More Summer Hijinks...

Work on the church took on a different pace as summer wound down. My father's 70th Birthday celebrations moved from Royal Oak north to the Cottage for more food and family fun. And work!

Feasting!

Birthday Boy!

Thus fortified, we put the clan to work. Remember Stosh and Edju, our two baby Maples? They are getting brothers and sisters!

Tree hole

The "soil" was very hard clay. Very hard. In between rocks. 

Six more trees were planted. And named.

Since the trees were so young, we protected them from the ubiquitous deer population the best we could.

Corrugated Man!

We used corrugated tubes to protect the tender bark.

Live long and prosper, wee tree!

Meet: Claude, Carolyn, Chris, Carrie, Mike and Joe. 

Is it weird to name trees after your family? So be it. I think they deserve to be recognized for all their hard work! Thanks, Fam!
We did have down time as well. Here is my beloved family doing what they love!

Dad's lifelong love of Cheerios!

Mom's lifelong love of coffee!

Mike's lifelong love of music and art

I didn't get a shot of the postprandial card game, but that would've been the one for my brother. He's sharp as a tack, and full of strategy. It was good to see him again. It was a super long trip for them to make, but it was a lovely visit, and I'm so grateful to God for my wonderful family.

The family that plants together, stays together!

P. S. This is the Meyers family circa 1978-ish:

Claude, Carolyn, Chris and Carrie

"I Look Pretty Young...

but I'm just backdated...yeah!" - Substitute, the Who.

This post is backdated because I have been on a blogging hiatus. Unintentional, of course. If it had been intentional I'd call it a vacation. But no one vacated.

Don't be fooled, I'm working out the mass of the Higgs Particle... 

It's almost as if we hit a wall around August, and all of our get up and go...well, got up and went, to quote another vintage rock and roll song. We took a physical and emotional break from two and half solid years of renovating a 150 year old church. But it wasn't a real break, because we still worked on the church. And church- related items, plus some unrelated items that just needed attention. Here are some of the things we've been doing. You'll notice a definite theme of old and new.

Mike's vintage 1968 Chevy needed some love.

This truck is as old as I am! And it needs love!

Sometimes love hurts! 

The idea was to have a vehicle handy at the church so that we could drive up together in one car on a Friday after work, and we'd have two vehicles to use for the weekend when we got to Port Austin.



But the truck wasn't running well, the brake lines had disintegrated, there was no gas pedal, and the heat was stuck on.
So we took it to a local shop and the nice man there put some time and effort into making her roadworthy.




We also spend time and energy on our Voting Booth. Yes, it was an actual voting booth at one time, but it has been our trusty shed for the past 14 years. And it needed love. So I cracked open another can of Sikkens and got busy on her.

Scrape and Paint- it's like a miniature Church!

Actually it was nothing like the Church. Way easier! 

And then, well, we had a new arrival. Warning: adorable puppy photos to follow!

Yes, we'll take this one! 

I promise to be a Good Dog!

So far, so good...at least he's trying! 

He's a Miniature Dachshund named Thomas Magnum. Mike and I had been watching Magnum PI reruns on Netflix, and the breeder had already given him Thomas as a temp name, so we went with it. Plus the Magnum part is pretty amusing, since he'll tip the scales at no more than 12 pounds soaking wet.

We also had other babies to take care of. Baby Maples! 

Meet Edju

And Stosh. Our Polish Trees! 

We liked these babies so much, we went back for more. Home Depot had a sale on shade trees, and we have a whole Churchyard that could use some shade. More on that later. 

Concurrently, my Dad turned 70. Celebrations included a visit from Mom, Dad, and brother Chris, all currently residing in New York. (Yes, that means they are Yankees Fans.) 

Luckily, the Detroit Tigers were playing the Yankees the afternoon I scheduled a ball game for us! 

From the left, Claude, Carolyn, Carrie and Chris. Yup!

And the unflattering but all inclusive selfie.

The Tigers won, but no one seemed too upset. It seemed logical.

Later on, Dad opened his vintage 1930's radio and we enjoyed each other's company. My brother hadn't been back to Michigan since he graduated from Hope College in 1985! It was good to see him. 

What could it be? 

"This thing is older than I am!"

Tubes!

I think they are both in great shape!

I also think that someone's in love! 

Smells like puppy love!

Next up: More Summer Hijinks.

Visitors Bearing Gifts

A little backstory: I'm not from Michigan. I was born and raised in upstate NY, in a suburb of Rochester NY. I moved to Michigan to work at the Longway Planetarium in Flint, MI, after living in the NYC area for several years. I've been happily in Michigan around 15 years now, and the ONLY thing I regret about leaving NY is that I live 6 hours away from my parents!

They came for a visit. They arrived weary, since they both still work, but bearing gifts, as always! They brought Mike a saw. A very nice saw. I know it has a great name that explains its function, but I'll just call it a saw. It moved in many, many dimensions, planes, and time zones, and Mike was delighted with it.

...and this knob extrudes macaroni...

...but this one flattens out pizza dough and then takes you to 1985...

Ok, I'm making fun, but now I see the label- it's a radial saw!

We let Mom and Dad sit down for 5 minutes, then we put them to work. We still had lots of work to do before drywalling could commence. So hi ho, hi ho, up on the scaffolding we go!

"Measure twice, cut once"

The wall at the front of the church wasn't ready for drywall yet. Nailers (2x4s) had to be positioned so that there was something to nail the drywall into. There is an arch already built into the wall, but there was little to hang drywall on, so that was the day's project. There was something for everyone to do.

How's the weather up there, Ma?

"Hey! Up here! Look up!"

I definitely inherited my work ethic from them.  They haven't slowed down much in the 46 years I've known them. Mom's 71 and Dad's 69 (it was his birthday!), and they work harder and better than most 30 year olds! Plus they are fun to have around. Dad has a great attitude and endless curiosity, and Mom and I are always up to hijinks. We both almost wet our pants trying to get a ladder out of the bathroom. It was definitely a Laurel and Hardy moment, but luckily I'm the cameraperson so there is no evidence of it!

"Put that camera down and fetch me a prybar!"

This was an especially athletic moment for the men. You can't see the full view, but Dad was hanging out in space like a child on a jungle gym.

"This doesn't feel like recess!"

Honestly? I don't remember him being in so much peril when I took the picture, but looking back, yikes!!

"I can't quite reach the nail..."

But perseverance paid off, and the arch had its nailers!

I know it's hard to tell the difference, but Wayne, our drywaller, will be able to tell! He's set to start work soon, and everything must be prepped and ready. 

There was also a door that was to be walled over and had to be framed in. 

Good bye door, hello wall...

Let's go get some ice cream!

It was a busy and short weekend, and I was very sad to see them leave for NY on Monday morning, but before they left there was some time made for ice cream eating and cow-gazing. Dad and Mom grew up on farms in a little town near Hornell, NY, and Dad retains his love for the bovine race, as do I. So he and Mike stopped by our favorite magical cow pasture for some cow-eye candy!

Bovine Bliss

Cow-gazing is relaxing!

Cow Contentment!

We're very, very lucky to have Mom and Dad! Thank you, God!