A Delayed Easter Egg Hunt

Oh, we were quite clever to plan our Easter celebration the week afterwards. We didn't know how much snow there would be Easter Sunday, but the real reason we delayed our plans was because we wanted to make sure everyone could make it. And it was a beautiful sunny day, anyway.

This year we did something different. Finding eggs and gorging on candy just didn't seem challenging enough for the kids, who are now "tweens." So, after Brooke and Paige got to find their eggs first, out in the woods, we refilled them with not just candy but little slips of paper with CHORES printed on them. Yes, jobs that the older kids had to do! And some of them were back-breakers. But that isn't all. Many of the eggs contained facts they were supposed to memorize for a pop quiz Ray sprang on them before dinner!

Brooke and Paige hid the eggs for the older kids, with a little help from us. Then we turned them loose and the leaves and branches rustled and crackled with the 5 older kids racing through the woods! Hailie got the most eggs and so got the most chores. The kids were not altogether delighted....especially when Ray handed out a test on those aforementioned facts!

Hailie opened the egg with the little Easter Bunny inside, and that was a magic charm that got her out of all of her big chores. But there were separate chores on pink pieces of paper she didn't get out of. The rest of the kids got to competer in challenges for a chance to get out of the big chores. And thankfully, most of them did win their freedom! It sure was fun. Brandie won the test, and got a fluffy little bunny as a prize. Gosh, we sure got them going this time.

Ray could have told this better, but you get the gist, and here are some of the pictures. Oh, and the ham dinner was excellent!

Editorial Reply

This is in reply to the "Hints from El Gato" post.

Okay, first of all, she does not work for me! Fritz does. (Oh, she gives me treats and opens the blinds but that's about it.)

Second, she didn't forget to open the blinds. She just didn't want to stop what she was doing to help out a poor little cat who just wanted a little amusement. I mean, she watches tv, so what is the big deal if I want to watch out the window?

And yes, I did put my tail in the air and stroll out after only ten seconds. This is why: I could hear something in the yard that rustled and tweeted. It was driving me crazy! It was taunting me, and the more the leaves rustled the more excited I got. But when the self-appointed QUEEN finally quit tapping on those rattly key things and got up off her hindquarters to open the blind, my prey was GONE! So thanks a lot, ma. You blew it. Just for that, I left a few more hairs by your coffee cup. And when you walk through the rooms, watch out, their could be a furry little surprise waiting to leap out at you!

Hints from El Gato

Why would the cat stare at a closed window? I'll tell you why: That's HER window, and every day, it is my job to open the blinds so she can see outside. Yes, MY JOB. I work for a cat.

Today I forgot. So all the while I have been working on the computer, the cat has been taking turns staring at me, staring at the blinds, staring at me, staring at the blinds. She even meowed once. Then she pawed at the slats, and when she bent them down with her paw, peeked through the little opening.

So I opened the blinds. She got all excited, looked out the window for all of ten seconds, gave me one last contemptuous glance, hopped off the bed, and strolled out the door. Damn cat.

Art Gallery and Open House Fun

Fritz, Grace, and I went to the Grand Haven Area Arts Council to see the student art exhibits on Thursday. Grace's entry was a colorful Picasso style self-portrait that was cut out and folded to be free-standing. Emily's cut out wolf was lined with sparkly glitter glue and posed in a loping gait. We got to see many exciting styles of art, some truly amazing! The girls did a good job on their projects and we were all proud to see them displayed.

Then, Fritz, Laura, Chris, Grace, Emily, and I went to Emily's school Open House later that evening. It was fun!

First we got to see her Power Point computer project. The students each chose an endangered animal and did a computer presentation on their research. Emily chose the Gray Wolf, and I was so impressed with the professional presentation, with all the words capitalized and spelled correctly. We couldn't help but laugh when she used the word "retaliated" instead of "related," as in, "The Gray Wolf is retaliated to the canine family." She spelled it correctly, though, LOL!

The timeline each student made were so interesting! Emily's went something like this: I was born in Muskegon, I had a birthday at Chuck E. Cheese, My mom dropped me on my head, We got a cat named Piten Pat..... Again, we couldn't help but laugh, it was so cute. Then we watched her perform an experiment in which 3 liquids were compared as to mass, had cookies that were the BOMB, and then watched Emily on the computer doing a geography exercise. All in all a fun time. Her teacher, Mr. Dean, was very nice, he even gave me the website for the geography game. I was impressed with the projects the students did and how much they are learning.

Why Did The Turkey Cross The Road?

Today being the first day in awhile without gloomy skies and snow, I decided to drive down Sherman to the beach. About a mile from the lake, I saw a turkey casually strolling across the road. A quick check of traffic and one grab of the camera enabled me to get two quick shots.

Two reasons I took a picture. One, it was the biggest wild turkey I have ever seen. It stood over 3 feet tall, I am guessing. And it was alone. I have never seen a turkey sans flock in the wild. And there were no more to be seen anywhere. One more thing. There have been reports of wild turkeys annoying some of the ritzy titsy people who live near the dunes. Some adore them and feed them faithfully. Others chase them with cars, sticks, lawn mowers, etc. Bottom line is, they have a right to live where the habitat suits them and apparently ritsy titsies are not the only ones who find the dune area inviting. Sand mining has already driven off many of the local species, such as foxes, deer, raccoons, and the like. Nature selected wild turkeys to succeed in the area, but what happened to this fellow's flock?

Blades of Glory

Fritz and I went to see the new Will Ferrell/Jon Heder skating movie, and I must say, I was entertained. The critics (of course) had some criticisms, but not all of them were valid. The only one I think is worth mentioning is the one that said Jon Heder was Napoleon Dynamite on skates. Duh. With a mug like his, he is always going to be typecast, his role potential is somewhat limited. He played another likeable doofus and as such was well-fitted to the character he played in "Blades." Sorry, not a valid criticism.

It isn't an art award contender. It isn't a cutting edge movie, no pun intended. It is somewhat formulaic and therefore predictable. However, it has Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Amy Poehler, and someone who knows a lot about playing a coach, the one and only (much aged) Craig T. Nelson. So what....do you want to laugh or be impressed? I wanted to laugh and I did get that, even if there is much not to be admired, it is what it is. I loved the "skating," and seeing the likes of Brian Boitano, Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill, Nancy Kerrigan, Sasha Cohen, and so forth really gave the movie another cheerful lift, no pun intended. I could have done without the sex addict sidebar but at least it did tie in neatly when the closest competitors hatched a scheme to break up the star team. It was an acceptable marriage of gratuity and plot.

If you want to be amused, go see it. If you are an art snob who must find fault, save yourself the pain and watch A & E instead. For me, there are enough drug, running car-exploding, shoot 'em up, the-world-as-we-know-it-violently-ending despair-mongering movies to last me a lifetime. "Blades" for all its shortcomings is funny and I'm glad I finally got to see it.

Spring Vacation!

Haven't kept up to date with the blog since I have had Grace and Emily here for 8 days over spring vacation. Brooke and Paige got to spend a night, too, and Hailie came over once during the day. I didn't get to see Chantze except in passing, but I guess he enjoyed spending time with his boy cousins!

Some of the things we did: Went to the library and stocked up on books, played on the jungle gym at the beach, shopped for art supplies at JoAnne's and worked on a initialed pillow (Grace's), a wooly sheep note holder (Emily), and made a video of a dream sequence (Brooke and Paige were the actresses, Grace wrote the script and directed, Emily acted and helped with costumes and props), ate at at the Red Wok Chinese Buffet, played WebKinz, watched the Ant Bully, finished up some homework projects, colored Easter eggs with Aunt Jamie and Samantha, Danny Jr., and Anthony. (We also manufactured a gross "spilled ice cream cup" joke to play on their parents! The ones Brooke and Paige made went over very well, they even ended up at the hospital thanks to Ray and Cindy, and quite a few people got embarassed/mad!) By the time you read this Laura and Chris and maybe Walter and Grandma Val will have had the trick played on them, too. Vacation ends soon, but gosh, it was fun! We would have liked to go on a picnic and walk but the weather was not good. Still, we did have fun, and it went by so fast I can't beleive it!

The First Big 'Un!

Fritz and I got to see this LeFarge Corp. cement hauler leaving Muskegon a couple weeks ago. It was right after the last of the channel ice disappeared, and our first daytime sighting of a big ship coming into port since winter.

Grace's Fifth Grade Play

Here are two scenes from the Emperor's New Clothes. In the first scene, Grandma berates Peter for his lazy ways while Mother (Grace) sticks up for him.

Peter has to go make his way in the world to prove to everyone how clever and able he is. Mother believes in her son, and is sad to see him go.

This play was actually recommended for high school students, or junior high. But Mr. K, the drama coach, believed in his students and ordered this play against the advice of the suppliers. And his faith was rewarded, because in spite of the level of difficulty, they all did a phenomenal job!

The Emperor's New Clothes Cast Pic

This is Samantha, Grace, and Loren, otherwise known as "The Baker," "Peter's Mother," and "Peter." The play was fun to watch. lots of drama and laughs!

Friday Fun With Ronald

Brooke and Paige get to spend time with the other Grandma (That's Me)! It was so much fun to have them with me when we went to see Grace in a play. But first things first, we had to grab a bite to eat, and I just happened to know a McDonald's where the kid's seats are made out of plastic cheeseburgers. The girls gave their jackets and "stuff" to Ronald to keep an eye on while we sat at the little table, with smaller than Grandma-butt sized cheeseburger seats. While they were dining, Brooke told me they have a new "Lose weight thing" at their house. And she told me, "You need to come and try it!" Oh, I gave up hamburger for Lent so I was good, I didn't even sneak one of their fries or nuggets! Those smiles tell it all.

Bad Will

Okay, so I have a few extra minutes before I had to be at the school to pick up G & E. I remember this Goodwill store on the corner I've always wanted to check out. So I go in, and kind of hurry through and get a really nice pair of leather gloves, lined with faux sheepskin, for a buck fifty. So next time I have a few extra minutes I go in again. This time I find the cutest little picture frame for a buck fifty. It looked brand new, so I bought it. It had seashells on it, starfish, and was a sand color. It would match something I had at home. So I pay a buck fifty. Tonight I was looking through my "stuff" and I found the frame wrapped in newspaper. I smiled, and unwrapped it so I could look at it again. And there on the back, on the label, were those words I never expected to see: DOLLAR TREE.

Sigh.

March Moon

You had to be there, maybe, to appreciate it. Jamie and Danny drove me down Sherman Blvd. to see this beautiful March moon rising in the east. No picture could do justice to it. It was awesome.

This is Weird

I download my camera pictures to Picasa and edit them. When I saw a picture that was almost all black, I was going to delete it, but was curious about the pale image. So I cropped it down and this is the image that was left. Eerie, huh? I am still trying to find the original, which has already been deleted from my camera. All I can tell you is that there were dots of light in it, most likely from the mirror ball at Jumpin' Jupiter.

The Eagles Have Landed

As promised, I have kept an eye on Mona Lake for the migrating eagles. And a few days ago, Brandie, Grace, Emily and I saw four in a tree next to Mona Lake as I was driving them home. Today, Fritz and I were in the same area and saw a big eagle sitting on the ice. I pulled over on the busy freeway and slogged through knee-deep snow in anklets and loafers to try to get a shot, but it didn't turn out. So we tried driving to the other side of the lake. We spotted this fellow in a tree. I can't tell what kind of raptor it is, except it appeared to me to be a golden eagle, not especially a large one, but it was very hard to see. The image you are looking at was cropped out of a much larger field. Well, there may be snow and cold, but the eagles have landed!

REDEYE NIGHT COMING UP

For any of you Red Eye fans out there, this next weekend the band will be throwin' it down at a new place: Deano's on Apple Avenue...yes, it is a country hang-out. Word on the street is that they were initially scheduled to play at MiBar, but someone told the owner they were for the older rock n' roll crowd...so they got moved to the owner's other establishment, which used to be Deano's and may still be, who cares, just be there. Bring your dancin' shoes and leave the ball and chain at home. (: > ). Play your cards right, you might even get a DD!

Seeing Is Believing

These crocus sprouted up about 5 days ago, on a cool, rainy late winter day. Today, the cool has turned to cold, and to look outside at the blowing snow, you would think we were deep in January. But these bright green harbingers of spring tell me to snuggle in that downy comforter a while longer. Drink diet Swiss Miss with a dash of cinnamon. Turn off the electronics and listen to the wild wind grinding snow against the house. Enjoy it while I can.

HIghtower Gig

For those of you who knew we were going to Hightower Saturday night for a karaoke gig, it turned out okay. Crazy John's parents were there, and his dad sang a lot, and did very well. He has a great voice. His mom, too. As for CJ, he is down in N'awlins heppin' out the po folks (he probably has a scam going) and according to his parents, he isn't coming back here to live. We also saw an old acquaintance of ours from the old Griff's karaoke gang, and a former neighbor of Mom and Jim's, a gal Mike's age who used to be in love with Mike when they rode the bus together back in his Whitehall School days. She married some guy and had a passle of kids, but her hubby died, and now she is a biker country gal up in the Walkerville area. It was great to see them! We got lots of hugs. Fritz and I dropped Val off in Montague just as the first few flakes of moisture hit the windshield, and while we stopped for oil for the old Ford buggy, it really started coming down. We did get home safely and spent all day Sunday laying around. Our cable went out for a few hours so we watched DVDs. Thanks Mike, for working on the brakes, we had a safe trip and got paid for a full night!

Jumpin' Jupiter!

The wheels just keep on turnin' at the rink and just to slow things down, they have a special event every so often. In the top picture, they skate to music until the whistle blows. Then they have to lay on the floor and do whatever the refereet says, like wave your arms and legs in the air. That's Danny Sr. in the striped shirt with Danny Jr. in background.

Dad and His Birthday Princess

Samantha is the just-turned-11 daughter of Jamie's friend Danny. They put together a skating party for Sam and her brother, cousins, and some of the kids in our family. We went to Jumpin' Jupiter, and it was great! They got to skate for two hours, and wonder of wonder, no one even got hurt (although a few knees and butts will be sore!)

Here, Sammy and her dad share a special moment of skating together.

Jinx at the Rink

Aunt Jamie I can't get my skates on! Grandma, I can't get my skates on! Hey, my skates won't go on!

Well, let's see....are they too small? Let's hold them up to your feet. OH! They ARE a SIZE too small! No wonder!

Our Great Little Crew All Warmed Up

Here are the kids after skating, almost all in one piece....Sammy and Danny's cousins went skating with them, too, but only Ali got to come back to the house. We also missed the Veenie babies, who had another party to go to.

The Cake

The cake was a way-cool Harley Davidson style with a motorcycle on it. 11 candles....now she is the same age as Brandie and soon Grace (who turns 11 in 5 weeks).

Tossin' the Beans

The teams discuss their strategies. There were the Rainbows (striped bean bags) and the Sunshines (orange bean bags). The first team to score 500 points won! (Congratulations Rainbows who started out behind and a nod to Fritz the scorekeeper). They got to reach blindly into a bag for a prize and they all got the same thing!Ha ha!

Cheek Puffing Fun

What's a party without balloons? Brandie and Danny found something to do while cooling their heels.

Limbo Lower Now!

Grace and Samantha take their turns and made it under. The stick got lower and lower, and the kids got more and more creative when it came to figuring out how to get it! There was some crab-crawling, jumping over, rolling under, and sliding....

Beating Spongebob

Samantha wanted a Spongebob pinata, so Jamie and the kids got some flour and water on their hands and turned a cereal box into a trove of treats. Everyone got one whack, and then Spongebob spilled his guts.

The Macarena

Grace, Hailie, Emily, Ali, and Samantha do the Macarena almost all in sync'! The monkeys on either end of the dance line were just watching...

And Then The Horror Movie.

What is better after a long and busy day than hot chocolate, popcorn, and some good old-fashioned horror? Grace, Hailie, and Emily bunked down in front of the tube and watched an old favorite of mine that is scary, but not TOO scary.

It was the Madam

Okay, you didn't play the game, so it's only fair I spill the beans. It was me, Silky M. Adam, who did away with the gangsta Hal Coppone. He done away wit my husband, is why. So now you know.

Dere's Been A Moider....Guess Who!

Hal Coppone wound up dead in his own safe, in his vault. Dere's a whole party of suspects who all had a motive and an opportunity. If youse wants to know da answer I'll tell ya...but first ya gotta guess! Oh, and here's a hint.....Eddie "Socks" R. Gyle and Billy (Da Kid) Thrower know who moidered Hal Coppone...but they ain't talkin'!

Go Figger!

Okay, so dere's Ernie "Bet A Million" G. Ambler. Dresses nice, smokes a big cigar, and flashes his wad around da gambling tables. Could his high stakes be woith....moider? And then dere's Malissa F. Orthott, otherwise known as "Scoop." She's a hot-on-youse-tail reporter who wants ta get da goods on the bad guys....but when you get da scoop on her, it should be headlined in the Chicago Trumpet!

Doity Pool Goin' On Here....

They might look like some fine upstandin' playas, but let me tell ya, looks could kill! Billy "Da Kid" Thrower can pitch a no-hitta, but if you wanna pitch him, ya betta have deep pockets! Anna Maria Carlotta Sassine, AKA "Torchy," she can sing da blues, and dats what you'll be singin', too, if ya mess wid her.

Is Dis Da Moiderer?

Molly M. Mawbster, otherwise known as "The MOLL" may look like a doll, but trust me, she ain't dat innocent! And then there's Eddie "SOCKS" R. Gyle...what he ain't got his doity fingers in ain't woith fingerin....and one a' dem might be the guilty pahty!

Whodunit?

Was it Silky M. Adam, who owns the Everlay Club? Or the U.S. District Attorney, S. Treighton Harrow?

Your Thoughts?

Whatever the tabloids/authorities finally claim as the cause of death of Anna Nichole Smith, my personal belief is that she died of a broken heart. I'm not saying drugs didn't contribute, they likely did, remember she fell in the bathtub/shower stall just hours before and that suggests a drug-induced state. However, I think ever since her son died she has gone steadily downhill. She has not shown herself to be the kind of person that could cope with such a tragedy. And there are whisperings that it was her constant companion, H.K. Stern who provided the drugs to both her and her son. Add a few lawsuits, and that she probably didn't even know who fathered her baby girl....well, let's just say that she had enough grief and trouble in her life, and for an addict, that just smooths the road to self-destruction. As Tony said when his friend fell off the bridge in Saturday Night Fever, "There are ways of killing yourself without killing yourself. " Did the amount needed to kill the pain help her to slip away from her world of pain and sorrow? I think one of the thoughts to come out of this tragic event is that you have to live for yourself. If she didn't build strength and meaning into her life, and further weakened her coping ability by taking illegal drugs, how could she survive such a loss without taking more drugs? I think her heart was so broken she didn't care how many drugs it took, or how they might interract, she just wanted to escape the pain. And she did. I wasn't personally a fan, however, I believe what John Donne said, "No man is an island." She was human, a mother, a person with a heart and a soul who lived very much in the limelight, so you can't help but have feelings about it, and an opinion.

Moider Most Foul

By Sunday night, we should know who moidered Hal Coppone. One of my brilliant guests will be the one to put all the clues together and the villain will be exposed! Tune in next week and find out who, what, where, when, and why! In the meantime, don't take any wooden nickels or youse might be sleeping wid da fishes.

Cruella DeVille

Why did I choose to publish this? Well. I was looking for a nice picture of Laura without her birth control glasses and found this. So this is what she looks like now except for the Cruella costume. Nice, huh? Oh, I forgot to tell you, she got new contacts.

Check Out The Ice

Lake Michigan's shores were devoid of ice buildup until just a few days ago. One day I drove down there and the shores were bare. The next time I drove down there, I was absolutely amazed that in just two days time, the ice pack stretched way out from the shore! And the waves are still constantly building up more ice. That means the beaches will be restored by the sand that is trapped in all this built-up ice, which is good news.

On another note, we woke up today to find our driveway and sidewalk had been shoveled out. Someone left a message written on our snow-covered car window, "I (heart) U." Hmmm. Fritz said it was snow angels but I later found out it was Jamie and Dan. So here is a big snow angel hug for saving our backs and tempers. Well, Fritz's anyway, I probably would not have attempted it myself! 

Fritz Getting A Snow Tan

We are in the midst of a major weather change. All through the holiday season we didn't get snow. Nor did it get very cold. But Ol' Man Winter finally remembered us. Not only did we get around a foot of new snow over the past couple days, we also got high winds, and below zero wind chills. Blizzard conditions, including whiteouts. Thankfully, the worst weather was on the weekend when fewer people had to travel. However, the weather is now so cold almost every school in West Michigan will be closed tomorrow. I had to cancel a dinner get-together Tuesday due to heavy snow, and I didn't get to see Red Eye Saturday night up in Hesperia. Matter of fact, even though the band members risked life and limb to get there, they ended up not playing due to the bad weather and the bar owner's fear that no one would come. So how about you? Did your car not start? Did you get a backache from shoveling? Pipes freeze? Had to rescue someone? A good date get canceled? Did you get stuck, or have a fender bender? Or did you get out and revel in the exhilarating cold? By the way, the picture of the navigational light isn't foggy...that is blowing snow.

The Soccer Mom Syndrome

Emily and a number of other girls signed up for a new hip-hop class session which was to have started on Wednesday. I walked Emily into the school, as I usually do, to make sure the class would be held. Good thing, because the instructor never showed up. Several girls had just been dropped off by their parents and were left with no supervision. An office worker made frantic calls to the NORP, which is the recreational department which handles these after-school programs. And they sent a lady over to supervise the kids and make sure they got ahold of their parents.

The reason I am writing about this is because it appears the parents put so much pressure on the student teacher she just up and quit with no notice. Several times while I was there, outside the gym where they practiced, I heard the intstructor take one or more girls aside and speak to them about their behavior. Some of these girls were beginners, and they complained that the instructor went too fast. The ones who had already taken the class were somewhat bored while the instructor worked more with the newer girls. And finally, there were some girls who complained and even burst into tears, and told their mothers they didn't want to be in the class anymore. Of course, there are no refunds once the class starts! These mothers complained to the instructor, and apparently called the director of the aforementioned NORP. Bottom line, these complaining, misbehaving, and might I add somewhat spoiled girls and their mothers put so much pressure on the young teacher that she quit. Yet, most students had no complaints at all and just loved the class. They were excited about it and signed up for all 3 sessions. The class was so popular it was expanded into beginners, advanced, and this session they added a boy's class. Now there is no instructor. Of course, I am assuming she quit because of the pressure, I don't know that for sure, but I can say I saw her having to explain herself to some of the mothers and even some of the students, and it sure appeared as though she was always trying to placate someone. My point here is that teachers who correct disruptive students who don't listen are going to get angry parents up in their face. No matter that those who are there to listen and learn get cheated. There are parents out there who drop their problem kids off for someone else to deal with, and then get up in the teacher's face because she tries to settle them down so they can learn the activity they signed up and paid for. I haven't put this very well, I know, it's late and I'm tired. I just wanted to vent.

HIp Hop Rules The Gym!

For some reason Picasa isn't giving blogger the edited versions of the pictures so you can hardly see Emily, who is in the center of the top picture in the black tee....I'll try later....anyway it was another Hip Hop dance recital and the girls did really well. Emily is going to start her fourth session next week, so by the time school ends, she will be an expert! Again, I felt she did an extra good job. But for some reason she is getting more and more reticent about performing for us...darn...I have begged her.

Nature's Point of View

This snow and sand pattern fascinates me. I would have loved to sit wrapped in a sleeping bag and watched just how the wind sculpted these snow mounds, then mixed sand and snow in such swirly layers. In one place it curls, in another it wanders, it's light and dark, and goes in every direction. And it looks like fudge ripple ice cream, it makes you want to dip your finger in and taste! If you enlarge it, you will see even more remarkable detail. This time of year, the lake is like an art gallery that constantly changes. I like to go every day and browse.