Weekend at Aunt Mary's Cottage

I met Terri and Rodney in Flint on Saturday morning. I left my car at a Park & Ride in hopes that it would be safe for the weekend. You just never know. Terri and Rodney, along with Jackson and Madeline were right on time and soon we were on our way to East Tawas. I gave Jackson a sticker book to occupy his time and I think he announced that he was finished in 20 minutes. Oh, well. He was a great traveler and even enjoyed listening to the ABBA cd I brought along for music.
It had been a few years since I had been to Aunt Mary's cottage and Rodney, Jackson and Madeline had never been there. The ride was not too long but we were all happy when we finally arrived at Aunt Mary's cottage. Aunt Mary and her dog, Hoover, were happy to see us.

Aunt Mary and Madeline.
What a precious pair.

We spent some time chatting and Mary got to meet Madeline for the first time. Meanwhile some of us got into our bathing suits and headed to the beach. The day was perfect for being at Lake Huron. The sky was clear and it was warm but not humid. Jackson and I walked along the beach and had fun running into the lake and finding things on the beach. Madeline joined us later and I learned that she is not a fan of water. She screamed when I placed her feet in the water. OOPS!! Back to Mom she went.

Rodney and Jackson head out to the beach. The water and sky were really that color of blue. Perfect Day!!!

We had a great time in the sun and relaxing on the deck. I got to do some reading and spent time with my aunt. Madeline also got to pet Hoover and she seemed very excited to pet a dog. Aunt Mary got a new awning on her deck. Very nice!!
Madeline petting Hoover.
Madeline getting to know Hoover.
Madeline really liked Hoover.

For dinner we headed to Rainbow Gardens. It is a little bit of a drive but worth it. They have great fish and it is a family friendly place.

After dinner, we decided to take a trip to Whittemore to see my paternal grandparent's old home. I was apprehensive about going since the house had been the victim of arson several years ago and I did not want to remember it any other way than when Grandma and Grandpa had lived there. We went anyway and I am really glad we did . Luckily Rodney had his camera so we could take pictures.
The driveway to Grandma and Grandpa's old home. It looks pretty much the way I remember it. Of course my Grandma's flower gardens are missing and the mailbox is missing too.

The house from the road. This is the south side of the house.
A closer view.

Another view of the front. The windows across the second floor on the right are new. Originally that part of the upstairs was an open porch off of a large bedroom. The house has five bedrooms upstairs, a large, I mean huge, hall area upstairs and a small bathroom with a pedestal sink.

The main floor had one bedroom and bathroom, a kitchen, a parlor or dining room that was really large, an office, a living room with a spectacular stone fireplace and a very large entry way. The whole house was made of concrete and very little wood. There was wood trim and wood doors but not much else was wood. The floors were tiled for the most part and made a very particular sound when you walked on them. I can still remember that sound. The windows all look new to me.
The east side from the long driveway. The deck and glass doors out to the deck are all new and looked strange to me. The lower level contains a garage, work room, laundry room and bathroom along this side.

The garage door.
The north side or back of the house.

The new owners must have added the cover over the back door. Yuk!! We always used the back door as the main entrance. I can remember my Grandma's flowers in all kinds of pots, including a butter churn used as a planter, near the back door. There was also a huge bell in the yard and we would ring it to call people out in the fields when dinner was ready.

The pole on the left was my Grandma's clothes line pole. It is still there. Somethings don't change.

More of the north side.
Another view of the back entrance.
The west side of the house. I think some trees are missing.

This little trip brought back so many memories. I really miss my grandparents. They died one day apart. I was very close to them and I have many fond loving memories of this house.

On the way back from our little excursion we stopped for ice cream in East Tawas. It was a perfect hot summer evening and after getting our fill we headed to the cottage to play games. We all enjoyed playing games with Jackson. He is a fair player and he even invented some of his own games. We stayed up late enough to watch Micheal Phelps win his epic eighth gold medal at the Bejing Olympics. We hope Jackson will remember it.

Jackson setting up the games.

After the games and Olympics Terri and Rodney headed to the cottage they rented and I got a comfy bed at Aunt Mary's cottage. I know I slept well that night.

The next morning Aunt Mary and I relaxed and read books on the deck until Terri and Rodney arrived. Some of us went back to the beach for more sun and water before it was time to head back home. The rest of us chatted on the deck and enjoyed the afternoon.

Madeline enjoyed the day and played with a special basket that Aunt Mary made.
Rodney and Jackson and Madeline on the deck.
Me and Aunt Mary.
Terri, Aunt Mary and Jackson.

It was time to say our goodbyes and we headed back to the town of East Tawas. The weekend would not be complete without a trip to Ben Franklin to buy fabric. I made a quick run into the store and managed to spend a wad on fabric to make clothes for Madeline for next summer. What a great way to spend the winter I was thinking.

While we were packing up the car to head on our way, who should pass by but one of my friends from high school. What a small world!! Barb S. was in East Tawas with her husband Vic and some of their children (really young adults). I got to meet three of the daughters. Barb looked great, they still live in Owosso and own a candy store. It was her first visit to East Tawas.

Our drive home was long since we spent a few hours in traffic due to construction on the Zilwaukee bridge, but we all made the best of it. Madeline was tired and slept through the slow part. My car was safe at the Park and Ride and my kitties were happy to see me. I was tired but I had a great time and I can't wait to go back next summer.