The First Day

Today is the first official day of family vacation. Jon and I take a run from Haslett up to Treaverse City to piuck up five Diamonds at the Cherry City Airport. Everything arrives less one car seat and Josh's luggage. Boys run through an empty baggage area to expend pent up energy. Eli wiggles a loose front tooth and Granna checks out the two new lower teeth emerging from his gum. Soon his mouth will be a jumble of baby teeth and adult teeth. Gabe is perky and ready to play. He shows everyone the big scar from seven staples in the back of his head when he flipped and cleaved his head on a paver. Uncle Jon tall as the sky holds his new niece who nestles against his neck for a sleepy snuggle. Little Miriam is kissed and held and passed from great grandma to auntie, to auntie to cousin. Eli is off to cavort and flirt with the teens Cammy and Crystalle. Cute girls who love little guys and are willing to play endlessly. Fords arrive with kids from Colorado and California. Armed with guitars and other instruments Halle and Matt will share music as they practice for an upcoming wedding where they will play. Becky Ford and the aunties and Jen catch up on life and laugh about adventures in motherhood. Tom and Sue sit back, observe and laugh taking it all in with the comfort and sense of another year, another week we made it!



Mimi and Bobo as the keepers of tradition offer dinner on the first night every year. It's always the same - Tony Packo's hot dogs. Tony Packo's came to fame when Jamie Farr as Klinger on MASH touted Tony Packo's restaurant as he tried to escape the Army by dressing in drag. Tony Packo's restaurant was home to the Hungarian hot dog. An oompah/jazz band played on the weekends and the accordian player was known for his flips mid-song. Hot dogs in buns encased in plastic are signed by celebrities and adorn the walls. To accomapny the dogs Mimi makes potato salad and we have beans - tight beans named for the beans that are not sauce laden but "tight". Bobo grills the Tony Packo's and heats the buns on the grill. Those beautiful dogs are nestled in toasted buns and are laced with hot dog relish, ketchup pickles and condiments of choice. We always have Tony Packo's sweet hot pickles and regular Tony Packo's pickles.



My role in all of this - I stand and laugh and feel goosebumps tracing up and down my arms as I see these dear ones, hear the love and laughter echo through the house to the rumble of little feet racing through the house. We are together at last





Tight Beans



4 large cans of Bush's bacon and brown sugar beans



In an sluminum pan from the grocery store dump the beans. Place in a 325 degree oven and bake. Every half hour you stir them and bake until the bean liquid has cooked off and the beans ar5e dark brown. Remove them from the oven after several hours. Cover with foil and rest on the stove. Pack up the car and take it to the Wheeler Cottage for dinner. Honestly there is nothing else in them. Per Mimi