Every year we go to the cemetary and place flags on the Veterans of our family. For some reason--through the years---some of the flags go undecorated. I could contact a Veteran's Post to do it, but truthfully I like doing it myself. While we were there this year, 2 men in battle fatigues approached and thanked me for remembering our Veterans. They told me they are brothers---Marines----and come every year to place a flag on the grave of their Dad. And then they quietly sit and have a beer with him!! They thanked me again and I thanked them for serving our country and we went our separate ways-----but that was really a special moment for me.

I've always considered this the first weekend of summer, and accordingly, celebrated with a few "firsts"
----Friday night we consumed our "first" Mojito of summer---at a great little restaurat in Fort Wayne Indiana called the Oyster Bar. And it was even more special because we were all together celebrating birthdays!
----Saturday morning I took my "first" bike ride of summer. AND
----this was accompanied by my 'first" mosquito bite of summer!!!!!!
The weather is beautiful and yard work is getting done!!!!!

We in NW Ohio are so proud---and grateful--to Crystal Bowersox. I have heard locals talking about her for quite awhile---but heard her for the first time on American Idol. And I was amazed at her voice and talent. Sure, we were disappointed that she didn't win American Idol, but from what I am reading, she may be in a better position to control her career as number 2! Here are some pics from that magical night when she came home to a whirlwind day--and evening with the Mud Hens! The stadium was packed----and so was the parking garage and adjacent buildings--everyone wanted to get a peek at this little lady with the huge voice!

Look at this!! Luckily I had my camera in my purse. We were driving down the road and from a distance, it looked like a large bird was sitting on the fire hydrant. Wrong! When we realized it was a swarm of bees, we turned the car around----and very carefully rolled down the window to snap a pic---and then VERY quickly rolled the window up.

Way back in the 70's, I was a huge fan of Jethro Tull. He wasn't very mainstream---and the band's eclectic blend of different styles characterized by the flute of Ian Anderson made them one of my favorites. When we think of the music of that decade, bigger names come to mind now, like the Rolling Stones and Elton John. So imagine my surprise to find a perennial named after the band---somewhere out there is another fan who also loves flowers!

Friday night was our area's Relay for Life----an annual event sponsered by the Amercan Cancer Society to raise awareness and funds for this devastating disease that touches so many lives. Survivors(of which I am one!) are honored and those who have lost their lives are remembered. It had special meaning for me this year---a close friend came from the Cleveland Clinic where she is undergoing chemo--and we all gathered with her to show our love and support! Even the rain couldn't dampen the participants spirits---they just moved the event from the school stadium to the gymnasium and celebrated all nite long and into the morning!

It's our anniversary today--32 years, which seems incredible. I feel so blessed to be able to share my life with someone I love and like! But enough about us. We were able to celebrate 6 anniversaries together---and then Adam decided to be born 5 days early--on our anniversary. Candlelit dinner celebrations turned into grilled hot dogs and birthday cake. And now---Adam lives 5 hours away, and although we are back to a candelight dinner on the patio--I miss the hot dogs and birthday cake!

Goodbye old friend. You were always there for me--and my Mom and her siblings--and my Grandparents and who knows who else. The very old apple tree on the family farm was toppled last weekend by high winds. It actually has been dying a slow death over the last several years. My son who maintains the yard has been wanting to take her down for awhile but I told him to wait and let nature run it's course. Although you really can't shed tears for a tree, it is hard to look at the remains of this wonderful old tree!

While everyone else was watching Crystal Bowersox Friday night, I was watching the Mud Hens. While the crowd was electrified awaiting her arrival, they were casually leaning against their dugout acting nonchalant. But you could visibly see their interest once she arrived and the huge smiles on their faces---although their body posture still was nonchalant. Later in interviews, the pitcher admitted they were as excited as everyone else because they were all fans.

Ok, I should mention before I go any farther that I am probably the only person in the US of A that isn't an American Idol fan. But----sigh-----since the last season started, my little corner of the world in NW Ohio has been Crystallized(their word, not mine). As in Crystal Bowersox. I work with people who live by her, who went to school with her and on and on. So, finally I tuned in to listen and when I heard her belt out Me and Bobby Mcgee, I was, well---Crystallized. She is the real deal----early Janis Joplin and so incredibly wonderful. So here we are, down to the top 3 contestants and yesterday Crystal Bowersox came home---along with a camera crew from American Idol. She was in a parade, gave a concert at the Ottawa County Fairground and last nite sang the National Anthem at the Mud Hens game at 5/3 field. The crowd at the ballgame gave her such an outpouring of love and support----and she gave it all back in return. So--all I can say is VOTE FOR CRYSTAL!!!!

It's always a dilemna when the Peonies start blooming. Should we enjoy them in the flower beds or should we pick them!!! The threat of storms solved the problem----these hot pink blooms are in the house and now I am playing with my camera and the afternoon light! Plus, they smell sooo good!

Last night before the Detroit Tiger/Yankees game, the Tigers had a very moving tribute/memorial to Ernie Harwell. That gentle voiced gentleman is missed so very much! Last fall, after he announced he was dying from cancer, he asked if he could thank the fans for all the outpouring of love and support that had been shown to him. He walked onto the field and gave a moving but yet upbeat speech and never showed any regret or sadness, even though he acknowleged he was facing death. We've pulled our shirts out of the closet that we bought as members of the Mayo Smith society when former owner of the Tigers, Tom Monoghan forced Ernie into retirement. Fans were outraged and campaigned to bring hime back. Thus, the back of the shirt---Ernie-We Want Him Back. It wasn't until Monoghan sold the Tigers and the new owner, Mike Illitch brought Ernie back to do an inning every home game!

For the past week this little family marches past my window at work every morning. They come out of a grassy field and head to a large pond on the hospital grounds. I'm sure they paradel back every afternoon---after I am home. Just like all good parents, babies are always between the parents for safekeeping!

After work today, we went to the Toledo Public Schools plant sale--sponsered by the vocational horticultural school and students. Tonite was for staff members and the weekend it will be open in conjunction with the plant sale at Toledo Botanical Gardens. Great deals on annuals, veggies and herbs. We bought a few Black Eyed Susans(one of my favorites), tomato plants and some tender herbs. AND they had pea plants!! We are going to give it a try!!

Baseball lost a legend today---but to those of us lucky enough to be Detroit Tiger fans,we lost a friend. Ernie Harwell(in AP photo above), long time radio announcer of the Tigers died yesterday at the age of 92. There are lots of Ernie stories going around today so I will add mine. In the summer of 1984, Adam was a newborn and Matt was six. Every evening , Dan and I would turn on WJR and listen to Ernie and George Kell call the games. Ernie's signature style was that everytime someone caught a foul ball, he would say in a gentle, slightly southern voice " And a fan from Kalamazoo(or Saginaw, or Monroe or numerous other cities) caught that one"! Dan and I got a kick over Matt always being amazed that Ernie knew where all the fans were from!. And many a night I sat rocking Adam to sleep with Ernie. That was the summer that the serial killers Elton Coleman and Deborah Denice Brown left a bloody trail from Gary Indiana to Toledo. When Colemans car was found in Toledo, I spent most of the summer in a state of anxiety, but Ernie on the radio was the perfect anti-anxiety medicine. Summer ended. Coleman and Brown were found and arrested(after killing a Toledo mother and daughter) and the Tigers won the World Series. Ernie would go on for many more seasons until he was forced into retirement, much to the outrage of Tiger fans everywhere. I still have my ERNIE WE WANT HIM BACK tee shirt! The Tigers were sold to Mike Illitch and God bless him, he brought Ernie back to do an inning every game and once again, the "voice of the turtle was heard throughout the land". I don't think anyone will ever come close to what Ernie Harwell was to baseball, Michigan and Tiger fans.

When the weather turns warm, that is the time we take our kibble and banana outside and eat our dinner al fresco!! But look at these geraniums! Remember when I pulled out last years plants, shook off the dirt and stored them in the basement. Then in March, we hauled the pots out of the shed, brought the plants up from the basement, got all dirty planting them and waited for growth? Remember that? Well, the growth never came and yesterday I threw in the towel, declared defeat and spent a tidy sum on new tropical colored fuschia geraniums!!