Laowai

Here are the best bits of our weekend in Boulder.

– Heading to the airport with no pressures and no responsibilities beyond getting ourselves on the plane.

– Hiking up some difficult trails and getting rewarded with beautiful views while trying to catch my breath.
 

– Getting to see hills and mountains and big rocks – so very different from the nature around here.
 

– Walking and talking – lots of good talking with my hubby that reminds me of when we were younger.
 

– Noticing the details of the woods and the meadows.
 

– Staying in a charming old hotel with nubby coverlets, big wood banisters, stained glass and history-filled black and white photos scattered around.
 

– Wandering the historic district while Brian got in a bike ride. Taking photos of houses just for fun.
 

– Eating, eating and eating one more treat of a meal after another.

– Wandering the busy and festive streets of Boulder after dark when the air is so refreshing.

– Getting upgraded on our flight home and laughing at how absurd first class is – while enjoying every bit of it.

– Seeing Bea running down the hall towards us. I don’t get that homecoming sweetness with her very often.
 

We’ve returned from our mini-vacation to Boulder – it was a wonderful Bea-free time.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Mom and Aunt Garlene for watching our little munchkin. 

I guess we could have saved ourselves the trouble of going all the way to Colorado if we had discovered VIB a little earlier. Here’s Brian having a sip of his VIB (Vacation In a Bottle) drink. 

Making these little skirts makes me sew happy.

I had to take a picture.

We had a lovely weekend with you. The only problem… our time with you goes much too fast.

Prepare yourself – The Mad Men season starts this Sunday. 

Photos by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

I’m thinking I should make some sort of sixties style food and serve it in some of my Pyrex.

I can’t wait.

As long as I can remember my dad has been dipping a net in rivers and ponds and sifting through the treasures he finds. He has taught countless kids (and adults) about the plants and bugs you can find in just a little scoop from the Chippewa river. Over the weekend Bea and Jenna got to experience Grandpa’s aquatic insects lesson for the first time. Pinch me – it was a magical.

My excuse for going back to Midland over the weekend was to attend the Windover School reunion. My Grandpa Dice went to Windover, My mom went to Windover and I went to Windover. I was there for kindergarten through third grade. The school eventually closed and then reopened as a vocational school for high school age kids. The reunion was set for Saturday at noon at a park. All morning it was raining cats and dogs so the party was moved to the actual school. There were mostly people of my Mom’s vintage there. There were a couple alumni that were my age but I honestly didn’t remember them much. It was crowded and humid. There was the biggest table of potluck dishes I have ever seen. I got to see my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Connant. I remember her as a grey haired lady, full of stories and she’s just the same today. Grandpa Dice was one of two of the oldest alumni there – he attended when it was a one room school in the early twenties. The school seemed little to me. We looked for the little potties in the old kindergarten room (since we’re so interested in all things potty), but they weren’t there. It was a fun day.

We had a great weekend in Midland – starting on Friday when we went fabric shopping and splashing at the sprinkle park with Mom and Jennifer and Jenna.

Then later that evening Jennifer and I whipped up five more Lazy Days Skirts. Now I think Jennifer and I should arrange a whole weekend for us to sew together. It was so much fun.

I thought I posted these photos already – I must have started the post and then gotten pulled away from my computer. 

Anyway – Here is Bea making some banana bread with the bee apron that Aunt Sandy sent for her. Thanks so much Aunt Sandy – for the nice comments you write and for the darling apron. 

You can see that she has caught on to the whole licking the spoon thing.