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The visit in Napoleon was lovely. We stayed with Aunt Sandy - her house is small, and gorgeous. Very comfortable. We visited with family and drove around just a bit - low-key. Yesterday we went by my grandfather's flower shop that he used to own. I took a photo of the shop but none of the rest of it since the owner was out watering. I forget to take another photo when we went by later! The greenhouses had started to fall into disrepair but the front one has been reroofed in loose plastic with no walls and is being used as a sort of display area as much as a greenhouse. It looked odd but not bad. The building itself and area in front looked pretty, though I think not as neat and tidy as in grandfather's day. I have pictures of it from earlier trips too (when we came back for his funeral, I got some pictures of it then, for Mom as well as me).
Today we drove by the farmhouse where Mom grew up. I did not take pictures there because I am told it did not look then much like it does now - it has been added on to and the side we were on was largely additions although the old porch was there. Plus it is someone else's house now and it felt weird to photograph that. We did see where the garden used to be (now a large shop-like building) and the general area, and the house at least gave a faint feel for it, though not much of one. We turned around in the driveway and as we were leaving there was a little girl (5? 6?) peeping out a window curtain at us as if wondering who we were and whether we were coming to visit. She waved at us as we left and we waved back. She was a cute girl, and I think the most touching and precious thing to me about that visit is this - it's still a family home, and now there is another girl for whom it will be the place where she grew up. That's a nice thought.
We also went by Aunt Connie's old house - after she sold it, it was one of several houses affected by a rash of arsons, and then was redone. You couldn't hardly tell - she could, but I didn't know it that well - the porches and windows are subtly different in places (at least one in an area not affected by the arson), but the overall line and look of the building from the outside is very much the same as when I visited her family there. The current owners are going to add a big room in the back, but they haven't started that yet so it still looks like I knew it. And we visited Uncle Bob at his house next door for a bit.
Yesterday we visited Leigh Ann and quite a few other people at her house (her poor dog got shut in the garage the first time I was there because he scared me - later in the day I just stayed inside as it was hot out anyway and I was more comfy inside). Their cats are sweet. We had dinner there and it was very nice to talk, watch family videos, and hang out. Several of the kids had embarrassing family stories told on them. Myself included - I told it - because it was semi-germane to the conversation and because, with the remove of over 20 years, I find it quite funny myself! I won't repeat it here because I've already told it before on this journal, I think. Also because I am too lazy to type it out. ;)
Last night we played Sorry! at Aunt Sandy's. I think we all won at least one game. I had a run of incredible rolls one game that just had me laughing gleefully, and then the next game when I was starting to feel guilty as my good run continued, it abruptly stopped. It all evens out in the end.
We also visited with Uncle Tom (Mom's brother) and Aunt Naomi (his wife) for a while at Aunt Sandy's house, then went to visit at their house. Aunt Naomi gave Scott and I a pretty crafted rose decoration, and also a gorgeous stained glass piece to hang in a window, both of which she had made herself. I am just in awe - it was so much fun looking at the pieces she has made. So gorgeous!
Today we were in Napoleon until lunch time - we ate at Spanglers (I think I spelled that right) and met several people my aunts know. About one, we headed out and drove up. And drove and drove and droooove. Back in Traverse City safe and sound; we fly tomorrow early. We all ate dinner at Outback before Aunt Connie and cousin Dick continued on their way up to her place. I should have ordered just the appetizer and dessert. The steak was perfectly nice, but a bit much and the mushrooms and the cake were soooo good. The broccoli was good for me, though, at least. At least SOMETHING I ate was. ;) Yum. It's a good thing I didn't have to get back in the car for very long or do anything demanding, I think I would have just collapsed into an inert pile of sleeping Laura. I did enough of that on the way up here. (Cars tend to put me to sleep unless I am driving, and I don't like driving enough to volunteer for it as a cure for that.)
SUCH a good trip. Shorter than I could have wished but still very very nice. We need to visit again loooong before another decade has passed. Anyway, I will at least update by text message when we get in safe.
Today we drove by the farmhouse where Mom grew up. I did not take pictures there because I am told it did not look then much like it does now - it has been added on to and the side we were on was largely additions although the old porch was there. Plus it is someone else's house now and it felt weird to photograph that. We did see where the garden used to be (now a large shop-like building) and the general area, and the house at least gave a faint feel for it, though not much of one. We turned around in the driveway and as we were leaving there was a little girl (5? 6?) peeping out a window curtain at us as if wondering who we were and whether we were coming to visit. She waved at us as we left and we waved back. She was a cute girl, and I think the most touching and precious thing to me about that visit is this - it's still a family home, and now there is another girl for whom it will be the place where she grew up. That's a nice thought.
We also went by Aunt Connie's old house - after she sold it, it was one of several houses affected by a rash of arsons, and then was redone. You couldn't hardly tell - she could, but I didn't know it that well - the porches and windows are subtly different in places (at least one in an area not affected by the arson), but the overall line and look of the building from the outside is very much the same as when I visited her family there. The current owners are going to add a big room in the back, but they haven't started that yet so it still looks like I knew it. And we visited Uncle Bob at his house next door for a bit.
Yesterday we visited Leigh Ann and quite a few other people at her house (her poor dog got shut in the garage the first time I was there because he scared me - later in the day I just stayed inside as it was hot out anyway and I was more comfy inside). Their cats are sweet. We had dinner there and it was very nice to talk, watch family videos, and hang out. Several of the kids had embarrassing family stories told on them. Myself included - I told it - because it was semi-germane to the conversation and because, with the remove of over 20 years, I find it quite funny myself! I won't repeat it here because I've already told it before on this journal, I think. Also because I am too lazy to type it out. ;)
Last night we played Sorry! at Aunt Sandy's. I think we all won at least one game. I had a run of incredible rolls one game that just had me laughing gleefully, and then the next game when I was starting to feel guilty as my good run continued, it abruptly stopped. It all evens out in the end.
We also visited with Uncle Tom (Mom's brother) and Aunt Naomi (his wife) for a while at Aunt Sandy's house, then went to visit at their house. Aunt Naomi gave Scott and I a pretty crafted rose decoration, and also a gorgeous stained glass piece to hang in a window, both of which she had made herself. I am just in awe - it was so much fun looking at the pieces she has made. So gorgeous!
Today we were in Napoleon until lunch time - we ate at Spanglers (I think I spelled that right) and met several people my aunts know. About one, we headed out and drove up. And drove and drove and droooove. Back in Traverse City safe and sound; we fly tomorrow early. We all ate dinner at Outback before Aunt Connie and cousin Dick continued on their way up to her place. I should have ordered just the appetizer and dessert. The steak was perfectly nice, but a bit much and the mushrooms and the cake were soooo good. The broccoli was good for me, though, at least. At least SOMETHING I ate was. ;) Yum. It's a good thing I didn't have to get back in the car for very long or do anything demanding, I think I would have just collapsed into an inert pile of sleeping Laura. I did enough of that on the way up here. (Cars tend to put me to sleep unless I am driving, and I don't like driving enough to volunteer for it as a cure for that.)
SUCH a good trip. Shorter than I could have wished but still very very nice. We need to visit again loooong before another decade has passed. Anyway, I will at least update by text message when we get in safe.
