Traverse City Film Festival

Another great film festival!! Saw plenty of great films that leave you thinking afterward. The great film hangover!! Were lucky enough to enjoy some with Claudia and Lance and Bill and Paula, and Mary and Jerry. My favorite was either "Woodstock" or "Entre Nos"

Best Friends Birthdays!!

One of my BFF's Claudia and I got to celebrate and share our birthday's together. Our good friend Sandy hosted it and several people came to celebrate our birthday. There was guitar music by Charlie and dancing and great food and the most wonderful cheesecake brought by Vince. Thank you to everyone for coming....My life is truly enriched by all of you.

A Very Special Dinner

Thanks to Vince's sister we were able to celebrate a very special gratitude by enjoying a very nice meal at "The Cook's House". The food was exquisite and the company delightful. But most of all we felt the gratitude that we could be there to enjoy it. So thank you universe and thank you Sharon. "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it"

Zoo-de-Mac Bike Tour 2009

Yea!!! My fourth zoo-de-mac under my belt. For me it means the first sign of summer and requires riding my bike miles and miles in preparation. for some of my 14 closest friends it merely means getting on your bike and riding. The weather was as expected...cold and raining. But still my heart is warm to be able to spend the weekend with such wonderful people and friends. I am a lucky woman.

Lily's Birthday

Four, four, four whole years old. Oh, my.

"Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old"

Easter Celebration!!

My friend Paula invited many of us over to her house to celebrate Easter. We had great food and great company and great conversation. And here is Alice and I in our Easter bonnets!!

Easter with some of the Grandkids

Four of my 9 grandchildren came for easter dinner. Vince and I spent the prior day stuffing 60 plus eggs with candy and hiding them around my small condo. They did a good job, but still found a few a few days later about the house. Check out the handsome dudes in their shirts and ties!

Images of Negril

Party!!! We hired a driver to take us to Negril. We partied at Margarittaville, had a great jerk lobster dinner, the on to Rick's American Cafe for the sunset and to watch the cliff divers. A great time!!!

Romantic River Rafting

The ultimate float! A little different then we are used to in Northern Michigan. We were poled down the river on a bamboo raft by our raft captain. Very leisurely. The water was incredibley green.

"The most important things in life are not things" c. archie danielson

Just Another Sunset........

Jamaica!!!

Paradise.....
Vince and I spent a week in Montego Bay, Jamaica. What a great way to break up the winter and spend time together. This is our resort in the heart of Montego Bay. We enjoyed the beach, the rooftop jazuzzi, the restaurant and the disco. We met new friends. We won the ping-pong tournament, the "name that tune and dance it" contest, and Vince was crowned Reggae King. It was a great time to relax, regroup, and enjoy each others company. And the first trip in a long time that there was no air travel problems. Ya, Mon!!
p.s. Brian, thanks for the recommendation on the island, and Sandy for the resort.


"In the coldest February, as in every other month, in every other year, the best thing to hold on to is each other" Linda Ellerbee

Bi-Annual Work Bowling/Dance Party

Thanks boys!

Every other year the docs take the whole clinic out for dinner, dancing, and bowling. This group works hard and plays hard too.

"Take your work seriously, but yourself lightly" c.w.metcalf

Spring.....like

All of a sudden it went from below freezing to the 50's. But I know this trick, I've seen it before. So I didn't get my bike out, or get the kayak out, or even move the window scraper to the back of the car. But, we did go for a walk to do errands, which in the winter requires a car (at least for me). Stopped at the coffee shop near my house for a warm up and to read the paper. A great way to spend a winter day when the temperature is in the 50s.

"The first day of spriong is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month" Henry Van Dyke

Bon Voyage to Claudia and Lance

Off to the Phillipines!!! We spent one last night with our good friends Claudia and Lance before they started on their adventure to the Phillines for 2 months. After all the packing and repacking they were ready to go. Claudia's cat is living at my house with her boyfriend Luis for the time being. So we put on our "south of the equator" clothes and celebrated at a party then the "Top of the Park". I am so excited for their adventure, one of many more to come.

"The most beautiful discovery true friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart" elizabeth foley
We await your return and to hear of your adventure.

Our Personal Chef Dinner

Wow!! Last fall Vince and I bid on Personal Chef Services at a fund raiser for diabetes. We had a dinner for 6 of our close friends. The Chef, Mary Sue, came at 4pm and started cooking. Appetizers were served when our guests arrived, followed by courses of shrimp cocktail, then salad with pears and oranges, then vegetable pesto pasta, then the main dish, seafood stew. It had crab, lobster,shrimp, mussels, clams, and sea bass. Wow, was it good. Then creme brule' for desert. And one of the best things was that the dishes were all done when they left. We had fun doing a wine tour with my niece the weekend before and we picked out wine for each course. The Chef brought a server who whisked the plates away and presented each new course. We used every piece of silverware in my house. A good time was had by all.

New Year's Eve Celebration

"Excess on occasion is exhilerating. It prevents moderation from aquiring the deadening effect of a habit" W. Somerset Maugham

We had dinner with friends, then went to the "Dancing with the Stars' charity competition and dance. Partied and danced the night away.

South Beach

A step back and forward.

The Art Deco architecture was so cool, and the neon lights at night were so retro! We spent the evening "cruising' the streets of South Beach, checking out the people, the architecture, and the atmosphere. Way cool!!

Dolphins at Christmas

An adventure of a lifetime! We went to a dolphin research center and had an opportunity to swim with the dolphins during their "recess" period. No tricks, or trainer...if they want to meet you they will approach and if not they won't. Our group had 8 in the pod, two of which were babies. The male did several sneak approaches to me and then swam right up beside me and looked me in the eye for about 5 seconds. It was like he was looking into my soul.

Then the two mother dolphins came by several times, just inches away, and showed me their babies. We were told that if they presented their "tummy' side that meant they were very curious about you, because they can see you the best in that position. I saw all four tummies of the moms and their babies. Thank you Vince and all 8 dolphins for a wonderful experience.

I'm Dreaming of a Sunny Christmas....

I flew to Florida to join Vince and his family for Christmas. What a great way to celebrate. Except for the fact that my luggage didn't show up for 2 days. No make up, no flip flops, no sundress... NO BATHING SUIT!! But what I had was someone who cares very much about me and a warm and welcoming family.

Christmas

We had a big, sloppy, happy Christmas celebration. The universe smiled on me and we were able to have the kids and grandkids all together for a spontaneous Christmas celebration. We had pizza, played with the Fisher-Price band instruments and opened presents. It was a great night. Thank you all.

Precious Package

A very precious package arrived right after Thankgiving, Hunter Christopher. He was so thoughtful to arrive on a Sunday so I would make the trip to welcome him on his actual birthday. Mom and Dad are doing well, and big brother David, and big sister Lily welcomed him into their family.

So let me see,.... yup almost enough grandkids for a soccer team.

I love you Hunter. Love, Grandma

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner

What an Adventure, cooking my first vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner. No big turkey with stuffing. Instead we had wild rice with morel mushrooms, feta shrimp, bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, homemade cramberry sauce and plenty of wine to wash it down with. We watched movies and settled in. We had a great time.