Labor Day...

If you look closely at the end of the log on the left you can see the remains of my early morning cigar...

...weekend.  Started this Friday morning at 5:30 with a problem from work...appropriate I suppose since we are after all celebrating labor...so I got my butt out of bed and fixed yet another problem caused by a recent operations upgrade from hell.

Since I was up anyway, I showered, padded downstairs, and spent some time outside in the pre-dawn darkness...eventually decided to enjoy an early morning fire, and shortly after sunrise, a good morning cigar.  No whiskey...yet...

So this week we and a couple of neighbors paid to have several trees removed from the property behind us that were blocking the horizon and crowding out the sun...here's the new view:

kinda reminds me of Sinatra's Twin Palms...ok, I'm reaching...

That view used to be dominated by a wall of walnut trees...now we can see blue sky and sunshine...unfortunately we can also see the outline of an ugly apartment building, but that's life in the big city I guess.

While we're on the subject of trees, here's another addition to my upcoming Halloween display:

The Tree Creature during the day...

...and at night.

If you're not a fan of Halloween, we should talk...but either way, you have to admit this is cool...I'll put a spot light on him to add to the creep factor that night.  As always our goal will be to give the little trick or treaters an old timey spooky thrill, some great candy, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  A good time will be had by all...

Earlier this week I got a surprise in the mail from Bob Adams of www.RonsonRepair.com and this time he was in cahoots with Karen...sent a package to her attention, and this was the surprise:

I think Bob knows this may be the closest I'll ever get to having my own bowling lane...what a great lighter...thank you Bob!  Oh, the ashtray it's sitting on was also a gift from Bob.  Truly, he is all about his passion for collecting, fixing, and promoting Ronson lighters and related items.  Very cool!

So the rest of today will be about getting down to the Douglas / Saugatuck area, browsing the antique mall there, then bowling a couple of games at the LakeView Lanes.

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about...(please ignore the fact that was a brooklyn strike...even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while...)

Later, mcm fans...

Retro...

1963 Airstream Bambi

...Weekend.

Wasn't necessarily supposed to be, but that's how it worked out.  Friday I was whipped, and after supper I ended up sleeping for awhile...when I got up we put a fire in the chiminea and sat by the pool for a couple of hours...low key, relaxing, fun.

Saturday we needed to run some errands, and on our way we passed by the first annual vintage trailers show, so on our way back we stopped in to see what the big yank was.

Turns out they had some very cool, vintage camping trailers, dating all the way back to the mid 1930's...but the ones that caught my eye are the ones I remember from being a kid in the 60's when families piled into station wagons and drove across this great country for two week vacations.  No one does that anymore, including yours truly...the world moves much too quickly now.

So we stepped inside a couple of the 16 and 17 foot airstreams, and guess what bug I now have to fight??

My head tells me I don't do the camping thing because it's "almost, but not quite"...you know, it's almost comfortable, but not quite...almost convenient, but not quite...almost enjoyable, but not quite...plus every time I drive by a campground with 30,000 plastic boxes on wheels stacked up together like sardines, close enough to each other that you can reach out your window, into your neighbor's window, and borrow their salt shaker, I shake my head and say a prayer of gratitude that I'm not doing that this weekend...

...but my heart is calling me back to a simpler time, when your little silver bullet provided everything you needed for a romantic, if rustic, getaway, and you towed it right behind the family car.

Is it possible to find places now like they would have found then?  A campground that does not have the population density of a city block in New York?  And even if it is, do I want to spend $40k on a vintage airstream trailer?  Wouldn't I rather have that 1956 Corvette first?  Oh, I see where this is going...get them both, and use the 'vette to tow little Bambi...

That ain't no 'vette, but you get the idea...

A couple of other pics from the Vintage Trailer show:

The inside of a non-airstream trailer

Not sure how the fire truck got in...I guess in case there was a vintage fire in one of  the vintage trailers...?

Sunday we visited the downtown market because they had a bunch of antique / vintage displays set up as well...didn't see anything compelling, but it was a pleasant hour of browsing.

The rest of today was spent in the pool and relaxing in preparation for another week in the salt mines.

I'm usually a whiskey and cigar man, but changed it up today just because...don't want to get in a rut.

Now I'm off to write a letter to my aunt Alta...

Later, MCM fans...

Bowling For Nachos...

...at least, that's what I had between games 1 and 2 on Friday.  Hadn't bowled in over a year and re-beginner's luck allowed me to roll a 180 to start...only 2 open frames and those were just barely...skinned a 10 pin leave for one open, and chopped a 5-9 for another...would have been in the 200's if not for that display of back to back incompetence.

We were at the Lakeview Lanes in Douglas, MI...

(269) 857-1107

...a delightful, 8 lane bar and grill, and they'll serve you right at your table where you're bowling...

...so it was a Corona and nachos for me, an Oval Beach Blonde Ale and chicken salad for Karen...then it was game two.  No score given on that disaster as whatever muscle memory I may have retained from a year ago apparently was washed away by the Corona.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it for this blog entry.

So that was Friday's day off...a pleasant visit to Saugatuck and Douglas, a stop at the Lakeview Lanes, then back to our backyard for some fun in the sun:

That night we had a fire in the chiminea and enjoyed a drink and good conversation by the pool:

Saturday I was up early to have my cup of coffee and relax in Serenity Cove:

Here's a panoramic shot of Serenity Cove:

...obviously a panoramic view messes with the perspective, but gives you an idea of what the 180 degree view would be if stretched out in a straight line.

Of course we enjoyed our time in the pool, and later in the evening we stopped by Gordman's and bought a display shelf I used to organize my (mostly) Ronson lighter collection:

Saturday night we watched one of my favorite movies of all time:

It's a great adventure / romance set in the late 1930's and the art deco motif is fabulous.  Well worth your time.

Today has been pretty low key...beautiful, sunny weather but work looms once again and so I can't fully enjoy it as I deal with my automatic transition from time off to work mode as I do every Sunday.

Oh well; I'm thankful to be employed and able to live indoors and eat.

Tonight we enjoyed a fire in the chiminea:

...but I was interrupted with a problem at work...while I was on the phone with one of our third shift supervisors, Karen heard a noise near the fence and went to investigate...when she did she spotted Mr. Raccoon trying to scale the fence and gain entrance in our little backyard paradise.  Her appearance convinced him to retreat to the safety of the nearest tree:

Yes, we do live in the city, but sometimes it's hard to tell.

Later, mcm fans...

Happy Independence Day...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

And with those words a new nation was formed, predicated upon a belief in God Almighty and devoted to the concept of freedom for all men.  That they were completely committed to this radical concept is evident by how this great document was concluded:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

So they did...most of them did in fact forfeit their lives and their fortune, though fate has correctly preserved their sacred Honor.

We celebrated this most radical concept and sharp departure from the norm of history - which has traditionally been one of tyranny, poverty, and harsh oppression - with fireworks, food, and family fun.

But I wonder how many people truly stopped to give thanks for the precious gift of blood bought freedom...

As Dwight D. Eisenhower opined, "History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid."  May we be strong and brave in the constant fight for our freedoms!

We enjoyed a beautiful time of backyard rest and relaxation -

- and then at night we sat out and watched fireworks going off all around us...

...no need to travel, fight the traffic and crowds...the show was everywhere in our neighborhood.  A good day.

In the "ain't this fun" department, the Qwerkywriter Kickstarter project was fully funded and then some on July 3rd:

This modern keyboard based on a manual typewriter look and sound will go into production, and within a year I should be getting 4 of them for my contribution to this project.  How cool is that?

Today, July 5th, is my dad's birthday...

...he would be 93 years old had he lived, but he passed on at age 69.  I've often wondered what it was like the day he was born in New York City back in 1921...there's a story there somewhere.

Later, mcm fans...

Dad's day...

Dad, circa 1940

Proclamation 3730              FATHER'S DAY, 1966               June 15, 1966
President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The third Sunday in June has for many years been observed as Father's Day. It is most appropriate that the Congress, enactment Ante, p. 201. of Senate Joint Resolution 161, has now given official recognition to
this well-established tradition.

In the homes of our Nation, we look to the fathers to provide the strength and stability which characterize the successful family.

If the father's responsibilities are many, his rewards are also great—the love, appreciation, and respect of children and spouse. It is the desire to acknowledge publicly these feelings we have for the fathers of our Nation that has inspired the Congress to call for the formal observance of Father's Day.
.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, LYNDON B. JOHNSON, President of the United States of America, in consonance with Senate Joint Resolution 161 of the Eighty-ninth Congress, request the appropriate Government officials to arrange for the display of the flag on all Government buildings on Father's Day, Sunday, June 19, 1966.

I invite State and local governments to cooperate in the observance of that day; and I urge all our people to give public and private expression to the love and gratitude which they bear for their fathers.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

 DONE at the City of Washington this fifteenth day of June in theyear of our Lord nineteen hundred and sixty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and ninetieth.

LYNDON B . JOHNSON

So there you have it...you can thank or blame LBJ for the official proclamation making dad's day part of our national culture.

Hallmark investors are forever grateful.

It might be worth noting he also proclaimed that week in June National Oil and Gas week, which lines up fairly well with what a pastor I once knew said from the pulpit about Father's Day...as holidays go, it ranks a little bit ahead of National Kumquat Day and just a tad behind Groundhog Day.

For my part I am conflicted about this day, much as I was about my relationships with my dad and with my sons.

Child rearing has given me some of my happiest memories and deepest sorrows.

After many years and much reflection I've concluded fatherhood was way above my pay grade, but I gave it my best shot.

As with most things in life you learn as you go, but sadly that sometimes means those on whom you are learning do not receive the best possible upbringing.

I suppose it becomes incumbent on them to weed out the worst, retain the best, and add to their knowledge what they learn as they give the dear old dad gig a whirl.

If we're wise we'll heed God's Word while busy about the awesome task given us:

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 - Proverbs 22:6

Here's to father's everywhere.

We've done our part to propagate the race and leave our stain on the world.

Later, mcm fans...

Memorial Day Weekend...

Benjamin Hare in Afghanistan

...don't forget to thank a vet!

We live in what used to be the greatest nation on earth, the only one with a belief in our Creator and a commitment to freedom enshrined in its founding documents...."We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness..."

These beliefs are under assault, but it's not too late to take our country back to the principles of its founding.  It requires the will of the people, "the consent of the governed" as the Declaration of Independence phrases it.  I pray to God in Heaven we find that will before it's too late.

In the meantime, as the son of a soldier and father of the same, my sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU to veterans everywhere for their service to this country.

This has been a pretty good weekend...great weather, and Karen's kids went north for a couple of days so we had some alone time in our backyard and in the pool:

Modesty and the mores of polite society forbid me from sharing details, but suffice to say a good time was had by all.

I mentioned the "Three Blind Mice" antique store that just opened in Grandville in a previous entry...we visited it on Saturday and found an interesting item...a 1949 Admiral Phono / Radio console.  It's not in working condition, but she wasn't asking too much for it, so we thought about it for a day, then went back this afternoon and bought it.

It needs some work, but once refinished and repaired it will be really cool...we stopped by The Corner Record Store on our way home to see if they could repair the phono part of it...they repaired the turntable in my 1970 Weltron 8 track / radio / phono a while back...but the guy we talked to had a bit of an attitude about it because this is a console...he tried to maintain they don't repair anything other than small, portable turntables.  I thought about calling his jackass bluff since my Weltron does NOT qualify as a small turntable, but I figured there's no point in arguing with people like that.  Instead I asked if he knows anyone who does repair these and he gave me the name of someone in Lowell...I'll give him a call and see what he says.

Karen says she'd like to do the finish work on the wood cabinet, so hopefully within a month or so we'll have a restored and refinished entertainment center, circa 1949.  Pretty cool.


One more day in this three day weekend...

...later, mcm fans...

Decisions, decisions...

...ok, so it's not that kind of decision...

This one has to do with housing.  The one we were looking at is gone, so now we're considering building...found a piece of property and we're currently talking to builders about total project cost.

The main problem is, I've never talked to anyone who built their house who did NOT say, "It took longer and cost more than we expected."  Not encouraging,  but we'll keep that in mind while we're making our decision, hopefully this week.

On the mid century modern front, Bob Adams of Ronson Repair repaired / restored a bartender cigarette dispenser for me:

Yeah, I know...cigarettes are bad for you...but Bob did a great job as usual, and that's still a cool item, very clever.  It's gonna look great on top of our art deco bar next to the bowling lane.

He also threw in an Octette lighter with a unique walnut grain finish:

Thank you, Bob.

This weekend Karen and I drove down to Ohio to pick up a couple of radios I had restored...that makes for a long day, about 12 hours from the time we leave until we park the car in the driveway at home again.  We usually visit an antique mall while we're down there, just to take a break from 5 hours of driving, and we did so again this time.  Didn't see anything compelling, but it was still nice to stand up and walk around before we got back in the vehicle for the long trek north.  I've pretty much concluded most "antique stores" are really little more than glorified flea markets, and to find anything truly valuable you need to know other collectors or glom onto the occasional ebay item.

It's approaching midnight on this Sunday, the 27th of April, 2014, and it's time for sleepy bye before we jump into yet another work week.

Later, mcm fans...