Black Eyed Susan {52 Photos Prompt}

One of the few times I like yellow - in flowers.

What's Cooking?

So yesterday while I was planning out our meals for the week, I realized I am played out on everything I have been eating.  Feeling uninspired, I inquired on Facebook about what good things everyone else has been eating lately.  And I got some awesome new ideas!

My friend Jennifer makes homemade personal pizzas on wheat crust with farm fresh veggies; my other friend Jennifer makes potato and pea enchiladas! How amazing do both of those sound! I also heard suggestions of pierogis, Sweet Kapusta sauerkraut, which I have never eaten, split pea soup with garlic, smoked salmon and cucumbers, quorn potpie, pasta, which I will substitute with spaghetti squash - now I have a few more yummy ideas for dinner in the next week or two!

Just in case anyone is interested, I chose a suggestion a friend made earlier to me, Carrot-Ginger soup from Eat, Live, Run; spaghetti squash with pasta sauce, and smoked salmon and veggies for this week.  Next week I am going with the personal pizzas and potato and pea enchiladas so far.

How about you, what have you been eating good these days?

Michigan Living

Billy and I have had some extra time to spend together these past four days, and it has been wonderful.  This summer has been so busy, that we neglected to have time just together.

Thursday we went to the Detroit Zoo Summer Zoomance, which is a special adults only event in the evening.  They have adult beverages for sale as well.  It was our second time attending, and both times were so much fun!  I learned that seals have many vision problems, like cataracts, and can go blind early on.  We met up with our friends Leah and Dan, shared many laughs and had a fabulous dinner out.

Saturday we visited a local winery, Sandhill Crane.  We love to go there and just sit on the wide, low slung porch tasting all 35 of their wines, and just relaxing and hanging out.  You can sample every wine on their list for $5, but if you buy a bottle, that is waived.  We of course bought three bottles. It is a just a slow day, a good time.  Later in the evening we stopped by a friends house, where we talked and talked and laughed.

This morning we spur of the moment jumped on our bikes first thing, and biked to our downtown area and just sat outside enjoying the beautiful morning and a cup of coffee.  It was like being a tourist in our own town, and I think we are going to make this a tradition.  It was a nice calming way to begin the day - the sky was blue, the breeze was comfortable, the sounds of the morning were church bells, and then later, we could hear the choirs singing - where we were sitting was kind of a church triangle, we were surrounded by churches on three sides.

The bike ride took me back to when my mom used to ride around with me on the back- we would ride everywhere like that.  My mom was a daredevil , and occasionally would yell back at me over her shoulder  to hold on, as she would go flying down a giant hill at top speed.  It was terrifying and thrilling all at the same time!

I had a great few days- and all right here within 90 miles of my home, or closer! Sometimes you just need to look around.

Joy Pockets

Finding joy in the small moments

hosted by bohemian twilight

~ Detroit Zoo Summer Zoomance

~ time with husband

~ gazpacho and panzanella

~ walks with Penny

~ yoga

~ winery

~ buying a stack of books at 50% off

~helped a few of our shelter cats and dogs, including my favorite Bailey, find homes!

Bailey has been adopted!

Man at the Water {52 Photos Project}

I took this photo at my friends wedding in Northern Michigan- this is one of my friends watching the sunset.

Linked as part of the 52 Photos Project.

Joy Moments

 Finding joy in the small moments

hosted by bohemian twilight

~ old houses and garden gnomes

~ corn chowder

~ Trader Joe's

~ art shows

~ dining out with family and friends

~ jazz music in the heat

~ cute new shoes

~ two movies in one week

~ iced latte

~ friends who help work on old trucks

Non-Conformist {52 Photos Project}

Sheep get a bad rep, all being the same, following the leader, not being an individual.  Perhaps here I found the one that breaks the mold.


Taken as part of the 52 Photos Project.

Joy Pockets

 Finding joy in the small moments

hosted by bohemian twilight

~ time with my nephew and his wonderful smile

~ plums

~ new haircut

~ purple nails and toenails

~ helping my friend celebrate 6 years in the United States

~ breezy days and cooler nights

~ fresh air and open windows

~ laughing until you cry with loved ones

~ free books in the mail

~ merry go rounds

~ Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Horse and Rider {Wordless Wednesday}

I love horses. I haven't grown out of that 4th grade phase.

Fair Reflections {52 Photos Project}

Last Saturday, before this prompt existed, Billy and I went to the Monroe County Fair.  I had just taken a photo of the ferris wheel, and turned to say something to him, and noticed the reflection of the fair in his sunglasses.  I made him stay still and not move his head so I could snap a few shots of it.  I was excited to see this prompt the next morning on 52 photos project!

Joy Pockets

Joy Pockets is brought to us by Bohemian Twilight, to help us remember the joyful moments of our week.

~ husband's birthdays

~ friends to help you celebrate

~  flowers 

~ yoga

~ books so good you can't stop reading

~gardens

~ cat napping with cats

~ hearing a friend's good news

~ lunch with a friend and her daughter

~ goldfinches in my lavendar
~ county fairs

Honor and Family

On the dock- I like to sit here and just think

 Last week I visited northern Michigan, to the Beulah/Honor area.  My brother and I left the house at 5 am, and hit the highway, giant coffees and bagel thins in hand. This is an annual tradition for our family, one that recently became a tradition for us with our father's marriage to my awesome stepmom about 10 years ago.  Her family however has been visiting the area and staying in the same cabins for 20 years. I feel so lucky that we have been invited into this family, and that we can now share their family traditions, and make them ours as well.  This year my cousin, her two children, my aunt and my grandmother made the trip as well.

Taken by the fabulous Jill Moore on the lake by our cabin

About halfway there I realized I had forgotten my camera!! I pouted about it for a while, seeing all these great shots go by and me with no way to take them.  After a day, I realized maybe there was a reason I had forgotten it- perhaps I was supposed to fully immerse myself in this trip.  When I have my camera and I am taking photos, I don't always experience all that is going on, I am in my own world, and really seeing things through the lens, which creates a barrier between me and the my surroundings.  Without my camera I spent hours playing with my little second cousins and nephew Brayden, which I might not have done otherwise.  I got to know them better, and I will always treasure that, memories I will always have.  The pictures I have included were taken in previous years.

We were only able to stay a short time this year, but we did a lot in that time.  Most of my favorites and a few new things too!!  I won't bore you with paragraphs and paragraphs but instead will share them this way.

Top of the biggest dune

 Early Morning Kayaking on the Platte River
The Cherry Bowl Drive-In
A. Papano's Pizza
Boone Docks
Fishtown
L'Chayim Delicatessen
Laughing
Bug Room!
The Cherry Hut
The Sand Dunes
Crazy hair
Miniature Golfing

Sunset over Lake Michigan, pre-bonfire

What I missed:

Billy and Chrissy!
Jill and family
Bonfire on the beach
Traverse City

I am looking forward to next year, and more memories.  I will probably bring my camera, but I will make sure that my experiences are not all through the viewfinder.

If they could talk {Wordless Wednesday}

Sunbleached converse, 10 years old.

Rusted and Forgotten {52 Photos Project}

Once probably a useful bridge over the water to the park, it now sits in disrepair, barely used for its original purpose.  I loved its worn beauty, the crumbling concrete, rusted ironwork, weeds growing up from its surface.

Living in the rust belt, I could have photographed most of my surroundings for this prompt.  So much faded rusted forgotten beauty.

Taken as part of the 52 Photos Project.