Snow!!

Look what we woke up to today! Snow! The ducks aren't pleased, but it doesn't stop them from pattering about, as you can see from all the duck prints.

Although Frederick has been housebound with the sniffles this whole weekend (he didn't even want to go to the Space Pool this weekend, or go shopping to the mall and see Santa or the indoor train yesterday!) but that didn't stop him from getting out his coat, snow pants and gloves seconds after he sprang out of bed.

It is bitterly cold out so Frederick didn't last long outside--just long enough to sit in a lawn chair, admire the wintery wonderfulness and eat a few fistfuls of snow. Before going out he had mentioned making a snowman, but that will have to wait since there isn't enough for anything other than a guy about 4 inches tall.

I do wish I had put up the yard lights last weekend.

Yesterday was sunny and warm...

...so of course today it's snowing. Clearly God disapproves of Black Friday.

Thanksgiving

I'm thankful that, with everything else closed, For-Mar is open on this day:

The weather is ridiculously balmy, as you can see from F's T-shirt. (I seem to be saying that a lot in recent years...)

Last Blast of Halloween

This past weekend it was strangely warm and sunny, yet another "last blast of Autumn." (We have had three or four of these, separated by bitter cold windy, rainy weather.) Frederick donned his Halloween outfit one last time and traipsed about in the backyard.

We didn't really get a good picture of him in his outfit before, when Greg took him to Huckleberry Railroad or when he dressed up at school so I wanted to get a good picture of him as the complete stegosaurus.

The stegosaurus eyes the photographer warily, suspicious of her motives.

The temperatures dropped from the balmy 60s we enjoyed this weekend to the below freezing temperatures today. Thomas had to load the wood rack and claimed to suffer frostbite as a result. And as I drove Thomas home from his wind ensemble rehearsal this evening there were snow flurries blowing about. I do not expect to see any more stegosauruses traipsing about in our backyard.

Too soon!

Halloween is over, so you know what that means!

Back she goes!

Well, the three weeks really did fly by, and despite pleading with her that we could buy her own house for about $1000 and promising to take her to a different yarn store every week, the wind changed and Granny had to fly off to where others needed her. She is already missed, but will be even more so when the leftovers run out. Don't make it 3 years before next time...

Election Day

Granny discovered a taste for greasy diner food ("it's the way they do the eggs!") so I took her to my favourite in Flint, the Starlite Diner at Center and Genessee. It was packed! It must have been a post-voting hangout, as everyone had an "I voted!" sticker. We got a table after a little wait and then I noticed the following dilapidated van pull up. Obviously a big Debbie Stabenow (one of Michigan's two US Senators and all-round good egg) booster, I thought:

But no, it turned out to be Debbie herself! That's her in the purple top over Granny's left shoulder.

She came and shook our hands and we told her England stood behind her even if we couldn't vote. I expressed a wish that Nate Silver was right, and she agreed. (Turns out he was.)

Outings

To Seven Lakes park:

And Lansing Zoo. A greedy goat:

Snow leopard:

Lions:

Shopping with Granny

Now that I have a little GPS thingy (or "SatNav" as those across the pond say) it's child's play to go in search of any... wool shop, no matter how obscure. And so we did! We had a deal, though - I would not be required to stay in the shop for longer than it took to say "have fun" and later "time to go!" Just as well, too, because I get the impression from the suspicious glances I received that the possession of testicles in such places is an actionable offence. On one day we went to Ann Arbor for a nice breakfast (at Cafe Zola, for those that care) and stopped off at a combined housewares-and-gardening store (which is like combining cocaine and chocolate for Grannies). Here Granny speed-reads gardening books to absorb information and avoid spending money:

The obligatory store cat, who clearly knew he was beautiful.

Sadly Granny already owns every known kitchen doo-dad. She tried to persuade me that I might need a ginger zester, but I stood firm.

After that (well, and Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and a Barnes and Noble so gigantic it had escalators) it was on to the wealthy (and yes, poncey) enclave of Plymouth in search of a Yarn Store of great renown. Here, Granny's steps quicken and her nostrils flare as she feels its presence:

Just to give you some idea of the sheer extent of the ponciness of this little strip, this shop is entirely devoted to Olive Oils. Not even any other oils allowed:

Halloween

Yes, I am aware it was over a week ago. It's been hectic! Frederick didn't actually go trick-or-treating this year, but Jami still laboured long and hard to produce a Stegosaurus to wear at school on the day. And here it is:

After announcing loudly that she would buy only the very cheapest and crappiest of candy, Jami naturally caved and splurged many dollars on the following:

Finally, Frederick's hand-designed pumpkin:

Let them come! (And come they did: ours being a safe neighbourhood, people bus in from all over. It's like the zombie apocalypse in miniature - they just.keep.coming!)