Labor Day

Labor Day--Chris' last full day here.

I was up early, ready and waiting when she arrived.

I felt energized and alive.  Her visit had renewed my mind and spirit.

I had a few chores for her to do too.


The night before, I tore my craft closet apart.  gathered all my knitting needles and crochet hooks, threw them down on the floor and had Chris organize them and put them in labelled baggies.

Then, we were off for lunch at Outback Steak House.  I had been wanting to go for the longest time.  I love their Victoria Filet Mignon and baked potato and French Onion soup.  It was her husband's treat, so she and I ordered all sorts of expensive stuff, ate and still had left overs for the next day.

We had to stop at Michael's again.  I can't remember why, but there was some pressing reason.  Something she had forgotten to get that was needed.



Back home, and I hated to ask her, but I have been wanting to flip the mattress on my bed.  So we tore the bed apart and did that.  My, that girl is strong.  I hardly had to lift a finger.  She also put back all the heavy boxes into my craft closet.

Then she remembered that she had forgotten to get some Michigan made Vernon's Ginger Ale to take back home, so up to the little market 1/2 mile away for that.  She got two cartons.

I should have reminded her to get some Better Made (Michigan made) potato chips, but I completely forgot all about them, until I picked some up this week.

By now, it was 4:00 in the afternoon and she had to go get Maisey, at Animal Crackers, where she was boarded.

Maisey or some other dog, had peed on her blankie and Chris thought she smelled,  So she took Maisey into the bathroom for a bath.

I peeked in and realized, Chris was in the shower WITH the dog.  It seems Maisey will not take a bath unless Chris is in with her.

Maisey was finally done and ready to get out.

Chrissy dried her off and I threw her blanket in the washer and drier, while we talked.

And..all of a sudden, it was 7:00 and time for them to drive back to the camper and get it ready to roll on tomorrow morning.

Chris promised she would stop in the morning, on her way to Ohio, for one last hug and kiss!

Sunday, the 6th.

Chris arrived at 9:50.  She said she couldn't wait until 10:00.

We decided to go to another Flint favorite eating place--Halo Burger, which recently has moved to Brighton.  Halo Burger is famous for their olive burger.

 Oh My Gosh--so yummy!

 ...and, of course, split an order of Tater Tots.

The burgers aren't as good as they were, back in the 50-60's, but Chris did get a Boston Cooler--vanilla ice cream with VERNOR'S Ginger Ale.  Has to be Vernor's, another made in Michigan product.
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Then, up the street, back to JoAnn's because she needed more yarn(?)

Across the street to Meijer's because she needed some Melatonin, some salads and some fresh fruit.
We did not find the LIQUID Melatonin she wanted, but I found a big plastic storage box to put all my new yarn in.

We went thorough Dar's check-out line, so that Chris could meet her.  I don't think Chris was impressed, but Darlene was very nice.

Back on the road and headed home.  I was feeling pretty good.  Not tired at all! 

I pulled into Merle and Pearl's driveway so that she could meet them.  We had a nice chat.  They were very interested in what her little trailer is like.

Chris wanted to go up to Wal-Mart.  So we put her stuff in the refrigerator and off we went.

On the way out, we saw John and Maisey and his next door neighbor, Jeff, standing in John's driveway, so I pulled in to introduce her.  

John asked her about her little trailer then he started bragging about his camper.  We left pretty soon and as I pulled away, Chris said, "You aren't all twitter-pated about him, are you?"

"No"

"Good!"

We got to Wal-Mart and she found the kind of Melatonin she wanted.  Then we checked out their yarn department, then over to the meat department, where she got 3# of (Michigan made) Koegel Viennas.

Now, when she gets back home, she can make her own Coney Dogs. :-)

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Back home, I collapsed in my chair with an ice cold Diet Pepsi and we chattered on until 7:00, when she had to leave.

I was tired out, but not exhausted and feeling very content and happy.

Saturday--Sept. 5, 2015

Chris showed up at 10:00 and we were off on our adventure.

A day filled with memories, and people she hadn't seen in 30+ years, and laughing so hard we about peed our pants.  There was some bad words and Chris yelling and it was such a great day!
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I drove this day so Chris could look around.  She cannot look and drive.  She cannot talk and drive.  She is severely directionally challenged, so...all around, it was better if I drove.

We had to brake for Sand Hill Cranes on the way out of the park--

 A stop at Michaels, because I pooped out before we could go Friday.

More yarn and some she bought to give to Pammie

I had an idea, kind of scared, but...we stopped at Jen's.  She was home and really glad to see Chris.  Jen hasn't seen her in 30+ years and I was surprised she recognized Chris.

Then, they got to yakking about the Pasties Chris made and Jen had just returned from the UP, and had bought some Pasties and they weren't very good and she had told her friends about the ones Chris used to make and could she (Chris) e-mail her recipe to Jen?

My goodness!  Jennifer remembered the Pasties she had been scolded for eating, when she was 14!

I didn't think we were ever going to get outta there and we had places to go and things to do!!

Drove north for 15-20 miles and stopped at the only REAL Coney Island Hot Dog place in the area.

Everyone in the Brighton/Howell goes to Leos Coney Island for what they call Coney Dogs.
Look at this--it is no more than a greasy, glorified Chili Dog!!

Chrissy and I wanted a REAL FLINT style Coney Dog.

Like this one.  The dog has to be a Koegels (made in Flint) and the sauce is drier.  Ground Beef with hot dog also ground up real fine in the sauce and has to be topped with mustard and onions.  They are not a bit greasy!

SUCCESS!!

We left and headed west--toward Byron.  We stopped at the campground, so I could see Chris' travel trailer.  Chris' husband made reservations for her here--a favorite lake for all the Byron kids to come on weekends.  Long before it was sold to the Byron Methodist Church and became a campground.  Her hubs knew it was one of her favorite places when she was a teen, so---all the way from Italy--he went on-line and made her reservation.  Oh--I love the Internet!!!

This little camper has everything in it.  A/C, heater, electricity.  It comes with nothing inside.  She made the bed frame, a table, different storage cubbies.  Even has room for the dog to sleep.

Here is the blanket I made from one of Chris' patterns.  It fits her XL camper bed perfectly!
The funny thing--as I made this blanket, I made a mistake when I joined the strips.

Come to find out, the mistake I made actually made the blanket hold its form better.

And that is why, Chrissy has me test her patterns!  ;-0

Out of the park, turn left and a few miles up to my Home Town and hers since 1971.

West out of Byron to visit my ancestor's and show Chris my grave marker.

She tends to some fallen tree branches.

Then south from the cemetery to Beard Road--where we both used to live.

Here is the house she spent her high school years (and after) in.

As I turned onto Beard Road, I stopped so she could see how they have added a breeze way to connect house to  garage.

Chris let out a scream!!!

"WHERE IS MY ROCK?  THEY GOT RID OF MY ROCK!  THERE WAS A BIG  ROCK IN THE FRONT YARD.  I USED TO SIT ON THAT ROCK, IN THE SUN, AND DRY MY HAIR!  WHAT DID THEY DO WITH MY ROCK?!!!"

She was quite traumatized!   "Things change, Honey.  I am so sorry."

All the way up the road to Pam's (1/4 mile), Chris kept yelling about, "How could they even move that rock?  It was one big assed rock!"

We got to Pammies, and she was gone!!!   But we walked around anyway and peeked in the windows, so that Chris could see the changes Pam has made inside.  I really wanted Pam to be home so they could talk and Chris could go upstairs and just sit in the bedroom where she lived.

I showed her the Heart Rock in the foundation, that I didn't even know was there until 1992, after Pam pulled out the bushes that hid it.

and the garden by the side entry door.
"Gah Nomes," Chris said.  "Pammie has Gah Nomes in her garden.  I love Gah Nomes!"
She knows how to pronounce Gnomes, but she likes to call them Gah Nomes, so I just humor her.  LOL

Chris left the bags of yarn for Pammie, by the back door and off we went.

Back on Beard Road, west 1/2 mile to the corner of Beard and Vernon and south 1/8th mile to Susan's  house.

I did not think Chris and Susan had ever met.  Susan lived in Maryland, while Chris lived with me, but they had met, at a family reunion in 1984, and they sat in the living room and chattered away about knitting and crocheting and...I don't know what else.  I was out in the kitchen, searching Susan's refrigerator for a cold Diet Pepsi.

All of a sudden, I realized it was 6:00 and we had to get back to Brighton.

It was such a fun day!  Lots of memories for both of us.

I was really tired, but not as much as the day before.  I think I might live through the weekend.