The Absinthe Drinkers by Jean Béraud

She's asking herself, Why did he have to go and ask me about the future of American democracy? 

The Absinthe Drinkers, 1908, by Jean Béraud, 1849-1935).

 

Florence Sittenham Davey by George Bellows

Florence Sittenham Davey. Or, if you prefer, Mrs. Randall Davey, the Junior League approach to identifying women, c. 1914, by George Bellows (1882-1925). 

Note the grip her right hand has on the arm of the chair. Tense, maybe?

 

Melissa and a friend visit Michigan, a fish boil in Shelby, and our travel update

The past several weeks has seen an uptick in activity for us here in West Michigan. Earlier in June our niece Melissa flew in from Alaska for a short visit to see her dad in Muskegon and her grandmother, my mother-in-law, who is at Pilgrim Manor. She rendezvoused with her friend Nikki from New York — the two originally planned to meet up last year for Mel’s graduation but it never happened — and they spent a couple of nights in Muskegon with her dad and stepmom.

On Saturday June 12 Susie and I drove gram up to Muskegon for Melissa’s birthday party and after a lightning round of the Bernice game , the five of us drove back to Grand Rapids. The girls had an early flight out the next day so they opted to stay with us so I could do the airport transport.

That evening I prepared sloppy Joe’s and the five of us spent the little time we had together pretty much laughing the entire time. A welcome respite from the past year with little to laugh about. It was a most welcome visit for us to be sure.

And speaking of visits, the other evening we hosted dinner at our home for Bernice and we were joined by Steve Schaap and his son Ben, our nephew. It had been more than a year since they had seen Ben’s grandmother so it was another welcome visit, especially for Bern. And to top it off we had hamburgers on the grill with homemade buns by the French Tarte!

And speaking of family, we had the great and good fortune to spend some quality time with that other Melissa, Susan’s cousin Melissa Loaney from Missouri. We caught up with her, husband Jeff and daughter Megan out at Clear Lake where we wormed our way into a delicious dinner prepared by Melissa’s sister Jen and her husband Scottie G.

The other big event for us involved a drive up north to just west of Shelby, in Oceana County (a county that is in fact not on the ocean but on Lake Michigan) to Cherry Point Farm for an old-time fish boil. Lest you think this is not terribly appetizing, I’m here to set you straight. As you can see by the photos to follow, you begin with a large cast iron pot over a serious wood fire, once it comes to a boil you add a basket of whole potatoes (little reds) and whole peeled onions. After a short while you then add, well they added, some six pounds of salt and lastly a basket of Lake Superior Whitefish fillets. The salt reportedly pulls the oil out of the fish rendering “fishy-nessless.”

The event involved some 50 or so people altogether and we were part of a group of 16, Susie’s friends from high school and college days. Everybody brought their own beverages, table service and the like. Besides the fish and veggies the farm provided cole slaw, bread, and dessert as well as coffee. Since you’re dying to know, yes the fish tasted quite good — but then it’s hard to go wrong with Lake Superior Whitefish. A good time was had by all and we were on the road home well before dark. 

As a side note: we were just short of the Whitehall exit off US 131 when my low tire light came on. I pulled off the highway and a block from the exit was a Wesco gas station where they had an air hose and it was free! FREE!! I thought those days were long gone but not in the greater Whitehall area. We were back on the road in no time at all.

In other news, we expect Dick and Dorothy back here this Tuesday. Dick’s 50th high school school reunion is later in the week and we’ll arrange for Bern to be here for dinner at least three nights.

Lastly, a travel update. 

We holding off on going to Europe this year and instead will head up to the wilds (and I means wilds) of the Michigan Upper Peninsula. (Just so you know, we live in the lower peninsula, which, unlike the Upper is never spelled in upper case letters.) We had already arranged to meet up with her old friends in mid-September for her 50th high school reunion (postponed from last year) and so we thought, hey we’re already up near Ludington, after the reunion let’s take the ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin and meander our way to the UP. So, after a night in Sturgeon Bay, WI, we head to Munising, MI for a couple of nights. Our focus will be getting a boat cruise on Lake Superior to see the Pictured Rocks. 

From Munising we head east to Newberry for two nights and hope to take the Toonerville Trolley and riverboat out of Soo Junction to see Tahquamenon Falls from the river; the next day we plan to drive to the falls and see it from above.  

Before we leave we also hope to get to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. We’ll then head south, over the Mackinac Bridge and stopping for the night in Gaylord, for no particularly good reason other than to say we did. And then it’s back to Grand Rapids.

Bernice game players

Gram and Melissa at work on the Bernice game

Nikki, Melissa and Gram

Clear Bottom Lake, a place of peace and quiet

visiting Bern in her apartment for the first time in over a year

Mary Beth and Angie, defining how they see life in general

Dave and Jane

our group

we moved indoors to avoid the coming storm

Claire, Jen and Megan at Clear Bottom Lake

The Young Girl by Margaret Sarah Carpenter

The Young Girl wished she knew what her future was going to be: Would she marry, would she have children, would she die young? Would she always be pretty? And would she ever stop wondering? 

1839 by Margaret Sarah Carpenter.

Jeanne Samary by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

Jeanne Samary (1857-1890), French actress and sometime model for Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

 

Potato Harvesters by Elin Danielson-Gambogi

God, I do love potatoes! Thanks to the Potato Harvesters by Elin Danielson-Gambogi

 

Self-portrait by Marie-Gabrielle Capet

This was how she once saw herself. Later in life she often wondered how others saw her. 

Self-portrait, 1783, by Marie-Gabrielle Capet.

Ballet Dressing Room, Snowflakes, by Zinaida Serebryakova

Are you supposed to be in the Ballet Dressing Room? And I know what you're thinking, but no two Snowflakes are alike. 1923 by Zinaida Serebryakova (that's her on the left looking at you)

 

Dans le Bleu by Amelie Beaury-Saurel

After looking at the news this morning I'm feeling Dans le Bleu.

1894, by Amelie Beaury-Saurel.

 

Flaming June by Frederick Leighton

Morning in West Michigan and my mind is on Flaming June - by Frederick Leighton

 

New neighbors, vaccinations, care homes, upcoming trips and remembering absent loved ones

This first week of June finds much of the world still in turmoil from a global health crisis. While those of us in West Michigan have fared better than many, there has been little cause for celebration. And just when we thought the bad news, political, social or otherwise, would not cease we woke up the other day to find new neighbors have moved into our little corner of the planet. 

On my own and with no approval from anyone else, I've decided to call our pair of Sandhill cranes Bob and Carol. What they call each other is unknown. Whether Ted and Alice will make an appearance remains uncertain. 

Anyway, they've been hanging around feeding for the past several days. The belief shared by most of their neighbors is they have built a nest in a nearby tree line.

In other news, Susie and I are now fully vaccinated and the wearing of masks in most venues is now optional for those of us who've had "the jab." Susie's mom is doing fine in her care home. Located about 2 miles from us, we've been locked out from visiting inside for more than 14 months now but word is that will change soon. The home had one staff member test positive recently, and we had to put off planned inside visits. We anticipate they will likely begin next week (barring any new positives of course). 

The good news is we've been able to take my mother-in-law outside. She's been over for dinner several times and we actually took her to visit family members buried at Woodlawn and Plainfield Township cemeteries, followed by  a family get together at nearby Clear Bottom Lake for Memorial Day.

It's been over a year-and-a-half since we traveled overseas. In fact, our one and only trip since the onset of the pandemic was to Mackinac Island for a few days. We had planned a trip to the Grand Canyon last year but had to cancel for obvious reasons.  

Anyway, the hope now is that we will be able to give a Grand Canyon visit one more chance this year, probably in early November. As for Europe, we're now talking about a sojourn of two or three months beginning in April of 2022, but haven't got to any serious planning yet. Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, Netherlands and ending in Paris is what we're tossing around right now all via rail with short-stay apartments. Stay tuned!

John VandenBerg and his wife Marian and Tunis Vandenberg (far) in Woodlawn

Marian and John Ten Have in Plainfield Cemetery

Oh, and speaking of cemeteries. . . 

La Douleur/Grief by Marcel Grouillet, division 2, Pére-Lachaise Cemetery

After Breakfast by Elin Danielson-Gambogi

Thinking about what to do After Breakfast, by Elin Danielson-Gambogi.

 

Towards Now by Louise Camille Fenne

She thought to herself: "It's either keep the birds or the ribbons. Having both is going to drive me crazy. And today I don't have far to go." Towards Now by Louise Camille Fenne.

 

Lady with a Bowl of Violets by Lilla Cabot Perry

Like the Lady with a Bowl of Violets, I find my mind wandering while wondering if we are nearing the end of this grand American experiment. 

1910 by Lilla Cabot Perry.

 

Caroline Rémy, Madame Sérerine by Amélie Beaury-Saurel

This morning I'm thinking about what Caroline Rémy madame Sérerine, is thinking. . . and what's with her right hand balled up like that? 

1893 by Amélie Beaury-Saurel.

 

Sarah Bernhardt by Georges Clairin

Today I'm thinking about Sarah Bernhardt and wondering what she would have to say about our world today. . . 1876 by Georges Clairin

 

Elizabeth Jane Gardner madame Bouguereau by William Adolphe Bouguereau

Elizabeth Jane sat there looking at me all the while thinking "Oh, if you only knew what I know" and then gave me that every so slight smirk of hers. 

Elizabeth Jane Gardner madame Bouguereau, 1879, by William Adolphe Bouguereau.

 

Lunch in the Field by Charles Sprague Pearce

Inspired by an image sent to me by an old friend from Rhode Island who recently visited the MFA in Boston, I found myself wanting to sit for a spell and enjoy Lunch in the Field with these three. . . 

Lunch Break in the Fields by Charles Sprague Pearce.