French Creek Tavern

As I have described French Creek Tavern to a friend here in Grand Rapids who was visiting south-west New York State:
When you have hit the next dirt road and you get this creepy feeling that you are very lost- you are almost there. In highschool this little known hole in the wall was a place where we regularly would go for the greatest and hottest Buffalo Wings that you have ever had. French Creek was built and founded in the 1930s and there are still a few guys hanging around that seem to have been there for the laying of the cornerstone. As noticed in the top picture, the ceiling has begun to cave so papers have covered it (as if nobody notices).
Here is my dad, Owen and me in front of the place. Now let me tell you that it has been recently remodeled. The brick is new and the fact that there are no trees growing out of the gutters or off of the roof show the newness of it all. In 1981 the ownership was transferred- I guess they thought that 25 years was enough to fork over a few bucks for some aluminum siding.

This game thing has been here from the beginning as well. The table gets lots of use, but I still do not know how to play it. One of the great things about French Creek is that in the winter if you pull into the parking lot you will see 3-5 cars and about 50 snowmobiles in the parking lot. It is much easier to get there via the fields in the cold and snowy winter.
Here is a shot of the tasty morsels. They sell them in 8,16, or 32. One of the classic ways to eat them is over some hot rolls and when you are finished you eat the rolls that have acquired all of the drippings. Quite yummy although not heart friendly.

Would you like another cup of gut-rot?

While in Corry we were accused (not always verbally, but ya' know I'm right) of being coffee snobs. I choose to neither deny nor affirm this charge, although we do enjoy a good cup of Starbucks Sienna Organic whole-bean roast.

It seems that the good people at Folgers are also coffee snobs. They too now realize that their product is less than satisfying to the palate and/or stomach. They have just released Simply Smooth which is designed to not leave that upset stomach feeling that their coffee leaves. In layman's terms- this coffee does not give gut-rot.

I may just try it- or I may stick to the Starbucks beans that are hand picked from the Pacific Isle of Sumatra.

Erie Zoo and Breakfast with Unka Shawn

Despite the resemblance, this is not Unka Shawn. This is a huge monster of a gorilla. Some 'scientists' claim that we descended from these creatures. I believe that man was created in the image of God and that neither me nor my children are related to this beast. If I were related to it- it would be unjust to keep it in a cage so that hundreds of people could stare at it and take pictures. *disclaimer* Some people choose to act as this creature, but it does not make them a monkey's uncle.*
So we went to the Erie Zoo to visit all of the creatures. It was about 300 degrees, but fun nonetheless.
Here we were watching the polar bears. They were swimming in the cool waters kindly provided to the arctic creatures who are stuck in the hot sun. Notice the monkey- Anna did not kidnap that- we brought it with.
Lydia was proud of this picture. She thought that this lion was very handsome. We laughed about that movie called Second Hand Lion where a couple of old men purchase an old lion so that they could shoot it. We chose to let this one live.
Lydia inquired about this 1960s Land Rover. She was quite sure that this was what she wanted to tool around town in. Classy!
Here is a shot at the entrance of the zoo. The picture to our left (your right) is actually a mosaic. I would comment on the ascetics of it, but deacon Jeff would say that it was impractical to waste all of that time on a picture.
I am not sure if Owen was trying to show off his Calvins or what. But he sure looks posh in this pose.
Here Anna shows off her George the monkey (No relation to the Wendler Cottage George).
Only in Erie County PA! We were pulling out with our delicious Starbucks Iced Mochas and noticed this ACTUAL hearse. Another one...pure class!
Shawn, Tammy, Lydia, and I discussed church polity and other theological items of interest over yummy-buttery-Little Black Sambo-style pancakes. We had a really great time. It is always very nice to see them and to be able to talk about things that interest both of us. Shawn always has a challenge that is worth discussing.
Owen was less than thrilled with the conversation!

Visitors in a CAAR from ChiCAAgo

Before we left for our vacation we had the Chicago family come to visit. It has been a while since we have seen them- between trips to Florida, England, and Germany it has been difficult to get all of our schedules aligned. But, we did it!

Opa was glad to get to see Owen again. It is amazing how much he has grown since they have seen him last. Owen was glad to see him as well. He cannot wait to be his fishing buddy! Here is the Malysa clan. This picture will probably be deleted by my loving wife- so save it to your hard drive now!
Here is Oma and Tante Heidi with the children.
Anna loves her new 'night-time dress'. She wants to wear it out, but we will not let her until she can get her hair up in curlers to complete the look.
Owen got a new book that plays polka music. What one year old does not love polka? They all enjoyed it together.
Opa played tea party with Anna and Owen. Anna always serves coffee at her tea parties. Why? Who knows.
Here are the two Malysa girls sucking up to Oma. She surely keeps them in line- and they need it!
Here is that Polka book again. Larry enjoyed it as much as Owen.

Owen showed off his new sweatshirt from London. He knows that a hoodie is really needed when playing in our house...even in August!

I am sure that we will see them again soon. It is our turn to go there next.

Sneakum Peakum

If I were Mrs. Steve Birn I would write, "There I posted" and receive 100,000 comments. But I am not. Here is a sneak peak of exciting things to come at Life On Union Avenue:

-A visit from Chicago's Oma, Opa, and Tante Heidi
-A golf outing with my dad
-Days and days of swimming fun
-Lydia catching a bass
-The Erie Zoo
-French Creek Tavern (culture shock to come!)
-Many visitors to the Smith Street Ranch including Uncle Shawn!

We're off to Pennslyvania!

Those Pennsylvania Dutchmen will not even see us comin'! We've got gnome-control!

How Much Time Do You Give?

Most families have a dad who spends about 8-10 hours a day at work and a mother that does the same. In this recent study we see that when both parents are working outside of the home , the children recieve 19 minutes per day of undivided attention!

Is that enough attention to raise children? We spend more time in front of the mirror.

Book Review: My Little Golden Book About God

Most of my book reviews go on PRESBYTERIAN THOUGHTS but I thought that this one would be well suited for Life on Union Avenue:

We recently bought a book at the local Christian book shop called, My Little Golden Book About God. We flipped through the pages and noticed all of the classic 1950s pictures that make so many Golden Books irresistable; we also noticed that a lot of the words were quite good.

We grabbed the book along with our armful of theological tomes, and checked out. When we arrived at home we read the book to Anna and Owen. To our dismay, the book is actually quite deistic with a touch of Eastern thought. This book has three pages that are distinctly not Christian.

I know that I am a critic, but hey, that is the purpose of a book review right? Here are the three phrases that I find to be most problematic and why:

"Think of the snow-capped mountain peaks. Those peaks were crumbling away with age before the first men lived on earth."

Within the span of six days God created the heavens and the earth and all of the creatures that would inhabit it. The mountains would not begin to crumble within the span of a couple of days. This thought is taken from Darwinian philosophy, not Christian theology.

"He gives us a small still voice in our hearts to help us tell right from wrong."

This statement is true to a certain extent. If it is a Christian thought it belongs to the Quakers, who have always been seen as a fringe group and not as Biblical Christianity. God does give us a conscience, but he speaks through his Word and through his Son. This is how we can know what our consciences tell us is right or wrong.

"God is the love of our mother's kiss, the warm, strong hug of our daddy's arms."

This is plain Eastern though. God is NOT the love of a kiss or the warmth of a hug. God is love and our love can reflect his love, but our love IS not God. That is like saying that God is strong like a rock, so God is this rock.

We need to be careful when picking children's books for the purposes of teaching truth. As kids, we all had the books that teach that God created man because he was lonely. This is untrue. Or the older ones that teach that Cain was black and that was a part of his rejection. Untrue.

There are many good Christian books that can teach your young children about God. We need to use discernment in these areas. I would recommend these or these as great places to start. You can also teach the Bible in family worship...but that may be better for another blog.

Happy Birthday Miss Moes

Happy Birthday Miss Moes! You have meant so much to us as individuals as well as a family. We think on all of the great memories that we share from Harvester to Paris to Wendler! It has been a pleasure to watch you go from a precocious, pastor's kid to a woman who is wise, caring, and a joy to all who know you.

We thank you for your friendship to us and we hope to have many years together working for the cause of Christ in Grand Rapids!

A Little Zoo on the West Side

Lydia and I grew up going to zoos and enjoying what we saw. I had the Erie Zoo and Lydia the Brookfield Zoo. Of course Lydia's zoo was more fabulous since it is huge and takes 2 days to see everything; but my zoo was nice and it had a train! But sadly my friends, O sadly I must announce: Grand Rapids' zoo is not much for the animal lover.

In the past couple of years they have done some nice things. They have made a great chimp area where these primates live and show off their filthy bodies.

They also have a wallaby area where you can pet these midget kangaroos. They also have sting-rays now, but it costs a buck to touch them (why would you want to?). They also provide Purell everywhere, which we appreciate!
The petting zoo is is nice. They have four varieties of goats and a few variations on the sheep. Owen enjoyed the turkey...he asked me to fry it up and serve it with a side of potato salad!
Anna posed in front of the three bronze penguins. I guess that this represents the three penguins that they have in the aquarium!
Here is Owen dreaming of dinner.
This is also a new addition this summer. These giant swan paddle-boats are available for $5 a ride. Lydia took Anna and I took Owen. Owen hated it! He was terrified of these monstrosities! For those of you who love fat humor:

Image a giant-Nate-sized man paddling a boat by himself with a 20+ pound kids screaming on his lap for 20 minutes in 90 degree heat. Yeah, real funny.

Anyways, we had a nice time. The zoo takes about 2.5 hours to see and do everything. The kids liked the animals and I enjoyed watching people act like animals. If I ever am a multi-millionaire, I am going to buy them at least one elephant, or a lion, or a polar bear, or a rhino, or a zebra. Anyone of those would do!

The Heat is On!

Grand Rapids, Michigan. 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Union Avenue. Much, much, colder.

Anna's Blog III

From time to time, we here on Union Avenue, like to show off Anna's blogging abilities. We are sure that she will aspire to be a fantastic blogger. She may not be a blogger to the likes of Drudge, but we are sure that she will have something entertaining to say.

So again, Anna's Blog III: (Remember that she cannot spell yet, so she dictates to me as I type.) I call this one View of a Great obstacle. These couches can be terrifying to someone that is under three feet tall. From time to time Owen and I fall off of this thing only to get a carpet burn! You adults find these things to be great comfort; we young folks see them as a challenge. Have you ever seen a two year old attempt to climb onto a couch?
I call this one Mom Gets No Input. The reason that I chose this title is that the central object in the composition is the light fixture. Now this fixture perfectly adorns my parent's 1927 English Cottage. When my parents bought the house there was no fixture there, but Father knew that there was originally because of all of his research. He hunted for almost three years for the perfect fixture. When he found it he was filled with joy at the sight of it! Perfect he exclaimed! He put it up with the help of Opa. Mom hated it. She still thinks that it is pretty ugly. I won't say the things that she says about it...but let's just say that she did not get any input concerning this house sometimes!
I call this one Hospitality's Chore. I chose this title because while watching my mother cook and prepare and make things look beautiful I feel exhausted for her! Hospitality takes work. Everything has to look right and be aligned properly, ahhg. I attempted to capture these feelings by focusing on the inner kitchen area and leaving the dining room a slight blur. This is how it is sometimes. All of the work is done in the kitchen and it is hard to tell how all will work out...hence the blur in the dining room. Mom always has things perfect though. It makes dad really proud to be married to her.
This one is entitled, The Little Touches. When you go through neighborhoods of new homes there is one central theme: garages. I cannot stand when mama and papa take us driving through these new developments. Garage, beige siding. Garage, taupe siding. Garage, off white siding, Garage, grey siding. Garage, beige siding. Garage, taupe siding. Garage, off white siding, Garage, grey siding. Garage, beige siding. Garage, taupe siding. Garage, off white siding, Garage, grey siding. Garage, beige siding. Garage, taupe siding. Garage, off white siding, Garage, grey siding. The details of old homes, where did they go? Does not aesthetics mean anything to people anymore? Practicality should never replace beauty, that's what I always say! Old homes have the character that I love, that is why when I see a house that I love, I always make sure to let mama and papa know.

This last one intrigues me. I have called this one Amber Waves. Have you ever taken the time to look at the grains in hardwood floors? Fascinating I tell you! I believe this is the reason that some children take longer to walk than others- they are absorbing all of the great detail that makes up these floors. Imagine all the years represented in these floors through the grain. Man, that really makes you think about how quickly time passes. From Acorn to floor. And the floors were laid 80 years ago! How long did the acorn need to develop into the tree that supplied these floors? It really makes you take inventory of what you do with your life. Time. It is a precious gift.

Make sure to stop by my archives and take a look at my earlier work. God Bless! ~Anna

Anna's First Blog
Anna's Second Blog

Owen and Samson are quite good friends. What other friend would allow you to look into his mouth, pull his ears and back-hair, try to ride him, and put his food in his water bowl? What a buddy that Samson is!

Why Life on Union Avenue is So Calvinistic

Lydia and I are the only ones in our extended family that are Calvinists. Lydia's parents are Roman Catholic, mine are former United Methodists gone Missionary Alliance. My grandparents on my dad's side were Weslyan while my mother's parents did not go to church although they were baptised Presbyterian. Basically we have all kinds. Lydia and I, on the other hand, are Calvinists through-and-through.

Why? Well I saw a list on Jolly Blogger that sums it up just fine. (Sorry in advance to my uncle Alvin, who is a Bob Jones graduated Baptist-Dispensationalist minister.)

# 1. Calvinists tend to wear wool and cotton. Dispensationalists tend to wear lime-green polyester leisure suits.
# 2. John Calvin was French…being French is very chic.
# 3. Calvin sounds like Calvin Klein…and his clothes are very chic.
# 4. Calvinists can drink.
# 5. Calvinists can smoke.
# 6. Dispensationalists are into prophecy conferences where they talk about Star-Trek eschatology and the mark of the Beast. Calvinists have conferences on “life and culture”, art, social justice, and other high- brow things like that. Afterwards, we go to the local pub and talk about philosophy over a pint of Bass ale.
# 7. Calvinists have close ties with Scotland and Scotland is very cool: you know –Sean Connery, the movie Highlander, Bagpipes, the Loch Ness Monster, Glenlivet 18 year old Scotch, the movie Train Spotting, Brave Heart, etc.
# 8. Calvinists think we are smarter than anybody else.
# 9. It is more socially acceptable to say, “I go to Grace Presbyterian Church” than to say, “I go to Washed In The Blood Worship Center”, “I go to Sonlife Charismatic Believers Assembly”, or to say “I go to Boston Berean Bible Believing Baptist Bethel”, or to say “I go to the Latter-Day- Rain Deliverance Tabernacle Prophecy Center, Inc.”, or to say “I go to the Philadelphia Church of the Majority Text”, or to say “I go to the Lithuanian Apostolic Orthodox Autocephalic Church of the Baltic union of 1838″.
# 10. Ultimately, I am a Calvinist because I had no choice in the matter.

The Joys of Union Avenue

Fireworks Over the Grand

We had a great time at the B*rn residence for the Fourth of July. As usual we had great food including Smoked Brisket, Grilled Chicken, and many other great tasting foods. Here Janna, Lydia, and Evie enjoy a spot of tea inbetween the events at the B*rn house and going to the Grand River to watch fireworks. We crammed onto the bridge at about 9pm. There was still an hour and a half to go, but this place was packed. The traffic was heavy, many people were quite rude and pushy, and there was a girl about 4 years old that screamed until the fireworks began.
Here is Lydia and Owen with the Varnum building in the background. When it was dark the fireworked reflected off of this building because of the mirrored-glass windows. Very beautiful.
I have attemtpted to add this video feature. Check out some of the display for yourself:

If I were on Xanga

I have decided that if I used Xanga instead of Blogger this would be my image. For the greatest Xanga post ever click here.

Eggciting Event

We made perogies today in honor of Polish Fest, in downtown Grand Rapids, being cancelled. Anna did not want to participate in the antifestivities and refused to eat them. She said that she wanted to make an egg instead.

We used this as a learning experience. Anna cracked the egg, helped flip it, Julia Childs style, sprinkled cheese on it, and posed out of pride of her first cooking experience.

Next stop: Mr. Birn's house for some gourmet lessons!