August 20, 2014

• I'm Baack

  Many thanks to all of my subscriptions who kept posting tantalizing blogs while I perseverated  about the value of my Xanga account.  On one hand, I don't think I have $48 worth of stuff to write about, but on the other hand, it's good mental exercise and I will feel compelled to write to get my money's worth.  That's the trouble with being so penurious; one has to make every purchase worth the investment which often results in wearing shoes that cripple.  Of course, ascribing to the adage that, "If it's free, it fits" can have the same effect.

  So, here's the latest news that's fit for print:

  I finally took a vacation (after two years!!) and went to Michigan for a family reunion.  I stopped in Denver to spend the weekend with my favorite niece (MFN) Tamera.

  The Chihuly glass exhibit was on loan to the Denver Botanic Gardens in Boulder.  We had passed on seeing it in Seattle last November because admission was $28/head and, again with that value thing, I didn't think I would enjoy it that much.  Here in Boulder, it was only $15 and what a bargain it was!  The Gardens alone were worth the price of admission and the glass, artistically displayed among the foliage, was spectacular.

   

  

  Denver Botanic Gardens, Boulder, CO

  Thankfully, what happens in Denver, stays in Denver so I won't go into any further details of the weekend but suffice it to say, we had almost all of the fun that's legal in that state.  Pot, in all of its glorious incarnations is legally sold and consumed now, but sadly I've grown too mature to enjoy that particular vice.

  The flight to Grand Rapids was uneventful except for the seatmate who worked on designing his parents' kitchen on his laptop with his elbow firmly planted in my ribs, oblivious to the fact that I was forced to scrunch into the little recess of the window to escape.

  My lovely cousin, Karen, met me at the airport

  and we proceeded to ransack her pantry for provisions for a week in the woods at cousin, Mila's house.  We first raided the garden where she picked some deep purple beans.  The summer has been cool and wet so her garden was not yet at it's peak production but as it turned out, we didn't make much time to cook anyway.  Her hens gave up their unborn and her neighbor's cow donated her child's breakfast to lighten my coffee.  I remembered to bless them each time I enjoyed their bounty.

  At Mila and Ted's B&B we enjoyed all the amenities.

  

  A "Girls' Night Out at Boatworks, on the shore of Lake Macatawa would have been memorable but for the copious amounts of liquor consumed.  I believe I had TWO glasses of wine.  Thank goodness for the photographic memory of my Nikon!  MFN, Tuesday, was as always, the life of the party, laughing uproariously at my jokes.  (or did you forget this is ALL about me?)

  

  We spent the final three days of the week with MFgreat-N, Ricky, who recently bought a house in Grand Rapids.  Big city life was fun after the idyllic stint in the woods.  More eating and drinking ensued, interspersed with walking the dogs and shopping.

  

  And we prepared our contributions to the potluck family reunion, hence the onion in my hands in the photo above.  I made three pans of black bean/corn enchiladas, which to my surprise, were quite a hit.  My mid-western cousins seem to be developing more eclectic tastes than I remember from past reunions.  Years ago the buffet table consisted mainly of hamburger helper type casseroles and jello salads/deserts.

  My dad joined his former in-laws' reunion too.  He seems to have better relations with them now than when he was married to my mom.

  

  MFN  Tamera met me for dinner at the airport on the way home for one last hurrah (or is that spelled Merlot?)

  

  Nearly a month later, I'm still basking in the memories of my loving family.  I am indeed the wealthiest woman alive!

   

  • 9:28 am
  • 8 Comments