City of Novi: The Watertower

Below is s video about the City of Novi's watertower.  If you've been here, you've almost certainly seen it.  Nice job, City of Novi!

Something from ... Cranach, the Blog of Veith

          This post on Gene E. Veith's blog, Cranach, is quite fitting for Good Friday and meditation on the crucifixion of our Lord.  It also illustrates the historical account of Christians who worshiped the crucified Christ, as well as documenting the reality of crucifixion and its gruesome nature.  These archeological finds are from the graffiti left by those who mocked the Christian faith, unwittingly giving a testimony of the Church's Gospel: We preach Christ crucified. 

         Veith also provides some links for further reading and contemplation (full disclosure: I have not checked those out yet).  But the article linked is worth a look.

          God bless your Good Friday meditation and worship.

Roman Drawings of Crucifixions (and What They Tell Us) | Gene Veith (patheos.com)

Schroeder Vacation, Part 1 -- Western Michigan: Muskegon

The end of June took some of the Schroeder family to western Michigan for a week of vacation.  We had hoped for a longer trek, but COVID-19 restrictions and concerns kept us close to home.  And while we did not get to travel far, we did get to explore parts of the state that we had not really visited before.  Having lived in Michigan now for only 24 years, we finally got to visit something new in such places as Muskegon, Holland, and South Haven.  

Our trip could be summed up in one blog post, but photographs demand that I break this up into 3 or 4 entries.  The first entry will focus on Muskegon and, in particular, the USS Silversides Museum.  Besides touring the submarine USS Silversides, there is a WWII museum.  If you go, plan on taking a few hours to read through all the history of WWII documented there.  It focuses mainly on action in the Pacific Theater, but there is a timeline that covers everything leading up to WWII and in more detail from events from 1941-1945.  

In addition to touring the USS Silversides submarine, they also had a Coast Guard vessel to walk through.

Muskegon has more to offer, but we limited ourselves to the museum for one day.  While it was worth the visit, we found it pretty hard to find.  The signs directing us were somewhat sparse, and we often wondered if we were on the right track.  Once we failed to decipher a particular direction and took a wrong turn (we blamed an arrow which pointed neither straight nor to the left, but in between those directions, and we guessed wrong).

For the particularly adventurous, you are able to sleep overnight on the USS Silversides.  We were not that adventurous, opting for a much more comfortable night's sleep at Hoffmaster State Park.  Here are some photos.

The history of Novi -- How Novi became a city

Novi celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.  Below is a video about how Novi Township became the city of Novi in 1969.

City of Novi -- 50th Anniversary: Police and Fire Departments

Here is another video from Novi's 50th Anniversary.  This one features the history of the Novi Police Department and Fire Department.  Novi's first responders are such a blessing to the city.  We often see the Novi Police parking in our parking lot, either logging official business or taking a break.  (I have never bothered them to learn what they are actually doing.)

Enjoy the history lesson.

Things that make me go, HMMMMMMM... and the city of Novi

Novi is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the city has been putting out YouTube videos about the history of the city.  This month's installment has to do with the Novi Expo Center (now a vacant lot, but being developed for something new) and the Suburban Collection Showplace.

If you are driving into Novi from the west on I-96, you will notice a large water town with the word "Adell" on it.  It always made me go HMMMMM, wondering who or what Adell was.  The video below references (not much, but it does) Frank Adell, who was involved with the Novi Expo Center.  Mystery solved.

It also shows how Novi has grown.  Back when the Novi Expo Center had only one entry off of Novi Road, the traffic on weekends was horrendous.  It was best to avoid Novi Road and Grand River at all costs.  Traffic on Novi Road is a lot happier on weekends now that they have two different directions of entry into the Suburban Collection Showplace.

You can watch the video about the Novi Expo Center and the Suburban Collection Showplace here.

History of Novi -- Parks & Recreation

For the 50th anniversary of the city of Novi, a number of videos have been put together. 


Here is a neat one on the Novi Parks & Recreation history.


Enjoy!

Traveling with the Schroeders -- Summer 2019

We have tried to make the most of the summer with varying degrees of success.  I don't know if the rest of the family feels this way, but I am always more eager to do more than is probably realistic.  Nevertheless, we have managed to enjoy some camping, beach time, and other touristy activities.  Here are a few photos from our summer activities.

Greenfield Village, always a summer favorite

Peter at Mission Point Lighthouse with his cousins, Abby & AJ.

They are exactly half way between the North Pole and the Equator.

Laura enjoys some wine tasting with her brother, David.

Traverse City State Park

Swimming at Island Lake Recreational Area