Purse Gravity

I’m ready to take the dog for walk so I go to grab my keys. They are somewhere in my purse. I know they are . I stick my hand in and start rummaging. 

I can feel my wallet, find my cell phone, work my way past about a dozen Kleenex (sinus infection!), stumble on a chap stick, some loose change…but where are the keys?? Keep in mind that I have a nice big key chain holding about five keys – so it should be easy to find. Frustration growing and Fenway looking at me with expectation in his eyes, I dump everything on the kitchen counter – and of course the keys fall out – they were way at the bottom. 

Why is it that no matter what I am trying to find in my purse it’s always at the bottom? No matter what kind of purse I buy, no matter how many specialty pockets it has – everything ends up jumbled together and whatever I want is at the bottom!

I’ve tried lots of different purses over the years and this same problem crops up every time. I start out determined to always keep my keys in one pocket, always put my cell phone in another specific pocket but my plan never works. 

In the scheme of things this is really not a big deal – so why do I let it bother me so?

Ah well – purse gravity strikes again. 

…..Still Looking Up

And then again this evening……over the lake and toward the north. Never-ending beauty.

Look Up…..

Yesterday I drove around town to run a few errands. Had NPR playing in the background. Wasn't listening too carefully, but heard a doctor being interviewed about "new" physical ailments. There is now some kind of "text neck" that people develop because they walk around so much looking down at their phones and sending texts.

This morning I got up, walked Fenway, made coffee and went out to the deck with my book. Went back inside for my camera.

Never opened the book - just looked up! The sky was "screaming"…."Look at ME!" Beautiful clouds slowly moving east and out over the lake. Sunbeams streaming down and the tops of the clouds crusted with light. It was absolutely beautiful. My little camera didn't do it justice - but I had to try.

There are many days when a moment hits you and you notice your surroundings - this morning was one for me. The book never did grab me - the sky did.

Look up everyone - look up! This morning will help cure "text neck".

Early, Early Morning…..

I was having lunch awhile back at a friend's home in Bay View.  I noticed that she had a note posted on her kitchen wall with numbers. They read something like 5:12, 5:17, 5:20. I was curious so asked her what that was all about.

With a big smile she said that one of the goals she had when she retired several years ago was to always get up early enough to walk to the lakefront and watch the sunrise. This was not a goal that we held in common.

Since moving to Port Washington I've been waking up way too early. Sometimes it's 4:30 a.m., sometimes 5:00. Occasionally I am able to fall back to sleep - but mostly I seem to toss and turn while minutes tick by until I give up and get out of bed.

Once I stir that means that Fenway wakes up in his crate and I see a little black and white face looking at me - ready to get up and go for his morning walk.

Ugh. I've seen way too many 6:00 a.m. mornings along the bike path that runs next to the condo. Yes it's quiet, yes I can hear the birds, notice a breeze, look out at the lake.  Yes Fenway and I have seen deer, and rabbits and even an otter on our early morning stroll. It may be too late to see the sunrise, but it is pretty out there.

Still, I'd happily give up this early morning routine any day now. Maybe when the list of things-to-do-in-a-new-place is shorter I can sleep later.

I Needed Mustard…..

On the way home from Milwaukee today I stopped at a local grocery store. At one nearby intersection we have a Piggly Wiggly, a Pic ‘n Save, a giant Walmart and a big Walgreens with a food and alcohol section.

I parked and went into the Pic ‘n Save. It was to be a quick trip, two bananas,  some milk and a jar of mustard.

Let’s see....regular yellow mustard? Honey mustard or Dijon? Stone ground? The store brand, or Plochman’s, one with a little horseradish added? Hmmmm.....such a “difficult” decision. As I viewed the shelves, once again I realized just how fortunate I am to be able to walk into a large grocery store and have this many choices.

Then I came home and watched the evening news. Israel is granting a five hour cease fire so that families in Gaza can leave their homes and try to find food ..... bread and milk...and water.  Try to find food.  And then the Palestinians can go home again and sit through another round of rockets.

I’m not going to wander into the political here.....the history of this tragic fight. Who’s “right”, what actions are justified. The background and history of hatred and anger. The results of carving one country out of another and telling the citizens/neighbors to “get along”. This part of human history is repeated over and over - we like what you have, it used to be yours, but now it’s ours. So leave your homes, leave your land....a place where you can trace your ancestry back for centuries. Get over it - now it’s ours.

No...I won’t go there because this happens all over the world, all the time and has been happening ever since we began to trace back through historical records. The Romans, Genghis Kahn, the Sunnis and the Shiites, Boko Haram in Nigeria. Can you say American Indian reservation?

All I needed was mustard....and I could have stood there for hours and no one would have thought much about it.

Bread and milk and water to drink....five hours....find it if you can. Then get back home and try to keep your family safe.

Welcome to Town…..

We moved in on a Tuesday in July and four days later Port Washington threw a heck of a party to welcome us!

It was the 50th Port Fish Day billed as the largest one day fish fry in the world! First thing in the morning people participated in an 8K run. There were five stages with musical entertainment, tents with food and beer, more tents with food and beer. Carnival rides and entertainment for the kids, souvenirs, more tents with food and beer. There were helicopter rides, an art fair, a classic car show and a two hour parade! At nightfall the event ended with a big fireworks display.

Our little deck overlooks Veterans Park and the “Classic Rock Stage”. The first group went on at 10:30 in the morning! During the day we had a chance to hear groups such as Tangle Foot, Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Alter Boys, The Squeezettes, Road Crew and Josh Thompson.

The weather was perfect and we hear at least 60,000 people came to partake of the festivities....what fun.

So thanks to Port Washington for welcoming us in such splendid fashion.....who knew!

:-)

Always Something…..

The movers arrived this morning and worked steadily for about three hours and then they were done! Amazing how quickly the two men were able to maneuver large pieces of furniture through small door openings, around corners and out to the truck.

And then I did a last walk-through before vacuuming the carpet, wiping down the cupboards and generally trying to make the house look nice for its new owners. We've so enjoyed our little space in Bay View and I know the new owners, first time buyers, will have fun creating their own memories. So goodbye little house - take care of your new people!

Ooops - there is the "ghost" of a large cupboard in the living room. Guess Dave will have to run back tomorrow with a paintbrush.

Last Bay View Check….

This morning was our last Bay View walk to check Lake Michigan. As of 9:04 it was still there!

Fenway and I have our morning route and he knows every turn by heart. He also knows every tree and bush along the way. It's a nice walk, past Milwaukee bungalows, down a slight hill, up another…and then we see the blue/grey expanse of Lake Michigan. The sidewalk continues along the bluff and then we walk through South Shore Park for awhile.

The way home takes us past Jimmy's house (another Boston Terrier), past our friend Nancy's house, and then again up a slight hill back to Fenway's house.

Most walks are pretty "average". We may see some other dogs, an occasional cat, sometimes a rabbit….and of course lots of squirrels. Birds accompany us, flowers bloom this time of year so the gardens are nice to see. This morning we followed a dragonfly for a few minutes. Lots of other people are out walking, jogging or biking during these morning hours. And when the weather is clear you just can't beat the view of downtown Milwaukee.

But tomorrow, Two Men and a Truck comes to move our furniture up to Port Washington. Fenway and I won't be doing this particular walk anymore.

We'll find a new route and check the lake from the Port Washington section. Probably looks pretty much like the Bay View section…. without the view of the city.

I will miss this particular stroll….and so will Mr. Fenway Underfoot Woodard.

An Almost Empty Garage….

Stuff from the attic, stuff from the cupboards, stuff from the basement. Stuff we don't want or need in a condo….but stuff that others seem very happy to buy.

Never mind that a garage sale means we make about ten cents on the dollar - at least the stuff moves from our house to someone else's!

Garden and lawn tools, a coat rack, a coffee mug, many picture frames, the DVD's, the big old TV, the marine radio, the dehumidifier, a few toys, the hammock, the barbecue, the desk chair, the garden hose, the camp chairs….they all went.

When a young couple from the neighborhood bought my mom's six dining room chairs I was very happy and told them she always took such good care of her furniture. We reduced the price a bit for them and just asked that when they entertain they remember to "toast Elizabeth". They smiled and assured us that they would.

She'd be pleased…..so are we.

Proofreading

My sister Susan is an excellent writer - her career at corporate McDonald's helped her to hone her skills and she's sharp as can be when it comes to putting words to paper. My mom was an excellent "proofer" - she'd catch spelling mistakes in a nano-second but sadly she's not around any more to help me that way.

Susan once told me that the best way to proof anything you write is to start at the end and read backwards - one word at a time. That way your mind will "stop" at any mistakes. If you read your paragraph in the normal way your mind has a tendency to correct mistakes as it goes along, inserting words or letters that you "expect" to see there and therefore you can miss errors.

Hmmmmm……I guess I forgot her suggestion this morning.

New Phrases......

OK...I admit it. I watch "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" on TV. I got hooked with the first season....and now it's sort of like watching a train wreck every season. But I can't stop.

I always think that maybe this season will work out......I mean stranger things have happened! I met Dave in a beer bar near campus.....after several beers! He came up to me and asked me to dance.....and here we are 46+ years later. So watching these shows makes me think that the man or woman making the selections just might end up with a true and lasting love......probably not, but maybe!

I am usually watching on a small screen in the basement, working on a quilt. That's my excuse.....I'm busy creating and the show is just "background" noise.

But in spite of enjoying the shows I will say that if I never hear the phrases "taking it to the next level", "I'm here for the right reasons", "he/she's really hot" "I've been open and vulnerable" or "I need some alone time with him/her" it will be way too soon!

Oops.....show is over....I can go back upstairs now!

:-)

No Scratching…..Yet!

What a strange kind of summer in Milwaukee.

It's been cold, rainy, cloudy, foggy….very few warm spring or now summer-y days.  Personally I really don't mind the cooler temperatures and lower humidity and area gardens and lawns are loving the rainy days.  Yet somehow everything does seem a bit "late" in blooming and a little "off kilter".

But then again, while sitting on the patio at dusk reading my book, I realized it's July 3rd and I've yet to see a mosquito! Not a one. No buzzing, no swatting, no bites….yet.

So the slower, later summer time does offer some unexpected benefits…. at least here in Milwaukee.

Coping…..

What do you do when someone you love gets a scary diagnosis?

What do you do when this special someone was a huge part of your childhood….when she is the only person left in the family who really knows the you that used to be. She shares memories that others don't and can't and never will.

What do you do when this person, as an adult, has been on the periphery of your life (due to career, marriage, distance) but who still is a big piece of your personal puzzle. And if that piece were to go "missing" the puzzle would never be right again.

What do you do when you live too far away to give a daily hug and offer personal support as she meets the challenge.

You get angry and rail at the injustice of it all.

You think about her…..every day.

You call frequently.

You find cards to send.

You wrap up a box of kleenex and mail it as a "silly" but necessary support supply.

You email.

You text.

You try not to do too much…..but you wish you could do more.

You walk around with a lump in your throat sometimes and sometimes you weep.

You look for the positive - and if positive energy has any effect, this person's challenge will fall beneath her spirit and enthusiasm and bright outlook on life. Her life force will win.

If you are a religious person, I guess you pray - but since I'm not I send positive energy winging across the state line.

It's coming at you in a constant stream dear family member - can you feel it?

46 Divided by 15

Dave and I have been married for 46 1/2 years.

We've lived in four different apartments at points during our marriage.

We've owned nine houses from New Jersey to Wisconsin to Illinois to New Jersey to Delaware and back to Wisconsin.

We spent two years living on a sailboat.

And here we go again!

I am an expert at packing. And I am an expert at sorting things to put in a garage sale where I can earn ten cents on the dollar. And our friends have learned to use pencil when they put our names and address in their address books. Our on-going joke is that we never repaint a room….when it needs a fresh coat we just move. Most of the moves were related to job opportunities and transfers for Dave. Some were by choice.

So the adventure continues - this time it's on to our first condo! I'd say we were "downsizing"….but the  condo is actually larger than our house (at least if you don't count the fact that our darling little Milwaukee house has a full basement and walk- up attic).

The thing that puzzles me is that when we moved to Milwaukee in 2001 we came with very little (moving to an apartment from a boat means you are not bringing a whole lot of possessions with you). So how on earth did we collect SO much "stuff" since we've been here? Amazing.

I am convinced stuff breeds and multiplies during the night when you sleep. That's the only explanation.

Oh well….time to find another box.