Long time, no update

It has been awhile since I last wrote, so I am going to try to sum up the past few months and probably skim over things.

I competed in my first USA swim meet since 2008 last month. I swam the 100 free and qualified for the national competition the first week of August in Irvine, Ca. I was already going to watch Dana and so she has convinced me to also swim. We leave Sunday and I compete Friday. She is competing in the 100 fly and 50, 100 and 200 free. She is currently ranked #1 in the world this year in the 100 fly and is top 10 in both the 100 and 200 free. At the meet they are selecting the Pan Pacific Games team (top 4 in each event) which is two weeks later, also in Irvine. They are also using the meet to select the 2011 Worlds team (top 2 times from Nationals and Pan Pacs in each event + top 6 in the 100 and 200 free for relays).

Dana and I have been doing some wedding planning but have not locked down any details, at all. We are PLANNING on August 20, 2011 and having it in California (my mom showed Dana some of the wedding options around Livermore, which she thought were very nice). We have also toyed with the idea of a "destination wedding" where we go somewhere more exotic. We've gone from guest lists of anywhere from 200 to 50. Once this season is over (mid-August) we will sit down and start making decisions, until then we are trying to stay stress free.

Dana has a new website up. Her agents have taken it over (I had control for a little while) and are actively working on it but wanted something with current information up for Nationals.

Work is the same and as great as always; I'm even co-managing an intern.

For 4th of July, Dana and I watched from our living room windows and could see a few firework shows at once. But the best fireworks were on July 3rd and they were just on the other side of the Bay (the closest side).

That's all I've got for now.

Grandpa's magnificent garden

Squash in front, then cabbage and corn.

Tomatoes, kohlrabi, beans and corn. Tomatoes are twice as big today! Expecting first corn and tomatoes next week.

Taken on Father's Day. Beans, corn and fall raspberries. That's Roz Peacock and son Paul Gifford admiring the garden. Roz is a great gardener too. I can't find photo of Caitlin and Grandpa with Tuesday's harvest of beans, Swiss Chard, cucumbers, zucchini and each of them picked a gallon of blueberries. It takes a lot of hard work everyday to get a garden to this point. Grandpa really appreciates Caitlin's help and she enjoys the produce. Good health to all of you. Love, Grandma

Grandpa's Garden

Grandpa and Caitlin planting on May 6, 2010
My plan to have a series of the garden and Tuesday's picking disappeared from the screen.
I'll keep trying. Love, Mother/Grandpa

Turkeys in the yard

Mom and her 6 babies came to eat and roost in our yard.
more photos here.

Recent Weekends continued

Grandpa, Grandma and Steve at Miners Castle, Pictured Rocks, MI.
Next time I go I'll take the sunset cruise, I never saw the cliffs so colorful.

Miners Castle, the right tower fell into Lake Superior 14 years ago.

Steve was a great help with the driving. We walked under the Cut River Bridge.
US 2 along Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula is a beautiful drive.

The bathrooms at the Kohler Art Gallery, Sheboygan, WI are part of the permanent collection!
Above one of the Men's bathrooms! Other walls showed the city sewage treatment plant.
Below one of the Women's bathrooms. Each stall wall wash painted with women's undergarments. Others were corsets, slips, jewelry, hats, purses.

These weekend trips were lots of fun. Short vacations are better than none! ( I only called Cynthia 3 times to get these two posts completed.) Love, Mother/Grandma

Recent weekends

Suzanne, Chad, Me, Ron after lunch in Milwaukee, WI

A Sizzling Fourth

Our "stay at home" celebration weekend was just great. Friday we had a spur of the minute picnic with Sue and Jenny at the band shell in Lake Lansing Park. The Meridian Concert Band gave a good patriotic program. My favorite thing to do in summer is attend outdoor concerts. Saturday we went with Don and Barbara to Laura's final concert at the end of percussion camp at Alma College. (In the video Don posted Laura is playing the marimba, second from the right.) Laura had plenty to talk about on the way home--we hadn't seen her since she'd been to CA with the band. Then we stopped at the Mackinac Island Creamery in Dimondale for a cool treat! Sunday was church, and sorting a few piles I'd neglected for sometime. Dad/Grandpa spent several hours watering the vegetables and blueberries. The garden looks beautiful and the harvest tastes so good. In the evening we enjoyed the fireworks spectaculars in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Monday started out with Sourdough Pancakes so late in the morning we skipped lunch! Don and Barbara came to visit and Don and Dad/Grandpa talked about a proposed fishing trip. Another highlight of all last week was The Big Ten channel featured MSU games so Dad/Gpa relived many of them both basketball and football. Looking forward to your news.
Love to all, Mother/Grandma

Two days after Laura got back from band camp she went to percussion camp. This picture is of the performance they gave at the end of camp.