Keep in Touch with the Dutch--We are!

This evening we had the pleasure of hosting Jerry's Dutch coleagues at our house. Jerry took them for drinks on Main St., and had planned on dinner, but the waits were too  long! What bad economy??! So they came to the house and had dessert and coffee, then we played pingpong and shuffleboard, then had drinks and little snacks. Nico and Harry enjoyed meeting the girls and playing with Danny. They told great stories, especially exciting wwhen Nico talked about climbing Mont Blanc and hiking all through the alps. With crampons and ropes, the whole bit! Cool!
Danny and I went to mass this morninf for Aunt Reg and Nana. It was the feast of the guardian angels, and a beautiful mass. We did great bunches of schoolwork and also Taekwando. It was a day! Oh yes, it was a day!
See next post for photos!!!

Rouge Factory Tour! Another field trip..?( am I Ms. Frizzle?!)

Jerry asked Danny and I to join the Dutch guys on a tour of Fords Rouge truck plant. This is where they make the Ford F150. The guys are very nice, and it turns out that they are international safety experts for factories, so they really enjoy viewing the plant and critiquing what isn't as safe as it should be. We also do the living roof and the 2 movies. If you haven't gone you should make a point of it, or at least take your next out of town visitors there! Harry and Nikko loved the whole thing, and we capped it off by stopping at A&W for burgers and rootbeer floats(a first). It was really enjoyable. Then home again for school for Danny and coffee/cereal for me. Off to work at 5pm to assist with teen movie night, We only had 4 kids come :(
I stopped at Meijer on the way home to buy a couple of Tigers shirts for Jerry to give the Dutch guys tomorrow.
Susan went down the shore to take care of Mom. Hopefully the results of the tests will be fine, and she will come home tomorrow. Susan did a sweep of the house, and is telling the nurses what meds she needs, so that it fantastic. Susan and the family are going to Deleware to visit Claire this weekend. I think it will be a great trip and that they will all be happy to see each other!

Tuesday 9/27 BDL and home drama...

I was asked to sub at the last minute at work this morning. Danny did an hour of work then I dropped him off at Karen's. He walked up to piano lessons, then back to her house. They went to the apple orchard and picked 4 kinds of fresh apples. Back at her house they peeled and chopped and baked, and he brought home apples and a fresh baked apple crumble! Now that's a fun morning! He also finished up school, joined me at the library to make an awesome book wreath, and went to taekwando. BUSY!
Meanwhile while at work I get a call that Mom is in the hospital. She had a bleeding issue on Monday night and went to the ER. Decided not to call us, and then spent the night in the ER and was admitted on this morning. They will do a cat scan, and a colonoscopy. So between her and Aunt Reg (now in for a week) I am pretty stressed out. I want everyone to be better.
Jerry has colleagues in from the Netherlands and he was busy all day and night with them. Yup, that left me on driving and dog walking and dinner detail!

Monday 9/26 And we're off!

Charlotte heads off with all her paperwork to start her job trial, she will be in the Brighton High School cafeteria. Unfortunately she can't go to St. Pats because the timing is off, it needs to be during 5/6th hours of the day. She will be stocking in the Caf. and doing prep for the next day. We shall see! Molly also starts back up at Head Start and dog biscuits this week, so we will have 2 "working girls"!
Danny got a good jump on his week. Our morning chapter book is one of my old favourites from childhood, Snow Treasure. It is historical fiction, set in Norway in WWII, and tells the story of how a bunch of kids helped sneak gold bricks out of Norway under the watchful eye of the Nazi's. It is a great story, and it is fun to read it again and share it with Danny

Awesome Church Day

Man, today was the day that RCIA kicks off--all the folks who want to become Catholic, or were baptised Catholic but did not complete their sacraments begin their journey of faith, which culminates at the Easter Vigil.  Watching all their faces, young and old, engaged, parents, getting ready to commit to a year of faith study and join the church...it was very inspiring! Father Karl gave a fantastic homily about how vice and sin pulls us backward/and is death...but moving forward, growing, that's where the life is....and doing it because you want to grow and go deeper, that's what its all about. So you aren't regretting as you say no to a vice, you are reveling in the new and deeper life you have.
Forward March!!

Soccer Saturday

Special Olympics Livingston County celebrates Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day by attending a soccer tourney in Farmington Hills. Jerry coached Molly and Charlotte's team, because Coach Michelle had another engagement.  Coach did a terrific job(after telling me to "Be Quiet!" oops!) though they lost both their games. The girls really hustled, Molly on offense and Charlotte on defense. Danny and I stayed for only the first game, then headed back to Brighton. Frank's Mom's memorial service was at 10:30. We were happy to be able to attend. I had a nice phone call from my long lost best-friend-since-age-10 Lorrie Lockin! We lose touch but always reconnect, and weirdly enough we just start heart-to-heart talking as if no time has passed. Her kids are all fine,and her teaching job still making her happy. I hop and the night was so pretty. e we can get together soon. I took a long walk with Shawne after dinner, and I took the dog! Grandy and I both enjoyed it

moving ahead with the condo

I am helping Sue Koza to get all the rest of the furniture in her Mom's condo.  I got a call this afternoon that Love,Inc. can come tomorrow for what is left. This is great news because the y are hard to book. This also saves Jerry and I from an afternoon of work. Hopefully my obligation to this project ends Sunday. Sue is very appreciative, and has extended an invite to visit her in Florida this winter...sweet!
Danny and I had an OK day today. Really seesawed between great(walking the dog and discussing the Republican candidates,immigration reform, how religious views affect your politics!) and yuck(Danny groaning and whining over grammar worksheets and card making) It felt Friday=ish to me!
I had planned to go to a movie with Shawne and then hit a wall, annoyed with kids behaviour and my own lack of cleaning and organization, I cancel the movie and vacuum and tackle Danny's room. HOURS later I finish his room and get all we need ready for the morning-soccer tourney(depart at 7:15am) and memorial service for my friend Rhonda's mother=in=law at 10:30 at St. Pats.
End the evening watching a new show with Jerry. We are hoping to find a new show to watch together and gave  Unforgettable with Poppy Montgomery(we loved her in Without a Trace) a try. It was pretty good, in case you need a new show!