Shopping and sightseeing

 On Friday we went Shopping, Learra had given me a list of shops to visit so we did some of them, I also wanted to know what their Op shops were like.  So we went to Vinnies and the Salvos and another place called Digs (cause you dig through stuff), it was a bit expensive, but I managed to find some things to buy.  My first IOD transfers, so happy, they are very expensive back home.  Look them up, they are amazing for upscaling stuff,  and then our next stop was a little place called Second Thoughts.  I had a brilliant day, I love their op shops they have heaps of cool stuff and really cheap.  Mary Ann told me of a second hand shop up north called, My Sisters Closet, I love that name.  I would so go to that shop. I had a great day and got lots of bargains.  I have borrowed a suitcase from Mary Ann, one she no longer wants.  I will make it all fit... I will!!!

We had a nice lunch at a dinner type restaurant and it was good.  I am still getting used to the tipping thing, I have to ask what amount is appropriate of Mary Ann each time, cause it isn't just a percentage that is okay each time....

Everywhere I go I see the rusted trucks.  look at it, just look at it.. 

On Saturday we drove to  Detroit to visit Mary Ann's daughter, Emily, and her husband Brian.  They are renovating their home, it is a two story in the suburbs.  Emily took us to the train station, it is not a functioning station, but was delapilated and so the Ford family brought it and has restored it to its former glory.  But the line to enter was around the building, so we decided not to do that after all.

The outside, the line was ridiculous

Part of the inside, I downloaded this as we did not go in, but it looks awesome

A part of the outside before and after.  Another download.  The Fords are loaded, and they did a good thing here

We then went to the Eastern Market and had lunch at Vivio's which was like a bar from the movies.  It was so popular you had to line up outside for about 45 minutes.  There was a guy who's job was to manage the line, and he did.  He would call out for the number of people in a group when a table came available.  Group of 3, group of 4 etc.  The food was okay, but the price was not bad.  Emily then took us on a sightseeing trip around Belle Island and then to a pottery place that makes amazing tiles, its called Pewabic Pottery, they were lovely, but so expensive.  Emily then drove us back to hers and we came home.  

On Sunday it was my birthday, thank you for all the lovely messages.  Mary Ann gave me a lovely tile for my birthday, from Pewabic, it has Michigan on it and it is lovely.  She should not have spent so much money.  But I do love it. We went to Home Depot and I ordered some door handles for my house,  They are meant to arrive by Thursday or Friday, so I hope they do, I leave on Saturday for Dallas and fly out on Sunday for home.  Otherwise I can cancel the order, but I really like them and they will match my house.  They are about a third of the price of the ones available at home and so much nicer.  So fingers crossed.

We then went to Aldi's, one of my favourite stores back home, but alas, their middle isle left a lot to be desired.  Nothing like ours really.  But I did get to a dollar store.  The only store I now need to visit on Learra's list is Hobby Lobby.  I may or may not get there, but I have had a good run, so I can't complain.

On Monday we had a slow day, just lounging around. Mary Ann's two grandchildren have been staying with her for the last few Days, Jamieson is 13 and little Kennedy is 10, she loves to curl up in the blanket I brought when we were on our road trip.  We washed it when we got home and she took it straight from the laundry and still said it smells like old lady!!!  WTF.. I would have been offended, but it was so funny I had to laugh.  Mary Ann offered to re wash it, but she wouldn't let her, so old lady can't smell so bad after all.

We took Jamieson home so his friend could pick him up and on the way back we brought ice creams for the three of us, from a farm called Cooks farm dairy. they were delicious, the line up to buy them promised that they would be good, locals don't line up for crap food.

Judy came yesterday and we went for a drive to Lake Huron, they showed me the places they went and played etc when they were young as Judy's grandparents lived there.  The lake is lovely and there is a river that is called locally "Blue water" and the water is quite blue.  We had lunch at a resturant overlooking the river, it was really nice, we sat outside in the sun.  It is summer here afterall.  The weather was quite high last week and the humidity was pretty awful, the last few days have been really pleasant, cardigan weather, just cool but not cold.  I am loving it. We then went to a town that Judy wanted me to see, but there was only like one store open in the whole place.  I have never heard of a town that closed down like that, but apparently it happens over the winter, but this was a bit too early for that, so no idea why they were all closed.  So no shopping for me....

Last night I sat out the front at dusk, I wanted to see if I could see any deer and just as it got dark we had a visit from three of them.  I took a picture and a small video, but they are really hard to see due to the darkness.

The first deer to visit, hard to see, due to the time of day

I made some eggs this morning for breakfast and there eggs are snowy white.  I asked Mary Ann about them as they are really white, she said they bleach them.  They bleach them because Americans won't buy non white eggs.... ???

I am not sure what we are up to today, I will fill you in when I next post

Cheers for now

Lones