A Cerney Periodical

 It was fine. We were stuffy and coughed and Alice was REALLY grumpy. Brock, as usual, was making fun of us because he didn't get it...until he did. And it was literally one cough for him. Thank goodness. So, we all took some time off together and since we really didn't feel that bad, we had a pretty nice time. No one else we had been around got it, including my whole cast of the show I had just completed. Again, thank goodness. Honestly, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and with the current situation getting so much less restrictive in Chicago (yes, even Chicago, the last to fall) Spring is really a state of mind. Here were a couple of our at-home moments... Brock put on a magic show. and we built stuff! We had a fancy COVID tea-party. And yes to snow outside!   And now, apparently, we are invincible. ONWARD!!!

We are trying to take in the full spectrum of what the midwest has to offer in terms of downhill skiing. It is not much, but it it something! For my birthday, we went to dumb dumb Wilmont and asked Alice if she wanted to try skiing. She said no all day, until and hour before we were going to leave. So we didn't do it. BUT! This weekend she said yes! And we checked out a new place, Alpine Valley. It was pretty darn ok-good! She was excited to go and her wonderful attitude got me through the insanely long rental line, the surprise-it's-not-30-degrees-afterall-it's-16-degrees, and the I-stayed-up-playing-trivia-too-late mommy horrible attitude. So we did it. Brock and Matt went to check out the hill while Alice and I challenged gravity and ate our share of pizza and french fries (ski terms). She did fabulous. And she lasted ALL DAY!! We took a lunch break, then daddy, who has way more throw-your-child-down-the-mountain verve than I do, took Alice on the big carpet. A rabbit hi...

 With Valentines day just completed, and copious amounts of candy around the house, I couldn't help but think of other events where there is candy which reminded me of Halloween which reminded me do something productive with the blog. Happy Hallotines Day! We try to dress in a family theme every year, and I assume this will become more difficult as Alice gains even more opinions, but for now team Cerney presides. And what the He4%qklwj;alkfjaksldfj are we? Well, back to that everyone has their own opinions thing. So we went with a theme where we could sort of do our own thing but come together. So we chose "invasive species", and more specifically, "puns on invasive species". Below you have a lion fish, a zebra muscle, a cane toad and a gypsy moth. In tribute to our highly political and social justice focused climate, we came together to form the I.V.S.A. The InVasive Species Association.  No one got my "lion fish". I was either a cat or a mermaid or a...

 But wait! There's more! We have been wed for 10 years AND we have had children (or womb) for almost all of it! So we couldn't possibly not celebrate our anniversary without them. And we didn't want to miss out on our annual pilgrimage to the land where our union was actualized, Barrien County Michigan. Our favorite B&B, Goldberry Woods. Here we are swinging a bit of shuttlecock. Then a horse and buggy ride to the apples the next day. A new apple orchard, not as much variety as in years past, but they had Evercrisps. A varietal that we had not yet sampled before but turns out to be THE BEST APPLE EVER. Get some. Garwood farms it was. The buggy driver tipped us off a good place to get a Christmas tree! There seems to be a horse and buggy syndicate in the area that are outsourced for all things field. Apples. Mouths. Hands. Joy. And no 10th anniversary is complete without a roll in the hay! Defender of the orchard. You can see one of his downed enemies behind him. Back t...