September so far has been a month of returning.
Gene had his first return to a driving range at a golf course on the first day of the month. For those of you who are not aware, Gene loves golf. He was even chosen for and played on the Marines’ golf team. So we found a golf course within driving distance from our home here outside Chicago and he enjoyed hitting a few golf balls and discovering he still “has it,†as he said. I don’t know much about golf but he looked pretty good to me, too, as the balls went sailing high, landing way out in the grass…..
We’re hoping to find a used set of golf clubs for him so that, next spring, he can get out on a course. He says he’ll need me to help him keep track of the ball because of his limited eyesight. As long as I can ride in a golf cart instead of walk the course, I’ll be ok.
On September 5th, our car loaded up with supplies and our Scottie, Pippen (yeah, I know, but he’s a Chicago dog, after all), and our bird, Iri, on our way up north to Gene’s Upper Michigan home, better known here on Boomer as the Penthouse Cabin, we returned to Ann Arbor, Michigan for Gene’s six month cancer check-up at the VA hospital on the 6th and to have them take a look at his bad shoulder. We are so thankful that his blood showed no signs of his cancer returning. By next January he will have beat the 5 year 50% survival rate for his type of cancer (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma). God is so good! After an ultrasound on his shoulder he was told the ligaments there are almost completely torn away. They require he do some physical therapy before they will consider surgery, so we hope to set that up here at the Hines VA Hospital outside Chicago. Go figure how any further movement of that shoulder will reattach ligaments, but that’s the process at the VA.
Gene’s parents live in the Detroit area and it was great returning to Westland to see them again, especially his dad after his below-the-knee leg amputation this last July. He’s looking good. He’ll be having another procedure on his “good†leg this coming Friday which, hopefully, will restore the almost non-existent circulation to that leg to avoid another amputation.
Here’s a photo of Mom and Dad Plankey from our last trip to Westland this past May…
Please pray for George Plankey if you think of us. I also met Gene’s brother Jim this time around. He’s a great guy and I now see that a sense of humor runs in the family.
I left Gene with his family and drove across the Ambassador Bridge, returning to Windsor, Canada for another visit with my dear friend, Lou-Ann (Annies_Angels here on Boomer), who is recovering from surgery. Oh, boy, what a time I had at the border. I have a passport somewhere here in the house but I haven’t been able to find it (nor my birth certificate) for some time now, so the only document I carried was my driver’s license. Then there was the car packed to the hilt with boxes, pets, etc. for the next leg of our trip, going up north to the U.P. to Gene’s cabin on the lake and me saying I’m only going into Canada for the weekend. *sigh* “Why didn’t you leave all this in the States then?†the border patrol guy asked. “Any firearms, felonies, alcohol, box cutters?†Box cutters???? Did he think I was going to hijack the highway?? After diverting me off to the side to customs where I answered a few more questions, I was allowed to continue into Canada, thank goodness!
I had a great few days with Lou-Ann, staying longer than I expected while Gene took care of family business back in Michigan. We spent most of our time talking over coffee, letting dogs in and out, etc. as she mostly tried to keep her feet up and rest, as we sat outside on the deck or the porch. A couple of beautiful light purple flowering hibiscus plants grow just outside the front porch railing. I just had to get a photo and hope to maybe get some seeds or a cutting next time I visit to plant in my yard here at home.
Moose, Lou-Ann’s little dog and my dog Pippen get along famously, even sharing each others’ food, though I think little Moose came out on the short end there as Pippen scarfed up any food within his reach.
Here they are, posing for my camera…
And here they are relaxing on Lou-Ann’s front porch. Pippen likes to keep watch with his nose resting between the railings, so I only got a “butt†shot of him in this one…
Speaking of Lou-Ann’s porch and deck, too, for that matter, sitting outside is where we spent most of our time because…both she and I have decided, if we can’t yet give up smoking, at least we aren’t going to smoke in the house any longer (you can express your sympathies to Gene, as he has been more than cooperative with this new turn of events in our home). Balmy evenings sitting on the deck aren’t so bad. We’ll see how our resolve holds out when there’s snow!
Lou-Ann’s mom called one evening to invite us for a light dinner at the casino in Windsor across the road from the Detroit River. It’s surely a beautiful structure, inside and out. Here are a couple of photos of the fountains out front….
And here are Lou-Ann and myself just outside the casino doors…
I told you it isn’t easy to keep her down! LOL She’s looking great.
On the 13th, I drove back across the bridge to the U.S.A. Once again I had only my driver’s license as proof I even belonged inside the U.S. border. “How can you prove to me you’re a U.S. citizen?†the border patrol guy asked. *sigh* I thought to myself, “Hm, I could sing “The Star-Spangled Bannerâ€Â, but decided not to suggest that. After a discussion on the new requirements for entry into the United States which, he admitted, still did not require me to show a passport or birth certificate, at least not until next January, he reluctantly said, “Unfortunately, I believe you’re a citizen, so go ahead.†*sigh* Made it once again.
I met Gene at his brother’s home where his parents are now living and we all went out to a late breakfast before we hit the road again. After his longer than expected stay with his family, and with funds diminished, Gene decided we’d best forego our trip up north for now and just return to Chicago. So all my packing became a dry run for next time. LOL
Returning to Chicago, we made a couple planned stops and one not planned. First, on the 13th, we drove from Westland to Clio, Michigan to visit Jerry and Cheryl Ware, a couple who are good friends of Gene’s since they bought a lot with a beautiful big log cabin a few spaces down the lakeshore from him on Island Lake. You may remember Mark in his canoe from one of my summer blog photos. Jerry and Cheryl are his parents. The shower at their place was also my salvation when it had been way too long since I’d seen running water while at the Penthouse cabin. Jerry is the man who donated a month of his life and his expertise in May of 2002 to build Gene’s cabin. I hope some day he will donate a bit more time to put in the well for running water…AND a toilet! We’ll have to save up for that.
What a great pair these friends of Gene’s are! They welcomed us warmly into their home for the night, provided a great pizza dinner and a hearty breakfast to send us on our way in the morning along with great conversation. Here’s a photo of the two of them, Jerry in his favorite chair…
I love that lamp!
Along with two birding dogs, the Wares have a cat named Molly. Here’s Molly lolling on the carpet. I swear she relaxes just like Pippen does (remember Pippen’s photo on the colorful striped sarape on the futon at the cabin this summer?), legs spread, and front paws curled up. LOL
On September 14th, last Friday, we left Clio and drove to meet Tom, our Admin here on Boomer, at his home out in the country in Howell, Michigan. We had a good talk and enjoyed meeting him. He lives in a very nice yet modest home overlooking a short ravine with a fishing pond below. What I liked best was the toilet. Odd, huh? Well, it was one of those with the box high on the wall that holds the flushing water, with a long chain one pulls to activate it. My grandma here in Chicago had one just like that in her basement. Brought back memories…
Well, that was the end of our planned stops, but Gene had one more he wanted to make. When I was a little girl, my grandmother lived by Gull Lake in Michigan not too far from Battle Creek. Many a summer, while my mom was working, I’d spend several weeks at my grandma’s home, often traveling up there from Chicago on the train alone or with my younger brother (how times have changed).
We had my cell phone navigator program set to our destination, but the battery went out before we arrived, so we drove up and down the winding ribbons of country roads, stopped for some directions a couple of times and finally arrived at Gull Lake and the memories from my childhood.
We found my grandma’s home, looking somewhat different after one or more renovations by those who’ve owned it since she moved to stay with my aunt and then passed away many years ago…
When I was very small, there was no bathing facility indoors, so we’d have to take a bar of soap and wash in the lake. Grandma always had canned and frozen fruits and vegetables and I remember fondly how her frozen blueberries would freeze up the milk around them in my cereal bowl. It was kneeling by my sweet Christian grandma’s sofa when I was four years old that I asked Jesus into my heart. She loved the Lord dearly and would go with my grandpa to the county jail, she singing for the boys, as she called them, as she played a pump organ and my grandpa preaching of Jesus’ love and lives redeemed.
I noticed a mailbox two houses down from my grandma’s house that still had the same name on it of a family I remember from way back then, so I went to the door and rang the bell. After a barking dog heralded our arrival, an elderly lady opened the door. I immediately recognized Mrs. Keeler, the mom of Judy, a girl I played with years ago during the summer. We spoke at the door for a few minutes as I tried to remind her of who I was, granddaughter of Myrtle who lived two doors away all those years ago. I even told her I have a scar on my knee from when I went chasing a loose bunny that escaped their bunny hutch and I’d scraped my knee on a piece of metal protruding from the cage. She remembered they had had rabbits at one time, though I’m not sure she remembered me.
Down the road from my grandma’s home are the Gull Lake Bible Conference grounds. During the summer each week a different mission field would send missionaries or a well-known pastor to speak at daily evening gatherings in a big building they call the tabernacle…
I loved best the week HCJB (Heralding Christ Jesus Blessings) radio from Quito, Ecuador was represented, with Gene Jordan playing the marimbas.
The tabernacle has been renovated as well since back then, including new sidewalks and landscaping where simple dirt paths once were, but still has the original round with pointed roof shape I remember. There were always book tables set up in the rear of the tabernacle each evening (but not on Sundays…no selling on Sundays) where I loved to buy little things with my savings. Grandma would buy me Sugar Creek Gang books which I adored reading. Telling Gene about my memories from back then, I mentioned that at the beach area swimming was not allowed on Sunday because that is the Lord’s day. What a change this world has gone through since those days, but I would venture to guess that that rule is still upheld at this Christian gathering place.
With a sense of fulfillment having reconnected with the memories I had from my childhood and Gene so pleased to see my smile, he said, as I related stories to him, we turned toward the highway once again, returning home to Chicago….
Thank you for enduring this rather long blog and sharing our trip, much shorter than we’d planned when we left Chicago thinking we were on our way to the U.P. Have a great day and don’t forget to cherish family and present relationships as well as the sweet memories of days gone by.
Blessings,
Janet
Well, I promised an account of my weekend away with my son and his family (including my two grandchildren, Joshua, 5 and Arianna, 18 months) but got lazy yesterday
so here I am this morning.
My son bought a nice place at a gated recreational community about 2 hours drive from the city (Chicago) last summer. When he was a boy, a friend of ours had a place there and he has fond memories of sitting around a camp fire at night, looking up into the pitch black sky to see a zillion stars one misses seeing with the lights of the city at night. And he loves fishing. So he bought this place to get away with his family.
It has a large landscaped lot with trees and flowers surrounding a good-sized house trailer with built-on deck, two storage sheds, a gazebo of sorts with a picnic table and grill, a fire pit, etc. The community has loads of amenities, including several lakes for fishing and swimming, a couple of pools, a nature center, music concerts, crafts, movies in the evenings and just about any kind of store one might need for provisions, worms for fishing, etc. I even took a reel Gene was using while we were up north together that was missing a handle and a nice lady in the store brought out a box of reel parts and found a handle that fit..and..said "no charge" when I asked how much. That was pretty cool!
So we took off from the city Saturday morning, my son and his family in one car and I following behind, with Pippen of course. It probably took less than 2 hours to drive to Woodhaven. By myself I would have driven more slowly but following my son kept me going at his speed which is FAST.
Since I tend to get drowsy driving,
especially without Gene in the car to keep me awake with his conversation and joking, the faster we got there the better. LOL
It was a short weekend but I enjoyed spending time with my grandchildren and the family. Here are a few photos from the weekend, most of them taken, unfortunately (though they did turn out amazingly clear) on my new camera phone because, as so often happens, my digital camera said "Change batteries" after only one shot.
My son, Tony, with Joshua and Arianna playing in the nifty pool their Uncle Manuel (my younger son) bought for Joshua's birthday in April:
Arianna playing with Pippen and giving me a serious face while in Mama's arms:
Joshua with the "big" fish he caught:
A couple of poor-quality photos (have to figure out how to get the flash to work on the camera phone!) of my son holding the children on his shoulders (don't all dads do that? remember?) while we listened to a music concert Saturday night, dancing and swaying to the lively rock tunes (not my favorite music genre but fun just the same)
:
And finally, a couple of shots of a beautiful blue butterfly on some lilac-hued coneflowers:
My son is a BBQ connoisseur so he's always trying out new recipes, marinades and rubs he's found on the BBQ chef TV shows or in his new BBQ book his sister gave him for his birthday.
We had shish-ka-bob Saturday night and grilled chicken Sunday afternoon and he even made us a nice breakfast Sunday morning (Mama seems to be always tending to Arianna who is still breast-feeding
).
So there you have my weekend, nothing exciting, but I had a good time as we grandmas always have when spending time with our grandchildren.
I hope you all are staying cool as this country seems to be under a heat wave, from the south all the way up to the Penthouse cabin by a small lake in the U.P. (poor Gene
..no a/c!).
Hugs and blessings,
Janet
