TOM LAKE

Last night, I finished the new novel "Tom Lake" by Ann Patchett. I had recently finished her last book, a collection of essays called, "The Precious Days," that I loved. Therefore, I was overjoyed to see that she had a new novel out set in Northern Michigan near Traverse City, of all places!

The book is about the life and coming of age of the main character Lara. Lara is married to a cherry farmer with three daughters, all of whom are back home in the summer of 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. This is an opportunity for the girls to learn more about their mom, and they are ever so curious to hear about her first first summer in Michigan when she was acting in "Our Town" and where she met their dad. 

During that summer, Lara also fell in love with a young actor named Peter Duke, who went on to become one of the foremost actors of his generation. Unsurprisingly, the girls want to hear all about it!

Lara narrates the story. Despite it being her origin story, in so many ways, she is surprisingly unsentimental about it. Perhaps that is because she had to make some tough decisions along the way and endured quite a bit of loss. She was clearly thoughtful enough to know that sometimes practicality trumps glamour when it comes to happiness. There are, indeed, very few glamour queens in a Michigan cherry orchard!

I will not spoil the story, but I was struck by the author's descriptions of this state I now call my home and of the cherry farming business. Most of all, I was struck by how relatable all the characters were and how lucky I am to have the family I have  - especially during a once in a century pandemic that taught us what was truly important. I hope you enjoy Tom Lake as much as I did!

THESE PRECIOUS DAYS

My friend and former nurse Pam from Portland and I share a love of books. Each year, we send each other a book for Christmas, and sometimes we put books in the mail for each other. It is always a treat to get Pam's books because she mails them herself and always puts a little stamp on the package.

Recently, she sent me a book she had just finished reading, "These Precious Day," by the novelist Ann Patchett. The book is a collection of essays - many previously published - with several common elements. Each essay centers around some event in the author's life, but there is also a common theme - appreciating the small moments and acts of kindness that often go unnoticed. 

The book made me think a lot about my own life and for how much I have to be thankful. As I took my walk to Starbuck's with Cate this morning, I literally stopped to smell the flowers and to snap this pic of these beautiful blooms.

Beauty and preciousness are present nearly every day! If only we can slow down and appreciate those moments!

BACKSEAT PASSENGER

Though we have been to Detroit several times, our trip there this weekend was different. That's because Cate was our driver!

Cate has had her learner's permit for about a month, and she has been driving around town with us. However, our trip to Detroit was her farthest drive. 

Getting out of town was no small feat because it was Michigan football game day. Despite, that, Cate deftly steered us out of town and onto I-94 East to the Motor City.

Our goal was to take in a mini eating tour, and our stops did not disappoint. First, there was Ima, a wonderful izakaya near downtown. We had karage chicken and rib eye, blistered broccoli, and robata ribe eye and mushrooms for a start. Then, each of us had a rice bowl.

From there, we headed to Eastern Market, one of the nation's largest, open air markets, where we bought beautiful produce for some upcoming Labor Day meals.

Our next stop was Sister Pie, a bakery started by Lisa Ludwinski that prides itself for hiring workers from the local community and that is known for its amazing pies and desserts. We picked up a few cookies and a "plum surprise." Needless to say, we were pleasantly surprised!

Finally, we hit the highlight of the trip for me - the vegan ice cream shop Cold Truth. I always tell myself I will try something new when we go there, but I always revert to my standard pick - sweat cream with chocolate drizzle. It is one of my favorite desserts - no lactaid required!

Not a bad roadtrip, and I got to enjoy it all from the back seat!

BITTERSWEET

This week we drove to Syracuse to drop Nicholas off at college. It was a bittersweet trip in so many ways - having our first born leave the nest but also seeing him spread his wings and pursue his passion and chosen career path.

One hour outside of Ann Arbor, we were met with a thunderstorm with an epic downpour of rain. Nicholas was at the wheel when the showers broke out, and conditions quickly deteriorated. He pulled over, and I could not help but feel that this was an ominous start to the trip. Kathleen took over the driving, and the showers slowly dissipated, making driving much more manageable. We reached Erie, PA around 1145, where we had booked a hotel for the night.

The next day, we set off on the remaining four hour drive to Syracuse so we could get there in time for a noon move-in at the dorm. We were greated at Day Hall by upperclasmen students who helped direct us and Nicholas' belongings to the right place. 

His roommate was already in the room with his mom, and it was nice to meet them both. Turns out his roommate is also a soccer fan and a Barca fan to boot! He and Nicholas had a chance to briefly talk and we proceeded to unpack his belongings and get him settled in. From there, Nicholas had a few orientation events on his own, and we headed to the hotel to check in.

Later that night, we picked him up and headed to dinner downtown. 

After picking up a few more items at Target, we dropped him off at his dorm room for the night. Outside the hall, we could hear a few students chatting it up. As we left, Nicholas stepped outside, too, and introduced himself.

The next day, we met up for the Newhouse School's welcome event, including a parents' session. Nicholas met us there that morning, looking a little tired. He explained that the kids on his floor were up much of the night, making it difficult for him to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning. Eventually though, he was able to fall asleep.

Realizing that there were still many events for him to attend over the next few days and that time spent with us would be an opportunity cost to immersing himself into his new home, we let him know we planned to leave later that day, a few days earlier than planned. He expressed understanding, and we headed to the school store to pick up some swag and earplugs!

After lunch in the dining hall near his dorm, we walked him back to the dorm. We said goodbye outside the dorm and both Kathleen and I gave him a big hug. Then, Nicholas headed back to the dorm while we watched him go inside. He did not turn around and look back at us. If he had, I think all of us would have felt even more sad and even more tears may have been shed. 

Kathleen and I walked down the hill and back to our car, remarking upon the amazing boy we brought into this world and the journey we have been on with him as parents. This is not the end of Nicholas' story with us. Rather, it is the next chapter in what we both hope will be a very fulfilling life. 

Parenthood is hard, but it feels much easier when one realizes that one's children's needs and desires come first. We will be okay as long as Nicholas feels okay and is achieving his dreams, even if it means he is no longer under our roof. As the great poet Naomi Shihab Nye wrote, "this is what is supposed to happen."

WHAT A RUN

This past Wednesday, we went to the England-Australia Women's World Cup semifinal match. The entire nation was behind the Tillies, or Matildas, as the Australian team is called, but alas England were too strong. In the end, the Lionesses prevailed 3-1, a scoreline that flattered the Tillies, who were outplayed for most of the game.

There were moments for Australia, including a breathtaking solo run from midfield by Sam Kerr that was capped off with a gorgeous strike - a shot many are calling one of the greatest goals in men's or women's World Cup history. Watching it again on replay, I truly appreciated exactly how much Kerr had to do on her own to score that goal, level the match at 1-1, and bring Australia back into the game.

Alas, Australia's defense wavered, too. They gave up two preventable goals, giving England an unsurmountable 3-1 advantage.

Despite this result, this nation was and remains captivated by its Tillies. There is still the third place match to play tomorrow in Brisbane, and I know the country will be behind the girls. I know I will. One can only hope that an entire generation of young girls will be inspired by this historic run to participate in soccer and to reach for their dreams, whatever they might be. One also hopes that the men in Australian society will get behind this team and women's sport. Half your population is an awful lot to waste!

RUNNING BUDDY

For the past few months since late Spring, Cate has been my daily running buddy. I am not sure why she decided to join me each day around 6AM, which most people would find an ungodly hour to exercise, but she has.

Each weekday after our runs, we go to the gym and alternate between an upper or lower body workout. On Saturdays, we make a 1.5 mile walk each way to the Starbucks by campus for our post-run drinks. This has become a delightful routine, and I will enjoy this as long as it lasts.

While on vacation in Sydney this week, we decided to keep up our running routine. After our first night in town, we woke up with plans to go out for our run. However, the annual Sydney City to Surf 14K Run was taking place, and runners were already streamed by when we were contemplating a running route. The ability to get across the street, let alone navigate to other parts of town to run, was severely limited, so we decided to join the throngs and jump into the race "bandit"-style without an official race number. 

We weaved in and out of the crowded street of runners and passed hundreds of people as we travelled along at a decent pace. When the organizers at one point announced to the crowd that the finish was only 2K away, I told Cate it might be time to bail. She was surprised that she would not get a chance to cross the finish line, but I told her that was reserved for the non-bandits. We pulled off the course and watched more runners stream by. It was one of our funnest runs that I'll soon not forget.

Running has meant so much to me for the past 30 years. On our run that morning, I told Cate than running allows you to see and experience a city in a very different way. The same holds true for experiencing other people. I hope that this is just the start of a lifetime of running with Cate!

BEEF, IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER

The kids and I enjoy watching food shows on Netflix, and we happened to catch one with the celebrity chef David Chang on steak recently. One of David's stops was Sydney to a restaurant called Macellerian, the Italian word for butcher. At the Macellerian, they take steak very seriously, and we were inspired to visit after watching the show. Needless to say, they did not disappoint.

Besides steak, they are known for their sausages, and Cate ordered their bangers and mash - a wagyu steak sausage with creamy mashed potatoes. Nicholas and Kathleen ordered striploins onto which they inexplicably added the most sacrilegious of items, barbecue sauce! I ordered the "eye filet" with a side of lamb merguez sausage, and grilled mixed greens (broccoli and broccolini), and we all shared some sweet potato wedges! Yum!

It was one of the best meals on the trip and one of the best steaks I have ever had! Maybe we will make another visit before we leave!