'Frozen Stupid' movie filmed in Houghton Lake premiered

From the studio that brought us the film adaptation of Jeff Daniel's hit play 'Escanaba in Da Moonlight' comes a new film "Frozen Stupid." The premise of the film is that an average joe, Tony Norgard (Joey Albright; Escanaba in da Moonlight), plays hooky from work in order to spend the day ice fishing and has nothing but crummy luck all day. The movie was filmed up at Houghton Lake this past winter. They had a local premiere last Friday at the Pines Theatre in Houghton Lake, Michigan. "Frozen Stupid" is supposed to have showings at 7 and 9 pm all this week. You might want to call the theater at 989-366-9226 to make sure.

Watch a trailer for the movie here. It looks entertaining. It is already available on DVD although I am not sure where you can purchase one at.

For more info on the film visit www.brauer.com/productions.html.

Great Lakes Folk Festival is in East Lansing this weekend

What a great weekend to spend some time outside! The Great Lakes Folk Festival is in East Lansing this weekend and they could not have better weather than this. The price of admission? Free, but there will be folks passing the bucket for donations. Drop some bills in and enjoy the perfomers. The festival kicks off this evening at 6 and runs until 11 pm. Saturday, it runs from noon until 11 pm and Sunday from noon until 6 pm.

Check out the HUB from the Lansing State Journal for all of the details. There are too many to list here so be sure to read all about it at the HUB.

Giant garage sale on U.S. 12 this weekend

Beginning this Friday, August 11, and running through Sunday, August 13, you can shop at hundreds (perhaps thousands) of garage/yard sales from 9 am to 5 pm each day. I have heard of a lot of folks that make a weekend trip out of this. They start at one end of U.S. 12 as it runs across lower Michigan and start shopping. Speedier shoppers might accomplish this feat in a day, but the majority make a weekend out of it and stay at one of the many fine Bed and Breakfasts or hotels along U.S. 12.

Can you imagine if people from here in Michigan all the way to Washington state (where U.S. 12 ends) participated in this yard sale? The current holder of the "world's largest yard sale" title is the one along U.S. 127 from Kentucky to Georgia.

I'll be posting some places of interest along U.S. 12 tomorrow morning. There is more to U.S. 12 than yard sales, of course. :)

P.S. Interested in the history of U.S. 12? Check out the documentary, “From Moccasins to Main Street.”

P.P.S. Head over to www.us12heritagetrail.org for additional info.

A Festival for Lavender

The 4th annual Lavender Festival begins today, July 21, 2006, in Romeo (where for art thou, Romeo?) and runs through tomorrow. Doors open at 10 a.m. and admission is $3 for one day or $5 for a two day pass. Children 12 and under are free. For those unfamiliar with lavender, it is supposed to have a calming effect. You can dry some and hang it in you child's bedroom (my wife actually did this) or even add it to pillows. This idea sounds gross, but apparently lavender can be made into a sort of tea by adding three flower heads to a cup of boiling water for a soothing nightcap.

For the youngsters, you can dilute one part lavender oil with 10 parts water, rosewater, or witch hazel for the treatment of acne. Here is one that should have a big market in Michigan - lavender can be made into a natural insect and bug repellent. Keep away those mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, and other nuisance pests with this natural bug repellent. The website says that this was tested in the deep woods of Michigan and coastal areas of Florida.

Jennifer Vasich is the owner of Gabriel's Garden her store in Romeo and also www.allthingslavender.com on the web. She (and her home) are also the host of the 4th annual Lavender Festival. There will be various classes and 40 exhibitors selling everything from soaps to syrups. Go to the website for more information here www.michlavenderfestival.com.

Read more about lavender and Jennifer Vasich and her store at the Detroit Free Press.

Tips for Setting up a Fireworks Display

From safety to aesthetics, www.wikihow.com has all of the tips for having a safe and fun fireworks show for the 4th of July. Remember that in Michigan it is illegal to shoot off fireworks that explode, spin or leave the ground. If you want to see showers with a myriad of colors launching into the deep summer twilight you really should find a local town that is hosting a fireworks display. Leave the big time pyrotechnics to the experts and have a safe 4th. Here are a couple of my favorite tips at www.wikihow.com for fireworks displays -

• Never try to make you're own fireworks.
• Never leave fireworks inside you're pocket.
• Things you will need in addition to water and fireworks - a smart head

To search for a fireworks display in your neck of the woods in Michigan check out www.MichiganFireworks.com. I was really impressed with the extent of the listings they had. You can search by Date and City or you can manually view the 461 listings they currently have available. Meg Geddes is the gal behind the website and devoted a ton of time to put these excellent listings together.

Belleville National Strawberry Festival is This Weekend

If you haven't any plans for the weekend (besides visiting dad) you might want to head on over to Belleville and take part in the National Strawberry Festival. The festival stretches over three days, June 16-18, with the midway kicking things off early on Thursday, June 15. There will be a parade, music, arts & crafts, rides, and of course - strawberries. Belleville takes great pride in hosting the National Strawberry Festival in this their 30th year. There are too many events and activities going on to list here.

For more information check out their website at www.nationalstrawberryfest.com.

Get directions to Belleville via Google Maps.