This darn blog site is driving me crazy! I've been trying to post for a
couple of weeks but have had zero luck. Seems they redid/updated/messed
with the site to make it more user friendly, and instead it blocked me
from posting. Aaaaaargh....So now, with the aide and assistance of my
best friend, I'm back online. I email her the blog and she posts it.
I live in Farmington Hills, Michigan, a good sized little city outside
of Detroit. A couple of weeks ago was our big summer celebration,
Founders Festival. The yearly summer festival originally was meant to
celebrate the heritage of the city--it was founded by Quakers--but
nowadays it's pretty much an opportunity for the local merchants to have
sidewalk sales, and to have a carnival-type atmosphere in the downtown
area. It may be missing it's initial intent, but it's still lots of fun.
I went on Thursday, the first day, and walked all over checking out the
crafter tables. I ended up purchasing a great looking purse made by a
young Hmong woman. The purse has reverse applique on the front in a
traditional Hmong pattern.
(Brief history lesson: The Hmong are an ancient people with origins in
Southern China. Thousands of years ago, when the Huns invaded China from
the north, there was much bloody strife and the Hmong began a southward
migration. In the 18th century, thousands of Hmong families made
historical travels down the rivers of southeast Asia and settled in the
mountainous regions of northern Laos, living as self-sufficient farmers
in remote setlements. During and after the Vietnam war, the Hmong people
had to flee again. Many migrated to the U.S.)
The Founders Festival is always noted for excellent entertainment. On
one of the evenings, the Sun Messengers performed at the downtown
bandshell. They were so good! http://www.sunmessengers.com/ They
are an eight piece showband and are, in fact, the house band for
the Detroit Pistons at the Palace. Their music had the crowd on their
feet, clapping and singing along. They played everything from jazz to
old Motown. It was the Motown that got me dancing! I ended up in
front of the stage, along with half a dozen other young women,
dancing our feet off. The band dubbed us the Farmington Fly Girls (smile).
On Saturday, the last day of the Festival, my plan had been to go to the
parade but I overslept. Darn it. The parade is one of my all-time
favorite things. I love the Shriners in those midget cars racing around!
I had tickets to the raffle party at the American Legion Hall that
evening, and I made it to that. What it is is a party where they draw
the winning Farmington Founders Festival raffle tickets. They sell 100
raffle tickets for $100 apiece. First prize is your choice of $30,000
cash OR a new Corvette OR a new GTO OR a pair of Harley motorcycles. The
other 9 prizes are cash, ranging from $250 to $1,000. Keeping to
tradition, I didn't win anything (smile). But I got a free hotdog, a bag
of chips, and a bottle of water, and a pretty fun time.
Wish you could have been there with me.
hugs--Tawny
http://www.tawnyford.com
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Gloria Jean and Bob's wedding last Saturday was really nice. I kow all brides are beautiful, but Gloria Jean, a classic beauty, was absolutely ravishing in her white gown. And Bob, beaming through it all, was looking good in his white tuxedo.
Funny thing, Uncle Mack was with us in spirit.
Before the ceremony got started, while people were still arriving for the ceremony, this woman (who obviously wasn't any of our family because we all know each other by sight) stood up, said 'hey there! I'm Debbie, my husband, Art, is the best man! Just wanted to say hi to you all!" and then sat back down. We all started laughing and crying because that's something Uncle Mack would have done in a roomful of strangers (smile).
This week's mail brought another wedding invitation. My cousin Nicole and her fiance, Corey, are getting married in early August. They've been going together for a couple of years and finally decided the time was right to tie the knot.
I know this is selfish, sort of, but I am so glad Gloria Jean and Bob got married here in the metro Detroit area, and that Nicole and Corey are marrying here, too. Hotel rooms, gas and gifts--it all gets pricey, you know?
I know whenever I go to Michigan City for a family event, at least until the price of gas went sky high, it's been the cost of the hotel room that's hit me hardest. I could stay with family, that's what most of my relatives do, but when you stay with someone, well, you never get any peace and quiet or rest. My family likes to stay up half the night partying and me, well, by 11pm I've had enough of seeing everyone and talking and I just want a quiet place to lay my head. Yeah, I know, I'm no fun, that's what my cousins say (smile).
Tawny
ww.tawnyford.com
Funny thing, Uncle Mack was with us in spirit.
Before the ceremony got started, while people were still arriving for the ceremony, this woman (who obviously wasn't any of our family because we all know each other by sight) stood up, said 'hey there! I'm Debbie, my husband, Art, is the best man! Just wanted to say hi to you all!" and then sat back down. We all started laughing and crying because that's something Uncle Mack would have done in a roomful of strangers (smile).
This week's mail brought another wedding invitation. My cousin Nicole and her fiance, Corey, are getting married in early August. They've been going together for a couple of years and finally decided the time was right to tie the knot.
I know this is selfish, sort of, but I am so glad Gloria Jean and Bob got married here in the metro Detroit area, and that Nicole and Corey are marrying here, too. Hotel rooms, gas and gifts--it all gets pricey, you know?
I know whenever I go to Michigan City for a family event, at least until the price of gas went sky high, it's been the cost of the hotel room that's hit me hardest. I could stay with family, that's what most of my relatives do, but when you stay with someone, well, you never get any peace and quiet or rest. My family likes to stay up half the night partying and me, well, by 11pm I've had enough of seeing everyone and talking and I just want a quiet place to lay my head. Yeah, I know, I'm no fun, that's what my cousins say (smile).
Tawny
ww.tawnyford.com
Friday, June 18, 2004
I know I don't post very often. And I know that's not a good thing because a blog is supposed to be, like, a diary. I don't know why I don't write more often, maybe it's because I talk for a living and I'm all talked out by the end of the day.
Tomorrow, Saturday, June 19th, is the first big family get together since Uncle Mack got murdered and Uncle Gunk died. My cousin, Gloria Jean, is getting married and that's a good thing. She and Bob, her intended, make a nice couple.
A lot of the family is up here already for the wedding. The Michigan City relatives arrived this afternoon. My Uncle Robert from California, and my Uncle Walter from Mississippi, they and their families aren't coming. It was so costly for them to come across country twice in less than three weeks for the funerals that they can't afford to come again for awhile.
Aunt Sylvia, Uncle Gunk's widow, isn't here. The trip on the train was just too much for her. She has sent her love to Gloria Jean and Bob by telephone. One of my uncles said Aunt Sylvia wasn't coming because she used her train money at Bingo and lost it, but I think he was joking.
Everyone is used to Uncle Gunk not coming this way for events because he'd been sick for a long time before he died. He needed a new kidney, but......
On the other hand, Uncle Mack and Aunt Pearlie used to come north for family events all of the time. Last year they were here for my cousin Tiny's wedding and for Uncle Joe's funeral.
A party just isn't a party without Uncle Mack.
To be honest, when the Pistons won the championship the other day, that's the kind of thing Uncle Mack would have loved. He was a diehard Detroit sports fan. The family was glad the Pistons won, don't get me wrong, I mean, who really likes the Lakers anyway? But it just wasn't as much fun as it would have been if Uncle Mack was around to celebrate it with us.
So while we're all looking forward to Gloria Jeans' wedding tomorrow, it's going to be a little sad too because the uncles won't have to have a "Mack Plan" and they've always had a "Mack Plan" for a zillion years.
What is a "MackPlan"? Well, it's like this.
See, Unce Mack used to like to drink a bit. Okay, Uncle Mack loved getting his drink on (smile). And he had a habit, as many happy drunks do, of beig a little obnoxious if you didn't know him. He gave out hugs and told jokes and sang songs, all things we loved, but things that mae strangers cringe. So if Uncle Mack were still alive, well, the uncles would have had a plan to keep him from bothering Bob's family.
I'm looking forward to the wedding but I know I'm going to be missing Uncle Mack something fierce.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Tomorrow, Saturday, June 19th, is the first big family get together since Uncle Mack got murdered and Uncle Gunk died. My cousin, Gloria Jean, is getting married and that's a good thing. She and Bob, her intended, make a nice couple.
A lot of the family is up here already for the wedding. The Michigan City relatives arrived this afternoon. My Uncle Robert from California, and my Uncle Walter from Mississippi, they and their families aren't coming. It was so costly for them to come across country twice in less than three weeks for the funerals that they can't afford to come again for awhile.
Aunt Sylvia, Uncle Gunk's widow, isn't here. The trip on the train was just too much for her. She has sent her love to Gloria Jean and Bob by telephone. One of my uncles said Aunt Sylvia wasn't coming because she used her train money at Bingo and lost it, but I think he was joking.
Everyone is used to Uncle Gunk not coming this way for events because he'd been sick for a long time before he died. He needed a new kidney, but......
On the other hand, Uncle Mack and Aunt Pearlie used to come north for family events all of the time. Last year they were here for my cousin Tiny's wedding and for Uncle Joe's funeral.
A party just isn't a party without Uncle Mack.
To be honest, when the Pistons won the championship the other day, that's the kind of thing Uncle Mack would have loved. He was a diehard Detroit sports fan. The family was glad the Pistons won, don't get me wrong, I mean, who really likes the Lakers anyway? But it just wasn't as much fun as it would have been if Uncle Mack was around to celebrate it with us.
So while we're all looking forward to Gloria Jeans' wedding tomorrow, it's going to be a little sad too because the uncles won't have to have a "Mack Plan" and they've always had a "Mack Plan" for a zillion years.
What is a "MackPlan"? Well, it's like this.
See, Unce Mack used to like to drink a bit. Okay, Uncle Mack loved getting his drink on (smile). And he had a habit, as many happy drunks do, of beig a little obnoxious if you didn't know him. He gave out hugs and told jokes and sang songs, all things we loved, but things that mae strangers cringe. So if Uncle Mack were still alive, well, the uncles would have had a plan to keep him from bothering Bob's family.
I'm looking forward to the wedding but I know I'm going to be missing Uncle Mack something fierce.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Heaven, I'm in heaven.........!
The first season of Northern Exposure, on dvd, went on sale yesterday. I bought my long awaited copy at Sam's Club for $33 and some change.
I have been a big fan of this show ever since the first episode I caught on rerun on the cable channel A+E. I've seen the show, episode one straight thru to the final episode, oh, maybe three or four times. Ever since A+E took it off the air I have been having Northern Exposure withdrawal and I have to tell you, it has not been pretty.
But all of that is now a thing of the past. I have been happily and contentedly watching and rewatching the
entire first series since I got home from Sam's Club yesterday. And it is great.
If you're a fan of the show you need to take your sweet self to the store and score a copy. It is worth every single penny.
Now I'm just awaiting the day when the rest of the show's series make it onto dvd.
Tawny
tawnyford@webtv.net
The first season of Northern Exposure, on dvd, went on sale yesterday. I bought my long awaited copy at Sam's Club for $33 and some change.
I have been a big fan of this show ever since the first episode I caught on rerun on the cable channel A+E. I've seen the show, episode one straight thru to the final episode, oh, maybe three or four times. Ever since A+E took it off the air I have been having Northern Exposure withdrawal and I have to tell you, it has not been pretty.
But all of that is now a thing of the past. I have been happily and contentedly watching and rewatching the
entire first series since I got home from Sam's Club yesterday. And it is great.
If you're a fan of the show you need to take your sweet self to the store and score a copy. It is worth every single penny.
Now I'm just awaiting the day when the rest of the show's series make it onto dvd.
Tawny
tawnyford@webtv.net
Monday, May 17, 2004
Someone asked me 'what do you mean if Dave and Diane lost their home, none of us are safe?'.
It's like this.
Dave and Diane are good people. Salt of the earth, if you will. Flannel shirts and blue jeans, go to work everyday, work hard. No drinking, no drugging, no hard and fast living. No living large going on next door. No big screen tv, no SUV, no jewelry.
If people who are doing the right thing on a daily basis, living life as best they can, if they can lose their home..........
Bud, that's Dave's father, remember? Bud built that house fifty-some years ago. He built it from odds and ends, wood and fixtures he'd scrimped and saved to buy. Bud and his missus, and Dave and his sister, they lived there. Then Bud bought a small piece of land at the end of our block and built himself another house, again out of building materials he'd foraged for. He and the missus moved down there, and they sold the old homestead to Dave and Diane. It's the only home Dave has ever known.
So it's like not bad enough that Dave and Diane lost their home to the bank, but a piece of their family history is now in the hands of strangers.
Don't the folks who report statistics always say that most of America is only one paycheck away from homelessness?
hugs, Tawny
It's like this.
Dave and Diane are good people. Salt of the earth, if you will. Flannel shirts and blue jeans, go to work everyday, work hard. No drinking, no drugging, no hard and fast living. No living large going on next door. No big screen tv, no SUV, no jewelry.
If people who are doing the right thing on a daily basis, living life as best they can, if they can lose their home..........
Bud, that's Dave's father, remember? Bud built that house fifty-some years ago. He built it from odds and ends, wood and fixtures he'd scrimped and saved to buy. Bud and his missus, and Dave and his sister, they lived there. Then Bud bought a small piece of land at the end of our block and built himself another house, again out of building materials he'd foraged for. He and the missus moved down there, and they sold the old homestead to Dave and Diane. It's the only home Dave has ever known.
So it's like not bad enough that Dave and Diane lost their home to the bank, but a piece of their family history is now in the hands of strangers.
Don't the folks who report statistics always say that most of America is only one paycheck away from homelessness?
hugs, Tawny
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
