One day closer to mid-term election. Radio and TV ads continue. Each side presents the most negative, out of context comments and least flattering photographs of their opponents. We voters "wade" through the onslaught.
But driving yesterday, while listening to NPR, it occurred to me that I am lucky. Listening to the news stories about many countries where people aren't allowed to voice an opinion never mind cast a vote. Where people are imprisoned, or worse, for any dissent.
I have the choice to turn off the TV, change channels on the radio or slip in my favorite CD. I don't have to listen to the talking heads.
But I can vote. I have confidence that I can (or already did) walk into my polling place, cast my vote with no one looking over my shoulder or turning me away at the door. I won't go to jail because I voted for or against an incumbent. I have a choice of candidates.
I am lucky to live where I do.
So I guess I can put up with the noise…..for a few more days.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Stop the Noise Already…..
It's mid-term election time in Wisconsin.
Aren't we lucky.
We have the incumbent Governor who breaks his promises, favors special interest groups, takes money away from education etc. etc.
And his opponent plagiarizes her speeches and programs, is too liberal, a "total waste"….etc. etc. etc.
And we apparently have two individuals running for state attorney general who have both favored child molesters and released them back into the community.
Aren't we lucky….once again we've apparently attracted the best of the best to run for public office.
I can't wait til Tuesday - that's why I voted early.
Stop the noise.
Aren't we lucky.
We have the incumbent Governor who breaks his promises, favors special interest groups, takes money away from education etc. etc.
And his opponent plagiarizes her speeches and programs, is too liberal, a "total waste"….etc. etc. etc.
And we apparently have two individuals running for state attorney general who have both favored child molesters and released them back into the community.
Aren't we lucky….once again we've apparently attracted the best of the best to run for public office.
I can't wait til Tuesday - that's why I voted early.
Stop the noise.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Not Your Grandmother's Quilt Show…..
Last weekend I helped at the Wandering Foot Quilt Guild's show in Oak Creek. The guild hangs a show every-other-year to showcase the amazing work members create! And it never disappoints! Color, pattern, creativity fill the room. And believe me - the room starts out very beige and frankly boring.
Within a matter of hours many busy hands gather together and hang the quilts - large and small. Modern and traditional, hand quilted and machine stitched. There is something for anyone who loves quilts - or frankly who loves art. Quilting is another medium that lets your creativity flow…and half the fun is seeing some new method, or color combination or a pattern that, as a quilter, you just have to run home and try!
And each show features some kind of "challenge quilt" - this year members were invited to go wild and decorate a woman's "undergarment". There was a small entry fee and the proceeds were contributed to the fight against breast cancer. As you will see - imagination ruled!
So congrats to all my friends at Wandering Foot - great job! I look forward to the next one!
Within a matter of hours many busy hands gather together and hang the quilts - large and small. Modern and traditional, hand quilted and machine stitched. There is something for anyone who loves quilts - or frankly who loves art. Quilting is another medium that lets your creativity flow…and half the fun is seeing some new method, or color combination or a pattern that, as a quilter, you just have to run home and try!
And each show features some kind of "challenge quilt" - this year members were invited to go wild and decorate a woman's "undergarment". There was a small entry fee and the proceeds were contributed to the fight against breast cancer. As you will see - imagination ruled!
So congrats to all my friends at Wandering Foot - great job! I look forward to the next one!
Monday, October 27, 2014
Invasion……
We flip the calendar in a few days and it will be NOVEMBER. It's getting cooler. Most of the leaves are on the ground and color is fading in the ones remaining on the trees. We have had a run of warmer days, but you can tell that fall weather is just around the corner. Time to unpack the sweaters and find gloves.
One remnant of the season is now landing on our little deck….and making it's way into the condo. Over the summer we had "invasions" of spiders with webs forming everywhere. We had a few weeks in September when we sat, fascinated, and watched huge dragonflies zipping back and forth through the air. And now it's ladybugs…..they are slowly crawling everywhere. Up the wall outside, on the base of our wind vane….on the windows and in on the carpet. Kind of cute and they don't seem to do any harm, although I'm not sure if these are the good kind of red lady bugs from my childhood or the more problematic ones that might "bite"??
Over the years we've lived in some old houses….and fall always meant that critters were trying to join us to avoid winter. There were the mice and shrews at the farmhouse in Nashotah, the bats in the house in Freeport. the wolf spider in New Jersey and the possum in the house in New Castle, Delaware.
I guess if I have to shoo anything out this fall….I choose ladybugs.
One remnant of the season is now landing on our little deck….and making it's way into the condo. Over the summer we had "invasions" of spiders with webs forming everywhere. We had a few weeks in September when we sat, fascinated, and watched huge dragonflies zipping back and forth through the air. And now it's ladybugs…..they are slowly crawling everywhere. Up the wall outside, on the base of our wind vane….on the windows and in on the carpet. Kind of cute and they don't seem to do any harm, although I'm not sure if these are the good kind of red lady bugs from my childhood or the more problematic ones that might "bite"??
Over the years we've lived in some old houses….and fall always meant that critters were trying to join us to avoid winter. There were the mice and shrews at the farmhouse in Nashotah, the bats in the house in Freeport. the wolf spider in New Jersey and the possum in the house in New Castle, Delaware.
I guess if I have to shoo anything out this fall….I choose ladybugs.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Fury……
Dave and I just got home from the movie. We went to see "Fury" with Brad Pitt. Dave's choice this time - no romantic comedy, a hard-hitting, in your face WWII movie. Set in April 1945, toward the end of the war in Europe, it shows one tank crew's battle against the Germans on German soil. The story unfolds in a short period of time from a very personal perspective.
I can't say how accurate it was….but it was very difficult to watch. It was believable, thought provoking and so, so sad. My Dad and his brother were in the Navy during WWII. Dad was on one of the first ships to dock near Hiroshima after we dropped the bomb. He never talked about his experiences. My uncle flew from an aircraft carrier and I seem to remember that he was shot down….but he made it back home. Dave's father was an officer in the Army and fought during the Battle of the Bulge. I never met him because he died when Dave was only 16, but I'm not sure that he shared many war "stories" with his family either.
I've always thought, that if there is such a thing as a necessary war……WWII was the one. How could the US and its Allies turn their backs on what was happening in Germany and on Hitler's drive for expansion? It took us a long time to get into that war….but it seems, when we went, we sent the best of our troops and they gave their all to help end the conflict.
To me the WWII issues have always been pretty "black and white"….understandable even though I am not a student of history. But now we seem to live in much more of a "grey" world - a world with many small and large conflicts going on at the same time. And going on….and going on.
Watching "Fury" made me think.
I can't say how accurate it was….but it was very difficult to watch. It was believable, thought provoking and so, so sad. My Dad and his brother were in the Navy during WWII. Dad was on one of the first ships to dock near Hiroshima after we dropped the bomb. He never talked about his experiences. My uncle flew from an aircraft carrier and I seem to remember that he was shot down….but he made it back home. Dave's father was an officer in the Army and fought during the Battle of the Bulge. I never met him because he died when Dave was only 16, but I'm not sure that he shared many war "stories" with his family either.
I've always thought, that if there is such a thing as a necessary war……WWII was the one. How could the US and its Allies turn their backs on what was happening in Germany and on Hitler's drive for expansion? It took us a long time to get into that war….but it seems, when we went, we sent the best of our troops and they gave their all to help end the conflict.
To me the WWII issues have always been pretty "black and white"….understandable even though I am not a student of history. But now we seem to live in much more of a "grey" world - a world with many small and large conflicts going on at the same time. And going on….and going on.
Watching "Fury" made me think.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Some Time + Some Creativity = Love and Comfort
I've been quilting for about 35 years.
Wherever we've lived I joined a quilt guild. Finding a guild meant I would find others interested in doing things I love to do while sharing ideas and techniques. It also gave me the opportunity to hear some award-winning quilters who attended our guild meetings for lectures, demonstrations and classes. Friends from my Oak Creek guild joined me on my first trip to the huge quilt show in Paducah a few years ago. Quilters are the friendliest of people….sorry - I know I'm a bit prejudiced in this opinion!
Every guild chooses some kind of community or charity effort and members of The North Shore Quilters Guild make colorful quilts for babies at area hospitals. The quilts go to the neonatal intensive care units to provide color and warmth for the littlest of babies. The small quilts actually partially "drape" over the incubators to help control the amount of light that reaches the baby….but they are also small enough to allow medical staff and parents to reach inside to care for the little ones.
Every year we have a two day work-shop where we crank out the quilts. This year we completed about 125 quilts! Members also make quilts during the year and turn them in at the monthly meetings, but this two day event is a group effort. The room fills with the hum of sewing machines, conversations, laughter….and happy work.
When you walk across the room with a finished quilt and add it to the growing pile you get to ring a bell and everyone claps. The pile grows throughout the day.
Over the years the guild has been able to deliver more than one thousand quilts. And they are much appreciated.
How much love and comfort does this small quilt really provide? Maybe just enough for the baby in the incubator and the loving family standing by…..one more day spent in the NICU….one day closer to going home.
Wherever we've lived I joined a quilt guild. Finding a guild meant I would find others interested in doing things I love to do while sharing ideas and techniques. It also gave me the opportunity to hear some award-winning quilters who attended our guild meetings for lectures, demonstrations and classes. Friends from my Oak Creek guild joined me on my first trip to the huge quilt show in Paducah a few years ago. Quilters are the friendliest of people….sorry - I know I'm a bit prejudiced in this opinion!
Every guild chooses some kind of community or charity effort and members of The North Shore Quilters Guild make colorful quilts for babies at area hospitals. The quilts go to the neonatal intensive care units to provide color and warmth for the littlest of babies. The small quilts actually partially "drape" over the incubators to help control the amount of light that reaches the baby….but they are also small enough to allow medical staff and parents to reach inside to care for the little ones.
Every year we have a two day work-shop where we crank out the quilts. This year we completed about 125 quilts! Members also make quilts during the year and turn them in at the monthly meetings, but this two day event is a group effort. The room fills with the hum of sewing machines, conversations, laughter….and happy work.
When you walk across the room with a finished quilt and add it to the growing pile you get to ring a bell and everyone claps. The pile grows throughout the day.
Over the years the guild has been able to deliver more than one thousand quilts. And they are much appreciated.
How much love and comfort does this small quilt really provide? Maybe just enough for the baby in the incubator and the loving family standing by…..one more day spent in the NICU….one day closer to going home.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
And Her Name Was Debby......
I met Debby when I worked for VITAS Hospice in Milwaukee. She came to a volunteer orientation completing the classes in order to visit our patients. And she wanted to bring her dog, the golden retriever, Hairy.
Once she finished the class portion of our training she brought Hairy to the office. I needed to see how he reacted to strangers and if he was friendly. Hairy was about two years old and was he ever friendly. In spite of going to dog-training classes, Hairy was very, very "bouncy". Friendly but bouncy.....perhaps too bouncy to visit with hospice patients requesting a Paw Pal visit. But after seeing him greet our administrative staff we took him to our inpatient unit for part two of his test. How would he react to the equipment and new sensory challenges present in a hospice setting?
Before we walked through the door, a family came out of the unit. A little girl, about eight years old and with tears in her eyes saw Hairy...ran up, dropped to her knees and hugged Hairy around the neck. He sat quietly......and loved and comforted her. His bounce disappeared. Inside the unit we visited with the staff and they all loved Hairy......including a patient sitting in a wheel chair near the desk. Instead of pulling on his leash and jumping.....Hairy walked over slowly, sat down, put his head in the man's lap and let this smiling patient pet his head. It seemed Hairy was a natural hospice volunteer.
And so was Debby. For the next few years Hairy and Debby brightened the day for families, patients and staff. He was a furry bundle of calm love and he made a difference. Debby, holding his leash, was somehow "secondary"....but she was a wonderful, kind, smiling and loving hospice volunteer.
And then I got a phone call....an aneurysm burst in Debby's brain and she was at the ICU. The doctors did all they could. But after several surgeries the decision was made to take Debby off life support.
Before doing so, her husband asked if Hairy could come. So yes, Hairy came for one last visit. Her husband told me later, that when Hairy got up on Debby's bed and lay down right next to her....all of the monitors that had been so "quiet" for hours reacted.
Heart strings stretching from Hairy to his beloved mistress, Debby. She knew he was there.
And so Debby died. In her mid 50's. She was way too young and I still miss her. I have a picture of her on my refrigerator. She is smiling, hands on hips, blue jeans and a white t-shirt with a red shirt tied around her waist. She and her husband had been hiking in California the year before she died. Her picture reminds me to enjoy the day, to think of others, to love your family, to love your pets…..to give back to your community. Debby smiles at me from my refrigerator.
I still think of her, really... every day. I still miss her.....and yet she was "just" someone I met through work. A volunteer. But she was so much more.
Once she finished the class portion of our training she brought Hairy to the office. I needed to see how he reacted to strangers and if he was friendly. Hairy was about two years old and was he ever friendly. In spite of going to dog-training classes, Hairy was very, very "bouncy". Friendly but bouncy.....perhaps too bouncy to visit with hospice patients requesting a Paw Pal visit. But after seeing him greet our administrative staff we took him to our inpatient unit for part two of his test. How would he react to the equipment and new sensory challenges present in a hospice setting?
Before we walked through the door, a family came out of the unit. A little girl, about eight years old and with tears in her eyes saw Hairy...ran up, dropped to her knees and hugged Hairy around the neck. He sat quietly......and loved and comforted her. His bounce disappeared. Inside the unit we visited with the staff and they all loved Hairy......including a patient sitting in a wheel chair near the desk. Instead of pulling on his leash and jumping.....Hairy walked over slowly, sat down, put his head in the man's lap and let this smiling patient pet his head. It seemed Hairy was a natural hospice volunteer.
And so was Debby. For the next few years Hairy and Debby brightened the day for families, patients and staff. He was a furry bundle of calm love and he made a difference. Debby, holding his leash, was somehow "secondary"....but she was a wonderful, kind, smiling and loving hospice volunteer.
And then I got a phone call....an aneurysm burst in Debby's brain and she was at the ICU. The doctors did all they could. But after several surgeries the decision was made to take Debby off life support.
Before doing so, her husband asked if Hairy could come. So yes, Hairy came for one last visit. Her husband told me later, that when Hairy got up on Debby's bed and lay down right next to her....all of the monitors that had been so "quiet" for hours reacted.
Heart strings stretching from Hairy to his beloved mistress, Debby. She knew he was there.
And so Debby died. In her mid 50's. She was way too young and I still miss her. I have a picture of her on my refrigerator. She is smiling, hands on hips, blue jeans and a white t-shirt with a red shirt tied around her waist. She and her husband had been hiking in California the year before she died. Her picture reminds me to enjoy the day, to think of others, to love your family, to love your pets…..to give back to your community. Debby smiles at me from my refrigerator.
I still think of her, really... every day. I still miss her.....and yet she was "just" someone I met through work. A volunteer. But she was so much more.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Finding the Most Comfortable Spot…..
Fenway seemed to have a "mission" on this last RV trip. He seemed to be comparing places to "relax". Every stop meant a new opportunity to find the most comfy place to settle in….
On my lap -
The fancy chair in Lynn and Dave's living room -
Marcia's chair with a good book -
The queen size bed in a motel room -
Almost 100% covered in the back of the RV -
Or one of the chairs at Denise and Tom's - inside …
Or maybe, actually, cocktail time was the favorite - it's the piece of cracker or small amount of cheese that seem to "fall" off the picnic table. Worth waiting for!
The verdict is still out. Maybe he'll just start all over on the next adventure. Nice to be able to enjoy a trip from whatever viewpoint strikes your fancy! :-)
On my lap -
The fancy chair in Lynn and Dave's living room -
Marcia's chair with a good book -
The queen size bed in a motel room -
Almost 100% covered in the back of the RV -
Or one of the chairs at Denise and Tom's - inside …
---or out on the deck.
Or maybe, actually, cocktail time was the favorite - it's the piece of cracker or small amount of cheese that seem to "fall" off the picnic table. Worth waiting for!
The verdict is still out. Maybe he'll just start all over on the next adventure. Nice to be able to enjoy a trip from whatever viewpoint strikes your fancy! :-)
Monday, October 13, 2014
6546 miles, 32 Days, 31 Nights…..the Best Part..
We just finished unpacking the RV. About four weeks on the road exploring fall color in New England and up into Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. It was a lovely trip - but we covered a lot of territory and are now ready to stay at home for a bit.
The best part? The beautiful scenes? The rugged coast? The fall colors? No. Those were all terrific, but the best parts were found at my sister's near Chicago -
And with my best friend from third grade in Indiana -
With our good friends and fun traveling buddies in New Hampshire -
With Dave's brother and family in New Hampshire -
With my freshman college roomie and her husband in Cape Cod -
And time spent on the Chesapeake Bay with our good sailing friends in Maryland -
And then full circle back to stay with our same friends in Indiana and family in Chicago.
The travel was a lovely life-experience. But the friends and family who warmly greeted us along the way. That was the best part!
The best part? The beautiful scenes? The rugged coast? The fall colors? No. Those were all terrific, but the best parts were found at my sister's near Chicago -
And with my best friend from third grade in Indiana -
With our good friends and fun traveling buddies in New Hampshire -
With Dave's brother and family in New Hampshire -
With my freshman college roomie and her husband in Cape Cod -
And time spent on the Chesapeake Bay with our good sailing friends in Maryland -
And then full circle back to stay with our same friends in Indiana and family in Chicago.
The travel was a lovely life-experience. But the friends and family who warmly greeted us along the way. That was the best part!
If Shoe Leather Could Talk…..
I bought the pair on the right in 2006 in preparation for our first trip to Europe. Friends invited us to go with them to London and Paris. What a wonderful first trip across the "Pond"! We walked, and walked and walked.
My shoes went in the suitcase for trips to Ireland and back to France. They covered my feet on countless walks with Fenway. They were on five on RV trips covering western states and southern states and southwest states. They just finished tromping across sections of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in Canada. Then they covered my feet for strolls as we stopped to visit family and friends in New England and down to Maryland.
At the start of this most recent excellent adventure I realized the shoes were pretty warn. The inside lining was worn and tearing in spots and the heels were wearing thin on the outside edges. Time for a new pair.
But here's to my shoes - thanks to them for supporting me on wooded trails, providing comfort on pavement and cobblestone! A good pair of walking shoes - if only shoe leather could talk.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Looking Back….
There are all kinds of reminders in today's world about living in the moment, trying not to spend time worrying about tomorrow and never harboring regrets about what happened yesterday.
I try to remember some of these "rules" as I go from day-to-day....but sometimes looking backwards is worth it.
Next time you go for a drive if you have even a moment when you can safely"look backward"....check out the side rear view mirror. The view behind can be SO worth it!
I try to remember some of these "rules" as I go from day-to-day....but sometimes looking backwards is worth it.
Next time you go for a drive if you have even a moment when you can safely"look backward"....check out the side rear view mirror. The view behind can be SO worth it!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Back in the USA....
We crossed back into the States two days ago. If we had any question about actually BEING back they were answered our first night at the campsite in Maine. We turned on our little television at 8:00 p.m. and turned it off at 10:00.
Three personal injury attorneys offering their services. Ads for Eliquis, Cialis, Linzess, Xeljanz, Latuda and Jublia. Imagine the long list of possible side effects and warnings! And November elections are coming.....apparently. Here we are about a month out and candidates and support groups are slinging mud all over the place.
Lawyers, six drugs and political ads.....in just two hours.
We are baaaaaaaaack!
Three personal injury attorneys offering their services. Ads for Eliquis, Cialis, Linzess, Xeljanz, Latuda and Jublia. Imagine the long list of possible side effects and warnings! And November elections are coming.....apparently. Here we are about a month out and candidates and support groups are slinging mud all over the place.
Lawyers, six drugs and political ads.....in just two hours.
We are baaaaaaaaack!
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