Where do I start?

Balloons heading out, view from Wayne Hill

     What an amazing weekend!!! It was like riding one wave of joy after another. It started on Friday, with the first, and hopefully annual, Traverse City Balloon Classic. We headed downtown to the open space, taking a quick detour up Wayne Hill to see the balloons that had already set off. I was like a kid in a candy store, absolutely gleeful, I know my kids thought I was nuts, but ever since I saw a video of the Albuquerque International Balloon Festival, I have been enamored of the whole hot air balloon thing, especially when they are part of a big gathering. A visit to the

Albuquerque event is on my bucket list, and this was a wonderful taste of what lies ahead, since I know I'll get there someday! There were so many people in town for this three day event, but everyone was in such a great mood, old and young alike. It was wonderful to see how many other people are delighted by this kind of magic. I took a lot of photographs, but am only posting my favorites. The colors and patterns were incredible eye candy. I will be working on some balloon journal pages this week and hopefully, will post some of those by next weekend. I truly hope this becomes an annual event and that maybe, just maybe, I will get into a balloon next year and go for a ride. I am afraid of heights, but I will have to conquer it because I really, really, REALLY want to do this someday.

Balloons being inflated for the evening "glow."

    If you ever get the chance to attend any mass hot air balloon event, don't miss it. Forget the dishes, take some motrin if you have pain, call a friend or call a cab, but get there, you own't regret it. It was really a magical evening that I will never forget!

My hubby and two of my kids with Balloons in back.

A gorgeous balloon over downtown TC!

One of my favorite balloons over TC.

We saw this one inflated and launch, so cool!

My youngest posing with another beautiful balloon over TC.

     And even though I was riding higher than I have in a while, it got even better! The next day, Saturday, I actually got to cross something off my bucket list, Woo Woo! I got a chance to attend a live recording of "Prairie Home Companion," at the Interlochen Center for Performing Arts. So tomorrow, I'll post photos and all the details of that wonderful adventure...

Catching up

     So I haven't posted in several months. I guess I need to give a condensed recap ala Neil Patrick Harris' 2011 Tony Awards wrap up. Here goes...

Typography "Creative Grid" project

     Back in school, feeling cool, feeling fine learning web design. C#, Access, XML, everything was going swell. Throw in Type, I get the hype, letter forms do more than sell. Final projects and presentations, all precursors to end of year examinations. Studied hard, sleepless nights, passed my classes, scaled those heights. Took a week to recover, while being a  mother, end of year kid stuff, they had also had enough.

Ultrasound of my grandson!

Time to plan for my Navy son's arrival in June, along with his wife (carrying my grandson, who will be born soon!) End of year concerts, field trips and more, while planning two baby showers, what are mom's for? Spring came and went, hubby built raised beds, planted our garden and picked dandelion heads. Dandelion jelly did not want to set, so poured it on pancakes as syrup you bet. Son arrived with fanfare and joy, showers went well, can't wait for the new baby boy.

Tea Baby Shower

First shower theme was a tea fit for the queen, second shower theme was Star Wars BBQ like you've never seen. Cried when they left, my heartstrings pulled tight, but feeling much better, thanks to summer sunshine and light. Read "Hunger Games," and could not put it down, but also working on a JavaScript crown.

Star Wars BBQ Invite

Back in the kitchen, cooking away, new and old recipes wanting to play. Hubby got Bell's Palsy and gave me a scare, but is now on the mend and we hear it's not rare. Visits to and from my parents, they are too far I say, but thankful to have them in my life everyday. And just yesterday, we heard and saw pics, a bear was seen roaming our hood, I assume just for kicks.

Black bear wandering around our 'hood!

 
So that's the gist, a wrap up of sorts, my blog now returns to regular reports. Happy summer to you and to yours, from northern Michigan, where you'll find me enjoying mine, but of course!