I’ve never spent any real time in the UP. The farthest north I’ve ever gotten, in fact, is St. Ignace. So it was pretty exciting to head out from there on our fourth morning. After a stop at Java Joe’s (because I’ve somehow become a coffee person this summer), we […]

Well, there seems to have been a tiny delay between the reporting of Day 2 and this recap of Day 3. But, finally, several weeks after the actual event, come photos and recollections! I loved our time in the Traverse City area. But I was very excited about visiting the UP too. […]

Oh, that’s right…*I* wasn’t the one doing the thinking – or the not thinking – in this case. This one was all my husband. Yay! I’m blameless. (This time.) So I give you many, many photos of our new family member: Nick Furry. (Initially named Nick Fury, but amended because […]

I figure there are just some things you do for your kids to make them happy. Right? Because I don’t think I’d otherwise want to have this critter in my house. She’s not horrible. (The neighbor kid, a bearded-dragon owner himself, informed us that Ryu Tatsu is a she. Not […]

I would have taken photos of Natalie MacMaster if we’d been a little closer to the stage. But from our vantage point, she was kinda tiny. Her sound, however, was pretty massive. At the intermission, Devin said, “Let’s climb the hill!” I hadn’t really looked at the hill before then. […]

Do you notice how my dog is practically leaning over? (Yeah, the photo is a bit slanted too, but you know what I mean.) She has no shame. She’ll beg for anything. If there’s food, Juliette is on it. And in this case, it was something I’m sure she thought […]

There are times when I feel like I’m letting my kiddo down when it comes to the act of play. It’s not that I’m not playful. It’s just that we have different interests or different energy levels depending on the timing. Some of his favorite things to do: Legos Matchbox/Hot […]

I hate seeing my pets grow old. I knew it was going to happen, of course, but it doesn’t make it easier. Maggie the cat is still pretty fairly spry, even at 14, but Juliette is showing the signs. Trouble on the stairs. A little less energy. Some grey on […]

The first date I ever went on with my husband wasn’t really our first date. But I’m gonna call it that for this story.* We used to go to lunch a few times a week with another guy we worked with, but Mark wasn’t free that day. I’d just started […]

Spring break is almost over, but I figured I’d better log the first part of it before too much more time goes by! My son’s class was given a Game Changer award by the Detroit Pistons for the charitable work they’ve done in our community. That meant free tickets for […]

We like Finn. He came to us last summer all scrawny and a little unsure of how to be a pet after running wild and solo in the Cascade woods. He didn’t endear himself to me right away, I admit. But once we got the spraying under control, my heart […]

The other day I heard Devin outside my office door making typical “playing with toys” noises. I asked him what he was playing and he told me he was setting up a battle. Sounded good to me. And on I worked. A half hour or so later, I came out […]