DETROIT * ANN ARBOR

Last weekend my friend Michelle and I went to the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Brenda, one of my most fun friends from UM days, lives there and took us to every inch of the Art Fair. I remember the Art Fair from years ago as being hot, sweaty, hot and crowded. Did I mention that it was so hot and crowded as to be unbearable? This year the weather was perfect, and the art was great, and the crowds were such that one could actually see the town while going through the fair.

The next day, Michelle and I went to Detroit. We drove downtown along Michigan Avenue, and it hasn't changed much since the last time I drove it, with the exception of this: This is all that's left of Tiger Stadium, formerly known as Briggs Stadium, and before that Navin Field. Time marches on. Someday, I suppose there might be a plaque.
We drove around downtown a bit, had lunch at Greektown, which is less than a shadow of the place it was before the casinos. I mean it's literally in shadow from a people mover and from the monster casino building.
Then up Woodward past the hole that used to be Hudsons, past Grand Circus Park and the Fox Theatre, past where I went to law school which is now the front yard of the new stadium where the Tigers play, and to the Detroit Institute of Arts, which is still across the street from the Main Public Library. The Detroit Institute of Arts, or DIA, was wonderful. The Diego Rivera Mural is something I can contemplate for a whole day. The building is beautiful and airy, and the modern and contemporary art collections were colorful and thought provoking. Michelle is an art teacher, so we did an exercise in front of a Jane Lackey piece, where you just keep drawing out impressions of the art. noticing and noticing.
We got back in the car and continued up Woodward. I really wanted to show Michelle a Sarinen designed building on the Wayne State Campus that was surrounded by dancing figures in a moat-like fountain. We asked everybody we saw for it's location. No one had even heard of it. No wonder. I apparently at some point confused some buildings at Wayne State with the dancing figures at Cranbrook. My idea would be really lovely, though. Anyway, we drove up Woodward, took a detour through the Boston/Edison Historic Homes district, passed through Highland Park, passed the State Fairgrounds (where was the giant old fashioned stove?), passed the Detroit Zoo, and went to Birmingham, where we walked around, ate dinner, enjoyed a wonderful gelato, and finally headed home. Michelle told me that she was going to run me around. I'm still recovering a week later.

On Sunday we headed back up north to Cranbrook, where we toured the gardens surrounding the house. After a little brunch at Little Daddy's on Woodward, we went back into Cranbrook and found some more grounds to explore. We saw the pools and fountains that I'd remembered from my childhood. Now they were all mixed up from what I'd remembered. At some point when I was much younger, I must have dreamed about these places. Or maybe they are some of my earliest memories all jagged and blurry like on TV when the characters are trying to remember something.

CARTOONS & COMICS * OREO FUDGEES

I've always loved to read the comics, and cartoons in general. A cartoonist is an author who tells a complete small story with a single picture and caption. Can you imagine?
Cartoon Marriage-Adventures in Love and Matrimony by The New Yorker's Cartooning Couple - by Liza Donnelly and Michael Maslin - These cartoons cover every inch of marriage. Here's a good one: the picture is of a couple at a table for two in a restaurant; she's saying "Remember when we first met and I was still finding myself and you were still finding yourself and you said you found yourself when you found me and I said I found myself when I found you? I lied."

Although I read the Chicago Tribune every day, I enjoy it less and less as the years go by. Even my beloved comic pages have been hijacked. I miss Gasoline Alley, Hi and Lois, Beetle Baily and the Lockhorns. Some of my other favorites are in the other local newspaper, so I won't bemoan those, since I could read them if I wanted to. It's also possible to read most daily comics online, but there's nothing like the feel and sight of words on paper. A screen with all its clarity and brightness just doesn't compare. Brenda Starr, Cathy, Doonesbury, Bondie, Zits, and a few others are like old friends or family who are there for me every day.

Speaking of Chocolaty New Foods, I recently discovered two new Oreo flavors on the shelves. Fudge Sundae Cremes give you a half and half creme layer in vanilla and chocolate. They are a little too sweet somehow and don't begin to compare to the Triple Chocolate Oreos I scored in Puerto Vallarta a few months ago. So quickly finished those up and forgot that I had also purchased the new Oreo Fudgees, until Peter asked why I put chocolate Oreos on his snack shelf. (He likes regular Oreos exclusively). These Oreo Fudgees are just too good. They've got a great new oval shape, which allows the Oreo people to give you only two rows of cookies rather than three, but makes them "perfectly dunkable". It's important also to note that a double chocolate sandwich cookie which has been missing from the marketplace ever since Keebler discontinued their Double Fudge Sandwich Cookies. There's that Canadian version I discovered a while back, and they are delicious, but the flavor is just not quite there. Oreo Fudgees are a stand alone snack, or you can compliment them with a glass of milk for the dunkability. Do these look good or what?

TWEAK

Tweak - by Nic Sheff - This book is the memoir of the boy who was the subject of a book I read a couple of weeks ago called Beautiful Boy. If you recall, Beautiful Boy was written by the father and detailed his experiences with his son's addiction and rehabs. The father could only write so much, because he didn't live it like his son lived it. There was a lot of repressed guilt to be read in between the lines of dad's book, but all you could do was know how much the dad loved his son and hang onto that. Tweak is a much better book. Nic is honest honest honest (as he would write) about all that happened in his life. There are no secrets left, and no blame placed. He's an amazing and gifted writer. He's lived through some difficult times and come out on the other side. I hope he stays on this side and finds the happiness that he so deserves.
I'm glad that I read the dad's book, and that I read it first. Reading Tweak cleared up all the questions that Beautiful Boy left open.

READING * 5 LOVE LANGUANGES * SO LITTLE TIME

I've always got a stack of books from the library on how to do stuff. Lately it's been jewelry making of the metalsmithing variety, a Martha Stewart Craft book and Sewing books. Oh, also how to do things on the computer books. Fiction wise I tore through Carrie Fisher's books, Surrender the Pink and The Best Awful - A Novel. I mean I tore through them. Read a few chapters of Surrender, said "I can't do this again" and read a few chapters in the middle and the last chapter. For Awful, I read the first chapter, a couple in the middle and a couple at the end. Carrie's a constant person. Her mind never never stops and it's really clever and loves words and plays on words and playing with words and wordplay. (as she might say and believe me, she'd have 3 or 4 more little phrases to add to my little line up).
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman - This might be one of the best self help books for marriage around. It makes perfect sense, but of course, you've got to do it to make it work. The five languages are Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service and Physical Touch. If you figure out the language of your partner, and do their language, you'll be filling their emotional tank, and your marriage will improve. Most times, people are speaking their own love language to the partner which doesn't work, because the partner has a different language. Anyway.

This week I am determined to finish the little lap quilt I started making for Peter 7 years ago. There was a new quilt book at the library, and something about the "how to finish a quilt" words in this particular book sparked the task. I've probably read 30 quilt books and the same number of "how to finish your quilt" instructions. I even bought of couple of the books. Now it's clicked. I'm going to bind it with self made bias binding. I've made the binding, trimmed the batting, and I hope today I'll find the minutes to sew binding to quilt. And then post a picture of a completed project from my sewing pile.

SUNSET BEACH WALK * THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY * COLLEGE GIRL

Last night's beach walk capped off a lovely day of sailing. It had been a perfect day and was a perfect evening. Living close to a beach on a large body of water provides a physical border or edge to the geography of your life. I find it very comforting to walk that edge...feet in, and then feet out of the water. Last night's gentle surf:During the walk, Nancy and I spotted this sail boat, which we think was Steve and Rob. While it's nice to have the perspective of the land from the boat, I prefer the perspective of the boat and water from the land. Finally we came to the end of the beach and turned around. Even the sunset was gentle last night. The colors of the evening sky:I've read two books in quick succession this week.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Aunt and Niece Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - Here's a special treat filled with amazing and present characters on the British Channel Island of Guernsey during and after the WWII German Occupation. The story is told in letters between a number of characters and comes alive in their personalities and words. My favorite quote is about books, and it was written by Juliet to Dawsey in one of their first exchanges: "That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive - all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment."

College Girl by Patricia Weitz - I picked this up off that new book rack at the library for no other reasons than that it was new, I liked the title and I liked its size and heft. They were valid reasons, because it was a great book! It's written in the first person by Natalie, a blue collar background college senior surrounded by students from more comfortable backgrounds at the University of Connecticut. I loved this girl with all her insecurities and total lack of confidence. Sometimes this type of character annoys me, but Natalie never did; there was something honest and true about her despite her choices.

FIREWORKS * BEAUTIFUL BOY * MICHELLE STYLE

We had a fun Independence Day weekend, watching fireworks over Lake Michigan with friends aboard Steve's boat. On July 3rd we watched the Wilmette fireworks. It had been a lovely sunny day, and the evening was perfect and the sky and the Ba'hai provided the background. Here's the Wilmette Fireworks Finale:


The next day was overcast all day, including rainy spells. All day long we touched base with the friends who were due to join us that night for the Evanston fireworks. By the end of the day, 3 families had dropped out. The Sauers were in, though, and the Androws were available at the last minute after their daughter had said to her parents around 8:00: "I wish we were going to see some fireworks tonight". At about 8:10, Steve thought to call them, and they were game. The sky had cleared up, so we boarded the boat at 8:30, turned the corner into Evanston, and saw the most awesome fireworks. Here's the Evanston Fireworks Finale:


Which Finale was better?


Michelle Style is about Michelle Obama's wardrobe and style. I took it to the beach today and wasted an hour reading it, hoping for some news. Nope. My friend Nancy asked "how could they write a whole book on that?". They did. You've got to admit, it's a cute cover. Somehow this author strung together pictures, quotes, repetitive paragraphs and little comments about high end designer clothing and mall clothing and fun costume jewelry and got a book out of it!

Beautiful Boy- by David Sheff is about a father's journey through his son's drug addiction, rehab programs and relapses. It's disturbing and frightening to know that so many people travel this sad sad road. This book not only tells the honest tale, but includes information about the relentless research that David Sheff conducted about addiction and crystal meth. It's a disease that occurs with decision making and choice as opposed to chance. It's sneaky and it's almost bigger than those who struggle with it. It's a disease that knows no social or economic or educational or intellectual boundaries.

SET-UP

Every month I read my alumni magazine from University of Michigan, and a couple of months ago there were some great articles about life at UM during the 1930s. Someone had written a book about his experiences, so I looked him up, and it turns out that he'd written a number of books.
Step-Up by Edmund G. Love was published in 1980. It is a pretty good detective story about a George Rowe, who was forced to retire from the police department. Of course he's a crack detective who can't let go of the old job. A good little summer read. To show the book, I'll have to take a photo. I'll bet this hasn't been checked out and read in over 20 years!

Today is July 3, 2009. Sometimes I can't even believe that we are in the 2000s. It's a beautiful day, not warm enough for me, but sunny and lovely. We've got fireworks lined up for tonight and tomorrow. Can't wait.