Wishful Thinking

We just got back from a week long trip to Michigan. Lee was born in Escanaba in the Upper Peninsula, so that makes him a Yooper ( U.P. equals Yoo Pea, therefore Yooper.)!  He hadn't seen his relatives there since his college days and it was great fun to meet everyone.  I didn't write about it while we were there because I had heard stories about people posting their status on Facebook and coming back to a ransacked home!  So now I can tell you.

It takes two looong days of driving to get there, but we all had fun together.  Our two daughters came with us to meet their aunts and cousins and made everything fun.  They got to dip their toes in two of the Great Lakes and swim in Lake Michigan.

                         

Lee's aunt has a farm on the outskirts of Escanaba.  She had tents up and games for the kids. 

                       

His family is wonderful and we loved them all.  I don't know why we never went to meet them before now, but I am glad we finally rectified that.  Like any good family reunion, there was more food than people and we all ate plenty.  It was Lee's birthday, so we had cake and embarrassed him as little as possible.

                        

The downtown of Escanaba was a fun place.  It is lots bigger than our wee town of Buchanan.  We parked and walked, notwithstanding the heat.  Lee pointed out places he had worked and shopped or ate and homes in which he and his grandparents had lived. 

                       

Along the way we passed a gift shop called Wishful Thinking.  They had some things set up outside to draw us in and I found a small metal ant.  I have started to collect dragonflies to put in the memorial we built for my sister, Roz.  It struck me that Roz was the aunt to my children and given that we in America pronounce "aunt" as "ant" it would be fun to add an ant to the garden.  I picked up the ant and showed it to the girls.  Just then a small dragonfly flew past me and landed on the window next to us.  We were so excited.  I decided it was a sign from Roz and had to buy the ant.

Upon our return I took the ant to the garden and I am going to try her in various places to find the best spot.  I don't want someone to smash it or trip over it!  Perhaps I will glue it to a post.  While I was out there I had my own wishful thinking.  I wish I had spent more time with Roz.  I wish I had called her every day and told her how much I loved her.  I wish she was still here so I could do it now.