A Weird Weather Map

If you don't like the weather in Michigan, just wait awhile.  Here is the current map for my area in southeast Michigan.  I am at the '+' in the green.

Blue is snow, pink is ice and green is rain.  Supposed to clear up this afternoon and I can go dig myself out.

My Winter Snowmageddon

It is snowing outside.  So what else is new?  Last year I think I used my snowblower three times all season.  Usually I just shoveled since there was so little accumulation.  Yesterday, I used it three times.  I took this photo this morning before it started snowing again.

It looks like three snowmen sat down to tea and melted.

I just came online and saw this article about more expected snow for Detroit and Chicago.  I am guessing I got around seven inches yesterday.  A neighbor heard that we have already had 42 inches of snow this season.  That's a lot of snow-blowing. 

I have no need to leave my home today, so I may just wait until tomorrow to clean the drive.  The snow-blower will clear up to ten inches of snow.  If I get that much and wait to do it all at once, I will look like the abominable snowman when I am done.  Ah, winter in the Great Lakes region.  Lucky me.

The Sandhill Crane - Part Two

My fascination with the beautiful sandhill crane continues today.  Yesterday I drove back to where I saw the birds on Saturday and they were still there.  When I went around the block to pick up Charlie so he could see them, they must have flown off, because when we got back to the development, they were gone.  I do know that it is time for them to migrate to Florida - typical Michigan snowbird.

I went online to see what I could learn about them and found out that they are believed to be the oldest living species of bird, having existed for 9 million years in their present form.  They can stand up to five feet tall and have a wingspan of six to seven feet.  There is a sanctuary for them here in Michigan with around 9,000 of them in summer.

Here are some of the photos I took yesterday with my camera:

 Sandhill cranes are very wary of humans so I tried to stay in my car.

"You go your way and we'll go ours"

I love a parade

The Aftermath

Michigan just passed a $54.9 BILLION budget.  According to the local paper, they take in $4 million in taxes and fees from fireworks.  Really?  The four million makes a big difference?  Give me a break.

I've gone on and on about this issue and nothing seems to happen to change the situation.  Four houses burned in Highland Park.  A fireworks store on the west side of the state goes up in flames - and sparks I assume.  There is no reporting system statewide for injuries so who knows how many of those occur.  Most folks I know have given up calling the police to complain.

Anyway, I sat up watching the commons area behind me hoping that sparks did not set it on fire.  My son was not so lucky in his neighborhood as young kids, who shouldn't have been using fireworks in the first place, set their commons area on fire and destroyed 5000 square feet of property.

 This is just part of the damage as seen from the car.  Thank the local firefighters for containing the damage to grass and shrubs.  Oh, and there is a gas main under that burned out area so thank goodness there was no leak.

I'll spare you the rest of my rant.

Z: 'Frazz', the Zilwaukee Bridge and Ziibiwing Center

OK, I cheated, but there are two 'Zs' in Frazz.

This is my favorite comic.  It is written by a Michigan artist Jef Mallett.  Jef was born in Lansing but now lives here in Oakland County.

The comic revolves around an elementary school janitor who is dating one of the teachers, is a tri-athlete, writes songs, and is an all around great guy with the kids.  I am especially fond of the little boy, Caulfield, a budding genius.

You can read the comic here.  Check Caulfield out on the April 25 strip.

Since we have two Z's and we had no X place to visit, here are two travel destinations:






The Zilwaukee Bridge in Saginaw was plagued with problems from the get-go and some folks still do not like driving over it.  But, if you are headed up I-75 to get up north from where I am in southeast Michigan, you will likely take the bridge.  I just focus forward when driving as I am not fond of bridges.  This is the view going north.



By Myself (Own work (Own photo)) [CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

If you are in the middle of the state you can head to the Ziibiwing Center in Mt. Pleasant.  I encourage you to check out their website and learn of their history.  The center is rich in history and run by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, the largest employer in Isabella County.  Stay at the resort and casino which is run by the tribes.

If you are interested in more Michigan Indian history, you can check out this info from Pure Michigan.

While I previously mentioned the Michigan Day Trips book by Mike Link, I also want to thank WCMU Public Television in Mt. Pleasant for the show 'Destination Michigan'.  They gave me several ideas for places to mention that I would not have thought of on my own.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip through my library and my state.  Y'all come visit sometime.

Y: Yamasaki and the Yankee Air Museum

Several years ago I set up an endowed scholarship at Wayne State University in the School of Business Administration where I received my MBA.  Since that time I receive a Christmas gift each year from the President of the University.  It is always a book published by the university press.  I always end up wishing for a certain volume and then receiving something else.  This year I got my wish.

While Minoru Yamasaki is best known for designing the World Trade Center, he has many beautiful buildings in Detroit.  The building featured on the cover of the book, 'Yamasaki in Detroit', is the McGregor Center on the campus of Wayne State.

If you would like to see more of his buildings, click here.

The Yankee Air Museum in Belleville is just a short drive from my home.  The museum will eventually re-locate all of its collection to the Willow Run Bomber Plant.  I have fond memories of the old Willow Run Airport.  It is the first airport I ever visited.  In 1953 my aunt and uncle went back to Italy to visit family they had not seen since 1920.  There was a big family send-off at the airport, with everyone waving good-bye as they walked to the plane, something we are unable to do today.

W: Wright, Wilkie's Woman in White, Whitefish Bay

The first career path I ever seriously considered (after five years of voice and wanting to be a singer) was architecture.  In a bold experiment in the 1950's my junior high school hired a teacher and put together an all girls class in drafting.  I loved it.

I thought that this would be an exciting career. Unfortunately, when I discussed it with the instructor, he said it was a difficult career path for women, that firms did not want to hire someone who might get pregnant in the middle of a project and leave.  Hey, I was 12 and certainly not thinking about having babies.

I still love architecture and have been a member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust for many, many years.  I've traveled around the country and seen many Wright-designed  homes.  And I have books.  Lots and lots of books with a few pictured here.





At the start of this challenge I mentioned that I have often loaned out a book and then had to buy it again when it wasn't returned.

I had to do that with Wilkie Collins's 'The Woman in White'.  Published in 1860,  I read the book for the first time one hundred years later.  I absolutely loved it.  It was the first of the 'sensation novels' and his work out-sold his mentor, Charles Dickens, at the time of publication.  During this challenge, I have been re-reading it.  I finished it on Monday. Knowing the twists, but not remembering everything (it has been 56 years), has not made it any less enjoyable than the first time I read it.  And besides, this edition has all sorts of interesting info in appendices that the paperback I used to own did not.



Whitefish Bay National Forest Scenic Byway is in the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula.  If you are visiting Tahquamenon, then you are already here in the right area.  Or it would be part of your drive around Lake Superior.  Seventeen miles northwest of Whitefish Bay is where the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1975.

If you continue on up on Hwy. 123 going north and you are a fan of Steve Hamilton novels, you will arrive in Paradise.  Oh, and there is a lighthouse, too.  Check out the links.

V: 'Velveteen Rabbit' and the Village at Grand Traverse Commons

Yes, I have quite the collection of children's books.  I even have my story book from the 1950's.  'The Velveteen Rabbit' was chosen for the letter 'V' because I had no other work I could use.  Again, it is an illustrated edition which is so important when reading to children.  The book was first published in 1922.    Toys that talk?  Of course!

   

Village at Grand Traverse Commons.  Take an old sanitarium from the 1800's and bring it into the 21st Century and you have the Village.  I have not visited since it has been completed.  When I was last there I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Stella and some shops were open.  If you are staying in Traverse City or the area, it is a must-see.

U: 'Up at the Villa' and the Upper Peninsula

So here is another movie that inspired me to read the book.  And the book is so much better (and not just because I am no fan of Kristin Scott Thomas).

'Up at the Villa' is a 1941 novella by W. Somerset Maugham.  It has a young woman, three men and Italy.  It has been referred to as 'psychological suspense.'  It is short enough that I can easily re-read it in a day or two.

I realized when I sat down to do this post that there are many books on my shelves that take place in Italy, including 'Under the Tuscan Sun', 'A Room with a View', 'Tuscany Past and Present', and 'The Garden of the Finzi-Continis'.  It must be my Italian heritage.

Upper Peninsula:  Yes, I've already mentioned several places to visit in our UP.  But my favorite thing to do is to cross into Canada at the Soo, go around the north shore of Lake Superior, and then head back into Michigan from Wisconsin and travel the southern shore of the lake.  Everyone should do it at least once.  It is a long trip, 1200 miles, but 'Oh the views'.

And here is a lighthouse you can see in Duluth, MN on the trip.

Split Rock Lighthouse

T: Travel and Tahquamenon Falls

I love to travel.  I love taking pictures of the places I have visited.  I also love buying books about the places I have seen.  More recently I've gotten smarter and ordered the books when I got home rather than lugging them in my suitcases.

Like my cookbook collection, I have more books about travel then I can take photos of.   First there are the guidebooks I buy to plan the trip.  And then comes the books about the places I visited.  I am sure my kids will have lots of books to donate when I am gone.

Do you buy books about places you have traveled to?

Tahquamenon Falls State Park  This is by far my favorite state park.  The sad part is that it is easier and quicker for me to get to Niagara Falls than it is to get up north to see this beauty.  I've made two trips to see them.  I highly recommend the experience.

S: Secrets and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

This is a two-fer since I couldn't decide:  'The Secret Garden' (1910) and 'The Secret Life of Bees' (2001).  Both of these books touch a very special place in my heart and in my life.  They both speak to me of the goodness of people.

Now that my back garden is completely enclosed, my kids call it my fortress.  And their old play fort is still standing.  But it is now my 'secret garden'.  I walk through the gates in summer and am in a world of color.

Both of these books have children as central characters.  Their stories and the life-lessons they learn are endearing.  And both books have been made into movies, if reading is not your thing.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore  Another national treasure right here in my home state.  It has been many years since I have visited, but I had a great time when I did.  I was also much younger, lol.  Here is a link to an email I just received from Pure Michigan talking about the dunes.

R: 'Rebecca', Roosevelts, and Rochester Hills

I probably saw the movie 'Rebecca' on the old Bill Kennedy Show.  Most of the old movies I saw were presented by Bill, first on his show from Windsor, Ontario and later when he moved his show to Detroit.

It was many years before I got around to reading the book. By that time I had seen the movie several times.  But in college I started reading books by Daphne du Maurier and found that the book was indeed better than the movie which was the Oscar's Best Picture in 1941.

Mystery, jealousy, intrigue and general spookiness - makes sense that it would be dramatized by Hitchcock.  I do recommend that you read the novel, even if you have seen the movie.  And if you haven't seen the movie - well how is that even possible?  

And as a tie-in, I want to mention another book on my shelves, the Pulitzer Prize-winning 'No Ordinary Time'.  The book is about the Roosevelts during Work War II.  When it comes to strong women, I think Eleanor would have made a fantastic President.

And since I have been mentioning National Parks, I figured I would take the opportunity to give a shout out to Teddy Roosevelt for expanding the parks system in America.







Rochester Hills, Michigan:  You could visit Rochester Hills to visit Oakland University, but the most striking thing on the campus is Meadow Brook Hall, the former home of Matilda Dodge Wilson.  Built in the 1920's it has 110 rooms, 88,000 sq ft.  It is the third largest museum home in America.  I have visited several times for different events, but have never gone on 'just a tour'.  I need to add it to my 'visit' list as it is within just a few miles of my home.

By Wm. Chris Rowland, II (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons


Avard Fairbanks [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

O: Oz and Old Mission Peninsula

My favorite part in the movie 'The Wizard of Oz' is Judy Garland singing the song 'Over the Rainbow'.  I am not a huge fan of the movie itself, though I do own the DVD.  To tell the truth, when I saw this movie as a child, those monkeys scared the bejeezus out of me.

I do however own this illustrated edition of the book.  As a matter of fact, I have several books illustrated by Michael Hague.

I love these childrens' books just because they are so beautifully illustrated.  Pictures aren't just for kids (which is why I own that illustrated Lord of the Rings).

I have never read any of the other Oz books. How about you?

Old Mission Peninsula:  April is 'wine month' In Michigan and there are seven wonderful wineries on the peninsula.  But even if you are not a wino, the drive is gorgeous.  You can stay in Traverse City and make a day-trip around the peninsula, stop and have a meal at one of the fine restaurants or visit quaint shops.  This brings me to another book on my shelf which is great for Michigan wine enthusiasts.

While visiting Old Mission you will also want to head over to the Leelanau Peninsula where you can visit the winery run by Madonna's parents, Ciccone Winery, among many others.  Here is the link to the Michigan Wine Country magazine.

N: Narnia and National Cherry Festival

I own the complete Chronicles of Narnia, but I also have an illustrated version of the first book which I bought when my children were young.  I am not a religious person, but I find the allegory quite fascinating.  The story behind the writing of the novels is even more intriguing.  

C.S. Lewis was a Christian who became an atheist at 15 and later returned to Christianity as a result of his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien.  He started writing the stories in 1939 when he took in three children evacuated from London at the start of World War II.  After the war the books were published and have become classics.  Here is the trailer for the 2005 movie.

National Cherry Festival, Traverse City
I have made many trips to Traverse City, but I have never gone to the National Cherry Festival.  If you are interested in going when the festival is not happening, like in the fall, I highly recommend planning a trip to visit the various wineries.  I've used the city as my base of operations for day-long trips out on the peninsulas.

The letter N is another opportunity to remind you of the 100th Anniversary of the National Parks Service, preserving Nature for all of us to enjoy.

M: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; Mackinac Island and Bridge, Michigan

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a non-fiction account of a murder in Savannah, Georgia.  The 1994 book is fascinating.  The 1997 movie inspired me to vacation in Savannah (for the scenery).  And the movie soundtrack is all Johnny Mercer and fabulous.

I recommend buying the soundtrack and reading the book versus seeing the movie, unless you are inclined to do both, as I did.  The house pictured above is Mercer House which is featured in the novel.

Mackinac Island, Michigan
No cars allowed.  Drive north for the better part of a day, park your car and take the ferry to the island.  If you are adventurous, you can bike all the way around.  I did that on my honeymoon.  Or you can ride in a horse drawn carriage.  Eat fudge - required.  Relax on the front porch of the Grand Hotel (if you are not staying there, you can sit for a fee).   And when you return to the mainland you can hop in your car and drive across the Mackinac Bridge.  Just be aware that it sometimes closes in bad weather.  I know, having been stranded once in the UP while we waited for the winds to die down.

By Dehk (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

L: 'Lord of the Rings' and Lighthouses

                                                          Alan Lee illustration from the 1991 edition

It's Tolkien.  What else can I say.  Some of you may remember that my bonus post last year was a reference to a Tolkien place or character with an accompanying video.  

Wonderful stories with new places, a history, new cultures, new languages...what kind of genius does it take to make all this up?  If the world were destroyed and these books survived, would a future generation thousands of years from now think it was really their past?

I kinda wish I still had my paperback editions of 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' so I would not mar the pages of the beautiful editions I now own. Oh well.  There is always the local library if I want to re-read them - again - if I live long enough to read everything on the TBR list.  I do want to re-read 'The Silmarillion', which I think I have only read once.

Have you read 'The Lord of the Rings'?  Or 'The Hobbit'?  Do you have books that you re-read? More than once?  (I knew an attorney who read 'The Lord of the Rings' every few years.)

Lighthouses abound in Michigan, more than in any other state.  I have great pictures of lighthouses I have visited, but no pictures from those in Michigan - at least not on the computer.  Go figure.  If you are travelling along the Great Lakes, you are very likely to spot them.  

K: Katharine Graham and Kalamazoo, Michigan

When I was a volunteer at the library's used book store, I used to joke that I was always my best customer.  This is another one of those books that I purchased used.

I am not sure what made me take it off the biography shelf, other than that I enjoy reading biographies.  I certainly was not all that familiar with Katharine Graham (1917 - 2001) before I read the book.  I enjoyed it very much, enough that I decided to keep it in the bookcase.  Maybe it is because I really admire strong women.

Born into a family of means, she eventually became the publisher of the Washington Post (1963), which had been purchased in 1933 by her father.  How she got to the top is a fascinating story.

Kalamazoo, Michigan
The attraction for me in Kalamazoo is the art museum.  Several years ago they had a wonderful exhibition of Chihuly glass.  If you are in the Seattle area, consider yourself lucky enough to be able to see his glass garden there.

Architecture lovers may want to try and get a glimpse of Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes in Parkwyn Village.

Kalamazoo also has a castle: Henderson Castle was established in 1895.  At one time it was to be the home of the Art Center, but that did not come to pass.  The home is open to the public.

For those of you more familiar with the Big Band sound, you might remember this:

J: Julia, James, Jeff, Jacques, and Jackson, Michigan

I have lots of cookbooks.  Lots and lots.  Many more than I can photograph and put on my blog.

Bread, pasta, chocolate, desserts... All the things I love about food. So, for the letter 'J', I have chosen to highlight my recipe books: Julia Child, Jeff Smith, James Beard, Jacques Pepin - and everyone else for that matter.

I have both of Julia's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'.  My volume two is a first edition picked up used at the local library bookstore.  Honest?  I am not sure if I have ever made any of her recipes, but I'm not done cooking yet.

Jeff Smith was TV's Frugal Gourmet.  One of my books highlights Italian food and I have made many recipes from it, especially a wonderful cheesy polenta.

I still watch Jacques on TV every night.  He is like the energizer bunny of chefs.  I love watching him cook with his grand-daughter.  Just this Easter I made his Camembert with pistachios which was much easier than the baked brie that I usually make.

I would be remiss if I did not mention two other chefs who taught me a lot of what I know in the kitchen - Certified Master Chef Jeff Gabriel and Certified Master Pastry Chef Joseph Decker.  I have several notebooks from their classes and many of the recipes I share online have been adapted from their teachings.

I have been testing recipes for America's Test Kitchen for many years.  The best recipe I ever tested was Chocolate Espresso Dacquoise.  Just this week I started receiving food from Blue Apron and will post about it in the future.  

Do you love to cook?  Do you collect cookbooks?

Jackson, Michigan
Anyone who has visited San Francisco is likely to have ventured out to Alcatraz for a tour.  I know I did.  But has anyone in Michigan ever thought to visit Jackson Prison?  Not me.  Jackson was once the largest prison facility in the states.  Now, anyone can visit Cell Block 7, now empty but which once held over 500 prisoners.  Meanwhile, all around you are other inmates in the other cell blocks. 

H: 'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet' and Holland, Michigan

I do not remember how I first heard about this book. Perhaps it was in our local library's newsletter. However it happened, I was volunteering in the library's used book store and I saw the book on the shelf.  I purchased it and am so glad I did.

 'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet' is a work of historical fiction.  It is a story of two young people during World War II.   The hotel is the Panama Hotel in Seattle, now a National Historic Landmark.  I thoroughly enjoyed the touching story and recommend the book.

And for those wondering if I have Harry Potter books, 'Yup, every one.'  Desperate to read the second book, I purchased it while in Australia.

Holland Tulip Festival, Holland, Michigan

While I have seen the tulips in Holland - the Netherlands- from the air, this year I will actually spend time in Amsterdam seeing them up close and personal.  But back in 1973, my husband and I went to Holland, Michigan for the tulip festival.  We ordered lots of bulbs.  We planted them in the fall.  And the following spring we had - NADA.  Animals had dug them up over the winter and eaten all of them.  You still have time this year to make the festival in early May.  

While visiting Windmill Island Gardens, be sure to check out the windmills imported from the Netherlands.  Holland stopped the practice of exporting windmills many years ago and the park is very proud of what they have.

G: 'Gone with the Wind' and Grand Rapids, Michigan

What can I say?  I've seen the movie a gazillion times.  My parents took me when I was young, then I went on my own, I owned it on tape and now on DVD.  Who hasn't seen it?

The book is wonderful.  This is a very well-worn paperback copy.

My mother had a copy of the novel that was issued in 1940 with pictures from the movie itself .  I always asked her if I could have it, but she refused.  (She was not a nice person).  I have no idea what happened to it.

I think I am one of the few folks who admired Scarlet - not the 'I want Ashley' Scarlet (he was such a wimp, IMO) but the 'I will do whatever I have to do to survive - without needing a man to help me do it.'    You go girl -(though why oh why did you let Rhett slip away???)

Grand Rapids, Michigan
Three attractions to see here.  First, The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.  See the Oval Office and a conference room.  There is a display of events in Ford's life and as I recall, his mother kept everything.  I was impressed.  I saw a special exhibit there of gifts to various Presidents from foreign leaders.  Quite the display.

For those who are architecture buffs, you can tour the Frank Lloyd Wright Meyer May House.

And if you like sculpture, visit Meijer Gardens.  Art, butterflies, exhibits.  Check out this beauty: