I have a routine when traveling from our house north that, most times, includes a stop at the outlet mall in Birch Run, MI. The stop includes two stores, Ralph Lauren, and Brooks Brothers. If I leave the house close to 9:00 a.m. it puts me at the mall for the store openings at 10:00 a.m. so I do not have to fight the crowds. It is usually a quick stop to pick up something for the grandchildren or to replace a worn out
OCBD.
On our way to
Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago I made an unusual stop at the Brooks Brothers at Metro Airport because we arrived early for our flight. They had two interesting shirts that I could not resist so I bought them. The shirts were a medium wide stripe, one in pink and white, and the other in blue and white stripe. They also both had a double collar, one in the stripe, and the lower one, along with the cuffs, was in white.
I had packed for the trip in a hurry without much thought and felt like the addition of these two shirts would round out what I had packed. Well, unfortunately, I left them in the bag under the seat on the airplane so that did not work out too well. So far I have still not been able to retrieve them from Delta Airlines. I am sick about it because they were such cute shirts. This morning I could not find photos online anywhere to show you. Hopefully, mine will show up but if they don't, I am even considering repurchasing them, (they were that cute), if they are even available somewhere.
Sadly, on Saturday while shopping with the family at our town center, Partridge Creek, to check to see if the BB there had any of the missing shirts, I found out that our BB had closed! I felt bad, but was not surprised. Bad because I had not supported our local store more, but not surprised because you can get so much at the outlet shops for so much less than at the brick and mortar ones.
I like BB and get many shirts that are monogrammed for the boys there but often order them online. From now on I am planning on ordering them from the BB at Somerset in an attempt at keeping them in business. I realize that one person can not keep a shop in business but at least I can try. The people that work at the Somerset store are very professional, helpful, and creative so I hope they they keep that store open.
Congratulations to the Royal Couple!
We use the same baskets year after year for our nine grandchildren, but four of the baskets are missing this year. OK, who took their baskets home last year? Hehe. The twins and their brother and sister won't be with us this year so we combined the missing four baskets into one that we will deliver to them tonight so the problem of the missing baskets is solved for this year. 
It is another rainy, overcast day here so this picture of our china closet in the dining room is the closest thing we have to a garden view around these parts.
Since 2000 these two books have been an important part of my prayer life.
On the way home from up north earlier this week the usual stop at the Ralph Lauren Outlet provided several needful items. Some things for the house, a few fresh Polo shirts for John, and a cheap alternative to one of the blouses I lost on the plane on the way to Las Vegas last month rounded out my shopping list.
Have you ever been on WeightWatchers? Ever since the birth of my second child when ever I needed to take off a few pounds WeightWatchers has been the only way that guaranteed me any maintainable success. 
Happy Birthday Uncle Bill! 
Hopefully the weather on the east coast today will cooperate so our daughter-in-law can make it home today after spending an unintended night in Queens when a canceled flight left he stranded there overnight. 
Our little peacemaker, Blake, receives his Peacemaker Award tonight. In our large rowdy family he is the peacemaker among the grandchildren. I guess that role has translated well into society too. Good for you Blake.
Isn't this book tied up with a big orange bow cute? Carrie came and spent the night last night to be closer to the airport for her flight to Florida this morning and brought me this cookbook that extends the birthday celebrating for another week......
I have been looking forward to this move ever since first hearing about it while in production. When I heard that the History Chanel had decided not to air it I was not happy. Thankfully the Reelz Chanel picked it up.
This is the envelope from the Whitehouse that my fifty year old picture of JFK came in.
The forecast for SE Michigan is dreary with rain predicted through the 15th....Yuck!
Since it looks like we will not be getting outside in our gardens any time in the near future here are some pretty flowers that do not need tending for you today.
A couple of weeks ago John and I went on a rare antiquing excursion and picked up this Crabtree & Evelyn tea set and the silver tray that is sets on. I hope this brightens your day.
What a wonderful birthday I had this past week. John started the week of by completing the painting of our office. We ended up going with Benjamin Moore paint in Beacon Grey and I am more than pleased with the result. It reads pale blue and coordinates perfectly with the gray blue in the Turkish carpet that Mom & Dad brought back for me with them from a trip to the Holy Lands more than a decade ago.
Look what the kids got me. What a surprise, three gorgeous pieces of the china that I posted about a few weeks ago. It is more beautiful than I could have imagined. The detail and texture is exquisite.
The covered Butter Dish with the detailed draining plate inside.
The Round Covered Vegetable Dish.
We had friends that were in town to shop for their up-coming trip to Italy that stopped by to drop of this darling McKenzie-Child's serving piece they had gotten me.
