Ryan and Elise Calder (second and third from left) were married in Princeton, New Jersey, last October, at the home of Ryan's father, my brother Kent. Elise's family, who live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, hosted a party celebrating Ryan's and Elise's marriage on the weekend of July 20, 2018. Ryan and Elise invited Dave and me, and we had a delightful time. We stayed two nights at the La Rose Retreat near Baraga, Michigan, and attended a wedding party there that was a family reunion, with Elise's many aunts, uncles, and cousins attending from as far away as Ohio and Tennessee. Best of all, though, was having lots of time to talk with Kent and his whole family--Kent's wife, Toshiko; Ryan and Elise; and Kent's daughter Mari, with her husband, John Montague, and their two little boys, Cornelius and Francis. Kent's family will have two more members this fall, when Mari and Elise have their baby daughters.
Elise and her mother, Deb, showed us the lush grounds of La Rose. A large, grassy expanse leads down to the rocky shores of Lake Superior. Elise grew up nearby, on the Keweenaw Peninsula, which is the only county in the United States where more than 50% of the residents have Finnish heritage. Elise and her family are from Finland. They told us how the people in their neighborhood still love their saunas and other Finnish traditions. Elise's relatives include many handsome and beautiful blonds.
We talked long into the night, after the whole family arrived on Friday. Deb served us a supper of "pasties", the hand pies brought to the area by miners from Cornwall, England. Ryan said that there is a definite division of opinion as to whether a pastie should be served with ketchup or gravy. Elise's family are ketchup-favorers, and Ryan doesn't dare assert that he prefers gravy! Cornelius and Francis danced for us, as Kent flipped on and off the lights to create a disco effect. For a finale, we all sang "The Star-Spangled Banner."
On Saturday, as Ryan and Elise finished preparations for the party, Toshiko joined Dave and me for a mine tour. The Keweenaw Peninsula is known as "Copper Country" because, beginning in the 1840's, it supplied much of the copper for the US's industrial revolution. The mines have closed now, since it is cheaper to mine copper in open pits than deep in the ground. The Quincy Mine is still open for visitors, and we went inside it.
The building housing the mine shafts sits on a hill near Lake Superior.
The wildflowers were large and bright-colored, flourishing in the long days this far north.
We donned hard hats to descend into the mine.
A docent showed us how the equipment worked that took the miners 1000 feet or more into the earth.
We saw the huge crane that lifted miners and ore out of the mine.
We rode on a narrow gauge railroad car to the modern-day mine opening.
Copper ore creates spots of green in the dark brown rocks.
Tom, our guide, spoke with passion and expertise about the 100-year history of the mine, including the equipment and techniques that the miners used.
When we returned to La Rose, the party had begun. We ate appetizers by the pool, as little kids floated by on rafts, and we then had great barbecue under a white tent on the front lawn. "Fitzgerald's," a restaurant up the Peninsula, delivered fine smoked pork.
Elise's uncle then laid out the bean bags, took $1 bets, and divided us into teams. The bean bag tournament was underway!
It was almost as much fun to watch as to participate. Actually, more fun to watch, for people like me who couldn't hit the hole with the bean bags even once.
Elise's father, Richard, was a serious contender. He was my partner, and we won the first round on the strength of Richard's skills.
Kent and I competed on separate teams. Kent was a good player, making a number of points.
I threw the bean bags sideways and straight up in the air. I definitely need to practice before revealing my bean bag skills in public again. David suprised all of us by being a star bean bag thrower! Ryan said he heard Elise's relatives murmuring about what a good bean bag thrower Ryan's uncle was.
Ryan is a great organizer and also a charming host. He wandered among the guests, making sure everyone had a drink and someone to talk with, and he took pictures of the party. Cornelius and Francis ran about on the vast lawn, under the careful eye of their father, John.
Mari mentioned how glad her family is that Ryan married Elise. In addition to being bright and interesting, with her own Ph.D in sociology from Berkeley to match Ryan's, Elise is also thoughtful and kind.
With a baby due in October, Mari wasn't up to chasing little kids. John had the job under control. John and Mari both have law degrees from Berkeley, and John works for a large Washington, D.C. firm as a tax lawyer.
I could tell how smart Cornelius was when I first met him, as a two-year-old. He touched a bead on my necklace and told me it was a sphere! After quickly sizing up my age, gender, and evident close relationship to his family, he called me, "Grandma." Cornelius is very creative, putting on presentations for his family. He also knows all about history, and regularly visits the Smithsonian museums, which are within walking distance from John and Mari's home in Washington, D.C.
Francis is adorable, full of fun and mischief. He made a collection of sticks as the adults tossed their bean bags, and he had no remorse about flipping Cornelius out of a comfortable hammock. What's that in his hands?
Kent and Toshiko obviously adore their grandchildren, and are adored in return.
What could be more fun than a weekend party with family and friends on the shores of Lake Superior?
