German Style Light and Healthy

Here are some fresh made sausage with apple and chicken. Roasted veggies and a glass of Pinot Noir made this a meal to enjoy with the sunset out back.

Organic Garden = Healthy Eats

My neighbors have planted an extensive organic garden and it is overflowing its borders. I am so lucky to receive the bounty of this healthy excess! I roasted this medley of fennel, beets, carrots, parsnips, new potatoes, and leeks with a drizzle of olive oil and good old salt and pepper.


Next these two lovely cucumber cousins became a cold salad on the side! Just a little champagne vinegar with dill and onion. Dinnertime and not a dime spent. Thank you to the Lake Family!

Lake Michigan from the Porch

I had the privilege of crashing the Schimmel Family Reunion on Lake Michigan in Muskegon. I love this family. Every last one of them. Karen and Fred are the most generous of hosts. Cousin Diane lived with my family for a short while. Her two sisters (Sharon and Laura) are busy raising beautiful future femme fatals. The weather was perfect. The lake was warm and swim-able late into the night. Star gazing with a wine before the final campfire made midnight come all too soon. Magic. All because I crashed the Schimmel party. Thank you Karen, Fred, Sharon, Matt, Lydia, Ella, Ava, Laura, Roy, Elaine, Diane and Michigan.

Hospital Sofa

This was 2 weeks ago. The recovery room was open for business. The boys were drugged to drowsy and resting with their respective wounds. Ryan had his right big toe nail removed. Evan continued to nurse the broken elbow and road rash. Both are doing very well and resuming all normal activities. I plan to close the hospital wing until further notice!

Broken Bookends

Karen went down June 5th and had a compound fracture of her left radius and ulna.
Evan crashed his Motorcycle July 15 and fractured his elbow in the right radial head.
NO MORE FRACTURES! Thank you very much...

In The Northern Michigan Woods

This is the view from the porch. This is the cottage without computers, telephones, television or a shower. There are bathrooms and a hand held hose in the bathtub. The library has free wifi and most of the time if you leave the phone a message, I will eventually get it. Some people have powerful phones that work- I just choose to be disconnected for awhile. Rocking and knitting. Swimming and sunning. Walking and talking. Sipping and snacking...

Winter Hats for Summer Girls

I am in my home state with my home friends- about to start the relative circuit. It has been a relaxing and restful trip, so far. I have been to only one knit shop and practiced great restraint. I had to buy yarn for the custom order! Two bright yellows and a pink, please.

My cousins children had requested hats in very specific colors and I wanted to knit them and mail them to the little ladies. Here you see the towheads on the shore of Lake Michigan. The oldest, Lydia sat in my lap and learned to knit. She will need a refresher, but she actually got through a couple of rows. The younger two(Ella and Ava) were more interested in playing in the waves. When we parted company I went to the knit shop I know up north and got busy and knit their hats and mailed them away to Des Moines. The snowy plains are just months away...