A lovely day with family!

Hello!

We were up around 7 am this morning and down for breakfast about 8 am.  Then out, on a clear and cool (61 deg) morning, looking for cupcakes to take to family gathering this afternoon.  Red Velvet Cakes on Hayes in Clinton Township sounded good, so we somehow found our way around the various roads under construction to find it.  Lovely place!  Good selection of cupcakes and, have to admit, R got some raspberry cookies, and I had two sugar vanilla frosted stars with red and blue spreckles on them.  They were great, so it bodes well for the cupcakes!

Figured as we weren’t due at Marie & Tom’s until around 1 pm that we would see a bit of the neighborhood.  First to Camp Rotary, where I used to go to Girl Scout camp.  Turns out it has been turned into an equestrian center, and they were now charging people to get in.  Then R suggested Yates Cider Mill, which wasn’t too far away. 

Beautiful stream at the Cider Mill

Yates Cider Mill and me!

When I was very young, each October we would go to Yates Cider Mill.  We would spread a blanket out on the ground and drink cider and eat cinnamon doughnuts while listening to the Yankees playing the World Series.  I always remembered it as a magical place!

Visiting at this time of year (as opposed to October) was interesting.  First of all, no working mill as no apples to crush!  The gal in the shop told us that this was the first summer the Mill had remained open – and also that today was Complimentary Free Doughnut Day!  Wow!  Who knew?  Delicious, light as a feather cinnamon doughnuts for all! 

Caught eating my free doughnut! Yum!

As we drove around, all of a sudden, we noticed many new housing developments – and I mean really BIG homes of ostentatious design! – everywhere in the area, with the cider mill sitting like the lone hold-out to progress!  Do hope it can remain where it is – there is a beautiful stream running through the property; so lovely! 

R's lunch from Romeo Cafe

From there, we decided to get some lunch.  I was hoping for a Big Boy restaurant, but when Emmy, our GPS guided us to “the” spot – no Big Boy, although there was a building that could have housed one once upon a time.  Tried for a second spot – and truly, Emmy led us out into the middle of nowhere!  And not even the possibility of a restaurant being there!  Seriously, no idea what is going on!  As we had driven through the small town of Romeo on the way to the Cider Mill, we headed back that way.  Stopped on Main Street (very cute!) and went to the Romeo Cafe … bad decision!  R had a huge hamburger steak with mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes and gravy.  I had a tuna sandwich on whole wheat with German cole slaw (?).  Rated as 6^th best out of 20 restaurants in Romeo, we would say the people in Romeo are in real trouble.

Trace, Marie, Amanda, Grayson & Tom

Marie, Amanda & Grayson

Grayson

Dana, Grayson & cupcake icing!

Marie, Dana & Grayson

Deana

Tom

Toby!

Got to Tom and Marie’s just a few minutes before Amanda arrived, with her 2½ year old daughter Grayson, and her partner’s almost 3 year old son Trace.  Wow, what a handful!  Very cute kids, but where do they get so much energy?  I don’t think we were ever that young!  Our niece Dana came next, as we were discussing what pizza to order for dinner.  Dana’s husband Scott is a construction contractor with his own business, and along with the other work they have going on, they are building a new house for themselves.  Dana took Tom and Robert and me over to their new property.  Wow!  They have almost 11 acres just a couple of minutes away from Tom and Marie.  They have just finished the basement/foundation, and the house is going to be spectacular.  Robert has always wanted what they are building for themselves – a large piece of property with a house in the middle of it, and you don’t ever have to worry about the rest of the world!  Can’t wait to see it completed!

Scott was the next to arrive, as we were eating delicious pizza – from a place called Jet’s, followed by a variety of cupcakes (which were very yummy)!  Deana, our niece (and Amanda’s mother and Grayson’s grandmother) and her husband Steve and their son Jeffrey (Amanda’s brother) were the last to arrive.

It was wonderful being able to see everyone and catch up on news.  Jeffrey is now 16 and has his driver’s license!!  He is doing well in school and has a part-time job!  He has also inherited his father’s truck, which father and son are both working on in their spare time.  Seriously – Jeffrey driving??  WHERE does the time go??  The last time I turned around, he was 12, wasn’t he? 

All in all, a really lovely visit with family!  Truly wish we could get together like this more often!!!  Back to the hotel about 9 pm and now I’m fading fast!

More later,

m

xxx