A September Day at our Great Lake

A calm late September "wine o'clock" lake

I arrived at the lake in time to leave for dinner at Clementine's in downtown South Haven. I was ready for a casual low maintenance night with the girls (K. and M.) at the cottage, but I threw on a little lipstick and was good to go for a late Monday night in South Haven. I succumbed to my default choice--a burger and a draft beer. It was a little loaded (the burger) and not-so-little delicious:

After returning home, I persuaded the girls to watch the movie Book Club. It is well done, but not nearly as laugh-out-loud funny as I had remembered, having previously seen it in a theater with J.

After the movie, everyone was still sated, and sleepy. It was very quiet at the lake house and we all slept long and well.

In the morning, after scrambled eggs and coffee, we hiked on the beach (which is currently missing sand) to a new public access point and then through the forest back to the cottage. Just to be sure, I washed my ankles with soap upon returning, even though I didn't spot any poison ivy on our trek through the woods.

A flight of  samples at "Three Blondes Brewing"--the  Dutch owner has three blonde daughters!

Then we went back into town. We bought Honey Crisp apples and other goodies at the Dutch Farm Market. I shared a beer flight and an appetizer with K. on the patio of the brand new South Haven Brewery. And then we topped it off with a dip of ice cream at the historic (1916) Sherman's Ice Cream, which I have somehow never before had a chance to enjoy, even though it has always been a favorite stop for those travelling between Grand Rapids and Chicago.

We returned home via the scenic route and settled in for a view of a very placid lake (above and below), abundant sunshine, and a few bottles of wine! I brought along and shared a Joel Gott 2015 Pinot Noir which was left over (gifted to me) from the Tennessee trip. It was smooth and delicious and made me wish I hadn't shared! A review referenced strawberry, cherry jam and herbs with a scent of barnyard (oh no!) but I didn't distinguish all that!

Another shot of lake "placid"

Finally the predicted bad weather rolled over the lake, dampened our fire and forced us indoors for the night. I decided to stay another night and watch another movie. We viewed Something the Lord Made, from 2004, which was compelling. It was based on the true story of the first heart surgeon and his uneducated black assistant who performed a successful, ground-breaking surgery on a "blue" baby at Johns Hopkins in 1944.

In the morning the sun was returning, but the lake was still violent with crashing, angry waves. I took a short movie (which I won't include) just before I left, which captured the sound perfectly.

View from the newly constructed "perch"

It was good to see our Michigan Great Lake again ... both calm and wavy.

Our book club is reading The Death And Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan this month. It is well written so far, with very descriptive language, which I love. If it gets too preachy/environmental I will not be as happy with it, but those 5 Great Lakes are indeed a treasure, holding 20% (I just learned) of all the fresh water in the world!

Morning waves - crashing and violent!

SCOTUS Update

I did not check the schedule for the hearings between accuser Ford and defendant SCOTUS nominee Kavanaugh on Thursday morning, but I did set a recording before leaving the house.

It was church garden morning. Five of us cleared 6 bags of debris from the gardens on a gorgeous, sunny and cool day. J. rode along to the dump (city yard waste facility after we packing about 10 bags total into the Subaru. After dumping we treated ourselves to a light lunch of tacos and salad (and a small draft) on the way home, again enjoying the spectacular fall weather at an outdoor venue.

I did not enjoy the rest of the day...

Without hearing more than a few snippets of the morning testimony on the radio, in which Dr. Ford apparently appeared credible, sympathetic and 100% sure that she had been assaulted by a 17-year-old Brett Kavanaugh 35 (or 36?) years ago (with no old or new corroborating evidence being presented), I turned on the TV just in time to hear Judge Kavanaugh's opening statement. After that I was transfixed ... riveted to the end of this live drama that was unfolding.

Today I hear that Judge Kavanaugh has been voted out of committee, with the questionable vote of retiring Senator Jeff Flake now in the yes column. It appears that the Judge will also still be voted into office by the Senate with another narrow, partisan vote.

I have never heard anything like this!

In these very divided times politically in the nation, there is little consensus and rare compromise. But the borking, the high-tech lynching of past Republican Scotus nominees was nothing compared to this attempt by the democrats on the judiciary committee, along with their media supporters, to completely destroy a good man's character and threaten his family.

I'm sure there have been other equally dramatic moments of conflict at the highest levels of government, but not on live TV. None that I can recall.

Senator Lindsay Graham gave voice to all the pent up frustration, with a blazing indictment of the Senate democrats with their rhetoric and their tactics as well as articulating an impassioned defense of Judge Kavanaugh.

I have never seen anything like it!

Judge Kavanaugh came out swinging--angry and emotional, defending his good name and years of unblemished service, and the honor of his family, who have been smeared and threatened, especially in the last 10 days--by the media and the democrats. He has been called evil by a US senator and a gang rapist by a cable news pundit. He denied it all--with passion, righteous indignation and tears--choking on his words, especially when he referenced his family and the dozens of colleagues, friends and classmates who testified and wrote letters in his defense.

And later they said this angry man was not of a suitable temperament to be a Supreme Court Justice.

This is about destroying a conservative Catholic candidate at any cost.

Central to what many have been led to believe is that his vote on the court might be the one which could overturn Roe v. Wade.

Save abortion at any cost! It is like a sacrament to those on the far left! (Of course, this fight is about much more than just abortion, but the issue, along with birth control, is used in a powerful way in partisan politics.)

So Judge Kavanaugh has been declared guilty until proven innocent!

What a sad and ugly day in the US Senate ... and in the country!

The Check is in the Bank

It is finished. The day before the closing of our student rental house I did a final tidy and inspection. Found a key to the back door and left it there. Moved the trash receptacles and swept underneath. Cleaned some mud off the patio and raked up some sticks. The backyard pile of sticks was reduced, but not eliminated. I just couldn't seem to get to the bottom of it! I thought they could use the old dry sticks in their Chimenea. That's what I told myself! And some said it really didn't matter.The house was sold! On the previous Saturday I did a final weedwacking, swept out the grass from the shed and picked up the nails from the shed door repair, which was demanded after the inspection. I was glad to find the owner's manual for the John Deere lawn tractor (now in our garage) still on the shelf.

But now that we have received and deposited the check, it is finally over. I hope the new owner will care for the house and try to be nice to the (nice) neighbors. And I hope he will give the white star magnolia a drink of water during the next long hot summer. We didn't do much new landscaping during all those years, but the magnolia, I think, was a nice addition to the front yard.

 Spring of 2017

September 11: Remembered

My first photo of One World Trade, taken from the historic St. Paul's Chapel graveyard - April 2015

Since I have been visiting NYC more often and have been learning and observing how the buildings destroyed in those horrific attacks (now 17 years ago!) have slowly been rebuilt, I like to focus on the positive changes that have come to the World Trade Center area since that awful day. Every time I visit lower Manhattan there is some new building, business, bar or botanical feature to marvel at. I observed it all from 101 floors up less than a year ago! And it is all more beautiful than it was before.

It took a long time for the space to be rebuilt--and I read that full occupancy has been slow to be achieved in some of the structures. But in my humble opinion, good things are happening.

But on this day, I took some time to look at some new dramatic photos of "the morning that changed everything," photos taken while I slept through the initial attacks, having arrived home late (on an American airplane) from Orlando the night before. I sat stunned and transfixed in front of the television for the rest of the day. Like the day Kennedy was shot, it is a day that is fixed in my memory.

Remembering the horror changes nothing for me personally. It does nothing to bring anyone back, including those who have died since, from exposure to the toxic fumes.

I have nothing profound to add to all that has been said and memorialized.

On my next visit to lower Manhattan, however, I would very much like to take the time to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

I will never forget...

The End of Summer Is Near

Labor Day has come and gone, and it feels like the end of summer is near. But today's high was 88 degrees and it also feels very much like summer is still with us.

The kids are back in school and the politicians are back in Washington DC.

But my "living in retirement" life continues with very little drama here in West Michigan, where we rarely have tornadoes or earthquakes or fires and have never had a hurricane or tsunami.

Tomorrow a new air-conditioner will be installed here. Today I tidied a path in the backyard to the unit to facilitate access. A new larger system will now hopefully be able to handle these hot and humid summer days, lowering the inside temperature to a chilled 70 degrees--if we  choose!

I have had a few car issues lately. Now a headlight is out on my Subaru Forester! That is problem #3, and better be the last one for awhile! Trouble comes in threes, right?

I scrubbed the bottom (with Fels Naptha) of a voluminous velvet skirt for E., so that she can at least start out clean for the weekend Renaissance Festival. The skirt is long and dramatic--and drags in the dirt.

So in addition to chopping the heads off dead flowers and battling common weeds, my life is filled with common and trivial pursuits--and in fact, speaking of trivia, I am playing (or rather, losing) Jeopardy on my phone lately).

And at night when I am tired I hit the couch to watch FOX NEWS.

And yet, every day there seems to be a new crisis somewhere--or at least some new drama.

Mid-term elections are just around the corner and pundits and primary winners are pontificating about their hopes and fears.

This week, hearings are being held for the second Trump-appointed SCOTUS justice and the Dems are fit to be tied. They can posture and protest all day long, but a new conservative judge will most likely be in place soon. He is young, with a fresh Catholic school boy look (which belies his brilliance) and will serve with "the supremes" for decades, tipping the balance of the court to the conservative side, which is a HUGE win!

Bob Woodward's new book has created a stir for the day and there is a new anonymous "senior" administration member of the "resistance" who has emerged to create drama in the White House. And as always, there are more POTUS tweets to ponder each new day.

Every week seems to bring some new revelation which rocks the political world.

And yet: the economy is roaring. Unemployment is at a record low level. The stock market indices have recently touched all-time highs. Lower tax rates are beginning to be realized. Food stamp usage is down. De-regulation has spurred new business. North Korea seems to be making efforts toward de-nuclearization. The military is getting needed funding to repair and ramp up. Coal is being mined again and the Keystone pipeline is now on target for completion. And so much more

There is a new optimism in many parts of the country.

Like it or not, the times they are a-changin'.

And the investigations (of Russian collusion and whatever else they can find) that were designed to derail this President's agenda or find cause for impeachment have come to nothing so far. There still could be an attempt (if more seats are won in November) to impeach, but Trump would never be convicted by the Senate.

I actually attended the five week (failed) senate impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, watching from the senate balcony for 45 minutes or so while on a road trip with my eldest daughter in January of 1999. I think I have written of this before. It was a rare opportunity! I saved my entry tickets. Hopefully, that will have been the only impeachment trial in my lifetime. My daughter was not that thrilled to be there with me, but I remember that she told a news person that the experience was "surreal."

There is no appetite in the country (or votes in the Senate) for convicting a duly elected POTUS.

And so I follow the new drama each day. Because so much happens in a week, the memory of the events from the previous week quickly fade.

While the media buzzes with excitement at each new sniff of a scandal.

I distract myself, after dinner, with one episode per day of Amazon Prime's Orphan Black. We are near the end of season 4. It is hard to imagine where this crazy human cloning story is going...

September Green!

Finally ... after begging the heavens all summer to release a little more rain, we have recently enjoyed an abundance of showers here in West Michigan--and even some nitrogen-releasing lightning/thunder storms. While leaves are starting to drop, my front lawn is returning to its preferred color. The side yard is actually so lush that I have asked the husband to mow it with the more powerful riding mower, which just came home from the rental on Saturday--our little green machine (John Deere lawn tractor).

So ... Labor Day passed quietly without beach, barbecue or beer. I went with J. to see "The Death of a Nation" in the evening and there was a golf tournament on to entertain the husband.

After a busy weekend with family at the destination wedding, I didn't really need more activity. Time is flying by and many jobs await before I can put away my tools and stay inside (except for the Florida trips) for the winter. I cleared the car a little for its second trip to "the shop"--this time for a new alternator. I was without a car for 4 days, although it took less than 24 hours to repair at a small local garage. The day it came home, I took a load to the yard waste facility, washed and waxed it at the car wash and (finally) vacuumed up all the milorganite fertilizer and sprayed down the liner, before loading it lightly with supplies. Just a few more months now...

However ... I have been freed of watering duties for over a week! Not checking the weather report, I watered some pots in the dark after coming home from Tennessee last week Sunday, only to experience a violent rain soon after. And rain almost every day since!

Consequently ... the Grand River is again flush with water, saving a jumping woman's life, according to the local news today. Flooding is happening in some places, but my only complaint here is the continuing high humidity and temps in the 80's. As I finish this post it is 87 degrees according to the radio, 89 degrees according to my phone.

And ... our AC is struggling to keep up. We have ordered a new unit to be installed before fall--a bigger one that will hopefully not leak fluid from year to year and be ready for a potential April heat wave.

But ... I love the green. The "green, green grass of home."

In the photo below, the invasive variegated porcelain berry vine is covering the rosa glauca and mixing it up with the finally-blooming white mandevilla vine which I overwintered and is now covering the trellis on the deck.

Found this pretty bottle of German bier on opening day at the new Bridge Street Market--a low-alcohol grapefruit drink--not really even a beer (or bier).