTRA PHOTOS

Sometimes the reflection of a sunset is almost as pretty as the sunset itself . . . .

. . . but not quite.

Please take the time to read the prayer requests after last Sunday’s blog, and add these needs to your prayer list. And please let us know of others who need to be lifted up.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you back here Sunday – good Lord willing.

God bless.

Spring is . . . . Upon Us! 4/19/15

Posted on April 19, 2015 by bree1972

The photos I’ve been receiving from Mackinac Island this week still show ice in the harbor and on the Straits, and people bundled up in layers, but . . . . the ferries are running, the snowmobiles are stored away, bikes are on the streets, and the horses are coming back!

MACKINAC SPRING!

The surest sign of Spring for Mackinac . . . a ferry full of horses. They return to the island fat and still carrying their winter coats, but soon their curried and slimmed-down-by-working-again bodies will be seen on every Mackinac Street . . . ready for another season! (Photo: Carlie Ann Bertrand)

The surest sign of Spring for Mackinac . . . a ferry full of horses. They return to the island still carrying their winter fat and coats; but soon their curried and slimmed-down-by-working-again bodies will be seen on every Mackinac Street . . . ready for another season! (Photo: Carlie Ann Bertrand)

Warmer weather and ferries running mean tourists have already begun to arrive. And tourists need bikes!

Warmer weather and ferries running mean visitors have already begun to arrive. And visitors need bikes! These are lined up outside Jimmy Fisher’s Mackinac Wheels. (Photo: Bruce LaPine)

Beautiful reflections in icy waters. (Photo: Clark Bloswick)

I'm wondering if this was taken the same morning as the pic above. The conditions sure look the same. The water, not many days ago solid ice, is now smooth as ice - but liquid! (Photo: Greg Main)

I’m wondering if this was taken the same morning as the pic above. The conditions sure look the same. The water, not many days ago solid ice, is still smooth as ice – but there would be a splash (and lots of squealing) if you jumped in now! (Photo: Greg Main)

One more icy water shot. Heather May took this one the other morning on a sunrise bike ride.

A fun shot from Josh Carley! If you’re in market for a nice, used toilet, the Chippewa Hotel has several. The sign in the window tells it all.

A little piece of Mackinac – in Chicago! Jill was recently there and ran across Jack Barnwell, who does much of the awesome landscaping on the island (Barnwell Landscape and Garden Services). Jack was at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show at Navy Pier, promoting Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel Garden Show (Aug. 30-Sept. 1). Here Jack (in his trademark hat) and Taylor Marsack fill a wagon with bushes and flowers.

Jack and his team created an exhibit that had everyone talking. It was a miniature Mackinac Island in a 70-foot by 50-foot display that featured hydrangeas, lilacs, roses, geraniums, and petunias spilling out of hanging baskets and sprawled around bicycles, lampposts, an antique carriage, and a life-like horse sculpture. As a background, Jack displayed two 8 x 20 foot images depicting Grand Hotel and the West Bluff. “A lot of people said it was the show favorite and most original,” Jack stated. (Description provided by Tory Cooney, The Mackinac Island Town Crier)

Remember this photo of Mary, Jeri-Lynn, and Nora Bailey from two weeks ago when they were here at the beach . . . . . .

Remember this photo of Mary, Jeri-Lynn and Nora Bailey when they were here at the beach during Spring Break?

. . . same three ladies - two weeks later and 1100 miles north. The Baileys arrived back on Mackinac this weekend!

Same three ladies – two weeks later and 1400 miles north. The Baileys arrived back on Mackinac this weekend!

FLORIDA SPRING!

Ted and I have been in shorts for at least four weeks . . .

. . . and on Saturday we ate outside at the Funky Pelican for breakfast! What a gorgeous morning that was . . .

. . . with the waves kicking up just enough . .

. . . . that the surfers were out early to try and catch a good wave. If you look closely, you can see them paddling out on the crest of the incoming waves.

. . . shops open on beach time (whenever the owner shows up), and bikers,skateboarders, and pedestrians have the right-away.

I’m beginning to love our sleepy little beach town, where . . .

. . . shops open on beach time (whenever the owner shows up), and bikers, skateboarders, and pedestrians have the right-of-way.

UPDATES

Molly McGreevy: Molly was admitted to the hospital this weekend with an infection where her medi-port was inserted. She had several days of high fever and just general miserable-ness, and the doctors decided she needed more than could be done at home. Please keep her in your prayers through this latest “one-step-back”. She is ready to get started on her chemo, but this infection has to be cleared up first.

Me: The magic cocktail has helped my allergies a lot, but I’m still coughing. If this runs true to course, the cough will hang around a while longer. I’m definitely on the mend though, and thanks for lifting those “hurry and get well” prayers.

Hoping all of you are doing well. I haven’t asked in a while, so if anyone out there has specific prayer needs you’d like to share with our little group here, just let us know in the comment section. All of you hold me up on so many occasions, and I know you would do the same for anyone of us who needs prayer support. Love you all so much for being such good encouragers!

God bless.

Ahhhhh . . . Spring!

Posted on April 16, 2015 by bree1972

Ahhh. . . Spring!

No matter in what part of the country we live, Spring is always a wonderful time of the year. The first hint of green in the lawn, the first buds on the trees and bushes, the first butterflies happily waving good morning with still-damp wings as they flutter through air filled with the scent of sweet salt air.

Ahhhhh . . . Spring!

Ahhhhh . . . . CHOO!

Dang it! I was sure hoping my springtime battle with allergies would be a thing of the past when we moved to Florida. We don’t live near any Pine or Pecan trees, and it was my thinking all this sea air would be filled not with pollen, but with the natural healing powers of salt. I was wrong.

They tell me it’s Oak pollen down here that gets everyone sneezing in the Spring (the Burr Oak and Northern White Oak to be exact), but with a little research, I’ve discovered the mighty Oak is just one of the culprits. There are also grasses: Bahia, Bermuda, Coastal Salt Grass, Eight-flower Six Weeks Grass, Fall Panic Grass (in the spring), Red Top Panic Grass, Smut Grass and Wand Panic Grass.

And then there’s Bayberry.

Makes Georgia’s Pine and Pecan trees look like petty criminals, doesn’t it?!

I lost my voice five days ago – LOST, as in even uttering a whisper required great effort and the pain of trying to squeak out words past a throat so sore I could barely swallow. This is normal for me in Spring. If I’d been in Georgia, I would have called my family doctor at the first sign of a sore throat, and he would have sent me a magic cocktail of antibiotics, cough medicine and prednisone. Two days later it would have been over.

But here. Here I have no family doctor yet. So I put off calling for almost a week as things got progressively worse. This afternoon I broke down and called my Georgia doctor. He’s faxing the magic cocktail prescription to the nearest CVS, and I’ll go pick it up later tonight.

And – hopefully – I’ll be all better by Sunday!

God bless.

Just looking at this makes me feel better. Another masterpiece captured by Clark Bloswick.