Mid-western recap

Our trip back to the US was really good.

We spent time in Chicago, Kalamazoo, and the metro Detroit area and saw lots of family and friends.

We bought a painting from this awesome lady and we are going to put it in the nursery if the wall is long enough.  Otherwise it goes in the hallway.

My mom bought me tons of maternity clothes (I am wearing some of them right now) and had a tiny but perfectly formed baby shower / lunch for us in Three Rivers.  One of my dad’s oldest friends called me from Hawaii where he was waiting to get on a flight to Christmas Island for a Ham Radio contest / adventure to send his love and congratulations (I may have cried, but only a little, and not until after in the car).  His wife gave us a gorgeous needlepoint project and there were lots of thoughtful gifts from family and family friends alike.  It was all unexpected and pretty great.

My grandmother passed away on Christmas Eve after being unwell for quite some time.  I got to poke through her craft supplies and took home a couple crewel sets and a ton of knitting needles and crochet hooks.

While she was in the hospital my grandfather had a new walk in shower put into the bathroom so it would be easier for her to use than their old bathtub when she got home.  He put the bathroom back together after the renovations were finished, exactly as she had left it.  Complete with her perfume on the shelf over the sink (this may also have made me cry).

Their cat Dusty still doesn’t like it if anyone sits in Grandma’s chair, but she is getting slightly more gracious about it.

Grandpa has been invited to the local McDonald’s for Wednesday morning breakfasts with some other older gents from his church to discuss politics.  He’ll be the only democrat in the bunch, but I have faith he’ll be able to set them straight.

In Detroit and Chicago, both, we got to hang out with some very impressive toddlers, one of whom pointed out my freckles and told me they were dots.  We learned that Thomas the Tank Engine is internationally beloved.  A  4-year-old told me I looked like a blueberry tasted (I’m taking this as a compliment),  I bought some new knitting books.  And whenever possible, I ate macaroni and cheese.

There was a lot of snow everywhere and it was colder than I remembered.  I bought a Simon and Garfunkel CD.  We went to cemeteries and paid respects.  I ate about a ton of koshari at La Marsa the restaurant chain that appears to have replaced La Shish in the hearts and bellies of many Metro Detroiters.

We didn’t go into Detroit proper and I didn’t buy any Detroit themed onesies for the little dude, yet, there’s still time.  But it was still nice to go back and see everyone, even if I did nearly freeze my face off.