I cut from the Plains into southern Indiana to see my aunt Ann. She chain smokes at 87. She walks completely upright, is an artist, and is smart as a whip. Her restaurant choices? Not so good.
When she was young she looked like Grace Kelly. She married my Uncle JC, a lifelong Marine. He was gone a lot.
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| My Aunt Ann with my cousin Johnny |
She felt going to Wee Willies would be better than going into downtown Bloomington (a University town) to experience the best in dining out. I ordered a previously frozen potpie and a side of hush puppies which was the mild highlight.
My mom lived here from 13 years old on. I don't ever remember coming downtown except once. It is the typical downtown square with a beautiful Victorian courthouse in the center. In this case, made lovingly with local limestone with hand carved features.We went to see Santa downtown when I was seven. I had a warm, wool coat on and we were waiting in the hot basement of a store. Santa beckoned me up to his lap where I promptly threw up. I don't remember if I got my request in or not.
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| Majestic courthouse in the downtown Bloomington, Indiana square |
I went downtown without my aunt later in the evening and chanced in on the The Irish Lion an 1882 era pub. A proper pint of Guinness and a time travel of ornate tin ceilings, stained glass and a famous bar back with hand carved lion faces made by Brunswick, the pool table company. There are only three other known examples and one is in Paso Robles somewhere. Besides the historical interest is the bar's appearance in the opening credits of Cheers. Many of you may remember this photo if you were a fan of the show. The bar is relatively unchanged. This photo is circa 1910 when this bar back was put in.
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| View from bar today looking relatively in the same direction |
Detroit-
is a factory wasteland. The roads from California to south of Detroit are fine. Not the case in Detroit and vicinity. The Interstate is all chewed up. The industrial funk belies the neat tree strewn bucolic neighborhoods and now the new young artists who have taken over the downtown area, much of it abandoned ,are reviving it in it's own tentative hipster way.
Every Saturday-
Eastern Market in downtown Detroit is three large "sheds"; a behemoth. Flowers, produce and my mecca for great popcorn. There is Detroit Grown which has flavors such as dark chocolate, caramel or dill pickle. But what I'm really here for is Michigan red unpopped popcorn. It pops tender,(no chance of taking out my crown work), crispy, and pops reliably. When it pops, it pops white with a red husk. I bought twenty pounds- everything she had- to bring home. Only open on Saturdays- it is mobbed with vendors and customers.
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| One of the large 'sheds' with the market's mainstay of flowers |
I grew up here and I've come to see a very special person in my life, Irene Szchlachtowicz, aka Oma.
I worked for Oma in 1969-71. I was fourteen. It was my first real job. Miller Brothers Creamery is an icon in my hometown of Mount Clemens. It first began as a dairy that delivered milk in 1920's. No one grows up in my town without having had a "Blue Moon" ice cream cone, served only in the summer, it is a rite of passage.
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| First Miller Brothers Dairy delivery wagon 1925 |
There were 6 shops that served ice cream cones, shakes and banana splits along with groceries. Dipping cones was grueling work in the summer; there would be lines out the door. Oma managed 6 Miller Bros. stores and then bought one and still works every day there. She started in 1955.
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| With Oma |
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