Another Frittata

Can we help it? No. They're just too good; just had to share a fritatta again. Shallots, green peppers, chopped spinach inside with slices of locally made (and nationally gold medal awarded) Raclette cheese and red pepper on the top. It was a great dinner.

Next? Hopefully, Michele's Upside Down Apple Gingerbread Cake will taste good. It's the first time she's made it. Fingers crossed it makes the blog!
Andy

"16th Century Flemish Merchant"

That's what I said when asked, after a puzzled look or two, "What are you for Halloween?" It's a (paraphrased) skit line that has stuck with me from childhood . . . from that zaniest of comedy troops still affecting my humor today: Monty Python.


It is accurate though. When picking out the raw material and accouterments for Michele's multi-talented hands we wanted a medieval look. Or, maybe, simply the Dark Ages or, if pushed, it could be described as early Renaissance. Most accurately, however, I think the outfit could walk out of a Breugal painting. 


The shirt is faux leather, the pants faux velvet, and some already made items to help set it off. Michele just did an amazing job putting it all together. And, it was comfy!


Historically, Flanders was a critical part of global trade in the middle ages. After centuries of changes it primarily makes up what is now modern day Belgium. Textiles played a role in its history as well the spice trade including sugar and raw materials for the dye market. (Alum in particular was required to help a dye adhere to a fabric.) 


And, lastly, need I say it? Belgium is more currently known for it's . . . chocolate! Bon appétit!  lol

Andy

Para-sailing

Depending upon your viewpoint, I was lucky enough to go para-sailing last summer. This was for a magazine article that did not get published in the end (long story). Regardless, it was an amazing experience. 

Our Great Lakes are often called, appropriately enough, the Inland Seas. Hopefully these pictures will help you see why. These are taken over (East) Grand Traverse Bay which is just one of many bays off of the big lake, Lake Michigan. It is split by a peninsula called Old Mission so you will see shots of that as well in some of these.

I would not recommend this though for the faint at heart or anyone prone to motion sickness. I wouldn't describe myself as sensitive to the latter, but was thrown a curve ball.

Dangling in the air about 600 feet high while twisting my body to take about 450 pix made me, after 20 minutes, sick! It was all grand until then. I made it to my car, drove to a shady spot and had to sleep it off! Whew . . . I kept my cookies. ;->

Andy

Note my shadow in the lower right!

"Stairway" Assignment

 As part of a photo website I visit, we were given a photo challenge. The theme was "stairways" and Building 50 in the Traverse City Commons seemed like the default spot for some with character. 

Enjoy!

Andy 

Oil Change with a View

I took a walk and snapped a few pictures while my truck was getting an oil change.

I walked a bit by the water.

And strolled through the woods.

Thanks to Van's Garage for all of their hard work!

~Michele

Michigan Desert?

We are always taken with the varied scenes of northern Michigan. All four seasons are wonderful and we really enjoy them, but it's not just the seasons. It's views like these.

In this case, we hiked along the Sleeping Bear Dunes lake shore thinking virtually most of the time that we could be in a desert.

It just has that look to it as it goes on mile after mile, dune after dune.

We find this varied landscape wonderful and hope that this wonderment never ends. And, of course, that you may have wonder in your life too.

Michele and Andy

Building 50 and Fall Shots

Pix from our outing today. 

Hope you're enjoying the season!

Andy & Michele

County Drive and Sleeping Bear

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then we held it today. 

A scenic drive through our county's fall rolling hills ending up at a fave Federal Park in our area called the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. To learn more try this link or this link. Or, drive through yourself!

If you can't get to our area soon, then we hope you like these pix of the county and Sleeping Bear sunset in the meantime.

Andy & Michele

High Rollaway and Punzel

OK. We're lucky. Another gorgeous fall day and we got out and about. First, a serendipitous stop at a Scandinavian store called "Punzel" (a wonderful surprise) followed by a visit to one of our favorite fall haunts, the High Rollaway.

The Rollaway is a very high hill over the Manistee river that loggers used about 100 years ago or so. They would roll the logs down to the river and then float them to mills or railroad stations along the water.

And, yes, Michele's other gnome friend came along. According to her it is Cricket's cousin named Acorn.

It really is a magical season.
Andy & Michele

FRAUD ALERT! lol

True story--please grant me a few seconds to explain our pathetic issues. ;-> A famous gourmet chocolatier opened up it's first franchise in our area about a year ago. Perhaps you've heard of him? Jacques Torres, aka Mr. Chocolate.

Well, since we've had a chocolate "problem"* for many years we just had to try his stuff. We got quite fond of the 60% dark discs and started calling the store manager our "pusher," especially Michele.

Sadly and a long story later, they closed this store down mid summer. Now fast forward a couple of months.

Michele gets a voice mail from her credit card company. It is the fraud alert department and they ask her to call as soon as she can. She does and they explain the need to verify a charge.

Someone made a VERY LARGE order of chocolate from a store in New York City and it tipped off the fraud alert dept. Was this her? Even though they couldn't see her bowed head on the other end she answered sheepishly, ". . . yes . . . that was me." LOL They authorized the transx, of course, despite surprise!

As you can tell by the picture above, Michele is happy.

And, of course, my issues run almost as deep. Here is my horde from another one of our pushers, Jerry the owner of Chocosphere.

On a related yet hopefully less lame topic, we did have a GREAT breakfast at Frenchies this morning! Boy, does Chef know authentic French eggs!

May your addictions be far simpler yet just as satisfying!

Andy

*We're "functional chocoholics."