'Proud Great-Grandma Day'

I wonder who thinks up all the special celebration days???  I didn't even know a great-grandma day existed until I went on Facebook this morning and saw a friend's post. 

If you've followed my blog very long you know I'm a proud great-grandma to two sweet little girls and I blog about them from time to time.  What a blessing to have four generations of our family living and enjoying life together.  

I only knew one of my great-grandmothers and she passed when I was seven.  The other three were deceased before I was born.  I pulled out a picture of my great-grandmother [my father's paternal grandmother] and made the side-by-side picture below.  She was actually two years younger than me in the photo.  She was the mother of four and grandmother and great-grandmother of many.  I've had the benefit of all the modern conveniences, while she worked much harder in her day.  She lived to be 84.  Do you remember your great-grandmothers?  Are you a proud great-grandma?

Speaking of family... my hubby and I were in Zeeland last Wednesday through Saturday visiting our son Jeremy and his family.  We had a wonderful time, and of course I took pictures!  ;-)

Jeremy celebrated his 46th birthday two days before we arrived, and Samantha still had the decorations up.  I baked his favorite - Boston Cream Cake -and took it to him.

Shortly after our arrival we were off to granddaughter Ellie's volleyball game, and her team won.  [She's in the middle in the white shirt below.]

We had unseasonably warm, beautiful weather the whole time we were there - mid 80 degree temps which is most unusual for October.  We saw very little color change as we traveled from the eastern side of the state to the the western side. Most of the trees are still green and keeping their leaves.

Thursday we met up with Jeremy for lunch in downtown Zeeland at a place called Taco Kitchen [he was downtown at the public library doing some work].  I got chicken tacos and they were yummy.  As you can see, we opted to eat outdoors.

Thursday night was football on the big screen TV watching Jeremy's favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers play the LA Rams.  It was a close game and went into overtime.  I went to bed and learned Friday morning the 49ers won 26-23.  

Friday, we drove to the nearby Post Family Farm.  It was busy with lots of young school children. Ellie only had a half day of school so she went with us.

We got some fresh apple cider and yummy pumpkin donuts to eat onsite and bought some to take home as well.  I was disciplined and only ate a half a donut [still watching my weight].  The apple cider was SO good - much better than Blake's Apple Cider available near our house.

Zeeland isn't an over populated area like where we live, so there's a lot more roadside farmer's markets to shop for fresh produce.  When we left the Post Farm we stopped at a smaller market a few miles up the road where Samantha purchased THE BEST freshly picked strawberries.  [Notice the very green trees in the background.]

Then we went home to grab a bite to eat before heading off to Grand Rapids for Landon's high school football game.

Below Landon is #10 looking towards us in the stands.  He was disappointed the Grand Rapids Pioneers beat his team [Holland Christian Maroons] but at least his family was in the stands to lend support.

Saturday morning got off to a busy start for this very athletic family.  Zeeland was celebrating their pumpkin festival and Ellie ran in the 5K for some extra school credit.  The race began at 8:30 a.m. and Sam and Jerry said she did very well.

All good things must come to an end, so around noon we got in our car and headed for home.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them.

Our family activities are MUCH different than what my great-grandma Bowman would have experienced.  Life for her and her family would have been keeping the farm in Ohio going seven days a week.  I like things just the way they are now, but when Evie and Jules grow up I wonder what they will say as they reflect on my lifestyle.  Life is always changing and it's hard to imagine what life will be like in another 50 years.

An Additional Tea Time Offering

I belong to a Facebook group [Christian Tea Time & Hospitaity], and a member recently posted a visit to The Huntington Library, Art Museum & Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA [an upscale area south east of Pasadena], where she had Afternoon Tea at the Rose Garden Tearoom, situated in the historic rose garden.  

What piqued my interest was following the scone course, a cheese course [$16 ala carte] can be added which I've never seen offered at Afternoon Tea before, and I think it's a great addition.

Apparently it's served on tiered servers or plates and both make a lovely presentation.

I went to their website and their cheese offering consists of Spanish Manchego, California Brie and White Cheddar or Gouda cheeses served with toasties, crackers, assorted fruit [Champagne grapes and California strawberries] and nuts [Marcona almonds or toasted pecans], and fig jam.  That sounds and looks so delicious and I would gladly pay $16.  Would you?   It serves two or more.  I don't know if the management at The Whitney would be open to such a menu option, but I'm definitely going to tell them about it.  Charcuterie is so popular and this is a form of it.

I wish I would have known about this venue when I visited Pasadena in 2019.

Being the history buff that I am, I had to read up on it.  I discovered [in a nutshell] Henry Edward Huntington was a railroad and real estate businessman.  In 1903 he bought the San Marino Ranch [now the Huntington].  He married Arabella in 1913 and in 1919 they signed a trust document that transformed their private estate into a public institution.  The Huntington opened publicly to visitors in 1928 and has grown over the past century to become an internationally renowned collections-based non-profit institution that supports the humanities, the arts, and botanical science.  

The Art Gallery was originally the home of Henry and Arabella and the library was built in 1919.  The Rose Garden Tearoom has recently been remodeled to mixed reviews.  Have any of you been there?  If so, please share your comments.