End of Road Trip Eve (Road Trip Day 94)

Today was our last full day in Michigan. Joe and I went to town early this morning and had breakfast at Bob Evans and did a bit of grocery shopping at Meijer’s. The rest of the day has been catching up with my friend Jen via FaceTime, recordkeeping, naps, visiting with my brother Jeff, and just chilling before we start our drive tomorrow to Minnesota. 

We plan to pack up the car tonight and leave first thing tomorrow morning when we wake up. Our goal is to be into Megan's in Rockford tomorrow evening by around 6:00pm at the latest. I anticipate 10 to 12 hours on the road with stops. 

Tonight, my other two brothers, Kenny and Todd, and Jeff's wife, Kathy, are coming up to the cottage to spend the evening with us. 

I have enjoyed all the visiting we have done over the past ninety-four days. Now, we are looking forward to getting settled in Minnesota. 

We are about to embark on another new chapter. Not sure what that is going to look like. I know that I have always had a plan, even if the plan was to get up and go to work the next day! Getting settled into our temporary home with Megan and Jeremy appears to be a short-term plan.

 

South Haven and Saugatuck, Michigan (Road Trip Day 93)

Joe and I met up with Bruce in Schoolcraft, Michigan today and then on to Kalamazoo to pick up Diane from work. Diane was one of my two bridesmaids in 1974. We had reconnected a couple of weeks ago after 49 years. Diane and her spouse, Bruce, had offered to show us a bit more of Michigan before we ended our road trip.

We went to South Haven and Saugatuck. Both are communities on Lake Michigan. The only time I had seen Lake Michigan was around 1970 when we went on a family camping trip to Mackinaw City (I would have been fourteen years old). 

I was impressed with the beaches in South Haven! We wanted to explore the town and beaches on foot; however, the air quality continued to be poor because of the Canadian fires. We did walk a couple of blocks to a Mexican restaurant for lunch.

Mural in South Haven - the birds are sculpted metal

The beaches were full  even with poor air quality.

Lighthouse at South Haven

From South Haven we drove up to Saugatuck. Diane and I sat at a marina and watched the birds and the people. Joe and Bruce went for a walk. I wore a mask while we sat outside. While the air quality was unhealthy, there was a nice breeze at the marina which made for a pleasant hour or so. 

The smoke makes for poor photo quality!

We decided we needed a caffeine fix so ended up at Uncommon Coffee Roasters enjoying our caffeine and a couple of hours of political conversation. We had an awesome day with Diane and Bruce.

Joe

Diane

Bruce

About 5:30 pm we realized we needed to get back to Coldwater before the deer were out in force. 

Happy to report we made it safely back to the cottage!

WInding Down (Road Trip Day 92)

 We napped the entire day. With the smoke so heavy and the poor air quality - I am beginning to be a bit stir crazy. When I begin to read, I fall asleep. I listened to my daily meditation and fell asleep. I did not realize I was feeling so tired.

Is it 92 days of road trip or my body taking the opportunity to rest? 

Todd came up and went fishing with Jeff on the boat today. It was nice to chat with them for a few minutes before they headed home after a day of fishing.

Another highlight of our day was meeting my nephew Mitch, Megan (Mitch's wife), and Carol (Megan's mom) for dinner at Olivia's Chop House in Jonesville, Michigan. We spent almost three hours talking over dinner! Today I learned that before Carol retired, she taught special needs children in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. 

Dinner tasted good and the company was even better. 

I do not feel I need entertained; however, I have loved hearing people's stories during a meal. I am wondering how I will transition to meals without the stories. 

Also, I have come to equate a successful day as one in which we arrived home without hitting a deer. I am looking forward to driving without the need to be on high alert.

Mitch and Megan were so sweet telling us they would miss us when we leave. Mitch said they are now used to having us around. That is the best compliment! I am happy we will only be ten hours away and that it will be easier for family to make their way to see us as well.

A Second 49-Year Reunion (Road Trip Day 91)

Smoke from the Canadian fires have resulted in poor air quality all around us in Michigan and Northwest Ohio. The smell and haze are so thick it seems like dusk in the middle of the morning. This is a Smoke Tree - I saw it today while visiting Ney, Ohio - the town I lived in from aged twelve until eighteen when I married and moved to California. I had never seen a Smoke tree and found it appropriate that we discovered one today during a smoky day.

We visited with my Uncle Dick and Aunt Sue again today. We spent about an hour and a half and while we did not solve the world’s problems, we did discuss some of them including global warming, electric cars, and the need for technical education to keep up with the changing automation in manufacturing, and politics in general.

During my uncle’s career at Johns Manville, he would end up working shifts of 12 to 14 hours. Aunt Sue would keep busy by hooking rugs (her rag rugs are amazing!), crocheting, beading, and creating fabric jewelry. She shared her work today and gifted Joe and me several of her pieces. I encouraged her to ask her daughters to help her set up an Etsy or equivalent account. I took photos of the items she gave us.

Drink Koozies

Beaded Angel Pin

Cloth Necklace

We then met up with Connie, Rick, and their daughter Annie in Bryan at Grand Plaza Mexican Grill for dinner. Connie and I have not seen each other since July 12, 1974. She was my other bridesmaid!

We had a great time getting up to date with our lives. Rick and Connie adopted and fostered twenty-five children over the years. They have had good times and hard times and yet they maintain a sweetness and willingness to help their now adult children, grandchildren, and others in need. In the past, Rick’s job often had him traveling and Connie would be home with twelve children. She shared that at one time she had 8 teenage boys at one time. Wow! Talk about doing important work!

Spending this time with Connie reminded me of how blessed I was with her friendship at 18 years old, and how blessed I feel to have been in her space again today. Forty-nine years later. I wrote about my other bridesmaid, Diane, on June 17^th when we met for the first time in forty-nine years. Diane, Connie, and I all worked together at Lester’s Diner in Bryan. We were all the same age and in the same grade but in different high schools. They were my closest friends during 1973 and 1974 when we worked together. I had high school friends – Diane and Connie were my first ‘adult’ friends made in the world outside of high school. We picked each other!

Connie

I keep asking myself how I let those friendships remain fallow for forty-nine years and why I felt the strong need to connect again recently. I think it may be a way to come full circle. They were the relationships I built at the very beginning of my working career and here I am at retirement wanting to reconnect.

And in this stage of life, I can actively add them back into my friendship fold. One can never have too many people to love!

I also got a sweet text from my friend (and mentor) Scott that they (he and Judy, his wife) were leaving Colorado and driving to Swanton this coming Saturday. They were sorry to have missed us this trip and wished us a safe journey to Minnesota. I have known Scott and Judy for forty-six years!  

So today I am grateful for the gifts of time, family, and friends.

What are you grateful for today?

Friends in Swanton (Road Trip Day 90)

It rained off and on today. For the most part we stayed at the cottage resting. Joe read while I watched Netflix.

In the afternoon we drove to Swanton, Ohio to visit my former co-workers Becky, Dane, and Dan. We worked together for 4 years before I left to work for Hygiea in February 2015. It was a treat to see them and catch up. Late last year the former primary owner of the company they work with had told me the company was in the process of changing hands – he was turning the company over to the employees. I was happy to hear this!

I am so pleased for Becky, Dane, and Dan as they are all committed to the success of the company – even before they owned a part of it!

Visiting with them this evening reminded my once again that people can work together and be friends. I know that conventional wisdom is to not mix business and friendship – I think that is a way to dehumanize people in the workplace. Most people spend forty or more hours a week together in the workplace. It sure helps if they can respect and like each other.

Anyway, we talked and talked and talked - I was so happy to have been in their space!

I did not take pictures. I forgot as I was so caught up in the moment. I am going to download a photo of each of them from the internet. I want everyone to see what friendship looks like!

Becky

Dan

Dane

My heart is happy.

Sunday Funday (Road Trip Day 89)

My cousin, Doug, and his wife, Karen, drove over from Grosse Pointe, Michigan to visit with us today. They treated us to breakfast at a unique restaurant in Coldwater. Stoagies Family Room Cafe is located inside of a house.

Coffee cups are mismatched - the one they gave me brought a smile to my face.

Doug at breakfast with us this morning.

Doug is the son of my Aunt Betty (one of my mom’s older sisters) and Uncle Butch and brother to my cousin Tammy that we visited in Huntsville, Alabama earlier in our road trip. Over the years, he or he and his wife would visit us in California when one or the other travelled to California on business. Like us, they are both retired and enjoying the retired life. We always enjoy visiting with them!

After breakfast we came back to the cottage and sat outside under the maple tree in the backyard and talked until about 3:00 pm, at which time we headed back to Coldwater to have a treat at Dairy Queen.

This morning while Joe went for his walk, he noticed a rain cloud. He turned back and almost made it when it started raining. His jacket, hair, and pants were wet, his shirt damp.

This afternoon as we were leaving Dairy Queen it started to storm. We stopped to get gas and the rain and wind became torrential. Joe was already in the process of getting gasoline when the downpour turned insane. The wind was so strong that the rain was sideways. Joe’s second time to get soaked today!

Joe wanted to stop at the grocery store so I drove as close as I could to the building to let him out. By the time he came out of the store, ten minutes later, the rain had let up a bit.

This storm was welcomed by local farmers (except maybe the wheat farmers) as it has been a dryer than normal year around the area.

Family Fish Fry (Road Trip Day 88)

It was laundry day! We sure do know how to have a good time.

Truth: Laundry wasn’t nearly as fun as having our family all together today for a visit. While it got quite warm, we were mostly comfortable outside for the day. Family members started arriving at noon and we sat outside under the big tree in the cottage’s yard. We ate at around 5:00 pm and the last person left at around 8:30 pm.

The food was great. My brothers, Jeff and Todd, along with my nephew, Mitch, deep fried 300 pieces of Crappie, Blue Gill, and Perch. (Of which I helped by eating 8 pieces). The pieces ranged in size from 6 inches to 10 inches. Family members brought sides to share and included a make your own salad, baked beans, cheesy potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fruit salad, a salsa dip and nacho chips, cucumber salad, gluten free chocolate cake with a chocolate filling and vanilla frosting, homemade ice cream, strawberry pie with whipped cream, and fruity pebbles marshmallow treats. The Karnes know how to cook and eat!  

A list of family members in attendance today (I have written previously about most family members – the ones I haven’t written about, I will write a bit about):

Kenny Karnes (my brother, 13 months younger than me)

Mitch and Megan, Carol (Megan’s mom) – My sister Jeni’s oldest son. Jeni died in September 2019.

               Megan is Mitch’s wife. Joe and I attended their wedding in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in September of 2021. We had met Megan at past family get togethers (like funerals and weddings), so we had the opportunity to spend time with her and Mitch the day after their wedding. Megan helped Mitch to care for Mitch’s Uncle Rudy for many years. In addition to special physical needs that required him to be in a wheelchair, Uncle Rudy required dialysis. Sadly, Rudy passed away on June 7^th at the age of 74. Megan is a caring, kind, and engaging person. Every family can use a Megan Bauer.

               Joe and I met Carol after the September 2021 wedding and enjoyed getting to know her. She recently began experiencing health issues and is living with Mitch and Megan while she recovers. I enjoy talking to Carol as she enjoys traveling, theater, and exudes an upbeat personality. When your kid marries into the family, you become family. An item on Carol’s bucket list is to visit the Winchester Mystery House in California.

Jason and Diana, Andrea, Nolan – Jason is Mitch’s younger brother (therefore, Jeni’s son). He and Diana are parents t0 Andrea (aged 3) and Nolan (9 months). Jason is not one for crowds, so I really appreciated him coming and spending time with the group today. He is looking forward to his new work position, he is moving from a supervisory role to a mechanical engineering role. Diana is a scientist and far more extroverted than Jason. One of the things I most appreciate about her is that she lets me hold and kiss on her children. Both Andrea and Nolan let me hold and kiss their sweet little faces. Andrea also played ‘tag’ with us and was totally cool about running behind our lawn chairs, touching our backs, and calling out ‘tag!” She would touch me on my right shoulder, and I could reach around and ‘tag’ her on the left as she ran behind me. I’ll bet she sleeps well tonight! Today was the first time they have had Nolan to a family gathering so it was a treat for us all to meet him.

Jeff, Kathy, Renee, Jami Karnes – Jeff is my youngest brother. He and his wife Kathy were the host and hostess for today. Renee and Jami worked their butts off today helping to set up and helped to clean up before we sent them on their way so they could beat the deer population back to Jami’s house in Paulding, Ohio.

Todd and Cindy Karnes, and Daniel – Todd is my baby brother (father to Courtney, Jacob, and Caity). Cindy is a full-time caregiver for Daniel and so he is also like family.

Courtney, Clayton, Tatum, Adaleigh (Addy), Joss, and Leisel – I have written quite a bit about them this week!

Jacob, Samantha, Daughter – I have written quite a bit about them earlier this week. Daughter was having fun with her new cousins!

Caity, Hunter, and Duncan (the dog) – We were delighted to see them again after our visit to them earlier this month. Yes, Duncan got to come to visit too!

As people arrived earlier in the day, I did a Messenger Video with my daughter, Megan, so she could say hi to her uncles, dad, and cousins. We were unable to connect later in the day when several family members came. She hopes to join us at future family gatherings.

I did not take a single picture. Not one. I did get lots of hugs though and that was worth a thousand pictures.

A photo of many family members in July 2019 at my sister's funeral:

Front row: Adaleigh (Addy), Tatum, Joss; Second row seated: Jeff, Kenny, Beth, Todd; Third row: Kathy, Renee, Megan Bauer, Cindy, Courtney, Leisel, Caity; Last row: Jami, Diana, Jason, Mitch, and Jacob.

Boat Tour (Road Trip Day 87)

My brother Jeff and sister-in-law, Kathy, took us for a boat ride on 7 lakes that connect today. Depending on if you are at the southern end of the lake chain (Coldwater) or the northern part of the lake (Marble) the chain is known as Coldwater Chain or Marble Chain. Marble residents were not happy when the map people added the chain to maps as the Coldwater chain.

The seven lakes from South to North are Coldwater, Long, Mud, Loon, Bartholomew, Archer (locals call it Archer, the map people called it Middle Lake), and Marble. At the tip of Marble is a very small lake called First Lake.

We boated around all except First Lake.

The tour lasted four hours. We had perfect weather, overcast and not too hot, to be on the water. The channels between each lake provided us with opportunities to see ducks, turtles, birds, geese, blue herons, ducks, and swans. Kathy caught site of a deer on shore; however, it slipped away into the woods before I could line up a photo shot.

Turtles enjoying their spot on the log

Blue Heron

This duck was grooming itself on shore

Swan 

Kathy and Jeff - they love fishing from their boat. Today they gave us the grand tour instead of fishing.

Joe keeping the sun off of his head.

There were many beautiful homes on the lakes - this was my favorite.

How fun! Note the fish deck chairs on this lakehouse dock.

 After we got back to the cottage, nieces, Renee, and Jami, arrived to visit, and have dinner out with us. Renee and Jami are sisters. We had stayed with Renee earlier in our trip. This was our first visit with Jami. Jami teaches sixth grade math in a public school in northwest Ohio. She is the youngest daughter.

Jami, Beth, Renee

Jeff, Kathy, Renee, Jami, Joe, and I went to dinner at Bill’s Steak House in Bronson, Michigan. They are the number one steak house in the area.

 It is only 9:15 pm here and I am tired. Looking forward to seeing all my siblings, nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews tomorrow.

Quiet Day (Road Trip day 86)

Quiet day at the cottage today. My brother, Jeff, and Joe did some prep work for a family fish fry to be held this Saturday. We are expecting all the Kenneth & DeAnn Karnes (my parents) offspring and their offspring and 7 great-grandchildren to be here. Megan, my daughter, is the only grandchild unable to make it.

I did paperwork, napped, researched routes home to Minnesota for July 1^st. We had considered going north through Mackinaw City and going across northern Wisconsin and then dropping down to Megan’s home in Rockford, Minnesota. After thinking about it some more we decided to simply drive through Chicago and across. We will do the other route on a future trip to or from Ohio.

We went to dinner with my niece, Courtney, and her new beau, Clayton, this evening. We enjoyed meeting Clayton and having the opportunity to get to know a bit about him. He was very gracious in answering my ‘nosy aunt’ questions. Clayton served in the Navy and was deployed multiple times. He now works in a plant that manufactures magnet wire on third shift in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

We went to a restaurant Sweetwater Chop House. I think it has the most beautiful bathrooms:

 

After a terrific time at dinner, Joe and I went to watch Joss’s baseball team play in a tournament game for the championship. The team won with a score of 13-12.

Then we drove home at dusk which is prime time for deer. Tonight, we only saw one deer in the road and two near the road. Home safe again!

I also want to share a few photos I took on yesterday’s adventure. The first if of the awesome chocolate chip pan cookie, my cousin, Mike, made.

 

Then the kid’s pizza’s they created last night for dinner!

 

Joss's Pizza (age 8)

Lisel's Pizza (Age 4)

Tatum's pizza (Age 13)

Adeleigh's pizza (Age 9)

Cousins, A Niece, Great-Nieces and Great-Nephews, Oh My! (Road Trip Day 85)

While growing up our family would visit my dad’s sister, Betty’s family. Betty and her husband, Red, lived in a farmhouse during much of my childhood. They had five children.  Today we met up with the oldest three, Dewey (Denny when we were kids), Mike, and Rusty in their hometown of Defiance, Ohio. We have not been able to connect with their two sisters on this trip.

Oh my gosh! Joe and I enjoyed our visit with them as we shared memories and caught up on our lives. Dewey and Mike have retired from their jobs. Rusty works third shift at a food processing plant. Up until three years ago he worked as a carpenter; the company he worked for closed when the owner retired.

All three of the guys cook, something they have in common with Joe. Mike also enjoys baking. He is known for taunting his previous co-workers with photos posted to Facebook of his bike rides and the pies he makes while camping. Rusty also enjoys cycling – however, to my knowledge he does not taunt his co-workers.

I ‘borrowed’ this photo from Facebook and edited it to exclude a few people that I do not have permission to use their name in my blog. The photo is of Rusty, Mike, Aunt Betty, and Dewey taken before Aunt Betty passed on in December of 2018. Betty was my father’s only sister, and we all loved her so much. I miss her as much as I miss my parents.

By the way, Mike looks different today (from the picture) as he was clean shaven. Waiting for him to put up a photo on Facebook. He and Rusty look very similar now. Maybe that’s why he’s worn his beard - so people could tell him and Rusty apart.

Mike baked a pan chocolate chip cookie for our visit today. It was amazingly delicious and while I stopped at two pieces, I could have eaten the entire skillet full. It wasn’t a little skillet either!

One of the best parts of the visit was how much we laughed… and laughed,,, and laughed. I had forgotten how much our two families laughed when they were together. I am so grateful for my cousins!

Next, we went to my niece, Courtney’s home in Defiance to visit with her and her four children, Tatum (13), Adeleigh (Addy, 9), Joss (8) and Liesel (4).  Courtney is the oldest daughter of Todd and Cindy (my baby brother and his wife) and sister to Jacob and Caity.

We made and ate personal pizzas. Joe went out to the store and purchased strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, and cocoa powder. He made chocolate syrup with cocoa, and we all had fruits of our choice drizzled with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Liesel mostly ate whipped cream off the of her strawberry and then went back for refills of whipped cream. I’m not sure she ever ate the strawberry.

After dinner the children went out to play. Joe went with them, which gave Courtney and me an opportunity to chat.

The gift of time with my family is one of the best parts of this 3-week stay at my brother’s family cottage in Michigan.

A Sweet Day (Road Trip Day 84)

We drove to Woodville, Ohio today to visit with my nephew, Jacob, and his wife, Samantha (Sam). They are brand new foster parents to a six-year-old child. Jacob is the son of Todd (my baby brother) and Cindy. He is from February to October younger than Megan. We virtually attended Jacob and Samantha’s wedding in October 2020. Our very first virtual wedding!

Their yard extends down to the local river. The area is rural though they have neighbors. At one time, Samantha’s grandfather owned 100 acres of land but sold the land across the road to fund another purchase. Her grandparents have passed on. Samantha and Jacob purchased her grandfather’s house and have renovated most of it, it is a work in progress. The work they have done is impressive. Her parents live next door and her brother and his family live in a home across the road.

After dinner we all headed down to the river, Jacob, Joe, and child walked. Samantha and I took the gator down. Their backyard next to the river is a beautiful, lush green area with a slider bench, a picnic table, a tree swing, and a hammock. Everyone loaded into the Gator, and we drove around the property. The tour included a field where the family walks every evening – a 30-minute walk. They generally walk the path that goes around the perimeter of land that is in a flood zone. In the flood zone her father planted wildflowers at the front of the property and then a variety of trees to the back half of the property. Samantha believes her father planted the trees to extend the woods that back up to the land.

The land also includes working and closed oil wells which the family sells. The other family product is maple syrup. Samantha gifted us a bottle of syrup!

 

Jacob and Samantha have jobs that allow them to work from home part of the week. Jacob is business relations specialist for an organization that works with adults with disabilities helping them to get the skills and on the job training for employment and works with the employer partners. Samantha is an accountant and works with several organizations. She is also a fabulous baker with a specialty in gluten free desserts. We had the pleasure of tasting her cupcakes at Caity and Hunter’s wedding in July 2021.

After we got back to the cottage, my friends Ginger and Kim from Woodland joined in with me on a video chat. It was exactly what my mental health required – quite a bit of laughter. I love my tribe.

Tomorrow will be another day of visiting a few cousins and then time with my niece, Courtney (Jacob and Caity’s older sister) and her four children. We plan to create-your-own-pizzas for dinner with Courtney and kiddos.

Amish Farms & Back Roads (Road Trip Day 83)

Gary and Joan picked us up today to treat us to lunch and take us on a tour of backroads in the area. Gary’s mom, Jane, was my mom’s sister. We are cousins. Gary and Joan have been married for over 40 years and used to visit my folks often.

Gary will be seventy-seven this year and Joan will be seventy. Gary died in 2021 (I think I have the year right!) and they were able to bring him back to life. Fortunately, he was in the hospital which permitted them to save him. Joan shared the doctors said if Gary had been anywhere except the hospital he would have been gone for good. This episode gave them a deep appreciation and desire to make the most of the days they have together.

Joan and Gary do backroad tours on a regular basis. Some weeks they will go every day for a drive. It is often the spur of the moment. Instead of taking a nap, they will go for a ride. The drives help to keep them active.

Lunch was at The Lone Ranger Café in Reading, Michigan. Prices and food were very good! Gary and Joe had omelets, while Joan and I ate burgers.

Then it was off to tour local dirt roads to view Amish farms in the southwestern area of Michigan with a stop on the back road that has a marker for the spot where the state lines of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan merge.

I took lots of photos. Joan is a gifted photographer and usually shares a photo or two from their drives on Facebook. Over the years she has taken some of my favorite photos of barns.

In this area there are a few things in common to distinguish the Amish homes and farms from the English (that is the name Amish assign to non-Amish people) homes and farms. This is what I gleaned from today’s drive:

•  Laundry. The Amish hang their clean clothes out to drive. Monday (or maybe everyday) appears to be wash day. Almost every home had laundry out to dry. The hanging laundry is of Amish clothing.
• Bird Houses. Most of the Amish farms had at least several birdhouses as you will see in the photos. Particularly Gourd Birdhouses.
• No cars or tractors in their yards or near the barns. Instead, you may see a wagon or manual farm implements.
• All the homes and barns we saw today were white. Which makes sense as the Amish are interested in the good of people and animals and not in outer appearance as a measure of someone’s worth or value.
• Horses. The Amish horses are well cared for and among some of the most beautiful animals I have ever seen.
• Gardens are full of flowers and vegetables. Beautiful gardens.

·        A big crop for the Amish farmers in this area – pumpkins! Gary and Joan shared they have been here during the harvest, and they enjoyed watching. The pumpkins are sorted in a local barn and then semis come in and haul the pumpkins out to be sold.

The first photos I will share today were taken by Joan. The silo with a red and white top caught her eye. You can see a dirt road in the same photo.

She also took photos of Joe and me at the ‘M” that marks the location where the state lines for Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana meet.

 

The rest are photos by me.

Sheep with Dog

Hitching Post caught my eye

Schoolhouse 

Marker with instructions on locating spot where three states meet

Thanks to Gary and Joan for providing us with a day out and for sharing their backroad adventures with us!