The Worst Summer of My Life

As the title says, it has been the worst summer of my life! I wish I could start over again, but have it end with different results. My husband and I had been looking forward to a really nice vacation starting with a scenic train ride from Chicago to San Francisco, then spending four days in San Francisco in the beginning of summer. Unfortunately, he became ill, so we flew home. He passed away within 18 hours of getting home. He passed from pneumonia. It all happened so fast! One day he was fine and working in the yard, traveling and enjoying the scenery. In just a couple of days later, he was gone. 

So, my life is in a complete mess right now. It's the absolute worst thing I've ever been through in my life. Fortunately, I have an amazing support system with family and friends. My kids have talked me into moving closer to them, which I agree is a good idea since I do spend so much time with them and I now feel so alone out here by myself. It's really not that far (about 30 minutes) but now I've found a house a mile away from my son. In the summer it's not so bad, but we are known to have some brutal winters with a lot of that Lake Michigan snow. And driving can be disastrous. And it will be so nice to be right there with them. My granddaughter and my son timed their bike ride from their house to mine, five minutes and 15 seconds. My subdivision is across the street from theirs. She is really excited. I've even given her the task of decorating the guest bedroom since she will be the one to use it the most.

This is why the blog has been neglected. Between keeping the business afloat, grieving, moving, and trying to get my life back in some kind of order, I'm overwhelmed. So, hang in there with me and I'll be bringing some more informative articles, tutorials, and other fun things you are used to seeing here. I might just be moving a little slower at it than usual.

Photo above: One of the photos I took from our scenic train ride which was the last time and place I saw my husband's beautiful smile.

What Happens on a Girls' Trip...

If you've never gone on a girls trip you are missing out! One of my mom's favorite things was going on girls’ trips. And for those who knew her will know that they were always centered around shopping. Mom loved to shop! Two of my favorites were Mall of America and Gurnee Mills. She always liked to stay in the nicest hotels too. I really miss those days with my mom, my sis and myself just enjoying non-stop shopping and having fun. My most recent was a trip to Frankenmuth with my daughter-in-law, my sis, and our granddaughters. And yes, in the photo above you'll see my 60-year-old sister hanging from the luggage rack. It's hard to believe that no drinking was involved. But that's just some silly fun we would have never had if we had the hubsters along.

What makes for a good girl’s trip? A girl’s trip is anything you want it to be. You can go on shopping trips, state park trips, big city trips, small town trips, and even wineries. For the wineries just make sure you grab an Uber and of course, you must all be twenty-one. And whatever you do, you need to journal it so you never forget a thing. If kids are involved, it's easier when they are older. Just be sure to include as much fun for them as for the adults.

Another fun thing to include is something matchy. If you are the planner, you can give everyone a nice little gift such as fun travel accessories or piece of jewelry. On our recent trip you can see that we all had matching (temporary) tattoos. Quite surprisingly they lasted the whole trip!

OK, one more rule. When you do travel with your granddaughters and they want ice cream for dinner, you have ice cream for dinner!

Where will your next girls’ trip be?

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Buc-ee's! Don't Miss this Little Gem While Traveling

Have you ever been on a road trip and passed a sign with the cute beaver that says Buc-ee's? Well, my advice is to stop in for a quick (or not so quick) visit. Buc-ee's is not just a fancy rest stop off the highway, it's an entire experience!

We travel a lot! Two of the places we regularly travel to are Texas and Florida, and there are a lot of Buc-ee's between here and there. My first time there, I was in constant aww! They have so many things that will make your road trip extra fun. They have a lot of choices for lunch, dinner, or a quick snack. Everything is super fresh and worth every penny. On our last visit we picked up some cobb salads for lunch and they were fresh as can be. We sat in the car and enjoyed them. No wilted lettuce in our salads!

They are really known for their smoked beef brisket. And the smell when you are in there is amazing! Not a fan of brisket or beef in general, don't worry, they have a lot more. Everything from sandwiches, salads, yogart parfaits, fruits, nuts of every kind, fudge, candies, cookies, chips, and so much more! My personal favorite is chocolate covered cashews. Yep, it's the only place I've seen them, and they are sooooooo good!

They also have some cute stuff too. They have holiday items, souvenirs, pets’ stuff, kitchenware, games, coolers, gifts, kids' stuff, and every kind of soft drink you could imagine. They are also known for their 100 plus gas pumps at each location. If your car is a little dirty, they have the longest car wash you've ever seen.

This may sound funny, but they are also known for their restrooms. Yep, I said it, "RESTROOMS." They are super clean and quite pretty. It seems like every time we travel, we see where another one has popped up. 

If you are on a road trip and see a Buc-ee's you should stop on by. I'm sharing the link to their website so you can take a sneak peek. Did I mention how much I love the place?

Oh, and my son would never forgive me if I didn't mention their beef jerky. They also have a little thing called "beaver nuggets." Yep, they have things you've never seen elsewhere. Be sure the check it out for yourself.

https://buc-ees.com/about/

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Shelf Ice - The Beauty and the Dangers

 

Unless you live along one of the beautiful Great Lakes, you probably aren't familiar with shelf ice. It is absolutely beautiful. My granddaughter had never seen it before so we took her over the weekend to see it. She was amazed at the difference it made along the shore. In the image above you'll see our lighthouse in the summer. Next to it you'll see our lighthouse in the winter. Quite a difference! If you are ever traveling along one of the Great Lakes, I think it would be worth a trip to the beach to see its incredible beauty. But NEVER walk on it or climb it! It's extremely dangerous. 

The shelf ice is formed when the waves crash to the shore in the freezing temperatures. Several weeks of this can create some pretty high ice. The danger is when you are walking on it. It looks thick, and it is, but not everything is completely frozen. You can be walking on a section that might look solid but under that ice can be (and many times is) a hole. Once you fall into a hole, you will never be able to come back up. The water under the ice is still moving and will take you with it. Can you imagine how cold that water would be? Yet every single year we see people walking on it.

I added some links at the end of this post that explains the danger in detail. So, if you ever get a chance to see it, definitely do and take your camera. Enjoy the beauty from a distance.

https://www.wndu.com/2025/01/22/hidden-dangers-shelf-ice/

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shelf+ice+lake+michigan

Crossing the Canadian Border 2023

After a three month wait for our passports to arrive, my husband and I hit the road for a trip through eastern Canada. We covered locations which are completely different from each other. I'll share some of those experiences later.

There are some major differences between the US and Canada. Some took me by surprise while others made me question why the US doesn't enact them.

The biggest thing I noticed while traveling is how green Canada is. Wherever you see a trash can, you usually see recycling bins next to them. Every hotel we stayed at also had recycling bins next to our trash bins. Another thing I noticed was that there was not a single plastic straw to be found. All the straws we got for our drinks were paper or some other type of biodegradable material. They weren't the icky paper straws from years back that stuck to your lips, they were quite comfortable to drink from. I don't know if the straws in alcoholic beverages are the same because my husband and I gave up alcohol about a year ago, so we didn't use or see those.

Being a serious tea drinker (thanks to Mom’s English blood), I am very picky about my teas. I even carry a couple tea bags in my purse because I refuse to drink the generic icky stuff. Any hot tea I ordered either gave me a selection of teas to choose from or had a good quality brand with my hot water. As for the iced tea, many of the places we ate at only offered sweetened tea. I'm not a fan of sweetened tea so I just stuck to water for those places.

All the areas we traveled through (Eastern Canada) there was a lot of French. Just across the border in Toronto they had signs that had both English and French. It was the same for their TV stations. By the time we got to Quebec, it was all French! Fortunately, the people who live there spoke English and French, so we didn't have any problems getting around. However, all the road signs, menus, TV stations, etc, were all in French. The locals were very helpful though. I will also add that the kilometers were driving my husband nuts when he was driving. He wanted to go 100 mph and I told him that the sign said 100 km per hour, which is about 63 miles per hour. At least in the areas we were at, the speed limit was never over that amount.

That's the general breakdown of the entire trip. I hope you'll stick around for the next four posts where I'll get into the basics about the four general areas where we stayed.

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Renting Cabins - Check Every Corner of Your Room!

Now that the weather is getting nicer and the hubster and I almost fully vaccinated, it's about time to hit the road! Because of the events unfolding last year, we weren't able to travel at all. As I was looking through my travel journals (more on that another time) I was reminded of a recent trip to Tennessee to visit with family. The Gatlinburg area has always been a favorite of ours. We have family there and sometimes we take a bunch of other family members and rent a huge cabin in the mountains. Love the mountains! 

On one particular trip, we got quite a surprise when we were just getting into our room. We had just brought in our luggage and my dad and bonus mom stopped in to greet us, they were staying in the same RV park, but instead of a cabin, they had their RV. We're all sitting around chatting and I look down at the floor and I saw what appeared to be a toy snake behind a dresser. I bent down to pick it up and that's when I saw the tongue poking out. Nope, not a toy! The hubster and my father were looking for a broom to shoo it out while my bonus mom was laying on the bed with her feet up in the air screaming bloody murder. During this time I sent a picture of the snake to my then boss who is a veterinarian and an expert in reptiles and exotics. He assured me it was a simple rat snake that was not a threat at all to humans. Relief! 

The men did get the snake out of the room and even went as far as shooing it into the river. Seriously? Apparently, they weren't aware that rat snakes are quite good swimmers. Yep, it swam right back and went under our cabin. We called the park office and they sent someone out to capture the snake. They promised me that they were going to release it at the other end of the property and no harm would come to it. I mean, seriously, I think we traumatized the poor snake enough as it was.

So why am I sharing this particular story? Because the weather is getting nicer and you'll all be traveling and those that will be out in the wilderness, nature, the mountains, cabins, etc, need to check your space!

A Traveling Weekend

It was another wonderful weekend and I'm so sorry for it to be over. We drove up to Michigan for an out of town wedding, spent time with family, and had a really nice time.

We stayed at a hotel in Muskegon. It was a nice little place but not exactly hopping. I'm hoping that they have some sort of life during the week. None the less, it was cute and a nice place to walk around. We saw lots of neat statutes and sculptures to add to my collection of photos. I'm sure you'll be seeing them on a post some time soon. I loved seeing the Culinary Institute of Michigan (photo above). I wanted so bad to break in and see their kitchens. But I am a law abiding citizen, so I chose not to do so.

On the way home we stopped in Saugatuck. It's always been one of my favorite spots to get out and walk around. It's got tons of little shops and sits on the harbor. And of course I had to stop by my favorite store in the entire world The Butler's Pantry. I was excited! We bought an owl cookie cutter, iced tea spoons, a jar of preserves, and a jar of some spicy mustard dip. So many shops, so little time!

We are back home safe and sound now. We did run to the clinic and rescued Bubba. Poor thing is horse again from crying and barking all weekend. He hates it there, but I know he's safe.

It was a great weekend!