New memories

[sumas]

I love the nostalgia stories and have shared many of my own.

Thought it might be fun to let people know that life goes on here in the city currently and we create new memories everyday.

Had a afternoon/dinner party yesterday. With one exception, all were Detroiters from all corners of the city. The house is old and seems to encourage or perhaps exudes warmth and fellowship.

During the course of the day, we played the piano, sang, played cards and listened to good music.

Groups shifted from the dining room, backyard and front porch. I love the large roofed front porch and in the evening sat with friends on the porch rockers exchanging stories, jokes and jibes.

Greeted neighbors walking by, watched the children play up and down the street, watched a neighbor obsessively wash his car. With city humor we figured he murdered someone.

With a third of the street, urban prairie, the dog went nuts when a possum cruised by.

Totally trite comment, but yes, Virginia, there is still life, love, fellowship, fun and goodwill in this big bad city. s

[jcole]

Did you wrap up the day with a trip to Hudson's or Crowley's?

[Ravine]

That's great, but just wait 'til Virginia finds out that she went a little overboard with the Adult Beverage of Her Choice and what she thought was Santa Claus was really just a goddam possum.

[Ragtoplover59]

watched a neighbor obsessively wash his car. With city humor we figured he murdered someone.

New memories indeed.

[sumas]

Pretty much the response I expected.

Detroit Bad!!!!

Another elderly neighbor came over today with home cooked muffins.

Not saying this is Nirvana but neighbors came over to help with a car issue. Problem taken care of. Fortunately, minor.

From now and until Christmas I will post a positive thing in Detroit that happens to me and others daily.

Really do not understand why people want to think the worst or make light of something as simple as a positive thread.

No doubt some troll will focus on the word simple. Yes, I am simple. Have fun! Go for it.

Detroiters do have a life which is not so different from the burbs. Just people, just looking for a sane balanced life.

s

[Ragtoplover59]

in the evening sat with friends on the porch rockers exchanging stories, jokes and jibes.

I guess it's just not the same on the forum?

[Gannon]

I have yet to discover what you describe as a 'sane and balanced life', but I'm happy you've found it. Sounds like one of those 'adult' things that always seem to elude me.


I'm into serendipitous serenity, where-ever the wind takes me [[as often as I possibly can).

I argue that there ARE a few things that we can easily have that might be a wee bit more difficult to achieve in the suburbs.


I went to see a grand mural a good friend has been doing on the side of a grocery store. I've never seen such a thing in the 'burbs. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. He happened to be there, finally finishing the fleshtones. Says he's within ten days of getting it complete.

All this after rushing downtown to meet a friend for a drink before the Lions game [[which is too complex a story even for this meandering), having Jams cook me a great omelet breakfast at Foran's, enjoying great conversation and the vibe unique to that place [[catching up with the CandleMan along the way, who says his incense lines really seems to be popular)...then off to check out my friends [[and a WHOLE bunch of their friends) at the end of the Corktown Community Brunch.

Now THAT was a blast. Talked with JeanofArc and a few others from here...caught Gregg Newsom building his new greenhouse with a whole team hoping to change the landscape in town with 3 seasons of personal produce structures [[in which I'm going to experiment with various isolation techniques for EM shielding which might create curious meditation spaces)...

...followed that up with a double-shot of espresso-to-go at Le Petit Zinc, where I learned that the Woodbridge Tavern runs out of some specials close to the end of their Sunday brunch, so you'd better come early [[respectable, so they don't have much leftover and the food can always be fresh...but still a disharmonious shock to someone who has to settle for the third favorite). Of course, that is more hearsay than memory, but I'm in a stream here.

I didn't say consciousness, either.

Dropped into my Corktown aunt's place, passing TWO new fence projects in the neighborhood along the way. One at a forumer's home, doing what appeared to be wrought iron...which looked amazing...the other across the parking lot on Trumbull from that small store, guy was doing fresh wood slats which took some care to keep straight. Looked a bit Maybury-chic, but cool.

Watched the aforementioned aunt and another play a few rounds of cribbage, then drove down Michigan and had the encounter with my muralist friend Juan.


The day just kept getting better and better.

I've heard nothing but good reports about the garden yields, although it seems the bugs enjoy the bounty as well.


Cheers, that is all the memory I can grasp at the moment. It was a good day.

[Ravine]

Pretty much the response I expected.

Detroit Bad!!!!

Another elderly neighbor came over today with home cooked muffins.

Not saying this is Nirvana but neighbors came over to help with a car issue. Problem taken care of. Fortunately, minor.

From now and until Christmas I will post a positive thing in Detroit that happens to me and others daily.

Really do not understand why people want to think the worst or make light of something as simple as a positive thread.

No doubt some troll will focus on the word simple. Yes, I am simple. Have fun! Go for it.

Detroiters do have a life which is not so different from the burbs. Just people, just looking for a sane balanced life.

s

Oh, lighten up. None of the responses preceding your second post oozed with hostility or meanness.
In my case, if I was being hostile, it would be excruciatingly clear.

[sumas]

Thanks Gannon for sharing good thoughts about your day in city.

My day, now yesterday, was spent cutting grass and outdoor projects. Chatted with neighbors doing the same.

Shared a few laughs with a neighbor who left a door open while moving things and got squirrels in his basement. The neighborhood had pulled together to help him remove his uninvited guests.

I live in the city and am not ignorant of our issues but this thread is to be devoted to sharing positive stories.

There are lots of positives here in the city. We actually know our neighbors since we do not have those attached garages which allows people to come and go without ever engaging with the next door neighbor.

My affirmation for today is I love seeing a neighbor who walks her dog like clockwork every morning. She added a stray cat to her household. Now it is her, her leashed dog and this cat who do their daily constitutional. It is charming to see this trio.

[sumas]

Ravine,

Why imply I or my Husband are alcoholics. Or perhaps you think we are druggies. I often use I, as in the royal "we". My husband and I are quite normal. Married 35 yrs, together 40 yrs.. Two grown children, both successful, and have a dog and a cat.

We live in Detroit and enjoy our life.

[Gannon]

Sumas,

To be fair, you might just be sensitive to that form of criticism.


I was with Ravine on this one, chuckling about the [[usually) inevitable hang-overs...although I was a wee bit puzzled how Santa got involved.


That dude is always watching and listing the good and bad ones, they say. Not-so subtle form of crowd control, I guess.

Cheers

[Ravine]

Jesus Christ Al-f'in'-MIGHTY, Sumas, what the hell are you talking about? I was trying to be funny, playing off of the "Yes, Virginia, there is..." line, and the mention of the possum sighting, from your post.
But, by all means, carry on. I will not further taint your thread with my grotesquely offensive sense of humor.

[Gannon]

my bad...LOL.

[Ravine]

Gannon, No Bad. We were posting simultaneously. That's why I went back into my post and added "Sumas" to the first line; by the time I had finished writing the original version, you had interjected a post, and I didn't catch it.
In any case, definitely I am Outta Here. I can't take it any more.

[Pam]

Jesus Christ Al-f'in'-MIGHTY, Sumas, what the hell are you talking about? I was trying to be funny, playing off of the "Yes, Virginia, there is..." line, and the mention of the possum sighting, from your post.
But, by all means, carry on. I will not further taint your thread with my grotesquely offensive sense of humor.

Tough crowd. Maybe you need a new writer?

[sumas]

My sweet, Detroit story for today is a local [[Detroit based ) landscaper removed accumulated junk mail from vacant homes.

Detroit has problems, no Duh! So do the Burbs.

I just wish to share positive stories of the people who are here and refuse to give up.

[NormanPaperman]

Tough crowd. Maybe you need a new writer?

I was thinking the same thing. . .

[jcole]

Or a new crowd...

[Ravine]

Yeah, or somethin'.
Between this thread and the Nolan Finley Editorial thread, I'm thinking that maybe if I try to stylistically merge Deepak Chopra, Ernest Hemingway, and the dame what wrote "The Secret," maybe I wouldn't alienate so many of the DY community.

[DetroitDad]

I love you all! Every one!

Sumas, Gannon, I love reading about your good days, and Ravine, your humor isn't always appreciated enough.

I am not a huge fan of Virginia though, they keep stealing my friends and family to go and work at AT&T, even though there appears to be some sort of AT&T building in Downtown Michigan. Oddly though, I can't get AT&T service even though I am across the street from them. They say I am not in their coverage area.... odd!

I long for good days again, sitting among friends and neighbors, or cracking jokes without caring about consequence of interpretation. The days over here on Bagley have been getting cold, and my line of work can be both stressful and depressing at times. While sometimes I can get caught up in the joys of watching my daughter grow up, sometimes I also get caught up in looking at the future, and a day when things will change. Sometimes I worry about reality or change.... which is why I guess I love coming back to read the things that you all share and say here, underneath Lowell's thought provoking or mood changing banners.



Indeed it is!

[ronaldj]

Neighbors gave us divides from some seriously beautiful daylillies. Will happily plant this afternoon.

[ronaldj]

A friend in Brightmoor is giving me yard equipment. A person can't have too many yard tools.

Neighbors that recently married are having an informal reception at their home this weekend. They are the nicest young couple. They hope to start a family in the next few years.

A few weeks back the Friends of the Alger Theater had an outdoor family movie event at Balduck Park.

Our street lights work, our trash gets picked up, we have curb side recyling, a fantatstic neighborhood group that even has garden parties.

Maybury, Detroit is not. But our life here in the D is not the depressing scenario people want to believe.

[gnome]

Last weekend the bride and I bought some rough sawn white oak boards from a honest-to-god off-the-grid lumberjack. In the midst of turning those boards into a couple of "floating" shelves.

Note to self: get some earplugs

[reddog289]

I may get mad and say I won't ever live in Detroit, But I like where I live, Between Detroit and Ann Arbor.Yet I am glad I found this site I have many newer memories of Detroit then before I found it. I would have never known where Better Made chips and Faygo are made if not for Cub and the garden.
If my Step Daughter had been a good girl, I would not have gotten to spend so many Saturday evenings in Greektown.I love Detroit and have many good memories of it past and present.

[sumas]

I was so happy when my neighborhood was picked for curbside recycling. It is a pilot program so when I look up and down the street on pick up day it is gratifying to see that most residents are participating.

A fellow Detroiter fixed my computer and didn't want any money for it.