Life Lessons

When newspaper columnist Regina Brett turned 45, she wrote a piece on the 45 lessons life taught her. When she turned 50, she added five more. It has became the single most popular column she’s ever written.

Brett’s lessons cover a wide range of topics, some of which speak to me and others which I don’t find relevant, yet all the lessons will be likely be pertinent at some point in my life. I’m approaching 50 + 1 and have been especially reflective as of late. I think this is something I should reread every year.

Oh, by the way, in April Brett published a book based on her list, God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours. If you haven’t yet purchased my birthday gift, I think this would be an interesting read and a great addition to my collection!

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Regina Brett’s 45 Life Lessons and 5 to Grow On

Originally published in The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) on May 28, 2006; updated April 3, 2008

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here’s an update:

1Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5Pay off your credit cards every month.

6You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8It’s okay to get angry with God. He can take it.

9Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12It’s okay to let your children see you cry.

13Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living or get busy dying.

17You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion.  Today is special.

22Over-prepare, then go with the flow.

23Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24The most important sex organ is the brain.

25No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

27Always choose life.

28Forgive everyone everything.

29What other people think of you is none of your business.

30Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33Believe in miracles.

34God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

36Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

43All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45The best is yet to come.

46No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49Yield.

50Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Spread a Little Sunshine

I’ll admit it … yesterday I was in the foulest mood. I’m too old for PMS; can I blame it on being Monday? I pretty much ignored everyone and, at the end of the day when I had a chance to reflect upon it, decided that everyone in turn had pretty much ignored me. Do you blame them? I was a Beotch (with a capital Be) and no fun to be around. Who wants to keep company with a sad sack? A grumbler? A groaner? Though it can happen to the best of us, I decided to try a new approach.

The last thing I donned before leaving home was a smile, and I made sure to make the first effort instead of waiting for others to do it. I looked directly at and said, “Good morning!” or “Hello!” or “Nice day, isn’t it?” to everyone I encountered. Some people responded in kind immediately; others, I think, were taken aback. It not only made me much less crabby, but I’d also like to believe that even if their day got progressively worse, at least one nice thing—in the form of acknowledgement with a simple greeting—had happened to them. Who said one person can’t make a difference?

We all can use as many positives in our life as we can get. Oh sure, it’s much easier to complain or blame or make excuses. But hey … who ever promised life would be easy? We’ve heard it a million times, but it bears repeating. Attitude is everything. If we think we’re going to have a crappy day, we likely will. If we feel as if we can’t do something and are going to fail, there’s a very good chance that is exactly what will happen. On the other hand, by maintaining a positive outlook, things look a lot brighter. And doesn’t that directly impact those whose paths we cross?

Sunshine goes a lot farther than gloom and doom, don't you think?

Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have Hydrangeas!

Yes it’s another flower photo, but bear with me on this one and let me explain.

I love the look of a well-groomed yard, but admittedly don’t know plants from weeds and am not big on digging in the dirt. I’ve been working with a landscaper over the past several years in what has become known as the Lawn Beautification Program. In his infinite horticultural wisdom, he confirmed that money indeed does not grow on trees.  (Darn ... I was hoping that one wasn’t a fallacy.)  So, instead of doing the entire yard in one fell swoop, I’ve only been able to work on portions at a time. Phase II of the LBP contains three hydrangeas. They looked oh so lovely the first year, but I didn’t learn all the ins and outs of these flowering beauties until it was too late.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as “no maintenance” plants, so I had to go with the “low maintenance” variety. Evidently, the type of hydrangea I have is a mophead, which blooms on old wood. “Old wood” are stems that have been on the hydrangea since the summer before the current season. “New wood” are stems that develop on the plant during the current season. This type of plant produces flower buds on the stems in August, September or October, which will bloom the following summer. If those stems are pruned in the fall, winter or spring, the bloom buds will be removed, and there may be little or no bloom the following summer. In actuality, mophead hydrangeas don’t ever have to be pruned back unless they’re very old; removing dead stems is the only maintenance that should be done for the health of the plant.

So last fall I got a bit overzealous with “maintenance” and started pruning before doing my research (also known as back-asswards gardening). I cut those babies all the way to the ground. Oops! I thought for sure I had murdered them and would be pulling out their carcasses this spring, but a friend more well-versed in flower matters assured me the plants would come back, though they would not bloom. I was elated to discover this summer has indeed produced three healthy green plants, albeit sans blooms. Or so I thought.

Imagine my surprise when, while pulling weeds (that would be the “low maintenance” portion of maintaining flower beds), I found a bloom on one of the plants! Definitely an unexpected pleasure and what I’ve dubbed the rebel bloom … the one that doesn’t follow the rules.

Now that I’m a bit wiser about hydrangea maintenance, there should be a lot more blooms on my plants next year. Just to be safe, though, I’m knocking on—not pruning—old wood. If all else fails, my next boyfriend is going to be a gardener!

Discovering New Oceans

Some people follow the same routine day in and day out, week after week, month after month, year after year. While they may be content with this as a way of life, there are those of us who would quickly stagnate in such an existence and subsequently long for more. Beyond the end of our driveway is a myriad of places to go, people to see, and things to do. But it is not until we take that first step outside the confines of our comfort zone that we truly begin to live life rather than merely exist.

Sometimes the decision to try new and different things is one that results from necessity. After working under the structure of organized law firms for years, I began to feel like a small cog in the big corporate wheel. The need to broaden my horizons led me to accept a position with a newly-formed firm which promised that both it and I would flourish. That, however, did not prove to be the case. I found myself unemployed and panic-stricken, but telephone calls to contacts I had made in the biz quickly resulted in another avenue to explore. Freelance legal secretarial work gave way to performing paralegal work on an independent contract basis. I have found it to be not only a significant advancement in my career, but a personal growing experience as well. By working with various firms, I have been able to gain valuable training in many areas of the law with which I would not otherwise have become familiar. At the same time, I am able to offer assistance through the knowledge and skills I have acquired as a result of my endeavor and make a meaningful contribution wherever I go.

As is frequently the case, I often have too much to do and not enough time in which to do it. At the beginning of the year I had grand plans to exercise more. Carving out a piece of my daily schedule for simple exercise has proven to be futile. It seems that the only time where it can consistently be included is in the morning. I will be the first in a long of people who will readily attest to the fact I do not bound out of bed with enthusiasm at the crack of dawn. But upon weighing the benefits of desire against what I consider to be inconvenience (and the fact that I am thoroughly disgusted with my ballooning midsection), I am once again vowing to expand my morning schedule and making a half-hour walk the first thing on my agenda each day. I hope to discover another valuable benefit when it becomes routine. In that 30-minute period I am alone with my thoughts. I can reflect upon what has previously happened or can plot out a course of action for what is yet to come. While taking care of myself physically, I will also be taking care of myself mentally.

Years from now, how many of us will do nothing more than wonder about all the things we never tried? What may not seem exciting or worthwhile at the time can prove to be just that if we merely give it a chance. I was reminded of this very thing when recently flipping through my scrapbooks. Mark earned a degree in archaeology and, although not currently employed in that capacity, has managed to keep his dream alive through volunteer work over the years. Until I had an opportunity to participate in a dig at a local site, I had simply looked at archaeologists as over-grown boys playing in the dirt. Out in the field, however, I stood in awe as I sifted through soil that human hands had not touched in over 2,000 years. I uncovered artifacts which gave clues to former civilizations and provided understanding as to the establishment and organization of our very communities. While I initially did this only to appease Mark, I found I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and discovered a new-found respect for archaeologists and a fascination for their work.

Whether the decision to expand one’s comfort zone is based upon necessity, convenience or curiosity, when doing so the daydream of eluding mundane existence is transformed into exhilarating reality. The end of the driveway gives way to a long road upon which a journey of enlightenment can begin. All we really need to do is take the first step. As French novelist Andre Gide so profoundly noted, “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

The Whole Fam Damily

It wasn’t my intent to crash a party, but sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do. I hadn’t seen Rob in over 20 years and catching up with him earlier in the week for a mere eight hours just didn’t seem like enough. When he invited me to join him for the family function he had traveled back to Michigan to attend (and assured me no one would mind), I jumped at the chance. All I had to do was find my way to Fennville … also known as BFE.

I wondered what I had gotten myself into when Mapquest told me portions of my 60-minute commute were on unpaved roads and I actually had to drive (row?) through a small lake which had formed following all the rain West Michigan had recently received.  But I didn’t hear dueling banjos and made it in one (dry!) piece to join in the festivities.  It was all good.

A graduation party for Rob’s niece had been combined with a family reunion, which meant I got to see many familiar faces, as well as meet the new ones of the nieces, nephews and in-laws who had become part of the clan in the past few decades.

I didn’t really remember his younger brother Russ, but he didn’t really remember me either so I don’t feel too bad. He and his wife hosted the celebrations at an amazing log cabin they had built on 50 acres. Russ is an avid big game hunter, as was evident by the trophies adorning every wall. At one point I asked the location of the nearest bathroom and was amusingly told to “turn left at the giraffe.” Not to worry … it was a wood carving and not of the stuffed variety, though I suppose Marlin Perkins was already rolling over in his grave. 

Rick, on the other hand, I remember well; he has not changed one bit.  He humorously recounted stories of the good ole’ days even I had forgotten, told me about his world travels while working with the CIA, and introduced me to his lovely family.

And it was wonderful to see Rob’s Mom and Dad again. They have also relocated to the Sunshine State and now live about two hours from Rob. After family week came to a close, they planned to hop back in their motor home and head to Alaska. You go, Mr. and Mrs. G!

With great eats and drinks, reminiscing about days gone by, discovering things I never knew, and laughing and chatting with everyone, I was not surprised another eight hours had zoomed by. I’m glad I got to spend more time with Rob and his family. Great people, good times!

Baseball, Hot Dogs ...

Okay. So there was no apple pie or Chevrolet, but my friend Renee was there. She and I also go way back as co-workers in my former life. Though we only live around the corner from each other, our visits are often few and far between.

The Little League ballpark is just a hop, skip and jump away from home as well, and for years I’ve been meaning to wander down and watch a game. It’s only taken me 17 years to do so, but it’s much more interesting when someone you know is playing.

Renee’s son Michael will be a high school junior next year and on a team in the Senior division of the league. When I found out he would be swinging the bat, it warranted a jaunt to the corner to take in the action, grab a couple of hot dogs, and catch up with Renee. Michael did an awesome job and managed a base hit; his team ultimately won the game 5-3.

A great way to spend a summer Friday night!

A Blast from the Past

Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I don’t text, I don’t tweet, and I don’t spend every waking moment on Facebook. Oh sure, I was just as addicted as my “friends” are when I first signed on 1.5 years ago, but the novelty has definitely worn off. I’m not into web farming. I don’t need to read that Little Billy is now rolling over and pooping up a storm or that the cat is coughing up more than furballs. And call me crazy, but I’d much rather “chat” with someone in person. But lest you think I’m totally dissing social networking, I will admit it has proven to be a godsend in reconnecting with long lost friends. Without it Rob would never have resurfaced.

The year was 1980. My sister Karen was dating Rick, who informed me I should meet his brother because we’d hit it off. So I did and, by golly, we did; Rob and I became fast friends. Think Will and Grace … with polkas! It seems as if dancing was always a part of what we did, whether acting as each other’s “plus one” for weddings and corporate events, painting the town red or, yes, even joining my family for polka night at Adrian’s Ramona Terrace. (You probably had to be there, but it really was a blast!) Rob and I used to dance our fool heads (and feet!) off, and had an absolute riot hanging out together for three years. As much as I’d love to recount all of the sordid details for you, only the guilty are privy to such information.  Some stories are better left untold.  My mother reads this, after all.

Then Rob migrated south. He returned to Grand Rapids in 1986 to attend my wedding, and did my hair and nails for the big event. Why he didn’t tackle those eyebrows of mine I’ll never understand, but I digress. Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw him and shortly thereafter we sadly lost touch.

I ran into his Mom at a parade several years later, who confirmed Rob was still living in Florida when not gadding about the globe with his job for Redken. But with a common surname, he may as well have been “John Smith” in attempting to track down without the advent of modern technology and the internet. We didn’t reconnect until I spotted his smiling face on FB last summer amongst other KHHS alumni.

We vowed to keep in better touch this time around and, when his Christmas card informed me he’d be in my neighborhood in June, we made plans to catch up. Admittedly I approached the meeting with a bit of trepidation. Would we recognize each other? Would we have anything to say? Could we easily pick up where we last left off over two decades ago or had too much time passed? After a hiatus of (can it really be?) nearly 24 years we reunited and I discovered the apprehension was for naught. No dancing was involved, but drinks and great conversation flowed in abundance. We laughed, we pondered and we enjoyed every minute as if we had just seen each other the previous week.  And we still look good, no?

So now we’re a little older and a lot wiser about what’s important in life. A friendship like ours rarely comes along yet is a keeper. We’ll remain close in touch as well as close in heart. It was great to revisit the past and I look forward to making new memories in the future. Rob, so glad to have found you again. Much love and many hugs, my dear friend!

Third in a Series

Now that it’s officially summer according to the calendar, it’s time for another shot of my favorite drive-by tree.

I’ve already done winter and spring, but what a difference a few months and a little sunshine make. Sunshine is the key word here. Granted most of that brick wall is now hidden by abundant foliage, but the bigger problem was how washed out and nearly unrecognizable the architecture appeared when bathed in glorious light. Fortunately I’ve learned a thing or two about the workings of my camera in the past six months (wow … has it been that long already?) and knew I had to adjust the white balance. The Auto setting couldn’t produce natural looking colors, but changing the white balance to Day Light compensated for shooting outdoors on a bright day. Voila … colorful tree and background! Not sure I love this photo either, but this little exercise proves I’m learning all the bells and whistles of camera function.

I’ll take the fourth photo of this series in the autumn months and then compare the seasons side-by-side. Stay tuned!

Time Flies

Can someone explain to me how this happens? I swear it was just last Monday when my cousin Sandy gave birth to Jennifer, yet this past weekend we celebrated her high school graduation (Jennifer’s, not Sandy’s). Yes, in the blink of an eye, 18 years have flown by.  It is evident she’s a proud Mom (Sandy, not Jennifer), and that she and Dave have raised a lovely young woman from that bundle of baby chubbiness with the thickest black hair. I have to wonder, though. Do you think Jennifer’s pursuit of a psychology degree has anything to do with growing up in our wacky family?

Blessings, love and continued success, Jennifer!

A Rose by Another Name

If you’ve been religiously following my blog (you HAVE been religiously following, yes?), you’ll remember I’m not fond of chain restaurants and prefer to instead partake of the local flavor. That approach to eating occurs not only when I’m gallivanting around the country, but in my own neighborhood as well.

One of my favorite haunts in Grand Rapids is Rose’s on Reeds Lake. As the story goes, the building was first constructed by original owner, James Rose, a German immigrant who started the business at the turn of the century as a bath house to teach people how to swim. He invented a special method which involved tying students to a fishing pole and walking back and forth.  Um, I think I'll stick with lessons at the YMCA.

Not sure how Rose’s evolved from that into such a great restaurant, but there’s something about its charm and history that puts it at the top of my list any time of year. I especially love going there in the summer when I can dine shoreside, watch sailboats glide across the lake, and indulge in homemade root chips dipped in goat cheese fondue and seasonal favorites like Rose’s Lemonade (lemonade, vodka and Chambord). This time around it was also the featured spinach and dried tart cherry salad, and the coriander rubbed mahi mahi with herbed risotto.

In a word: Yum!

Rose’s on Reeds Lake

550 Lakeside Drive

616.458.1122

Summer Sighting

Nothing screams summer more than those sky screaming Roman candles, strobes, dahlias, wagon wheels, waterfalls and other colorful pyrotechnics that dazzle a night sky. The Walker Festival jumped the gun (canon?) a few days on the official arrival of summer in ending its day-long event with a bang. Not the most magnificent fireworks display I’ve ever seen, but a great way to spend an evening with family and friends.

Clothesline Art Festival

Every year for the past 45, come rain or shine, East Grand Rapids has played host to the Annual Reeds Lake Clothesline Art Festival. I used to attend without fail, and remember many a time trudging through ankle-deep mud in John Collins Park precariously juggling an umbrella in one hand and bags in another while digging for my Visa card. But I hadn’t been in many years. While recently flipping through On-The-Town and wondering what kind of trouble I could get into this weekend, I saw the event listed in the art section. Problem solved!

Sponsored by the Grand Valley Artist, Inc., the juried show now lines the streets of downtown East Grand Rapids instead of the lakeshore. It showcases the works of local and national artists who offer the best of the best in fine art and crafts: sculpture, glass, textiles, pottery, jewelry, photography, clothing and more. These are some very creative and talented people!

I saw no less than 17 things that needed to go home with me … but ultimately only ended up with a fistful of business cards. Needless to say, my Visa card breathed a sigh of relief.

Workin' at the Car Wash

I have no idea how, as a Polish Catholic girl, I ended up smack dab in the middle of Dutch country. On every corner there are at least six CRC’s. Not that it’s a bad thing, mind you. I mow my lawn and drink beer on Sunday and haven’t been banished from the neighborhood yet. Even better is the fact that it’s the season of youth group fundraisers. There’s always a car wash going on in some nearby parking lot. Yes, they typically miss a few spots and, since I tend to be generous, it’s probably costing me a few bucks more than it would had I gone to the auto wash. But it’s all for a good cause and I’d like to think I’m investing in the next generation.

‘cept I can never get those lyrics out of my head …

You might not ever get rich

But let me tell ya it’s better than diggin’ a ditch

There ain’t no tellin’ who you might meet

A movie star or maybe even an Indian chief

(Workin’)

At the car wash

Workin’ at the car wash, girl

Come on and sing it with me

(Car wash)

Sing it with the feelin’ ya’all

(Car wash, girl)

(Work and work)

Well, those cars never seem to stop coming

(Work and work)

Keep those rags and machines humming

(Work and work)

My fingers to the bone

(Work)

Can’t wait till it’s time to go home

Not to worry … I never break into song or insist they learn how to hustle.

(Bonus points if you are also a product of the 70s and know who sang this!)

Millennium Park

No, I’m not quite ready to permanently trade in my stilettos and cosmos for sneakers and a water bottle. It’s just that I’ve been wandering a lot lately and seem to end up at all these places I’ve been meaning to explore but just never found (made?) the time to check out. I wonder why it took me so long to discover what is projected to be one of the nation’s largest urban parks. Six years have flown by since it was first dedicated in 2004, but I suppose I’m better late than not at all, huh?

The 1500-acre Millennium Park is a combination of outdoor recreational activity and green space. If you’re into waterworks, it offers a 100-acre lake on a sandy beach and a splash pad for kids of all ages. There are also volleyball, basketball and bocce ball courts, as well as picnic pavilions.

But I’d rather spend my time off the beaten path on the paved walkway.

A 13-mile network of trails winds through rolling terrain and wetlands. Featuring woods, meadows, lakes and streams, they allow you to become one with the flora, wildlife, fish and waterfowl of the area.

It was the perfect place to get lost for a few hours (figuratively not literally … I’ve got an innate sense of direction!).

My plan is to banish the spider family which has taken up residence in my bike and brush the cobwebs from its spokes. I think I’ve just found a great new place to put some miles on it. Let me know if you want to join me!

Gardens & Sculptures

I’ve been to a million events at the Frederik Meijer Gardens, but never really knew what I was missing until we made the rounds to see all of the Chihuly sites. I got a cursory introduction to the entire park while walking the pathways through its gardens, meadows, woodlands and wetlands. It was like following the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. It really is a magical place and one which provides great photo ops. At least two, if not more, return trips are in order: one to concentrate on the lovely gardens and another to check out the fascinating sculptures.

There’s so much more to discover. Can’t wait to return!

Chihuly: A New Eden

My first Chihuly sighting was his magnificent Isola di San Giacomo in Palude Chandelier II in the Milwaukee Art Museum. I then began to notice his stunning glasswork elsewhere. The Crystal Tree of Light, designed for the White House Millennium celebration, now permanently installed in the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. The dramatic Fiori di Como hovering over the Bellagio lobby in Sin City. Campiello del Remer #2, the 9-foot chandelier gracing the entrance to the Glass Pavilion of Toledo’s Museum of Art. And the permanent collection of our own Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park: the Gilded Champagne Gardens Chandelier in the Atrium and Lena’s Garden in the Taste of the Gardens Cafe.  But it was the Gardens’ temporary exhibit we had come to see.

As a student in interior design, Dale Chihuly was first introduced to glass while at the University of Washington. He continued at Rhode Island School of Design, where he later established its glass program and taught for more than a decade. He went on to study in Venice, which exposed him to the team approach to glass blowing, and later returned to Washington where he founded the Pilchuck Glass School. While in England in 1976, he was involved in a head-on collision and flew through the windshield of his car. His face severely cut by glass, he was blinded in his left eye. After recovering, he continued to blow glass until he dislocated his shoulder in a 1979 bodysurfing accident. No longer able to hold the glass blowing pipe, he hired others to do the work and, with their collaboration, continues to lead the way in fine art glass blowing. His well-known series of works include Baskets, Persians and Seaforms, and are included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide.

Chihuly’s passion for glass has grown into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings. My Aunt Cecile has a Meijer Gardens membership and invited me to join her for lunch and a day of perusing Chihuly: A New Eden, 15 locations in a site-specific exhibition developed in celebration of the Gardens’ 15th anniversary. How could I refuse such an offer?

While the skies were overcast, the rain held off. We couldn’t have asked for better browsing weather. Sporting comfy shoes, we covered all the nooks and crannies of the Gardens. Many hours later we managed to see every one of the 15 sites.

SITE 1: ENGLISH PERENNIAL AND BULB GARDENS

Citron Green and Red Tower

Garden Glass

SITE 2: ARID CONSERVATORY

Oops!  No photos!

SITE 3: LENA MEIJER TROPICAL CONSERVATORY

Ikebana

Basket Forest

Persians

SITE 4: VOLUNTEER TRIBUTE GARDEN

 

Rose Crystal Tower

The juxtaposition of modern glasswork coordinating side by side with the beauty of nature was absolutely amazing. I fell in love with some pieces immediately while it took a bit for others to grow on me, but I loved them all.

SITE 5: LENA MEIJER CHILDREN'S GARDEN

 Eelgrass and Red Bamboo

SITE 6: AMPHITHEATER ENTRANCE

Cobalt and Turquoise Reeds; Floats

SITE 7: AMPHITHEATER HILLSIDE

Red Reeds

SITE 8: CULTURAL COMMONS

Summer Sun

I’ll admit to being especially drawn to the crowd favorite at The Groves and Hekman Pond (Site 9).

Blue Moon and Walla Wallas

Walla Walla

Yellow Boat

SITE 10: SCULPTURE PARK WATERFALL

Niijima Floats

SITE 11: SCULPTURE PARK LOWER FALLS

Lime Crystal Tower

SITE 12: SCULPTURE PARK LOWER POND

Saffron Tower

SITE 13: THE PENINSULA

Neodymium Reeds and Herons

SITE 14: WOODLAND SHADE GARDEN

Yellow Reeds

SITE 15: WETLANDS

Blue Polyvitro Crystals

This exhibition runs through September 30. If you’re in the area and you haven’t yet checked out A New Eden, make sure you take the time to do so.  These photos don’t even begin to do Chihuly’s work justice.

We also enjoyed a portion of the 90-minute documentary, Chihuly in the Hotshop, which continuously plays in the Hoffman Family Auditorium. It chronicles Chihuly’s 2006 residency in the hotshop of the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, a state-of-the-art amphitheater specifically designed to allow an audience to experience glassblowing up close and personal.

Incredibly, we spent nearly six hours at the Gardens. Time certainly does fly when you’re enjoying lunch, an amazing exhibition and each other’s company. I treasured every minute of it! A huge thank you, Aunt Cecile, for sharing your day and this special collection with me (and for being so patient while I took what proved to be 200+ photos!). Much love, many hugs!

Inspiration

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.

~ Claude Monet

A Taste of Summer

There’s nothing better on a hot summer day than indulging in a frozen treat. And there’s no better place to do so than your friendly, neighborhood ice cream shop. In the Standale area that place is the Ice Cream Garage.

For over 35 years the ICG has been serving the locals. I just love its garage-y community theme. Overhead garage doors actually enclose the patio area, and the mural featuring characters from Disney’s Cars movie and a Yellow Pages-type directory has been customized to tout area businesses. Yumminess in fun surroundings. Does it get any better than that?

I always make a pit stop when I’m in the neighborhood; you should, too! It’s a much better way to enjoy ice cream than by stealing Fudge Ripple from a milk truck. Trust me, I know!

Ice Cream Garage

4030 Lake Michigan Drive

Mr. Mom

I had planned to spend the day tackling files, but was easily distracted when Kev called. Jenni was gone to Detroit to help her Mom pack for relocating to Florida. Juggling the roles of both mother and father, he was looking for something to amuse Kobi. I don’t like to pass up an opportunity to spend time with my brother, especially when my favorite Korean-born nephew is in tow. I told him to c’mon over.

We ended up at Hager Park. The 104-acre family recreational area features an arboretum, picnic tables and grills, and nature trails. The Age of Discovery community-built playground which overlooks a terrain map of the US is one of its highlights. With swings and slides, and nooks and crannies to explore, it’s a great place for kids of all ages to spend a couple of hours or an entire day. What fun!

After the flurry of activity and all that fresh air, I’m thinking both Kobi and Kev slept well that night!