Theis x 5

Kicking off the 2012 Olympic Chinese Checkers event

I snapped this candid shot as we were organizing
to get a good group shot. Love the dynamics! 

Me and my buddies

No pictures, please!

When I left the cottage on July 29, the Theis family was still detaching themselves from electronic devices and getting into the cottage mode. When I arrived back at the cottage with Jess (the following Saturday), all five Theises were bobbing in the lake with the pontoon anchored nearby. That's progress!

A typical day on the boat

Hmm....

....are these guys related?

By all accounts, it was a relaxing week. Jess and I had fun out on the pontoon with them and we were sorry to see them go. We're hoping to schedule a winter weekend at the Stocks for Rachel, Zack, and Josh. I really miss them between cottage visits. (You too, Ken and MaryJo.)

Zack and Jess on the pontoon, having a long discussion about sports (they are both very knowledgeable)

Until next year....

Garage bathroom report: Pretty much finished!

Except for some minor items that don't interfere with the use of the bathroom, it is done!

In this photo, you can see most everything that is new in the room. We're leaving the floor alone for now; we'll use rugs till we figure out how the floor acts with the bathroom in use.  There will be a grab bar next to the toilet.

We're pretty excited, and can't wait till Grandpa comes up to give it the seal of approval. He's reserved naming rights - we'll have to see about a sign.

Good shot of the "kitchen" sink

Fuzzy, but what can you expect from a timer shot?

The Garage Bathroom: A Report

Grandpa and me in the roughed-out space for the shower.

A couple years ago, Grandpa told us he'd like to "pop" for a bathroom in the garage, so he can see us enjoying our inheritance. The PPP stage (putzing, planning, procrastinating) took a couple years, but in the picture above, you can see the process was well under way for Pa's May 2012 visit.

We are keeping the existing windows, paneling, and ceiling, which are in fine shape, and adding a toilet, sink, and shower. For now, we'll keep the floor simple concrete; after a shake down cruise for the room we might decide to stain, paint, or otherwise cover it.

Shower surround, installed.

In this photo, you see the nice shower surround we chose, outfitted with all the grab bars a 90-year-old would ever need to take a nice shower at the cottage. 

The sink cabinet and top, before the sink was installed.

Another view of the room with sink cabinet and top, before the sink was installed. We decided on a kitchen sink--rather than a dainty bathroom vanity or a full-on utility sink--as the most useful for washing hair, soaking wet bathing suits, or bathing babies and toddlers.

Tongue & groove over the shower.

Further progress was made when the carpenter installed the pine tongue and groove 1x6s around the shower. Ken picked up the lumber at Ellenberger Lumber, the "Do-it" center in Onaway. We chose a cherry-colored Minwax stain, which Ken applied by hand with an old t-shirt.

Kenny carefully and expertly wiping on the stain.

Note the ceiling vent and sink.

So, we are getting there. Our construction guy will be coming in next week to install the glass shower doors, and caulk the shower area. Ken will apply urethane sealer to the wood as soon as the humidity will allow (it's kind of high today).

My little "as seen on TV" magnetic screen door.

The cheesy "magnetic screen door" I got from the "As Seen on TV" section of the Walgreen's in Cheboygan works pretty well for keeping out big stupid bugs. Small smart bugs won't find it much of an impediment, but it keeps big buzzy flies at bay.

Benjamin Michael Balcom, the apple of our eyes

One little thing I need to mention. Between the time I stopped posting here and today, WE HAD A GRANDSON!!!! Of course, everyone reading this blog already knows that, and may even know that Ben has his very own section on our Flickr page, but how can this blog pretend to be a record of family happiness without mentioning BEN????

Life (and Facebook) Intervened

It appears that this blog fell into disuse during the rest of 2010, 2011, and much of 2012. Just after this last post, Grandpa took ill for a bit, and I got out of the habit of posting. Also think this occurred in part because Facebook replaced this blog as a means to keep us all connected.

Grandpa is back in fine form, and has been for some time. If you're reading this you are no doubt also reading his posts on Facebook, and perhaps his blog, too, so there's no need to repeat those updates here. And since Facebook isn't going anywhere soon, I'll just use this blog as a place to post and share multiple photos or musings on a given subject, for family and close friends, rather than as an ongoing connectivity tool.

Kind of silly, my even writing this continuity piece. It's the same impulse that makes me leave pages between writings in the cottage book, to be filled in "later." Later often never comes, but at least the blank pages signify that something important happened between writings.

Grandpa's birthday performance of "On a Tree by the River..." from the Mikado

Here's something for you all to watch while you are waiting for our summer vacation posts. We celebrated Pa's 88th birthday at our place, and he had this prepared for our entertainment.

Adam's ski trip

Adam took a ski trip with some U-M friends and failed to send me any photos, so I took it upon myself to create a video of what I imagined he looked like on the slopes.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Annual Family Thanksgiving Cocktail Hour

Here we are at the Tavern on the Square in downtown Lansing. This is one of our favorite holiday traditions, always on the Friday night after Thanksgiving. Many orders of the Tavern's version of tapas, and everyone's favorite cocktails.

Family is pulled in many directions on Thanksgiving Day, but no one would miss this event. Our faces hurt from laughter the next day (and there are usually one or two hangovers).

Great season at the cottage

It was unseasonably cool this summer. Tom Turi says it's the oddest summer he's seen in 30 years of living/visiting there. But no complaints here. We had so much fun. Friends and family all summer long - including three visits from Grandpa - and the highlight was the few hours of sunshine we had on the morning of October 10 when Michael and Jen got married on the edge of the lake.

Next year, we'll have some interesting doings as we attempt to make a couple of fun improvements to the accommodations - starring a new bathroom in the spare room in the garage...er....Kenny's Klubhouse. Ken is still planning to go up a time or two more to get that started and wring out the last of the cottage season. For my part, I am looking forward to the holiday season and trying to bring some of what we love about the cottage into our lives in DeWitt.

The next vacation blog posts here will be from....let's see: Manhattan? Chicago? Aruba? Stay tuned.

This one is a favorite from my photo shoot today

Next year, people under 40 will remove the dock.

OK, this was fun to do once. But next year, the weekend before Halloween, we will have offspring here to do the heavy lifting. Once again, we had help from the Kreugers and Mark Miller, and Tom Turi came along with his 4-wheeler to help pull the boat lift out of the water.

Tom is spending the winter in Georgia, near two of his kids. Mark will be up all winter; Kreugers come up off and on, and Ken will be up a time or two more before he has the cottage winterized. But this is my last weekend - unless we have a miraculous Indian Summer weekend in November. Not holding my breath.

I spent some time around sunset standing in the water, rummaging through the landscape to see the beauty of the fall up close and personal. Got some photos I really like.

Fire in the fireplace now, and ratatouille on the stove. Ken left around 4 or 5; I'm staying over to make the most of my last weekend here. Just about to uncork a bottle of wine.

We make these waders look good.

Don't we?