Up North

It’s 10 pm and I just realized I left the kids pajamas in a suitcase in an outside compartment of the camper.   It’s our first full day in AZ and I’m exhausted, so I say, “We’re sleeping in our underwear.”  The boys are fine with that decision and we squirm into our sleeping bags and are asleep in minutes.

Later that night, I wake up to someone sleeping under my legs.  I move my legs out from under whoever it is and go back to sleep.  20 minutes later, I feel more bones bumping under my bones—he’s pushing his way under my sleeping bag again!  I reach down and I feel the cold bare back of my 4 year old.  He’s lost his sleeping bag and freezing and trying to use mine.  I reach down to grab him and bump my head on the ceiling (not much headroom in that bed above the driver seat). I dig him out from under my legs and pull him into line and put a sleeping bag over him.

As I let myself fall back to sleep, my shoulder is really aching.  And for the first time I realize that this bed is hard—really hard-- like a freaking board hard.  I feel where the boys are sleeping and it is soft.  My section is like a rock covered in carpet.  I reach to see what the other side is like and it is soft.  I put it in upside down!  Too tired and cold to deal with it now, I go back to sleep.

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All the way to the KOA, Colebrook was upset that I didn’t let him go shopping. Nana gave him $20 at a store in TC to buy something for the trip, but he could not find anything, so he decided to save it for AZ.  Since we landed, he hasn’t talked about anything else.

I do my best to get him to forget about it.  But he’s pouting as we arrive at the campground.  I see every kind of cacti in the yard around the campground entrance and remember Colebrook’s been asking to see a cactus since we landed as well.  I talk up the cacti to get CB to forget about his $20.  It didn’t work.  He stayed in the camper sulking.

Hawthorn and I leave the camper and go check in.  As I talked to the cashier, H disappears.  Then, a few minutes later loudly comes into the little store scratching at his fingers. “Ouch, Ouch Ouch.” All that talking up Cacti sure peaked someone’s interest!  As I am pulling needles out of Hawthorn, I say to Colebrook, “There is a 24 hour megastore just down the road.  After we go swimming, and cook dinner and get the camper set up; it will be late, but if you still want to get something we can?” Swimming was great.  The kids were happy and splashing as I watched from the hot tub.  Then they were playing jump games in the hot tub as I watched them from the pool.  I really needed a break from them.

We finish dinner.  It is 8.  Colebrook is looking at me.  “Ok, Colebrook, do you want to go?”  And so we did.  And we stared at the same Lego sets in Apache Junction that he couldn’t decide on in Traverse City two days previous.

Here are some emails we received when we asked if Cherry Republic had any role in making good memories for 2012:

Bob - Your wonderful newsletters full of the touching stories about how you are raising your boys to be such lovers of life, nature and family.

Supplying rehearsal lunch guests at my son's wedding in August with jars of your cherry jam.

Your main store staff, particularly Cindy! They sifted through a mountain of receipts to determine that I was the customer who had left a bag behind on a busy Columbus Day weekend, found a phone number for me and then mailed the contents to me when we ran out of time to drive back.

Watching you move the huge boulder from one end of the garden to the other with help from the boys while I rested on the steps, leading to the above left behind bag...

The sad memory of watching many bottles of wine purchased at your Traverse City store crash to the gravel in the Interlochen parking lot because SOMEONE didn't brace them well enough.

Worrying about all the cherry dependent businesses in a state that has been so hard hit by the economic downturn.

Happiness that quick thinking and reaching half way around the world for cherries kept your business going!

Enjoying my last dark chocolate covered cherries while I baked piles of Christmas cookies.

Dreaming of ordering more once I work off said cookies, and sending some to my son (Interlochen Arts Academy '07) who leaves for the Army next week.

Thanks for the Michigan memories!

Ruth S.
Arlington Heights, IL

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We made our first trip to Glen Arbor, Sleeping Bear Dunes and Cherry Republic! Best trip ever !

Elizabeth W.

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Hello Cherry Republic!

Dave and I were on a two week vacation in Michigan, September 2012. One of our favorite memories of 2012, was visiting Bob Sutherland and his family in Glen Arbor. Bob treated Dave and I to a wonderful bike ride (family bikes provided by Bob!) on the new TART bike trail section in Glen Arbor. We biked with Bob, Colebrook and Hawthorn for quite a way around beautiful areas of Glen Arbor. It sure was a lot of fun! We also enjoyed a delicious dinner cooked by Bob, along with his mother and sons. It was also very special to have lunch with Bob at the Glen Arbor Cherry Republic the next day. Our trip to Glen Arbor visiting Bob, his family and the Cherry Republic made 2012 a very memorable year!

Have a very happy new year and hope to see you again!

Sincerely,
Carol D.
Pacific Grove, California

(Carol was the winning bidder in one of our auctions that benefitted the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail)

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Dear Cherry Republic,

My wife is a travel nurse, I'm a retired veterinarian/ house-husband. On our most recent assignment in Fairhaven, Massachusetts our landlady was nice enough to
put us up in her home during hurricane Sandy as our rental on Buzzards Bay was at risk. In appreciation of her hospitality we had you send her a nice mix of Cherry Republic goodies.
About a week later we again were invited to her husband's and her home. On their coffee table were the remains of our gift, not much left. They truly enjoyed the treat from C.R.
We often use you for just such gifts of appreciation, from Massachusetts to California.
Thanks for the great products,
Ken and Karen E. - Interlochen

If you'd like to share a Cherry Republic memory, please email molly@cherryrepublic.com!