Betsy's Blog

            “Moving Day at the Suits Family Cottage on Portage Lake, Michigan.” That would be the perfect caption for this photo above. However, if you look a little closer at my husband and nephews, you'll hear whispered cottage stories left untold. There are mixed emotions and questions in this photo on a hot summer day. Why are we here today? What family tales do we have to tell from 'prerona' (before Corona19)?  This historic cottage has been in my husband’s family for over 80 years. My mother in law lived here when she was six years old and attended the local school. She brought her high school boyfriend here for boat rides who she married later. They spent every summer at this cottage with their three children on the lake. This is where they learned to drive a motorboat, water ski, and swim out to the floating dock under a full moon. My husband is still envious of the early morning water skiers he sees today. His childhood friend Fr...

        It’s a busy morning in the third month of the pandemic. We actually had something to do today and somewhere to go. My husband had to go to the hospital lab for a blood test. It opened at 7 am and we were one of the first people in line at the door. The attendant gave us a green sticker after asking if we have a fever or sore throat. They didn’t even use a forehead thermometer to check us out. We had to sit in the waiting room on socially distanced chairs that had a red X on the floor showing us where to sit. We wore our ‘medical visit clothes’ that we take off when we get home and shower. I brought my “People Magazine” and left it in the waiting room. My guilty pleasure! The latest bubble to open is Michigan restaurants. After the lab, we went out for breakfast. We socially distanced ourselves at a table with a red X on the floor. The theme of today was X, XX, and XXX . My husband happily ordered a breakfast plate with unlimited coffee. I got a ...

The sun was shining when we got into the car. We were stepping outside of our bubble into a surreal world. I am full of uncertainty as the world begins to open up. Is it safe to go out into public yet? Should we wear masks and gloves? Do we need to take showers afterward? The news is full of grief, outrage, and sadness with riots across the nation. Today is the second “Black Lives Matter” demonstration in my Michigan hometown. The crowd is organized and peacefully chanting as they make their way to the Mall. Some people are wearing masks and the crowd is too close together for comfort.  Restaurants and playgrounds are opening up to the public in our area of  Michigan. We went to a restaurant, a grocery store, and drove by the city park. There were more families at the park than I have ever seen before. The city has unwrapped the plastic around the playground. Children were climbing onto the jungle gym and were happily swinging away. The last time we dined in a restau...