Well, the Christmas season is officially underway. I can assure you that I have NO plans to go out shopping today. I’m just built for stress like that. Anyway, since it is official, I thought I would search for a Christmas themed photo to feature.
A while back, my brother put all of the digital Christmas photos in a folder marked “Christmas Through the Years.” One of the first photos to pop up was this one;
It is pretty much all of the girls in the family. From left to right on top: Mom, Grandma, Aunt Linda. Bottom left to right: Arin, Aunt Jodi, Melissa. It is one of the few pictures with all the gals from my mom’s side in one photo.
The photo is taken at my Aunt Linda’s house. This was probably around 1981, just after my grandpa passed away. We usually had Christmas at my grandma’s. Occasionally, it would be at my Aunt Linda’s or our house. When it was at my aunt’s house, my uncle’s parents would often be there. They were Italian, and I just loved talking to his mom about Italy and Italian food.
My Aunt Linda gave me my first Bible as a Christmas gift one year. I wish I’d took it a bit more seriously then. She wrote something on the inside cover that has always stuck with me and makes more sense now than it ever did. She said, “Remember that this book has ALL the answers.”
My brother and I don’t see my cousins enough. I’m going to have to ask him to let me know when he comes up next time well in advance. We are over due to be together.
This past Friday I was up early and off to the state capitol. One of the bigger sleep conferences was being held at the Kellogg Center on the campus of Michigan State University. I had no idea how bad traffic was going to be so I was on the road by 5:30am. I arrived about 6:45am and had plenty of time to check in.
The conference was one of the best I have been to. There were some great sessions that talked about dreams and their connection with trauma, another one about “sleepwalking’ crimes, and a discussion about later school start times. The speakers were good, so it was easy to stay engaged.
The highlight for me was running into one of the gals who was in the sleep program with me. She has moved up in the world and is now working for one of the companies that does home sleep studies. She noticed me first and called my name. When I turned to see who it was, there were hugs all around.
We had to do presentations in class on a certain sleep disorder. She totally went out and bought one of the “old man” hats I always wore, got some felt and made herself a mustache and goatee and presented as me. It was hilarious! There was so much to catch up on. We’re hoping to get the families together to catch up more soon.
On Saturday, the kids had a birthday party that they were invited to. It was held at a bowling alley. Ella has only been bowling once and this was Andrew’s first time. They started out using the ramps to roll the ball…
It didn’t take long for them to just start throwing them without the ramp. Andrew somehow managed to throw the ball and get it stuck between the gutter and the bumpers. Ella was just happy to get the ball to knock down pins. Andrew decided to relax as the ball rolled down the alley.
My brother came up from Ohio this weekend. He had asked me if we were going to be around and that was before I knew about the birthday party. So after the birthday party we went to Frankenmuth where the Scarecrow Festival was going on.
They had pumpkin bowling, bounce houses, pumpkin launching and more. Many of the little shops had their own pumpkin scarecrows outside. Guests could vote for the best one on their phones. The kids liked seeing many of them.
The weather was mild, so it was nice enough to walk around without jackets. We walked around the Riverplace shops and also went to the Castle Shops and visited the bakery. Cookies all around!
Whether we were just too busy catching up or chasing the kids, my brother and I only got to grab one picture while we were there.
Around 6 all the fun stuff outdoors shut down. We were all hungry, so we decided to go to this little Italian place just outside of town. Neither of us had ever been there. It was delicious. I had lasagna which reminded me of a place my folks use to eat at all the time. Ella opted for spaghetti (which is noodles with butter and no sauce for her.) I usually cut it up for her, but she decided to eat it right from the bowl. I love this picture of her …
Andrew, who loves spaghetti, threw me for a loop when he asked for a grilled cheese and French fries. How do you make that Italian? If you look closely at his plate, you will see that he has put parmesan cheese all over his food.
When we left to go home, it poured rain. It was monsoon rain. There was thunder and lightening, which Andrew thought was really cool to see at night.
My brother and Stacey stopped over Sunday and hung out most of the day. They brought the kids Happy Meals and some gifts. Ella got a Barbie and Ken doll – both were decked out for soccer. Andrew got some monster trucks and this cool thing that you toss up in the air and it floats around. You control it with your hands. It was pretty cool.
Our visit was cut short because I had to give the kids baths and get them in bed for school the next day. They are always glad to see them. One day I hope to be able to make the drive down to Ohio with the kids to see them.
I’ll wrap up with something I just thought was cool. I love high school football. One thing I’ve noticed as years have gone by is the increase of the presence of law enforcement at games. At one high school the policemen really got into things. They were cheering for the home team and telling folks they had better, too.
Check out these two law officers being held up by the cheerleaders. I love the sign: Cheer or go to jail!
I love seeing stuff like this! Kudos to these officers – and the cheer team!
Every summer I think back to our summer trips up to Caseville. My grandparents had a mobile home up there. As we made the two hour drive up there, my brother and I always looked for the familiar landmarks along the way. Romeo had an old country store with penny candy. Almont had the Almont Saddlery. Imlay City had an A&W, as did Marlette. Marlette was the halfway point. As we continued north, we’d pass Cass City. The next stop was Owendale, which had a small market where we’d stop and get Faygo pop. We then would look for the grain towers in Pigeon. Once we passed them, we were in the home stretch.
When we arrived at my grandparent’s place, we’d pull into the driveway, which was all gravel. Trips were usually on the weekends and never long enough. This picture was taken in the kitchen.
My dad is at the stove, my brother is in the middle and I am on the right. Looking at this picture, I can smell the bacon and sausage, which were breakfast staples up north. If my grandparents were there with us, my dad would share the cooking with my grandpa. We always looked forward to those big breakfasts!
It’s amazing how I can picture the things that are not in the picture. Directly to my left in the picture was the fridge. Behind me was dining room table. There was an air conditioner in the middle window. In the top right of the photo, you can see what is sort of like a hutch. There were two cupboards at the bottom and a “counter” on top of those. Above those were two shelves where they had a ceramic mallard duck, a candy dish, and a few of my grandma’s Erma Bombeck books. There was a mirror at the back of the shelves.
The raised counter that is behind the sink was where we usually ate. There were barstools there and the kids ate there while the adults were at the table. The living room was in front of the barstools. That was where we’d watch the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon every year. I can remember there was always a big, loud lady on there that sang songs. She was probably someone famous, but for the life of me, I cannot think of who it could be.
The bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry area were down the hall. We almost always slept in my aunt’s bedroom. She is four years older than me, so she was probably 13 or so. She had Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books in her room and plenty of cat posters on her wall. If I remember correctly, she had a deck of Uno cards and I played it for the first time up north. Coincidentally, today is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Jodi.
I am sure that I have written about Caseville in other blogs. I probably have posted pictures, too, but not this one. This was one of those surprise finds on a hard drive. It is a reminder of some amazing family trips with family members who have since passed away. Those were some wonderful times. My pipe dream is to one day be in a position to get a place up there.
Last week, I posted a picture of me in my grandma’s backyard playing catch with my dad. The more I thought about my grandma’s backyard, I was reminded of her back patio.
I distinctly remember there being a picnic table out there. I know my brother and I would eat outside with my grandma on summer days that we were there. The other thing I remember very well was the patio furniture.
My grandma and grandpa had this big, honking glider that was made out of metal. It was a puke green color and had little squares cut in it as a pattern both on the back of the glider and on the seat. If I had to guess, the glider probably weighed about, oh, 700 pounds or something. It was huge.
The patio set came with a rocker that had the same green and square pattern on it. There may or may not have been a chair that was just stationary that had the same style.
The picture above is me on the rocker. I’m guessing that any child of the ’70s will recognize that chair and probably be able to picture the glider. The one thing that I remember very well is that in the summertime if the sun hit that glider or chair for any length of time you could probably fry an egg on it. It was hot!
I’m guessing that the picture above was probably taken in the spring or in the fall as I’m wearing long pants. I have no recollection whatsoever of the gaudy shirt that I am wearing. I mean, what is that?! It looks like I’m about to join Roy Rogers and his band for a TV special. All that is missing is a pair of boots with spurs and a 10 gallon hat.
I honestly don’t know what my parents were thinking when they dressed me. You know I’ve raised two boys and am currently raising my daughter and my son. There has been no time at all where I have thought to myself “let’s dress them so they look absolutely ridiculous.”
No wonder people made fun of me in elementary school!
Sam and I were discussing how badly we want to go on a little vacation. One of the possible destinations was Mackinac, MI. It is located at the tip of the mitten where the Mackinac Bridge connects the Upper Peninsula to the Lower Peninsula.
As a kid, my folks took my brother and I there one summer. It had to be around 1980 or so. I found a ridiculous photo from that trip. (It is dated 1981, but who know when the photos were taken?)
This had to be taken at one of the forts in Mackinac. My brother can be seen on the right side of the picture. I am the goofball in the denim cowboy hat. I think this was in one of the living quarters or something. Obviously it is a dining table with old bowls and silverware on it. I suppose my mom or dad thought this would be a great photo op.
Outside of the transition lenses on my glasses and cowboy hat, there is one thing that screams out at me. You may or may not be able to see it, but it was the first thing I noticed. Just to the left of the bowl in front of me pinned to my tank top is a sheriff badge. I loved that badge. It was the only souvenir that I wanted on the trip.
The Dukes of Hazzard was a huge show at the time. I loved Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best). We often rode around on our bikes in the neighborhood. Someone’s bike was the General Lee and I, as Rosco, would chase them around. Naturally, I’d often “crash” my bike as the Duke boys would get away.
The one thing I didn’t have was a badge. The badge was worn proudly every day when we were outside. I think the weld that held the pin to the badge eventually broke and I was devastated. I was able to find another badge at the toy store, but it was not the 6 sided star I got on that trip.
I feel like it’s been forever since I posted a personal update. My wife’s surgery, her recovery, the daily features, and this week’s Share Your Nostalgia, I’ve been a bit busy. So let me bring you up to date.
My wife is recovering nicely. She will be heading in for another post op check up next week. Her hope is that they clear her to go back to work. She had made it no secret that she is bored and hates laying around. She’s already been her stubborn self and doing things that the doctor told her not to do. That’s how I know she is ready to go back!
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Our photographer, Beth, at Enjoy The View hosted a Spring Mini session recently. We love taking our kids here. The session is 15 minutes long, which is about how long they will behave. Beth had a dog that the kids loved named Roxie. They asked her where Roxie was when they walked in. Beth whispered to us that Roxie had passed away a few days before. Ella heard her and after the session, she told us she had to get a card for “Miss Beth” because “she has to be really sad.”
When the session started, they were ok. However 5 minutes in, they started to get crazy. They were moving SO much. I cannot even believe the great shots she got of them. Sam and I looked at each other when we saw the photos and asked, “Were we at the same session? I could swear they never stood still!”
Here is one of my favorites:
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My brother came up for a visit over the weekend. The kids have been cooped up and wanted to get out of the house. We decided to take them to the Sloan Museum, which has a lot of fun for kids. They have this huge water area for them to play.
They also have a cool treehouse that they can climb in.
When we pulled in, we could see just how busy they were, but we ventured in anyway. It was packed. We had the two kids and four adults and it was a challenge for us to keep them in our sight. They love playing with the other kids, but for us, it was wall to wall people and I was afraid we’d lose sight of them. In the end, they had fun and I was glad to be out of there!
We all went to dinner afterward at our favorite steakhouse – Lucky’s. My brother had never been there before, and we have never taken the kids there. Andrew was a hoot.
They brought out a salad and he was eating it when he found a leaf of spinach. “What?! A leaf?!? Who puts leaves in a salad?!”
There was a bottle of wine on the table and they asked if they could have some. We said that it was not for kids and it was alcohol. Andrew says, “Alcohol?!? People die from that on Dr. G!”
(Dr. G Medical Examiner is a show that follows this doctor doing Autopsies!)
Despite the 30 minute wait, the food was excellent. My brother and his partner decided they would go back to the hotel because it was close to bedtime. Sam and I walked in the door and we were ready for bed.
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My brother has read just about everything on Anne Frank. Sam knows that I read a lot of World War II books. She had asked if we’d ever been to the Holocaust museum here in Michigan. I had no idea that there was one. We looked and they were open on Sunday, so we met there about 1pm. We took the kids to Nana’s.
When we walked in, the first thing I saw was a train car. As many know, German soldiers loaded many Jewish people on these cars and took them to the gas chambers. I had read about these cars, which many books describe in detail. I felt it was smaller than I pictured.
This museum not only looks at the events of WWII and the Holocaust, but it takes it a step further and features the stories of survivors who moved to the US and to Michigan. I was disappointed when we found out that one of those survivors was there doing a talk an hour before we arrived. Her name was Irene Miller.
She has written a book about her experience and they had copies in the museum shop. My brother and I both bought copies. When I got home, I noticed she had autographed them. I cannot wait to read this.
It took us about 90 minutes to go through, but I can see where it might take longer. There are many of those codes you can scan with your phone and it takes you to videos with more information. As you get to the end of your trip, there is a hallway with Michigan survivors.
It truly was a very moving experience. I am so glad that we all decided to go. I hope to go back again soon and revisit some of the things we didn’t do.
One of the most sobering facts was that there were over 6 million Jews died during the Holocaust. A quote on the museum website from a Midland High School student makes a good point:
“The Zekelman Holocaust Center shows how much of an impact the Holocaust had on the world. Looking at the number six million in history class doesn’t show much, but seeing the impact here does.”
On the outside of the building are six peaks. They represent those 6 million lives.
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My brother’s visits are never long enough, but I am always glad to see him. We’re hoping to make the trip down to see him over the summer, if possible.
I found a stack of pictures this week that I had stuck in an envelope. I probably did that so I could scan them for this feature, but I don’t really remember. Anyway, I found this great picture of my brother and me.
I love this picture because I actually look cute in it! I see that smile and I can see each of my kids in it. How weird is that?
I love the little swoop curl on my forehead. I’m staring at this photo trying to make out what is on my shirt. Is it a cartoon character? Is it some generic shirt design? I really can’t tell.
I’m going to guess this was taken in early 1973, based on the fact that my mom is holding up my brother. Look at how cute he is in those footie pajamas! I wish he’d been looking at the camera and that we could see my mom’s face in this picture.
It’s weird to think that if this is 1973, I am probably 3 years old here – my son, Andrew’s, age today. I can really see him most in this picture.
So, not much to really flash back on, other than I just love this picture.
According to the date stamp on today’s picture, it is from the summer of 1981. We spent many summers going up north to Caseville. They were usually weekend trips. Off the top of my head, I can only recall two family vacations. One of them was to King’s Island and Sea World (probably when I was in kindergarten or first grade). The other was to Mackinac Island.
As I recall, we had a hotel in Mackinaw City. It is located at the tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. I’m sure there were places that we visited there, but I don’t remember much of that. I do remember the day we went to Mackinac Island. As you can see, you had to take a boat over to the Island from the city.
There are no cars allowed on the island. There are plenty of horse drawn carriages and bicycles. There are also plenty of shops where you can find the famous Mackinac Fudge.
The highlight of this trip was actually visiting Fort Mackinac. This fort is located on the island. Fort Michilimackinac is actually in Mackinaw City.
Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City is seen from a guard tower on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015. The fort was built by French soldiers in 1715 and was taken over by the British 1761 after the French and Indian War.
My dad took a lot of pictures from our trip, but some of them are lost. I remember he took this really awesome shot of a cannon being shot. You could see the flame coming out of the wick area and the muzzle in front. It was such a cool picture. I wish I still had it.
One of my favorite photos of my mom, my brother and me was taken at one of the forts.
With all of the trouble that my brother and I cause for my parents, my mom had to pose for the above photo! I remember her saying, “I gotta get me a set of these for at home!”
There were quite a bit of things around the fort where prisoners were held. The above photo is us in the foot stocks. There is another picture somewhere of my brother and I with our heads and hands in the stocks. This was so cool to see.
The look on my mom’s face is priceless. She is all smiles! I imagine if she did have these at home, she’d be smiling bigger! I think it is hilarious to see the two personalities of my brother and me. My brother not only has his feet in the stocks, he had his hands in there, too. No fight, he just submits to the punishment. I, on the other hand, and pulling at my feet in hopes of breaking out and getting free!
I love that the sign says that the stocks were for “petty offenses!” I am just guessing that the “offenses” my brother and I caused were more along the lines of misdemeanors or felonies! LOL
It is photos like this that make me miss my mom more than usual. I know if she was still around she’d be taking her grandkids on trips like this.
I truly hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday! I’m a bit late getting my update written, so please forgive me. It has been a busy, yet relaxing few days.
On Monday, we got quite a wintery mix of weather. The day started with rain and freezing rain. It eventually changed to snow. As the temperatures dropped, the accidents were piling up. All throughout the day, there were messages on social media and on the news about the roads being icy.
Sam had to work Monday, so I was worried about her driving. She promised that if the roads were too bad, that she would turn around and call in. The weather wasn’t a surprise, and the main roads were salted pretty good, so her drive was not too bad. The drive home was a bit trickier, but she made it home ok.
Christmas Eve morning I knew I had to get out and clear the driveway. My sons were planning on coming over and I wanted to be sure it was clean. Ella and Andrew, who have been in the house TOO long, wanted to go outside with me. They ran around the yard, made some snow angels, played tag, and enjoyed the snow. Despite me telling them that it was not “scooter weather,” they played with them anyway!
The boys arrived about noon. They brought pizza and we all had lunch together. When they walked in, each of the two little ones ran to one of the older ones and hugged them. My second oldest was caught off guard by this. All I could say was, “They miss you, obviously.”
It was a nice time catching up. Phone calls between us are often cut short, possibly because of “listening ears.” Texting is hit or miss, so to have them with me and in conversation was very nice. My oldest and I talked about his job and his girlfriend. He also told me of his plans to move in with a friend from work. My second oldest told me that he had a girlfriend, too. He showed me a picture of them from when they went to the homecoming dance. My ex’s family had their holiday get together the previous weekend. Both boys were allowed to invite their girlfriends to the party. They both seem genuinely happy. This makes me happy.
They were able to stay for a couple hours, but my second oldest had to work that night. He works at a movie theater, and the holidays are always a busy time for them. I was glad that they were able to come over and spend time with me and their siblings. Of course, I am THAT dad who has to get a picture of all four of them together. You’re guess is as good as mine as to how many photos were snapped before getting one with all of them looking at me.
The little ones and I hung out for a bit as we waited for Sam to get up. We watched some Christmas cartoons and snuggled on the couch. Sam joined us in the living room and told us that her folks were coming by. They were going to drop off the kid’s Christmas gifts on their way to church.
I had to laugh because when they arrived, I went out to help bring stuff in. There were three boxes. I brought the first one in and set it on the floor. Ella was like, “Is this mine? Can I open it now? I wanna see what it is?” Sam’s folks weren’t even in the house yet and she was ready to rip off the paper!
Once every thing and everyone was inside, Ella was allowed to open her gift. It was a table top vanity. It came with fake cosmetics, but we didn’t know that. Sam bought some cheap – real – make up to go with it. This led to her giving everyone a makeover!
It was not exactly my shade of lipstick ….
She really loves it. I hope it is just a phase. She’s too young for makeup.
Andrew got something called Squigs. I guess they are toys that he uses at Physical/Occupational Therapy. He loves them. They have suction cups on them, and he can so all sorts of things with them
Nana and Pa couldn’t stay too long, because they had to get to church. Thankfully, they both made it out with out a makeover.
About 5:30, we grabbed out coats and hopped in the car. It was time for our yearly Christmas Eve tradition. We drove over to the county park where it was totally lit up for Christmas. For $10 a car, they have it set up so that you can drive through and see the lights. (During the holidays, they have a Christmas Train ride that we like to go on, but didn’t get the chance this year.) As you drive through the town, Christmas music plays and it is really beautiful.
They really do a nice job here. The old houses are even decorated in period decorations.
This tree always amazes me. The detail is brought out so well with these lights.
They have things like this at the Detroit Zoo, too. I wish we had been able to come up for the train ride and village walk. That way we could have gotten a picture in that ornament bulb.
By the time we got home, it was time to get ready for bed. The kids knew that their Elf on the Shelf was leaving with Santa that night. They loved seeing the craziness that she’d do every morning. They wanted a picture of her with them before bed. After hugs and kisses, they thanked Twinkles and told her they’d see her next year.
Andrew fell asleep pretty quickly. Ella, on the other hand, was talkative. Typical “night before Christmas” stuff. She is so sweet, though. As she turned over to close her eyes, she stopped and looked at me. She said, “Daddy, I really hope that Bubby (Andrew) doesn’t get coal from Santa. He doesn’t mean to be bad all the time.” I told her that he would probably be just fine. I made sure she was aware that Santa knew that he was good “most of the time.”
When the kids were asleep, Santa got to work. There were a few toys to put together, but nothing too complicated. I think the house was asleep by 11:00pm. That is always good, because you know how early so Christmas mornings can be!
Lucky for us, it was just after 8am when Ella burst into the bedroom and said, “It’s Christmas!!! Time to get up!!” If we hadn’t stopped her, she probably would have been out the door, into the living room and had all the presents unwrapped before we could put on our slippers! Andrew was still asleep, but once we told him that it was Christmas, he shot up and was ready to go.
They each got a Santa gift. Ella got a balance beam that she can practice on. Andrew got a Paw Patrol Big Wheel!
Andrew got new books, an explorer kit, Bluey toys, and a set of construction vehicles that you can put together and take apart.
Ella got some things for he Gabby’s Dollhouse, a Barbie changing room, Pocahontas pajamas, and a Tiana cookbook.
They had just the right amount of things to open. It wasn’t overly elaborate. There were not hundreds of gifts stuffed under the tree. It was simple and they were happy with everything!
Someone posted this on a Facebook page and I completely agree:
“I understand now. The Christmas magic I experienced as a child wasn’t about the decorations, the food or the gifts. It came from my parents and the effort they put in throughout the year to make the holiday special for me. I’ll always be grateful for that. Now, I have the privilege of sharing that same joy and magic with my own children.”
When everything was opened and the playing commenced, Sam was off to make her homemade cinnamon rolls. I made a pot of coffee, and called my brother. As we sat and enjoyed breakfast, I chuckled as Bitsy, our kitten, looked at the piles of wrapping paper and boxes. She would eventually make the boxes her new toys.
There were plenty of wonderful memories made this year. I will look back on them fondly. I’m already looking forward to next Christmas!
I went through some of my holiday photos this week. This was taken at my maternal grandmother’s house. Quite a few things stand out in this picture to me.
First, the television set! I was once a remote control for one of those, LOL! Man, those things were something. My grandma had one of those card holders that she set on top of it. Directly above that you can see the bottoms of a HUGE wooden fork and spoon that hung on the wall. I have no idea who the gal in front of the TV is.
My mom, my grandparents and SO many people draped garland around fireplaces, photos, window and more. I love how you can see it hanging there. I love the fact that there is a fire in the fireplace!
Dig my dad’s sideburns! Those were the thing in the early 70’s! My brother is holding onto a jeep I do not remember at all. I’m the one with his back to the camera and checkered pants.
I looked at this photo and did not recognize the camper looking thing. I did some digging and found the box online. It was a Weebles Camper! Weebles wobble but the don’t fall down, remember.
We had a lot of Weebles growing up. I remember many of the sets, but not this one. I know we had a treehouse and a boat. This looks pretty cool, as the camper top came off and it turned into a car.
This is one of those instances where I wonder if my folks had saved all of these, if they’d be worth anything today …
Fun stuff! maybe I should put a Weebles trivia question in my company’s holiday game we play each year?
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 