My understanding of Probate in Michigan is that the court takes a percentage of the estate for the costs of processing the estate legally which the court would not have needed to do if there had been a will or trust. If the estate is worth less than $24,000, there is a simpler process called "probate for small estates", and they do not take as much money to cover court costs. Above $24,000, it is a lot more complicated and expenses are much more. If there is out of state property that makes it even more complicated. If this land is not in a trust or will, I don't think you can avoid probate. It is just Michigan law which is why it is so important to get folks to have a will even if it is just a very simple one. Even though you would like to clear this up quickly, unless the estate is less than $24,000 and does not include out of state property, I don't think you can avoid probate court, and in all likelihood, 2-3 year process should be expected. From what I know of Michigan Law, it is impossible to avoid probate if a person dies intestate.

I would like to say that without the robot maid from The Jetson's and the Replicator from Star Trek ALL kitchens fall short. All of them. No exceptions. Not even Gordon Ramsey's kitchen is anything better than just mildly disappointing!

Someday. It isn't the kitchen I have now. Future kitchen. Mark and I won't be retiring in this current house. We will be moving when he retires in 4 years.

I need to say that the word snack right before the word cake made my brain see "snake cakes", and all I could think is " What in the heck is reptile central doing now!" 😂😂😂

This is what I think. Do what you like. My next kitchen will be hickory cabinets on the bottom stained dark walnut, and hickory cabinets on top that are whitewashed with cream colored paint, and a few that have glass panel doors. Mark is going to make them. I want faux tin plate backsplash in white/cream. I love the grain pattern and look of hickory, but do not want the kitchen too dark thus mixing stain/paint. It probably will be seen as not in style and a ridiculous choices, but that is fine with me. I don't care about trends. Everything is so boring these days. Greige is the trend, and the houses look lifeless and monochromatic. I cannot love like that. I need color and warmth.

Everything is in. Here is a photo of the new tomato bed, and one of peppers, half the peppers. I went a little crazy. I have 4 banana peppers, 4 red chili peppers, 8 jalapeno, and 12 bell peppers. I have not yet tied the spines of the tomatoes to the cattle panel, and need to do that before we leave for Virginia Wednesday.

They were just gorgeous in our part of Michigan last night! We went up to the point on Lake Huron and stayed out for quite a while.

That stinks! For sedans, we are pretty fond of Toyota Camrys both for safety engineering as well as longevity. Well maintained, they go 300,000 miles without major repairs. My mom's sienna just turned 300,000 and is going strong. Our son's Camry at 165,000 is like it rolled off the lot yesterday in terms of mechanics. Given the way the people of Kalamazoo park - literally the most incompetent parking glut of drivers in one place that I have ever seen - the body is NOT pristine by any stretch. Would you be able to afford a moderately used one?

JP may not have pulled the trigger, but he is 100% complicit in her death, and a ticking time bomb before he kills a girlfriend. I wonder if her family can sue him for contributing to her demise since so much of this appears to be documented.

Thanks! In rocketry, "Godspeed", " Let's light this candle", and "Happy Launching" are some common phrases. Among some of us really techniques nerds, "Don't forget the RBFs!" RBFs are items that need to remain attached to the rocket until the launch window opens. So for Mark and I, we often launch our personal rockets with telemetry which means mini-flight computers that record basic data but also track and transmit the rockets location. This is because we do mostly high power rocketry and these rockets achieve anywhere from 3500 ft to 10,000. It can be easy to lose track of their trajectory standing on the ground staring up into the bright sky, and their drogue chute won't open until 1500 ft, with the main deploying at 400-500ft which means they spend a long time descending rapidly without the parachutes which are easier to spot than the rocket itself. Our avionics bay is activate by a small key which must be turned from the exterior of the rocket, and that key has a "remove before launch" tag hanging from it. We activate it before taking to the RSO desk (Range Safety Officer) to prove that our avionics is working, and then turn it off to save the battery while we wait for the field to open for loading. Once the rocket is on the stand, igniter secured, and everything looks good including the launch rod angle if we need to change that due to wind direction, then we need to turn that switch on and remove the tag. One time we forgot the RBF because we helping someone else also get their rocket onto the 1500 rail (a young teen girl who was very short and struggling to get the launch rail lowered so she could load) and walked off without the RBF. She launched with that piece of drag hanging on, and at some point, the key fell out. It was a mile high launch in a 2 square mile corn field with a stand of trees to the north. Guess who didn't find the key and had to change the avionics bay switch out? Oh boy. I just totally nerded out on everybody! 😂😂😂 🚀🚀🚀

Sounds good. What did tickets to prom cost? The schools in my county charge $50 per person. A lot of kids are starting to avoid prom, and instead, host small private parties in homes.

Agreed. Something this far off needs investigation. I know there is the 911 call, but what happened in the 24 hrs prior during which she was making plans to see family? There is still something rotten here.

Really cute!

I should be quilting, but I have had a horrible headache and allergy flare up today. So instead, I have been lazy and just puttering around while Beat Bobby Flay plays in the background. Lewis is eying me with annoyance because he wants to be outside, and I am not willing to take him walking. My head is pounding of my shoulders. Nothing I have taken for the pain has touched it. One week from today we leave for Virginia to be official staff for the American Rocketry Challenge so I really do have things I need to get done. Mark had better cook when he gets home because I am NOT going to do it, and watching Bobby Flag has made me hungry for good food! That show is dangerous.

Target is often popular. I am not sure if Williams and Sonoma still have physical stores. I haven't been into a mall in many years. Pottery Barn has one, but I don't know how many stores they have now.