Michigan Blueberries and Other Assorted News Items

Anybody know that Michigan is the #1 source of cherries for the U.S .(adding sweet and tart cherries together)? That when the National Cherry Festival is held every year in early July that the sweet cherries are not ripe and we import them from other states for the Festival? That over half of our economy is based on agriculture? That Michigan is famous for more than Motown, unemployment and cars no one buys anymore?

You didn't?

Well, now you know...

We also grow blueberries...yep, we do. I know because I saw them at the local Save-a-Lot in 5 lb boxes...I get how the blueberries grow, but how do they grow the boxes around them? Gotta think on that one...(we are also famous for a lot of non-high school grads...)

Speaking of blueberries, the ever industrious Alexandra (now age 10, going on smart mouth 15) planted some old pumpkin seeds in a flower pot in the kitchen window. I thought it was a nice exercise in playing in dirt - two days later they sprouted (all 10 of them). They are growing at a rate of 2 - 3 inches a day! (Like looking at a camera fast forwarding cloud movement), She got so excited that she planted red pepper seeds and cucumber seeds in the other flower posts. We discussed having 20 foot pumpkin vines in the house over the winter but she is undeterred. She now wants to work in a greenhouse when she grows up...as soon as she finds out what a green house is...

So what is happening in Michigan besides an unpopular governor (just ask Dave who is a staunch Republican), an out of this world deficit (again, ask Dave), and a broke school system? (ditto Dave)

We are adopting two (not just one, but TWO) girls from China! Despite our age (older than dirt), despite our EXTREMELY LARGE FAMILY THAT NO ONE KNOWS HOW WE DO IT?? (just ask anyone, althoug we are obviously doing something because the kids keep coming back for meals) and despite strict rules from the China Center for Adoption Affairs, they have approved us for two girls - one is 9 (and has a hemangioma - like a port wine stain only red, on her face) and one who is 10 (with mild cerebral palsy). Two different provinces, two different special needs, two different waiting child lists...all of which should have ended up with a big, fat "NO WAY IN HELL ARE YOU CRAZY" answer from the CCAA.

However, they said yes. Let me repeat that - THEY SAID YESS!!! WAHOO!!
So, sometime this fall I will travel alone, venturing out away from the safe craziness of Buckley MI (population 9 Asians and growing - our neighbor has 2 kids from Korea) to Beijing China. From there to Tianjin Province (east of Beijing on the coast), and Anhui (south of Beijing in the south) to collect "TWO MORE KIDS WHO ARE GOING TO BE TEENAGERS SOON HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT ARE YOU NUTS?"

Yep, that's what we are doing. Since we don't get airwaves TV very well, we have to keep ourselves entertained somehow...

So, thank you, thank you...yes we are excited. No, I have do idea how we will do it. We obviously keep dong something because the kids are growing like weeds (about 5 inches a year for most of them, except for Alexandra, the world's smallest 10 yr old). They are all doing well in school, and no we are not nuts.

Dave tends to take the stupid comments to heart - of course the latest one being "How are you going to handle 8 kids?" Well, stupid, the same way we handled 7 - bury them in the back yard, keep them fertilized and watered and take them out when fully grown. I mean - how do you THINK we are going to handle it? The same way we do it every day...ONE DAY AT A TIME.

Sorry to sound disgruntled on such a momentous day...Dave obviously misssed most of the stupid questions when the kids were little (like the day at the mall when a lady asked me if I had a daycare...an Asian daycare?) Yeah, right.

So, now that I have educated all of you in the manners of what not to ask, say CONGRATS and keep praying for us! A miracle has occurred and I had to share. (True comment - when I got a call from our agency a week ago I knew it was our case worker and I knew it was approval for the 2nd little girl even before I answered the phone).

So, who says God doesn't occasionally speak in a clear low voice? Still waiting for the road signs for the rest of my life but seems to me God is doing a pretty good job keeping us along the straight and narrow...ok, the " wavy, sinuous, off the beaten track, oops we backtracked where the hell are we now" road.

Other News - Dave's grown daughter Yvette (about 32 now) is getting married next year. She just got engaged. I told Dave he would be a wonderful grandfather...his hair is getting grayer than mine by the hour but he seems to handing in there.

Just had to share,

Mary
The "HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HANDLE ALL THOSE KIDS" lady from Buckley, MI (home to the fastest Asian population in Michigan)