Tag Archives: Michigan

November 22, 2023 · 4:52 pm

Summer Visit With Grandkids

My grandkids are 17, 11, and 8, and with me only seeing them once a year, I enjoy taking them on individual outings, plus a few family activities. Our stay in Michigan was longer this year, so I was on the go with various outings. Keep reading if you’re looking for things to do with kids in the Clare/Harrison, Michigan, area!

We started our visit by meeting my daughter, Caroline, husband, Rob, and the kids for dinner at Budd Lake Bar & Restaurant. After dinner, they came over to Hidden Hills Family Campground to visit. Kids’ interests are ever-changing, so I had lists of possible activities. I was surprised at some of the things they passed over and others they selected.

Corbin is 11 and spends most of his time playing video games. He is also harder to appease with activity selections. I wasn’t surprised when he picked Valley Lanes Family Entertainment Center for two of his outings. This complex contains bowling, putt-putt, an escape room, a pool, a laser maze challenge, bumper cars, an arcade, a pinball alley, and laser tag. They also have an on-site restaurant where we enjoyed lunch during both visits.

On our first trip there, we spent quite a bit of time in the arcade. Corbin was surprised I could “ride” a motorcycle so well, not realizing I had ridden the real thing before his birth. I enjoyed watching Corbin play a large selection of games that did not exist when I was hitting the arcades as a teen or when my kids were young. We enjoyed playing air hockey and skee ball, two throwbacks to my day. I spent a lot of time in arcades in the 1970s, so this was a fun outing.

Corbin also elected to go bowling, and we rolled three games on each trip. I hadn’t bowled in years and didn’t do well, but we had fun. When I was a teen, all scorekeeping was by pencil and paper. Now it is automated, including a variety of game selections and cartoons that cheer you on or laugh at your blunders. Quite a change!

On our second trip, Corbin decided to do the laser maze. They had a video screen outside the room, so I could watch his progress, which required navigating over and under laser beams to reach a specific spot in the back, hitting a button, and then navigating the maze again to the front and hitting the ending button. It displays your time and the number of lasers you broke. I chuckled when he said he would make a good burglar, as he only broke six lasers. I said I wouldn’t rely on that; it only takes one to set off alarms that call the cops.

Corbin’s other selected outing was to a water park. Since he had been to the one in Mt. Pleasant a few times, I took him to Zehnders Splash Village in Frankenmuth. Water slides aren’t my thing, but I enjoyed watching Corbin play in the pools, relax in the hot tub, float the lazy river, shoot down a water slide, and other activities. Our tickets were for five hours in the park. Afterward, we enjoyed lunch in the hotel restaurant before leaving.

Corbin is interesting. He appears to be a self-absorbed video gamer, but when he talks, you can tell there is much more going on in his brain than people realize. He uses intellectual phrasing when presenting his opinion and absorbs a lot of information on a variety of subjects.

Austin is 17 and likes history and museums. We enjoyed three different locations on a wide range of topics. The first was to the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabek Culture and Lifestyle. The museum has 15 areas in their permanent exhibit area about the Saginaw Chippewa Indians. It was interesting to learn about the Chippewa way of life and the oppressive things done to their culture over the centuries. Austin expressed disgust at the horrible ways Native American people were treated in the past.

Austin suggested the Michigan Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth. This very interesting and unique spot opened in 1987, focusing on Michigan’s military and space heroes. It covers ten wars dating back to the Civil War, ending with Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. There are more than 900 Michigan veterans featured in exhibits.

The information is beautifully displayed in individual showcases about each person and includes some of their personal items. Three permanent galleries are dedicated to Michigan Astronauts and Space Pioneers, Service Cross Recipients, and the nation’s largest collection of Medals of Honor. When viewing a showcase that deals depicts how the Nazis destroyed the lives of innocent people, Austin commented on the horrible way the Nazis behaved. His comments made it apparent he had likely studied this subject in school.

Austin’s third outing was to the Longway Planetarium and Sloan Museum of Discovery. We were early for our planetarium show and mentioned it when I was purchasing a book in their gift shop. It was pouring rain outside, so the cashier gave us complimentary tickets to the show before ours. It was a different topic than the one we had purchased, and it was interesting. Sloan Museum is a hands-on learning experience. Austin is aging out of the museum but enjoyed the activities and suggested we go to the Real Bodies special exhibit.

Presented by Hurley Medical Center, Real Bodies contains real human specimens preserved to show how the human body works. This is more than skeletons; it includes muscles, lungs, heart, and more in beautiful exhibits. I highly recommend this exhibit, but only cell phone photography is allowed.

In touring the museums with Austin, it was interesting how much information he has absorbed about history from school or the reading he enjoys doing on his own. I was also surprised at his interest in the military, as I had not been aware of that.

ALEXANDRIA (Alex) is 8 and a girly girl, talkative and opinionated tomboy. This is why she has such a wide range of activities. We went to Day Escape and Spa for mani-pedis, her first. The salon enjoyed Alex because she was inquisitive and knew what she wanted. They said many of the young girls that come in won’t respond to their questions. Alex was stepping forward, voicing her desires. We walked into the pedicure room, and her tech asked if she wanted to select from a shelf that had mermaid polish on it. Alex looked at the display and said, uh, no, and turned to a large display of available polish. She pointed to three different colors she wanted; she made a different selection for her fingernails.

I was surprised when Alexandria selected the Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum for one of her outings. I had put that on Corbin’s list of possibilities because he has always liked vehicles, but he passed on the option. The museum has more than 60 motorized firetrucks, the largest collection in the world, and includes the FDNY Super Pumper, considered the T-Rex of fire engines. They also have over 12,000 antique and collectible toys.

Alex wore a dress and heels, catching the eye of museum docent Dave by asking him a question. Dave toured us through the museum, letting her into a gated area where antique toys were on shelves, encouraged her to climb up into all the firetrucks, which were labeled “do not climb, and told her when she was done looking around, she was going to drive a real firetruck—which she did! Alex drove a 38-foot firetruck with me in the passenger seat; Alex sat on Dave’s lap in the driver’s seat. We went around a rural block twice, with her turning the steering wheel and blowing the air horn when she saw people. I asked Dave how often they take kids out like that, and he said never; Alex is the only one. Definitely a once in a once-in-a-lifetime, memorable experience.

Alex selected Valley Lanes for one of her outings. Given the age difference between her and Corbin, the selection of games she made was different, and we had a lot of fun. Alex wanted to play miniature golf, which was an interesting 18 holes. I attempted to keep score, but I’m not sure if all the swings one of us took got counted.

I also took each of the kids for their own day of lunch and shopping for a few school outfits. Austin was in and out of the dressing room on his own, and other than showing me one outfit, he pretty much just told me whether they fit or not. It was hard shopping for Corbin as he has definite likes and dislikes, and the majority of clothes in his size were in his dislike category. Alexandria is very opinionated about what she likes. The only problem is her taste is in the older-looking girls’ section, but she is tiny and still wears little girl sizes for most things. She enjoyed trying on clothes, and it was like a modeling show as she posed for me to photograph each outfit.

In addition to my individual outings with the kids, we had a couple family outings. These were harder to fit in because Caroline works 6-7 days a week. We did manage to coordinate an outing with all three kids to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth. Bronners is the world’s largest year-round Christmas store, covering 2.2 acres plus 27 acres of landscaped grounds. If you are ever in Frankenmuth, Michigan, this is a must-see.

We also went on the Bavarian Belle Riverboat cruise. This is a one-hour cruise down the Cass River on a stern-driven paddlewheel riverboat and includes narration about the history of Frankenmuth. After the cruise, we shopped our way back through River Plaza to the car.

Another family outing was to the Children’s Zoo in Saginaw. Opened in 1929, this small zoo covers only 10 acres but has some interesting displays and over 150 animals. It’s a perfect spot for those who want to visit a zoo that doesn’t require a full day and miles of walking. We finished up with a late lunch at Saginaw Old Town Junction, where the kids wanted to sit upstairs with an overlook of the floor below. The food was good, and I shouldn’t have been surprised when Austin ate a half-pound hamburger with fries and then finished his sister’s fries. I forgot how much teen boys can consume!

We enjoyed visiting the Clare Historical Museum complex, which includes a museum, historic log home, blacksmith shop, and historical school. It was amazing how small the homes were where people raised many children. Entire homes were smaller than the family room in many of today’s houses. Ringing the school bell was comical, as Alexandria is so lightweight that the cord pulled her up off the floor as it rang. This is an off-the-beaten-path museum that is interesting and well worth the trip.

The final get-together with the family was a buffet meal at Ponderosa Steak House in Clare, which ended way too soon. It was a fun summer, and I always look forward to spending time with the kids.

I don’t miss the Michigan winters—I winter in Yuma, Arizona—but I miss the days when I lived a mile from the kids and had them at my house frequently. They grow up quickly!

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Filed under Activities, children, Discoveries, education, events, Family, grandchildren, kids, Life is a Melting Pot, Michigan, play, summer, tourism, travel, vacation

Tagged as antique toy and firehouse museum, arcade, bavarian belle riverboat cruise, bowling, bronners christmas wonderland, childrens zoo, clare, clare historical museum, day escape and spa, family actiities, firetrucks, Frankenmuth, grandkids, hands-on museum, harrison, hidden hills family campground, hot tub, laser maze, longway planetarium, mani-pedis, Michigan, Michigan Hearoes Museum, military heroes, miniature golf, Native American, native americans, putt-putt, Real Bodies, saginaw, Saginaw Chippewa Indians, sloan museum of discovery, valley lanes family entertainment center, video games, water park, Zehnders Splash Village, Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabek Culture and Lifestyle

April 14, 2023 · 2:52 pm

Looking Forward Means Looking Back

One of the downfalls of living and traveling full-time in an RV is only seeing my grandchildren once a year. While planning my 2023 travels and time in Michigan, I find my mind reminiscing back to the fun I had last summer with my grandchildren, Austin, Corbin, and Alexandria.

My 2022 visit was a fast-moving nine-day visit. I decided that because of the difference in their ages and interests and not having much time with them, it would be fun to do a couple of things together in the nine days I was there. I also wanted special one-on-one time so each child got their own day.

I took the three of them to a small, local railroad museum. The museum was interesting but didn’t hold their attention for long, so I suggested ice cream. I was surprised to learn Corbin doesn’t like ice cream, so he got a pop to drink instead. I thought it was cool when an Amish horse and buggy came down the street as we ate our ice cream at a picnic table.

*Austin and Alex on a railroad car outside the Clare Railroad Museum; Corbin and Alex view a display inside the museum*

When I commented on the horse and buggy, Corbin (age 12) informed me that the Amish do not believe in modern technology. To them seeing this is common, everyday stuff. I realized how much when I was on my way back to my campground and saw a horse and carriage tied up to a hitching post in front of Dollar General.

Alexandria (Alex)

Alexandria was the first to go solo, and her bubbly, social butterfly 7-year-old personality is always fun to watch. She is a girly girl, and that shines through when shopping for clothes. We went to the dressing room with six outfits to try on, and I told her we would buy two for school. That was a fantasy in my mind but turned out not reality.

After the try-on session, there was nothing Alex couldn’t wear, so I asked her which she wanted. She said she needed the grey flowered fleece pants and top because they are soft and warm. The yellow-flowered dress and leggings are necessary because it is bright and sunny. The third dress and leggings she wanted because it was cute. Oh, and by the way, Grandma, I need shoes. We were at Kohls and did go to the shoe department, but they didn’t have any in her size.

Here’s a comical side note—Alex recently informed her mom that she needed new shoes because when she went shopping with me, I wouldn’t buy her any! It has been seven months since I took her shopping. She never said anything to me about not getting them. Still, my daughter’s comment has me clued in about not making any mistakes this time because they will not be forgotten!

Alex selected McDonald’s for lunch, and she talked continuously through the entire meal. I had to tell her to stop talking and eat so we could get to the museum. The Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum is a fun, hands-on museum for kids 10 and under and has eleven galleries created around the school curriculum.

*Alex enjoying the dentistry exhibit and climbing wall at Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum*

With everything from car driving, medical and dental areas, scientific activities, wall climbing, water activities, art center, large tinker toy building, play kitchen area, play farm area, and more, she was on the go constantly. She took home artwork she made and a toy from the gift shop. We were there for about four hours and closed the place down.

Austin

Austin was 16, so his school shopping was in the young men’s department. I and several other mothers and grandmothers hung around the doorway of the men’s fitting room, checking on how the clothing looked on the teens trying on clothes for school. Heaven help the adult male who wants to try things on during school shopping season.

Austin got a couple of outfits for school, then selected McDonald’s for lunch. He is quieter, so conversation is at a minimum with him. After lunch, we went to the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History.

*Austin standing beside a sign outside the Castle Museum of Saginaw and viewing a display inside the museum*

The museum has three levels of exhibits and displays, covering the Saginaw Sports Hall of Fame, lumbering, and automotive. There are some hands-on exhibits and many displays with informational cards to read. I’m sure there are things we missed or skimmed over when we were there. Their gift items are minimal, and Austin wasn’t interested in any of the items they had.

Corbin

Corbin, at age 12, loves astronomy, so I purchased tickets for a program at the Delta College Planetarium. We arrived a little early and explored the exhibits they had while waiting for the program to start. The program was interesting and designed for kids exploring space, but informative and interesting. The gift area had pencils and pencil toppers in an assortment of designs, so Corbin picked three sets for himself, then selected some for Austin and Alex.

After the program, we walked across the street to Wenonah Park, which displayed several flags. I was impressed that Corbin could list their origins; I didn’t know them. After spending a few minutes at the park, Corbin suggested we head to lunch—I guess he was hungry.

*Corbin viewing display inside Delta College Planetarium and in front of the flag display at Wenonah Park*

Corbin suggested Taco Bell, saying he thought I could use a break from McDonald’s. He was right, but I would have gladly gone if he suggested going there. As Corbin ate six cheese rollups, he got a huge thumbs up from me by saying, “People like us who aren’t fat can eat here.” I don’t meet the “not fat” classification, but it’s nice that Corbin views me that way.

After lunch, we went to Kohl’s, where we got him a couple of outfits for school. He was easy; he knew what he liked and wanted to wear. The only dispute was when they didn’t have a character shirt in the right size, and he tried to convince me one that fit like a second skin was fine. I told him there was no way I was buying it in that size and that he would need to find something else.

Saying Goodbye

Paul and I met my cousin and her husband in Cadillac for lunch. Another day my daughter, Caroline, accompanied us on a trip to Traverse City, where we visited my grandparent’s farm, which is now Market 72, a public venue for events. We then met my other cousin and uncle for lunch.

The above is the farm of my paternal grandparents, Louise and Dominick King, built by my great-grandfather in 1918 on M-72 in Traverse City. You see the front and back of the house, the view of the barns from the back porch, and Caroline standing under weeping willow trees between the sideyard and one of the farming fields.

As my time came to an end, Paul and I went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse with my daughter, son-in-law, and three kids. The dinner was over too quickly. It was the last time I would see them for another year. I was moving the RV downstate to stay in Port Huron before heading south to Arizona. I took a few family photos of them and departed with sadness.

*Austin, Rob, Caroline, Corbin, and Alexandria*

Blake’s Family Day

After I left the Clare area and was in Port Huron, Caroline called and asked if I would like to attend Family Day at Blakes’s Big Red Apple in Macomb. My son-in-law has been working the Halloween weekends there for several years, so they always attend the employee family day.

This was a fun outing, with a haunted hayride, a zombie paintball hayride (my son-in-law is a zombie), a 3-story haunted barn, a petting zoo, a pedal car track, and other activities. Of course, no trip to an apple orchard would be complete without purchasing apple cider, donuts, and caramel apples.

Alex leads the way, with Corbin and Austin following behind on the pedal vehicles. Corbin and Alex enjoy the bounce pads. Austin, Alexandria, and Corbin stand by the “How Tall This Fall?” display at Blake’s Big Red Apple.

And with that, my yearly visit with my grandchildren was officially over. Now I look forward to 2023 when I have booked a longer stay of six weeks in their area. I am looking forward to spending more time with them.

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Filed under children, Discoveries, events, Family, grandchildren, kids, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, Michigan, play, summer, travel

Tagged as activities, amish, Arizona, Blakes Big Red Apple, Castle Museum of Saginaw History, clare, Delta College Planetarium, family, Full Time RV, Grace Grogan, Halloween, hands-on, haunted hayride, Kohl's, Kohls, life, Life is a Melting Pot, Macomb, McDonalds, Michigan, Mid-Michigan Children's Museum, railroad museum, school shopping, shopping, Taco Bell, Texas Roadhouse, travel, Traverse City, Wenonah Park

April 3, 2022 · 7:56 pm

35 Unique Things About Michigan

Although I now travel and spend more time outside of my birth state than I do in it, Michigan still holds a place in my heart for its many unique qualities.

Michigan is the only state that consists of two peninsulas. The “mitten” is the lower peninsula and is where I grew up, in the “only Eaton Rapids on earth.” The mitten is surrounded by Lake Huron on the East, Lake Erie on the South, and Lake Michigan on the west. To access the upper peninsula (the U.P.) you need to cross the Straits of Mackinac, a 5-mile channel connecting Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The north shore of the U.P. is on Lake Superior.

If that isn’t enough, here are 35 more things that make Michigan a very special place.

Boat Night in Port Huron. Copyright 2015 Grace Grogan
Photo by Grace Grogan, copyright 2015
Paint Creek, Rochester Michigan. Photograph by Grace Grogan, copyright 2014
Bond Falls. Photo by Grace Grogan
Silver Lake Sand Dunes – Dune Jump. Photo by Grace Grogan
Middle Island Lighthouse. Photo by Grace Grogan
Port Huron to Mackinac Race. Copyright 2015 Grace Grogan
St. Clair Board Walk. Photo by Grace Grogan.
The Thomas Edison Depot Museum sits under the Blue Water Bridges on the Thomas Edison Parkway in Port Huron. Photo by Grace Grogan
Pointe Benzie Light Station. Photo by Grace Grogan

Detroit is the Car Capital of the World. Home to the “big three,” Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, and Chrysler LLC, the state handles 24% of all automotive manufacturing in the U.S.
Michigan is the largest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries in North America. The American Battery Solutions Inc. manufacturing facility is located in Lake Orion and employs more than 100 workers. In support of this the Governor is working to develop the nation’s first wireless charging infrastructure on public roads.
Alpena is the home of the world’s largest cement plant. Lafarge Alpena has been in existence since 1907 and employs more than 200 workers.
St. Clair is the home of Diamond Salt Company, established in 1886 when a new process for making salt was patented. It is the world’s largest marketer of salt, supplying salts for culinary use, manufacturing, agriculture, grinder, pool use, water softening, and ice control.
Southwestern Michigan is home to the largest Dutch settlement in the United States, with almost 300,000 residents of Dutch heritage. Dutch residents are most prominent in the five counties of Allegan, Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa.
Rogers City boasts the world’s largest limestone quarry. The site is 7,000 acres, of which 3,000 acres are actively mined. The quarry has an anticipated lifespan of an additional 100 years.
Elsie is the home of the world’s largest registered Holstein dairy herd. Green Meadow Farms is a family operation established in 1922. With 80 employees, they raise all livestock and do all field and crop work on their 8,000 acres. The farm has a milking herd of about 3,900 registered Holsteins.
Enjoy the longest freshwater boardwalk in the world in St. Clair. The boardwalk is along the St. Clair River, an international border with Canada. The St. Clair River is one of the busiest waterways in the world with more than 5,000 ships traveling the water every year. With more freighter traffic than the Suez Canal and Panama Canal combined, it’s an excellent spot for freighter watching.
Colon is the magic capitol of the world and home to Abbott’s Magic Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of magic supplies. The city has more than 30 magicians laid to rest in its cemetery, more than any other cemetery in the world.
Michigan Sugar Company is the largest sugar factory east of the Mississippi river, the largest sugar refinery in Michigan, and the fourth largest sugar refinery in the United States.
Michigan ranks #1 in state boat registrations. St. Clair County ranks #1 in the U.S. for the number of boat registrations per capita.
Port Huron is home to largest freshwater sailing event in the world. The annual Port Huron to Mackinac race began in 1919 and more than 200 boats enter the race each year.
The state has about 54,800 farms covering 10 million acres and producing $6.5 billion in products yearly. Michigan is the largest producing region in the world for Montmorency tart cherries and Traverse City hosts the annual National Cherry Festival every July. The state is one of the top producers in the U.S. of grapes, apples, peaches, and blueberries.
Livestock population is significant, with about one million cattle, 78,000 sheep, 3 million chickens, and one million hogs. Livestock products account for about 38% of all agricultural output.
Sault Ste. Marie was founded in 1668 by Father Jacques Marquette, and it remains the third oldest remaining settlement in the United States
In 1817 the University of Michigan was the first university established in any of the states. It was originally named Catholepistemiad and was located in Detroit. The name was changed in 1821 and the university moved to Ann Arbor in 1841.
Michigan State University was founded in 1855 as the nation’s first land-grant university and served as the prototype for 69 land-grant institutions established under the Morrill Act of 1862. It was the first institution of higher learning in the nation to teach scientific agriculture.
The Mackinac Bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. It spans 5 miles over the Straits of Mackinac and took 3 years to complete. It was opened to traffic in 1957
Kellogg Company made Battle Creek the Cereal Capital of the World. The Kellogg brothers discovery of producing flaked cereal was an accident that sparked the beginning of the dry cereal industry.
Vernors ginger ale was created in Detroit and is the first soda pop made in the United States. It was an accident. In 1862 pharmacist, James Vernor, was trying to create a new beverage. He was called away to serve in the civil war, leaving his “experiment” behind. When he returned four years later the drink in the oak case had developed a delicious ginger flavor and Vernors was born.
The Detroit Zoo opened in 1928 and was the first zoo in America to feature cageless, open exhibits allowing animals to roam free. In 1968 the zoo’s Penguinarium was the world’s first zoo building designed exclusively for penguins. In 2001 it opened Wild Adventure Ride, the nation’s first zoo simulator, and the Arctic Ring of Life, the largest polar bear habitat in North America.
Michigan is only place in the world with a floating post office. The J.W. Westcott II is the only boat in the world that delivers mail to ships while still underway. It has been operating 140 years.
The state boasts 3,224 miles of freshwater shoreline, the longest in the world. It also has the longest shoreline of the 48 continuous states. There are an additional 11,037 inland lakes and 36,000 miles of streams.
The state has 124 lighthouses and navigational lights. The oldest is the Ft. Gratiot Lighthouse, constructed in 1829.
It is the first state to provide in the constitution for the establishment of public libraries in each township and city, set forth in Article XI, Section 14 of the Michigan Constitution of 1908. It was also the first state to guarantee every child the right to a tax-paid high school education.
Isle Royal National Park shelters one of the largest moose herds in the U.S. The park is 206.73 square miles and is the 4^th largest lake island in the world. As of 2019 the island was home to 14 wolves and 2,060 moose. The moose herd was 2,400 at its highest point in 1995.
Upper Michigan Copper Country is the largest commercial deposit of native copper in the world. By the 1860s the upper peninsula was supplying 90% of America’s copper.
Michigan fared worse than the rest of the country during the depression between 1930 and 1933. The state’s unemployment rate was 34%, while it was only 26% in the rest of the country. This is because out of work automotive workers were starving to death by the early 1930s.
Michigan has the first auto-traffic tunnel built between two nations, the mile-long Detroit Windsor tunnel under the Detroit River was completed in 1930. This was the third underwater auto tunnel built in the United States.
The world’s first submarine railway tunnel opened between Port Huron and Sarnia, Ontario in 1891. It is both the first submarine tunnel and the first international tunnel.
In 1879 Detroit telephone customers were first in nation to be assigned phone numbers to facilitate handling calls.
In 1929 Michigan State Police established the first state police radio system in the world
Grand Rapids is home to the 24-foot Leonardo da Vinci horse, II Gavallo, the largest equestrian bronze sculpture in the Western Hemisphere.
Michigan is the great lakes state because its shores touch four of the five great lakes. We get our name from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian word meaning “large lake”
Detroit is the birthplace of Motown Records. Motown artists include Tina Turner, Otis Redding, Diana Ross, Four Tops, The Supremes, Al Green, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Charles, Curtis Mayfield, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, The Commodores, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, The Drifters, Smokey Robinson, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Fats Domino, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and more.

The state has even more interesting facts setting it apart from the rest of the country and world, but I had to stop somewhere. I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of my home state.

Share where you are from and what makes your home state unique.

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Filed under Activities, Blue Water Area, Discoveries, education, events, exploration, farm, Festivals, home, impressions, Lake St. Clair, Life is a Melting Pot, Michigan, nature, reality, tourism, travel, Upper Penninsula

Tagged as abbotts magic company, agriculture, alfarge alpena, alpena, arctic ring of life, auto-traffic tunnel, battle creek, boat registrations, chrysler, colon, copper country, dement plant, depression, Detroit, detroit river, detroit windsor tunnel, detroit zoo, diamond salt company, dutch settlement, Eaton Rapids, elsie, floating post office, ford motor company, free education, freighter, freshwater boardwalk, freshwater shoreline, ft gratiot lighthouse, general motors, ginger ale, great lakes sate, green meadow farms, holstein dairy herd, isle royal national park, j.w. wescott ii, james vernor, kellogg brothers, kellogg company, lake orion, leonardo da vinci horse, lighthouses, limestone quarry, lithium-ion batteries, livestock, Mackinac Bridge, magic capitol, Michigan, michigan state pllice, michigan state university, michigna sugar company, mitten, moose herds, mowtown records, national cherry festival, only eaton rapids on earth, Ontario, penguinarium, polar bear, Port Huron, port huron to mackinac race, public libraries, rogers city, sarnia, sault ste marie, st clair, st clair river, submarine railway tunnel, suspension bridge, University of Michigan, UP, upper peninsula, vernors, wild adventure ride, wireless charging infrastructure

October 15, 2021 · 7:48 pm

Grandkids Keep Life Fun

As if going on the road doing full-time RV was not bad enough for a long time away from my three grandchildren, COVID-19 kept me out of my home state of Michigan for more than a year. I finally got to spend a fun three days with Austin, Corbin, and Alexandria over Memorial Weekend 2021.

The weekend kicked off when my 6-year-old granddaughter, Alex, ran out to greet me. Throwing her arms around me she said, “I missed you, I haven’t seen you in YEARS!”

It was true, I hadn’t seen her since June of 2019. We have facetime calls on the phone, and I send postcards to all three grandchildren as I travel, but it isn’t the same. The boys, being 15 (Austin) and 11 (Corbin) are more reserved. It was nice to see them in action and how they have grown.

The Saturday I arrived we drove down to Mt. Pleasant to a park the kids like. It has a huge playground area with all kinds of activities. Austin brought his scooter to ride since a lot of the playground equipment is well below his age group. I had fun taking pictures of the kids running around and enjoying the various activities. I could totally understand Corbin’s reaction when I suggested he climb to the top of the monkey bars where Rob, Austin, and Alex were for a picture. He looked at me and said, “it’s a long way up there.” That’s okay. I don’t like heights either.

Sunday we drove to the Children’s Discovery Museum in Mt. Pleasant. The museum is small but packed with lots of activities. Rob built a couple rockets for the kids to shoot off over and over, which they enjoyed. The kids had fun with everything from the lightroom, watching the effects of air propulsion in a tube, viewing exhibits through a microscope, water movement, digging for dinosaur bones, and more.

Mid-day we took a break and went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch. After eating I took Corbin and Alex back to the museum for more fun. Caroline, Rob, and Austin headed back home to handle a few things there. It was almost closing time when Corbin, Alex, and I left the museum.

Monday was the holiday. Caroline, the kids, and I intended to visit the train museum in Clare, but unfortunately, it was closed. The kids did enjoy climbing up on the train sitting in the yard before we left and headed up to 4X Adventureland in Harrison. We “played at” 18 holes of putt-putt. We didn’t keep score, which was a good thing, or we might have been there all day!

The boys did not want to go on the go-karts, but Alexandria did, and she wanted to ride with me. Caroline rode her one vehicle, and I had Alex with me. They have a fake steering wheel for the passenger, and I noticed she was accurate in making her turns. We were the only two vehicles on the track, so I had fun driving the entire time with the pedal to the floor, drifting at the corners.

I had forgotten how low go-karts sit, and when I was sinking down into my seat I made a comment to Caroline I hoped I could get out. Boy was that no joke! Caroline hopped out of her car and came over and got Alex out of mine. The problem is I have a bad left leg from an accident 10 years ago, plus that ankle is fused. That combined with the second steering wheel on the right gave me no leverage to push myself upright out of the driver’s seat. One of the workers removed two screws and took out the fake steering wheel. That gave me just enough room to get the leverage necessary to slowly raise my body into a standing position. Talk about embarrassing! I’m sure glad they were not busy.

McDonald’s to go eaten in a picnic pavilion of a park curbed everyone’s hunger. From there we picked up bathing suits for Corbin and Alexandria. Austin did not want to go swimming and decided to stay home. Caroline and the other two kids came over to my hotel. The kids swam in the pool for about two hours. It was a great way to finish off the day.

Sadly, the kids had to return to school on Tuesday and that was the day I was driving back to Port Huron. I will not likely see the kids for another year. The long weekend was not entirely over because Caroline met me at Dow Gardens Tuesday morning after dropping the kids at school.

Dow Gardens was a spot I had never been to, and neither had she. I was surprised at how large the place is, which is 110 acres. It was early in the season, so many of the flower gardens were not yet planted, but others were in full bloom. We enjoyed relaxing on the porch of The Pines, the home built by Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow in 1899. It was the only home they ever owned and where they raised their children.

The beautiful reflections of the red bridge in the water, could not be missed. We accidentally ended up in the garden maze and got turned around, even though we had a map. We took the bridge from the gardens to the Whiting Forest, then had a yummy lunch on the patio of the café before going up onto the canopy walk.

The 40-foot high, 1,400-foot long canopy walk is the longest in the nation. Don’t let the map fool you, the walk has only one entrance/exit. It appears on the map that you might be able to enter one area and exit another, but we found this is not true. It actually has arms that are each a dead-end. We were looking at the green trees, I’m sure when fall colors are out the view is spectacular.

It was great spending the day with my daughter, Caroline, without the interruptions of anyone else. It has been a long time since we were able to do that. We said goodbye about 2 pm so she could return home before the kids arrived back from school, and I continued my journey back to Port Huron. I am now on the road traveling again, but looking forward to my next visit to Michigan.

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Tagged as 4X Adventure, activities, clare, daughter, discovery museum, dow gardens, family, go-karts, Grace Grogan, grandchildren, harrison, Life is a Melting Pot, Memorial Day, Michigan, mt pleasant, putt-putt, swimming, Texas Roadhouse, train museum

December 29, 2020 · 7:27 pm

Hindsight is 2020

While the age-old saying about hindsight being 20/20 is often used, the roll-over of the new year gives it an entirely new meaning. Regardless of what you personally think of the past year, there are likely some choices you would have made differently. This is true for any year, but especially given the horrific one we had.

Are there thing I would have changed? Not many. I would not have remained in Yuma throughout the summer; day after day of 115 degree heat is too much! The choices we made kept us healthy, except for a couple rounds of illness I had in the middle of the summer so it was not a bad choice either.

I regret not getting back to Michigan to see my kids and grandchildren. Michigan was a roller coaster ride of what the Governor was going to keep open or shut down from week to week, so we decided not to risk it. We are looking forward to our upcoming travel plans.

While death, disruption, loss of income, and depression are what many will likely recall when they think back on the past year, there are also some positives that should come to the forefront:

More time together with your spouse/partner/significant-other or any other name you call the person you reside with
More time to do gardening, crafts, hobbies
Homemade food, especially baked goods became a normal day of life for many
Kids enjoyed being home with their parents and having more family time
Truly learning what your kids are studying in school if they were doing remote learning
Less air pollution from traffic meant cleaner air to breathe
Many people learned how easy and convenient it is to work from home
Companies may now decide to lower their overhead by having more people work from home on a regular basis
Everyone has become more tech savvy thanks to Zoom, Jitsi Meet, and Google Meet
Those who reside too far away to attend club meetings were brought “into the loop” through online meetings
Vacation doesn’t mean you have to travel far

As for me, I’ve spent my time writing, processing photos and videos, and have taken a real liking to adult coloring books.

Whatever the things are that stay-at-home orders and Covid-19 brought to you, remember hindsight is 2020 and you can now envision a bright future in 2021.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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June 21, 2020 · 5:38 pm

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED …WHAT IF?

Have you ever looked back on decisions made in your life and wondered What if I had made a the other choice? What would my life be like now?

Of course, the preponderances about how your life would have been different are all fiction, and they can be good or bad. So have some fun, wonder what if and see what you come up with. Here are a few of mine.

What If Wondering…What if I had made the other choice?

What if I had followed my dream of studying journalism and become a “breaking news” action reporter? I didn’t because I let my mother talk me out of it. Call is sexist, call it the era in which she was raised, or call it a mother being a mother.

But what if I had forged ahead on my dream? Would I have written great articles that resulted in a huge demand for my services? Would I have graduated from newspaper writing to televised reporting? Would I have traveled the world to exotic countries or dangerous war zones?

I will never know the answer, but sometimes the speculation leads to regret. I wish I had followed my dream. Now I write from the comfort of a motorhome while traveling throughout North America. I’m not a high-demand reporter, but I am having fun.

What if I had married my boyfriend from high school? We had been together off and on from the time I was in 7^th grade until two years after I graduated high school. My parents didn’t like him. Friends assumed we would end up married. Heck, we assumed we would end up married.

Then I met the man that would become my husband. Ron and I were married 34 years when he died. If I hadn’t met Ron, would I have eventually married Brad?

Speculation is yes, but it wouldn’t have lasted. It was too volatile of a relationship. Good for a few months, then separate for a few months. He wanted commitment, but he didn’t want commitment.

Brad wasn’t ready for anything that required him to settle down and not play the field. Sixteen months after I met Ron, we married. I think on this one the What if would not have ended well. I think we are better as friends.

What if I had applied to Ford Motor Company when I had the opportunity? Ron was a Ford employee, and somewhere around 10 years into our marriage each employee was allowed to sponsor one application. He asked me if I wanted it and I turned it down.

I had always worked for small, family businesses. I was happy in that small, close-knit setting. He had complained about the red tape it always took to get anything accomplished in a big corporation.

Looking back, I may have made a huge financial mistake. What if I had applied and gotten hired? I would have worked at a higher pay scale, had my own benefits, and had my own pension upon retirement.

At the same time, maybe I didn’t make a mistake. From an emotional standpoint, I have never regretted working for small family-run businesses throughout my career. If I had taken that job, I might still be working but close to retirement.

If I had been hired into Ford I would never have had the opportunity to go to college and become a paralegal, another job I loved doing. I am now living and traveling in a motor-home full time throughout Canada and the United States. I work remotely during the hours I want.

I don’t have the benefits and financial security that job would have brought me, but I don’t think the What if would have led to as much personal happiness as I have enjoyed. That leads to my final scenario.

What if I had downsized into a Condo? After my husband passed away, I spent 2-3 years in a bit of a muddle both emotionally and financially. When I began to look at things closer I realized I was living beyond my means and needed to downsize.

While I pondered between moving to a smaller house or a condo I started separating my belongings into what I would keep and what I would put in a moving sale. Then the offer came.

Paul asked me to come on board with him and travel full-time in a motor-home. After analyzing my finances I realized it was feasible and changed my plans. I notified my boss I was leaving and started planning for the biggest downsize of my life.

Was it good decision? Yes. Travel between August 2019 and April 2020 went as planned, and we saw a lot of area. Covid-19 led us to the decision to stay put in Yuma, Arizona during the stay-home orders. We will remain here until August, when we finally hit the road again with stops planned in Port Huron, Michigan; Knoxville, Tennessee; and South Padre Island, Texas before we head back here to Yuma, Arizona for the winter.

So What if I had downsized into a condo or small house? I would still be doing cold Michigan winters and working full-time in an office. I would have spent the stay-at-home period isolated in my home by myself.

Instead I have traveled to many of the spots I may never have ventured to on my own, and there are many more to come. Some think I made a huge mistake to pack up and go before I reached retirement age. You know what I think – Better an Oops than a What if.

What are your What ifs in life? Do you regret the choices you made? Do you think your life is better because of them? Comment below on your what ifs in life.

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Tagged as Arizona, boyfriend, career, condo, decisions, finances, financial, ford motor company, full-time, job, journalism, knoxville, Life is a Melting Pot, marriage, Michigan, motor home, Port Huron, relationship, RV, security, South Padre Island, speculation, tennesee, Texas, travel, What if, writing, Yuma

May 25, 2020 · 1:30 pm

DOCUMENT YOUR PART IN HISTORY

I look around, the place has more people than normal for this time of year, but it is still pretty well emptied out. Why wouldn’t it be? Who wants to stay where the summer temperatures go as high as 120° Fahrenheit?

Yet, here I am. Our original plan was to leave here at the beginning of April and visit several national parks and scenic areas through several states before heading to Michigan to visit family. Then head south and west again, hitting Sault Lake City and Colorado Springs for photography and RV conferences before going for a three-month stay on South Padre Island, Texas, followed by winter back here in Yuma, Arizona.

Those plans have been crushed by the Coronavirus shutdowns. We have extended our stay here in Yuma until at least August 3^rd. We are trying to secure reservations in Michigan for somewhere between mid-August to early October, but so far have not had any luck. The state is still locked down and the few campgrounds that are open do not have long-term spots available.

Time will tell if we travel, where we will be, and when we will get there. When you live full-time in an RV, campgrounds are an essential part of life.

We are living through an event that will be written about in history books. Have you recorded your stay-at-home location and changes in lifestyle? Have you noted the schools closing, people doing work-at-home because businesses closed, hospitals overrun with patients, people wearing face masks and gloves to protect those around them?

If you have young children, have you recorded their thoughts on what is going on around them? These are memories that may be forgotten over time but will be important to future generations.

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Paul and I are hanging tight in Yuma, Arizona. I walked around the park and took snapshots of the camp, documenting the place that was full when we arrived in February and is now almost empty. A lot of the people here in the winter are Canadian snowbirds who were ordered to return to Canada in March or lose medical insurance due to the pandemic.

So where are you? Have you documented the event? Leave me your comments below.

Stay Safe!

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Tagged as Arizona, camp, canadian snowbirds, cancada, children, colorado springs, cornoavirous, document, face masks, gloves, history, history books, location, locked down, Michigan, national parks, park, people, photograph, photography, plans, record history, record thoughts, RV, sault lake city, shutdowns, South Padre Island, stay-at-home, summer, Texas, travel, Yuma

September 2, 2019 · 2:58 pm

My First Week as a Nomad

My first six days as a Nomad were interesting, fun, and sometimes frustrating. In many ways it feels more like a vacation rather than a lifestyle change. It is relaxing and interesting, and sometimes not at all what is planned. If I can experience all this in six days, I can’t imagine what the future will bring.

On Monday we left Port Huron, Michigan and traveled to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Our original plan was to stay only two nights, but after reviewing travel information about the surrounding area decided to extend our stay to a total of four days.

On Tuesday we visited the Bush Pilot Heritage Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. Paul was a bush pilot when he lived in Owen Sound, Ontario as a teen so this was on his “hit list.” The museum was interesting, with several planes on display inside the hanger where the museum is located. We viewed two movies, the first was an “on board” experience with a bush pilot, and of course took the rider through a series of mistakes and mishaps that can happen on a plane, including an unexpected storm, dozing off with the plan on autopilot, and more. The second movie was in 3D and took you into the heart of fighting forest fires. You experienced time in flight with the commander of the entire firefighting operation, in flight with a pilot doing water drops, and on land with a ground firefighting crew. Both movies are well worth the time it takes to view them.

A small town about four hours northwest of Sault Ste. Marie is the home of Winnie-the-Pooh, and houses a statue of Winnie, as well as a Winnie-the-Pooh and Railroad Museum. I wanted to go there so a day trip was planned. Part of the trip goes along the shore of Lake Superior, and we figured we would find photo ops along the way. A visitor guide worker had told us about an off-road trail on that stretch which Paul wanted to check out. We didn’t locate the trail she used, but did access a logging trail, which about 20 minutes in we decided was not offering any photo ops so turned around and continued on our journey.

We did find a couple spots to stop and take photographs of Lake Superior, and a small rapids and river we walked in and photographed. It was interesting that this entire route had very few towns, gas stations, or any other type of business or rest area to stop at. So scarce they were practically non-existent. We saw a rest area/visitor center which made a good stop for a few minutes. They had a small gift shop where Paul decided to pick up a couple energy bars to tie us over until lunch, which we planned to eat in White River. That purchase turned out to be a very good decision.

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We munched on our energy bars, and decided to stop for gas as we rolled into White River, because we would need it to make the full journey back to Sault Ste. Marie. There were barriers up across the gas pumps and an attendant walked over and informed us that the pumps were not working because the entire town of White River had lost power and nothing was open. We drove through town and took pictures of the Winnie-the-Pooh statue. The attendant was correct, absolutely everything, including the museum we had just driven four hours to visit, was closed so we started our journey back.

Not too far south of White River was a small gas station with full-service pumps. The attendant there shared that the last time White River lost power they were out for a week. He also let us know that there was a restaurant on Hwy 17 just south of Wasmus where we could get lunch/dinner. By now it was after 2:00 pm and we were definitely getting hungry.

We drove the two hours south and located the restaurant. Our luck had not yet changed; on the front door hung a sign that they were closed until 5:00 pm. It was only 4:30 so we decided to drive on. We were not far from our campground when we found The Voyageur Lodge, which included a small restaurant. The menu was limited, but the food very good. Paul had an open face hamburger, which had gravy to which he added mushrooms and onions. It normally included fries and coleslaw, but he switched the fries for onion rings, which he said were very good. I opted for a fish sandwich which also came with fries. The sandwich was made with whitefish which was lightly breaded and very nicely done. We shared a butter tart for dessert, also very tasty.

Our final day in Sault Ste. Marie we drove into town and visited the historical canal sight. At the end of the island was a swing damn, one of only nine built and the last in existence. It is used in emergency situations if there is a problem with the lock. This is also where the lock is located for small boats, and we were lucky enough to see two of the Soo Locks Tour boats use the lock at the same time. The difference in elevation between Lake Superior and Lake Huron is 21 feet, so quite interesting to observe the lock in operation. A nice way to finish out our stay.

Friday morning we said goodbye to Sault Ste. Marie and drove east through Ontario, stopping at a small campground in Lavigne, Ontario. We are here only for two nights. One day of rest and computer work before continuing our journey to Ottawa, the capitol of Canada, where we plan to spend four days.

We did take some time from our paperwork to photograph some very decorative scarecrow displays around town. These have been prepared as part of a plowing competition in September. I finished out our last night in Lavigne with a walk around the park, taking a few photographs of Lake Nippising, which the campground is located on.

So far my life as a nomad has been interesting and relaxing, even if Winnie-the-Pooh’s hometown did leave me a bit frustrated. I guess in this lifestyle you simply have to go-with-the-flow when rocks appear in the river.

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Tagged as auto pilot, bush pilot, Bush Pilot Heritage Centre, Bush Pilot Museum, campground, Canada, Capitol, change, forest fire, frustrating, future, go-with-the-flow, hanger, historical canal, information, interesting, intresting, Lake Huron, Lake Nippising, Lake Superior, Lavigne, lifestyle, logging, Michigan, movies, nnomad, Ontario, Ottawa, owen sound, photo ops, planes, plowing competition, Port Huron, railroad museum, rapids, relaxing, restaurant, Saulte Ste. Marie, scarecrow, soo locks, storm, swinging damm, The Voyageur Lodge, travel, visit, Wasmus, water drops, White River, Winnie the Pooh

March 25, 2018 · 5:12 pm

First Day of Freedom

Imagine six years of life where your movements are controlled, where you have no privacy, where you can make phone calls out but no one can call you, your mail is read prior to you receiving it, where you can never go visit, but must wait for people to visit you. That is the life my son led from the time he was 24 years old until he was 30.

When he received notice in December that he had received parole he began counting down the days. March 20th seemed like it was in the distant future for him. For me it went fast. I was trying to get things done prior to his release, and of course I made the six hour drive to pick him up.

Patrick was released from Newberry Correctional Facility in Michigan’s upper peninsula at 8:00 am March 20, 2018. Although he is on a tether for the first six months of his two year parole, and he must abide by curfews that in the beginning are tight, it is considerably better than the spot he was at. So how did Patrick spend his first day of freedom?

Patrick — this single photo is on the OUTSIDE of the prison.

Our last prison photo

I picked him up at the correctional facility, we loaded his belongings into the car and than took our last two prison photos, a “selfie” of the two of us, and then one of him in front of the facility. Every time I (and my now deceased husband) visited we paid to have photos taken of us together and one of Patrick alone, so this was our last prison photo shoot.

Our first stop was a gas station/McDonald’s combination where he got a McGriddle sandwich — also one of my favorites. When he asked if he could have bacon added to the sandwich the girl responded “you can have whatever you want” and Patrick responded “those are words I’m not used to hearing.”

I had purchased him a cell phone, but phones have advanced considerably in the past six years. He was on the phone talking as we were crossing the Mackinac Bridge and I heard him say that the water looked really cool with the ice on it and “if I wasn’t on the phone talking to you I could take a picture.” He got instructions on how to stay on the phone and take a photo at the same time.

Two years ago my husband/Patrick’s father passed away, and I had obtained permission from the parole agent to make a few stops, Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly being one, where Patrick saw his father’s grave-site for the first time.

Reading the tile on his father’s grave

We then headed to Fort Gratiot, he did not have to check in with the parole agent until the next morning, and we had permission to go shopping at Kohls to get him some clothes and then out to dinner. We ended up spending about three hours in Kohls.

Patrick tries on a hat at Kohs

Patrick helped me pick out short outfits for my grandchildren’s Easter baskets, then we shopped for clothing for him. He had changed sizes while incarcerated and had to try on a few things. A pair of tennis shoes, four pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, one shirt (couldn’t find many he liked), some boxers, and socks and we felt he had a nice start. I had already purchased him a nice pair of fleece pants, hoodie, polo, and a v-neck t-shirt prior to picking him up. During our shopping Patrick had to exit the building and stand in an open area of the parking lot so the satellite could take a picture of him/his location. He was told that happens frequently in large department stores or malls if in for a while.

Next stop was Red Lobster. Lobster Fest is going on, and we had the same meal — two different kinds of lobster and green beans with mushrooms, and of course salad and biscuits. The place was quiet, the service was good, the food was fantastic.

Dinner at Red Lobster

We were on our way home when my daughter called and said her boyfriend had the truck torn apart and needed to pick up a hose to complete it, could I swing by, pick him up and take him around the corner to the auto store. I went by her house, dropped off Patrick, picked up Rob and took him to the auto shop, then went back around and dropped off Rob and picked up Patrick and we came home and unloaded the car.

The evening was finished off with Caroline (my daughter) and her three kids coming over for a while, and then Patrick and I watched a bit of TV. It was a wonderful day for me, and I’m sure a great first day of freedom for him as well.

Austin and Corbin

Caroline and Patrick

Patrick and Alexandria

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Tagged as boyfriend, cell phone, clothes, curfew, deceased, dinner, First day of freedom, Fort Gratiot, freedom, gas station, GPS, Grace Grogan, grave, Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly, kids, Kohls, Life is a Melting Pot, Lobster Fest, Mackinac Bridge, McDonalds, McGriddle, Michigan, Newberry, Newberry Correctional Facility, parole, Patrick Grogan, photos, pictures, prison, Red Lobster, release, selfie, shop, sister, six years, tether, travel, upper peninsula, visit

March 1, 2018 · 9:12 am

Cycle Through Life

As we go through life we develop habits, a way of doing things. Some of them are our own, some of them are done to accommodate the likes/dislikes of those around us. As we cycle through life those things change.

We develop likes and dislikes, ways of doing things, and personality traits from our parents, grandparents, siblings, other relatives and friends as we are growing. Then we become adults and move away from those we have grown up with. Some move away to attend college, some branch out on their own, living the single life, and others, like me, leave their parent’s home when they marry. Each of those different events will impact the individual person and their overall personality. 51bdc659e738f0ad63064c508af86513

I grew up in a small town far away from distant relatives, I left my parent’s home when I married just before my 21st birthday. With my marriage I moved about two hours away from home. The person I married was not controlling, but he was nine years older and had far more life experiences than I. He had served overseas in the military, been married and had a child, and purchased a home. Looking back I adapted to his way of doing things more-so than he adapted to mine. He paid the bills, serviced the cars, did home repairs, and was the driving force in any major purchases. I was more willing to keep things as they were, to more or less “make do” with what we already had. That is how we lived for 34 years until he passed away in December 2015.

When he passed away I was living on my own for the first time in my life. I spent a couple years in a bit of a vacuum, going through the motions of life without really experiencing it to its fullest. I learned to do things I had never done before, such as yard work, getting cars serviced, and paying bills. You could say in that way I grew during that period of time, but I didn’t really evolve, I simply functioned.

With the help of a friend I began to re-evaluate where I was at and what changes I needed to make. I took a good look at the investments I had, and the company my husband had us with was not making me any money, in fact after paying the service charges I had lost money over the course of the two years since his death. I’m not a math person, but I’m not stupid. I needed a new financial advisor and I followed the recommendation of a friend and made a change. It has been a good one and I feel my financial future has a more positive outlook.

What-you-dont-have-you-may-gain In looking at my investments I also took a good look at my living expenses v. income and realized that while I am making my bills with the assistance of my husband’s life insurance, I can not really consider that “living in the green.” Let’s face it, the life insurance savings won’t last forever, and living month-to-month is not the way I want to spend my retirement. I also realized that I can not retire and continue to live where I am at. The decision, I need to downsize. Now there is a lot of stuff in this house that I must sort, decide what to keep, what to toss, and what to sell. That will take some time. I would like to be out in six months, a year is more realistic, and it may take beyond that. However the longer it takes the more money I am spending on this house that I could be saving or using for more fun things.

Fun things. I am going to do some fun things this year. For the first time in about three years I am going to take a real vacation. I have to admit, once I made the commitment, put down the deposit and booked my airline flights I had some difficulty sleeping for a couple nights, but now I am looking forward to it. My first international flight on my own, I will be flying to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the Calgary Stampede and spending 11 days out there. I have a friend who will meet me in Calgary. We will be staying in his motor home and taking in some of the scenic sights of the area, doing photography in addition to attending the Stampede. It should be an awesome trip and I am looking forward to it.

I have a girl’s weekend planned in Mackinac City. The weekend is a yearly event with my sister and two cousins, and we always change locations to keep it interesting. There is also the possibility of another weekend trip into Canada with a friend, but that one is only tentative at this point. 59caa4c54b27d61f6a921ea8a3146eb4

So, where am I in the cycle of life? I am in a growing stage. I have broken free of the “me” that I was when married and becoming the “me” that I am as a widow. I have started to walk around my house doing a visual inventory. “That was him, it goes.” “That is me, it stays.” Sometimes it is “That was us” and with those items, some will stay and some will go. When I move out of this house it will be a good, clean break and I will be continuing the ride as I cycle through life.

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Tagged as accomodate, adapt, Calgary, Canada, change, commitment, cycle, dislikes, downsize, evaluate, family, finances, friends, girls widow, grandparents, habits, husband, invest, life, likes, living in the green, Mackinac City, marriage, marry, Michigan, money, moving, parents, photography, relatives, siblings, stampeded, weekend, widdow

May 31, 2017 · 9:49 am

Show Me The Bottom Of Your Feet

A step that I completed three times this past weekend. Having done it for the past five years, I really don’t need any instruction, I now know it is required. That is only one of the things that must be done when you visit a prisoner. Those who are familiar with the routine don’t give it a thought, but it is discomforting to someone who visits for the first time.

Knowledge is the main key to a successful visit. Visiting a prison is not scary, it is just different. Security measures and dress codes must be adhered to. Your freedoms are also restricted to insure the safety and control of all inside those doors. Prisoners in a visiting room are not horrible people to be terrified of, they are just people who made a mistake at some point in their life. They are in that visiting room spending cherished time with friends, their parents, spouse, children, grandparents. Anyone who is on their visiting list and has been cleared to visit.

So what is involved in visiting a prisoner? While I can only speak for Michigan, I would presume that other states have similar practices and requirements. Step one is the prisoner has to fill out a visitors list, putting on it the people who will or may visit him. Before a person can go inside a state prison to visit they must fill out an application and submit it to the prison, then wait to obtain clearance. Once you have received clearance it “moves” with you if the prisoner should be transferred to another location.

My son, Patrick, and I during day one of my visit during Memorial Day weekend

Once approved you are free to visit the prisoner during that prison’s designated visiting times. Information regarding each prison’s visiting hours and other important information can be located online. You may want to call the prison to verify whether their vending machines use cash or if you have to purchase and load a vending card. You will need quarters for a locker where you will be required to store your car keys, jackets, or any other items you carry in but are not allowed to take into the visiting room. Keep in mind that most prisons do not allow you to bring your cell phone, beeper, pager, or any other similar devise inside the building. Those items must be left in your car.

The easiest way to go about this is to take in the cash you plan to use for vending (some prisons require quarters only in a clear plastic bag and limit the dollar amount per person), your vending card or funds to load one, your picture ID, and your car keys. You are not allowed to wear anything, such as a watch, that contains a battery or is electronic, but other jewelry is allowed. An inventory of all jewelry, belts, glasses, and medical items, such as an ankle brace, will be noted at check-in, and then verified that it is still with you at check-out. That is not because they think someone is going to steal it off you, but to make sure that a visitor has not transferred contraband to a prisoner. Prisoners are also searched/patted down prior to the visit and again go through a “shake down” after the visit.

Patrick during day 2 of our visit — this photo has been cropped, which I do with most photos taken at the prison.

Keep in mind that clothing should be conservative — no short shorts, low-cut or revealing clothing such as skin tight leggins, no hoodies, no jackets/coats in the visiting room. The only thing you are allowed to carry into the room is your funds or vending card and your locker key.

So, you’ve done your preliminary steps, you have been approved, you know when to visit, how to dress, how to bring in funds for vending machines. Now what? If possible, it is best to advise your prisoner in advance the date and anticipated time when you plan to visit. This allows the prisoner to be properly clothed for a visit and to be where his Commanding Officer can quickly locate him. My son knows the estimated time of my arrival and is able to see me drive by from his bunk window. When he sees my car go by he walks up by his C.O. and awaits the call from the visiting room so he can be released for a visit. This helps to shorten the time you have to wait before the visit begins.

When you arrive at the prison take in only the limited items mentioned above and lock everything else in your car. You will need to complete a sign-in sheet where you fill out your personal information, including your name, address, birth date, the license plate of your car, the prisoner’s number, and your relationship to the prisoner. You will need to present picture ID, which they will hold until you leave. They will note any jewelry you are wearing: 2 earrings, one ring, one pair of glasses, etc. The desk will call back to the prisoner’s bunk and advise the C.O. that the prisoner has a visit.

If your prisoner sent anything up to the desk for you to take home you will receive it from the visitor’s desk, will be instructed to sign that you have picked up. It is always a good idea for the prisoner to let you know ahead of time what they have sent to be picked up so you have some knowledge of what to expect. Items they send to the front for pickup are only held for thirty days. At my most recent visit I had to pick up a large envelope, a very heavy box filled with paperwork and books, and a huge plastic bag filled with numerous items my son had crocheted since my prior stop. I have a small hand cart I take with me which helps in transporting the items going home from the building to the parking lot.

Make sure you have the appropriate money and/or vending card purchased and loaded before going back to the visiting room. It is also a good idea to use the restroom prior to your visit, as bathroom visits are limited, require you to be escorted out by a guard, and also require another complete search and pat-down prior to re-entering the visiting room.

Once your prisoner arrives in the visitor area (you will not see this, he will arrive through a separate entry), he will be patted down, enter the visiting room, and be either standing at attention near the doorway until you arrive, or be already seated at an area he was instructed to use by the visiting room officer. Once he is in the visiting area you will be called and taken back.

You will walk through a scanner, then be told to remove your socks and shoes and show the guard the bottom of your feet. If it is warm enough, sandals make this step much easier. You will then put your footwear back on. You will be asked to open your mouth and raise your tongue. You will have to stand with your back to the guard, legs spread, arms raised, and be patted down. You will have to pull out your pockets so they can be checked. If you are wearing a shirt with rolled up sleeves, they will have to be unrolled so they can be checked. All of these steps are to prevent contraband from entering the prison. The search and pat-down are done by a guard of the same gender as the visitor. Your hand will be marked with a black light pen and you will be then taken to the visiting room.

This photo of Patrick shows how prisoners are required to dress, in their striped uniform and prison issue shoes. This also shows the way most photos are taken before the mural and is why I crop most photos

Visits in prisons are contact visits. This means you are in the same room with your prisoner and with all other prisoners who are having visits. Be aware that prisoners are not allowed to converse with each other in the visiting room. A cordial greeting is okay, but beyond that they can not congregate and or hold conversations with each other. When you enter the room you will spot your prisoner and go to where ever they are located. You are allowed to hug your prisoner upon greeting and upon leaving. There are usually cards and other games available on a shelf to use during the visit if you choose to, and also some toys for children. There are vending machines to purchase beverages, snacks and sandwiches. Keep in mind that this is usually food the prisoner is unable to get during their day-today life and so this is a special treat to be able to eat and drink items such as burgers, burritos, candy, and pop. They have limited items available in their commissary, but not all. I normally purchase the photos tickets and food for my son, only having a light snack myself during the entire day I am there. I go out to dinner after the visit. I generally go for about 8-9 hours per visit and spend between $25-$35 in vending per day.

Remember, everything in a prison is limited and controlled. The prisoner is not allowed to get up and walk around, they are not even allowed to approach the vending machines or area where games are stored. You will have to get everything on your own. Food items must be removed from their package and put on a paper plate before taking it to the table where you and your prisoner are seated. There are microwaves available in the visiting room for heating foods.

You will be able have photos taken of your prisoner solo and/or with you. Photo “tickets” are purchased either at the front desk as you check in or are cards that are purchased from the vending machine. The cost is very reasonable, $2.50 gets you two 4×6 prints of the photo, one for you to take home, one for the prisoner to keep. At some point during the visit you will be called up to have your photo taken before a mural in the visiting room. Photographer is one of the jobs that prisoners can hold while they are incarcerated. This is the one time when the prisoner is allowed to get up, walk over to have his photo taken, then return to his seat. The other is if he is going out for a restroom visit for which he is escorted out by a guard.

If you as a visitor need to use the restroom you will have to advise the guard at the desk. You will then go back to your seat and wait until another officer comes into the room to escort you out. They will sometimes make an announcement asking whether any additional women and/or men need to go, but sometimes it is not announced, so keep your eye out. It is often easier to go out when a group is going then have to wait later. Bathroom trips are limited and keep in mind you will again have to go through the metal detector, remove shoes, get patted down, etc. depending on how far outside of the visiting room you have to go to use a restroom.

If a visiting room becomes crowded some visitors may be asked to leave. The general rule is first in, first out. Some prisons base who is asked to leave first on the distance traveled to visit. If visitor one was in first but traveled 300 miles and visitor two only traveled 100 miles, visitor two may be asked to leave before visitor one. Generally they will make an announcement and ask for volunteers to leave prior to selecting who must go. I have only had to leave earlier than intended 2-3 times in the past five years, Father’s Day being one of them. For that reason I now avoid visiting on that holiday.

Patrick and I during day 2 of my Memorial Day weekend visit.

When you are ready to leave you must advise the desk overseeing the waiting room, then go sit back down and wait. An officer will arrive in the visiting room to escort you out. Keep in mind that it may take some time before you are actually allowed to exit, and the wait may be extensive if it is during shift change or count. Your prisoner can advise you on when those things occur. You may hug your prisoner before departing, and if photos were taken you would have received two copies of each picture — one to leave with the prisoner, one to take home.

During the exit process you will be asked to pass your marked hand under a black light, they will verify you are wearing the same jewelry you entered with, and your drivers license will be returned to you. Retrieve your items out of the locker and you are free to go.

You have now survived your first prison visit. A simple walk in the prison. Nothing scary. Perfectly routine.

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October 27, 2016 · 9:45 am

Up and Back in a Day

This past Saturday was emotional, enlightening, fun, and exhausting all rolled into one. A couple weeks ago I wrote about my cousin losing her husband after a lengthy battle with cancer in Feeling Their Pain. The funeral was set and I debated for a week whether or not to go. I wanted to go, but I have a lot going on and I was juggling the loss of an entire Saturday to travel and attend v. being able to get things accomplished around home. I didn’t want to later regret not going so I went.

It was a beautiful fall Saturday in Michigan. The visitation was scheduled for 10:00 am, funeral for 11:00. I set my alarm for 4:00 am and was on the road at 5:15 am for the four hour drive. I watched the sunrise through the passenger side of my vehicle as I traveled north on I-75. A quick fifteen minute stop in West Branch gave me the opportunity to re-fuel the vehicle and myself by way of coffee and pumpkin donuts. I was in Traverse City at 9:30 am. death

The funeral was held at the Reynolds Jonkoff Funeral Home in Traverse City, the same place my Grandmother’s funeral was held years ago. A beautiful, historical home that lends itself to comfort for memorial services. Photo boards and memorabilia of Charlie’s life were on display, and a slide show of photos played on the screen. Always smiling, always clowning around and being silly, that was Charlie.

I was greeted by family I rarely see and met some I have never seen. It is hard to maintain contact with extended family when we all live so far apart. Facebook is a blessing in that regard for helping people to stay in touch. Charlie’s widow, Michelle, and I had not seen each other since we were children, but we recognized each other immediately. It had only been six days since Charlie passed and Michelle was struggling emotionally. We held each other and cried together, Michelle because the pain was new, me because I was reliving the pain through the memories this setting brought on. I left her a card in which I enclosed the poem I read at my husband Ron’s burial, If Tomorrow Starts Without Me (see below).

During the ceremony the Obituary of Charlie Jokinen was read. Charlie grew up in grew up in Bobcaygeon, Ontario and the stories shared by his best friend from childhood were filled with humor; good memories of a wonderful person in his youth. Michelle’s daughter, Nicole, talked about what a wonderful, accepting person Charlie was when he came into their lives, and how despite his struggles with cancer always attended her sporting events, concerts, and other activities of youth. I learned that Charlie and my husband, Ron, were very much alike. Both loved photography, being active, loved life and family, and were always smiling. It was a wonderful testimonial to a life well lived and a person well liked and loved by all.

Following the ceremony was the procession to the Memorial Gardens where Charlie was laid to rest beside my Uncle Lee and Aunt Jesse Hilts, who were laid to rest beside my maternal grandparents, Ralph and Grace Hilts. They are all located not far from the graves of my paternal grandparents, uncle and parents. After a short grave side service during which Michelle lowered Charlie’s ashes into the ground, we proceeded to the Grawn Baptist Church for a luncheon and fellowship with family members and friends.

About 2:30 I hugged Michelle goodbye before getting on the road. We promised to stay in touch and get together for a weekend. We now have a common bond not shared by our siblings or other cousins. I did manage to accidentally announce my departure rather loudly. As I was walking across the lot to my car I somehow managed to activate my car alarm. Nothing like a bright red car with the horn blasting and lights flashing to signal the end of a memorial luncheon. I glanced around, thought I was safe from anyone having witnesses my blunder and got into my car. Then a grey pickup pulled in next to me, it was my cousin, Iva, and her husband Milt. I rolled down the window and Milt congratulated me on adding a bit of humor to the end of the day.

I took the more scenic, leisurely route across the state on my way home. This served two purposes. It allowed me to enjoy the beautiful northern fall scenery with an occasional stop to take photographs, and the climbing in and out of the car into the cool air helped to keep me awake as I drove.

It was not until I got on US-10, an expressway, that the length of the day made me drowsy. I know that if I keep busy it helps me to stay awake and the singing and dancing in the car while driving wasn’t doing the trick. I finally made a stop and picked up a highly nutritious snack at Speedway gas station of a spiced pumpkin cappuccino and a small bag of crunchy Cheetos. I know, individually they sound yummy but as a combo it sounds horrid. Remarkably it wasn’t, so go ahead and give it a try sometimes. It did work in keeping me awake as I stretched that bag of Cheetos all the way to I-69, which marked only an hour more to go on my route.

I arrived home around 7:00 pm. A tiring day but I am glad I went. It was good for Michelle to have me there. It was good for me to be there.

funeral-whentomorrowstartswithoutmepoem

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Filed under cancer, celebration, Coping, death, Family, Illness, Life is a Melting Pot, marriage, memoir, travel

Tagged as Bobcaygeon, bond, Canada, cancer, Charlie Jokinen, cousins, driving, family, funeral, M-10, memorial, Michigan, obituary, Ontario, Reynolds Jonkoff Funeral Home, sympathy, travel, Traverse City

October 5, 2016 · 11:46 pm

Sleep In Old-Fashioned Elegance

I arrived a few minutes past the designated check-in time. Even though I was late and had to ring the bell I was greeted by Frank with a smile and friendly hello. He gave me a set of keys to my room and the front door. There was no pressure to immediately produce a credit card or sign paperwork. I was told that would be handled at check-out.

Frank gave me a tour of the house so I would know where to find amenities such as a refrigerator, microwave, coffee and tea, and a plate of home baked cookies. He pointed out a buzzer on the main floor that could be used to alert he and/or his wife, Cheryl, that assistance was needed. Frank then carried my suitcase up the steps and showed me my room and bathroom. Because my room had a private bathroom down a hall, plush robes were hanging in the closet to use if needed.

MacLeod House features a large front porch with seating and group of apple and pear trees in the side yard. A spacious back yard in this country setting provides a peaceful atmosphere for relaxing or sleeping. Photo copyright 2016 Grace Grogan.

Cheryl came out to meet me before I left for dinner. She provided me with the time range for breakfast, told me what she was planning to serve each of the days, and inquired as to whether I had any dietary restrictions and if the planned menu met with my approval. It was friendly, relaxed, courteous. There are no frazzled workers, elevator waits, loud kids or drunken patrons navigating the halls at 3 am. It was peaceful, quiet, relaxing.

The home is decorated in antiques. Furniture, photos, bedding, lamps, decorations, all reflect a bygone era. It is as if you have stepped back to a time of elegance and beauty. The old-style lamps in the bedroom give it a relaxing ambiance that no modern light will ever provide. I enjoyed relaxing in one of the chairs in my room each night, munching on a cookie and reading for a bit. When I was ready to climb into bed I flipped on the TV for a bit before dozing off. There is no street noise, no traffic. The quiet took me into a deep slumber.

Morning greeted me with a bathroom stocked with home-style towels, washcloths, bath rugs, and shower gel. None of the harsh white, hotel style bath accessories and cosmetics carrying a hotel logo here. On a table on the second floor landing are brochures of local attractions and a basket of toiletries in case a guest is in need of something.

Once I was showered and dressed for my day I headed down to the dining area for breakfast. I found one couple there enjoying their meal. Another couple joined us a few minutes later. Cheryl prepared our breakfasts as we arrived. French toast with creme cheese and peaches, served with sausage links on day one, omelets and thick toast with jams on the second. Coffee, tea, orange juice and water were available, as were breakfast breads. It was pleasant talking with other guests, learning where everyone was from, how long they plan to stay, where they have dined in the area, and sights they have taken in. A nice pleasant way to start the day.

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By now you may realize that my stay was at a bed and breakfast, more specifically MacLeod House in Newberry, Michigan. This was my first time staying at a B & B and I loved the experience. I will definitely look into this type of lodging when traveling in the future. Being a solo female traveler, I felt so much more secure in this environment than I do in a hotel or motel. No large parking lots, elevator rides and long hallways to navigate alone. It is a cozy, friendly atmosphere.

When I made my reservations I was told that I would need to change rooms from one night to the next due to a prior reservation. It was handled easily with me packing up my bags before I left in the morning for my day out. When the rooms were cleaned my bags were moved to the new room. This turned out to be a wonderful opportunity because it allowed me to stay in two different rooms, each with their own unique decorating scheme. My first night I was in the Rose Room, which I found cozy and inviting. This room had a private bath down a small hall; room amenities included plush robes to use if needed. My second night was in the Gold Room, which was a bit larger and had a private attached bath with a footed tub shower. They also offer a suite, which I did not personally view. I have no idea which room I will select the next time I visit that area, as each is unique and inviting.

Newberry is near many local attractions such as Taquamenon Falls, Oswald Bear Ranch, Ste. Saint Marie, and Pictured Rocks. I highly recommend checking them out the next time you are traveling in Michigan’s upper peninsula.

MacLeod House
6211 County Road 441
Newberry, Michigan 49868
Phone: (906) 293-3841
Email: fcicala@up.net
Website: Macleod House Bed and Breakfast

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Tagged as antique, B&B, bed and breakfast, lifestyle, MacLeod House, Michigan, Newport, travel

August 18, 2016 · 9:06 am

Being Obstinate

Float Down Photo Copyright Grace Grogan

I am by nature a fairly easy going person, except when you challenge what I think is right, at which point I can become very obstinate. This is the case with an article I just submitted to our local paper, The Times Herald. St. Clair County has an “unofficial” yearly event called Float Down, which will take place this Sunday.

This is an event where people disembark from Lakeside Beach in Port Huron using rafts, floats, etc. and take with them beverages, snacks, and more for the 7 mile float down the St. Clair River to Chrysler Beach in Marysville. This is an all-day event, the river is rapid, and even though the event is “unofficial” shipping traffic is generally slowed and/or stopped for several hours that day for safety reasons and the Coast Guard is on hand to carry out any necessary rescues.

0510 Port Huron Float Down - South of the Bridges-1

Float Down. Photo Copyright Grace Grogan.

There are over 5,000+ participants in the float down, and it grows larger and larger every year. In my opinion the participation increases because of the publicity it gets…not so much the positive publicity, but the negative. The U.S. Coast Guard encourages people not to participate because it is a safety risk. The officials of Marysville where the float ends keep trying to make it difficult for people to exit at their city by closing down roads and making it difficult for people got get picked up and exit the area quickly after floating. Last year because they closed the road where people exit some floaters were stranded near a local restaurant until 10:00 pm.

Float Down. Photo Copyright Grace Grogan.

This is where my good-natured, always balanced Libra personality takes a turn and I become obstinate. I am an opinion columnist for our local paper so I just submitted a column about the negative attitude of the City of Marysville’s mayor. I said I hope all 5,000+ float all the way to Chrysler Beach just because of the mayor’s attitude. I think the City’s negative attitude is why the float down has grown so large in the past few years. Who doesn’t want to participate in an event that has a bit of controversy and provides a unique chance at one day of fun per year? I know I do. I may be babysitting my granddaughter this year so my daughter can float, but in a future year I will participate in a float down. The Mayor of Marysville’s attitude has guaranteed that!

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Tagged as activities, Blue Water Area, events, family, float down, Grace Grogan, life, Life is a Melting Pot, Marysville, Michigan, Port Huron, St. Clair River

July 7, 2016 · 9:22 am

Swearing at Your Deceased Husband is Okay

It has been seven months since my husband passed away and I am handling it very well, except for those times when I get frustrated and swear at him. But that’s okay. Keep in mind if anyone else did it I would probably kill them, at least verbally. I lived with him for 34 years, I have exclusive rights.

Only someone who has ever lost a spouse can understand the roller coaster of emotions you deal with. People will say they understand because they have lost a grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, child, etc. They may feel sympathy for you, but they can’t understand fully. Losing a spouse is different.

Ron and I approx. 1980

So why am I swearing at him? Because it keeps me emotionally on track. Because it relieves frustration. Because it helps with mourning at unexpected moments. Because it is my exclusive right and I sometimes utilize it as an emotionally stabilizing crutch to help me maintain focus.

What am I swearing at him about? That depends on what I am doing at the time. As I am riding the lawn mower around our backyard that has numerous things to go around, and then a tremendous amount of edging I have said on numerous occasions “dammit Ron, all I can say is I know you designed this thinking you were going to be taking care of it, not me.” It helps me to focus on what needs to be done and set goals for getting the yard in order. It helps me to remember that he never had any intention of me having to handle the yard work. That was his area.

When I’m going through things he purchased at garage sales, estate sales, or scrapping and I look at the price tags on some of the items I say “dammit Ron, I hope you didn’t pay that price for this.” and “dammit Ron, why did you spend so much money on this stuff.” I could have used the money more than the stuff, but I know he had a goal in mind of reselling those things in a booth at the Eastern Market (huge farmer’s market in Detroit) or at flea markets and that was his goal. Everyone needs goals, and he had good intentions before the cancer took them and him.

Ron and I October 2015

I could go on, but I think you get the point. The biggest one though, is the one that is most important. You see in addition to a huge accumulation of stuff I need to get rid of, my house is full of Ron…photos he took, photos of him, things that we did, things that we purchased…memories. So, when something hits me and I’m having an emotional moment, I put my fingers on his chest/body on one of those photos and say “dammit Ron, why did you have to die?”

So now you now why it is okay to swear at your deceased husband. As his surviving widow you have the exclusive right to verbalize your frustrations at your new life, at the things you must now tackle, at the emotions that go along with the grieving process, at the frustrations over their death. It is your exclusive right. Enjoy it and use it to the fullest. Your sanity depends on it.

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Tagged as angry, death, deceased, frustration, Grace Grogan, grieving, husband, life, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, Michigan, mourning, spouse, swearing, widow, widower

June 2, 2016 · 12:14 am

Traveling Solo

Memorial Weekend was not the first time I have ever traveled solo, but it is the first time I have done so since the passing of my husband in December 2015. It was a good trip. It was a fun trip. It was a relaxing trip. It was a lonely trip. Rather than elaborate in paragraph form, I decided to do a list of bullets, highlights various activities, thoughts, and observations.

Destination Sault Ste. Marie via Newberry, Michigan. For those who do not know, these cities are in Michigan’s upper peninsula and are a 5-1/2 to 6 hour drive from my home.
Even though I set the cruise control at 74 instead of my normal 85 I still made the trip in the projected six hour time frame going to Newberry on Saturday morning, and that included two stops along the way. I made it home from Sault Ste. Marie in 5-1/2 hours on Monday with three stops along the way.
For those of you who do not know, I have a son in Newberry Correctional Facility and was going to visit him. I was very surprised to find that it was not busy at all with visitors. I had anticipated a wait due to the holiday weekend, but was pleasantly surprised to find I could get in right away.
Stopping along a two-lane road near a wooded area in the upper peninsula to shoot, from a distance, a large group of trilliums results in an attack of nats, no-seeums, or baby flies (I was told they were all three of those things). The invasion was so intense that just getting in and out of my car resulted in a large quantity inside, which I was then rolling down the window and trying to shoo out as I drove away. Maybe it would have been better had I not been wearing perfumed lotion?
Trilliums along roadway. Photo by Grace Grogan, Copyright 2016.
Drinking a margarita with my meal resulted in me going from being a good tipper to an exceptionally generous tipper, but I’m sure the waiter was happy.
Having a GPS in the car is great, especially when it tells you your hotel is in one spot, which is a hotel under construction. After placing a phone call you find out your hotel is about 1/2 a mile farther down the road and on the opposite side of the road. However it did have a handy landmark – across the street from Walmart, and next to the State Police post. Hmmmm, I never once saw a State Police vehicle the entire time I was there.
No-leak ice pacs will create a puddle in your fabric insulated lunch box if they thaw completely and will leave a stream behind you when you attempt to carry it.
On Sunday morning all the country music stations, actually almost all the radio stations in general, are either talk shows or church sermons/music. I found a rock station out of Traverse City/Kalkaska playing music, so of course I had to crank it up and dance my way from Sault Ste. Marie to Newberry for my second day of visiting with Patrick.
My favorite place for breakfast in Newberry had several new books by local authors, but I only selected and purchased one. That is what I most often buy when I travel, books written about the area in which I am visiting and/or by local authors. I also purchased a book in a gift shop in Sault Ste. Marie by another local author.
It is great to discover that your cousins from the Traverse City area happen to be visiting Newberry as well and you are able to get together for an impromptu dinner and chat for a couple hours.
I am a chicken when it comes to setting up my tripod and taking photos in the dark on an unlit street when by myself in an area with which I am not familiar when by myself. I never gave it a thought when Ron was with me.
The International Bridge looks awesome at night lit up in red, white, and blue, but I have no pictures (please refer to my previous post above).
At America’s Best Value Inn an accessible room is truly accessible. When I am staying at a location where I am unsure on whether or not they have elevators I will book an accessible room to make sure I am not climbing stairs alone with my suitcase, etc. (I have a very bad ankle). Usually “accessible” is a room that is on the main floor or not far from the lobby or elevator, but beyond that nothing unusual. The one in Sault Ste. Marie was wheelchair accessible, had a wooden floor, a fully wheelchair accessible shower, and a raised toilet seat. Of course the best part was a king size bed, which I had all to myself.
I greatly overestimated how much time I would have in the room to read and/or write and packed way more items than needed.
The Tower of History in Sault Ste. Marie provides a nice view of the entire city and locks. There is a small museum on the main level.

There is an island, Sugar Island, that is accessed by ferry that would be interesting to explore on a future trip. It is inhabited by a small amount of people and also houses some businesses, but is also supposed to have nature areas.
It is hard to access and walk the areas near the water and locks when downtown. The park where the locks are located is gated, has a security entrance, and closes at 9:00 pm. The park itself is quite large and features two stories of viewing platforms for watching ships/boats go through the locks. Unfortunately I missed seeing any go through.
Lockview Restaurant has very good fresh whitefish that can be ordered done in five different methods. I chose broiled and it was very good.
Patrick informed me that Street Outlaws is an awesome program. Monday night was a season premier that was two hours long. I did enjoy the parts I saw, but unfortunately fell asleep and missed a good portion of the races. It was rather cool that they were racing Detroit in that episode.
My ankle is impacting my decisions on what I do or do not do, which means it is affecting my day-to-day quality of life. If it does not improve by fall I think I will need to go in for a consultation with my surgeon and likely have an ankle fusion done over the winter. As someone who is terrified of surgery, that statement and acceptance of the likely need is huge.
I am a much more conscientious spender when traveling alone than I was with Ron. This does not mean I was previously a spender by nature, quite the contrary. I was and am more likely to put off doing things, whereas Ron was always more likely and willing to buy or do whatever he or I wanted and figure out how to pay for it later. I guess he was either a good influence or a bad influence, depending on how you look at it.
Sault Ste. Marie and International Bridge. Photo by Grace Grogan, Copyright 2016.
I need to plan a longer stay to do and see some things I want in Sault Ste. Marie.
Buying a bag of fresh on sale at the fudge shop is good. Munching on it to stay awake all the way home and in the process eating the entire bag is not. I had a miserable stomach ache later to remind me not to make that mistake again!

Overall I had a fun time this weekend. I managed to traverse the city at night without getting myself horribly lost. I forgot to take my book with me for the times I was dining, so utilized social media to keep myself entertained instead. My first weekend trip as a widow was fun. It was relaxing. It was lonely. The next one will be better.

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Filed under decisions, exploration, habit, handicapp, Holidays, impressions, Life Changing, Life is a Melting Pot, Photography, travel, Upper Penninsula

Tagged as activities, Grace Grogan, life, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, Michigan, photography, travel, vacation, writing

April 21, 2016 · 10:51 pm

Shall We Elope?

Life spins and churns, twists and turns, and in the process dreams are born, moments cherished, and desire becomes reality. Such is the case with a friend of mine who after spending more than twenty years widowed and single married the man of her dreams.

Wedding wishes, preparation, anticipation, and anxiety all come into play when anyone gets married. We are used to watching young people plan big, elaborate weddings, and there is excitement in that type of a “production.” This was different. It was two adults with children and grandchildren planning a small, simple, elopement with tidbits of details that added to the fun and uniqueness of this blending of their lives.

Planning to have an outdoor wedding in Michigan during the month of April is always gutsy. They decided they wanted to get married on the covered bridge in Frankenmuth, a popular location that is a unique, small town atmosphere and also a popular tourist destination. Being that it was two hours from home they needed to search and find a pastor to perform the service. They checked on use of the covered bridge, booked a motel and made arrangements for early check-in, arranged for a second witness, and made plans for photo locations.

Then a week before the date the couple held their breath when snow crept over the state. All was not lost. The day of the wedding was warm and sunny, comfortable for the bride in her sleeveless dress, a bit warm for the groom in his suit. A perfect day, perfect weather.

Vicki held to tradition. The morning of the wedding I received a text message asking if I had something she could borrow. She had the something old, something new, and something blue. She wore a bracelet that belonged to me for her something borrowed. I attended the event and served as witness/matron of honor and photographer.

I met Mark and Vicki at their motel and after Mark dressed and I had taken a couple shots of Vicki helping him with his tie, he left to meet us at the bridge. I helped Vicki with her dress, we took a few preparation shots, and I was shown a gift she had purchased for her new husband. It was fun, girly, and relaxing all at the same time. We arrived on location to find Mark chatting with the pastor and her husband.

Vicki and Mark - the way a wedding should be, happy and relaxed. Photo by Grace Grogan, copyright 2016.

Vicki had been worried about finding an appropriate dress, but she did and made the purchase. Then after reflection decided there was nothing wrong with her purchase, but it lacked the pizazz that one wants for their wedding day. She kept looking and ended up with a lady-like, age appropriate, knock-him-off-his-feet dress. How do I know, because I was walking with them and Mark looked over at Vicki and said “you look good, you look really good!” He was right, she did.

Rather than use the bridge, which was dark and cool, for their ceremony they opted to stand near the water overlooking the bridge. Prior to vows the groom, who is in a band, sang to the bride. Vows were spoken, rings exchanged, and of course the traditional kiss. The marriage license was signed, then they posed for a few photographs before we went to lunch.

When in Frankenmuth the tradition is to go for chicken dinner. Traditions are made to be broken, and when you have a small elopement instead of a over-the-top wedding, plans can be adjusted on a moments notice. How many brides and grooms do you know who have their wedding dinner in a tiny Mexican restaurant? Well I know one, and it was great. They were even presented with a huge, free fried ice cream because it was their special day.

After lunch we shot a few more photographs and then the happy couple went for a horse-drawn carriage ride around town. The end of a perfect day leading into a perfect night, and the beginning of a perfect union of marriage.

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Filed under celebration, decisions, events, Family, impressions, Life Changing, Life is a Melting Pot, marriage, spring

Tagged as bride, ceremony, covered bridge, elope, elopement, Frankenmuth, groom, Life is a Melting Pot, Mexican, Michigan, photography, water, wedding

April 7, 2016 · 9:30 am

Never Underestimate Small Towns

I grew up in a small town, which beat out another better-known small in a Michigan’s best small town popularity poll run by the Lansing State Journal. It only won by six votes in the final round, so definitely a tight race.

I haven’t lived in Eaton Rapids, Michigan since I married and moved away in 1981, but I have family there and have spent a considerable amount of time there over the years. While I prefer my current residential location, Eaton Rapids does have a historical, small-town appeal that many love.

0267 Island Park from Hamlin Street Foot Bridge - Eaton Rapids June 7 2014-1

G.A.R. Island City Park in Eaton Rapids. Photo by Grace Grogan

Before I delve into my hometown too deeply, let me give a thumbs up to the runner-up, Charlevoix, Michigan. I have always loved Charlevoix from the first time I went there. Charlevoix is bordered by Round Lake on one side, Lake Michigan on the other. Grab a whitefish dinner “to go” at Terry’s Restaurant, then walk across the street to sit in the park and eat overlooking Round Lake. A great, relaxing stop in northern Michigan.

Eaton Rapids, although not on any large bodies of water, is an Island City, the the G.A.R. park is an island within the island. The Grand River flows in and around the city, and everywhere you drive you are crossing bridges. Home of Miller Ice Cream, I grew up in a subdivision just down the street from Miller Farm #1, which is now a small historical village with an ice cream parlor and beautiful flower gardens to stroll.

0257 Flags on Main Street - Eaton Rapids June 7 2014-1

A Patriotic Display on Main Street, Eaton Rapids, Michigan. Photo by Grace Grogan

Eaton Rapids is also home to the VFW National Home, the only one in the United States. The town’s latest claim to fame is the hosting of an Urban Air event, when vintage Airstream trailers line main street for a long weekend. I have not yet attended this event, but am putting it on my calendar for this year. Hopefully no conflicts arise, because I really want to visit during that time. Downtown, small-town features include an old-fashioned telephone booth that actually works, a river walk, the Island City Park, and several great eateries, including patio dining at Darb’s.

VFW National Home – a view down one of its many streets. Photo by Grace Grogan

Congratulations to both my hometown of Eaton Rapids and another favorite, Charlevoix for being the best two small towns in Michigan.

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Filed under Family, home, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, Michigan, travel

Tagged as Charlevoix, Darb's, Eaton Rapids, G.A.R. Island Park, Grace Grogan, Grand River, Lake Michigan, Life is a Melting Pot, Michigan, Miller Ice Cream, Round Lake, small town, Terry's Restaurant, urban air, VFW National Home

February 25, 2016 · 10:41 pm

Human Trafficking – closer to home than you think

Often when we hear news about something that is tragic we turn the other cheek, for those horrible things often happen in areas that are not near us or are removed enough that we feel we are safe. What happens when you find out that you and/or your loved ones may not be safe? Your sense of well-being is disturbed.

This is what happened when I found out about human trafficking in Michigan. I feel safe in the area where I live and was shocked to find out that human trafficking is a very real concern for this area due to our close proximity to the border. We always think something may happen to someone else, but not us. Horrible things happen in other countries, but not ours…at least that is what we want to believe.

I was shocked to learn that Michigan is one of the top spots in the United States for human trafficking. What was even more surprising was to learn that Michigan ranks no. 2 in the country for human trafficking in the sex trade. No. 1 is Nevada. Two of the things that make Michigan a primary spot is our close proximity to Canada and our waterways. They help make the exploitation of vulnerable persons in this state a lucrative business.

Human trafficking is modern day slavery. Force, fraud, and coercion to control are used to elicit commercial sexual acts, labor or service. Sex is conducted through brothels, escort services, fake massage businesses, and strip clubs. Labor is used in domestic work, small businesses, large farms and factories.

Human trafficking takes place in all fifty states and Washington DC. It is a highly lucrative trade. There are high profits and it is low risk. It is one of the most profitable criminal industries worldwide. As of June 30, 2015 there were 2,084 cases of sex trafficking nationally, and an estimated 1.5 million total victims of human trafficking in North America. The going rate for humans on the global market is $90.00. Humans are sold and re-sold, yielding a nice profit for those in the business.

Labor trafficking is found in agriculture, manufacturing and construction jobs. Victims work in fields, factories, are denied their rightful earnings and live and/or work in deplorable conditions. Sex trafficking is found at Michigan truck stops, hotels and special events. Victims are offered as sex toys at temporary brothels, sporting events, conventions, and large gatherings.

Teens and runaways are especially vulnerable. They are often enticed by promises of love, affection, and gifts. Guerilla tactics are also used, meaning violence, threats, and consequences if they do not comply with orders. We must protect our youth from becoming victims of this crime. Educate them on the risks. Make sure they are aware of the tactics used to lure them in. This is a very real crime taking place in our own backyard. We need to take control and eliminate the risk to save our youth.

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center is open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and can take calls in over 200 languages. They can be reached at 888-373-7888 or traffickingresourcecenter.org.

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Filed under children, communication, decisions, Life is a Melting Pot, Michigan, mind, parents

Tagged as blog, family, Grace Grogan, Human Trafficking, Life is a Melting Pot, Michigan, slavery, ups and downs, victim

November 11, 2015 · 8:13 pm

Boom! Then The Walls Caved In

Implosion. Photos by Grace Grogan, Copyright 2015

The anticipation, are you going? Where are you going to watch from? As the time grew shorter, the inquiries became more frequent, planning more intense. It filled conversations, Facebook posts, the newspaper. The much anticipated implosion of the DTE Power Plant in Marysville, Michigan.

Marysville Power Plant, Copyright 2015. Photo by Grace Grogan

The plant was built along the St. Clair River, an international waterway and shipping channel. My husband and I decided the best vantage point would be from the Canadian side of the river. We were not alone in our thinking. Both Canadians and Americans lined the roadway to watch the event.

It was scheduled for 8:00 am on November 7, 2015, and it is one of the few activities I have ever attended where 8:00 am meant exactly that. At 8:00 am you could see lights flash in several spots, the boom as explosives went off, and then watch the building go down in a matter of seconds. Definitely worth getting up early to see.

Dust and smoke billow out across the St. Clair River. Copyright 2015. Photo by Grace Grogan

Immediately following the implosion a huge, billowing cloud of smoke and/or dirt rose up and started to roll out over the river, eventually hitting the bank and coming up onto the Canadian soil. Then, in a few minutes it was clear again and you could see the huge pile of rubble left where a building had once stood.

Aftermath - Ron Grogan takes down his camera and tripod as the cloud of dust rolls in. Copyright 2015. Photo by Grace Grogan

Then the traffic jam started. You know how it is when you are trying to leave a large event, bumper to bumper traffic moving at a slow pace. The problem was, the authorities had not really anticipated the amount of vehicles that would be there and had no one directing traffic to clear it out quickly. We didn’t even attempt to enter traffic for at least a half hour or more.

The downed power plant. Copyright 2015. Photo by Grace Grogan

Was it worth it? Absolutely! Would I attend an implosion again if the opportunity arose? Definitely! Watching a building come down in only a matter of seconds is a sight to be experienced in person. It can not be explained.

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Filed under Life is a Melting Pot

Tagged as building, cave-in, destruction, DTE Power Plant, event, implosion, Marysville, Michigan, St. Clair County, St. Clair River

Tag Archives: Michigan

Summer Visit With Grandkids

Looking Forward Means Looking Back

35 Unique Things About Michigan

Grandkids Keep Life Fun

Hindsight is 2020

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED …WHAT IF?

DOCUMENT YOUR PART IN HISTORY

My First Week as a Nomad

First Day of Freedom

Cycle Through Life

Show Me The Bottom Of Your Feet

Up and Back in a Day

Sleep In Old-Fashioned Elegance

Being Obstinate

Swearing at Your Deceased Husband is Okay

Traveling Solo

Shall We Elope?

Photos by Grace Grogan, copyright 2016

Never Underestimate Small Towns

Human Trafficking – closer to home than you think

Boom! Then The Walls Caved In

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