September 5, 2015 by Pointes of View

Murrock Farms

On our last day of vacation, we drove into Watertown to Murrock Farms, run by my cousin Darryl. When I was growing up, his parents, my Uncle Charles and Aunt Betty (my dad’s sister) owed and ran the farm.

After my Grandma died, when we visited New York in the summers, we stayed with Aunt Betty (Uncle Charles had passed by then). At 91, she still lives in the farmhouse on the property and watches over the farm, noting every car or person who comes by; she has all her wits about her. Amazing.

Uncle Charles and Aunt Betty (far right. Okay, her eyes are closed, but it’s the only photo I have). Next to them, my mom and dad. Next over is dad’s sister Rosalind and husband Art. Then his brother Doug and wife Irene. Then his brother Fred and wife Anna and finally my grandmother, Lucy.

Aerial view of farm without the calf barn or new milk barn.

On a side note, only a few years before Uncle Charles died did I find out that he hated his nickname Chuck. I was so surprised when someone (Aunt Betty? my Dad?) told me. It felt weird to make the transition to Charles, but I wasn’t about to keep calling someone by a name they didn’t like.
We showed up somewhat unannounced. I’d told Darryl we were planning on stopping by, but never confirmed when (sorry and thank you!!). Jeffrey (Darryl’s son) and his dog Sarah pulled up in the truck and were the first to greet us. He was working on the new barn, which will house the new offices (currently in various rooms in the farmhouse) and new milking robots. I know. Whoa, right?

Current milking set-up…

Blue container is catching milk for the calves.

New milking set-up (photo from Lely.com)…

I was fascinated by the milking process as a kid (I say kid, but well up into my teens. even now). I always made a point to watch at least once a day (there are three a day, the first one starting at 5:00am) when we were on the farm.

According to what I read online (click link for article), robotics milking not only saves money in the long run, but also includes other benefits like “more milk for cow,” “more freedom and improved animal well-being” and “better social life for farmer.” :)

We made our way to the calf barn.

The babies were super cute. The girls held out their hands to be licked. One calf got a pretty big mouthful of my daughter’s dress! The date on the tag is the calf’s birth date. Jeffrey started over at number 1 for their tags not long ago. I believe Darryl said they were up to number 3000 at that point.

Darryl made the move to organic farming I want to say about eight years ago. It took a couple years to become fully organic, as the entire farm (corn fields/feed, cows) had to meet all the criteria. Most of the farm’s milk ends up with the Horizon brand.

Such a fun day reliving childhood memories and sharing them with the girls.

August 22, 2015 by Pointes of View

Chases Lake

Chases Lake (although everyone pronounces it Chase, without the s, and writes it that way, too) is located at the tip of the Adirondacks in New York state, where my Dad is from. As kids, every other summer my sister and I would fly to New York solo to meet my Dad (who would fly in from Germany).

He and his siblings owned a cottage at Chases Lake, which they inherited from their folks and we would spend a chunk of time there in addition to my Grandma’s house and Aunt Betty’s.

Photo from Chase Lake Facebook page.

When I was in college (I think. my timeline could be way off here), my Dad bought his own place, not far from his family cottage. I love the familiarity of the lake and that there are still no motors allowed (it’s such a small lake that anything with a motor wouldn’t make sense anyway). We took the girls for a canoe ride…

And one afternoon Sammy, the girls and I went for a walk in the woods and got caught in a rainstorm…

My Dad and his wife planned a get-together with cousins and Aunts (no Uncles left).

It was a cold day, but that didn’t stop the kids from enjoying the water.

It was great to finally share this part of my life with the girls. It’s been eight years since I’ve been back. Definitely won’t be another eight before we visit again.

May 6, 2015 by Pointes of View

Yard Work

Spring is finally here! It arrived in full force this weekend with sunny skies and highs in the 70s. All of Grosse Pointe celebrated by doing the usual warm weather things like walking the dog, biking to the yogurt shop (TCBY, which sadly is over-sugared and processed. I miss you so much, Fraiche!), hosting a barbecue or doing yard work.

Kitchen window view BEFORE

On Saturday, we enjoyed mint juleps at a Kentucky Derby party and on Sunday we decided to tackle the backyard. After a trip to Home Depot (many folks here say The Home Depot, which I get is the actual name, but still sounds weird) to get random things like a new hose, garden shears, wood trim, drain cleaner and a dust pan, we started working on Project Bush Removal.

The bushes (three of them) to be removed were hiding the ugly utility boxes, but they were also blocking the view from the kitchen window. My husband started digging them out with a shovel and 30 minutes later, was on the phone to a friend, asking to borrow an axe. With both shovel and axe, the plants were removed after a couple hours.

I had the job of chopping them up and putting them into compost bags.

Kitchen window view AFTER

Getting rid of them has really opened up the view from the window. We can now see most of the left half of the yard, which will be SO great this summer when I need to sneak a look at the kids (or the dog) without having to walk in the backyard or disturbing them.
My husband has assigned me the task of figuring out what plant to put in front of the utility eyesore. Our lawn guys were here today doing Spring clean up, so I asked one of the guys for ideas. He suggested dogwood or serviceberry and said it would run about $400 including installation.

Serviceberry Tree. Image from whatgrowsthere.com

My personal favorite that is in full bloom around town is the weeping cherry. Gorgeous pink blossoms and so delicate. I have yet to find out how much those cost or if they are available.

Weeping Cherry. Image via ifinallyhavetime.com

Our next door neighbors are expert gardeners who were on the annual Grosse Pointe Garden Tour last year (which I’ve been told is a pretty big deal). I’m hoping to pick their brains for ideas (maybe after an offering of homemade pie). And my mother-in-law sent me an email saying she has an idea that could work. So many possibilities! What would you suggest?

May 1, 2015 by Pointes of View

The April List – 2015

1) We finally put some artwork up in the family room. What a big difference! The SF prints were hanging in my husband’s basement office, but he kindly gave them up for the good of the house. They look much better proportioned in real life (they look weirdly small in the photo for some reason).

2) “That was my favorite squirrel” – our youngest, looking out the window at the dead squirrel in front of our house.

As the days went by it got more and more squished (“ooh I see blood” and more “my favorite squirrel” language) so I decided to call the city to see if they would scrape it up.

Me: Hi. I’m new here and I’m not sure if you do this sort of thing but…there’s a dead squirrel on the street in front of our house and it’s freaking our kids out. Could you come pick it up or how does that work?
City Worker: Now, where is the squirrel, in the middle of the street?
Me: Umm, pretty much in the middle of the street, yes.
City Worker: And you say it’s in front of your house? Is it right in front?
Me: Yup, right in front of our driveway, I would say.
City Worker: Okay, can I get your phone number, in case there are any questions?
Me: About the squirrel?! Umm, sure.

Can’t fault her for being thorough.

3) My sister bought me Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Goldfinch” for Christmas, which I finished this month. Not once during the 784 pages did I feel like it was tedious or dragging. Do yourself a favor and put it on your summer reading list (I almost wish I had saved it for a summer read). You will thank me.

4) Michigan vs. San Francisco terminology:
Park = Playground
Pop = Soda
Carry Out = Take Out
Chinese = Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese or all of the above

5) I finally got a shot of the elusive pheasant!

6) April 4th marked the one-year anniversary of our move. I went for a run that day and thought about everything that’s happened since we arrived. New house, new remodel, new school, new routines, new weather, new friends. I miss San Francisco more than I can express, but I’m also happy here. I haven’t thought too much more about it, but I will reflect on it more and when I do, I will report back.

7) I’m not allergic to shellfish! Best news ever! Unfortunately, we have no idea what brought on my hives last month, but at least we can rule out shellfish. The allergist wanted me to come back for another appointment as a precautionary measure. He said I would need to set aside 2-3 hours, bring a piece of shrimp with me to the office, eat it and wait. He referred to this as an “open food challenge.”

Me: Can’t I just stand in front of a hospital and eat some shrimp? That would be a lot faster, and more convenient.
Allergist: Oh no, don’t do that. The next thing you know, the papers will say “a patient of Dr. R’s dropped dead in front of such and such..”
Me: Don’t worry, I won’t sue you or anything.
Allergist (concerned): Just make the appointment, okay?
Me: Okay.

I walked out of the office without making an appointment. Two days later, I ate an a-load of shrimp at a party. I’m good.

8) April showers bring May flowers. That’s great and all, but the cold! Enough already. April was full of cold, cloudy days and even some snow. We did get a couple days of sun and warm, giving us a sneak peak of what’s to come. I can’t wait.

9) Speaking of flowers, I walked outside one afternoon to a beautiful surprise. A blossoming tree in our backyard. I don’t know what kind of tree it is, but the flowers are fluffy and big, similar to magnolia blossoms. So pretty!

10) Something you would never see in San Francisco – dry cleaning hanging on a door. One, because I can’t think of any dry cleaner there that delivers and two, because it would be gone in two seconds. Especially if you live near Golden Gate Park like we did.

https://igcdn-photos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/t51.2885-15/11111523_1652333978329361_1522025887_n.jpg

Photo from: GPFoundation on Instagram

11) The Grosse Pointe library system lends out gardening tools. How cool is that? They also have a seed library, where you can search a physical card catalog (containing seed packets instead of cards) and “borrow” seeds to plant. Residents are also encouraged to save and donate their seeds to the collection. I plan to use both.

12) I have one more month before school is out, which means I can say goodbye to daytime “me” time. I hope to get a sitter a couple times a week so I can work (oh yes, I do have a day job doing payroll for my husband’s company), but also so I can have some down time. Summer will be fun, I know that, but sometimes a girl (especially an INFJ girl like me) needs her space. Can I get an amen.

Enjoy May, everyone!

January 6, 2015 by Pointes of View

Piano Duets with My Sister

My sister and I both took piano as kids. Each year our studio would have a big Christmas concert, with several holiday numbers followed by the Nutcracker Suite. I was never chosen to play in the Nutcracker (my sister was – she’s a lot better than me), but I always wanted to. A few years ago I bought the music (The Nutcracker Suite, Op 7, Piano Four Hands by Tchaikovsky) with the intention of someday playing some of the songs with her.

We finally learned a few pieces this year – practicing separately, of course (she’s in Hawaii and I’m here). When we played together for the first time, it actually sounded pretty good, considering!

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a whole lot of time to play while she was here and even more unfortunately, we only decided to video tape the numbers at the end of her trip, and my phone ran out of room and anyway, these two clips are all I have (Sleigh Ride obviously not part of the Nutracker. We used to play it in high school).

A little out of sync and fuzzy at times, but it was sooooo much fun. We told each other that every year we would learn one song (from the Nutcracker) so that eventually we could play the whole thing together. Three down, five to go (we also learned the Arab Dance and the Chinese Dance, but I have zero footage of those).

Me on the right.

Here’s to sisters. And here’s to playing the Nutcracker Suite in 2019!

July 15, 2014 by Pointes of View

Our New Home!

We closed on our new home yesterday – what a relief. The whole mortgage process was complicated and stressful, but its over. We are now Michigan homeowners!

The house was built in 1960 and is 3248 square feet. Its exterior is traditional Midwestern brick, with painted shutters and a weathervane over the garage. It is located in the city of Grosse Pointe Farms and is walking distance to a small shopping district. It’s also super close to Lake St. Clair, a huge plus for us. We both love being near the water (in fact one of our criteria for moving out of San Francisco was that we had to move somewhere that was close to a large body of water).

First floor bathroom.

Family room

The first time we looked at the place, we crossed it off our list. We had just started looking, and everything was really dated and we thought it would be too much of a headache to redo. The kitchen window overlooked the backyard, but its appliances were over 20 years old (including the trash compactor, which I was baffled by. At first I thought it was a second dishwasher) and the cabinets? Formica. The sponge-effect painted walls, dark first floor bathroom and “heavy” decor (maroon leather couches, lots of flourishes) didn’t exactly help sell the place.

And then there was the wallpaper…

In dining room, looking through hallway to the living room.

Looking down to the dining room.

The second time we looked at it, we were further into our house-hunt, and paid more attention to the flow, layout and general well-being of the house. We liked the big, private (fenced in on both sides of house) backyard and nice patio (although it had just been cleaned, so was very slippery that day). My husband loved the big and very clean heated garage. Even though we didn’t love the styling (gold fixtures, ’80s lighting, carpeting selection, etc.), the rooms were decent-sized and the second floor bathroom placement made sense, unlike many other places we’d seen.

Master

Guest room.

However, it was a four-bedroom. Which meant that either our guests would have to sleep in one of the girls’ rooms when they came to visit, or that the husband would have to stick his office in the basement (with low ceilings that barely cleared his head). We once again crossed it off the short list.

Basement

We knew we weren’t going to find the perfect home, but we kept hoping something new would come on the market that would have most of what we wanted. So we kept waiting. But both of us kept looking at the house online, and somewhere along the way, we decided to look at it one last time.

On our third visit, we only saw good things about the house. Both the kitchen and family room (which were connected by an open doorway) had sliding doors to the backyard (which housed a hot tub, which we’re inheriting), the upstairs layout was perfect (master set off from the rest of the rooms, and none of the remaining bedrooms was too large or too small), there were hardwood floors throughout the first floor (except for the kooky family room) and the dining and living rooms had big windows that extended all the way to the floor. Why hadn’t anyone bought this place, it was awesome!!

We put in an offer right away and after a short negotiation, paid just a little under asking. The home inspector who came to look at the house told my husband it was the best house (condition-wise) he had seen in a long time. Two new furnaces, almost brand new roof (it was totally redone a couple years ago), new air conditioning units, a central vacuum and a generator, all in excellent condition.

We met the sellers at the closing. They were sweet and gracious, offering to give us a walk-through to show us the lay of the land (how to use the generator, for example) and making themselves available if we had any questions. We were thrilled when they told us they were closing on a condo in the next few days and if it all went as planned, they would be out of the house by August 4th, one month earlier than planned.

So we hate the decor. It can be changed. And after meeting the previous owners I realized, they loved the decor. They loved the house. And they took care of it for us for 23 years. And you want to know something funny?…..we have a very small budget for immediate home improvements (and a larger budget for a kitchen remodel, hallelujah). We’ll need to pick and choose which things to do this year and which things can wait. Well, I won’t be mad if the wallpaper isn’t the first thing to go.

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