Family get-together on Lake Michigan

For those of you who weren't here you missed a fine get together yesterday of some 20 or so Van Halsema cousins at the Great Lake House (previously Overview) overlooking Lake Michigan. 

Dinner was catered by the Gnarly Heifer in Whitehall, Michigan; desserts provided by several folk including Susie, Laurie Ten Have-Chapman, and Barb DeKorne. Jen Galloway made a scrumptious salad and our host Dick Van Halsema laid out a vast array of nibbles: cheeses, crackers, fruit and other assorted goodies. He also had two well-stocked large tubs of various drinks on ice along with plenty of wine. I apologize if I missed anyone else.

Good food, and lively conversations with folks sharing lots of reminiscences and stories of days gone by.  And hearing these stories never gets tiresome, at least for this outsider. I grew up in a single child household not knowing my one cousin so this is always a treat for me.

Linda and her mother Donna Kallemyn, with cousins Brenda Friedman and Melissa Loaney

Dale and Jane DeKorne

the gang

Jeff Loaney

Melissa Loaney

cousins Brenda Friedman, Dale DeKorne and Susie

sisters Melissa Loaney and Jen Galloway

Scott Galloway inspecting the stonework of the old chimeny

sisters Melissa and Jen

Scott and Jen Galloway

Me and Susie

We had to stay for the sunset. . . Dick VH sees this pretty much everyday now but for us it was truly a spectacular event. We can't thank him enough sharing the experience.

What a way to end a truly wonderful day among good friends sharing an incredible evening.

Update from Grand Rapids

This week brought an unusual confluence of events. 

First up was a fast-moving storm that came through late Thursday night; high winds and  a tornado warning mixed with the emergency siren going off had lots of us scrambling into our basements. Fortunately, no tornado was actually sighted but the ferocity of the 60 or so seconds of incredible winds left lots of us in this part of Michigan without power. 

That evening we joined several of our neighbors outside to review local damage damage and we were amazed at how many large branches had been ripped down. One tree at the entrance to Eaglecrest Drive actually ripped up and fell over on the power line but the line itself remained intact.

While we were pretty unscathed a trip around nearby neighborhoods -- in search of a charging station -- revealed the extent of the storm's damaging winds. Several houses had trees down on the, power lines torn down, and as seemingly endless variety of detritus littering streets, laws and even rooftops.

The power finally came back on at little after 1pm Saturday.

The second and by far  more pleasing event was a Van Halsema cousin get together out at the old Overview house, now the Great Lakes House, on Lake Michigan.  Susie and I picked up her mom about 3pm and met up with cousins Laurie and Jen and the five of us drove out to the get together. 

The drive took only about an hour or so.  For me, an only child (more or less) it was grand to see so many cousins renewing their bonds of family relationships, recalling with obvious fondness times spent growing up together and visits to Overview, all the while catching up on the details of all their various extended families.

One person was responsible for setting all this motion, Dick Van Halsema. It was his idea and he spent no small amount of time coordinating the arrangements and providing drinks and food, with some assistance from a few cousins. 

And to top it all off the day, 25 August, happened to be the 50th wedding anniversary of Jack and Wilma DeKorne. And Bernice got to see and catch up with so many of her nieces and nephews, most of whom she had not seen for far too many years.   

It was a truly special day. . . Plans were laid to repeat the event on August 24, 2024.

l-r: Helen Sterk, Laurie Ten Have Chapman, Dick Van Halsema, Dave DeKorne

Jack and Wilma

Barbara Jean DeKorne

Laurie Dick, Dave Clark Van Halsema, Jen Galloway

Tess Lindholm, her daughter-in-law Laurel, Susie

ruins of the original Overview cottage

113 steps to the beach

Dave and Jen

Jen and Susie

Late summer in West Michigan

Well summer is gone, autumn is here and I've been remiss in posting updates from Grand Rapids. Not much to say, I suppose, and then again. . .

We've had a couple of lovely elderly aunts pass away and a favorite uncle taken seriously ill. Such is the cycle of life and it bears repeating: Life is short.

On an upbeat note Susie continues to bake out of Patricia's Chocolate in Grand Haven and she's developing a small client base as a result.

As for me, well I've finished the 3rd edition of a Guide to the Art in Paris Cemeteries: Père-Lachaise. I'm now up to nearly 2,000 works of art identified and  hope to add even more when we return to Paris next spring.

That's right sports fans, we're starting to pull together a plan for a return to France for my 70th birthday. What we know so far is we'll spend a couple of nights in Lille (again) with family and a few days in Amsterdam with Richard and Pauline and probably the rest of the time in Paris. Anyway, I hope to post more about the details of the trip as they take shape. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, we had a few keenly enjoyable outings in West Michigan, beginning with Bernice's 90th birthday bash at Clear Lake in early August. All her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were there as well as quite a few extended family members and friends. It was, she declared, the best birthday she's ever had. And she never lies.

Bernice (center) with her siblings Helen (left, Betsey and Frank

with her great-grandchildren and Betsey

Ben leading the singalong

Helen, Bernice and her son Dick

granddaughter Melissa

Susan, Frank and granddaughter Christina

with her grandchildren

One day Susana and I walked over to see the Dahlia Show at Meijer Gardens.

We also drove out to Lake Michigan one afternoon and spent a gorgeous hour or so strolling the beach at Hoffmaster State Park near Muskegon.

Scott's dad gordon Galloway

There was also a trip -- again back to Lake Michigan -- for a mini Van Halsema family gathering at their cottage "Overview" on Lake Michigan. Lots of memories of carefree days for kids now well into the cares of adulthood.

Susie and Mary

And then to close out the summer a small group gathered for a wonderful Labor Day at Clear Lake.

Jen and her Aunt Bernice

Ben