Detroit Loves You

I've stayed in some unusual, interesting places over the years, like a Chinese army tent in Tibet and my great-grandfather's simple farmhouse in rural Ireland. Gotta say, though, that the Detroit Loves You Guest House is right up there.The neighborhood is called Piety Hill, a name derived from a row of magnificent churches on a local street (which, since I just got in, I have yet to locate). It epitomizes the calamitous fall and new resurgence of the Motor City. The neighborhood has homes that are just hanging in, derelict structures and beautiful rehabs. 

This guest house was the first AirBnB listing in Detroit. The dining space is a working foosball table covered by a plank of wood. Plenty of space for my granddaughters to jump and a produce market around the corner irrigating what in St. Louis we know as a food desert.

On the street with my camera in Detroit today.

You Say It's Your Birthday

Today's theme song.

Ellie turns four on August 20. Audrey turns two on August 30. We had an early joint party for both of them. The cake was simple but the girls didn't care. Nothing better than kids and birthday cake.  

Home tonight. Our flight out of Lansing, Michigan, isn't until mid afternoon. We hear that there is a small but pleasant zoo in the state's capital city. More little person entertainment.

Water Sports

It was a bit of a surprise but Ellie turned out to be the more contemplative of the girls this weekend, while her younger cousin Audrey was the crazy-happy kid. After a dip in our hotel pool this morning and nap time, we went to Sanford Lake Park near Midland, MI. Son Andy, Audrey's father, brought along his paddle board. The stunt below was deliberate, not accidental.           

Read This

Found in the Discovery Museum in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. (Find the mountain. Just go and try. Report back.) It's the big town in the region, 16 miles from Clare, 26,000 people plus a peak of 20,000 students at Central Michigan University. This is a book that should be in every home. 

The museum is an educational playground for younger children. We were impressed. Ellie and Audrey were delighted.  Son Andy's feet do stick out.    

The Michigan Division

Hello again from Clare, Michigan, where son Andy, his wife Claire and little granddaughter Audrey live. Claire grew up here and her parents still live in town. Audrey is 20 months old. (Andy can speak for himself.) It's a big change from their former home in Chicago. Blood pressure tends to run lower here.

This Clare - Claire thing is confusing. Clalre was born elsewhere in Michigan and her family moved to Clare when she was young. Clare is named for County Clare in Ireland, where my father's family comes from. Lots of knots.

After dinner at their home we took a dessert walk to renowned Cops & Doughnuts, where this picture was taken against a black linoleum floor.

Audrey Anyday

One of the main reasons for our trip to Michigan was to see our younger grandchild, Audrey, 10 months old. The family is now far away enough from us that visits will be less frequent. (Jack has a bigger problem.) The hotel where we stayed had a big indoor pool, mostly empty during the day. Son Andy, his wife, Claire and the kid came over to use it. 

The child, of course, is impossibly cute. We hope to see them again at Thanksgiving. We'll meet up in Kansas City and then drive west to see Mrs. C's mom, who will be 98 that week.             

Audrey Monday

I used to have a lot of Madeleine Mondays but it is now impossible to take her picture if she is aware of it. She will pull the camera away and demand to see herself on the LED screen. Which, of course, doesn't work because I cannot get any pictures taken. Kid, it's a lose-lose situation.

But I did get to spend some time with my younger granddaughter, Audrey Crowe, in Grand Rapids on Saturday. We didn't get to see her much in Chicago and it will be harder still when the family moves to small-town Michigan. She's seven months old and pretty cute, even on a bad hair day, while she pulls the world into focus.       

The Other One

Grandchild #2, Audrey Crowe, is in town with our son Andy and his wife Claire. She is not quite four months old. Andy shows that she may not be ready for her first flight. 

Madeleine and Emily were over for dinner. It was impossible to photograph the two little girls together but I'll try again today. Madeleine's reaction to her cousin was cute. She would come right up to the baby but wouldn't touch her. And she got rather upset if her mother or grandmother held Audrey. No Competition!                            

A Day In Chicago

So, we gotta start with an Audrey pic just to get everyone's attention. Son Andy keeps a paddleboard at the Montrose Avenue boat harbor. This was the day to take it home for the season. People have some fancy water hot rods there to run on Lake Michigan. Back to Andy and Claire's neighborhood, Logan Square, for a quick trip to the farmer's market looking for dinner ingredients. Mrs. C likes baby tootsie pictures, which makes for a good conclusion.

 

 

The Parents

Well, better light. Audrey looks with incomprehension at her father, my son Andy. Sleeping on Grandma Crowe's shoulder in the middle. Third, Andy and his wife Claire on The 606, Chicago's answer to the High Line in New York.                   

Audrey Crowe

Greetings from Chicago, where a local baseball team lost to the St. Louis Cardinals last night by the score of 4 to 0. But more importantly, this is the reason for the trip: Audrey Crowe, our second grandchild, born August 30, 2015. 

She has lots of dark hair, deep blue eyes, and looks just great wearing a goofy winter hat and corralling a toy moose we bought her in Alaska. Still a little trouble with that eye focus thing. More to come.