18 posts tagged “family”
My sister and her husband welcomed Charlotte Lian Wednesday evening at 11:43 p.m. We had all been waiting eagerly for her arrival. And, now I can hardly wait to fly out to Wyoming to meet her.
We traveled to D.C. to visit the Cubby's family for the Easter holiday and to meet his nephew, Trip, for the first time.
What a cutie!
I didn't do all of my growing up in Michigan, but I like this poem nonetheless. I've spent enough time (and was born) in Michigan to think of her as a very good friend.
A Primer
by Bob Hicok
I remember Michigan fondly as the place I go
to be in Michigan. The right hand of America
waving from maps or the left
pressing into clay a mold to take home
from kindergarten to Mother. I lived in Michigan
forty-three years. The state bird
is a chained factory gate. The state flower
is Lake Superior, which sounds egotistical
though it is merely cold and deep as truth.
A Midwesterner can use the word "truth,"
can sincerely use the word "sincere."
In truth the Midwest is not mid or west.
When I go back to Michigan I drive through Ohio.
There is off I-75 in Ohio a mosque, so life
goes corn corn corn mosque, I wave at Islam,
which we're not getting along with
on account of the Towers as I pass.
Then Ohio goes corn corn corn
billboard, goodbye, Islam. You never forget
how to be from Michigan when you're from Michigan.
It's like riding a bike of ice and fly fishing.
The Upper Peninsula is a spare state
in case Michigan goes flat. I live now
in Virginia, which has no backup plan
but is named the same as my mother,
I live in my mother again, which is creepy
but so is what the skin under my chin is doing,
suddenly there's a pouch like marsupials
are needed. The state joy is spring.
"Osiris, we beseech thee, rise and give us baseball"
is how we might sound were we Egyptian in April,
when February hasn't ended. February
is thirteen months long in Michigan.
We are a people who by February
want to kill the sky for being so gray
and angry at us. "What did we do?"
is the state motto. There's a day in May
when we're all tumblers, gymnastics
is everywhere, and daffodils are asked
by young men to be their wives. When a man elopes
with a daffodil, you know where he's from.
In this way I have given you a primer.
Let us all be from somewhere.
Let us tell each other everything we can.
I was on the t.v. show Shear Genius (a hairstylist's knockoff of Project Runway) last week. Period. That's all I can say since Shear Genius will take $50,000 out of my pocket if I mention any more. And I very much like that wad of $50,000 sitting pretty in my back pocket- so my lips are sealed. But, I will say that I had my hair chopped off on national television and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I will elaborate eventually...
My Uncle Bob, the priest, has been in Rome for the past couple of months. From his frequent, wonderfully detailed letters to us at home I'm guessing he is doing what priests do while in Rome- eat good Italian food (I am so jealous!), hop on trains and planes to sightsee in Europe, and stalk the Pope. Some excerpts:
From Rome:
“i skipped out on the evening session and went out for a great dinner with a good friend from back home (…) great antipasto of prosciutto, salami, mozzarella, calamari, and artichokes (yeecchh), a wonderful pasta dish, and some chocolate gelato for desert. ordered a cappucino while everyone else ordered espresso. was told that was a faux pas - capuccino isn't consumed here after 10 am and that people will think you are strange should you do so. like i care! told them that back in the states people order capuccino after dinner all the time. the old saying, ‘when in rome, do as the romans’ isn't going to stop me from enjoying what i like!”
“…I was hoping not to have to do so, but i'm afraid i may have to procure a secretary to handle my social calendar. as of yet i haven't heard from benny (benedict XVI) but he had best call soon as my calendar is filling up. i understand that 'rank has its privileges,' but i don't think it would be fair to cancel out on someone else just because he is the pope (i am much more egalitarian-minded than most), so if he really wants to have me over for cocktails, lunch, or dinner, he best get on the ball!”
From San Marino:
“went through the public palace which is the home of the government. (…) the 60 member parliament is known as "the great and general council." it elects the two captains regent which rule the country for a six months term. after their term is up they can't be re-elected for 3 years and they have to undergo the judgement of the "regency syndicate" which is a special court that for 3 mornings hears any complaints from citizens as to what the former regents have done or not done. the judgements of the syndicate are final. george bush should thank his lucky stars we have a very different system of government in the u.s…”
“hope all is well with everyone. by the way, i have only heard from one of my nieces and nephews. have the rest of you fallen off the earth???”
take care!
love,
bobby
My cousin, Nick, is holding down the fort back home in Michigan at my Uncle Bob's house (conveniantly located next to the church.) He has been living there for his first year at the College of Creative Studies in Detroit. Free rent and monthly shopping sprees to Costco's on U.B.'s card ain't a bad life- he's a smart boy. While in Rome, he keeps Uncle Bob up to date on what is happening back home:
Uncle Bob,
Here is just a small recap of what has been happening at St. Justin's:
1. I have been throwing non-stop parties. Good news is that everyone loves the house. Bad news is, you are now out of Drambuie.
2. I have decided to become a televangelist, and conveniently use the church to hold my gospel sessions.
3. To increase my income, I've sold the Waterford collection and rent the church out to Baptists and Protestants on the weekends.
4. I wear ALL your political buttons to class each day.
5. I had the hot tub fixed with the money from the collection plates from each mass.
6. The hot tub is now in your room, which is now a penthouse suite I rent to honeymooners.
7. Kelven and I flew to New York last week for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. We won worst in show, which really traumatized Kelven.
8. Kelven proceeded to run away.
9. I fired Cameron.
Hope you are having a great time in Rome! Don't worry about me, I am doing just fine!
My cousin Kelly flew in on Valentine's for a weekend visit. She is fifteen years old. (I have to write this down for myself because to me she stopped getting older at age nine.) She sat between Tim and I as we all ate Zeke's takeout Bar-B-Q in our candlelit living room. With smokey mesquite sauce dripping off our fingers and the notes of a classical guitar wafting in the background (a random cd Tim got for free at work) Kelly was able to withhold gagging while Tim and I starred deeply and lovingly into one another's eyes.
My family celebrated an early X-mas this year in Michigan. We all got together to celebrate Uncle Bob's 25th Anniversary as a priest. It was quite an interesting celebration as we got to watch Uncle Bob, with his very large Drambuie glass, roasted by his fellow brothers in the priesthood. There was no holding back, and unfortunately no family members were allowed to partake in the roasting. I think Aunt Vicki did get to scream a few things from her table across the room, though. Shannon was the star photographer that evening and she took some great pix here. Shannon, Kelly and I kept the party going at the end of the night when the D.J. showed up to play some tunes. The best part being when Shannon asked him to play Baby Got Back to a crowd of mainly 50 year old and above parishioners. I'm sure we amazed everyone (and possible gave a few heart attacks) with our sweet dance moves!
A couple days later during heavy snowfall we got together to open gifts at Aunt Jackie's house. She and Uncle Tim had prepared steaks and Aunt Vicki brought over shrimp scampi. It was quite a feast and there was delicious cheesecake to top it off. Gift opening was the highlight of the evening. Not only was Shannon the star photographer this trip, she was also star gift giver of the "kids" having had gotten everyone a gift! How can I possibly outdo the digital camera she gave to mom and dad this year!?!
The entertainment during the gift giving event was G-ma, of course. None of her gifts were properly labeled. Some had just been thrown into trash bags and others came in already ripped wrapping paper with the gift half hanging out. I don't think we laughed harder then we did as G-ma handed wrong gifts to wrong people! Good times! We got to see our Uncle John who flew in from Phoenix and I walked away with a waffle maker. Score! ;)
It's been awhile...and the pix I am posting happened awhile ago...so here we go!
We love going to the Farmer's Market on Sundays to get fresh fruits and vegetables. And, lately I have been trying to get a fruit or vegetable that I've never really eaten alot to put in some new recipe. This week~ RHUBARB! I learned from Wikipedia that the leaves of rhubarb are actually poisonous (that's if you eat enough of them!) It is really a vegetable although it is used most of the time as a fruit. Also here's another interesting bit of info from Wikipedia:
It is or was common for a crowd of extras in acting to shout the word "rhubarb" repeatedly and out of step with each other, to cause the effect of general hubbub. As a result, the word "rhubarb" sometimes is used to mean "length of superfluous text in speaking or writing", or a general term to refer to irrelevant chatter by chorus or extra actors.
Since Tim and I ate Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins for our moms on Mother's Day we are now eating Strawberry Rhubarb Pie for our dads on Father's Day!! ;)
And, now ladies and gentlemen, the journey of Strawberry and Rhubarb:
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