a day full of sunshine

Bill had Tuesday off. After I finished working, we took the time to go visit my favorite place, Meijer Gardens. I was really excited because the "Thinker" from Detroit Museum of Art is on loan while they're doing renovations.



It is a completely different world to see everything so green! I had hoped more wild flowers would be in bloom. I'm going back next Friday with Sami and her daugher Rhea. We're going to "experience" the Chocolate Tree. Yummy! Bill and I did get the free pieces of chocolate while we were there.

There also seems to be a lot of new things going on here too!

I will make sure to take lots of pictures of the U.P. and I will share them with you when I return! I am very excited to go!

Weekend plans

This was my weekend to relax. So on Saturday; I weeded along the side of our house, I sanded the butcher block, then I oiled the top and put a coat of polyurethane on the rest of it, I cleaned the house and did a load of laundry or two. Whew! I was pretty tired by days end. Bill and I enjoyed a lovely dinner. He grilled pork, potatoes and a Vidalia Onion. It was scrumptious. Sunday, I lightly sanded the butcher block and got the second coat of oil on it. Then I had just started the second coat of polyurethane when I heard something. Was that thunder? Hm, we only had a 30% chance of scattered storms. Well, there it was again. Then I felt a drop. I took the butcher block into the kitchen. Then it rained. Not too hard, and barely enough to wet the deck. So I finished the butcher block in the kitchen. It looks great!

Currently it is drying in the dining room. I had it back in the kitchen, but we have to let it dry before we can put anything on it. I don't want to ruin it, and Bill kept forgetting and was setting things down on it. So I just moved it out of the kitchen. It will be dry enough to use tomorrow. I know, you can't even notice anything about it. Trust me, it's gorgeous up close. It's silky smooth and the finishes really POP!

On Friday, the Jr. High Youth Group leaves for the U.P. We're all pretty excited for that trip. There are eleven kids and five adults going.

I did receive a 1/2 birthday card!!! Thanks Cathy.

That's all for today.

Happy Half Birthday to me

Yes, today is my half birthday. I'm officially 29 1/2. Six months until I turn 30!

I hope that you all will wish me a happy half birthday today! I should celebrate my half birthday with a big party. Seeing as how my birthday is in the dead of winter, and twelve days from Christmas. I love the month of December. But I've never had a pool party, or any kind of outdoor birthday party. Every picture from every birthday, everyone is wearing sweaters and looks about twenty pounds heavier. That could be from the layers of clothing, or from all the holiday goodies they've been eating. Either way, no outdoor parties for me. Maybe I'll start having 1/2 birthday parties so I can enjoy sunshine on my half birthdays! Bill says I can't have a party this year anyways because we're going on the cruise. I tried explaining to him, yes, that's for us. Other people will want to help me celebrate my birthday. Am I right?

So happy 1/2 birthday to me. I celebrated by eating my favorite breakfast: egg & cheese on a croissant. Yum!

I got nothing else.

Things I learned from Relay...

For those of you who read my blog who didn't know, I was a part of the Committee for the Downtown Grand Rapids Relay for Life. It was Friday and Saturday. I was in charge of the Luminaria Ceremony. I was nicknamed the "luminaria nazi". But let me tell you, those luminaries looked awesome! We were at Ah-Nab-Awen Park, which is between the Gerald R. Ford Museum and the Grand River. The "track" was 1200.4 feet long. There were luminaries lining the entire track except for maybe 100 feet. If you haven't seen it, off to the right on this main page -> is an article from the Grand Rapids Press about a family. It is a very touching story.

Things I learned:

you should sleep (at least a few hours, I went 32 hours with no sleep, then slept for 18)
Committees have members for a reason
sunblock should always be used
driving the Mule (aka Donkey) is FUN!
Construction should not be allowed from the hours of 5pm-2am
Rachael is hilarious
always bring a sweatshirt!
Salsa dancing is fun
Don't lift six concrete blocks (not all at the same time, I moved them individually)


Then there was the Quota Golf Outing yesterday. I didn't learn anything (not that I can think of right now) but we did go on a wildlife golf cart safari! Pam and I saw:
a black squirrel (obviously relocated from Detroit, that's not a slam, it's true, the squirrels over there are black)
A crane (the bird)
a black swan nesting,
the dad black swan who started to charge us
robins
cardinals
brown squirrels
butterflies
moths
dragonflies
golfers
the drink cart
yard men
a lifeguard
a helicopter
and an airplane

I was driving the golf care, Pam was enjoying the drink cart, and having fun pointing all these things out on our "safari". It was fun! Oh, and Pam scored a 47 and I scored a 45 on the 18 hole course. It might have helped if we had golf clubs, but we had a great time figuring out how well we play!

So if you've wondered where I've been, well I was a little busy! I have no pictures, if I get any, I'll post them!

In a world of Harry Potter...

I am obsessed!



Oh yes, my friends. An amusement park for Potter fans. Heather and I are already planning our trip! If it turns out to be anything like these drawings, I will be geeked. The architecture of a surreal world facinates me. Perhaps that's why I do enjoy Las Vegas. The lengths that the designers have gone to, to recreate ancient buildings is truly amazing. Maybe that's why I went into Historic Preservation? Anyone can build new, but to recreate the past... or to save what we have already built, is a challenge in itself. So to see other people imitating that, well, I enjoy it! How accurate is it?

Okay, I'm not going to get into a debate about all of that, plus I don't think anyone who reads my blog gives two cents about architecture like I do, and therefore it would be a one-sided debate. Instead, I'm going to bore you with all things Harry Potter! Or, just the poster for now.