Happy Holidays

Friends, family, fellow bloggers, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I have had a year's worth of joy to thank you for. I love receiving your encouraging comments, thus helping me to focus more on my art, my family and the blessings of life. I am so grateful for my health and the unpredictable joys of each day.

We all know that these are stressful times and I pray that this message finds you at a place of peace. My prayer for you and your loved ones this Christmas is that you can focus on the abundance and make it a point to chuckle now and then.

Take care of yourself this year!

Merry Christmas to all.

Nancy

Winter Wonderland

Yesterday we spent almost four hours traveling across and back the upper peninsula on our way to Marquette to do last minute holiday shopping. There is not much salt applied to roads up here, mostly sand. It looks rather slippery, however, it is not. Our first stop was the North Pole, in Christmas, Michigan. My mom had her Christmas cards to mail. How cool is that to have your greeting cards postmarked with "Christmas, Michigan" on every envelope?

Check out these street signs!

Our holiday visit is rapidly coming to an end. My dear husband has been so patient with three ladies for the week, driving us all over the place. He usually refers to me as "Miss Daisy" when asked what have you been doing this week with those back home. Tomorrow we will have to sadly pack up again on our long drive home to southern Michigan. We will, of course, stop in Mancelona to visit my daughter, Amy, and her husband Derek to spend a few days enjoying each other's company playing cards and more Christmas celebration.

I am keeping warm and knitting some last minute gifts for family back at home. I think it may be time for some of my sister's fabulous hot chocolate. Jim Carey's movie "A Christmas Carol" is scheduled for tonight's viewing pleasure.

Downtown in Grand Marais, Michigan

Main Street in Grand Marais, Michigan East Side

This is the town where my mom and sister live in the upper peninsula. It is a very small town that is really quite lovely in the summer months. The winter months can be very brutal. The view of the bay is very picturesque. It is a great place to relax, feel the warm summer breezes, however winter can be menacing.

Main Street in Grand Marais, Michigan facing South West Side

Mini Street Plower, Grand Marais, Michigan

Medical Center, Grand Marais, Michigan

The post office in Grand Marais, Michigan

Tomorrow I will try to post some photos of the lake in it's winter fury.

Greetings, again, from the north country.

Nancy

Holiday Visit to the Great Up North

Grand Marais, Michigan USA

Lake Superior, December 2010

Was it the "storm of the century?" Oh my goodness, it snowed and it snowed. We were trapped in the house for three days, but finally took a trip to town to see the waves on Lake Superior yesterday afternoon. It was brutally cold, windy, and the air chilled you to the bone.

Agate Beach, Grand Marais, Michigan USA

This is the famous agate beach in December. It is usually a nice warm beach that I visit in the summer months, so seeing it this way was incredible. We held on to the railing of the beach viewing deck literally, while the snow and sand blasted your face with a 35 to 40 mile an hour rate. Whew!

There are more photos to follow in the next few days. I have been having a great time craft supply shopping, and enjoying the company of my mom and sister in the upper peninsula since last Friday. It is difficult to stop playing to post the progress of the trip. I promise to show more very soon.

Over the River and Through the Woods

As the holiday season has officially arrived, my hubby Chuck and I will be making a call on Grandma (my Mom), and my sister Peg way up north in the upper part of Michigan. We have never made a trip to Grand Marais in the winter time. It will certainly be a major challenge if we are bombed with a huge snowfall.

I've wrapped a pile of gifts, packed my suitcase with art supplies, and began jamming clothes in another. We will probably be gone about 10 days. I can hardly wait to see their Christmas tree! Our ETA will probably be this Friday afternoon.

We love to watch movies when we get up there. Did you know that there is another Red Riding Hood movie lurking on the horizon? This flic was directed by the first Twilight director, Catherine Hardwick. It looks like the big bad wolf is doing his number disguising himself as Valerie's (Amanda Seyfield) boyfriend (Shiloh Fernandez), but really is a werewolf! The scenery looks absolutely gorgeous. Something to sink my teeth into this coming March in 2011. Ha! Ha!

I am going to be "back in business" on December 20th. I really want to show you photos this time of Michigan's beautiful winter scenery. It is like walking into the movie Dr. Zhivago.

(Remember to pause my music if you wish to view this trailer).

Hopefully, I can post some photos along the way. Have fun enjoying this special time of year.

Nancy