Maya's Heartsong: August 2009

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

Paige Jacket

Here's a pic of Maya in her Paige jacket. Aren't they adorable? I ended up sending it back for a bigger size, but I had to snap a pic first. (Yes, it's a prize. Yes, I'm addicted.)

Part of why I originally moved to Chesterton, was an article in the local paper about a robbery. Someone had stolen a policeman's hat off the front seat of his squad car. I was so impressed by the facts that a. this was considered news-worthy b. that this was considered a big crime and c. that the policeman wasn't too embarrassed to report it. I thought of Barney Fife and thought, "I want to live in a town like that."

Well, 20-ahem-some-odd years later, I am reconfirming that Chesterton is where I want to live.....from the front page of the 8/28/2009 Chesterton Tribune.....

"The Zucchini 500 is coming to the European Market on Saturday. The zucchinis will race at 10:30 am. The fastest racer will be awarded a prize, as will the best decorated zucchini. Participants who want to race but who don't have a zucchini can stop by the European Market ahead of time and get a zucchini to put on wheels and decorate. The market opens at 8 am."

I'm speechless, type-less, whatever.

more about our town

From the Post Tribune:

Chesterton residents make a neighbor's life brighter

Damage from the tornado Chesterton residents experienced in a few frightening minutes recently is being repaired, and soon there will be no sign of the devastation.

It is not something that will be forgotten by those who were the victims. However, it always seems there is good that follows the bad.

Last week, my Chesterton buddy, Alice Perney, told me about her caring neighborhood.

Lauren Poppos is 93 years old and lives by herself with her dog, Roscoe. This independent lady rides her three-wheeled bicycle all over Chesterton, to shop, visit with friends, or just enjoy being outdoors. Roscoe rides in the basket as her constant companion.

Her bike is her only mode of transportation, so when the tornado destroyed it, her world became smaller.

When one of her neighbors, Linda Callahan, saw Poppos outside, patting her destroyed bike, she contacted all the neighbors around the area and suggested that they purchase a replacement.

The idea was eagerly embraced, the bike was ordered and neighbor, Ken Jaeger, drove to New Buffalo, Mich. to pick it up and assemble it. Two weeks after the tornado, the sun shone brightly on a corner in Chesterton when five families - adults and children - presented their special neighbor with her new set of wheels.

After the shock wore off and the tears dried, Lauren Poppos and her faithful Roscoe went for a ride right there in the parking lot, and there were enough cheers and smiles to keep the clouds away from their lives for a very long time.

Everyone should be so blessed to have neighbors like the Callahans, Jaegers, Perneys, Shunkitises and Murcheks. I know there is one lady (and a dog) who thinks you are heroes.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Julie and Julia and The Time Traveler's Wife

I had a movie day! That's where I sneak off to the theatre and see at least two movies. And eat a whole bunch of popcorn :)

This time I saw, first, The Time Traveler's Wife. It was really interesting. Not the best movie I've seen lately, or ever, but interesting. The acting was very good. The script.....um, strange. I told my parents not to go - the time changes and implausible premise would drive them crazy. One strange twist, don't read if you want to go see it - Spoiler Alert. The couple are trying to have a child, but the wife keeps miscarrying. They think it's because the child is inheriting the gene anomaly that causes the father to travel through time and is traveling out of the wife's uterus. Yeah, I know. Anyway, it become a health risk for the wife to get pregnant, so the husband has a vasectomy. Hang in there, it gets stranger. The wife is angry with him, so she sleeps with......no, not another man..... she sleeps with a pre-vasectomy-younger-time-traveling-version of her husband. And she gets pregnant. When the older-post-vasectomy guy confronts her, she says, well, it's not like I cheated on you. Okay, weird. I do have to say, this movie did make me laugh out loud and cry, which is usually a big criteria for a fave flick. But the time didn't fly by (no pun intended) so I guess it would get 2 or 3 stars.

When you go to see two movies like that, you need to time it. These two worked out perfect - refill popcorn, find other movie, sit down and it starts. Perfect.

The second one I saw was Julie and Julia. I liked it very much. Meryl Streep is once again, just incredible. I forgot that she was Meryl Streep and thought she was Julia Child. Especially when Julie was watching Julia on tv. It did make me hunger for French food though. Especially boeuf bourgonion, which I am probably spelling wrong. They make it at least three times in the movie and it looks sooooo good. Much of the film happens in Paris, but I don't think they really filmed in Paris, it looked a bit too ummmm, how do I say it? ummmm, clean. I love Paris, but it is a bit ummmm, not-clean. Anyway, I would recommend this movie. I liked it better than TTW, but this one didn't make me cry. I did laugh out loud though. Several, okay, lots of times. The people next to me did move half-way through, but I'm sure it was for some other reason! It was a true story, or rather two true stories, but I wish they would have fictionalized the ending and changed the relationship/meeting of Julie and Julia. I like happy endings. This movie, a solid 3 stars.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Blueberries, Blueberries, Blueberries, Blueberries

Brb, I'm going to get some blueberries from the freezer.......

Maya and I love blueberries, and wow, can we eat alot of 'em! We ended up going picking three or four times. Every time I thought we had enough, but we'd go home and start eating and I'd think, hmmmm, maybe we better go once more.

We went to a blueberry farm in Indiana, but on the Michigan border. We took 94 to the first exit (as if going to Fourwinds) but then drove south about a mile. It was also a campgrounds and there were alot of people there - pretty popular. You could drive right up to the blueberry farm. They weren't as big as the ones we picked last year, but oh, so sweet and delicious. I think we ended up with more than 50 lbs! But if we eat a pound a day, I mean a week, that will last us just a year. We'll have to see how long it lasts :) Love blueberries.....

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Hot Air Balloon - 70th Anniversary of the Wizard of Oz Movie

"This year the cinematic classic the Wizard of Oz celebrates it’s 70th anniversary. In honor of that anniversary, a hot air balloon designed especially for Warner Home Video is touring the country. It appears tomorrow in Chesterton, home of the Wizard of Oz Festival.

The balloon comes from AeroSports Inc. in North Carolina. The tour from LA to New York was announced in May and the balloon took off on its tour in June.

The Emerald City Green balloon is encircled with the Yellow Brick Road, stands over 75 feet tall, is 55 feet in diameter and holds 90,000 cubic feet of air. The OZ balloon also includes the logo of the 70th anniversary that features Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers. The opposite side of the balloon has huge 30-foot tall images of the Dorothy and her other main characters – the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.

Head to Chesterton’s Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve (located at Co. Rd. 1050 N and State Road 49, Chesterton) for the event. The Oz Characters will be on hand to meet and greet children along with music by blues guitarist, Chris Pabon, and refreshments by George's Gyros. The balloon is scheduled to be in the sky from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., weather permitting." from the Chicago Family Staycations Examiner