Off to Michigan

Cameron and Cora spent the past three days in Michigan traveling to various cities throughout the state.  I enjoyed listening to them talk about their trip on their way back to Fishers this afternoon.  While the two of them were there they were able to eat at several of our favorite restaurants including New Holland Brewing Company and Founders Brewery.  They also went wine tasting in Traverse City and hiked an impossible dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes.  I thought that it was awesome that Cora ordered a drink named The Hemingway while I was reading about the famed author’s boyhood summers in the same area.  While in Michigan, they even visited the Grand Rapids high school that Cora’s mom graduated from in the 1990s.  Overall, their trip sounded like the perfect end to a challenging semester and I was very happy to hear that they had a lot of fun and felt that they could officially put their junior year behind them.  

Jerry West and the ABA

During the past few years, I have come to realize that I really don’t care that much about watching the NBA.  Maybe, I never really did, but I definitely followed it more years ago, especially when Cal lived at home. Doug still watches it during the playoff season, but even the that doesn’t interest me.  It is probably because the season is long, there are too many games and I don’t know very many players anymore.  I still listen when Cal, Doug or Cameron tell me about a big game or series, but that’s about all of my involvement anymore.

Because of my lack of interest, I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed two documentaries that we watched recently.  The first was on the American Basketball Association.  I was old enough to remember that there was an ABA league that rivaled the NBA and many of its players, but I couldn’t say if I watched them play in the ABA or NBA as the leagues merged in 1976 when I was only eight.  It was very interesting, however, especially on how the league was run, how it dissolved and what happened to the players and coaches after it ended.

The second documentary was about Jerry West.  I definitely knew very little about him except that his silhouette was used for the NBA logo and that he was involved with the Lakers.  His life story inside and outside of basketball was very fascinating and I liked it just as much as the one on the ABA.  

Basketball was a huge part of my life when I was younger.  It was fun to remember why. Although I do  not revere the sport as much as I did when I was in college, I definitely enjoyed the walk down memory lane.  Even so, I probably still won’t watch the playoffs much.  I’ll let Doug, Cal or Cameron keep me up-to-date and hope that the boys’ bets hit.  

Special Gifts

I never expect gifts on Mother's Day, but I do appreciate how awesome my children are at giving them.  This year was no exception.  The bouquet of tulips from Cal arrived last Wednesday and brightened our kitchen right away.  Meg surprised me with a wonderful homemade present.  She had taken an applique from my wedding dress and made it into a jewelry tray for my dresser.  It was extremely thoughtful and something that I will be able to use daily.  Brett's gift arrived today and I made sure to have it cued up on the record player when Doug got home from work as we had both noticed the latest Peanuts vinyl at the Charles Schultz Museum and really enjoyed listening to it last night.  Cameron purchased my gift while vacationing in Traverse City this week.  I can't wait to open it when I see him Memorial Day weekend.  As much as I have absolutely loved all of the Mother's Day gifts over the years, the best part about the holiday is and always will be being called Mom by the Heinisch four.  That is one gift that I will never grow tired of hearing. 

Mother's Day at the Boardwalk

Doug and I decided to celebrate Mother’s Day by staying at the Boardwalk Inn on their club level. The Boardwalk had become like a second home to us since we had been there so many times over the years with our children. We couldn't believe that we had not been there since our last entire family vacation at Disney World in 2020.  Planning the trip brought back a lot of awesome memories for both Doug and I. Staying there would also be an easy way for Meg to celebrate Mother's Day with us as she wouldn’t have to travel out to Ocala by herself.

Doug and I decided to arrive early this morning so we could enjoy breakfast in the club lounge. Dad got his usual salmon, cream cheese and bagel while I had a fabulous meal with eggs and fruit. We walked over to Epcot after breakfast and did something that we rarely do, went on multiple rides. Soarin' as always was our favorite, but Doug really appreciated Spaceship Earth this time as he was ready for a nap after such a big meal. We had just enough time to grab a drink from England before heading back to the Boardwalk to meet Meg.

Lunch at the club level was really just snacks, so once we rested and enjoyed a few things, we went out to the boardwalk for Meg to get a big pretzel. We then took the boat over to Hollywood Studios. Doug was sure that this would be the time that he beat us at Toy Story Mania, but as always, Meg and I destroyed him. It was really hot walking back and we were glad to take a break and rest in the room before going to dinner. The food tonight was fantastic, and Meg really appreciated that they had her favorite chicken tenders. The drinks at the Boardwalk weren’t quite as good as they were at Animal Kingdom Lodge, but we enjoyed them just the same. The desserts were delicious and we enjoyed hearing the fireworks from our balcony. Overall, it was a wonderful Mother’s Day, and I was really glad that we got to spend it together with Meg at the Boardwalk Inn.

Florida Pint Day

Last week, I saw a post from Hiatus Brewing Company stating that they would be closing indefinitely due to an operations issue.  I was absolutely shocked when I read it and immediately called Doug at work to let him know.  I decided that I wasn't going to be the one to tell Phil and instead let Doug break the news to him as the brewery had become their favorite place to meet for a drink and to catch up on their week.  It was not only convenient being just a little over a mile from our home, but it also had the best craft beer that I had ever tasted.  I didn't always meet the brothers there but had been there enough that the bartender didn't even ask me what I wanted anymore.  To say that we were all disappointed was an understatement.

Thankfully, the brewery didn't stay closed for long and within a few days was back up and running again.  We never found out what the issue was but were glad to see that they had already scheduled an event for "Florida Pint Day" complete with a collector's glass.  I wasn't able to go but Doug and Phil put it on their calendar for last night, and I was very happy to add the new glass to our collection.  Now we had a manatee for me from last year and an alligator for Doug this year.  It was a nice way to end the week and to celebrate Hiatus' "reopening." 

An End to Cameron's Junior Year

Cameron's junior year officially ended this past Monday at 9 p.m. with his last final.  He was very glad to be done early but would have preferred not to have all three of his finals on the same day.  This year had definitely been the most challenging of the three.  Between a tough semester of iCore in the fall, the commitments of being a director of SAB, the time involved as an unpaid intern for the IU athletic marketing department and his position as a TA, Cameron was completely burned out.  He needed a break and I was glad to hear that he was taking time off these next few weeks before his internship started at Owens Corning.

To start Cameron went to see Grandma and Grandpa in Syracuse for a few days.  He was able to take them to Chubbies, play Buck Euchre and finally get a haircut.  In Bloomington, Cameron hung out with Cora and also spent a day on Lake Monroe saying goodbye to his senior friends in SAB. This weekend he had plans to celebrate Cora's brothers' graduation and pack for their trip to Traverse City.  He had been planning it since this winter and was very excited about that.  I was glad to hear that he was already feeling a lot more relaxed after his few days off from school.  I know it will take some time, but soon he will completely be rejuvenized and ready to tackle his new position in Toledo.

Harry Potter on Vacation

Doug spent quite a bit of his television viewing time during Covid watching and rewatching the Harry Potter movies.  Meg and Cameron would find him asleep many times in his chair with one of the eight movies playing in the background.  It definitely became a joke in the family as it did seem that Doug had watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire at least a hundred times by the end of the pandemic.

While Doug and I were in California, a Harry Potter marathon seemed to be on every night of our trip.  Doug would turn on one of the wizarding movies just before he fell asleep and there would be another one on when we woke up.  I must have texted our family group chat to let them know because both Cal and Cameron sent texts from their respective vacations recently with these pictures asking Doug if he had ever seen these movies and thought he might be interested.  I got a kick out of that and was glad that Doug could laugh at it too.  

Plant Help

Lately, I have been using Google Gemini whenever I have a question for AI.  So far it has been really helpful and as an added bonus, it lets me ask unlimited questions and doesn't cost me anything.  This week, I put it to the task on the health of my indoor plants.  I was amazed at how helpful it really was.

First, Google Gemini gave me suggestions for raising healthy indoor plants overall. I was glad to hear that I was doing a good job at that. It then identified each plant individually and gave me tips on what to do for them based on the pictures that I provided.  With Google Gemini's help, I learned that my plants were almost all tropical and loved humidity, keeping them together would provide that.  Next, I found out which ones preferred indirect light by the window and which ones preferred to be a little farther away from the glass.  I also found out which ones needed pruned and which were extremely healthy.  Google Gemini even let me know that I was wrong in believing that I had a Christmas cactus.  Instead, I had a Thanksgiving one and it provided tips on how to get it to bloom next November as well.  

My indoor plants have replaced the Guinea pigs in becoming the "pet" of the house.  Thankfully, just like our beloved pigs, they do not need a lot of care, just water and attention every now and then. The best part is that there is no cage to clean and it isn't quite as sad when they die.

Money Tree

Zebra Plant

Thanksgiving Cactus

Calathea Dottie - Prayer Plant

African Violet

Snake Plant

Angel Wing Begonia

Kalanchoe

"May the 4th Be With You"

Star Wars has been an important part of my life since 1977.  It was the last movie that my brother and I saw together and one of the few that we both became obsessed with immediately.  I had Star Wars sheets, a Darth Vadar doll and had a big crush on Luke Skywalker.  

Although my crush didn't last more than a few years, I have been a fan of the series for the past five decades.  I saw the subsequent movies in theaters, got excited for the prequels, watched the finals three movies as well as along with the offshoots, Solo and Rogue One.  I even watched all of the Star Wars based television series that Disney+ came up with over the past few years and anxiously await the new Mandalorian and Grogu movie coming out on the big screen this month.

I am glad that my love of Star Wars carried over to my children.  They may not all match my level of enthusiasm for it, but each has seen the movies and know enough to be able to answer my question "Who is your favorite character in Star Wars, and is this person the best hero in the series?" Thankfully, two of them had the "correct" answer right away saying Obi-Wan and yes.  Cameron got a pass as he had a good argument with Obi-Wan as favorite character and Luke as the best hero.  Brett, however, even got a head shaking response from Doug when he said that "Qui Gon was his hero and Darth Plagius the Wise was his favorite character."  I almost kicked him out of the group chat for that answer, but then I remembered that he was the one who just sold his At-At Walker for over a $100 on eBay.  Who am I to argue with his opinion after that.

The "Big Ugly" Challenge

Cameron called today to announce that he and two of his friends had completed the "Big Ugly" challenge at Bub's Burgers, a local restaurant down the street from his apartment.  I had never heard of the challenge before, so Cameron explained that the goal was to eat an entire one-pound hamburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions in one sitting.  Those completing the challenge would get their picture on the wall in celebration of the moment.

I was glad to hear that Cameron had succeeded in his quest.  He was proud of the accomplishment and subsequent picture, but most importantly had a lot of fun completing it with his friends.  I asked him what he ate the rest of the day and wasn't too surprised to hear that it was "very little - a handful of almonds and a scoop of ice cream at the end of the day."  College is supposed to be fun.  This semester hasn't quite been that for Cameron with all of the commitments that he has had.  Hopefully, a break this summer will really help.  Either way, only one more year to go.

A Servant's Heart

Every week at mass, the priest talks about service and giving of ones "time, talent and treasurers."  When we first moved down here, I was overwhelmed with the thought of it all.  In August of 2023, we didn't have much to give monetarily and I never felt like I ever had a "talent" that would serve the church.  I was exhausted from the move and after spending a good part of my life volunteering, I definitely didn't feel as though I had any time to give.  

Thankfully, all of that has changed in the past three years.  I have been able to create a budget that always gives to others including the church first, and I have found a way to give my time in a way that works best for our schedule and Blessed Trinity's needs.  I realize that working in the gift shop after 11 a.m. mass isn't a large commitment compared to how much I had volunteered in the past, but it does help.  During that hour, fellow parishioners in need of a gift for a First Communicant, or a card for a newly ordained priest, or a religious statue for their home have a place to shop, ask questions and mostly importantly feel part of our church's community.  One day, I even stayed late so that an elderly woman had a place to rest while waiting on her son to pick her up from mass enabling me to use what I believe is my greatest talent - compassion.

Soon, I will be even busier serving the church as I will be the Parliamentarian for CCW.  My role will not be as big as when I was treasurer, but it will be an important one.  Plus, I will be able to support the newly elected President as she has become one of my closest friends in Ocala.  It may not seem like much, but being a part of our church's community has truly changed my life and has made me realize that no act of service is too small in the eyes of God.  

Welcomed Visitors

Doug and I spent the morning in the yard repotting plants and trimming trees.  With that, the long walk at Sholom Park and the heat, we were both pretty tired when we finally sat down to rest this afternoon.  I had just asked Doug what he wanted to watch on television tonight when the phone rang.  It was Meg.  She and Nick had just gotten rained out at Blizzard Beach and were wondering if we wanted visitors.  We quickly said yes and started to make plans for a spaghetti dinner this evening.

Meg and Nick arrived around 7 p.m. tonight and we had a lot of fun visiting with them.  We talked about our week, Nick's time in Ohio, Meg's work, the current Survivor episode and everything else going on in our lives.  Phil joined us out on the patio and spent time defending his stance on underestimating my knowledge of 1970s baseball and taking heat from Meg for not listening to the new Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna duet.  All in all, it was a wonderful evening, and we were very happy to have visitors here in Ocala.  

The Burn Ban

One of Doug and my favorite things to do on weekend nights in Florida is sit out on our back patio with the tiki torches and candles burning enjoying the cool evening weather. It gives us a nice time to relax and catch up on the week that just passed. Unfortunately, Marion County instituted a burn ban recently which changed our routine. We still enjoy our weekend nights on the patio, but it does feel like something is missing when we can’t light up the sky with our tikis.

I had never even thought about there being a burn ban until we got news of wildfires in Northern and Central Florida while we were in California. It made me take our drought a lot more seriously and I am glad to follow the rules as I remember how quickly the grass burned one night after a fallen tiki ember lit it on fire several years ago. I won’t complain too loudly as I know the summer rain will begin soon and the burn ban will be lifted. Until then, I will just enjoy the lights on our tiki bar and small decorative palm tree. They are fun to look at and a lot safer right now.