Before the Storm,

This next week will be a big one for us. The Vega Brothers and crew will be here Monday to begin fixing the storm damage to the cottage. Let me sing the praises, once again, of Auto
Owners' Insurance, our agent Steve, and Catastrophe Agent Earl.

While they are at work, we will be heading back to our orchestra of doctors, nurses, technicians, and etc. Mike has been on a chemo vacation for a month or so. This is because the chemo has attacked his blood stream and his numbers were bad bad bad.

The last time he took a brief vacation from treatment, his cancer numbers went up. So our news on Monday will include whether or not he goes back to treatment or continues to strengthen the blood system.  Number numbers numbers.

I will keep you all posted. We covet your prayers as we meet with his doctor and discuss current events.

The week before the storm, we took ourselves a little trip, to Warren Dunes State Park, on Michigan's west coast. We have wanted to go somewhere farther away but travel is a bit tough these days. We get up not knowing whether is will be a good day. Two Tuesdays ago, it was a good day.

Trenton is below the thumb knuckle

I was born and raised in Michigan. Whenever someone tells you that, the next thing is to stick up a mittened hand and point to where he's from. I lived in Trenton: downriver from Detroit. At the bottom of the thumb knuckle. Although it was a pretty good place to live, it was and IS NOT the pretty side of the state.

Our Great Lakes, Erie and Huron, and the Detroit River in between, are brown and muddy. Before the EPA got involved, Erie was so polluted that it caught fire once. And floating on the Detroit River in the summer was like an obstacle course: you never knew what would be floating by.

Could it be Nassau?

Warren Dunes is about 90 miles from us, headed west. Its beach stretches alone Lake Michigan, on the gorgeous side of the state. Really, I could not believe how blue the water was. Plus this day, the sky was cloudless. It was glorious.

Plus, Warren Dunes Park has a dog friendly stretch on the north end. It stretches on and on for miles. So, we brought Ivy and had ourselves a day.

I bet we had one of those cute picnic baskets when we first got married. You know, the ones with all the matching plates and cups, the tablecloth and the wicker. But no more. We grabbed a cooler and tossed in a spontaneous lunch: left-over fried chicken, yogurt, Snapple, a few crackers and some fruit. We had an old throw blanket in the truck so we were set.

Chicken?

Ivy had a good time. We waded in the water and walked on the beach. Beachcombers in Michigan bring back a sock full of rocks, interesting items to pick up as you walk.

Our trip happened before the current HEAT WAVE. (PULLL-EEEEZE, make it stop!!!) so our company was sparse. We eventually remembered ourselves, that we nap a lot, so we lay back and caught some zzzzzzs and some rays.

It was a good day trip, not too long and not any work. And we're glad we worked it in because the next few weeks will be full of news.

Mike has always loved the beach. It wasn't Lauderdale; it was better.