My favorite time of the year!

The peonies are starting to bloom! They are my absolute favorite flowers on the planet and I look forward every year to their short blooming season. For the next month or so, my house will smell great! I love to put them in my kitchen, that I've painted pink and raspberry to match the colors of peonies. Such a wonderful time of the year!

The Library Staircase

The staircase in the library is such an interesting place to me. I've never lived where the library had more than one floor before, so this is really cool to me! If you couldn't guess, we spend quite a bit of time at the library, and it is nice to have plenty of room to move around and read. In fact, my daughter can't wait to get her driver's license because the first place she wants to drive by herself is the library!

Leaping Stag

Another of the town's everyday art series. This one is in front of the hospital right now and changes places with the butterfly (from the post a few days ago) every once in a while. It is cast in bronze, I believe, and done by a local artist. It is very detailed, and quite awe inspiring. The whole sculpture and base is about 12 feet tall!

I went to the hospital last night and visited a friend who is sick. My hopes and prayers are with him and his family for a quick and safe recovery!

Take a break...

A small bench amid the trees and flowers, the perfect place to take a break. This is actually right across the street from the marina and right next to the history museum. Our local bike and walking path goes right around this tiny garden and it can be a challenge to maneuver around it, just ask my son! (He had a small run-in with the curb last year, but he rode on again bravely.) Take time to sit and relax today!

What is Normal?

I love this building downtown, with the Normal Business College still on the building from sometime in the late 1800's or early 1900's. I don't know much about the college, just that it was a "Graves school". I'll have to find out more just to satisfy my curiosity. I just love that they have preserved the history of this building.

A Visit to the Wall

The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall came to Petoskey this last week and the kids and I went to see it. It was a solemn place, but it was very interesting to see what people had left at the memorial--many flowers, flags, and a few other personal momentos as well. Most poignant was an old battered purple hat, obviously loved and worn by someone special.

I don't personally know anyone whose name is on the wall, but my father was in Vietnam when I was born, and he was able to come back when I was 3 months old. The name of a hometown buddy of his is on the wall. He and his friend had joined the army on the same day from their very small town of 600 people. In the same month that my father came home safe, his friend was killed in Vietnam.

I saw the wall in Washington, DC a few years ago and was moved to be very thankful for those men and women who give their time, their energy, and sometimes their lives to make sure that we can continue to live our lives freely. Not just those who were in Vietnam, but those who were in any war. If this is you, Thank you so much.

Theme Day June 2008: My Local Corner Shop

I chose my favorite coffee shop in Petoskey today! Roast and Toast is awesome! This is just a little peek inside of this fabulous place. On the right, they have all their in-house roasted coffees for sale--I like Costa Rican and Sumatran. If you visit, stop in and have a cup and you'll see what I mean when I say it's the best coffee in the North!