Imagine you have been out running errands all day. It's cold - bitterly cold - outside. The wind has been slicing through every seam in your coat it could find, and your feet feel like you've been trudging through the icy, slush-filled puddles of the arctic.
You go home, get a nice hot bath, and when you put on your favorite pair of flannel PJs, you notice (with horror) that your pants are 2 inches too short. You pull them off, rummage through your pajama drawer, pull out another pair and... they're 2 inches too short, too.
"Nuts," you think. "I'll find my long underwear and wear those until I'm warm." Except, the lovely silk long underwear pants you bought are, alas, 3 inches too short as well. You frantically pull item after item out of your dressers, closets, even your dirty clothes hamper, only to discover that EVERYTHING is too short - the pants, the shirt-sleeves, even the shirts are all belly shirts (and while one or two would be fine, you didn't want to have an entire wardrobe of them). You reach for your winter coat, and - ACKKKK! It's too short, too!!
Welcome to my world.
Everywhere I look, lots and lots of lovely warm flannel items, pajama pants, etc., all with inseams of 28 inches. Sometimes I get lucky, and I can find them with a 32" inseam, but when your inseam is 35", well, it just doesn't feel so freakin' lucky! I'm tired of looking like a refugee from Revenge of the Nerds camp.
Thanks to Lee, I have jeans that fit. They are comfortable, long enough (until I wash them, after which I am afraid they might no longer be...longer), and they don't sit so low on my torso that I look like a plumber when I sit down. Or stand up. Or do anything except pose like a manequin in a clothing store. Unfortunately, the Lee people don't make sleepwear, or long underwear, or corduroy pants, or sweaters or anything else I could wear to work. And they're about the only ones.
Eddie Bauer used to be my friend, but alas. He got caught up in the mistaken belief that women stopped having hips and thighs. The pants he makes now are for women with no butts and pencil-thin thighs who apparently do nothing but stand in one place for hours without moving. Same at Land's End. (Don't get me started on L.L. Bean - that's a tale for another day).
Let me say it in simple words that even a clothing designer might understand: real women have hips. We have curvy thighs. We have waists. We do not like clothing designers who think we are stick figures and make clothes for said stick figures. We do not all wear a size 4. You're supposed to be talented designers - here's a challenge: design clothing that real women can wear. Yes, I know it will be difficult. You will have to make clothing that actually fits a woman's body, not a scrawny 11-year-old boy's body, but I think you can do it if you put your mind to it.
Please keep in mind that tall clothing for women is not just regular sized clothing with longer sleeves and legs, although those are helpful. Tall women can have longer rises, which means that pants and swimsuits and other things that have to fit properly "down there" need to be longer from the "down there" point to the waist to avoid injury or embarrassment. That doesn't mean "make 'Mom' pants and sell them as tall clothing." No. That means make clothing that fits those with longer rises.
Tall women also - and you should like this part - can have larger breasts and still be a size 6 or 8 or 10 in the body. In my younger days, I actually had a size 6 waist, even though I was a 32DD. Try to find clothes that fit and don't make you look like a linebacker with that profile..... In order for things to fit in the chesticle area, I had to go up, like, 2 or 3 sizes (because of the shoulders, too), only the waist part was blousing around me like a parachute because the bottom of the shirt/blouse wasn't quite long enough to stay tucked into the waist of my slacks or skirt or whatever I was wearing.
While I'm on that subject, there should be more items of clothing for tall women than just pants with longer inseams and jackets with longer arms. Tall women may have slightly wider shoulders (duh - bigger frames!), and no, going up a size is not the answer! If you think that works, try wearing a jacket that fits in the shoulders but is 2 sizes bigger everywhere else, and then look in a mirror. "Frankensuit" is the word you're looking for to describe what you see, and it is NOT pretty!
The other important thing to remember is that the waist in a dress for a tall woman is going to be in a different spot than a waist in a dress for a shorter woman. If you don't believe me, go to the petite section and find a dress. Then go to the misses' department and find the same dress. The "waist" of the dress will be in a different spot for the different sizes, right?
THEN WHAT IN BLUE BLAZES makes you think that just making the hem longer will make it a "tall" dress???????
Santa, here is what I want for Christmas. Every item in the L.L. Bean, Eddie Bauer, Land's End, Brooks Brothers and other catalogs/stores that sell reasonably-priced, work-worthy clothing to be also available in "real" tall sizes.
And while you're at it, could I please have some nice flannel jammies that are long enough?
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
What's new, pussycat?
This isn't new, but I heard this on the radio this morning and almost choked - Tom Jones sings "Kiss":
[Video removed from YouTube due to a copyright claim by Universal Music Publishing Group].
After seeing the video clip, I remember seeing something about it at the time, but OMG! How funny is it to listen to a white guy from Wales singing ... well, Prince? :)
Enjoy the cheese!!
[Video removed from YouTube due to a copyright claim by Universal Music Publishing Group].
After seeing the video clip, I remember seeing something about it at the time, but OMG! How funny is it to listen to a white guy from Wales singing ... well, Prince? :)
Enjoy the cheese!!
Friday, September 29, 2006
McDreamy vs McVet
Boy! Some people have the toughest lives! Here the rest of us are, working, paying bills, dealing with personal issues, and poor Meredith Grey: she has to choose between Patrick Dempsey and Chris O'Donnell!! Which one will she choose?
I really don't care that much about the Meredith Grey character (I like the Izzy character better), but I do envy her romantic options! I also loved how she presented both gentlemen with the opportunity to date her. That was classy! I wish more single women thought of that option instead of staying with whomever they're sleeping with until/unless something better comes along.
Of course, now that I think about it, I'm not sure which is the better choice: McDreamy is, of course, McDreamy. He has a personality that suggests confidence with women, he's a doctor, he's, well, totally McDreamy, and he seems to be fairly decisive and committed about his relationships: he "flung" with Grey after he found his wife in bed with his best friend. Having realized that he has fallen in love with Meredith, he ended his marriage (albeit after trying to patch up his marriage once his wife moved to Seattle to follow him).
But, McVet has something to offer, too. For one thing, he is a widower - death of a spouse scores higher (at least in my book) than a divorce, because he kept his vows: 'Til death us do part. For another, he has "plans" - he has a future in mind that isn't just a series of sleepovers. He has that boyish charm thing going for him, he's compassionate with animals - he's a veterinary doctor, besides, which is still a member of the medical profession, and he's not giving up without a fight.
I don't know. It's going to be an interesting season. I have to say, though: while I'm pulling for Finn (and hey, if anyone knows someone like Finn who happens to be single, at least 6'2" and 40-something years old, feel free to give him my email address!!), he'd be easier to write out of the show than McDreamy would. What do you think?
I really don't care that much about the Meredith Grey character (I like the Izzy character better), but I do envy her romantic options! I also loved how she presented both gentlemen with the opportunity to date her. That was classy! I wish more single women thought of that option instead of staying with whomever they're sleeping with until/unless something better comes along.
Of course, now that I think about it, I'm not sure which is the better choice: McDreamy is, of course, McDreamy. He has a personality that suggests confidence with women, he's a doctor, he's, well, totally McDreamy, and he seems to be fairly decisive and committed about his relationships: he "flung" with Grey after he found his wife in bed with his best friend. Having realized that he has fallen in love with Meredith, he ended his marriage (albeit after trying to patch up his marriage once his wife moved to Seattle to follow him).
But, McVet has something to offer, too. For one thing, he is a widower - death of a spouse scores higher (at least in my book) than a divorce, because he kept his vows: 'Til death us do part. For another, he has "plans" - he has a future in mind that isn't just a series of sleepovers. He has that boyish charm thing going for him, he's compassionate with animals - he's a veterinary doctor, besides, which is still a member of the medical profession, and he's not giving up without a fight.
I don't know. It's going to be an interesting season. I have to say, though: while I'm pulling for Finn (and hey, if anyone knows someone like Finn who happens to be single, at least 6'2" and 40-something years old, feel free to give him my email address!!), he'd be easier to write out of the show than McDreamy would. What do you think?
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
What Dreams May Come
Dreams are funny things. Most of the time, I don't remember mine. Occasionally, I'll remember something about one or two, but for the most part, they don't stick in my conscious memory long enough to make any lasting impression. When I do tend to remember, it's usually because the dream comes in the morning, when I'm really supposed to be getting up and getting ready for work or whatever.
This morning was one of those mornings, though, when I didn't want to get up. I dreamed about seeing my grandparents, who have been dead for years, at a picnic. Only they didn't look like they did the last times I saw them; they looked like themselves only I don't remember ever seeing them like that - my grandfather was 58 years old when I was born, and my grandmother was 57 years old. I've seen pictures of them, although not very many, but what I remember of the pictures was not what they looked like in my dream.
The other thing was, my grandfather on my dad's side was there, too, and I've never met him. He died when my dad was 8 years old, but I saw him. Other people were there that I knew were family and old friends, although I don't have a sense of who they were. It was just weird - good weird, but weird.
If I had to draw a conclusion about the dream, I would say that it felt like a reunion, only a reunion in the hereafter. I don't normally dream of heaven - I know it's there, and I know I will be there and I know that members of my family who knew the Lord will be there. And honestly, this didn't feel like a dream of heaven, in the sense that the place wasn't the focus - the focus was the people.
The best part about it was that my grandma hugged me. When I woke up, I could still feel where her cheek had pressed against mine. It was so tangible and real that I tried to go back to sleep to find her, only I couldn't.
I've been trying to figure out why I would have a dream like that now, and while there is probably a certain amount of "cell-memory" at work in the sense that the dates of birthdays and anniversaries tend to bring up memories of those events whether you're conscious of them or not, the other side of that is that everyone will die. Where they spend eternity depends on the answer to one question: what did you do with Jesus?
I took this from Billy Graham's website because I think he explains it well. If you've never heard this before, please take some time to read it now.
Step 1: God's Purpose: Peace and Life
God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life—abundant and eternal.
The Bible says ...
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." —Romans 5:1 (NIV)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." —John 3:16 (NIV)
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." —John 10:10 (NIV)
Why don't most people have this peace and abundant life that God planned for us to have?
Step 2: The Problem: Our Separation
God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice.
We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God
The Bible says ...
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." —Romans 3:23 (NIV)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." —Romans 6:23 (NIV)
Our Attempts to Reach God
People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God ...
The Bible says ...
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." —Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." —Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)
No bridge reaches God ... except one.
Step 3: God's Bridge: The Cross
Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.
The Bible says ...
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ."
—1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
—1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
—Romans 5:8 (NIV)
God has provided the only way. Each person must make a choice.
Step 4: Our Response: Receive Christ
We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.
The Bible says ...
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will
come in and eat with him, and he with me."
—Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God."
—John 1:12 (NIV)
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved."
—Romans 10:9 (NIV)
Where are you?
Will you receive Jesus Christ right now?
Here is how you can receive Christ:
1. Admit your need (I am a sinner).
2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit.
(Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)
For more information, please visit: http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp
This morning was one of those mornings, though, when I didn't want to get up. I dreamed about seeing my grandparents, who have been dead for years, at a picnic. Only they didn't look like they did the last times I saw them; they looked like themselves only I don't remember ever seeing them like that - my grandfather was 58 years old when I was born, and my grandmother was 57 years old. I've seen pictures of them, although not very many, but what I remember of the pictures was not what they looked like in my dream.
The other thing was, my grandfather on my dad's side was there, too, and I've never met him. He died when my dad was 8 years old, but I saw him. Other people were there that I knew were family and old friends, although I don't have a sense of who they were. It was just weird - good weird, but weird.
If I had to draw a conclusion about the dream, I would say that it felt like a reunion, only a reunion in the hereafter. I don't normally dream of heaven - I know it's there, and I know I will be there and I know that members of my family who knew the Lord will be there. And honestly, this didn't feel like a dream of heaven, in the sense that the place wasn't the focus - the focus was the people.
The best part about it was that my grandma hugged me. When I woke up, I could still feel where her cheek had pressed against mine. It was so tangible and real that I tried to go back to sleep to find her, only I couldn't.
I've been trying to figure out why I would have a dream like that now, and while there is probably a certain amount of "cell-memory" at work in the sense that the dates of birthdays and anniversaries tend to bring up memories of those events whether you're conscious of them or not, the other side of that is that everyone will die. Where they spend eternity depends on the answer to one question: what did you do with Jesus?
I took this from Billy Graham's website because I think he explains it well. If you've never heard this before, please take some time to read it now.
Step 1: God's Purpose: Peace and Life
God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life—abundant and eternal.
The Bible says ...
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." —Romans 5:1 (NIV)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." —John 3:16 (NIV)
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." —John 10:10 (NIV)
Why don't most people have this peace and abundant life that God planned for us to have?
Step 2: The Problem: Our Separation
God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice.
We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God
The Bible says ...
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." —Romans 3:23 (NIV)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." —Romans 6:23 (NIV)
Our Attempts to Reach God
People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God ...
The Bible says ...
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." —Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." —Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)
No bridge reaches God ... except one.
Step 3: God's Bridge: The Cross
Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.
The Bible says ...
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ."
—1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
—1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
—Romans 5:8 (NIV)
God has provided the only way. Each person must make a choice.
Step 4: Our Response: Receive Christ
We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.
The Bible says ...
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will
come in and eat with him, and he with me."
—Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God."
—John 1:12 (NIV)
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved."
—Romans 10:9 (NIV)
Where are you?
Will you receive Jesus Christ right now?
Here is how you can receive Christ:
1. Admit your need (I am a sinner).
2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit.
(Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)
For more information, please visit: http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp
Monday, September 25, 2006
No offense....
Why is it that people feel perfectly comfortable saying the most horrid things, so long as they follow it with "no offense," or "if I'm mistaken, I apologize?"
1) At the very end of a deposition last week, the other attorney asked to make a statement for the record, during which he stated that a document that had been produced appeared to have been "doctored." Turned out, he had the wrong document, and had he acted like a human being and asked about it without being accusatory, he would have resolved his question without the drama. Instead, he had to make a court record out of his mistaken assumption, only to follow with "if my recollection is incorrect, I apologize."
2) After I won a motion (also last week but in a different case), the other attorney decided to backstop his argument by seeking testimony from an expert - which is not only smart but should have been done before the evidentiary hearing. When the results of that test call my witness's credibility into question, he sends me a copy with a request to "call me." When I do, he proceeds to suggest that I was complicit in the witness's testimony about the timing of certain events, and that he wouldn't want to suggest that I had done anything improper. The hell he didn't! A) I wasn't complicit in the witness's testimony, because B) the witness offered what was a logical explanation - he had had open heart surgery. The Court recognized the explanation as a valid one for a time delay, and it ruled in my client's favor appropriately. But he didn't mean to "imply" that I had done anything wrong.... Yeah, right.
The next time someone says something like that and follows it with some nonsense that is supposed to negate the effect of what they just said, I'm going to have to have something to say. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm going to think of something good to come back with that should (hopefully) either shut them up (if they're just insensitive) or point them out as the sniping bullies they really are.
1) At the very end of a deposition last week, the other attorney asked to make a statement for the record, during which he stated that a document that had been produced appeared to have been "doctored." Turned out, he had the wrong document, and had he acted like a human being and asked about it without being accusatory, he would have resolved his question without the drama. Instead, he had to make a court record out of his mistaken assumption, only to follow with "if my recollection is incorrect, I apologize."
2) After I won a motion (also last week but in a different case), the other attorney decided to backstop his argument by seeking testimony from an expert - which is not only smart but should have been done before the evidentiary hearing. When the results of that test call my witness's credibility into question, he sends me a copy with a request to "call me." When I do, he proceeds to suggest that I was complicit in the witness's testimony about the timing of certain events, and that he wouldn't want to suggest that I had done anything improper. The hell he didn't! A) I wasn't complicit in the witness's testimony, because B) the witness offered what was a logical explanation - he had had open heart surgery. The Court recognized the explanation as a valid one for a time delay, and it ruled in my client's favor appropriately. But he didn't mean to "imply" that I had done anything wrong.... Yeah, right.
The next time someone says something like that and follows it with some nonsense that is supposed to negate the effect of what they just said, I'm going to have to have something to say. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm going to think of something good to come back with that should (hopefully) either shut them up (if they're just insensitive) or point them out as the sniping bullies they really are.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Fall is really here
The weather this summer has not been that bad. Really. It could have been a lot worse. I still am overjoyed that the cooler temperatures and brisker breezes have finally arrived in southeast Michigan. I went to Frankenmuth yesterday with some friends, and it was almost perfect. I'm planning to go back, because as great as it was yesterday, it would've been even better if the leaves had turned, but we haven't had enough cold yet - I think that's what makes the leaves change.
Anyway, if you're ever in Michigan, Frankenmuth is a must-see stop on your travels. It's an interesting village, and while the tourist attractions have attempted to swallow the original place, I found this bit of history from the Frankenmuth.org website (yes, they have a website! - this is an edited excerpt):
Wilhelm Loehe, pastor of a country church in Neuendettelsau, Mittelfranken, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, organized a mission society, which is still in operation today, to train teachers and pastors for work in the United States. His idea was an experiment to send a mission congregation with a dual purpose: to give spiritual comfort to the German pioneers in the Midwest, specifically the Saginaw Valley, and to show the native Indians in the area "Wie gut und schön es ist Jesus zu sehen" (how good and wonderful it is to see Jesus).
The pastor of a Swabian settlement in Michigan recommended a location along the Cass River in Michigan, and Loehe approved it, naming it "Frankenmuth," from the German word "Franken" (representing the Province of Franconia in the Kingdom of Bavaria), and the German word "Muth" (meaning courage). The city name Frankenmuth means "courage of the Franconians."
Thirteen people, mostly farmers from the area around Neuendettelsau (eight were from Rosstal) volunteered to form the colony. Loehe selected Pastor August Craemer, a graduate of Erlangen University who was, in 1844, teaching German at Oxford, England, to train to be the mission colony's pastor and leader.
Loehe also started three other German colonies in Michigan. His purpose was not to start another mission colony, but to cluster German Lutherans together in Michigan.
Farms were set up in long, narrow strips along one road so that all the houses could be built close to each other, more like a German "dorf." A fourth colony, started in 1850, had a different purpose: to help poor and/or unmarried Germans to lead new and better lives.
Immigration continued through the end of the 19th century as friends and relatives of settlers joined them in Michigan. Many were craftsmen and businessmen who continued their same trades here. Frankenmuth established a reputation for its flour, saw and woolen mills. They also produced beer, cheese, and sausage. A half dozen hotels served travelers. Agricultural and self-sustaining businesses were the norm.
Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland open in 1945. If you've never been to (or heard of) Bronner's, it is a destination adventure in itself - it's always Christmas there, no matter what day of the year it is, and their selection of Christmas ornaments and other things is remarkable.
After World War II, the development of interstate highways led the community into the visitor industry and the town capitalized its assets. In 1958/59, the Zehnder family redecorated the Fischer Hotel in an "Alpine-style" architecture, renaming it the Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn. The Bavarian Inn Grand Opening was held in 1959, and the celebration was later developed into annual Bavarian Festival.
The expansion and development of the area into a Michigan tourist destination has continued apace - I was kind of surprised at how commercial much of the shopping outside the city proper has become even since I was there last, but it was still a lot of fun to go to the shops, and they seem to find things I haven't seen anywhere else.
Good way to open Fall!! :)
Anyway, if you're ever in Michigan, Frankenmuth is a must-see stop on your travels. It's an interesting village, and while the tourist attractions have attempted to swallow the original place, I found this bit of history from the Frankenmuth.org website (yes, they have a website! - this is an edited excerpt):
Wilhelm Loehe, pastor of a country church in Neuendettelsau, Mittelfranken, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, organized a mission society, which is still in operation today, to train teachers and pastors for work in the United States. His idea was an experiment to send a mission congregation with a dual purpose: to give spiritual comfort to the German pioneers in the Midwest, specifically the Saginaw Valley, and to show the native Indians in the area "Wie gut und schön es ist Jesus zu sehen" (how good and wonderful it is to see Jesus).
The pastor of a Swabian settlement in Michigan recommended a location along the Cass River in Michigan, and Loehe approved it, naming it "Frankenmuth," from the German word "Franken" (representing the Province of Franconia in the Kingdom of Bavaria), and the German word "Muth" (meaning courage). The city name Frankenmuth means "courage of the Franconians."
Thirteen people, mostly farmers from the area around Neuendettelsau (eight were from Rosstal) volunteered to form the colony. Loehe selected Pastor August Craemer, a graduate of Erlangen University who was, in 1844, teaching German at Oxford, England, to train to be the mission colony's pastor and leader.
Loehe also started three other German colonies in Michigan. His purpose was not to start another mission colony, but to cluster German Lutherans together in Michigan.
Farms were set up in long, narrow strips along one road so that all the houses could be built close to each other, more like a German "dorf." A fourth colony, started in 1850, had a different purpose: to help poor and/or unmarried Germans to lead new and better lives.
Immigration continued through the end of the 19th century as friends and relatives of settlers joined them in Michigan. Many were craftsmen and businessmen who continued their same trades here. Frankenmuth established a reputation for its flour, saw and woolen mills. They also produced beer, cheese, and sausage. A half dozen hotels served travelers. Agricultural and self-sustaining businesses were the norm.
Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland open in 1945. If you've never been to (or heard of) Bronner's, it is a destination adventure in itself - it's always Christmas there, no matter what day of the year it is, and their selection of Christmas ornaments and other things is remarkable.
After World War II, the development of interstate highways led the community into the visitor industry and the town capitalized its assets. In 1958/59, the Zehnder family redecorated the Fischer Hotel in an "Alpine-style" architecture, renaming it the Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn. The Bavarian Inn Grand Opening was held in 1959, and the celebration was later developed into annual Bavarian Festival.
The expansion and development of the area into a Michigan tourist destination has continued apace - I was kind of surprised at how commercial much of the shopping outside the city proper has become even since I was there last, but it was still a lot of fun to go to the shops, and they seem to find things I haven't seen anywhere else.
Good way to open Fall!! :)
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Back to our regularly scheduled programming.....
Yikes. It's amazing how time flies - I only wish it flew because I was having fun, but alas, that was not entirely the case.
The quick rundown:
After I posted my 9/11 tribute, I kind of gave it some space - some air time, so to speak - where it would be at the top of the blog. For one thing, my programming skills are still somewhat non-existent, and for another, I was kind of overcome by so many of the other tributes that people wrote. I know it's been 5 years, but still.
During that week, I was trying to get caught up on work, only the phone kept ringing!! My parents were coming to town, too, so I also was busy getting my house ready for their visit. They arrived in the evening on Friday the 15th, and my mom and I stayed up until about 1:00 a.m. that night/morning just yakking.
Saturday the 16th, one of my dear friends from work met my mom, my dad and I for brunch. Then, we went home and hung out until we left to go to my aunt's and uncle's for dinner (this is my mom's sister and her husband). Then, my dad and I left there and went to the Tigers game - which was fortunate, because it's the last game they've won in the past few days! - and we had a good time. We got home before my mom, who stayed and hung out with her sister, so that was good.
Sunday, my dad went to his former church's 20th anniversary (he'd been the pastor there for 10 of those 20 years, so he participated in the service), and my mom and I played hooky! We hung out, talked, went to the bookstore and the library to look up stuff, and just had a nice day. My mom was thrilled that my local library was actually open on Sundays, since the one by their house isn't. Plus, it's a great library, so we were able to find what she was looking for.
By Monday morning, I had to be someplace extra early, so I left the house at about 7:00 a.m. They left later and got home OK, and the time between now and then is a bit of a blur. I had a bankruptcy court hearing Monday afternoon that lasted until after 6:00 p.m.!! I won, but it was really late. Yesterday, I had a hearing in the late morning that didn't go because a witness was unavailable, so we had to adjourn that, and today, I had another thing that just got over with around 1:00 p.m. I have things tomorrow and I don't think I get a break in the action until Friday.....
So that's why I've been away! :) Aren't you glad you know? Hope things are well with you, and I will try to think of good things to write about between now and the next time.
The quick rundown:
After I posted my 9/11 tribute, I kind of gave it some space - some air time, so to speak - where it would be at the top of the blog. For one thing, my programming skills are still somewhat non-existent, and for another, I was kind of overcome by so many of the other tributes that people wrote. I know it's been 5 years, but still.
During that week, I was trying to get caught up on work, only the phone kept ringing!! My parents were coming to town, too, so I also was busy getting my house ready for their visit. They arrived in the evening on Friday the 15th, and my mom and I stayed up until about 1:00 a.m. that night/morning just yakking.
Saturday the 16th, one of my dear friends from work met my mom, my dad and I for brunch. Then, we went home and hung out until we left to go to my aunt's and uncle's for dinner (this is my mom's sister and her husband). Then, my dad and I left there and went to the Tigers game - which was fortunate, because it's the last game they've won in the past few days! - and we had a good time. We got home before my mom, who stayed and hung out with her sister, so that was good.
Sunday, my dad went to his former church's 20th anniversary (he'd been the pastor there for 10 of those 20 years, so he participated in the service), and my mom and I played hooky! We hung out, talked, went to the bookstore and the library to look up stuff, and just had a nice day. My mom was thrilled that my local library was actually open on Sundays, since the one by their house isn't. Plus, it's a great library, so we were able to find what she was looking for.
By Monday morning, I had to be someplace extra early, so I left the house at about 7:00 a.m. They left later and got home OK, and the time between now and then is a bit of a blur. I had a bankruptcy court hearing Monday afternoon that lasted until after 6:00 p.m.!! I won, but it was really late. Yesterday, I had a hearing in the late morning that didn't go because a witness was unavailable, so we had to adjourn that, and today, I had another thing that just got over with around 1:00 p.m. I have things tomorrow and I don't think I get a break in the action until Friday.....
So that's why I've been away! :) Aren't you glad you know? Hope things are well with you, and I will try to think of good things to write about between now and the next time.
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