Here are my little friends Ann Marie and Mary Jo who were visiting me recently. Ann Marie at nearly 6 years old just lost her front teeth!

Time for Asparagus


May is asparagus season in Michigan. So many tasty dishes can be made with this tender and delicious vegetable. Since Steve and Marta live near asparagus farms, wild asparagus can be found growing along the roadside. Marta's father Martin was visiting recently from Spain and is an excellent asparagus hunter having begun to find wild asparagus as a small boy. Here are some ways that we enjoy asparagus. I especially recommend

Consuelo's Asparagus with Egg:
12 stalks fresh asparagus washed and cut in small pieces
1 egg beaten (or egg substitute)
a little olive oil
a non stick frying pan
Add the olive oil to the frying pan, cook the aspargus until almost done. Add the egg or egg substitute, stirring until it is cooked. Add salt and pepper. Enjoy!




Stir Fried Aspargus and Tofu.
Lightly fry chopped onion, mushrooms, chopped asparagus and sliced tofu in a little olive oil, add soya sauce, and serve over rice. Delicious!














Cream of Asparagus Soup
Chopped asparagus is simmered for a few minutes in chicken broth until tender, thickened with a little cornstarch and water, and then milk (or cream) is added. This makes a great lunch served with crackers and fruit.

A Visit to the Zoo

Saturday was a beautiful day so we decided to visit the zoo at Michigan City. I believe it is necessary to visit a zoo with a child to have a full appreciation for the experience. Gabriel was full of enthusiasm so he quickly jumped in the car, ready to go.






Marta loves animals more than anyone else I know. She was especially excited about seeing the otter exhibit, spending a lot of time enjoying this animal.






Steve is a good dad who enjoys his son very much.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa

Friday was Tony's birthday so Gabriel was helping him celebrate. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner together at Steve and Marta's house plus birthday cake and a special rendition of the birthday song.

Matthew, Scarlett, and Gabriel
Here are some videos of my three grandchildren in action. They are so much fun! Yesterday was Matthew's first birthday. He is an active little boy, walking around furniture, pulling himself up on everything, on the verge of walking. Scarlett just had her third birthday, has become much more outgoing and confident since Christmas, now more independent, talking, and playful. Gabe will have his fourth birthday next Saturday. I love to talk to him and hear his interesting ideas. All three have great enthusiasm for life. I am very proud of them and very happy to be their grandmother.

Here are more photos of the beautiful wedding on Saturday:

Wedding Weekend

Saturday was the perfect day for a wedding, sunny and warm. My great niece Jenna was married to Nate in a wonderful wedding enjoyed by friends and family arriving from many locations across the country. It was wonderful to be together for this happy occasion with some that we hadn't seen in several years. There was a beautiful young couple taking their vows and reminding us that love is what really matters most in this world.

I have a new camera that arrived early last week, so I have some perfecting yet to do in my technique! These pictures are a little shaky but I will try to improve and present them to you today in their imperfection.

Walking the Trail

Behind our neighborhood about 5 minutes walk through the woods the Falling Waters Trail can be seen, a walking/ biking/ running path that extends from the center of our small city to the countryside, more than 10 miles of lakes, wetlands, ponds, and other natural habitat. Very often in the early morning after my coffee, I head out for the trail, spending 45 minutes or an hour enjoying nature. Sometimes I can see other people enjoying fresh air and exercise; always I can see various animals sharing this little space of nature with me. This morning I took my camera with me and here is what I saw!