Love Thursday

One thing I love about this photo is how the repeating pattern of the windows in the building balance the repeating pattern of the boxes in the blanket.  I also love how it tells the story of how Cathy wore a blanket over her head for our walk because she couldn't find a hat.   But I think I mostly love it because it is of my BFF Cathy.

I Love GR!

Taken this past Sunday from Lookout Hill.

Showers of Baby Blessings

Saturday was a beautiful snowy day and I went to a baby shower for my friend Allison.  Jeanette and Sung-Ae outdid themselves with the cooking and presentation and it was so fun to be with friends and the excitement of the soon to be arrival of "Panda."  I am hopefully going to the hospital sometime in February to take baby photos!

Hello Snow!

The big snow finally came to Michigan and a lot of the US.  It snowed pretty solidly for a couple of days and my first thought was, well you're a pretty old man but you can go now.   Finally, I was able to take some photos this past weekend to really appreciate it.

Flash Back Friday 236

Edward, Maria & Bridget, Concord, MA  August 2001, Old Hill Burial Ground

And thus began the family tradition when we drive by a graveyard, someone says, "Cemetary" and then we all say in unison, "Everybody out!"

Love Thursday

There's a song in here somewhere...

Love Makes Life Work Hard

My friend Cathy and her 2 kids have decided they are ready to do foster care.  She has worked as a child welfare professional in foster care and adoption, both as a licensed social worker and as an attorney for many years and has always wanted to help in this way.  This past weekend, I went over to her house to take some "before" the house is ready photos and helped her set up a blog so she could share their journey through the process.  

Here is the link to her blog: http://lifemakesloveworkhard.blogspot.com/

Please visit and leave her a comment!!!  That would be so awesome.

Amazing Grace

One of the words on the annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness for 2012 is "Amazing."  Truly an overused word, but I think it always applies to grace.

Harmony

^8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4:8

Flash Back Friday 235

New Year's Eve, 5 years ago! Maria Bridget & 3 friends

Love Thursday

Edward & Maria went back to Calvin this week.  We enjoyed having them home for a couple of weeks/


Edward did a lot of running as usual.


Maria re-read the Harry Potter series as she recovered from the pneumonia she had gotten at the end of the semester.

And Now We Keep it Alive

I wonder how long it will take before I give up?

Olga's Girls

So one thing we did over the break was to try to duplicate the signature sandwich at one of our favorite, Olga's Kitchen.  We found a "copycat" recipe for the special bread and yogurt sauce and made curly fries and orange cream coolers which are also signature Olga items.







The Olga night was a smashing success - the whole family raved!  We struggled with the dough a bit due to inexperience and maybe a little neglect, but overall it was very good.

Happy New Year!

John & I celebrated NYE by going downtown GR to dinner at One Trick Pony with Cathy and a friend of hers and then to listen to the Romatics who were on stage at the corner of Pearl and Monroe.  They sang their most famous song, "That's What I Like About You" just before the ball dropped.   Cheers!