Gloria's Bits and Pieces: Day Trips! Where Did The Summer Go?!

I can't believe where June, July and August went to. Now it's already September and kids are back in school. It seems like they just got out for summer vacation.

Did you do a lot this summer? We didn't go on a regular vacation but took some day trips. One of the first little trips was when my husband and I went to see Neil Diamond in Auburn Hills, Michigan. We met up with my husband's cousins who live in the area and went out for dinner before the show. It was my second time I've seen Neil in concert. The first one was only a couple of years ago. I've always like his music but just started to be a huge fan in about 2011 or 2012 listening to his music on Spotify while being on the computer.

I realized that I loved his music and read a lot of articles about him from his youth to now. He sounds like the type of man that is sincere, romantic and genuinely a nice guy! Now I wish that I had seen him when he was younger. What a hunk! He's still very attractive and is actually 76 years old now.

The next day trip was when my mom, sisters, and niece took a drive to visit my Aunt in Sanford, MI. A group of other cousins came from other cities and we all met at my Aunt Delores'. It was a nice time visiting and then we went out to eat, of course. My Aunt doesn't drive or have a car anymore so that's why she planned the whole get together at her place.

One of our other small day trips was when a small group of my husband's friends from high school and their wives all got together and we met at a nice restaurant for dinner. We hadn't see each other for years and years so had a lot of catching up to do. The men were all in our wedding way back in 1984. It was nice to hear about their children and grandchildren and what everyone was doing these days.

Another day trip was when we went to a Loons Baseball Game in Midland, MI with a large group of family and friends.. My husband's brother worked for a construction company that built the stadium before he was retired and got some nice seats for us. We had a good time and some visiting with friends that we haven't seen for quite a few years also. My husband brought along his old baseball glove from grade school and was lucky enough to catch a ball! So he was quite proud and happy about that!

One Saturday we went to my brother and sister-in-law's home for a fish fry with some of the family and friends. It was a nice day out but a little cool. I had just come down with a sinus infection so wasn't feeling the best. I had to get my picture taken with my daughter (who drove a couple hours to get there from her home) and my nephews and niece. My nephew was home on leave from the U.S. Army before he gets sent to Italy in a couple of days from now.

This past weekend we went to a day trip to an event called Fall Family Days at the Octagon Barn in Gagetown, MI. It is only about a half hour from our place and when you arrive it's like you're stepping back in time. My husband and I took my elderly mother along. They have a large barn which is shaped like (you guessed it...an octagon shape.). There is also a huge old house where people lived years ago. Volunteers have restored the barn and have all the tools and machinery from living in days gone by. They also have over the years, gotten the house decorated like it was lived in from the 30's to 40's. You can go on tours of the house to see how people lived back then. They also have numerous other activities going on, with animals in the barn, an old time tractor parade, an old time school house which you can go into, steam engines, a grain elevator, a saw mill, and more. Plus many vendors that sell homemade donuts, ice cream, bean soup, popcorn, pie and so much more. There are so many other things to see and do for kids which are too numerous to mention. Throughout the day, there is old fashioned country music outdoors where you can sit and relax whenever you want to just relax. Plus they have 100's of vendors with crafts and a flea market.