A Beautiful Day in Michigan

 While visiting Grand Rapids we went to their farmer's market.  They have a wonderful market, Danny bought ingredients to make dinner for us that evening.  After the market we went to the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.  It was their chrysanthemum show and we really enjoyed ourselves.

 Jess and I decided we would like a sofa upholstered in this burgundy chartreuse flower design, it felt like velvet.

 Danny and Jess with the mums.

 Beautiful orchids and the volunteers busy trimming and potting made me think of Hubby's Mom, my MIL Esther in this area.  Es, you would love their displays.

 We did a lot of looking up...

 Outdoors is their sculpture walk.  I loved this one, Mean Mom.  It kind of reminds me of someone... you too?

 Hubby and I love this vine and are thinking about tearing off all the ivy that keeps the Stone House standing, and planting this vine.  It's transition to Fall red is gorgeous.

 This statue has an uncanny resemblance to Danny.

 The fish were large and friendly.

Leonardo Di Vinci's The Horse by Nina Akamu has a wonderful story and it is 24 feet high.

 Last stop was the Children's Garden.  Hubby and Jess were hoping Danny wouldn't throw a fit when it was time to leave.  The Great Lakes exhibit was Great!  We enjoyed racing our boats, watching them get caught in the rapids and we enjoyed looking at the map on the ground to put the lakes in perspective.

 We loved our day at the Frederik Meijer Gardens.  I'd like to visit again in the Summer for a concert and at Christmas time for their display of Christmas trees from all over the world.

Michigan to be continued...

Michigan Visit

Hubby and I took a trip to Michigan to visit Danny and Jessica this past weekend.  We arrived late but we were welcomed with a beautiful basket filled with Michigan treats in our hotel room from Dan and Jess.  It was perfect because we were hungry.  It was late in Michigan  but still felt like a late dinner time for us.

 The next morning we picked Danny up for school at his place, ate breakfast at Marie Catrib's and then drove to Grand Valley University in Allendale where we were met with a marching band.  A basket filled with treats and a marching band, we are starting to feel pretty special!  Danny went to class and Hubby and I walked all over the campus enjoying the sunshine and beautiful Fall colors.

 Grand Valley University has a beautiful campus and the students all looked so clean cut and happy that it just made me smile.

 Danny had afternoon classes at the downtown Grand Rapids campus so after we dropped him off there we went back to our room and took a nap.  We drove around Calvin College and Reeds Lake too.

In the evening we picked up Braden from his dorm at Calvin College and drove to Bistro Bella Vita, the restaurant where Danny works as a waiter.  We met Danny and Jess there and had a delicious dinner.

Everything was so good, we enjoyed visiting with Braden, Dan and Jess and meeting all of Danny's coworkers.  They made us a special appetizer and it was crazy good!

When they saw Hubby they felt as though they were looking at Danny in 20-30 years.

 I was in the moment so my pictures aren't good but you get the idea, good times!

 More trip stories later...

Saturday Stuff

 I'm enjoying a cup of tea this morning, remembering the great time I had in NYC.  I love my Starbucks mugs from vacations and great places.  I'm also enjoying a glass of emergen-C.  I have been drinking one to two a day since September.  A month filled with air travel and little sleep, I am on high alert for a cold.

I have the "tiredsorethroatthing" going on right now!

My friends know all about my "tiredsorethroatthing", it freaks me out.  It's time to get rest and drink lots of emergen-C to ward off  some cruddy sickness.  I used one of the vintage stir sticks that I found at the Lynden Craft and Antique Show to mix my emergen-C.  I love these old drink stir sticks, and this was a bag full of great ones.  I used the glass cobalt blue one this morning, it's from the St. Moritz, On The Park, New York City.  A great hotel that was built in the 1930's, the Moritz is now the Ritz Carlton in NYC.  I like to imagine going for a drink in these old hotels and restaurants. 

I'm am also trying to resist eating a pumpkin bar for breakfast... not easy.

I sent a pan of them to work with Hubby this morning.  I should have sent all of them.

I bought a small set of dishes at the show.  They're green, they are from England and they were a crazy deal.  When I find green dishes I know that I'll use them in the Fall, in the Spring and in the Summer and that I can mix them in at Christmastime.  I paid less than 10% of the value I found online.  Aren't they pretty?

Honestly, I don't know why I'm justifying dishes to you?  I love them and I don't care what anyone thinks.

 I received a gift of shiney brites this week.  In the box!  Max and Kassie found them in Walla Walla and she brought them over to me.  I love the shiney brites and the box but what I love even more is that they thought of me and bought me this gift.  I really do have thoughtful, great kiddos.

The Lynden Antique and Craft Show is open today until 5:00 p.m.  You may want to run down to do a bit of shopping and enjoy the mini donuts.  

Have a great weekend :)

Chicken Saltimbocca and Other Random Notes

I ordered Chicken Saltimbocca in New York City. I fell in love.  Now that I am home I've been try to recreate that crazy goodness that I enjoyed in the city.  I have put my own twist on it with a mushroom marsala sauce.  Frankly, it is a crazy good combination.  I should have been Italian.  Saltimbocca means to jump in the mouth.  It kind of makes me want to jump up and down, it is so good.  I'd share the recipe but it's all still in the development stages.  I've made two attempts, so I'm getting there.

I no longer have jet lag, the laundry is caught up, the pile on my desk at work is diminishing so I guess it's time for another trip.  October used to be "get back in the school and football groove", now it's vacation month.  This time I'm going with Hubby to visit Danny and Jess in Michigan.  They have made many plans for us and I can hardly wait to see them.  Really, I'll be home in November, every day.

The rain and Fall season is here and I am loving it!  Nothing beats a rainy Sunday afternoon on the sofa with a good book.  I do miss all of my guys though... I have no one to bake for except Hubby and me.  

I am craving something pumpkin.  Scones, bars, muffins anyone?  I hope to bake this weekend.  And do some Fall decorating.  It will be nice to come back to a Fall decorated house. 

Enjoy the rain!

The Big Pumpkin

We went to the pumpkin patch this afternoon.  My brother grows pumpkins for competition.  Ken has won for several years and this year it looks like he has some winners again.  After Sunday dinner, we headed over to his place to help him get his pumpkins out of the patch and on the trailer.  He is pictured below cutting the umbilical cord of baby A.

 I don't have exact weights yet but we are guessing they are over 400 pounds each, this guess is based on previous years pumpkins.

 Pumpkins Baby A and Baby B are loaded on the trailer and are going to competition this week.

You may be wondering what Ken wins, well, besides honor and the glory of winning he will receive a large metal pumpkin necklace.  An Olympic medal, of sorts.

 Good luck, Ken!
Edited to add:  One weighed 561 pounds and one weighed in at 494 pounds.
That's a lot of pumpkin pie!

New York City

 We saw a lot in NYC considering we arrived on Friday afternoon and left on Monday afternoon.  We went up the Empire State Building, to the Statue of Liberty, to Ellis Island, on the double decker city bus tour, to Eataly, to the 911 Memorial, we shopped and we ate. 

 On Sunday we walked to Central Park and in Central Park.  It was beautiful with Fall color.  We came back up Fifth Avenue and stopped at St. Patrick Cathedral during their worship service, then ate a diner breakfast before getting ready to go to our Broadway matinee.

 I love urns and saw so many great ones.  I loved this one with the black but wished they had watered the mums as they could have been beautiful.

 New York City's finest were having their muster right on the street.  It made me miss Hubby.

Mary Poppins on Broadway was my favorite part of the trip.  It was so amazing. 

After the show we had a drink at Guy Fieri's place and then met up with Kathi's brother-in-law, Jordan.  He is a New Yorker and doesn't Kathi look like one with her 7 inch heels?  The last time she visited NYC she wore Jesus sandals, but this time she looked the part.

We had a great time with Jordan at the Spice Market.  Lots of laughs and catching up with him.

 We also enjoyed an amazing dinner.

 On Monday morning we went to the taping of the Today Show, it was fun to see in real time and we got on TV.  You may have seen me during the clip of the blogger that makes fun of mom bloggers.  The irony was not lost on me. Haha.

I took some pictures but mainly I let the Snapsister that is my sister take care of the photography so I will share more pictures after she gives me a disc.

New York City was amazing and the time with my Sista Cuzs was really the best part.