myfiftyplusjourney

Leave it to Americans to make lemonade out of lemons. Let’s face it and be real about it, no one likes wearing masks. No one. Not conservatives, not liberals, not adults, not children, no one, no one enjoys wearing masks. I’m pretty sure surgeons don’t even enjoy wearing masks, but they know they have to, just as right now we know we all have to.

If you think back to the last several years, on and off you’ve seen pictures of classrooms full of kids wearing masks in the Far East, or people walking down the street in some Asian city wearing masks. We had come to assimilate mask wearing with the Asian culture, but not only that, if you remember, all of those masks were the disposable white or light blue ones. Are you picturing this?

Well, welcome to America and the year 2020…. Most states have had mask mandates or had mask recommendations. Students are back in school, they are wearing masks. Their teachers are wearing masks. Your servers are wearing masks, your bank tellers are wearing masks, your athletes are wearing masks… you get the picture… but what do you notice about all of these versus what you have seen in the past few years in other countries? America has to do the mask thing better. We have taken what could be a dull, drab existence and jazzed it up.

It started with everyone with a sewing machine sewing masks for all anyone who wanted them, so many masks in fact that many places ran out of elastic and many stores ran out of material or quilting squares. Then boutique stores starting selling them, and as we got closer and closer to schools opening and as more and more states started requiring them all of the chain stores and grocery stores are now selling them.

But leave it to the Americans, leave it to the cowboys to make sure that not only do we have masks to match every outfit, masks to support every sports team, masks with our school and work logos, masks to show what our passions are but we also have chains to hold our masks on and lanyards so we don’t lose our masks.

Let me reiterate, no one likes wearing mask, but by by gosh if we have to, let’s look good doing it and show our style!

As life gets crazier and crazier again, Mark & I have decided to make sure we stay connected by establishing a designated date night each week. For us because of various other commitments and work we chose Wednesday nights. And we’ve been really good about keeping this as ‘penned’ in on the calendar, except for the week of Katie’s birthday when we had a family/friend birthday party. One of those few things that bumps the ‘penned in’ thing.

Mark sits on several boards and committees around town, he is very much a servant leader (and if you don’t know what that means, there are a ton of books on that) and he also is very committed to his students so spends long hours creating the perfect lessons for them. I run a virtual skincare business so I have meetings, appointments, calls about that after school hours. Throw in paperwork, accounting stuff , book club, spontaneous dinners with friends, winery visits, housework, yard work, visiting children….. life stays hectic even after we became empty nesters and no longer have every night of the week and some weekends sporting events to attend.

Not intentionally, but we have taken to discovering all of the locally owned restaurants in a 30 mile radius. Some owned by strangers, some owned by friends… If you happened to see my Instagram story last night, apparently some owned by some ‘fancy’ people. It’s been fun discovering all of the different venues and menus. Last night Chase Creek Smokehouse https://chasecreeksmokehouse.com/ did not let us down. From the bowl of Louisiana Crab Corn Chowder bowl, not too fishy with a little zip to it, to the Mark’s spaghetti and meatballs, with homemade sauce that was sweet with a zing of heat, to my mac and cheese with brisket on top, creamy and amazing flavor both in the pasta and in the brisket, we enjoyed every bite, and brought home enough for lunch today. This restaurant is in the little village of Chase about 15 miles from our home, a village of about 200 or so. Imagine my surprise when I went out to take a picture of the sign of the restaurant and ended up getting a Bentley in the picture. Now I know a lot of people from that area, I lived and worked in Reed City (the bigger town about 3 miles away) and so today I sent a few texts asking WHOSE CAR IS THAT??? In my ignorance I assumed all Bentley’s were $200,000+ cars but as I did a little research last night, apparently you can grab a used Bentley Continental GT for anywhere from 40K -97K + … so although still impressive, Google says this: Bentley is located in Crewe, England and owned by Volkswagen AG since 1998, Bentley Motors remains the definitive British luxury car company, crafting the world’s most desirable high performance grand tourers. So I imagine, although you could get a lower costing Bentley, where around here would you have it serviced? It sure was a pretty car though, and made me take notice.

As long as were talking about BBQ joints, let me share one with you if you are ever, ever in the Birmingham area. This place rivaled and stood out against any other BBQ place I’ve ever been including Kansas City, Texas, or anywhere else in the south (like those places we pass on highway 331 in Alabama that have that big smoker out back that draws you in like a siren): Saw’s BBQ in Homewood, Alabama is found in a quaint little downtown area, with cute little ice cream or cupcake stores and antique shops and boutiques surrounding it. It’s small, with just a few tables inside, the menu is written on a chalkboard above where you order and your food is served on styrofoam. BUT OH MY is it delicious. Worth the stop, worth the wait and worth taking extra to last a few days. I couldn’t even decide which I like better; the chicken, the pork or the brisket. I recommend getting a combo platter your first time and trying all of the above, and don’t forget the sides: baked beans, green beans, greens (when you’re in the south… eat southern), deviled eggs, mac & cheese, loaded baked potatoes (those are meals actually) or potato salad…. it is all wonderful. Dreamcakes Bakery next door have out of this world cupcakes (and many other cakes as well, but when you’re traveling…) and choose from either Edgewood Creamery, fun little ice cream sop or Big Spoon Creamery, a small batch artisan creamery. Big Spoon is an ice cream lovers dream, feel free to follow them on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/bigspooncreamery/

Back here in Michigan and right there in Reed City is another wonderful little place for dinner, The Reed City Brewing Company https://reedcitybeer.com/ They are a “family owned microbrewery with great beer, delicious wines and a great food menu”. We have found all this to be true. I tend to like the ‘fruity’ beers they have on tap and Mark leans towards the IPA’s. With daily food specials as well as their menu staples, it’s a great small atmosphere to grab a bite to eat. Although we are usually there to catch up on our week during date night, they also have live music occasionally and I hear it’s very good. I will give you a little piece of advice, if you’re going to their AMAZING brisket, don’t wait too long, they usually sell out!

Stay tuned for more date night reviews!

It appears fall is coming a little early here to northern Michigan. When I write “northern Michigan” it makes me think of Traverse City and Alpena, but when I write “central Michigan” I think of Mt. Pleasant and when I write “west Michigan” I think of Grand Rapids or Holland…. SO… Fall appears to be coming a little early to northern west central Michigan this year, here in Big Rapids.

The weather has changed considerably in the past two weeks and the trees are turning brilliant colors. On the local news we have maps that show when colors will peak, and when taking a ‘color tour’ is optimum. Several years ago we took a train color tour that started and returned to Cadillac, Michigan. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and see the beautiful countryside of Michigan. We used the michigansteamtrain.com train, but there are several options all over Michigan. This is the Michigan Steamtrain Institute description: This October, experience the autumn foliage of Northern Michigan in style with two upcoming excursions as part of the Steam Railroading Institute’s Fall Color Tours. Take in the color drenched beauty aboard our vintage passenger coaches or historic cabooses pulled by a Great Lakes Central DIESEL Locomotive. Enjoy a relaxing ride while visiting with friends, playing cards, snapping some pictures, or just settling in with a refreshing beverage and snack from our concession car.

If you have never had the opportunity to visit northern Michigan in the fall, put it on your bucket list! From apple orchards, to wineries, to color tours, there are so many ways to spend an afternoon in our beautiful state. A popular one to visit in the Grand Rapids area of west Michigan is Robinettes Apple Haus and Winery https://robinettes.com/ . From hay rides to wine tasting to petting zoos to you pick apples, this is a one stop shop for families or adults without kids in tow. I’ve been gifted wine from here before and it is delicious! One without all of the other amenities but closer to us and with an abundant assortment of fruit is the Grange Fruit Farm https://www.fruitridgemarket.com/grange-fruit-farm/in Rockford. Another fun place to pick apples is Schwallier’s Country Basket https://www.schwalliers.com/ in Sparta, Michigan. They too have several fun activities for kids including a play area and rides for kids and a farm animal barn. Oh, and don’t forget the apple cinnamon doughnuts and apple cider!

Soon the corn mazes here in Michigan will be up and running. Some are spooky mazes, some are haunted mazes and some offer hayrides and bonfires. Right here in Mecosta County we have Four Greenfield Farms. http://fourgreenfieldsfarm.com/ They say: Our maze, pumpkin patch, and horse drawn wagon rides all waiting for you still at the same low prices as the day we opened in 2006. Don’t forget that on Friday and Saturday nights in October we haunt the maze for those brave souls not afraid of what lurks in a dark corn field. Want the Maze all to yourself? We love doing private group bookings. They are great for scouts, church youth groups, family outings, friends, and birthday parties. We offer you use of our picnic area and bonfire pit too. We can also accommodate groups during regular business hours so give us a call.

You can find pumpkins at Four Greenfield Farms, but also at Stilson Family Farm in Morley, Michigan 21847 4 Mile Rd, Morley, MI 49336 and The Hearty Harvest in Remus, Michigan 5356 9 Mile Rd, Remus, MI 49340.

Another great thing to do in the fall (or summer) in Michigan is hike the North Country Trail. Did you know that we have “The longest in the National Trails System, the North Country National Scenic Trail stretches 4,600 miles across eight states, from North Dakota to Vermont. Whether you’re looking to day-hike a few miles or plan a longer overnight backpacking trip, a multitude of diverse landscapes and hiking opportunities are waiting for you.” right here in Michigan in our county? My friend Sheri is hiking many, many portions of this and it looks absolutely beautiful and a very ‘doable’ hike. https://northcountrytrail.org/

Come visit us here in the north. As Mark says we have no extreme natural disasters! No hurricanes, no wildfires, no large tornados, no earthquakes, no volcanic eruptions, no tsunami’s…. we did have a very large flood this year after a dam broke, but for the most part, we are ‘safe’ here.

Rosie the Doodle is six months old now and she is been such a wonderful addition to our family. She is Hank’s very best friend, and has ingrained herself deep into all of our hearts. She loves all of her people and loves to express that love with very aggressive kisses.

Rosey started school last week. If you remember Hank’s not so successful try at puppy school, you know why we were so excited that she is a star pupil. Poor Hank, he just didn’t stand a chance at puppy school. Because of his cancer surgery removing the front half of his lower jaw, and the time it took to heal that, we didn’t even get him to puppy school until he was about 5 or 6 months older than all of the other dogs. And because he is such a big dog, he was about 3 times the size of any other dog, AND he had never been socialized. But Miss Rosey is the same age as all the other dogs. She is the same size as all the other dogs and she loves socialization. She loves puppy school and all the new friends she is getting to hang out with each week.

We’ve always had Labrador retrievers, a Labradoodle is a whole different breed for us, but I completely understand now why people love this breed so much. She is super smart; potty trained in just a week and follows all the commands we teach her. Maybe she’ll have a future as a therapy dog? She loves people, she’s very laid back, and gentle except when she is trying to get as close to you as she possibly can, she’s not high strung at all, instead she’s just pretty chill. Plus she’s so stinking cute, she looks like a stuffed animal.

The question that we have been tossing around was whether to spay her or whether to let her have a litter of puppies. We tossed around the pros and cons of both and the bottom line is we are not breeders, and we would be devastated if something happened to her, and although her looks and personality are so amazing that we would love to propagate her genes, we decided that it wasn’t worth the risk. Instead we’ll just love her and enjoy every minute with her. She’s a wonderful companion and Hank the tank couldn’t be happier to have Rosie as his best friend.

I would highly recommend this breed to anyone. They’re good family dogs, great companions and we couldn’t be happier that she became a member of our family.

Being from Michigan, we locked down early and locked down hard. I appreciate the effort to keep us safe, I truly do and I believe that was the intention, but after months and months of cold, gray, dreary Michigan my best friend and co-worker decided to change our quarantine location. It did take a little bit of work and creativity, but we found a way to make it happen and you can too. The key is to not only stay safe, but to be respectful of the full time residents in your new quarantine location.

We chose a spot that we know well, Destin, Florida. It is a straight drive south for us, the states we were driving through were semi-open to get gas and stay in a hotel. Plus we knew where we could stay to be contained, how to acquire food and were completely comfortable with the area. Marriott is our hotel chain of choice, and again, they did not disappoint. At that time there were no dining areas open in the hotels, so not hot breakfast. But they did give you an “order form’ to order whatever you wanted that would have normally been on the breakfast bar and then they had it wrapped up in a to go bag ready for us at a specified time. Well done Marriott. Sanitized rooms, TV remotes in plastic sanitizing bags, I felt very comfortable staying there.

Just like on Mark and my trip to Oklahoma, we took our own food in coolers. In addition to meals for the road we took groceries and toilet paper for at least the first part of our stay in Florida. We tried to not drain the resources of the area we were guests in.

We found a quaint little condo on Holiday Isle. If you have ever read my blog, you will know that Holiday Isle is one of my favorite areas in Destin mostly because of the quietness of the area, including traffic, and the proximity to the jetty which is one of the best places to find the dolphins. And on Holiday Isle is my favorite beach at Noriega Point. It’s a beautiful lagoon, where there is amazing snorkeling and you find those dolphins.

The condo was located on the beach, the water was just over the sand dune. It was at the end of a short dead end street and had easy access to the beach. The complex consisted of two buildings three stories high. All of the garages were on the first floor and the homes were on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Most of the residents were actually full time residents, there were just a few of us who weren’t residents. We had all the amenities and all of the toys we could possibly need in this garage. Grill, chairs, wagon, sand toys, beach towels, pool noodles, floaties… you name it, it was in that garage.

We had our groceries delivered via SHIPT, we grilled often, we went to the beach every single day, we walked every morning for miles and miles, oh AND we did our school work because school was still virtually in session. So we had school and work still. But what better place to do our work than with a view of the Gulf of Mexico! And a view of a dog, a cat AND a monkey on the beach??!!

Oh but wait, just as a side note, the most exciting thing happened! While in the car heading somewhere, it was such an exciting memory for me I don’t even remember where we were going, I saw LeighAnne Touhy drive past us on Holiday Isle, heading to the Pointe. So I whipped around, followed her to her parking spot and from far away said hello and that I was a big fan and follow her on Instagram and I was thrilled to see her! She was very gracious and indulged me by saying hello back and even commented and responded to my Instagram post about it! If you don’t know who LeighAnne Touhy is… think mom in the movie The Blind Side! THRILLING!

As with most people, our travel has been completely subdued since March. Actually my best gal pal and I chose a different quarantine location for 3 weeks in late May, that’s another blog subject… but other than that there has been no traveling, and for us, summer is all about road trips and travel.

So in August when one of our sons invited us down to visit them in Oklahoma, we checked the health department reports and decided if we made good choices along the way, we would go.

During a normal road trip we find adventures and other fun avenues to explore. This time however we had to tamper our enthusiasm for new trails and stick to the plan. Here is how we traveled safe, stayed safe and still had a good time along the way.

Day one we traveled to my cousins home in Illinois. It had been several years since we had had the opportunity to stop and visit, so it was really good to catch up, even though it was just a short visit. No sight seeing or visiting around, just an amazing dinner at home with fresh Illinois sweet corn grown down the road, grilled steaks from their farm raised cattle, and all kinds of fresh vegetable sides, including home grown tomatoes and cucumbers. If you’ve never had a meal with some real down home Illinois food, you have no idea what you’re missing. Food is a love language for us Illinois farm gals.

We decided to make a stop for two nights, just the two of us, a little mom & dad getaway. We had never been to anywhere in Missouri and Branson was just south of the interstate we were traveling on to get to Oklahoma, so we decided to stop there. Let me tell you though, that trip from southern Illinois to Missouri was absolutely beautiful. One of the ways we decided to minimize our risk on this trip was to take our own food and picnic along the way. Most grocery stores have beautiful prepackaged salads, we also brought along meat, cheese, bread and bread, as well as prepackaged condiments. Chips, cut veggies and a little bite of chocolate rounded out these meals just nicely. We use a separate cooler for food than for drinks because I like to use ice to keep the drinks cold, but I like to use those big solid ice blocks that come with the boxed meals for the cooler with food because otherwise your food gets wet. If you don’t have any of those, half gallon milk jugs or water bottles frozen with water inside work well also.

The hotel we chose in Branson was spectacular. No other word for it. We usually stay at Marriott brands, and as I didn’t know anything about the area, I relied strictly on reviews from Tripadvisor and the Marriott website and it didn’t fail me. The Marriott’s Willow Ridge Lodge had beautiful grounds, a very nice one bedroom apartment style room and was well set up for no physical contact and complete social distancing. Even this sign on the elevator was an example of this.

One of the things we have consistently done since his shutdown is walk, we have walked for miles and miles and felt good out being outside and getting exercise. Branson, MO is an AMAZING place to walk. There are sidewalks and walking paths that go all around and all through the town. There are hills, hills and more hills. Hills that make you huff and puff. We avoided all the people but walked everywhere, for miles and miles. We saw everything at street and eye level. Branson has SO much for families. From zip lines to Ferris wheels, from go carts to live shows, Branson has it all for families. There is a Titanic exhibit with many, many actual pieces from the Titanic. There is a Ripley’s believe it or not museum and a wax museum. There are two wineries right in town and of course amazing signs that say BRANSON.

So if traveling, here are my suggestions: bring your own food, wear gloves and a mask when you gas up, wear your mask when you enter the gas station, choose where you stay wisely (in other words, this is not the time to skimp), stop only when you have to, wash your hands every time, use purely wipes and hand sanitizer as well and you should be just fine.

When I was in high school, my mother owned a clothing store in our small town, this was her hometown, we had spent summers there but my dad was in the Air Force so we always lived elsewhere until I was 14. At the time, I thought it was the coolest thing ever; “free” clothes, buying trips to Chicago, a job when I wanted one doing something I loved (fashion)… She owned it for about 5 years, after that time, my dad took a job back on the west coast and they relocated to California. So that era ended. As I look back, as an adult, with a degree in business and years of paying attention to the economy, I see how “indulgent” this was of my father. This was a VERY small town, about 3500 people at the time. My parents didn’t really have a “network” as we call it now and my mother didn’t have a head for business. No business plan, no long term or short term goals, no budget. But she was surrounding herself with something she loved (fashion) and meeting new people and making new friends. For her that is what is was all about. I’m sure Payne’s Boutique was never a financial success, but it gave my mother something that was hers, at a time when my father was gone quite a bit (finishing his college degree, so they could finish out their adult years comfortable in the world of civil service workers attached to the military they so loved in places they loved living.

So I have a great place in my heart for small businesses. This Covid-19 shut down (recently I heard this and how true: on the west coast it’s called Corona Virus, on the east coat it’s called Covid-19 and here in Michigan, it’s called “all that stuff that’s going on”) has me so concerned for small businesses here and everywhere. There are so many wonderful small businesses just in our town alone; The Kilwin’s Store for the best ice cream, hand-made fudge, made right on premises, lovely gifts and candles. Mark was able to get his mother a Mother’s Day gift from there on Saturday (thank you Carleen); Serendipity Clothing (beautiful clothing and jewelry) I saw they are doing online sales now. I’ll have to watch that one closely), Preferred Office Machines (It’s the ONLY place Mark will get his copies done), Roger’s Jewelers (everything from engagement rings to Vera Bradley), and the list goes on.

Our downtown restaurants are trying with takeout menus and specials. The Blue Cow Cafe has family specials each night, pick up a “grilled Atlantic salmon dinner for a family of 4 for $40 or Champagne Chicken full dinner for a family of 4 for $30…. Each night a different popular menu item, just watch their website or Facebook page. I just saw that Schuberg’s Bar and Grill is reopening tomorrow for takeout with most of their menu including their burgers, wonderful salads and my favorite Lobster Bisque or Seafood Chowder.

How long can they last though without foot traffic? How do you pay expenses? Even without your normal staff working, you still have rent/least, electricity, all the insurances and the price of your stock in your store… probably expenses I can’t even imagine.

And what about all of our hair salons and barber shops in town. None of them can be open, and not only that, they can’t PPE up and go do someone’s hair (except if you’re the mayor of Chicago), here in Michigan there are huge fines threatened and loss of licenses. These are businesses that can’t do ‘takeout’ or ‘online sales’.

And here’s the tough part, how do you weight keeping people safe and saving lives with the fate of small businesses (and even big businesses for that matter, I hear that our AMC Theater may not even open up again) and people’s lively hood, their financial futures with all this “stuff that’s going on” . It’s just a horrific reality, balancing all aspects of peoples lives… health, financial, mental… I”m just glad I’m not in the position to have to try to figure it out, that is a responsibility I do not want.

So, do what you can to support locals. Love on your family. Use common sense and think of others first. And watch more puppy videos on Facebook that political arguments, it’s better for the soul!

Oh great, first it was toilet paper, still can’t figure that one out – Lysol I get, hand sanitizer – I get, bleach – I get…. but toilet paper? anyway, now it’s meat.

I haven’t been to the store in a week (I try to go every two weeks, but inevitably have to make a run for produce in between) so I have no idea how the store shelves are doing. I do know that the more you tell people that there is a meat shortage and the meat shelves are empty, the more people are going to hoard and buy in bulk, cartful massive bulk. Just like toilet paper if you just buy a pack every time or every other time you shop, you’ll have plenty.

I don’t usually rant on this blog, it is a “give you a smile”, “cheer up your day”, occasionally make you think kind of blog, but there are just some inconsistencies going on right now that are driving me NUTS!

Here are the things that are making me wonder WHY we aren’t creating solutions….. and yes these are examples on the news, so I’m basing my questions on network news stations, I do get snippets from all different kinds of news outlets… MSNBC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC, The Weather Channel, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post….

In one part of Florida you have a tomato farmer who is plowing over, driving over, thousands of tomatoes and other crops, and in another part of Florida you have hundreds and hundreds of people lined up in a food line, the pantry running out of food. Help me here… WHY can’t these people get those tomatoes and other veggies? Why not line up here first, go grab a bushel and make tomato sauce, eat tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, etc…? Can’t the farmer write that off as a donation now instead of waste? The argument was that there is no one to pick them, okay so have people sign a waiver and come get them. And this is one field in America, how many are there we could do this with?

You have farmers dumping milk in fields (that’s gonna smell), surely there is a similar solution to that, although I’m not sure about the whole pasteurization process, where that happens or how that happens. But we have dairys around here that sell milk local, surely there must be a way? Shoot I learned from Mrs. Denny, our 3rd grade teacher, how to make butter….. There is your homeschooling lesson for the day! I’m just one small mind in all of America, surely someone has a solution to this?

You now have others saying they will have to euthanize cows or hogs because the meat packing plants are closed…… I don’t know about big cities, but here in our area of Michigan we probably have at least six meat processing small businesses. I’ve gotten my beef from them so I know they are there. Why not donate the cows or hogs to people in the food lines, where all they would have to pay is the processing price? Again, there may be more details to work out, I’m just thinking off the cuff here, but wouldn’t a write off be better than euthanizing AND put food in peoples homes?

We need to get better at this people, we are a global society, we KNOW what is happening thousands of miles away IN REAL TIME. Why can’t we just work together to come up with these solutions?

Whew, rant over, and feel free to give me feedback, maybe I have not idea what I’m talking about. I’m seeing the big picture here……. Overabundance of some foods….. people in food lines going hungry…….

Now I’ve worn bike short for years, when I exercise and with a long tee shirt to cover ‘things’, or under dresses, kind of like Spanx but way less expensive and way more comfortable, but I’m seeing over and over this season bike shorts are on trend! One of the magazine articles listed these 5 ways to wear bike shorts this summer.

Bike shorts with an oversized blazer. It states that this will make your bike shorts look sophisticated and chic. Now, I’m only a self-proclaimed fashion expert, but I’m not sure that “bike short” and “sophisticated” should ever even be in the same sentence! I love that I can throw a blazer on with a tee shirt and jeans and pull off that ‘dressed jeans’ look, but I just don’t think the same applies to bike shorts. One article even stated a blazer would make them look business-friendly…. hmmm… wonder what business that is?

And please don’t get me wrong, I am not criticizing the writer of these article or the magazines, I think if anyone has ever looked at ‘high fashion’ there are a LOT of things that are strange out there. The majority of people would never wear the things that come down a runway at a high fashion show….. You know what I mean….

Secondly you can wear bike shorts with a knotted button down shirt. Ummmmm, I don’t even wear my shirt knotted, let alone with bike shorts. Now that’s just me, and my ‘problem’ area. For me it would be like a glaring neon sign pointing right to wear I ‘carry” my weight. Knotted shirt and jeans? CUTE! Knotted shirt and tailored shorts? CUTE! On me? Not so much, and with bike shorts…. No thank you.

Denim Jacket and Crop top …. ummmm… nope.

Paired with a summer sweatshirt? Now we’re getting somewhere.

Wearing bike shorts with a graphic tee? YES. That is what I’m talking about. And please make sure that graphic tee is long enough to cover a little bit anyway.

These are just some of the article titles that are out there about bike shorts this spring (I told you they were HOT)… “12 Best Bike Shorts”, “13 Best Fashion Bike Short – Cute Bike Short Outfits”, “Styling Bike Short”, “Bicycle Shorts: Outfit Ideas and How to Style”, “Trend Alert: Here’s How to Style Bike Shorts:”, “The New Way to Wear the Bike Shorts Trend”, “How Fashion People Will Reinvent Bike Shorts”, “The Best Bike Shorts Moments from the Runways and Beyond”….. and that’s just the first page on my phone when I Google “are bike shorts in fashion”.

And thankfully Spring is getting here in West Michigan. The sun has been shining and the temperature has been in the 60’s (although 30’s and 40’s at night) and we who live in the north with a large percentage of the year our days are cloudy, are so grateful for the blue skies. There is just something about that sun shining that lifts the spirits and makes people happy!