2014 MICHIGAN Frankfort - Family Ties

One year ago almost to the day, Mike and I were visiting Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, to enjoy Engineers Day--a one day annual event where you can walk across two of the Soo Locks, visit the St. Mary's River electric generator plant, and do other fun things. That day we spent time with Mike's cousins Chris and Don.

At that time Don suggested holding a family reunion, as we had not had one in several years. We decided to go for it. So Mike, Don, Chris, and I have been planning and prepping for about six months. This past weekend was the family gathering.

The event was held in the American Legion Hall in Frankfort, Michigan (one way is 195 miles and about 4 hours driving time), in the northwest corner of the lower peninsula. This is where most of the oldest generation lived, grew up, and went to school in. Two of them still live there. Another two are close by. Only one was not able to attend from that generation.

It took a lot of research to get in touch with family members. We contacted about 75 people, got responses from 65, and headcount at the party was about 50.
We had four folks 82 years or above (at right Mike's mom at 93 was the oldest). The youngest was age 2. We had people from Texas, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. We had a minister, several college professors and educators, retirees, students, housewives, and a Greyhound bus driver.

On the way up Mike, his sister, and I picked up most of the groceries in Cadillac. The car was packed to the brim and we passengers had food stacked under our feet and on our laps. Not the safest hour-and-a-half of driving, but we made it.

While folks gathered, we served appetizers, including some terrific smoked fish provided by cousin Don. Next relatives scarfed up a huge feast of steaks, chicken tenders, hot dogs, burgers, grilled onions, numerous salads, baked beans, mac'n'cheese, and more. Thank goodness Mike's sister tackled the grill with all the meat and onions because I was lost there. Dessert was birthday cake and ice cream to honor Emily (Chris and Don's cutsie granddaughter). So those that are keeping track, can see why I gained poundage last week!

We had only seven kids under 12, but Chris had them all set up with colored markers and drawing paper, jump ropes, bubbles, etc. They were happily entertained all afternoon.

We also had a "genealogy" table. Mike's mom's generation had ten children, so we had an area marked with each of their names. Relatives brought old and new photos and put them under the appropriate ancestor name, so we could see the descendants of each matriarch / patriarch. This was a huge hit!

Family stories were flying, some quite exaggerated, but that's typical under these circumstances. Lots of laugh and a few tears. What a wonderful day was had by all. It ended much too quickly.

Thanks everyone for helping or just being there to join in the fun.

2014 - Brother Goes Bushy to Bald

My youngest brother Kevin has tons of thick, silver, curly locks on his head. (and man, am I jealous.) Kevin is not only a handsome dude, but also a loving, caring, great-hearted kind of guy.

One of his youngest son's buddies discovered he has cancer. For a long time Kevin has been a big supporter of this teen and his family while Mitchell fights the fight.

Recently at a cancer awareness event in their hometown, Kevin was a huge part of Team Unstoppable, raising money for cancer research in honor of Mitchell.

The event included fund-raising tents for each team (selling food and doo-dads), games, and educational displays. There were also dozens of luminary candle bags lighting walkways to honor survivors or remember cancer losses.

Part of the live entertainment today was The Kinetic Affect, made up of duo Gabriel Giron and Kirk Latimer. They use personal experiences to create live spoken word poetry. As Gabe lived through horrific cancer trauma himself, their performance today was particularly powerful and touching.  

But back to my brother Kevin. Some time ago he committed to shaving off his head of precious silvery locks, if he could raise at least $3,000 toward the cause. Well, today was the head-shaving day. One thing...he was about $400 shy of the three grand. Kev was going to go ahead anyway, but the Master of Ceremonies put out the word and raised the last $400 (plus more) to reach Kevin's goal. Yahoo!

So Kev and about six others had their heads shaved. Besides Kevin there was his work colleague Corby and a long lost friend Steve that came all the way from Ann Arbor to join the cause. (These two played high school football together!!) Here are some photos from the event.

 Mitchell takes the first swipe at shearing Kevin's curls.

 A local barber-ette takes over.

Almost gone. OMG, is that me? Feels so bare.

Kevin and Corby in the aftermath.

 Kevin and his high school buddy, Steve.

Kevin and wife Stevie hugging at the end.

She still loves him even though he's BALD!! Yay!

We know it will grow back, but for Kevin this was a biggie anyway.

I'm so proud of you, bro, and love you very much.
And you are still looking great in my eyes.

PS - I grabbed some of those silvery curls from the ground to have as a keepsake.

MICHIGAN Lansing - Lowdown on Lansing

In early spring my bro Bob let us know the touring version of The Book of Mormon was playing at Michigan State University's Wharton Center. We held our breath til the day we could buy tickets, punched the computer button one second after purchasing opened, and got four front row balcony seats--two for them and two for us. Tickets were $100 each but way better than the $350 each price we saw on Broadway in NYC last year.

A few months later June 11th finally rolled around. We drove up to Lansing, a 75 mile and 1-1/2 hour journey. There we checked into the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, a bit dated but clean and comfortable. We had a lovely corner room with windows on two sides overlooking the MSU campus.

We were supposed to meet my brother and his wife Lo at Hop Cat Brewery in the "action" district about 10 blocks way. It was hot, but we enjoyed a lovely stroll along the campus grounds. As it turned out Bob was delayed due to unexpected events at work, so the three of us downed beers and appetizers. Bob joined us two beers later, enjoying his own pint and the leftover appi's.

Hop Cat Lansing has a different vibe than Hop Cat Grand Rapids, where we have visited before. GR is in an old, but updated building with a smallish bar and restaurant. Lots of wood and beams and weathered construction. Lansing Hop Cat is much newer with lots of steel and industrial touches. Both interesting in their own way.   www.hopcat.com

Next we went to Dublin Square, an Irish pub. This place is beautifully appointed with new construction that looks old, dark wood, Celtic decor, fireplace, warm and welcoming. Our nephew, Kendall, joined us there. Mike and Bob ordered Irish whiskeys and we all had a taste. Not my style!  www.dublinsquare.net

Last stop before the play was Beggar's Banquet for dinner. This was kind of a sentimental stop. Years ago when my younger brother Kevin was about 14, we took him on a trip up north to Frankfort, MI. Our mom gave us $50 to feed him (big eater) on the long weekend. We stopped at BB and spent the whole $50 in one meal. Not to worry. We didn't starve the rest of the weekend because eating Up North was pretty cheap some 40 years ago.

Prices had gone up, of course, but atmosphere was essentially the same. Food got mixed reviews at our table. The place did not seem as great as we remembered, but there must be something to it having thrived for 40+ years.   www.beggars banquet.com

Lo bowed out on the play because we only had four tickets. As we zipped over to the theatre, Bob gave us a little tour as he had graduated from MSU and knows his way around. We found a convenient parking spot, entered the theatre, and waited in anticipation til the curtain rose. This Broadway play was written by the creators of South Park--Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez. That tells you something right there.

This religious satire musical is the winner of nine Tony awards including Best Musical in 2011. The play got mixed reviews in our group. The three guys LOVED it and I mostly loved (in lower case) it. The story is insightful and hilarious (but a little raunchy and too far-out-ish for me). That is typical, however, of these creative genius creators. Read more at:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Mormon_(musical)

The next morning Mike and I took a stroll through the campus grounds. We saw the MSU Stadium, the famous Sparty statue, and the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden. This garden was established in 1873, shortly after the MSU Agricultural College was established.

This outdoor laboratory was created for the study and appreciation of plants. It is laid out in separate areas of the main collection, endangered species, forest, landscape, wetlands, plant families, useful plants, and non-flowering plants. There is a live growing sample of more than 2,000 different plants, each with a sign stating the name and a little about it. We spent about an hour perusing. It was totally fascinating. Avid gardeners would LOVE (in caps) it.
For more info: www.cpa.msu.edu/beal/

That ended our Lansing and MSU trip this time around, but we are inspired to return. Go Green! (Sorry, other brother Kevin who is a U of Michigan fan.)

2014 MICHIGAN Battle Creek - Foodie Trip

Last week we went to Battle Creek, Michigan. That is the home of Kellogg cereals--Kellogg's Cornflakes probably being the most famous. This town's nickname is Cereal City, USA. We didn't go on the cereal factory tour or see the world's longest breakfast table or be amazed by the Hot Air Balloon festival (all events that happen at B.C.), but we did go to Malia's and Horrock's. The trip is about 27 miles and 38 minutes from home, but worth it to either of our destination places today.

We started at Malia's for lunch. Figured we better eat first before our next stop or we would be buying out the market. It is right downtown and is the best restaurant as far as we are concerned in B.C.

It serves an eclectic menu but leans to  Mediterranean. Mike and I shared their famous wild mushroom soup--not to thin or to creamy and lots of mushrooms. A splash of sherry would have made it perfecto. Then I had Florida sweet white shrimp on a quinoa salad. For diet purposes I only ate half (hard to do) and saved the rest for dinner. Mike had a BLT-S (S for salmon). It was messy to eat but way worth that mess he said. Both too full for dessert, a rarity. See www.maliafoods.com







Next stop is a bit out of the heart of downtown. Horrock's is a store with everything food and food-related. This place is packed. As you enter the market, there is a wonderful nursery with starter plants, roses, fruit trees, and more and more. This time of year there is also display after display of food and flower seed packets and garden supplies. We picked up a few of those.

They have a deli counter to buy soups, salads, and sandwiches to eat on the run. They have a huge beer and wine selection and a tasting counter, so you can sip before you select. Good thing we ate first! They have a huge cheese department and olive / relish bar. They have a florist section to buy fresh flowers or order arrangements. And there is a book nook with a wide selection of books including but not limited to cook books, cooking-related, interior decorating, nature, and children's.

They have a walk-in refrigerator room that accommodates a wide rarity of meat and dairy products. The canned and bottled food area accommodates any condiment you can imagine and many some you can't imagine. This includes a lot of imported foods from Mexico and Europe. They have a frozen seafood selection. Among choices there are huge shrimp, scallop and crab legs.

The produce section in our favorite. It is probably the biggest I have ever seen outside of a farmer's market. They have so many things there that you can't find elsewhere--tamarind seedpods, fava beans, huge papaya, fresh herbs, bulk tea, cactus, Asian veggies including bok choi and lemon grass, bulk frozen raspberries, red AND green tomatoes, as well as the common supermarket fruits and veggies like apricots, several types or oranges, a variety of lettuces, etc, etc, etc. I just cannot begin to list all the healthy treats here.

Also, they have probably 50 whole coffee beans to choose from. They have so many dehydrated fruits and vegetables, and nut and candies in bulk. They have a bakery stocked with homemade style breads, etc. We bought a garlic infused loaf today.

We try to keep our purchases under $100 when we go there, but usually go over. Today we spent $100.05. Not too bad for a lot of good and healthy food.

As I re-read this I see I keep saying "huge," but that is the best adjective for this establishment. It does everything in a HUGE, but unpretentious way. The building is basic no frills though, so that keeps the prices down. The staff is helpful and knowledgeable.

We LOVE this place and shop here about once a month to stock up on things we cannot easily find in Kalamazoo. See their website at: www.HorrocksMarket.com

2014 OHIO Put-in-Bay 3 - Island Days

For "lunch" we stopped at a little place (Wharfside, I think, was the name) overlooking the marina. It was a store/bar/tackle shop combo business. Dollar bills were plastered all over the walls with names of people written on them. Besides that the most memorable thing was their Brandy Alexanders, a pretty sophisticated drink for a "dive" bar. And it was good!

Next we went to two wineries on the island. The first was PIB Winery at the Doller House Estate. I don't think we are wine snobs, but we do have some experience drinking wine. This winery may have potential, but has not come into its own yet. Although we are mostly red winers, their best was a Moscato. We would have liked to tour the house, but they did not offer this up front. (We figured it was "off season" again because we did not see any signs.) After paying for tasting they advised we could have a tour for $10 which included another tasting. We passed.

Heineman's Winery was our next stop. It was established over 100 years ago by an immigrant from Baden-Baden, Germany. I am sorry to say we have no good words for this one in regard to the wine. The tour was nice though.

In conjunction with this winery was one really cool attraction though. Per their literature Crystal Cave is the largest known Celestite geode in the world. While digging a well in 1897, Mr. Heineman discovered the cave 40 feet below the earth's surface.

Within its walls are crystals from 8-18 inches long. The crystals had a vague blue tint, but looked more green from the algae growing on them. It is 50 degrees year round in the cave-like geode. I asked what the diameter of the geode was and our guide said about 40 feet. The gift shop sold geode slices of baseball size in many colors--not from the cave, but beautiful.

Back to our rooms to freshen up and meet for a couple of pre-dinner cocktails. We had dinner at Tipper's Seafood. "Veggie" that I am, I had loaded potato skins and the others had really tasty ribs. They all oohed and aahed and just about sucked the bones dry. The place itself looked like an old 1950's nightclub. A bit out dated, but the food was good.

5/9/2014 - T & N had a longer drive and slipped out before we did, so not able to hug good-bye. Probably better as I am not good at good-byes. I get too sentimental, shall we say. They caught the 8am ferry.

We caught the 9am and the cruise this morning was thankfully on calm seas. Mike and I just sat in the car with windows open. On shore, we leisurely traveled home with a great breakfast stop at Dianna's in Port Clinton. The drive was uneventful. We arrived home at 1:30pm. Bella came running to the door to meet us like a galloping horse. We laughed and loved that she was happy to see us.

Things we missed on this trip were taking the elevator to the top of the Perry memorial, touring the fish hatchery, visiting the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society museum, and tipping one at the Put-In-Bay Brewery. All closed because of off season (except the Brewery where we were unable to find an entrance  and it looked empty through the windows). We enjoyed our stay, but not sure that we will be back again to see the attractions we missed.

Another thing we discovered was that this is Birder Week in the northwest area of Ohio. It is the Biggest Week in American Birding. I have been getting into birding a little through my friend Anne's beautiful bird photography. Birders, go to: www.BiggestWeekInAmericanBirding.com

Here's a red-winged blackbird photo I took on the trip. Love his little feet.

For more information on Put-In-Bay, go to: www.putinbay.com/IslandGuide.pdf

As always, our adventure with T & N was wonderful and we look forward next year to a new place to explore.

2014 OHIO Put-in-Bay 2 - Island Days

Wikipedia says the village of Put-In-Bay's 2010 year-round population census was 138. It swells to much more than that in the summer. Heck, our hotel alone has 50 units (more than 1/3 of the residents) and there were many more accommodations.

PIB is located on South Bass Island which is 3.7 by 1.5 miles in size and is about 3 miles off the mainland of Ohio at Port Clinton. The PIB name comes from the the time when sailing schooners would "put in" to the bay to shelter from bad weather. 

We were all up and rolling by 8:30am. Breakfast was at Frosty's (breakfast joint by day; bar and pizza joint by night). We could have ordered mimosas, but were still a little fuzzy from the night before.

After breakie we walked the quaint-but-touristy downtown. This is early in the season, so half of the businesses were open and half closed.

We made one stop to buy t-shirts and nail polish. Both change colors when hit by sunlight. I got an icy blue color polish that should change to lime green. We'll see. We checked into the island Visitors' Center to learn about all the attractions. We were spending only one full day here and hoped to make the most of it.

We noticed a small granite monument that was dedicated to the historic road races on PIB. This marker was on Turn One. Later we saw another marker at "Cemetery Curve." Races were run on the 3.1 mile course during 1952-1959 and reprised in 1963. "Reunion" races occur to this day. For more info, go to the Race Heritage Society website at: www.pibroadrace.com/history.html






A big attraction on the island is the third tallest U.S. monument at 352 feet (behind the Washington Monument in Washington DC and the Golden Arch-Gateway to the West in St. Louis, Missouri). It is dedicated to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. His naval knowledge and strategy were key in the U.S. winning the War of 1812 over a much larger British Navy.

The monument was prepping to open for the season and a gift shop employee was accepting a Coke delivery. He said even though they were closed we could pop our heads in the Visitors' Center. He ended up giving us a great lecture on the history of Perry, the war, and the monument. Perry's most famous quote is "We have met the enemy, and they are ours." Grounds around the monument are lovely and an annual Boy Scout Camporee is held here. To find out more, go to: www.nps.gov/pevi/index.htm

From there we hopped in the car to tour the outer areas of the island. We came across this most unusual house which we had actually seen recently on TV. It was originally a ship built in 1924 for use by the Ford Motor Company. In 1986, after many years of service, The Benson Ford was scheduled to be scrapped. A couple rescued it, cut off the crew quarters of the front bow, and relocated it here atop an 18-foot cliff. It is used now as a private home. We did not get to look inside, but it was impressive just to see the outside. For more info, see: https://roadtrippers.com/us/put-in-bay-oh/points-of-interest/the-benson-ford-shiphouse

Next stop was the South Bass Island lighthouse on the most southwest tip of the island. It was built 1897 and glowed until 1962. At that time automation took over and the steel tower and light you seen in the background replaced the old-fashioned light to the right.

In 1967, Ohio State University took over the facility in collaboration with its Stone Laboratory which is located on nearby Gibraltar Island. It is also a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorological station, transmitting weather statistics from the island by satellite. Again, we were too early in the season for a tour. Read more at:

www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=276

We didn't go there, but the OSU Stone Laboratory was established in 1895 and is the oldest freshwater biological field station in the U.S. To read more, go to: www.stonelab.osu.edu/about/

I must add, en route we saw our blooming lilac bush of the year. It was a deep purple and I could smell its lovely aroma front the car.

2014 OHIO Put-in-Bay 1 - Puttin' In

This week we are meeting friends Tim (who worked with Mike at Northwest Airlines in San Francisco) and his wife Nancy. They both live in the Chicago burbs now and we usually meet up with them in May (their anniversary month) somewhere near "big water." It is usually Lake Michigan but this time it is Put-In-Bay Village on an island in Lake Erie off Ohio.

We departed Kalamazoo at 9:20am. Weather was 48 degrees, windy, but sunshiny. Along the freeway, signs of spring were finally quite apparent. The grass was intense green. The trees were various saturations of iridescent green. Makes us happy to finally see 50 shades of green. Lots of white and purplish wildflowers, too.

We hit one Michigan rest stop on the way. We were quite impressed by the huge row of solar panels which generates most of the electricity for the stop. There was also a pond with four heron-like birds wading around the edges. Long legs and necks  with pure white feathers stalking the minnows.

First real stop en route was Ann Arbor for some treats. Mike ran into the store while I waited in the passenger seat. I was peacefully in my thoughts when all of the sudden I am jolted back into reality. A red SUV had backed into our bumper and rear driver side panel. It was a small lot and the gal shimmied her way back and forth to get out of her tight parking spot. I got out and waited for her to stop and trade info, but when she finally was on the main exit path, she bolted. I could not believe it. It was a hit and run right before my very eyes!! How rude and irresponsible. I got her license though and a witness graciously  offered his info.

It turns out in private parking lots, police do not come to take reports. We had to go to the AA police station which was just a few blocks away. Thank goodness the car was still drivable. The process of reporting was quite easy and, with just a 50 minute delay, we were back on the road. It certainly could have been worse, so we are thankful.

Next was a lunch stop in Perrysburg, Ohio, just southwest of Toledo. It was a bit out of our way, but we had been there before and it was memorable, so we stopped again. We originally were here a couple of years ago just by chance. Later we found the place was a favorite of one of my best girlfriends and co-worker from United Airlines in San Francisco. Many years ago she lived in Toledo and this was her old hangout.

As we arrived, I called Suzi to tell her where we were headed. She got a big giggle out of that and said to have a martini in her honor.

I did have a martini, but one on the rocks rather than straight up. That was a happy medium in the event that I had to take over driving. Here's to you, Suzi! I had a quinoa and spinach salad and a wonderful lobster tart with perfect crust. Mike had a Stella burger and a Stella Artois beer.  We were not disappointed.

Next memorable area was Oak Harbor, OH. A very nice, quaint, and rich little town along the Portage River. Maybe check it out on the way home. Last stop on the "mainland" was the gas station for gas and grocery store for adult beverages and snack supplies (because we had no idea what might be on the island). In Ohio you can only buy alcohol at state run liquor stores and they are few and far between. This one was inside a very nice grocery store named Bassett's. Would love to shop there on a regular basis. I was a bit surprised to see so many folks of every age wearing camo. Seemed like the uniform of the day and it is not even hunting season. I guess this was patriotic camo.

Then on to the Miller Ferry. It was $58 RT for us and the car. The ferry ride was about 20 minutes in very rough water. Mike handled it well, but had to hang in the open air facing the horizon with the wind in his face. We were both glad to touch land on the island.

Our hotel was a two mile drive from there and we arrived a little after 2pm. Tim and Nancy met us at the front desk with hearty hugs. (It had been a year since we last met.) At the Bay Lodging Resort you cannot bring alcohol because they have their own bar. BUT the bar was not open for the season, so we discreetly carried our recently purchased refresher beverages to our room.

T & N had a suite so we spent most of our visiting time there. This hotel is the only one on the island with Lake Erie views from every room. The rooms have large screened in balconies. The weather was cool, but it was so wonderful to see big water again. (We sure miss the Pacific Ocean in Half Moon Bay.) We did a big catch up chit-chat and then walked the two blocks into town.

Put-In-Bay is pretty touristy. We're all glad to be here before the summer crowd overruns the place though. Sidewalks were empty for the most part and not all the restaurants or stores were open yet. The front desk recommended Mossbacks for dinner. It was a good choice. I ordered deep-fried sauerkraut balls for an appetizer. Everyone else thought they were so-so, but I loved them. For the main course Mike and Nancy had fish, I had a grilled veggie sandwich, and Tim had beef tips with noodles. Beer and wine all around. For dessert we had Key Lime pie and it was one of the best versions ever outside of Key West, Florida.

We were all a little pooped from the drive. So after a brief visit back at the resort, we parted ways for some couples quiet time. It was wonderful hearing the sound of the Lake Erie waves in the background as we drifted off to sleep.

Apr 2014 MICHGIAN Kalamazoo - CARES about AIDS

CARES (Community AIDS Resource and Education Services) is an organization in Kalamazoo that assists people that are HIV+ and educates about the disease. This year 38 restaurants in the area participated. Each restaurant donates up to 25% of your bill to the organization. And, of course, you may personally contribute an additional amount.

We chose The Wine Loft for dinner this year. Mike had a wonderful salmon filet with smashed potatoes and perfectly cooked veggies. I had a beet green salad with candied walnuts and Gruyere cheese and a wild mushroom flatbread. Of course, we had wine. We were, after all, at The Wine Loft. I had a flight of reds and Mike had Pinot Noir. For desert Mike had tiramisu and I had a glass of Prosecco. All was delish.

Mike and I lived in San Francisco in the early 80's at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic there. We knew of many people that died of that horrible disease before any ideas of how to cure or at least slow its progress had been discovered. Nearly 200,000 Californians have contracted HIV/AIDS and nearly 90,000 have died since the epidemic began. We still remember those sad times.

Two very close friends of ours met that awful fate. The first was Jack Skaggs. He was one of those slight and spindly guys who had the biggest heart and biggest sense of humor ever. When I first started with the airlines, he was one of the trainers and we ended up on the Help Desk together.

One of the funniest situations I encountered with him was the time a Baggage Service agent called and referred to us a person who had lost their bag. They said under no circumstances should we open the bag because there were live snakes inside. Jack acted like it was a normal situation and really talked up the customer with a bunch of baloney about being a hobby herpetologist himself and on and on. The guy called back several times and always asked for Jack. We ended up calling the Agriculture Department, but never heard the result. We figured there were really drugs, not snakes, in the bag.

The last time I saw Jack, was at James and Suzi's wedding at the Marriott hotel in San Francisco. His body was quite wasted away at that point, but his heart was still as big as ever. He wouldn't have missed that event for anything and I think it was the reason he hung on so long. He danced one dance with his partner and some short time later faded into the hereafter. Tears in my eyes thinking about him now. His celebration of life was at the Neptune Society Columbarium in SF. It is a special place for a special person.

Suzi (one of my very best friends in SF and THE best home "chef" we know) always makes soup from scratch for her ill friends. She must have made a hundred gallons and other delights for Jack to feast on. I got some on several occasions. She made veggie, special for me. Dear Suzi, I miss you being so many miles away (and Jack, too).

The other was Peter Dorian. I was probably closer to him as we were both instructors at the airport and worked together side-by-side for several years. He was a bit more abrupt and explosive in emotion than Jack ever was, but still a good hearted soul.

The day I found out about his AIDS, I kind of knew, but it was still a shock to hear him say it. I tried to be a brave soul and act like things were normal, but I teared up just about every time I saw him after that. We attended his last good-bye. His wish was to have his ashes distributed into San Francisco Bay off a hiking trail along a cliff at the Presideo. It was a beautiful and meaningful spot as it was the spot where he had met his partner. It was so sad, but yet a relief to have his suffering end.

You don't hear much about it these days or at least not in Michigan, but the Training Department participated in the giant AIDS Memorial Quilt. We made a square for Peter. It depicted all the drama and dreams that were his life.

Another place important to the AIDS community is the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. It is a beautiful area to contemplate the lives of those sadly lost before their time. 

Read more about CARES at:   www.caresswm.org/‎

Read about The Wine Loft at: www.kalamazoowineloft.com/‎

Read about the Neptune Society at: www.neptunesanfrancisco.com

Read more about the AIDS Memorial Quilt and the Names Project at:
www.aidsquilt.org

2014 MICHIGAN Grand Rapids - Foodie Trip

Recently went to Grand Rapids, Michigan (about an hour drive north from home) to handle some business with our Apple iPad. While we were at the shopping center we stopped by William-Sonoma. 

W-S has a wide variety of specialty spices, beaded honey and infused salts. Porcini mushroom infused salt is my fave so we replenished our supply. I love it on pasta, mashed potatoes, veggies, veggie burgers, popcorn and the like. See that empty spot on the shelf? Well, we got the last jar...again!

While we were at the mall, we also noticed an olive oil store that was going out of business. Peeked in there. Nothing really seemed that on-sale even though the sign said 70% off. But we did buy a sun-dried tomato infused olive oil and a jar of pesto sauce.

We've been hearing about a new downtown Grand Rapids market. It is not a grocery store, but small vendors who have come together to form a co-op style market under one roof. As we were so close we decided to check it out. The facility is brand new and includes a large open building and a covered sidewalk area where in warmer weather farmers will sell their produce. It is fabulous, even without the outdoor market area operating. 

The inside has many vendors that sell mostly food but also kitchenware or kitchen-related items. The first place we stopped was a cheese and wine shop. They have all kinds of cheeses, a cheese oriented lunch bar (great grill cheese sandwiches on the menu), and they offer cheese classes and tastings.

Recently we attended a wine event at Zazio's at the Radisson Hotel in Kalamazoo and purchased a vermouth from La Spinetta Winery (in the Piedmont area of Italy). It is called Contratto Vermouth Bianco and tastes more like a liquor than something to combine with another alcohol to make a cocktail. Silly us, we originally bought it for the label but loved it so much, we were wondering where to buy it in the future. THIS is the place. They have a lot of unusual and new-to-us liquor choices.

Next on the "tour" was a coffee vendor, a produce stand with fresh and organic items, a fish monger with an excellent variety of fresh fish, and a meat market with fresh and frozen options. Here there were some of unusual choices like bison, frog legs, and venison that you don't usually see at the big grocery stores.

At the end of the aisle was a bread baker. They also have a traditional style pizza oven. Not a lot of sweets here, but really great looking breads. Sweets came later in our tour. On the other side of the aisle was a fresh pasta market with spaghetti sauces and other pasta related items. See the fresh pasta drying here.

Next stop was the spice store. We bought another Porcini mushroom infused salt, so we could do a taste test later. Turns out we liked the W-S version better, but both were good. We also bought some chives and Vietnamese cinnamon. They had a nice variety of teas and tea utensils here, too.

Around the corner was a Thai take-out food stand (will go there next time), a florist, and an oil vendor. Mike bought some Mandarin orange infused oil, which he uses in Brownies. At the end of that aisle was a prepared meal store. They had all kinds of pick-up-and-go meals to take home to heat-and-eat. Lots of comfort food type stuff.

Next to that was a Grocer's Daughter chocolate shop. If you recall, we talked about the original location for this store up in Leelanau, Michigan, at the top of the lower peninsula. We discovered this place years ago and always go out of our way to stop there to pick up truffles and dark chocolate bark seasoned with sea salt. We were happy to see a branch here, so close to home. Of course, we bought a bit of chocolate for later.

By that time we were pretty hungry after looking at all the great food options. We decided to have lunch at the next stop, which was a Mexican take-out stand. We both got burritos and rate them one of the best we have had in Michigan. The facility has an area set up with tables and chairs and lots of windows. We enjoyed our hearty lunch there in this warm spot looking out at the freezing cold piles of snow.

We continued down the last few vendors, past a popcorn place with many flavors to choose from. But we opted for the sweet shop next door. Lots of homemade style cookies and pies and other bakery delights. Loved their giant pink mix master. Can't tell by the photo, but it was almost a yard high. And the gals dress in pink aprons. Very cute. We bought Snickerdoodle cookies for our dessert (sugar cookies mostly, but with cinnamon).

On the second level were cooking classrooms, including a miniature sized one for kids. Also, a greenhouse area. It is not fully underway yet, but will be a community garden come spring. In the photo in the background you can see downtown Grand Rapids. So refreshing to have this type of endeavor in the heart of the city.

We really enjoyed our afternoon. Highly recommend it. And we'll be back when the weather gets warmer and the outdoor vendors are in full operation.