:: C R E A T I V E G E N E ::: I'm Back!

I need to do some catching up here. Right after I posted the COG Saturday evening I hit the sack. I was exhausted from having put the whole thing together in one day (out of necessity). Yes, it's come to that... the COG has grown so much that I can rarely (Saturday being the exception) get it done in one day anymore. Anyway, I had plans to celebrate my 24th wedding anniversary on Sunday and Monday with my hubby... 2 days with a new camera (we got each other cameras as anniversary gifts... Yes! I have the new Canon Digital Rebel XSi!), sunshine and temps in the 70s, with no pets, no housework, no kids, and no computers! It was heaven!

As a result of my time away from home I was unable to thank everyone for their kind remarks and the wonderful promotion and support of the COG. So I want to thank everyone here and now for their kindness and enthusiasm! I personally thought it was a terrific edition. I learned so much! But, I haven't had a chance to catch up on my email yet so if you're waiting to hear from me, hang in there!

The first week in May is the week that Michigan bursts forth with color. While there have been buds on the trees for few weeks now, the bright green leaves have just emerged. The bulb flowers have bloomed... tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are everywhere. The fruit trees are in bloom as are the bright yellow forsythia. But best of all, my favorite spring flowers are in bloom... the lilacs! Oh the scent is so delightful!!!

Lilacs in our yard

I spent the last couple of days driving around Michigan and taking hundreds of pictures of the beautiful flowers of spring as well as the bright blue rivers and lakes. We had to take our new cameras out for spin, put them through their paces, get the feel of them. Ahh, there's nothing like having a new camera, great weather, and mother nature at her best!

Without a doubt I could write a week-long series on our adventures of the last couple of days but time just won't allow me to do that. So I'm going to share with you just a few of the highlights, starting with Marine City. Marine City is a little town on the St. Clair River in St. Clair County (for those not familiar with Michigan geography it's the river that runs from the southern tip of Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair). I hadn't been to this quaint little river town before and found it to be a gem for geneahistorians... lots of history here. From Historic Holy Cross Catholic Church (parish founded in 1825, current structure built in 1903) with its beautiful stained glass windows and easy view of Canada across the river from its front steps, to a plethora of antique shops!

After photographing the church inside and out we made our way to the antique shops. Mind you, we'd never actually been inside an antique shop before. Neither of us. We've been to resale shops and flea markets that sold some antiques but never to an antique shop where the proprietor actually knows something of what they're selling. It was a bit overwhelming at first... stuff everywhere from floor to ceiling! But after a while we were able to take it in and have a little fun shopping. I just have to share my "treasures" with you.

In the first shop I bought 2 Model T keys and my husband bought a record album. I was very excited to find the keys. Ever since I found out that my grandfather owned a Model T I've wanted to own a Model T key. Who knows? It's possible that one of the keys really did belong to my grandfather as I have no idea what happened to his vehicle. My mom didn't remember any collisions with it (besides her own ;-) and believed it was sold when her father wanted a newer model vehicle. Yeah, I know I could have bought a key on eBay but it might have come from another state. Buying one here in southeast Michigan brings it closer to home and the possibility that it really could have been my grandfather's! I just checked a forum that indicated that the numbered keys (#51-#74) were from the 1919-1927 time period. My grandfather's Model T might have been a 1926 or 1927. The two keys I bought are #70 and #74 so the time frame fits :-)

And then there's the record album my husband found. Check this out... my husband's comment was, "I knew I always liked polka dancers, now I know why!"

I have very little information about this album besides what you see here. There is no date of the recording but the album cover indicates it was produced by Piknik Records and manufactured by Fiesta Record Company, Inc. of N.Y., N.Y. The album "Let's Polka" contains the following songs: Sweet Dreams Polka, Castle Rock Polka, Manhattan Polka, Sunset Waltz, Diamond Polka, Glen Park Polka, Holiday Polka, Hickory Polka, Polka Swing, Tribute to Matt, Fritz's Polka and the ever popular Gaiety Polka (probably inspired by that cover photo, LOL!). Oh, and the cover photo was taken by "Kralik Andory with Rolleicord". What a hoot!

In the next antique store "and emporium" I discovered a whole bunch of vintage photos and spent quite a bit of time going through them. I found one entire family photo album for sale for $75. I don't know much about old photos but I think these had to be from the 1800s. Sad to see them for sale instead of in the family. I did find a few photos I had to buy though. Two for me and two for fM (if she wants them) with young ladies wearing spectacles (including a bride and groom both with spectacles).

Marine City was a neat little town that I'd like to visit again one day. Who knows what I might discover there the next time?

I'll end here with a few of my favorite flower pictures to brighten and cheer your Monday. Enjoy!