Soul Work

Today is a beautiful Fall day in Northern Michigan, but  check out what the waves brought up earlier this week.  Monday and Tuesday were rainy and crazy windy...

...yikes.

Friends, it was the perfect time to stay inside, listen to the wind howl and the rain on the roof, and finish some Needlepoint North business.  This will be made into a pillow soon.

Thankfully, I did not lose power like some of my neighbors, so while I stitched away, I binge watched this BBC series.  I absolutely loved it.

The second is just as good as the first.  What a treat!  Judi Dench is one of my very favorites and her character is priceless.  I love a good storm! ( as long as I have electricity.) 

Cheer for the Irish

Friends, I have spent a few September weekends at ND this year.   I was there  to cheer on the Irish, but my biggest cheer is for what you won't see on NBC--the Catholic character they have maintained while climbing the college ranks.

I love that they put the little log chapel on their 175 year banner.

I love to light a candle and kneel to say a prayer at the grotto.

I love the real bells that ring faithfully each day.

I love walking through this door...

...for mass 30 minutes after every home game.

I love attending these lectures before each game.

I love that they have preserved the view of touchdown Jesus with the addition around the stadium.

I do love an Irish victory, and the real victories are outside the stadium.

Amen.

Queen Jane

Friends, I have been doing a lot of driving lately, so thank God for the audio book.

I love all things Jane Austin, especially "Pride and Prejudice" ...so I had to check out "Eligible".  

This read is very entertaining and clever, and sure made me think of how social conventions have changed in the last 200 years.

It reminded me of this cute movie, which is a modern day "Emma".

Well, Jane, they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery....

B's Tailgating Brownies

Friends, football season has arrived and you all know what that means:  a lot of tailgating,

 connecting with old friends,

and cheering for the Irish.

B usually requests her favorite brownies for every tailgate....I got this recipe from her volleyball coach back when she was 11 years old, and it is always a big hit.  

1 stick of butter

1/3 cup and 1/2 cup evaporated milk

one box German chocolate cake mix

2 bags of caramels

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter a 9x13 inch pan. 

In a mixer, combine the melted butter with 1/3 cup evaporated milk and the cake mix.  It will be thick.

Spread half of this mixture in the prepared pan.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the caramels with 1/2 cup evaporated milk in the microwave.  Stir  until smooth.

Pour the caramel mixture over the first baked layer.

The remaining half of the cake mixture goes on top of the caramel mixture.  I do this by scooping out a spoonful of the cake mixture, flattening it in my hands, and setting it on top of the caramel mixture.  I try to evenly space the flatten pieces onto the caramel, and then fill in the empty spaces with the chocolate chips.

Bake for 20 more minutes.

There are a few steps to this recipe, but it is so worth it.  Trust me.  Or trust B, who really knows her chocolate.

Or trust all her friends that come to my tailgate for the brownies.

Good Enough

Thursday was an unusually calm afternoon....one of those rare days where the lake is so smooth, you can see all the way to the bottom, even in the very deep water.  Big T and I decided to take the kayaks out to look for rocks.  

All summer I have been on a quest to find the perfect petoskey stone for our new fireplace.  We have accumulated an impressive collection...but have not found the one.  The masons are ready to start...so I am running out of time.

We found a lot of beautiful granite, some very cool fossils, and a few petoskeys...but not the perfect one.  Big T has suggested we just buy one. I will not even consider it. I insist we must find the one.

As I was floating around looking at so much God-given beauty, feeling so grateful to be there with Big T,  I realized that the hunt is the best part...

..

...and that perfection is really overrated.  Good enough is a much better mantra for my life.

Somewhere In Time

Big T and I just returned from Macinac Island.  Friends, the place is a tourist trap...but if you go in September, the weather is still fine and the crowds have all gone home.  

The whole island is like going back in time with its old cottages and no cars allowed.  We stayed at the Grand Hotel which is all about tradition....right down to real keys and the geraniums everywhere, always.

 The first thing Big T wanted to do was have a cocktail on the porch, like civilized people do before dinner.

 My Papa's job one summer was sweeping the porch of the Grand Hotel.  I was certainly thinking of him as I rocked, sipped and enjoyed the view.

  It is expensive to stay at the Grand, but you get this view in your room, and three meals are included.  We certainly ate our money's worth!

My favorite part of the island is the beautiful Victorian cottages...

...and the creative ways the residences maintain their privacy. 

Big T's favorite part....you cannot leave the island without buying some fudge.

Isn't Big T nice to carry my purse?

The Fort....

Thirty year waiting list to join the yacht club...

Lots of white picket fences and lots of horse drawn carriages...

The time flew by and before we knew it, we were taking the ferry back to the mainland.  We had a delightful time.  For us, it is a magical place.