Downtime...

Just finished Whiskey Tango Foxtrot with Tina Fey and Martin Freeman. It was disturbing, seeing how difficult survival can be in a war torn country. I felt afraid but Fey brought humor to this war reporters adrenaline junkie adventure. I am a fan of Fey anyway. She is fearless and funny. So I give WTF, yeah, I got that, 4 stars.

Alone again, naturally, on the porch...

Today was my husband's sixty-eighth birthday. I gave him a wooden painted sign that said You are my Bucket List. I saw it in a store and remember thinking, I wish someone would want to buy it for me. Then a light bulb went on above my head! He is my bucket list. Really. We are such a good pair. We traveled for years in a hurry because of the restrictions of our jobs. I would say I want to go there someday when we have time as we sped by, for example, The Fish House, a floating restaurant on the White River. Last trip he remembered every place I had mentioned and we stopped at each place.

My niece in Grand Ledge hosted the Aman family camp out this year at her beautiful home. Water balloon fights, campfires, good food, golf cart rides, Scottish cows and family. We also camped at Wabasis Lake in Greenville in our campers. It was so much fun to spend time with my siblings and their kids and grandkids! I so enjoyed the twenty somethings who kept us all up around the campfire til two a.m. My hubby's Kalamazoo family arrived at our camp in Isabella just hours after we got back to da U.P. More fun and we met the new baby, Lucia. ZZZZZZ

I am listening to Billy Lynn's Long Half Time Walk by Ben Fountain. Very well written but it is a difficult read. The war in Iraq from the point of view of the soldier on the ground home on PR mission.
Reading Barbarian Days A Surfing Life by William Finnegan. The author's Dad grew up on my street in my small town! Fascinating life this man is living.
 I read Little Moon Dog to my great niece Emma. It is a  book I read to any child who  stays in the camper.

Up the Fourth of July creek without a paddle...

Half of the grands made it up from Florida and Texas this summer. One family is moving to a new home so could not make the trip.  I had to say good bye again today.

We spent a few hours every day at the beach. There were parades and backyard barbecues. Paddle boarding and the card game of Golf! Fireworks and friends. The grands are growing up so quickly. The 12 going on 13 year olds have changed so much. They are tall and tan and losing the baby look. One of them is in Nepal for the month. 

I started listening to Moby-Dick. It is part of The Big Read grant program. Tilda Swinton read the first chapter. Each of the following chapters are read by different people. I am finding it to be an amazing book. I recommend it highly!

Still working on Mosquitoland. Very good. Watched the last Outlander of the season. Roger and Brianna were introduced. Roger is exactly as I pictured him. Brianna is difficult. I would have thought Claire would do better raising her girl...they could not be close. She, of all people, should know you cannot get back the time you don't cherish with your child. That said, I liked this episode the best of the entire season. Make love, not war...

Fourth of July Eve...

On our way to Isabella, camp with the grands. Rocked the dock yesterday in Esky with friends, family and neighbors. Talked to so many people from work I hadn't seen some of them for years. Watching the kids bungee jump and log roll was so crazy! Beach time. Shopko. Music. Kitchi-Ti-Kipi. Sand Point Light House. More beach time. Football.
I am reading Mosquitoland. Lila by Maryanne Robinson I will get back with you on this book. I saw Finding Dory with the kids. I want to see Tarzan. Last Outlander of the season on the ninth of July. I love beaching and porching and back yarding with my daughters. The tweens are pure entertainment. Four of the grands will be thirteen by the end of November.
Fun in the cool summer sun...