CHIHULY Turquoise and Erbium Flori at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

If you are blessed to live in or near Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is where Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located, then you know this is a place where there are so many beautiful and amazing things to see all year long, but this is even more true now through November 1st as the Dale Chihuly exhibit is able to be enjoyed throughout the Sculpture Park. I thought it would be interesting to share with you some information I found online about the beautiful sculptures and a bit of background on each piece - today I'm happy to give you a closer look at CHIHULY Turquoise and Erbium Flori at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park . . .

just for fun - Funny and Surprising Facts which are True!!!

 

Today I am sharing some odd facts I found on-line. My grands  thought several were extremely funny and/or surprising, so I thought I'd share them with you . . . chances are your grandchildren will also find them extremely funny and/or surprising as well!

Did you know . . .

Chocolate Mousse Pie!

Yesterday was National Chocolate Day, so I thought it was a great time to share my recipe for chocolate mousse pie! I always let my family members choose the menu for their birthday dinner, and a few years ago my youngest grand told me he thought chocolate pie sounded tasty for his dinner, so of course I started looking for a recipe - and happily found one which I'm sharing with you today!

Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Canada's Maple-Leaf Flag

Growing up in the USA, I am very familiar with "the stars and stripes", "Old Glory", the US flag. I know the story of how Betsy Ross sewed the first flag with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen stars in 1776. I learned how whenever a new State was added, another star was also added to our flag - now with fifty stars - but still the 13 stripes to represent the original 13 colonies.

So, now I'm a "Lost Canadian", I thought it would be important for me to learn about the Canadian flag - and today I'm sharing with you what I have learned . . .

CHIHULY Ruby Froggy Feet & Striped Antlers at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

If you are blessed to live in or near Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is where Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located, then you know this is a place where there are so many beautiful and amazing things to see all year long, but this is even more true now through November 1st as the Dale Chihuly exhibit is able to be enjoyed throughout the Sculpture Park. I thought it would be interesting to share with you some information I found online about the beautiful sculptures and a bit of background on each piece - today I'm happy to give you a closer look at CHIHULY Turquoise Reeds at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park . . .

just for fun - Today is National Milk Chocolate Day!

As they say on the National Day site, "When solid chocolate is combined with either powdered, liquid or condensed milk; it’s known as milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is the most popular member of the chocolate family." So, since today is National Milk Chocolate Day, I thought I'd share some fun chocolate facts with you from the Whitaker's site . . . did you know . . . 

National Chocolate Chip Day - Let's Celebrate!

Who knew there was a day to celebrate chocolate chips, clearly I didn't as I missed it (it was the 25th), but I'm definitely all for doing so! So, in honor of this delicious day, I'm re-sharing with you the recipe for my grands' favorite chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal cookies! Just follow this link for the recipe and get ready to enjoy some truly tasty cookies . . . what could be a better way to celebrate chocolate chips??!!! :-)

Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About "Talking Canadian"

As a person who has lived all my life in the USA, but in different parts of the country, I know from personal experience there are unique "quirks" about how "Northerners" talk (those of us from places like Michigan, Wisconsin, or Minnesota) or Southerners talk (clearly people from "Down South" like Virginia, Tennessee, or Georgia) and people from "Out East" talk (Such as Massachusetts or Maine). These US "quirks" go beyond accents to phrases which when spoken, let people know where you are from. 

In the same way I've learned Canadians are famous for their friendly, polite, and sometimes quirky vocabulary. From ordering specific coffee orders at Tim Hortons to casually referring to their unique money, their daily lingo is full of unique idioms.  Culturally, Canadians also express their affection with localized, uniquely Canadian idioms. Common romantic phrases and some of the funniest and most iconic things Canadians say include:

CHIHULY Turquoise Reeds at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

If you are blessed to live in or near Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is where Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located, then you know this is a place where there are so many beautiful and amazing things to see all year long, but this is even more true now through November 1st as the Dale Chihuly exhibit is able to be enjoyed throughout the Sculpture Park. I thought it would be interesting to share with you some information I found online about the beautiful sculptures and a bit of background on each piece - today I'm happy to give you a closer look at CHIHULY Turquoise Reeds at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park . . .

Once Again, Please Stand Up & Speak Up & Vote

  

As of today, July 27, 2026, there are 98 days until the November elections. While I believe it is essential for us to have hope, there are many days when I feel like hope is far away with all the corruption and lack of justice going on in this country. I do believe it is essential for us to all stand up and speak up because if we do not, then we are being complicit with the evil happening here in the USA. 

As a mom and grandma I want the world in which those I love are living to be a place where they are safe. I want them to be able to live their lives without the shame of being part of a country which commits war crimes and murders innocent people here and in other countries. I want them to grow up treating others with love and acceptance. It is for these reasons I have to speak up once again today.

Truths about Grandparents . . .

 

This morning I was thinking about being a grandma and what an amazing blessing it is, so I looked up a few quotes about grandmas/ grandparents and thought I'd share some with you . . .

Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About the Canada Strong Pass

This "Lost Canadian" has been SO impressed as I learned about the land of Canada and all of their incredible National Parks, so when I learned how Canada has made the choice to throw open their "doors" to parks and so many more places to the people of Canada, it left me extremely impressed!

The DNA of Grandparents & Parents Who Hand Down Confident Faith

   

If you are looking for a new book to read or give as a gift to a parent or grandparent you love, consider this book - The DNA of Grandparents & Parents Who Hand Down Confident Faith.

CHIHULY Walla Wallas at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

I am blessed to currently live outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is where Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located. My husband and I have a membership and tend to visit nearly every week. There are so many beautiful and amazing things to see all year long at Meijer Gardens, but this is even more true now through November 1st as the Dale Chihuly exhibit is able to be enjoyed throughout the Sculpture Park. I thought it would be interesting to share with you some information I found online about the beautiful sculptures and a bit of background on each piece - today I'm happy to give you a closer look at CHIHULY Walla Wallas at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park . . .