Flood Day 2014

In times of crisis, the connection&bond with a place can strengthen.

This past Monday, Metro Detroit found itself under water.

4 hours of rainfall flooded freeways&home.

I watched people standing at the edge of flooded areas helping people out of their submerged cars and directing traffic. My neighbors were out giving each other fans and shop-vacs and assisting in emptying flooded basements. Though the circumstances were dire - the reactions were beautiful.

I lucked out with only about 4" of standing water that drained quickly once the rain stopped. Other's got it much worse. Some cars were still under water on Wednesday afternoon and many portions of the highways were still blocked off.

It's felt like a bit of post-apocalyptic world this week - driving around on flooded&empty streets lined with home-goods-turned-garbage due to flooding.

Despite the disaster, Mr.U&I simply enjoyed a Tuesday off to catch up on sleep&cleaning and, obviously, snuggling&playing with Fiona. We couldn't find a route to get both of us to our offices anyway.

Closures due to flooding

Closet Complete

I was determined to turn my master bedroom closet into an awesome storage space

and it's finally complete&dreamy.

I added lots of shelving&bars to make everything easily accessible and neat.

Obviously, I love.love.love it!

GrillHouse&Peg

Peg&I had a dinner date on the patio at the Grill House.

I love it out there - the furniture is so bright&eclectic

and the view is so sprawling of the countryside I grew up in.

We each enjoyed salad&beer in our covered gliding table

while watching the sunset and listening to live music and catching up.

Definitely an excellent late summer night with an amazing old friend in a beautiful place.

Yahtzee In Bed

Joe&I have been having lots of "Us Time" lately.

With Jan's illness, we tend to stay out of her way

and quietly relax in our little attic home.

Last night we put on a movie

and played Yahtzee in bed.

Just the two of us.

Lately, through all the stress of current life

our moments alone are all I need.

I Don't Get It

...this is the type of sh*t I live with...

...and it drives me fu*king crazy...

Eclectic Couch

I acquired bunni's couch after her passing

though the cushion for the pull-out got thrown away

by an obnoxious sorority sister

the couch is still a staple of my current bedroom

(complete with new mattress)

and I've been working to recover parts of it

to make it fit my decorating style a little better.

I found fabric in scrap bin at the craft store

to keep my costs at a minimum

and the eclecticness maximized.

I can't wait to have my own living room

to showcase it in.

HouseHunting

...we found one we love

and made an offer.

Voting

I’ll be incredibly happy when the election is over. These political ads are driving me absolutely nuts. I’ve had to banish Mr.U to the basement so I don’t have to watch his endless hours of MSNBC. But – even though I am sick&tired of hearing about it – I did most definitely cast my votes (however pointless they may have been). And it was not – by any stretch of the imagination – a simple task to accomplish. In order to receive my absentee ballot, I had to print&fill out a form then fax it to my mother who had to sign&deliver it to the clerk at my county courthouse. Had I not had her help, I’d have mailed it. I received my ballot in the mail about a week later. In the envelope inside the envelope was a secret ballot envelope and 2 pages of instructions. I’m not exaggerating … it took me about 2 hours to read&complete my ballot. But it was worth it. I may think politics are completely obnoxious and I’d rather tune everyone and their opinions out all the time, but I do think voting is a duty anyone who is able should complete.

 Let’s see if any of my people won and how those damn proposals turn out.

FriendshipFrustration

I've complained about this friend before.

We grew up together.
She always had everything...
the must-have toys
the most expensive clothes
the affection of everyone.
She went to an expensive university
(that I'd introduced her to)
- on her parents dime -
met a tall-dark-handsome man in a coffee shop
who married her within a year
(in a wedding I was left out of for other high school friends)
and worships the ground her tiny body walks on.
She immediately got her dream job after graduation
and got pregnant with their first child
whose development was captured
on the professional grade camera
she's got for her 'photography business.'
Now that he's arrived
I get to hear comments about how 'huge' her 5'1" 100lb body is post-pregnancy.
Since I was moving across the state on her baby shower weekend
(and was only invited via facebook message)
I figured a small gift this weekend would be sweet
since she'd informed me her little family would be in our home town
and she expected a visit.
Mr.U&I planned to unnecessarily spend the night in town to see them,
but at 6am, I got the texts that she
"hadn't slept enough and wouldn't be good company,"
so we'd have to raincheck till the holidays.

I was hurt.
She's made a lot of hurtful&neglectful gestures over the years
and this was the icing on the cake.
I've gone out if my way one too many times without reciprocation
and I don't know why I allow myself to keep hoping after all the letdowns.
So the Lions socks we planned to give baby will go to Mr.U's new cousin
and I'll see my childhood friend & her family when she makes a little effort.

Construction Birthday

This weekend was my nephews 2nd Birthday. I can’t believe it’s been a year since his last party … I mean, I know mathematically it makes sense, but time just seems to be flying by. Last year was Barn Yard themed and this year, my cute&creative sister-in-law went for a Construction theme. Starting with the yellow&black invitation we got in the mail, I knew she’d put together a wonderful, Iittle party.
Hopping out of the car, we were greeted by CashMonster and some cautionary construction signs on the front door of the house. Inside, the island was set with an invitation to “Dig In” to
Nuts&Bolts chex mix
the Sandwich Construction Station with deli meats&rolls&spreads
and “Screw Mac&Cheese” with fun noodles.
The cake was a Construction Site masterpiece topped with heavy machinery and edible rocks (some of which had very unexpectedly interesting flavors).
My little nephew wasn’t so fond of sitting still to open gifts – but he gave it his best effort and excitedly appreciated all his new toys&clothes&books. He also (and obviously) had no trouble hamming it up for his audience either – bursting into cheesy laughter and showing off his little belly while all eyes were on him. At one point he got upset when some of his new gifts were moved to make room for more presents and my brother thoroughly impressed me with his ticktacks to stop the crying …allowing him to sit on his lap and examine himself in the flipped screen of the video camera.

One things for sure: that little 2-year-old loves his mommy&daddy, never wanting to lose sight of them in the crowd of guests all there to love&spoil him. And it’s a great sight to see an adorable little family growing up so beautifully - and him getting so smart&entertaining.
I am – hands down – the luckiest aunt in the world.

Random Favorites

 "Bunni" Froyo in Florida

 Organic Soup with Bunni's Dad

 Bunni's Dad's Favorite Store

 Pennies for a Rainy Day

 Homemade Throw Pillows

 Spring Foliage

 Punch Top Beer Cans

 Campus Martius in the Summer

Gma&Gpa's Outdoor Furniture

 Old Gas Pump "Back Home"



Candy&Costumes

This year was the first Halloween in a neighborhood with trick-or-treaters and I was overly excited to hand out candy all night. Mr.U stopped the night before and bought bags of goodies for the evening and I figured out a quick costume to wear for the kids to enjoy. I paced around the living room when 6pm rolled around.

– porch light on, front door open, bowl full of snickers&peanutM&Ms –

I didn’t realize how much I miss chit-chatting with children (like I got to do every day in Disney World) until the little mosters&fairies showed up with their pillowcases&buckets. I crowed down on the porch in my Minnie Mouse costume (complete with ears&slippers) and complimented all of their precious outfits.

I spotted a tiny zebra a few houses down and squeaked up the stairs to Mr.U in excitement of how adorable they all were. And a little toddler dressed as a monkey was too shy to say “thank you” but sneakily blew me a kiss as his mom carried him off.

It was such a fun&exciting evening ...and so different from drunken, scantily-clad Halloweens of the previous years. And, since I was never a trick-or-treater as a child, it was a great experience to finally have (even if it was from the other side of the doorstep.)

Matching Couches

I found two couches that match two of the couches at my grandparents’ in the same frat house. I wanted to steal them. The couches at grandma&grandpa’s have been my bed so many times. Funny, the comfort you find in a simple resting place like a couch.

(Or, davenport, as my great-grandma used to call them.)

Midnight Engagement

One of Mr.U’s best friends from childhood got engaged this weekend, so we all headed to their house Saturday night to celebrate the good news. He confessed that he’d planned to pop the question on her birthday in November or during the December holiday season, but he just couldn’t wait to propose, so he asked when she got home a late-night shift at the hospital.

 

Shocked and still in her scrubs, she – of course – said “yes” and we all drank lots of champagne with the happy couple and their families. The boys got all of us giggling with their kitchen serenades and the girls all gushed over the Bride-To-Be’s beautiful ring.
And we’re all anxiously awaiting for the date to be set.

Wedding Food

My dad loves to cook.

And he’s excellent at it.

But he tends to cook more for small gatherings – holidays, church gatherings, etc – not largely attended wedding receptions. For the girl who almost seems to have taken my place (my somehow distant cousin), though, he decided to cater all the food for her 300+ buffet-style wedding reception.

 When he asked me a few months ago if I’d be willing to come to town and help him serve, I quickly said ‘yes’ assuming I’d merely be scooping potatoes or filling drinks. When Saturday morning started bright&early at 9am with a trip to two different stores with dad prior to food prep at the church, though, I quickly realized this simple-serving was going to be much more of a task. And when the help he’d expected in the kitchen never arrived, a family friend alongside my aunt and myself found ourselves frantically cooking while dad did his duties as Master of Ceremonies. After a stove-top fire, a solid 15 minutes running around through the darkness of the power outage, and quite a few spills&mishaps, we got all the food in the buffet line and started serving.
 – Garlic Crusted Pork – Chicken Marcella – Green Beans – Seasoned RedSkin Potatoes – Rolls – Fruit Kabobs –

Everyone loved it, of course – like I said: my dad is an excellent cook. But the stress leading up to the event was pretty intense and the fear on my dad’s face when he caught glimpses of the mayhem in the kitchen broke my heart. All I wanted to do was make sure all his hard work&preparation didn’t go to waste and – in the end – I’m positive it didn’t. And – after the ceremony – lots of people were willing to help clean up in the kitchen. By then, I think my mom&dad were in a sleepless haze, but I was awkwardly aware of how helpful ‘church people’ are willing to be over people at weddings in outside venues.

I guess the sense of family&community is really cute&heartwarming, but potentially nothing I’ll encounter personally.

Home Office

I’ve been using my “home office” more often lately. I set it up one night when Mr.U&I were talking about his last master’s class and how he’d need to be on the computer all fall. Where the desk had previously sat was pretty inconvenient as a workspace, so I rearranged all the furniture.

He’s never once sat at it.

I – on the other hand – have been sitting there a lot lately. Scrolling through old pictures&poems, writing&journaling, and playing all the old playlists I’ve been neglecting on my computer. The desk was his grandmother’s and most of the trinkets on it are items I’ve collected through my years, so it feels historical&fun to sit there.

I like it.

Country Roads

I love the country roads and rustic landscapes of the area I grew up in.
The weather was perfect for all my drives this past weekend.
.Windows Down on Sunny Days..Curvy Roads on Farmland..My Heart on a Map.

Quaint Downtown

The hair salon I went to this weekend was in one of the towns that neighbors the one I grew up in.
Cobble Stone Streets

Substantial Brick Buildings

The whole area just feels like a time warp into a quaint, historic area.

I couldn’t help but snap some pictures of the little details that made me smile.

Lights&Skies

Even with all of the city lights&traffic obstructing&clouding the sky
–
I still enjoy our SuburbanSunsets.