Marion Ten Have's birthday at Clear Bottom Lake

One of the first things Susie and I did when we arrived (this time) in Grand Rapids was to help her mom prep for Aunt Marion's birthday party -- Marian is one of Bernice's younger sisters from the clan Van Halsema.

The plan, which went off without a hitch, was to hold the party at the Clear Bottom Lake cottage; Uncle John was still unable to walk very well so it was thought best to keep everything close by.

Bernice made egg salad, we picked up some Meijer's chicken salad and a bag of Cape Cod chips along with Panera breads and Susie made sweet treats: crackle top eclairs, small, threesome choux puffs filled with raspberry pastry cream. Yeah, that was good, you're absolutely right.

I picked up aunts Fran and Betsy while Susan and her mom shlepped the food to the lake. The food was good to be sure but the company  warm and the conversation of old times and new laid out over the afternoon.

aunts Fran Betsey and Marian

Marian with friend Ruth from Giddings Street

Susie's crackle top eclairs