Weekend Update

I had such a wonderful weekend. I almost don't want to write about it because that means it's over. But the good news is, summer has only just begun and a ton of fun still awaits! I thought I'd share with you some of the highlights of my weekend, but just to warn you: this is going to be a picture-heavy post! Hope you can handle it.

1. On Saturday, my mom and dad and Katherine (one of my sisters) and I went to the annual Scottish Festival in Alma Michigan, where Alma College hosts the festival. The Alma mascot is "the Scots." My grandpa came to the states from Scotland as an adult, so Scottish culture and pride has always been a part of my family. Besides soaking in the culture, eating meat pies, and listening to bagpipes, I saw a really attractive older man there, who looked like a white Lester Holt (one of my celebrity crushes) when he wore his glasses. Katherine suggested I take a picture of her with him in the background and of course I agreed that this was a wise idea.

2. I swam in pure ice water, also known as Lake Michigan. Anyone familiar with Lake Michigan knows how cold it is in July and August - but have you tried it in May? It feels like swimming in glacial runoff. I wouldn't have been surprised to see chunks of ice float by! But my uncle Bill, my sister Katherine, and I toughed it out, even completely submerging ourselves (and squealing out in pain in the process), and swimming for quite awhile. Our bodies numbed to the point where we could bear it though we never felt comfortable. While we were swimming, it began raining on us. To put it lightly: we may have been insane to be swimming that day. No wonder the beach was empty:

3. Later that afternoon, the weather cleared up and it turned into a beautiful day. So, I borrowed my aunt's bike and went for a ride down the lake shore. I rode to a boat dock where I sat and dangled my feet just above the water. I was in a state of complete contentedness.

4. That evening, we went on an evening boat cruise around Hamlin Lake. It was perfect. The weather was nice, and the water was calm. Not to mention the most fun part: we saw a pontoon boat being towed to shore by the sheriff. Based on the look of the people on the boat, it was clear they were in trouble. It was pretty funny. Here are some scenes from our boat ride:

The lake shore

5. Katherine and I walked the trails at the Ludington state park too - one of my favorite things to do. The pine smell in the air, along with the faint smell of the lake and the cool breeze. Heavenly!

And of course, we walked out to the lighthouse a couple times.

6. There are two book stores I have to go to whenever I'm in Ludington: the first is called "the Bookmark" and it's been there forever. Years ago it had a different name: "Read Mor" (with  no "e") which made me laugh. The smell has always been the same though - a heavy book and paper smell. In other words, bliss. The second book store is a semi-recent addition to Ludington: "The Windowsill", which sells both new and used books. The best part of this store is the fact that it has a chair that fits me perfectly. It's as if it were made for me.

At the Bookmark, I bought a book about Helen Keller, which I read to Katherine on the drive home. At the Windowsill, I bought an Agatha Christie I haven't read before, and I found a true gem: a new (to me) Murder, She Wrote. It was perfect timing, because I'd just finished a Murder, She Wrote over the weekend while laying in a hammock. Yes, I know I have a degree in English and should be embarrassed about this, but I love the Murder, She Wrote books. Love, love, love. Please accept me anyway.

"my" chair

Woohoo!

So, there you have it. A summary of some of my weekend highlights. Not pictured: toasted marshmallows, my new best buddy Ernie (my aunt and uncle's dog), some wonderful meals, game night, fun family time, and more. But that's ok, I think you get the idea, right? It was a fun weekend.

How was yours?