Melanie Sends Snaps

Friends and family and famiglia,

Here is a brief snapshot montage of our life in the early spring in Michigan, 2010.

We're moving again (3rd time in 8 months) back to Sunward. (Back to the sun, backs to the sun? Stay tuned to find out.)

Melanie

(Ed: Their to-be-new home is the red house in the photo.  Two bedrooms PLUS a two car garage thats opens off the living room --  perfect for a studio for our displaced artiste.)

Sibila and Soon-to-be Hubby

(Note:  Sibila, Amir's cousin and our friend in Bosnia, has decided to specialize in pediatrics.)

"Paediatrics is something I never get tired of.. I enjoy being around children, I even enjoy in communication with parents and that is part which most people find very tiring because they get so overwhelmed with worry and can be really hard to calm them but I somehow manage to do it.

Your grandson is so cute!! :) and so are your son and daughter in law :)

Me and Nudžejm, my soon-to-be hubby :) ,  also like to walk in the mountains but unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share, we also like to ride bicycles in the mountains  which I enjoy even more though it is bit hard . . .

Please say hello to all members of your family and give Eason a kiss from me :)"

Saturday Night

Well, I tried to be "Our Man at the Edison Eye" this year, since Chaz is back East, but I got there a little late.  In time, however, to hear two sets of a three-piece jazz ensemble playing right in front of the smoked salmon, and two new paintings by Christine Wardenberg-Skinner, which I thought were really nice.  Several smaller Brock's painted so people could afford them (about $900. ea.) and one large one in a style reminding me of his earlier paintings of 'light in Edison' days.  Talked a little to Toni Ann who is now signing her paintings with her Croatian maiden name -- she said she got to make all the placards so the Baron didn't see what she was up to.  (Also -- pay attention, Chaz -- the Baron wants to talk to Chaz about hanging a piece in the June show.  Send him you 'phone number or give him a call.)  Still the place was hopping.

After the show, Julia and I stopped for a bit at the Bayview Community Center, where the Skagit-Anacortes folk dance group was dancing away to the music of the Balkan Cabaret with (Julia's friend) Mary Shearhart.  Julia danced and I smoked cigars in the doorway.

michigan

the wind is whistling across

the prairie today

it is cold and gray

yes whistle is the right word

the wind gusts around corners

just strong enough to knock over

the lawn furniture and whistle

loud enough to remind you of 

winter and make you wonder where

your winter coat is it whistles loud

enough to remind you that you need

to stay in control of yourself

nature is still in charge it is not

summer yet the weather is not

warm enough to soothe your soul

the whistle of the wind reminds you

to proceed with caution and protect

yourself keep order within for the

time for summer indolence is still in the 

distance 

charles

FWD:Coal piled high in the egyptian manner

Chaz scours the eastern seaboard for a deep water port to ship coal to india to make steel. this is from his recent trip to providence, rhode island.

(Update, Ed:  Here's the website -- www.provport.com/ )

PAhurds Say: Tim just returned (Update)

He is back in northern climes after 3 days in Florida, a day in North Carolina and then today in Williamsburg, VA presenting at William and Mary College, the second oldest in the US.

He has had a whirlwind trip up the East Coast, soon off to Boston and New York again.

Lynne was Tim's onstar again this trip.  One traveling companion said "Are you sure you have never been here before?" since Lynne had scouted all routes and restaurants, etc, and another companion piped up after he got a text message that his flight was delayed this evening, "How did you train an assistant so well?"   Tim replied, "That is not my assistant, that is my wife."

Still not as funny as early in his career when a flight was canceled -- pre-cell phone days -- and Lynne rescheduled then called the airport (also pre Homeland security days) and got the ticket counter and was explaining to the steward that she needed to get a message to her husband about the rescheduled flight and the steward asked "Is he wearing a plaid shirt?"  and .... and sure enough he was and he handed the phone over to him. I love that story!

Be well, hope spring refinds you, we have so many gorgeous flowering trees right now, the town looks like is is showing off it's nicest laciest lingerie.

All our best from Hanover Hurds  (Ed:  aka  "PAhurds")

 

Just Cuz

Huh.

"The girl, from the southern town of Knin, had only just started studying German at school and had been reading German books and watching German TV to become better, but was by no means fluent, according to her parents.

Since waking up from her 24 hour coma however, she has been unable to speak Croatian, but is able to communicate perfectly in German. . ."

from the UK Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/croatia/7583971/Croatian-teenager-wakes-from-coma-speaking-fluent-German.html

Unkie Tim sez: Wild!

Unkie Tim is on the road again -- starting with 3 days in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, then Raleigh, North Carolina, as I recall.  Photos are from his hotel room window and down on the beach.

sensitive writers

Melanie, it seems, is a bit more sensitive about being disturbed while she is writing than I am.  She just told me that I can't disturb her while she is writing unless I am on fire.  

chas

Tim and Lynne: "THIRTY!"

T&L say:  We celebrated our 30th anniversary, from when we first got married, on the 4th, on a sunny, warm day with many spring flowers and a stroll by the lake to see the first fish rising and the cormorants fishing.

Winthrop - Day 4

Hiking up Patterson Mountain, nearly to the summit 'til we hit treacherous snow on the trail. 

(As usual, click on photo to enlarge it.)

Winthrop -Monday - Day 3

Overnight, the sunny days of our arrival have turned back to winter.  Once inviting hammocks swing empty.   We dream of a coffee nudge beside a  cheery fire, drowsing over an essay on Jung's archetypes.

Sat -1

Wandering the hills above Winthrop . . .

Chaz Writes: girl country singer

As we know I have a funny addictive nature

I will crave eating something like a sausage mcmuffin

for days and then just stop cold and won't eat it 

again for months

For the last few days I have been listening to the
country music station here in ann arbor and while the
guys mostly sing about the same old stuff
the girl singers are pretty hot musically and poetically

I'm surprised I never ran off with a country music lady when I lived in the Okanogan... we both have the same attitude... Jesus please take this wheel, I'm looking for a good time and I'm just passing through these windows and rooms until I find a permanent home  

I gotta stop listening to the country music station

Charles