Life: Through the Lens

The Mad Hatter Bistro, on Old Woodward Ave. Jumping down the rabbit hole and appearing at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, in the town of your childhood, is an incredibly surreal experience. I traveled to Birmingham with a friend today, to have a real "tea party" at the Mad Hatter's Bistro.  We had seen it advertised on Facebook and it seemed like just the ticket to escape the doldrums of a mid-Michigan winter.  Birmingham is also the city I grew up in, yet it was nothing like the town I remembered.   The Birmingham Theatre, where I first saw the opening of Romeo & Juliet in October 1968! That's not all bad.  It was a bustling environment, with lots to see and do.  We worked hard to find a parking spot, went in and out of shops, had our tea party, and scouted the old neighborhood.  What a treat this adventure was. The house where I grew up - with the addition of a bay window which we used to talk about putting in, but never did. But wait...

The Christmas holiday is the perfect time to step back and reflect on what is important in your life.  We had a lovely couple of weeks with friends and family, and it was so refreshing to be with young people not tied to their cell phones or tablets.  I have enjoyed a tech break, as well. Disclaimer:   The photos in this post are not in any particular order.  They are illustrations of a lovely two week period of time. There has been time with children and grandchildren...and GREAT grandchildren!  I love taking "generation" photos! Daryl with daughter, Kim, granddaughter Courtney, and great-grandson Brody. Brody with his Aunt Kailey. This time Daryl is with son, Kent, and Kent's daughter Emily, and granddaughters Addy and Emma. There was a gingerbread house decorating competition, baking and gatherings with friends and family. I have particularly enjoyed watching the grandchildren embrace their cr...

We are so fortunate to have a group of friends who share our love of photography, and sense of adventure.  This fall we have had two weekends to explore our beautiful state, reconnecting with old friends and stretching our skills.  Here is a recap of our first weekend away this October. Day 1 - Mackinaw City First stop - the Icebreaker Mackinaw.  We loved touring the ship and seeing and hearing the history of this important part of the Great Lakes story.  The last stop on the tour was the gift shop, of course, and we were delighted to see Tyler Benson's series about Onyx, the Coastguard dog.  Such a great series of books for kids. We do not tire of visiting the beach and lighthouse, getting that familiar view of the bridge. Attempts at night photography met with mixed results, but it was so much fun watching the sunset, and seeing the stars appear in the crisp night air. I captured the big dipper, though it wasn't dar...