Stepping Away from the Edge

Fresh Water

Words in the wild . . . from a sticker on a trash can . . .

Enjoy your day!

Tiptoe-ing through the Tulips

In honor of Mother's Day. . .

I thought I'd share a Mom-Story today.

My Mom and Dad live in Holland, Michigan . . . a city on the shore of Lake Michigan . . . home to Hope College (where Brian goes to school) . . . and host of the annual Tulip Time Festival.

When my kids were little, I used to dress them up in their traditional Dutch costumes (just for the record:  we are NOT Dutch) and stick them in the tulips for annual photos.  (Tourists and bus tour folks used to line up behind me, snapping shots of my "authentic little Dutch kids."  Always cracked me up!)

(Little Erin and Little Brian, circa 1994.)

After my Mom retired, she decided she might want to volunteer at Tulip Time.  So I sewed another authentic Dutch costume (seriosuly . . . there are "authentic Dutch costume patterns" and "authentic Dutch costume fabrics" to choose from), and my Mom bought herself a pair of authentic Dutch wooden shoes.

And now, each year during Tulip Time, you can find her . . . working with her pals . . . in the Tulip Time Information Booth in downtown Holland!

So, if you're ever visiting Holland to see the tulips . . . and you want directions . . . or a map . . . or advice on where to grab a bite . . . or a pint . . . stop by and say HI to my Mom!

She'll be there -- tiptoeing through the tulips in her wooden shoes!

Stumbling Onto . . . A Little Surprise

Two weekends ago, I headed to the campus of Michigan State University for a day-long garden design conference sponsored by the MSU Horitculture Gardens.  The conference was wonderful - inspiring and informative.  During our lunch break, I took advantage of the first nice spring day we'd had this season, and took a walk in the gardens.

And stumbled onto this. . .

Surprise!

I discovered that the MSU Hort Gardens had been bombed . . .by knitting!

It was so delightful! 

There were even little knit bees in the trees.

It was such fun to watch the reactions of other garden visitors when they stumbled onto the trees-sporting-knitting!  They were surprised.  And delighted.  And really, really curious!

Yarn bombing . . .

just makes people smile!

(Click here for a cool slide show of other yarn bombings in the world.)

 

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

 

Some music to set the mood. . .

 

I think my favorite vacations involve a trip to the beach.  From the humble beach at my little lakefront cottage . . . to the gorgeous beaches of Maui . . . I just love spending time at the water's edge.  It's calm, and peaceful, and restorative.

And, lucky for me, I live in Michigan. . . where we have beautiful beaches all around us!

Sand.  Surf.  Sunshine.

Beautiful views.  Perfect sunsets.  But no salt water!

When my niece was visiting earlier in August, Brian and I took her to South Haven for an afternoon on the shores of Lake Michigan (where all of these photos where taken).  We had a fabulous time.

This week, Carole has us thinking about Ten Things To Do At The Beach.  Here's what I like to do. . .

1. Just kick back and relax.
2. Listen to the sounds of the water and the seagulls.
3. Walk the beach in the surf.
4. Play in the water and the waves.
5. Work on my tan.
6. Read a little.
7. Maybe take a nap.
8. Engage in some serious people-watching.
9. Find inspiration with my camera.
10. But, mostly, just a whole lot of . . . nothing!

Wouldn't it be nice?  Oh, yeah!

How about YOU?  What do you like to do at the beach?

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 Join the fun!  Sign up for Ten on Tuesday here.

Dog Days . . . Up North

Last week, we spent several days up north at our cottage.  A couple of those days were "work days" (painting inside, staining the exterior, "lumberjack-ing," organizing, sorting through, and more organizing -- I'll fill you in some other day).  But.  We were also able to spend some time relaxing on the lake and getting our fill of Up North time.

I found these to be surprisingly tasty out on the lake!

Jenny loves being Up North with us -- whatever we're doing.

She likes going out in the pontoon boat.  She likes hanging out at the fire pit.  She likes going for walks in the woods.  She likes to swim and wade in the lake.  She likes to just crash and watch movies with us in the evenings.

But most of all, she likes . . .

dock jumping!

In the past, we have tried taking Jenny out in the canoe or kayaks, but it just hasn't worked.  She likes the water too much to sit still.  She rocks the boat. . . with her moving about.  She tries to take drinks from the lake . . . while IN the kayak.  She jumps out mid-ride.  She has not been a reliable passenger --- but, of course, she also doesn't like to be left behind.

Last weekend, Brian wanted to take the kayak out.  Jenny jumped right in.

And wouldn't get out!

She behaved better than ever, and Brian was actually able to take her out for a little spin.

I have a feeling. . .

that we'll never be able to get in the kayak without Jenny again!

 

Market Fresh

I love visiting the Farmer's Market here in Kalamazoo! 

On Saturdays, Tom and I like go to an early spinning class at the gym . . . and then head over to the Farmer's Market on our way home.

This week, Carole has us thinking about Ten Great Things About the Farmer's Market:

1. Fresh, local, in-season fruits and vegetables (That's really what it's all about!)
2. Supporting local farmers  ('Nuff said!)
3. Fresh-baked pies and breads (Tom can never resist the baked goods.)
4. Lovely cut flowers (I especially love to pick up bunches of gladiolas!)
5. Home-baked dog treats (Jenny doesn't come with us to the market, but she is a Very Happy Dog when we come home.)
6. Running into friends (Although it's always too crowded for more than a quick "hello.")
7. Atmosphere (It's just such a pleasant way to spend a bit of time on a relaxed Saturday morning.)
8. Inspired cooking and baking (Sometimes I shop with a specific list, sometimes I just let the veggies call to me!)
9. Sense of community (There's more of a sense of . . . being with others and feeling part of a whole . . . at the Market; so different from the grocery store.)
10. Sample trays (I love the booths that let you sample their berries and peaches and tomatoes as you shop.  Mmmmmm!)

How about YOU?  Are you a Farmer's Market shopper?  What do you especially enjoy?

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 Join the fun!  Sign up for Ten on Tuesday here.

Road Trip!

When most people think of Michigan. . . they think of cars.

And, sure.  There is that.  But. . . Southwest Michigan is more famous for being the Bedding Plant Capital of the World!

And, what does that mean for me? 

Why, it means I'm in Fat City when it comes to high-quality plant material!  It means that I live smack-dab in the middle of some of the best nurseries in the world!   And it means that I look forward to Opening Day for all my favorite nurseries with the same kind of passion that fuels. . . 

• Hunters awaiting the opening of "gun season."
• Fisherman looking forward to "The Trout Opener."
• Shoppers camping out for "Black Friday."

It means that I collect my Opening Day announcements and Early Bird coupons; it means that I mark dates and times on my calendar; it means that my friend Sandie and I have many strategy discussions over coffee; it means . . .

ROAD TRIP!

Even though we have plenty of WONderful nurseries right here in Kalamazoo, Sandie and I traditionally start the nursery season with a road trip to some of our favorite remote nurseries.  This year was no exception, as we hit the road bright and early Saturday morning . . . discount coupons in hand!

First stop. . .

Hidden Grove in West Olive, Michigan.

Grab a cup of coffee, and come along with us!

Hidden Grove is a wonderful nursey with high-quality perennials

fun little garden tchotchkes and beautiful pots

and aisle after aisle

after greenhouse after greenhouse

of great plants for every spot in your garden!  They also have great demonstration gardens out on their property, although it's a bit early in the season to really explore them.

They also have the most stunning array of succulents EVER.

This is only one of several rows of succulents.  (I may have had a bit of a falling down in the succulent sections.)

They also have a gorgeous selection of begonias.  I think I'll take . . .  THIS one!

Next, we swung over to WW Greenhouses, which is probably my first-love when it comes to nurseries.  (Our first house was less than a mile away from this place.  I spent many an afternoon, dragging Toddler Erin and Baby Brian through WW!)

WW's tagline is "The Perennial People" . . . and they aren't kidding!  They have a great selection of perennials, native plants, pond plants, and annuals that will just knock your socks off!

WW always EXPLODES with color.

Their greenhouses go on for acres!  They do a wonderful job with demonstration gardens -- both inside and out.

Their hanging baskets and containers are inspiring!  The best I've seen -- and, trust me, I've seen a LOT of great hanging baskets at various nurseries in the area.

They even have butterflies and birds.  It's just a delight.

(The Japanese Forest Grass came home with me; sadly, the Red Admiral did not.)

And here's the funny part.  We weren't going to buy anything at WW.  We were just goiing to look.

Oops.

Here's Sandie with her cart!  Mine was significantly less full, but still. . .

We definitely pushed the limits of Sandie's new Prius -- and have dubbed it the Official Flower Wagon of All Road Trips!

Now. . . if only the weather would warm up so we could get rid of the frost warnings!

 

Now That's More Like It!

We've had a weird winter.  Generally warm.  Rainy.  Hardly any snow at all.  Then, on Thursday night, it started to snow.

And it only just stopped about an hour ago (it's Saturday now).

We got a lot of snow.

See this map?  (From mLive.)

It shows how much snow fell in lower Michigan.  See the purple spot in southern Michigan?  Kalamazoo.  10-12 inches.  That's us!

We're in a little valley here in Kalamazoo, and just the perfect distance from Lake Michigan.  A little "snow belt."  It happens like this a lot.  We get dumped on!

12 inches is a lot of snow!

As you can imagine, Jenny is thrilled with the snow in her backyard!

She goes NUTS in the snow. 

And Tom is pleased to have a new, warm hat -- finished last night -- just in time for a romp with Jenny.

(The hat was supposed to be for Brian, but Tom wanted it.  And Brian isn't around to claim it.  So. . . finder's keepers. . . and all that.)

(Ravelry details here.)

For now, the sun is coming out.  But there's more snow in the forecast. . .

Looks like winter has finally arrived.

Virtual Visit

Because I just can't be finished with my glorious weekend, I invite you to come with me. . .

Join me . . .for a virtual walk in the woods. . . on a most pleasant afternoon in autumn. . . in Michigan.

And what happens at the end of the trail?  Well, you'll have to enjoy this virtually, too, I'm afraid!

Bottoms up!

 

First Time Ever

I was trying to calculate, the other day, just how long we've had our cottage up north.

We bought the lot when Erin was just beginning kindergarten.

And a year later, we started building the place.

We were actually able to spend the night inside (although it wasn't yet "finished") the summer after Erin finished second grade.

So, that would be. . . about 15 seasons now. . . that we've had the cottage.

And, in all that time, I've never once spent a lovely fall weekend up there!

Oh, I've spent some crappy fall weekends up there!  Weekends full of rain.  Weekends with already-bare trees.

But, mostly, I was driving a kid to hockey games all over the state on weekends in the fall.  (And winter.  And spring.  For that matter.)

So, imagine my delight, when we hit this weekend up at the cottage.

Perfect weather.  Perfect color.

For the first time ever!