Michigan 2022

Travel Fun

Frank left at 6:30am in the car, and Zach and I left home at 10am. Mary and Cora drove us to the Wiehle Reston East Metro. We got the Flyer to Dulles airport and took the train at the airport to our gate. After a slight delay, we flew from Dulles to Detroit. Upon arrival in Detroit, we made our way to their Michigan Flyer to travel to Ann Arbor. Frank picked us up just before 4pm, and we headed north, arriving at our cabin at about 9pm. 

Overall, we really enjoyed and finished I Dream of Space (started on trip to Brevard) and listened to all of You Go First both by Erin Entrada Kelly. We listened to most of Mr. Chickee's Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis, but our interest definitely fizzled. 

Weather

We had the best weather we'd had in years for the two weeks. It rained some on four days, but otherwise it was sunny and not too hot!

Week 1, Curtis, Michigan, on South Manistique Lake: 

Frank and Zach took advantage of the paddle boats and played a lot in the water. Frank took out a kayak. Zach and I enjoyed the Erickson Center for the Arts. I enjoyed some walks off of Wolfe Road and out to Long Point. The internet was not really usable, so my attempts to work were pretty unsuccessful. As a family, we took two fun day trips: one to Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior and the other to Mackinac Island. On the Pictured Rocks day, Zach and Frank also took the National Park Service boat tour. (I got sea sick when Frank and I took the boat trip on our last visit.) We enjoyed the Seney Wildlife Refuge despite the bugs, made fires and s'mores on three evenings, and rocked out to local radio. 

Boys

There were four cabins rented, representing three families, and six boys. Three of the six boys were six years old, so they had a blast playing together. Zach especially loved playing with Nathan who was on vacation with his two older teenage brothers. One day, Frank took Zach to the local zoo with Nathan's family. (It wasn't too awkward.)

Week 1 to Week 2: 

We enjoyed the cloudy and slightly rainy drive from Curtis to Crystal Mountain. We stopped in Charlevoix for crepes from That French Place. We enjoyed a nice walk around town while we waited for our food and saw the Emerald Isle come in from Beaver Island. Everyone agreed that That French Place provided the most delicious food from savory and sweet crepes to amazing pastries that we sampled over several days. We stopped at Royal Farms, Inc. and loaded up on cherries (still yummy), blueberries, peaches, and slices of cherry pie. 

Week 2, Crystal Mountain, near Thompsonville, Michigan: 

In Crystal Mountain, we enjoyed the Legacy Art Park. I went many times on my own as did Frank, and I took Zach twice. Our house had a fussball table and checkers. Both were a huge hit for Zach. Frank and Zach went mountain biking twice and squeezed in three visits to the Alpine Slide. We had lunch out at the Crystal Mountain quad one afternoon. As a family, we visited Arcadia Dunes, Crystal Lake, the Betsie River and Leelanau Trails, and Esch Beach on Lake Michigan. We had fun with rock art. We took a day trip to Traverse City and tried Salt 2 Sugar, and Zach and I rode into Traverse City on their free community bus. It was hard to explain to the drivers that we had no destination in mind! We tubed on the Platte River, and bold and adventurous Zach swung into the river off of a rope swing multiple times!

Zach asked if I was eating grass.

Food

To start, we packed two coolers full of food since our first destination was in the Upper Peninsula. This worked out really well as the food options in the UP were not as numerous. We found a farm stand with peaches, blueberries, and zucchini. Otherwise, we made our own wonderful meals with incredients from home. 

In week two, we stopped in Traverse City at Oryana for staples and tried out Peace Love and Donuts and Bay Bread Co. We tried Salt 2 Sugar, but missed Spanglish (sad). We went back to Farm Club and had delightful tempura fried in season veggies, visited St. Ambrose twice, and spent our last night at Iron Fish. 

Walking

The walking in close proximity to Lilly's on the Lake was right on some major roads, but I did enjoy walking on country roads, especially Wolfe and Long Point Roads. In Crystal Mountain, I enjoyed the Michigan Legacy Art Park every day! 

Superlatives

Unexpected: 

• We got cold. At our first place, they ask guests to bring their own pillows and linens, blankets too. For whatever reason, blankets were not packed. I think it was hard to imagine needing them, so we got cold a few nights!
• Michigan has a thriving small business community in cannabis sales, and I had several moments of thinking I smelled skunk, but in fact, it was marijuana. 
• We had no access to laundry. I swore our second house in Crystal Lake had it, but alas no. 

Grateful: The sound machine was a savior when staying in homes that are very close to other people!

Best Meals Out: That French Place, Charlevoix

Best Cupcakes: We got a variety pack of six cupcakes from Zingerman's. Very yummy. 

Best Pastries: That French Place, Charlevoix

Best Outdoor Eating Experience

• Z: St. Ambrose
• S: Crystal Mountain Quad
• F: Shipwreck, Curtis, MI (after Frank and Zach used the paddle boat to get there)

Best Drink

• Z: lemon cherry slushie at Iron Fish
• S: ginger beer at Iron Fish
• F: smoked pineapple mixed drink at Iron Fish

Best Ice Cream

• Z: Dirt Sundae
• S: strawberry ice cream at Scoops 22 in Sutton's Bay
• F: Mudslide sundae and lemon blueberry

Check out our photos here.

High Summer (July 8 - Aug 5)

Zach of Note

• Zach enjoyed Drumline so much I’ve been trying to do some research on drumlines and marching bands. I think he would like that! I have signed up to follow some drum lines on Instagram. 
• Camp, camp, camp! All day outside. 
• He’s met so many kids; Frank says everywhere they go, he knows kids. 
• Quinn and Fintan were at camp (from soccer)
• He has learned to thumb wrestle
• The second camp session took him to Udvar Hazy, Launch trampoline park, and the RA truck show.
• One of his camp counselors called him Da Man from Dammann (it’s started)
• Zach is on the hunt for arcades. Launch had one, and he had Frank take him back. They went to Crooked Run for the arcade, and he played games at Foster’s Grille. I dug up one of my old change purses and gave it to him. Telling him the history, he said, “Maybe if I have kids, I’ll give this change purse to them, like you gave this one to me.” 
• There were several consecutive days of HOT, HOT, HOT temps. We are now tracking Zach’s “episodes.” On several days after hot days at camp, he was dehydrated and likely had heat exhaustion. He didn’t have enough to drink, and he woke in the middle of the night, sort of sleep walking. He would cry and whimper and either walk around or sit up in bed. He doesn’t remember it the next day. We checked in with the doctor, and she said to keep an eye on it. All of the episodes have made sense after hot days in the NOVA area, but he did have one episode in MIchigan. It was at the end of the week (Friday PM to Saturday AM) after staying up late and playing with the boys in MIchigan that it happened again. It’s very unsettling, but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. 
• Frank and Zach to Udvar Hazy and the movie about aircraft carriers scared Zach
• Zach’s coach from last soccer session is going to coach again, and we requested that Fintan and Zach be together on a team!
• Frank and Zach and the pool and Frank and I both have taken him to the Water Mine quite a few times. One of the times, we took in the Mickey Mouse ball and so many people wanted to play volleyball with us. That was pretty fun!
• The 2022-2023 school calendar is such a challenge. The year is extended by one week and there are SO MANY days off.

Zach's Words and Songs

• We did some reading of Piggy and Elephant books together, but Zach really resists reading, even though he can read. 
• Meredith reminded me that boys develop their fine motor skills later, so I have backed off of writing and drawing. He has forgotten some letters and numbers though. We did do some counting and a refresh on coins. 
• I searched for some podcasts to increase my child development understanding, but did not find anything good. One of the podcasts was incredibly inaccessible, but it did discuss the power of storytelling. Zach seemed to enjoy it when I started a story and he embellished it. It helped him tell me things that he might not otherwise share, so I need to try that again! Begin with “once upon a time,” and end with “the end.”
• We still really love the Story Pirates episode with “I Bit My Knee.” We sing it. Talk about crystals, and placebos, gazebos, Tim Tebo, Aikido, and valentinos!
• Reading: Piggy and Elephant, the Gollywhopper Games, What is NASA?, and so many more. Tracking all on Beanstack for the summer reading challenge!
• Zach and I laughed at this quote from Kate DiCamillo's book, Stella Endicott and the Anything Is Possible Poem, “My door is always open, except for when it’s closed.” (The principal said this in one of her books that we read.)
• Zach and I love Who, When, Wow, and we joke about the Sacagawea episode and the bit on Charbonneau and how Lewis and Clark mispronounce his name. Tee hee. 
• He also loves the episodes on Bass Reeves and Jim Thorpe. When he listed to the one on Thurgood Marshall, he said he’d been important in letting black and white kids go to school together. 

What I'm Working On

• Emotions are data. One of my colleagues mentioned that she has three teen/pre-teen daughters and there are “so many feelings in her house.” I thought afterwards that she should emphasize that emotions are just data instead of encouraging them to “be rational.” 
• Getting lots of good sleep. 
• Continuing with a morning practice of loving kindness meditation, stating a goal for health, connection, and purpose, listing out 10 things to be grateful/thankful for on a daily basis, and a meditation: working to focus on the present and notice what comes up. 
• Practicing compassion, including for myself

Health Corner

• My bathing suit has been uncomfortable when I have worn it this summer, prompting me to look for something different for swimming. 
• In the last few weeks, my chest has felt more numb. I have also felt tired on vacation. More so that I remember. 

Family Fun

• Started watching Annedroids on Amazon
• Inside jokes: 
• “Are you insane?” 
• “The food is here,” on the Panera bag. 
• Zach loves Chipotle (Not really, but we don't think he hates it. He was vehement that it is not the best after talking with kids from camp, so we tease him that it's "so good."

Good Food

• Birthday cookies and dinner by Auntie Em. Thank you!
• Auntie Em = best potatoes and best cookies! :) 
• Mighty Meals tofu meals and the salmon and potatoes
• Iced Tazo passion and turmeric tea
• Something to check out: https://cleangreensimple.com/article/best-mushroom-coffee-brands/
• Fave Synergy kombucha is Tangerine Dream and finally found it at Whole Foods!
• Lavender shortbread with lemon icing from a bakery in Montana from Judie!
• Cafe Sano’s lavash crackers
• Pupusas and refried beans from the Lake Anne Market bodega. They deliver on DoorDash. Yay!
• Started sprinkling resistant starch on/in food
• Veggies + eggs and bread with butter as a standard lunch
• Auntie Em’s peanut sauce
• Auntie Em’s blueberry muffins
• First pears of the season

Connection

• We have gone with Mary and Cora (and sometimes Logan) to the farmer’s market on Saturdays. Even when it’s been blazing hot, we get our provisions and stop at the art gallery, at the bodega, at the playgrounds, at the Little Art Gallery, at Nancy’s gallery. We do the art project and the kids get chocolates for showing their art. Very fun. 
• Frank and Zach have played with Jermiah at the Water Mine
• Jenifer and Katie
• Pam
• Nicole-Joy
• Kathleen
• Mary Kay
• Auntie Em
• Lunch with Mom and Dad at Foster’s Grille for the Zach hand off
• Siga
• Zach spent the weekend with Gamma and Daddy Bob in Woodstock
• Auntie Em is fostering another kitty!
• Great Falls hike with Frank
• Kate’s support!
• Tracey and she’s going to Whalburgers!

Fun and Not So Fun

Personal

• Siding project complete. The dark blue looks so good!
• Kansas voted against a constitutional amendment to restrict abortion! This made me very happy!
• I started a monthly donation to assist with acces to abortion. 
• In listening to Thrive, I read about resources to help make talking about death happen and be more acceptable. Transition singers, death dinners, etc. I looked them all up. The https://deathoverdinner.org/ looked pretty cool, but I filled out the prompts and didn’t receive an email back with the resources I selected.

• One of the Zinnia’s Paige planted bloomed. My spider plant is happy
• Reading: 1619, An American Marriage
• Audio Book: No Hard Feelings, Thrive by Arianna Huffington, and some of Your Child’s Strengths
• Podcasts: Become a Good Ancestor on Radical Friendship, Lifekit podcast on intentional friendships shared the idea that you can’t expect thing things to happen organically. Be intentional about what you want to talk about and make time for friends. Block it on your calendar. 
• Watching: Astronomy Club, Kim’s Convenience, and Virgin River; watched some of Stranger Things with Frank, but decided it was a no-go! I did not need to harken back to Freddy Krueger or Chuckie horror movies

Fun and Not So Fun

We are so happy Moonstone is staying in the family, but it was sad to see Mama Pearl and Onxy go. 

Professional

• I do want to pursue social/emotional education + anti-racism + mindfulness as my next career path!
• This might help me figure out what’s next: https://oasis.becomeagoodancestor.com/claim-your-space-a-self-study-to-uncover-your-next-steps-as-a-changemaker?coupon=CHANGEMAKER
• The DM-GC bilingual badge with Rae! Knocking out projects on DEIB and the benchmarks with Rae, GC PT0 or “Intro to GC” and Career Pathing. A great session with the BDR team, the IT team on strengths, and fantastic sessions with the Leaders Build Trust team!
• Sigh. I lost Faith and Kiersten. Sad to see them go. Weird that there are now two people on the team that don’t know anything about my cancer. 

I love this idea: Support for Loved Ones

Create a box full of meaningful quotes, poems, or funny jokes. Maybe even pictures. A box like this can get someone through hard times. The ones that are most meaningful, keep close - perhaps in an envelope next to your bed. This helps with connections to others and knowing they are sending positive love and energy.