Holiday weekend in review
On Friday, a new desk.
On Saturday, I wore a new blue dress and a shiny gold necklace that gave me a rash for the rest of the weekend. It was 900 degrees so we went to the Historical Museum just to be in the air conditioning for a while.
Belle Isle: the Fountain is finally on. Joe Lewis is in town, but not answering my calls, so we drive to the north end of the island and hike out to the lighthouse, Shandy in hand. Even in the shade, on the pebbly banks of the river, it is 900 degrees.
We find the Lewis family and everyone plays catch. Scott loses his wedding ring. From a front porch, we watch a police car pull over an ice cream truck. It begins to rain in torrents and the sky turns green. Grouchy and despairing, we eat some food and crash out early.
Sunday I write all day. Scott cleans the house. At night I make Asian noodle slaw, toasted almonds, mushroom puffs and slice up some pineapple, and with our neighbors we throw a yacht rock-themed Fourth of July party, at which everyone wears captain hats. Scott reads the Declaration of Independence on the porch and I play the Star-Spangled Banner on the accordion. Then there is a sing-along.
Monday we recover while our neighbors ignite endless rounds of ear-pounding fireworks. In the late afternoon we drive to Novi to eat wild-caught fish, grilled vegetables, and corn bread. The older boys are all at school-camp in Chicago and my brother is in India on business, so it is just my sister-in-law and her youngest son, and my mom and dad, and my Scott and me. And the dog. And that is nice. We play tennis with the dog and soccer with Liam and it is quieter — more civilized, Erica says — than family affairs usually are. The sunset is big and golden. The kind of sunset that makes you think it was a really good weekend.
Belle Isle: seeking winter cheer
I shall say it again: Rejoice.
After a week of 40-degree weather, it’s back to this. It’s not so bad to just sit inside, listen to Beach House, work quietly, drink tea, and eat toast.
