All About Isabella

Last Friday we went to Izzy's final tennis tournament held at U of M campus in Ann Arbor.  It was the hottest day we've had this spring [89 degrees and sunny] so it was hot for the players, but all the teams had refreshment tents where teammates could go inbetween matches to get something to eat/drink and cool down a bit.

Chelsea [Izzy's team] won their first match against Armada, but lost the second match to Country Day.  The overall winning team was Cranbrook.

~ Izzy in action ~

Izzy in lower left corner.

Izzy with her parents ~ Jeremy and Samantha

Yesterday [Sunday] was her high school commencement at 2:00 p.m. at Chelsea football field.  Below is the graduate's procession.  Izzy is the one looking at us and waving.

~ 183 Graduates ~

~ Getting her Diploma ~

~ The happy graduate! ~

A very proud mom and dad.  Izzy was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Izzy is our sixth grandchild to graduate from high school - two more to go.   We're so proud of her!  [I went dressed to climb bleacher steps with a sunhat for protection.]  

~ Landon, Izzy and Ellie ~

Maternal and Paternal Grandparents with Izzy's immediate family.

After commencement we went to The Common Grill in downtown Chelsea for dinner.

Izzy will be off to Michigan State in the fall - her dad's alma mater.

A picture with "Sparty"

The years have passed so swiftly.  I remember the day she was born and it doesn't seem like 17 years ago.  I gave her the Shutterfly album I made for her yesterday.  

Memorial Day 2023

Did you have a nice Memorial Day?  For many the holiday marks the beginning of summer even though summer doesn't officially arrive until June 21st.

Our family had such a nice time at Indian Springs Metropark in White Lake last Memorial Day that we decided to return again this year.  The park is the best kept secret, because it's a beautiful park with few visitors or picnickers.  The entry fee is only $10 per vehicle, unless an annual pass has been purchased.  Our daughter arrived around 11:00 a.m. to secure the same pavillion we had last year, and the rest of us trickled in around noon or shortly thereafter.

It was a picture perfect day with a high of 87 degrees and a gentle breeze - ideal for the little [and not so little] grandkids who wanted to enjoy the splash pad and/or play corn hole. 

[Jeremy and John]

[Brooke and Izzy]

[Landon, Brooke and Izzy]

~ The Family Patriarch ~

And an uninvited guest who wasn't shy and made himself right at home among us.

The family gathering wasn't only a time of celebrating Memorial Day together, but a farewell for John, Tiffany, Evie and Juliette.  John accepted a new ministry position in Oceanside, California and they will leave Michigan next week.  It was a bittersweet gathering.

 

Four of our grandchildren are adults now, so it's difficult to have an event where everyone is present - four were missing in the photo below, but we still had a great time together.

To include tea in this post, I recently saw a photo of a tea mural painted on the side of a building that I thought was very creative.

White House Menus

Since this is a patriotic weekend, I thought it would be fun to share two books in my library - one which just arrived in today's mail.

Those who know me and have followed my blog, know I like history and cooking - not particularly in that order.  I'm a subscriber to Anne Byrn's weekly newsletter, Between the Layers [she's authored several books but is probably best known for The Cake Mix Doctor].  Her May 9th article featured Alex Prud'Homme's book, Dinner With the President.  [He is Julia Child's great nephew by marriage and coauthored My Life in France with her.]  The book sounded so good, I ordered it.  

I haven't had a chance to delve into it yet, but I'm impressed just by reading the dust cover which states food is not just fuel... it's a tool of communication. Some of the most significant moments in American history have occurred over meals.  Anne Byrn says food is a connector.  I agree and it doesn't just apply to US Presidents.  It's at the core of hospitality, be it family and/or friends.

I can hardly wait to see if tea is in the book beyond the Boston Tea Party.  Surely it must be!

The second book has been on my bookshelf longer, The Original White House Cookbook 1887 Edition [mine is a reproduced 1999 edition].  

It has a chapter dedicated to coffee, tea, and beverages.  For being written in 1887 some of the instructions still hold true today, such as warming the pot first before steeping tea in it.  A Chinese interviewee for the book said to drink tea plain without the addition of milk or sugar because tea-brokers and tea-tasters, never do, epicures never do, and the Chinese never do!  It's true additives do alter the taste of tea.

I only have one piece of reproduced Presidential china by Woodmere China Company and it's a cup and saucer in the pattern Mary Todd Lincoln bought for the White House when her husband was in office.  

President Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address at the dedication of Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  Our nation had not yet begun to celebrate Memorial Day when he delivered it, but there are many connections between him and the national holiday we will be celebrating on Monday. 

 

Wishing you a Happy Memorial Day... 

As we honor those who served and fought for our country - who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.  We remember their bravery and selfless service to our country, and we offer our sincerest thanks and gratitude.   God bless all who serve in our Armed Forces.

Tea at Royal Treat Tearoom

I hadn't been to tea with my girlfriend, Lori, since the beginning of March, so we made plans to go to Royal Treat tearoom today at 1:00 o'clock, and we stayed until they closed at 3:00 o'clock!  We had lots of catching up to do.  ;-)

I ordered a pear flavored green tea and Lori got a hibiscus/pomegranate herbal blend.  Mine was served in a pretty black teacup and Lori's in daffodil teacup.

We began with an array of delicious scones.

We each ordered their quiche and salad.  Mine was Bacon, Mushroom and Onion, and I think Lori's was Ham and Three Cheeses.

Lori is such a good friend, and our time together flew by.   We're always able to pick up right where we left off.

When I got home my hubby had gone to our granddaughter's tennis match, so I decided to go to an estate sale that was less than 2 miles from my house.  I ended up purchasing 13 napkins [six St. Patrick's Day, five Birthday, and two Halloween] for $6.50.

It was a very enjoyable afternoon!

Mother's Day 2023

I hope you enjoyed a Happy Mother's Day yesterday.  We were supposed to be in England, but fate [the transatlantic voyage was canceled by Cunard] decided we should be at home. 

My daughter, Lori, thinking we'd be in England, made plans for her husband and her to go to Holland, MI to celebrate his birthday [which is today].  It's become an annual tradition for her to plant geraniums in my two front porch planters for my Mother's Day gift.  She came over on Thursday afternoon to do that.

Now I need to get busy and bring up the rug and porch furniture from the basement [where it's been stored all winter], now that nice weather is finally here.

My youngest son, Jeremy, was in Memphis, TN yesterday, but he called and FaceTimed me while I was on the way to church yesterday morning to wish me a Happy Mother's Day.  And Lori called later in the afternoon.

She and Dave planned a meet-up with Tiffany [her daughter], John and the girls on their way home from Holland.  Tiffany posted two pictures that I'm sharing.  One was taken yesterday and the other was from Evie's school program last week.  Lori is treasuring these times with Tiffany and her granddaughters before their move to California next month.

Steve was my only child who remained in the area to celebrate with, but he made it very special.  He incorporated a picture of him and me in the hospital shortly after his birth in his message.  The two Biblical women he focused on were Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Jocabed, the mother of Moses, but he used our picture to convey "Nobody holds a child more closely after birth than a mother... she's not a stranger to her baby.  They've been getting to know one another for nine months...". While a mother's arms are always there to embrace her children, she ultimately has to release them to God, others, and the world around them.

After church a photographer took photos of mothers and their families.

Then seven of us [Steve, Sharon, Brooke, Sharon's parents, and Jerry and me] went out to dinner at a restaurant in Imaly City.  It was a nice time of visiting and being together.

I'm very thankful for the [3] children and spouses, [8] grandchildren and one spouse, and [2] great-grandchildren God has blessed me with.