Bring On Lemons

We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came" ~ John F. Kennedy I'm not sure if it's all the wedding talk or just the fact that Spring was my favorite season as a child, but I've been feeling a little melancholy the last few days. Lots of little things have been making me cry. Many would say "it's about time" since I pride myself in not crying...neither here nor there, I needed a little pick me up. Andre and I went to the beach where my father took me so many times as a child. Then, I was the child and he led me under the shade tree and reminded me the importance of listening and taught me to respect the water and the waves because they are both beautiful and dangerous. The tree is larger now, but it has stood the test of time. This morning, I was the parent and reminded my son of the very same things that were told to me at his age. And then we played...wit...

George Washington Chopped Down the Cherry Tree - Mark Otto Chopped Down the Dead Tree in our yard. Not such an exciting day at our house today, but some good came of it. Played the organ at church, accompanied the choir, sang with the choir, had help from a good friend with a tough piece of offeratory music (thanks Jim), then helped teach Sunday School. Then...had some friends over for lunch, did some additional painting in the house, and THEN...Mark went to work chopping down (sawing I guess I should say) the dead tree in the yard. I was convinced the tree would fall on one of the kids, so he brought it down instead. It was fun seeing the kids stacking wood, and we ended up meeting one of our neighbors and the project created some make shift seats around our firepit. The tree damaged a bit of the fence, but we found out it was OUR fence, so the apologies were much easier. That's all folks...now off to bed for a busy week ahead. Tomorrow begins with coffee! (tomorrows writing...

Yup...once a geek always a geek. I lost the braces and glasses long ago (still chubby though), but the geekiness isn't quite as easy to get away from. We are planning this wedding with a reception to be held at the Lighthouse Inn in Two Rivers. The name of the hall within the facility is called the Seymour Althen  Banquet Facility. Every time I think about it, I say to myself..."self, don't you think you should know who Seymour Althen is or was since he is indirectly involved in your wedding?" and then I get busy and I don't get back to it. The children are playing in the yard and I have a few moments to myself this afternoon. I suppose I could take a nap or do laundry, but the geek in me is urging me to figure out who Seymour Althen is. Would you like to come along with me on this little quest? The first thing I found was a post on ancestry.com confirming that Seymour died in 1975 and confirmed that I had the right Seymour (more popular name than you might th...

Many of you know that I love love love to eat at the Lighthouse Inn in Two Rivers. I love it so much that we celebrate birthdays there (yes, even for the children), stop for ice cream cones for no particular reason, would go no where else for a business lunch, AND we are celebrating our wedding there in August. There are so many reasons to love the Lighthouse Inn and for those of you who may not have caught previous posts, here are a few things I appreciate the most: * courteous staff - they go above and beyond [the waitresses are amazing and a certain bartender (Janelle) is just as wonderful - the experience resembles stopping at a friends house where they remember you versus just being another number] * clean facility - the exterior and interior of the facility are both clean and well maintained. Even the aquariums are free from finger prints! *amazing food - I can honestly say that I have NEVER had a bad meal at the Lighthouse Inn's restaurant/The Water's Edge. My per...

Oh yes...I believe we have thought of everything to make our wedding day a success. We even thought our guests might enjoy a special treat toward the end of the evening. Of course, the Lighthouse Inn was happy to oblige ( http://www.lhinn.com/ ) and  here's the scoop: We decided we wanted to serve either a hearty appetizer or pizzas between 9-10pm the night of our reception. Jean from the Lighthouse Inn who had initially helped with booking the event put me in touch with Steve Becker to work out the details. Now, I'm getting ahead of myself, but I must tell you that Steve is fabulous. He is patient and smart, and he's funny too. A few months ago my Aunt said that he and I resemble each other enough that you might think we are siblings...so I guess Steve is a hottie too (he's going to kill me)! All joking aside. Steve called me a week or so ago and asked if I had ever tasted the Lighthouse Inn pizza. I admit that I eat there at least twice a month but I have never ha...

Since this week the topic on the tip of my tongue seems to be families, I thought I would tout all the great activities we have right here in Manitowoc County. If you are from here, you might find some new ideas to try and if you aren't from here, COME VISIT! Manitowoc Marina - take a walk out to the lighthouse, check out the sailboats, power boats, and even some kayaks from time to time. And if you're into fishing, bring along a pole and join the many fisherman bringing in the big one from the pier and docks surrounding the marina. The marina even has a gift shop and full service boat facility - a relaxing place for boaters and non boaters alike! (stop in for an ice cream treat at the ships store and say hi to my friend Kelly!) [ http://www.manitowoc-marina.com/ ] The Lincoln Park Zoo - animals, exhibits, an education center, and a playground make this the perfect afternoon treat for the entire family! Learn how you can help conserve and be better to the world and animal...

Before I became a parent, I would hear all these stories about how parents were judgmental of one another. I guess I didn't "get it" because I didn't understand the whole parenting dynamic - for example, I remember vowing to myself that I wouldn't bribe my children. Guess what? YES, I'll give them a cookie as we walk into the grocery store in hopes that it will keep things peaceful long enough to accomplish all of my shopping. YES, I'll get them to leave the park by promising we will stop for ice cream on the way home (it's much easier than dealing with a tantrum and carrying two toddlers away from the swing set). There are more than likely parents out there who are judging my parenting..."if only she would show those kids that she is the boss.... " "if she wouldn't spoil them..." "why a cookie instead of a carrot, doesn't she..." blah blah blah These parents aren't wrong...but neither am I. What they don...