This was our sky not too long ago on a summer evening.  Thunder was booming and lightning was flashing and not long after I took this the heavens really became violent and we 'greenhorn' former Pacific Northwesterners wondered if we were in for our first tornado.  But no...just another amazing display of  a typical summer storm.  We loved the summer storms.  I think we've seen the end of them until next year, but this land is full of surprises so maybe not.  Time will tell.  Dear Hubby asks just about everyone we meet on our meandering drives around this part of the country if they've lived here all their lives  --  "Yes" --  and "Have you ever seen a tornado?"  --  "No."  --  so you'd think we'd sit back and get a little blase` about it ourselves.  But not quite yet.


Well, my vacation has been a success as far as getting all the little piddling chores I'd had hovering in the back of my mind out of the way.  I painted.  I caulked.  I refurbished furniture.  I even managed to sit down and read a couple of books.  Today is my daughter's 35th birthday and I'm going over to her apartment to pick her up and take her out to lunch.  Then we're going thrift store browsing to see if we can find some decor items for her new place.  She's seen all the stuff I've dragged home thru the years and I guess she ended up even liking some of it, so she's hoping to find some treasures as well.  Take a look at this.  My blog-friend-and-almost-next-door-neighbor-give-or-take-120-miles-away-in-Grand-Rapids-who-I-am-dying-to-meet-someday Judy is the Queen of Thrift Stores.  So is the Husband God Gave Her.  He found a set of 4 pillows for $20, which is kind of high for thrift store prices.  Until you get them home and compare-shop online and find the same 4 pillows sell at retail for $200.  I am impressed.  And she is amazing at what she does with all her treasures.  I tell her that all the time.  I am not crafty at all.  What I buy is what it is and it stays that way.  Ha.

Dear Hubby and our son are planning on taking our grandsons camping this weekend if the weather cooperates.  I don't know if this is true of all State Parks in Michigan or not but at the one they have reservations for, there will be trick-or-treating thruout the park for all the children camping there this weekend.  This is the last official weekend of camping there before they close down for the season.  Is that cool or what?  The more I learn about this state, the more I love it.

And then...on Monday...back to 'real life' again and my busy daily schedule.  This year we have getting Dylan to Kindergarten and home to contend with, too.  But it's in the afternoon, which both of my own children attended as well, and I think that's much better, especially considering I'm going to have to switch back and forth between houses each day.  His school is in his neighborhood.  And I have to spend at least part of each day in my own home for tax purposes for child care.  So back and forth, back and forth.  I am amazed at how many people thru the years have asked me, "Don't they just pay you under the table?  Why do you even claim it?" 

Um...there is such a thing as integrity.  And honesty.  At least there used to be.  And in our household, it's still alive and thriving, regardless of what the rest of the world does or thinks.