Chelsea, MI

The days go by so very fast. That's why, just in case you were wondering, I sometimes don't find the time to write. There is so much to do. Sometimes, no news is good news. If I were to be writing a lot, take pity, because it would seem, I have nothing better to do.

I'm in Chelsea, Michigan. I am staying with Cousin Tom and his wife Deb, in their 1929 home with a homemade pond and creek, tall grasses, lily pads, frogs, birds and goldfish. Very nice! While I am here I hope to visit with other cousins I haven't seen in quite a while.

It's a little chilly and gloomy out. They keep telling me this is not the usual Michigan weather for July, but I am not convinced. We have not had the opportunity to have dinner on the back deck. Too cold. I had put my blue jeans and long sleeves away, not expecting to need them any more on this trip, not since leaving the mountains, but I do and so had to dig them out of the back-up suitcase. After Cincy's excessive sun and heat however, this is not altogether unpleasant weather.

My last days in Cincinnati were filled with leisure sightseeing, shopping, and tasting the city's unique cuisine from Coney dogs to ribs. I was shown the city at night, from the other side of the Ohio. From Kentucky. The lights were worth the trip. The bridges and tall buildings glowed and twinkled from behind the dark outline of an old riverboat. Back at the hotel, we sat up late listening to more stories and speculation on TV regarding the recent death of Michael Jackson. The mornings in Cincy were slow and wonderfully comfortable and unhurried. The visit was over too soon.

It took me about five hours of interstate driving to get to Chelsea. I got to thinking old familiar thoughts that I have thought about too many times already, obsessive thoughts, unhappy thoughts about my divorce. A rehash of what happened. Trying to figure out what didn't make sense. Trying to figure out was said, what was done, what. what, what? Damn! I allowed myself the time to dwell once more. But I am OK with that. The bad feelings would be short lived I knew, and sometimes I just need to let my mind do it's thing.

(Ok, It has been almost a year since the divorce, and yes, it still unfortunately, sadly crosses my mind from time to time)

This time, though, a new perspective. A new approach. A missing puzzle piece. A thought I hadn't thought before. Wondering. Making sense. I will think about it again when I have time. It was enough for now. I reached my destination. The goodbye feeling was replaced by hello as I knocked on Tom and Deb"s door.

Greetings and chit chat. One of my favorite things!

Each morning Deb, her friend Cathy, and I walked all over Chelsea. I enjoyed yet another small town's appealing old homes and gardens. One afternoon, we walked main street, stopping in most of the small shops and went to see the Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory. At 7:30 PM we went to the ice rink and watched Tom play hockey. Hockey is a big thing in Chelsea. and the ice complex is impressive. As for me, it was surely a unique way to spend a few hours. I had a good time in the second floor restaurant sipping hot chocolate and Kahlua and watching the skaters.

On Wednesday, we went to Greenfield Village. Greenfield Village is an extensive re-creation of an old time town complete with pottery, glass, tin, candy and blacksmith shops, newspaper press, homes, plantation, railroad roundhouse, farm buildings, etc. The highlights are Thomas Edison's laboratories and the information about his inventions and life. He is responsible for over 1400 inventions some of major consequences to our every day lives. What an amazing man! I also enjoyed the Model T Fords driving down the streets, a rest stop that included popcorn and root beer, and a ride on a big frog on an old carousel. You wouldn't be disappointed if you went out of your way to put Greenfield Village on your itinerary.

After dinner at the Mongolian Grill we were back home, tired but happy, while rain and gloom brought on the evening. but never mind the weather, all in all, it was another good day on the road.

Chelsea is home of Jiffy. This is the factory where they make those little boxes of muffin and cornbread mix that you buy in the grocery store. I wanted a tour, but they closed for the holiday. Rats!

While I live in a small town, our beach town in Florida is a very different animal from the Midwest small towns I have been spending time in. For one thing there is no real downtown in IRB, but rather a mile and a half main drag edged by seasonal accommodations, condos, a couple of small strip centers, scattered restaurants and private homes. We have only a couple of nice shops, but even more vacant lots in need of landscaping. We do have a wonderful beach but that’s not on the main boulevard.

Yesterday evening, Tom, Deb and I walked across the backyard through where the fence used to be. We picked a few blackberries from scattered bushes and headed up to Main Street to join the rest of the town folks who were wandering around listening to a variety of musicians. There was a loud rock and roll band on the corner of Main and 1st, an Irish duo with a guitar and a dulcimer on the lawn in front of the library (America’s best #1 small library!), a suit and tie clad jazz combo on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant, a “hillbilly” trio playing “Chug-a-Lug, Chug-a-lug” in the alley beside an art gallery, three boys playing plastic bucket drums by the bookstore, a solo folk singer on the factory commons, a brass trio in a parking lot and a small band with a Latin singer who sounded like Elvis doing their thing in a sunken cement entry to another restaurant.

Chelsea is a town of about 2000. And I think most of them were out and about Thursday night wandering around town. Main Street isn’t even a half mile long, but it was filled with the sound of music. The shops were open for business. There was a hot dog vendor, a couple of guys twisting balloons into animals and a man balancing a stool on his chin. Adults and little children sat on the grass, folding chairs or curbs to enjoy the sounds. This went on for two hours. And it happens every Thursday for most of the summer! It was wonderful and filled my soul with a good feeling.