Fun at Camp Glendale......

We are very fortunate. We love to travel and we get to take off and explore several times each year. Sometimes it's in our small RV and Mr. Fenway gets to go along with. He loves being Camper Boy because it means he can sleep with us. But then again, sometimes we plan a trip that includes a flight or a location where bringing our dog would be problematic if not impossible. So then he can stay at our daughter's house where he can play with cousin Sadie and hide all of her toys.

If that doesn't work, he gets to go to "Camp Glendale". As I said, we are fortunate....and having good friends who love to have Fenway come to visit is part of that good fortune. Our friends have three big dogs of their own, but our littler guy fits right in. And he loves it. A big fenced in yard. New toys. Three friends to chase or nap with. It's dog heaven. He's even had the chance to jump into Evan and Sam's big RV and go off to dog shows (as a viewer, not a participant).

Of course camp can have it's downside. Once he got to go boating on the Milwaukee River and promptly fell overboard.....he can swim! And sometimes our friends dress him with silly hats (hard for such a sophisticated gentleman).

But we love to have him spend time at camp because he comes home so tired that he sleeps for days. And, at this point, after so many years of never having to go to a kennel, he is spoiled by all the attention he enjoys at camp. (He often gets a "Spa Day" that includes, bath, toenail trimming and tooth brushing!)

So this is Fenway's "toast" to Camp Glendale. The best place for a dog to stay....if he can't go along on an adventure.

Worst Weather Ever.....

It's been a very strange December. Much warmer than normal.....several days in the 50's. Needless to say we did not have a white Christmas. On the one hand this is sort of disappointing for us hardy Wisconsinites - it's difficult to feel "holiday-ish" when it's this warm and everything outside is still green, or brown, or grey. On the other hand, it made our trips to West Bend and then down to Chicago much easier than driving on slippery roads.

Then came the 28th. In one day I think Mother Nature made up for the month.  We've had high winds blowing snow, sleet and freezing rain. Roads and highways are closed down, car accidents everywhere.....warnings on TV telling people to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. We've been in the condo all day listening to the wind howl around our windows. Dave skipped playing pool at the senior center and refused to go to the grocery store. I'm glad we live on the west side of the building because I can't help but think that the heaters for the units on the east side are working overtime.

Fenway did get out early this morning before all this awfulness started....and one quick pee since then. His eyeballs are starting to turn yellow, but there is NO way he will even come close to use for his leash, never mind get in the elevator and go down to go outside. It could be a long night.

I've been busy working on a quilt top and reading a book. Now time to fix dinner....and settle in for the night. I'm hoping it's a little better tomorrow. It will be our 48th anniversary and we have dinner reservations at a very nice restaurant.

But if this continues, it's scrambled eggs by candlelight.

Favorite Quotes.....

For years I've been keeping an on-going word document....a list of favorite quotes. Usually it is a sentence I run across while reading a book or even the lyrics from a country song. I opened an email this morning and found an interview with Cheryl Strayed and added another to my growing list.

She said, "Most things will be okay eventually, but not everything will be. Sometimes you'll put up a good fight and lose. Sometimes you'll hold on really hard and realize there is no choice but to let go. Acceptance is a small, quiet room." I know why this quote meant something special to me today....and it prompted me to go back to my list and find a few others.

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."- Albert Einstein

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple, the philosophy is kindness." - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

"I have survived so much loss, as all of us have in our fourties. My parents, my dear friends, my pets. Rubble is the ground on which our deepest friendships are built......the bad news is that you will never completely get over the loss of that beloved person. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn't seal back up. And you come through. It's like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly - that still hurts when the weather is cold - but you learn to dance with the limp. You dance to the absurdities of life; you dance to the minuet of old friendships." - Anne Lamont

"Cause love only comes
Once in awhile
And knocks on your door
And throws you a smile

And takes every breath
Leaves every scar
Speaks through your soul
And sings to your heart...." - Lady Antebellum - Charles Kelley, Richard Belmont Powell and Anna Wilson

"What I want more than ever is to appreciate that I have this day, and tomorrow and hopefully days beyond that. I am experiencing the learning curve of gratitude." - Mary Chapin Carpenter

I love when a sentence jumps off a page and hits me right between the eyes....the sentence that says "re-read me". So I do. And I add them to my collection. Authors that capture and express thoughts much more eloquently than I ever could.

Trying to Compartmentalize....

I'm trying to divide my thoughts into "sections" in my brain. Trying to live in the moment and not worry too much about tomorrow. Trying to enjoy each day for what it is....another new day.

A dear friend reminded me of this process.....and it's how she gets through her days. Frankly, she is dying. She's had almost two good years since her diagnosis. Time at home, time traveling with her husband, time visiting her kids and grandkids, time in her garden, time to attend her art class, time for movies, time to work on her watercolor paintings, time to walk her dogs to the mailbox almost every morning, time to spend with friends, time to laugh. Time to watch sunrises and sunsets, to sit by the pool in the summer, to listen to the frogs in the pond, to watch the birds that gather at her birdfeeder on the deck. Time. She's had time.

After her last visit to the oncologist it became apparent that her time is getting shorter. Another round of chemo starts after Christmas....and she says "we'll see if that can help". But we all know that her window is closing and this won't go on too much longer.

I love her. I wish she lived a bit closer so I could see her more often. But she knows that my thoughts fly south to Indiana every day. Many times, every day. She knows.

And I am trying to follow her wonderful lead. She is so very positive, and her smiles come right through the line when we talk on the phone. She's been so determined to enjoy every good day, and tolerate every bad day....and then put it behind her and find more good days. She told me the best way she and her husband handle all this is to just sort of ponder the news for a few days, figure out what has to be done.....do it, and then put it aside. Her cancer does not seem to dampen her bright outlook on life. She simply won't allow it to intrude and ruin a good day. I am eternally grateful for the example she is setting. I'm not sure I could be as positive as she has been over the past few years......maybe, maybe not.

So I'm trying to compartmentalize, but today the tear ducts won't cooperate. After talking to her this morning I figure I can take a day or two to "ponder" all this shit and then try to put it behind me and enjoy our connection for what it is. The oldest friendship I have......she knows me the best of anyone left on the planet, and we share many of the same memories. So asI think about her, as I try to follow her example.....my heartstrings are stretching and wrapping her in an everyday hug.

She feels it.....I know she does.

What Do You Do When You Can't Do Much........

It's been a rather slow month around here for me. I'm really not complaining because so many others are dealing with much more life-impacting health problems.....or rather maybe I am complaining just a little bit.

Bunion surgery on November 20th seemed like perfect timing for this year. Our daughter was hosting Thanksgiving....we didn't have to do any Christmas shopping because this year's cruise to Alaska was it for everyone. So I went into the hospital and the surgeon took care of a large bunion and curving toes on my right foot - something I'd been ignoring for about ten years.

And, after four weeks, I am still following his instructions. Using my walker, wearing my special shoe, bending my big toe to increase it's flexibility. Icing my foot, keeping it raised up on a footstool for much of the day, not driving, using my left foot for the pedal on my sewing machine, starting to walk with a little pressure on the top of my foot instead of walking on the heel. (Question: how do you judge "a little"?)

And so when you can't do all the stuff you normally do during a week, what do you do?

I read books, spend too much time watching TV or DVD's, cuddle with my dog, work on a puzzle,  check Facebook every hour or so, spend a few minutes standing and cutting pieces for a quilt back, take a nap......and repeat.

What has Dave been doing for the past month? The shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, the errands, the driving, the dog walking, the bringing things back and forth to me when I forget something. Basically he's turned into a wife.

:-)  Maybe there are some good things about this recovery period!

Counting the Days.....

Fenway is patiently waiting - little does he know that we've basically done NO shopping this year and there is nothing waiting for him under the tree or in his little stocking. Poor guy.

But look at that face.....I guess we can always stuff the stocking with his cookies and find a new squeeky toy at Walgreens. That might keep him entertained for about five minutes.

Merry Christmas anyway Mr. Fenway Underfood Woodard!

Be Princess Di.....

I was working at the computer last week with the television on in the background....some talk show that I was ignoring. I vaguely heard something about the Kardashians' Christmas lists. Apparently a list of gifts they were suggesting viewers could purchase for loved ones.

As I indicated, I wasn't really paying much attention, but I think I did hear one of the sisters suggested a $9,000 purse that was "really nice" and there was something about a new car. Obviously their Christmas gift list is way different than mine.

We don't have cable TV so we don't see too much about the Kardashians....although they are sort of hard to ignore. And don't get me wrong, I do give them a lot of credit for creating something out of nothing.....amazing business women and experts at getting their faces and activities in the news. And I'm sure they do good things for charities they support, it just doesn't get the same coverage. At least I hope they do good things with some of their wealth and position.

Later, the same day, I opened Facebook to check any new posts. There was a lovely picture of Princess Diane with the caption "In a world of Kardashians, be the Di"......or something like that.
A reminder of someone with all the fame she could have wanted or wished to avoid....someone who turned her influence outward to the world. To children, to war ravaged countrysides...to benefit hospitals and more.

She wasn't perfect but perhaps a much better role model than some of the current faces we see every day.

Faith and Truth......?

It's always a big part of the discussion at this time of year. The real "reason for the season". Now that we have social media at our finger tips the back and forth can get quite intense. (I have to think that, in a country where Christmas decorations go up the day after Halloween, the real "reason for the season" sort of gets lost in the shuffle. Posts keep reminding me how many days left until Christmas....posts from stores offer holiday discount coupons. It's sort of like "shop.....shop....shop" and then "oh yes, we better go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for an hour.")

As I was drifting off to sleep last night I began to ponder the difference between faith and truth. Is there a difference? Does one person's faith represent the only truth? If your faith is different than mine does that mean my truth is wrong.....or is yours leading you straight to "hell"?

So this morning I checked the definition of "faith" according to Merriam Webster. That source lists several definitions, among them:  "belief and trust in and loyalty to God.....firm belief in something for which there is no proof."   

Another web source defines "faith" as: complete trust or confidence in someone or something.....and a strong belief in God or doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

So the way I read these definitions, faith and truth may be associated, but faith has no proof. People believe what they believe for many reasons and see their faith as their truth. But I think we need to see that there is more than one "truth" and what is true for one person may not be true for another. It doesn't mean that either person is "wrong"....they just follow a different set of beliefs. They follow a faith journey that helps them to navigate their path in life. They follow a path that gives them hope and answers the un-answerable....for them.

This has been a difficult discussion this year....perhaps more difficult than in previous years. As our world "shrinks" and gets more complicated truths and beliefs and faiths are bumping up against one another. People of faith are being tested as never before.

Interesting how, if you do a little reading and research, you find the basic tenets of many faiths echo one another....but people of faith won't recognize that....or they refuse to believe it.

Faith isn't truth.....and my truth is, we need to look for bridges instead of constructing walls.

Once-A-Year Friends......

Our friends in Glendale, Sam and Evan, host an annual holiday party and it is such fun! We've been attending for years and enjoy the fun, food and the "steal-a-gift" game.

Their party has a slight "twist". Our hosts always pick a theme that you need to keep in mind as you shop for the gift you want to include in the exchange. It makes it even more fun to see how everyone interprets the theme their own way. For example, one year it was "Reuse - Recycle", another year it was "Blue". One time the invitation came asking you to bring "Something from a State" and then there was "Something Small". The packages come in the door, wrapped and ribboned and are put in a big pile on the table in the center of the room. And we've learned over the years to never judge by looking at the box or the size of the box. This year we had to bring "Something You Would Take on a Mission to Mars". (Thanks to a current movie!)

The party has a rhythm.....we gather, visit a bit, enjoy a delicious meal, choose from zillions of desserts (candy, cookies and chocolate reindeer etc. provided by our host's sister Patty). No one counts calories! And then there is the game which, depending on how often gifts are "stolen" can go quickly or take a long time.   :-)

Frankly as we drove away from their house this year I was thinking that my favorite part of the party is the fact that I get to see some very special people I probably won't see again until next December. I really enjoy these once-a-year-friendships....and, yes, it would be fun to see these casual friends more often. But then again.....it probably wouldn't be such a special addition to our holiday season.

Once-a-year-friends......you know who you are! Happy Holidays to all of you......wonder what the theme will be next December!?

Judging a Book By Its Cover......

Today I took the time to click on a link to the Los Angeles Times where I was able to read about each of the victims of the recent terrorist attack in California. As I first glanced at the group of faces I was hit by the thought that these people represented a cross section of America. How ironic.....how sad.

My first thoughts also included the assumption that the faces on the page represented a variety of ethnic backgrounds. A melting pot of employees. Judging books by their covers.


Reading individual information told me that one woman's family fled Iran when she was 18 to escape persecution, another was from a family that fled Vietnam looking for peace and opportunity. Another emigrated from Mexico more than twenty years ago and put himself through college. And yet another man fled violence and repression in his homeland of Eritrea. Fleeing from around the globe to find a new life in America. And they found it.....and went to school, and married, and started families, and bought homes, and made friends, and worked hard.

Until they were assassinated.

And then I looked at the photograph of the killers....the first one showing them as husband and wife apparently taken at the airport when they came to the US after their wedding. In Muslim garb.....and I admit that I, once again, judged that book by its cover.

I don't want to do that.....I don't want to make assumptions. It's not fair to the millions of peace loving Muslims who live here and represent the true tenants of their faith. But these two faces did not look friendly.....perhaps just because of the anonymity of the photograph.....maybe it was taken from a video and they were not aware they were on camera. They looked stern......I would have thought twice before approaching them. But then I thought about how my own photo might look in a similar situation.....tired from a long flight, not quite home yet. People probably would not find a smile on my face either.

I don't want to judge a book by its cover. I want to know individuals and meet new people and assume the best. That's what I want to do. I hope I can.
 
I read each obituary. Looked at each face.  Took a moment. They deserved my attention.

Close Enough......

We have a small family.....two grown "kids". One lives north of Seattle with his family and one lives in West Bend with her husband and two boys. Obviously we see the Wisconsin bunch a lot more frequently than the NW bunch.

And sometimes a visit to West Bend is a bit of an unplanned surprise. For instance, the phone rings at 9:30 p.m. and I hear my daughter talking fast and explaining she is on the way to the hospital with husband in the passenger seat.....probably appendicitis. Her neighbor and good friend is with the kids and another is coming at 10:00 and can stay overnight until 5:00 a.m. when he then has to go home so his wife can go to work!

The long and fast explanation/question was winding down to "could we be over there at 5:00 in the morning to take over kid duty as needed."

The answer was a quick "no"....we would pack a couple tote bags and come to sleep overnight instead. And that's what we did. We arrived, nice neighbor went home and we crawled into bed. Megan arrived home in the middle of the night to let us know surgery was scheduled for the next morning.

Emergency addressed......outcome 100% positive.....recovery going well.

Sometimes it's really good to be close.....to be geographically close enough to help when needed.

A Duplicate?

We often see deer from our condo. We can see them out the windows, in the park or up on the hill above the bike path. We see them when we walk the dog. It's fun to spot them year round and think that a little bit of nature lives hiding in the trees in Port Washington park areas.

Dave took his camera along the other day and spotted a beautiful buck. Standing just off the bike path looking at Fenway as Fenway looked at him.

The next day I got an email from a friend who lives in Franklin, just south of Milwaukee. There was an early morning visitor in her yard. I'm pretty sure it wasn't one of "our" bucks.....but who knows. It's hunting season and these guys aren't dummies. They know hunters are not supposed to be stalking them along neighborhood sidewalks.....so they come on down to say hello. Just for a moment. Just for a glimpse.

Beautiful.

Just Words......

I've been thinking about my school years. Some memories are sharper than others....but that's probably pretty normal. I was remembering school fire drills. I don't recall if we knew that drill was scheduled before the bells went off....but once the alarm echoed down the hallways I remember following teacher's instruction and quietly and calmly leaving the building. Classrooms would gather along the outside of the building and teachers counted heads. We stayed outdside until the fire department was sure the building was empty and then the all clear would ring and back in we'd go. Back in for math, or gym, or biology or whatever class had been interrupted.

A small "excitement" in a normal school day.

I also seem to remember, very vaguely, a "duck and cover" drill during the Cuban missile crisis. We sat under our desks, covering our heads with crossed arms to protect ourselves from an atom bomb. Right.

But we never had a "what to do if there is an active shooter" drill.

Today everyone is talking about San Bernadino. We watched moment by moment TV coverage of another mass shooting. And the talking heads all chimed in with half-information analysis and helpful comments detailing their shock and sending prayers to everyone affected by this latest horror.

And the next morning the experts began to tell us all what to do in case we are at work, or in a mall, or at school, or at the movies, or at the grocery store, or in our condo building, or our neighborhood.....wherever we might be leading "normal" day-to-day life. How we needed to have a plan, to escape, or hide, or fight. Really.

And the social media went wild....and the politicians expressed opinions....and flags are at half staff...and the President gave a press conference where he seemed just so defeated by, once again, having to go before cameras and express his condolences, his concern, his frustration that we, in America, are back in the news....for all the wrong reasons.

And of course lots of people said this would never have happened if everyone was licensed to carry a gun. But then, really, that's not good enough....actually everyone would have to be licensed to carry an assault weapon to equal the playing field. Wouldn't that be great.

I have four grandsons. I don't want them to have participate in a "what to do if there is an active shooter drill" at school. I wrote a blog about this just a few months ago.....and here we are again.

I'm just one person. I write a very small blog with a very small audience. But frankly I am so angry, and so saddened and so wanting our "leaders" to step up and DO something. I'm not naive enough to think this is a problem that can be solved quickly. There are hundreds of thousands of unlicensed guns living in America. And even with better laws and restrictions in place the bad guys will still find ways to arm themselves.

But America has to do something. Individuals who believe that the second amendment was NEVER written to allow this kind of gun ownership and gun activity need to stand up and insist that we see change.....slow change that may take years....but we need to see change.

But then.....these are just words.....just like all the other words we've heard over the past two days.

Just words.....

The Way the Cookie Crumbles.....

Yesterday was begin-to-decorate-for-Christmas day. Dave brought our big storage bins up from the garage and we slowly unpacked our Santas, our ornaments, our feather Christmas tree, our snowladies, our Christmas quilt, our silk pointsettias and everything else holiday-ish.

It was a slow process and we didn't quite finish. This year I sat on the couch with foot up, ice bag on and acted as "director" while Dave put this Santa there and that snowlady over there. We turned on the electric fireplace, had carols playing on the radio and it was cold outside.....so it did seem like a nice time to get started.

As I sat there I unwrapped our ornaments and Dave hung them on our little tree. Most of our ornaments are traditional and we've been using them for years. It's fun to unwrap them, remember Christmases past and watch them go up on display for another year.

At the bottom of one box were the cookie ornaments. Each time I uncover them, I can't believe they're still usable. I made these ornaments when Todd was two years old and we lived in our first New Jersey apartment. We had basically zero Christmas budget but we had a toddler and we had fun creating new traditions with him. I found a recipe for these cookies in a magazine, probably Good Housekeeping.

Todd had a small apron wrapped around his little body and I had a slightly larger version and we started assembling and baking down in the little kitchen. When the cookies were finished and out of the oven, we let them cool. I did the "painting" with colorful icing while he took his afternoon nap. Each cookie was then covered in plastic wrap and we added a small ribbon and a hook to hang them on our tree. I know we made dozens.....but these are the four that survive.

Unwrapping them I admit that memories came flooding back, my eyes got "damp" and there was a lump in my throat. These little ornaments were made in 1971 so they are 44 years old! They are cracked, discolored and held together by the now yellowed plastic wrap.

Every family has it's own holiday traditions....small moments or activities that mean something special to them. I guess these four little cookies are one of mine. And they are back on the tree again, center stage, Christmas past joining us to celebrate Christmas present.

And This is Leftovers.....America....

We had a lovely Thanksgiving celebration. Our daughter and son-in-law hosted the meal and my sister, her husband, daughter and sister-in-law drove up from Chicago. I got off easy because after bunion surgery I wasn't expected to do much. I kidded everyone that I was "Queen for a Day" as I sat in a corner in a comfortable chair with my leg propped up on a footstool. Grandsons, Evan and Zach, were in charge of getting my ice bags to and from the freezer on a regular basis and so I just enjoyed myself.

Tonight we had left-overs for dinner. When Dave brought my plate into the family room and set it down in front of me I, once again, realized just how fortunate I am. In today's world, with so many people hungry and displaced and frightened......this was my meal.

Sitting on the couch, watching a television show I looked down at my plate.....lump in my throat. This is leftovers America....this is leftovers.

Extra Equipment Needed.....For Awhile.....

Well when you have a bunion removed and some toes straightened you suddenly realize that walking is more complex that you realized. I've always taken it for granted....take the dog for a walk, walk on down to the library, go shopping at the mall, meet a friend for lunch. Slip on shoes and off I go.

Not so much for the next few weeks.  I'm glad the surgery is over, and it really wasn't too difficult. Pain is negligible, but I do have to be very careful for the next three weeks and I can't drive until 2016! Aaagghhh! My personal chauffeur is doing a great job bending his schedule to accommodate mine. But still....my sense of independence is something else that seems to have"disappeared" for awhile.

And all the extra equipment needed just to negotiate the condo! I have a special boot I have to wear whenever moving around. I have bags of frozen peas that I have to use frequently during the day to keep the swelling down. I use a walker with wheels and am getting pretty good at negotiating that around corners and into tight places. I have a knee-scooter that I am going to try this week - perhaps it will provide me with enough mobility to go for a walk/scoot with Dave and Fenway, weather permitting.

I'm trying not to complain because really, so many people have to deal with so much more than this. So I move slowly, I try to remember what to stick in the walker's tote bag so I don't have to ask Dave to go find my chapstick or my book or my bottle of water.

I will be careful and try to be patient and do what the doctor tells me to do. I will spend a lot of time with my leg on the footstool and ice on my ankle. In the long run I know it will be worth it.....but it is frustrating! And, for me, I think the worst thing is that I can't even press down on my sewing machine pedal for three weeks....I'm having withdrawal symptoms!

So, I am reading, and watching TV and napping.....and coloring thanks to a friend who surprised me with an "adult" coloring book. Second best thing to quilting.

:-)

"Famous" for an Afternoon.....or an Hour!

It's fun to walk into a beautiful retirement community and see your names featured on a posting next to the elevator! A certain sense of "self-importance" takes hold.

Dave and I enjoy sharing memories of our two year adventure aboard Connemara. We've put together a powerpoint presentation and so far shared it with an adult education class through UWM and now at Chai Point.

The fun part, for us, is looking at the photos as we share information and remembering the fun and the adventure of it all.  As a child growing up in a suburb of Chicago, if anyone had ever told me I would own a sailboat, much less sell a house and almost all our adult possessions I would have told them they were nuts!

But we did it.....and we loved it....and now it's fun to share with others. One of the questions at the presentation last week was from a woman in the audience. She asked me "Would you do it again?" My answer...."In a heartbeat!"

"Famous" for an hour.....fun!

To Cross A Border or Not…..

You can't live on this planet and not be aware of the recent horrors in Paris, Beirut and elseswhere. Coverage of the terrorists and their actions saturates every newscast on radio, TV and of course in social media. Messages of anger, retaliation and support are everywhere.

And the discussion broadens to include and point fingers at the millions of refugees trying to flee Syria and get to somewhere safe. Leaving everything behind, homes, jobs, extended families, the land of their birth, they flee…..walking, or crossing the Mediteranean in unsafe boats. Desperate, frightened but with a small glimmer of hope in their hearts. Hope for a better life, a safe place, a future for their children.

Many individuals and politicians are now speaking out about how we (Americans) should not allow Syrian refugees asylum in the US. They use a broad brush to paint a picture….Syrian refugees = Muslim = ISIS = terrorists.

Then there are some quick Facebook posts in answer: "If you can differentiate between while Christians and the KKK/Westboro, then you can differentiate between Muslims and ISIS." "If only we had a seasonally appropriate story about middle eastern people seeking refuge being turned away by the heartless."

And so the discussion continues…..while increasingly desparate families seek safety. Listening to a college professor as he was interviewed on NPR the other day I got a new perspective. I had no idea that ISIS pays its soldiers on a monthly basis, and if they are killed then their families receive death benefits. As the professor went on to say….these payments are a very effective recruiting tool in areas and countries where there are simply no jobs…..no opportunities to earn enough to feed a family. So young people, raised in areas such as this, are ripe for ISIS recruiting efforts.

So I look at the pictures of the refugee families, especially the ones with small children and read the fear in their faces. The exhaustion. And I have to think….without a caring world response (including the US) these children will be the next generation of ISIS fighters. What have they got to lose?

I invite you to google Brave New Films video: Help War Refugees. And be sure to look at the children's faces.

Do we need to carefully vet refugees coming to America….yes, no matter what their country of origin. But do we close our doors? No.  "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breate free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

We either believe in what America stands for …… or we don't.

Prayer in the Classroom…..

Religion seems complicated….belief can be so strong. Faith can be so positive….and it can be so divisive. People often don't see any "common" threads….but seem to only focus on the differences.

After yesterday's horror in Paris someone posted on my Facebook page that if we brought prayer back into our classrooms it would "fix" things. I wonder.

I picture a public school classroom anywhere in America….fourth or fifth graders….being told it is time to bow their heads and pray. Let's just pretend there are thirty students and do a little pretend math. Supposed twenty of them are Christian, 5 are Jewish, 3 are Muslim and 2 do not practice any religious tradition. And the teacher is Jewish.

So what prayer is presented? Which faith is celebrated? If it's a Christian prayer, how does that make the non-Christian children feel about their family traditions? How does it make them feel about the school that forces the policy? About the community in which they live? Are the Muslim children allowed time with their prayer rugs to celebrate their own heritage? Is there any support given to those children who come from homes where there is no belief in God?

If children are enrolled in a faith-based school, for instance a Catholic or Lutheran grade school, then I have no problem with starting the school day with a prayer. The parents who enroll their children in these schools expect that to be part of the curriculum….they support it. The children are all of the same tradition and the prayer will reflect their beliefs.

But I do not believe that prayer should be part of America's public school curriculum. I believe church and state, church and public school should be separate. Our culture reflects a combination of faith based traditions and honoring each of them is an American tradition…..an American right.

I watch the news. I see the horror in Paris….and I wonder just how much of this horror is faith based. Radicals. A small fundamental fringe group causing so much pain. But then every religion has a fringe element…..this one just seems to have learned to use suicide vests, grenades and rifles. A small number of people causing the entire world to sit up and take note….and to fear the future. But will prayer solve this…….I don't think so.

And then later in the day I found another post on my Facebook page….and it seemed to reflect my own feelings:

later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole
world
and whispered
where does it hurt?

it answered
everywhere
everywhere
everywhere

He Said….She Said…..

It's already been going on for months and seems like there is just no end in sight - at least not until November 2016.

"I have experience……the people want someone from outside Washington…..outsiders don't understand the system and can't get anything done…..she has baggage…..his plan won't work….she doesn't know what she's talking about…..he has no experience in foreign affairs…..he's a Republican…..she's a Democrat…..he's a socialist…..that's not what our Country stands for…..we have to expell all illegal immigrants…..I am amazing…..Jeb Can Fix It….Make America Great Again…."

Talk, talk, talk……! It's part of our messy democracy but it gets so tiresome.

The talk will continue, the arguments, the name calling the finger pointing….until November 2016. And then the people who care enough to actually walk into a voting booth will answer. And it will be over - until the next election cycle.

Good Food, 007 and Spirituality….

We just came home after a fun visit with my cousin and her husband "down on the farm". It's a bit of a drive - about 7 1/2 hours from our condo to Rob an Claudia's acreage on the Ohio River….but it's worth the trip. Claudia grew up in Chicago in a nice brick bungalow on a small city lot….the farm has something like 200 acres. As we often say when we are together "Who would have ever thought?!"

We lucked out on weather so took nice morning walks with the dogs, sat in the sunshine with a cup of coffee watching the birds and just catching up. We shared some good food, the freshly dug "farm potatoes" were especially delicious next to the baked chicken and fresh tomato salad. From garden to table….yummy.

We went to see the new James Bond movie. You must "suspend disbelief" and just enjoy the crazy action and impossible fight scenes but if you've seen all the other Bond's over the years you certainly have to include this one! Arriving back at the farm we sat in the kitchen enjoying a glass of wine (or several) while the conversation ranged from the movie to spirituality to a discussion of "what comes next". It was when Rob began to explain something like "string theory and the speed of light and reality" that my eyes began to glaze.

I needed a tutor to get through algebra and just squeeked through physics with a C- so the more Rob tried to explain the more confused I became. But it was all in good fun and good conversation punctuated with a lot of laughter.

I do wish we lived closer. While growing up we spent most Sunday's together at our grandparent's little house near Antioch, Illinois. Looking back at my life I realize my cousin, just a couple years younger than I am, knows me the longest and the best. As adults we've never lived close to each other….but heartstrings can stretch and I'm so glad we've re-connected over the past ten years.

Plus….it's just fun….down on the farm!

Skipping a Season?

I know this isn't true - but I feel like we just skipped winter here in Wisconsin. We had a few cooler days last week but yesterday and today the thermometer hit 70 degrees. The sky is blue, there is a soft warm breeze…it really feels like spring.

Yes, I know most of the trees are bare, or almost leafless. But still…that's the way they look in the spring just before the buds pop. So…..maybe…..

Nah…..tomorrow we move back toward reality. So I will enjoy the day. Two walks already, a few more to come.

It's the Candy…….and the Memories

It's Halloween today - kids all over the country, young and not-so-young, dressing up and running up and down sidewalks collecting candy or partying with friends.

Our kids enjoyed the holiday when they were young, in fact our daughter and friends even had some amazing parties durng highschool. She and her friends were involved in theater and the arts…..so some of the costumes were way above amazing. They'd all gather at our house for awhile and then go around the area trick or treating for Unicef. Fun memories.

I created home made costumes for the kids every year and even some for grandkids who arrived years later….wish I could find pictures of them all. The holiday itself has become much "bigger" than when I was growing up. We had carved pumpkins on our porches, and my friend, Sally, and I had several parties in grade school - the kind where you blindfolded your friends and they had to dip their hands into bowls of wet spaghetti (guts!) or olives (eyeballs).

Now the decorations are amazing and homeowners compete with lights and lights flashing in time to music, and there are haunted houses all over the country up and ready to scare the you-know-what out of visitors. Television shows (news and talk shows) feature commentators dressed in very inventive gear. Their costumes get better and better every year.

So Halloween is fun…in spite of a drizzly day here in Wisconsin the ghosts and goblins are out and about. Parents are wondering whether to ration the candy or let their youngsters just have a huge sugar high for a day or two and get it over with. And Dave and I are looking at a few photos, enjoying a glass of wine and living in a condo where no one comes to the door.

Not sure that's a good thing.

Wishing It Would Last…..

I drove to Cedarburg yesterday and stopped by the quilt museum. I had to deliver the last two quilts for the current exhibit. A chipmunk and a camel now join the menagerie on the walls.

As I left the building I stopped short. I don't know what kind of tree this is, but yestesday I think I noticed it at it's peak of fall color. Eye-popping red. Framed by a deep blue sky. A few clouds to add interest. Beautiful. Autumn at its best.

I wish it could last a few more weeks.

How Would You Hang a Crocodile?

It's up - the new exhibit at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilting and Fiber Arts. We hung the work last Monday and Tuesday….we hung the work all day Monday and Tuesday. We collapsed on Wednesday!

It's an amazing, colorful, unique and fun art exhibit. Art created by manipulating fabric, wool, yarn and other fibers. Manipulating fiber to create beautiful pieces. When the mail started arriving a week prior to the show we unpacked pieces from Connecticut and Colorado, Texas and North Carolina. The boxes came in from Maine and California, Wisconsin and Georgia. The staff and volunteers opening the boxes got more and more excited with each entry.

And then came the croc…..the huge saltwater crocodile we'd been waiting for! The piece is so large that the layout was planned around this quilt. And month by month we watched quilt artist, Susan Carlson, on her blog as she worked on "Stevie"….we watched with fingers crossed! We waited with some concern as we got closer and closer to the exhibit…..but yes, Stevie arrived on Saturday and we hung her on Monday.

Phew.

The volunteers and staff worked hard to hang this piece - ladders, pipes, wires…..and then there she was - the centerpiece of a beautiful exhibit hung in a wonderful, historic barn. Come and see her, come and see all of the work. "From Insects to Elephants" is a beautiful display.

A few months ago all the news was about the lion spotted in Milwaukee! Many people saw the lion and professionals tried to catch it….to no avail.

Well a saltwater crocodile has been spotted in the area…..just west of the Milwaukee River in a small community known as Cedarburg. Keep your eyes open and drive on over to see if you can spot the reptile, and the fish, and the hippos, and the tiger, and the butterflies, and the elephant and the bison and the luna moth, and the wolf, and the rhino and the pelicans and so many more astonishing creatures!

Dusting…..

It isn't hard to keep our condo clean. After all, it's usually just the two of us and a small dog running around the rooms. We don't seem to generate too much dust so I don't bother to find my dust rag more than once a week or so. And it is a quick chore.

But when I get to my favorite lamp…..I dust more slowly. This piece is just so special to me. It's filled with memories. Little bits and pieces from places we've been….now beautifully on display in my favorite lamp.

We'd collected the stones, beach glass, shells and more during the two years we lived aboard our sailboat. And we collected more as we've wandered around in our little RV in the past three years. Most of the "stuff" ended up out of sight in a shoe box hiding in a drawer until I found this glass lamp on the internet.

Once it arrived in the mail I unpacked our souvenirs and started to layer them inside the glass. Stones on top of shells, on top of beach glass, next to more shells on top of a small piece of coral. A brown "heart" seed from a Bahama beach, a striped rock from a beach near Seattle, an angel's wing from the beach in Florida and a wonderful piece of driftwood that reminds me of a dragon's head from who know's where. There are touches of color in the small bits of beach glass from Lake Michigan's shore. Browns and beiges, greys and whites.

This lamp makes me happy. Everytime I turn it on in the evening, or run my dust rag around the glass top and sides it just makes me happy.

I love my lamp.

Sadness……

The news on television and radio over the past few days has been focused on violence in Israel. Palestinian young people stabbing/shooting Israelian citizens and in turn, being shot and killed by the Iraeli police. It goes on….day after day.

Palestinian young people, teenagers, now considered martyrs by their families. But they are dead. Isralian citizens, innocently waiting for a bus or walking down the street, now dead and mourned by their families. And it continues and the rhetoric continues and the violence continues and the deaths mount.

What on earth is going on here? Is this what happens when countries are "carved" out of areas already populated and historically considered part of some other country? Is this what happens when one tradition clashes with another? Is this what happens when people refuse to recognize traditions that they may share but concentrate on the issues/facts that divide them? Are there any answers for this? Who can help? Who can stop it? Who can help two peoples move on to a better future? Who can help two belief systems learn to share sites of spiritual importance to each of them?

I have no idea. But god…. this is so sad….. so very sad. And so much of it seems to be justified on the "word of God". So sad…. so very sad.

And seemingly so endless.

Happy Color and Design Strike Again…..

It's that time of year again, temperatures are beginning to fall, leaves pop with color and everything is pumpkin-flavored. And it's the time of year my North Shore Quilt Guild gets together for two days in a church basement to go on a quilt-making marathon.

Members assemble, cut and pin, members press the edges, members sit at machines and sew. You can hear the hum of conversation, laughter and sewing machine needles flying up and down. The pile of quilts grows. Everytime a new quilt is added the quiltmaker rings a bell and everyone applauds. It's a fun two day annual event. This year when the final bell rang we'd finished over 100 quilts!

This is also a service we provide to area hospitals….area families The small quilts go to hospital NICU departments to cover premature babies as they lie in their isolettes. The quilts go over the top and protect the baby's eyes from the bright hospital lights. When the babies are ready to go home the quilts go with them so eventually they are spread throughout the community and, I'm sure, to homes all over the state.

We like doing it, the hospital staff loves to accept them and we hope they bring comfort to parents with plenty on their minds. A little bit of "normal" in an abnormal and unwanted situation. The parents want their babies home, but while they lie in the hospital at least a little bit of love and comfort covers them as they grow and heal.

So I cheer on my quilter friends and from afar I cheer on the babies I'll never meet…..go babies go! Get stronger every day, gain weight and go home.

A Theater in My Head?

I realize that over the past six months or so I've had a series of amazingly complex and memorable dreams. I usually head off to bed about 10:00 at night, sleep well, sometimes wake about 5:00 a.m. and then, after I fall back to sleep the "movies" begin.

My dreams really are complex and so real - like watching a movie screen. Some are peopled with friends and family members doing realistic or completely unrealistic activities. I don't analzye them, but sometimes, if my dream is about a friend or family member I just figure it's because I've been with them, or thinking about them.

Yesterday my dream started with me as a teenager going to babysit. Suddenly I was also a mom and I was bringing my kids with me but I overslept and missed the time I needed to be at the house. Then I found the two little kids had been dropped off in their pajamas at my house but when I dragged everyone over to the house where I was supposed to be caring for them I didn't have a key to get in. The next scene showed me making mashed potatoes for everyone for breakfast.

?????

It's gotten to the point where I sort of look forward to going to bed. I wonder what will rattle around in my brain while I sleep.

Missing Mommy……

I just got back from my annual gathering with special college friends. Our mini-reunion! We gather for about three days to talk, laugh, visit and just have fun. This time we were near Chicago staying at Linda's in Downer's Grove. Our visit included a drive into the city for a performance of The Million Dollar Quartet, dinner at a German restaurant, exploration of the Chicago Botanical Gardens, a walk to the local farmers market and so much more.

It's just the being together that is so nice for me - a sort of annual therapy session of memories, discussions, sharing. We always go through our suggested list of movies and books. We usually do a "craft" just for fun. We share meals and drink wine and laugh and laugh.

It's all good.

And then I get a text from Dave with the message "I miss you!" accompanied by a photograph. Dave was busy while I was gone…..I guess it was my little four-footed pal who was bored. Sorry Fenway, I'm going again next year!

So This Is Political - Let's Re-Think This…..Please, Please, Please

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

And so it reads in our Constitution. The second amendment written in 1791. And so it was designed by wise men who wrote a document to try to define America and the rights afforded her citizens. The amendment was “Requested by several states during the Constitutional ratification debates, the widespread desire for such an amendment reflected the lingering resentment over the widespread efforts of the British to confiscate the colonists' firearms at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.” It was also stated that “the government may regulate or place some limits on the manufacture, ownership and sale of firearms or similar devices.”

Of course our forefathers were dealing with a very different reality. Threats did come from “outside” - America was still trying to establish independence and become a strong nation. Citizens lived in rural settings, often miles from neighbors, and had to be able to defend their property from both animal or human threat. Homeowners and settlers needed a rifle to be able to band together with others in their community in case of a common threat - invasion by Indians perhaps, or the British, or whatever.

Never could Ben Franklin, George Washington and the boys have imagined the kinds of weapons that Americans now feel they have the right to “bear”. Never did they ever think that bearing arms would no longer be linked to a “well regulated militia” but would be used to mow down children in a classroom, or patrons at a theater or shoppers at a mall.

This is political. This should be political. Our political leaders should feel the pressure to stand and do something about this. There is no reason any citizen should be allowed to own an automatic weapon that can fire hundreds of bullets before being re-loaded. There is no reason any citizen should be allowed to carry a gun into a public place. 

If you are a gun owner, or a gun user.....use them as intended. Go to a shooting range. Go hunting to put food on the table.

Go hunting students? No. Take your guns to a theater? No. Take them to a mall? No.

No....no....no.

I am not a constitutional scholar, obviously. But I am a mother, a grandmother, a wife. I vote. I want to stand up and say that this last episode in Oregon needs to be just that - the last. This morning a representative of the NRA stated that their policy is “to gather the facts before commenting”. I don’t have all the facts but here is one fact - this is the 10th fatal school shooting THIS YEAR.

Stop saying this has anything to do with the right of American’s to bear arms. This has to do with our politicians being strong enough to stand up and change the Constitution, change our communities, change our sense of safety. One small step at a time - start now with changing gun laws. Requiring new/more difficult regulations before people can purchase guns. No one needs an assault rifle to hunt a deer.

Don’t give me that tired argument that if everyone carried guns we’d all be safer. Arm our teachers. Arm all of our movie-ticket-takers, arm everyone who bags your groceries at the store, arm every mailman, arm every barrista at the coffee shops, every bank teller, have every grandmother pack a gun in her purse. Have every student go through a metal detector before entering their classroom. 

No.....no....no. 

A Game of Dominoes.....

Just how far would you travel to play a game of dominoes? We've enjoyed games in a sailboat's cockpit in the Virgin Islands, at our dining room table in Bay View and now in an RV in Lake Geneva.

Dominoes is one of those games (even though the rules seem to change a bit every time you read them) that allows you to talk and laugh while you play. It's a friendly game that lets you develop a friendship as you play.

We've recently met a couple that we seem to "connect" with - on several levels. They are rather new to the area, as are we, they have a nice RV for travel so we share that explore-it gene as well. They like to read, seem to share our politics, and they are both just plain fun to be with.

It can be hard to make new friends as an adult. Moving means starting over and trying to connect with a few couples that you can quickly and easily call to meet for a movie, or a quick meal, or a game of dominoes. And to find a couple where both the wives and the husbands seem to "click" can be even harder to do.

So happily we drove to Lake Geneva for a one-night RV trip. Threw a few things in the refrigerator, packed one change of clothing, Fenway's "stuff", our pillows and off we went. All for a fun meal sitting around a picnic table, a rousing game of dominoes and a delicious shared breakfast. It wasn't too far to go to spend time with friends.

So glad we "found" them!

Ready For This….

We were watching TV last night and there was a cute Mazda commercial during the middle of our show. A young couple driving home from the hospital. They were bringing home their new baby. All ready, with new car seat, a beautiful safe car….the new mom in the back seat trying to comfort a crying newborn and new dad driving with a look of semi-panic on his face.

The annoucer in the background saying something like "You're ready for this"……it was a nice ad. 

But as I watched it I had to think back to our own experience as new parents - so many years ago. And I couldn't help but think "You are never ready for this!" Starting out with a new baby you have no clue.

But you do your best, you love your baby, you make mistakes….but mostly you do it right. And babies grow and adapt and live through any of your "mistakes.

Nope - no one is "ready for this" and you don't get to practice. But thankfully things usually turn out OK!

Here They Come…..There They Go….

It's that time of year again, fall is approaching. Leaves are beginning to turn and monarch butterflies are migrating south. I see them swooping along — coming from the north/northeast, heading west/southwest. Amazing, fragile, beautiful creatures….but also strong enough to get all the way to Mexico for the winter.

I remember sailing on the Chesapeake at this time of year and some weekends we'd be lucky to see dozens or more as they crossed the water. Occasionally one or two would stop and rest on Connemara, perching on a side rail or the sail cover or in the cockpit. They would sit for a little while, slowly opening and closing their wings and then set off again. 

Here I see them when Fenway and I go for a walk. Or I notice a glimpse of black and orange fluttering by outside a window. I spotted one yesterday sitting on our little deck. They sometimes pause, rest on a flower bloom, gather fuel, and take off again. Driven by a migratory instinct. 

Amazing really……this generation of monarchs will make it all the way to Mexico……reproduce and then next spring we'll see the butterflies moving in the opposite direction seeking mid-west milkweed plants. 

So look up and watch for a little orange. Cheer them on…crossing state lines and finally crossing the border with Mexico. Immigrants…..the kind no one complains about.

Trying to Send Hugs….Long Distance

We've moved so often since starting our life together in 1967. Following professional opportunities for Dave took us from Wisconsin to Illinois to New Jersey to Wisconsin to Illinois to New Jersey to Delware. And at each "stop" we found special friends who meant a lot to us when we lived there….and they still do, even though we are now far apart.

Moving for an opportunity also meant leaving these special people behind….or they moved and left us behind. At this point I have friends on my mind from Alaska to Cape Cod, Delaware to Indiana to Florida. And I send mental "hugs" out many times each day. All are coping with challenges…..some to their health, some to their families…..knee replacements, cancer treatments, counseling, memory loss.

I think of them all, I send notes and cards and mental good wishes…..I send "psychic" hugs.

I hope they feel it! Love and concern stretching across the miles.

Missing you all.

Looking Up....

It happened again last night. Another sunset….another sky filled with clouds....another just "how can that be" moment!? It doesn't seem to matter how often we marvel at the beauty around us.....just when we're sure we've seen the best view ever....or the best cloud formation....or the best sunset.....it happens again. And it takes my breath away.

Exploring Michigan's Upper Peninsula we sat at the edge of Lake Superior and watched the sun set….a blaze of orange and red reflected in blue waters....and watched "corrugated cardboard" clouds march across the sky.

Why? What?

Oh who cares.......it's amazing. And we are SO fortunate to be here...seeing this.

Putting Words to Paper.....

There is someone special in my small family who has a real talent for putting words to paper. Writing, composition, editing were big parts of her profession during a very successful career so certainly she knows the rules and regulations about how to write, the mechanics of it….and she does it well.

But it is much more than that. It's not because of what she can do with a pen, or a word processor…it's not because she can gather ideas and thoughts and share them beautifully. It's mostly, I think, because of who she is. She's an observer, she's a doer, she's someone who is intimately involved with people....her friends, her family. She sees individuals, she sees what matters to them, she sees what they contribute to the community...to the world around them. She listens, she analyses......and she can sift through what is important, personal and meaningful but leave out what is not.

She cares. And maybe that's why she is so very good at standing in front of a group of friends and family at a loved ones memorial service and putting into words what others cannot. Gathering memories and accomplishments, adding personal touches, bringing a loved one to life when they are gone……telling their story. Not just the career facts but the personal remembrances that mean so much. The insights, the moments that make up a life.

It's not easy. I know it's not, but she's done it before. Years ago at a beautiful memorial for my uncle....and, more recently, through heartfelt words celebrating my mother's life. This week she will do it again. She will speak to the life and memory of her very best friend's father. Many at the service will have known this special man, meeting him at work, in the neighborhood, at a committee meeting or as a member of some organization……but it will be my sister who stands at the front of the gathering and puts together some of the personal pieces of an amazing life.

I know it will bring comfort to his loved ones. I know it won't be easy...but I know how beautifully she will speak. I've been there to hear her. And, if I die first, I hope she will feel she can speak for me.

And Then There Was High School....

Several things brought memories of high school into my brain recently. I just finished Promise Me, a novel by Harlan Coben. Dave and I've read many of his quick reads - mystery/murder types but we like the characters.

Complex story, this one, but early on the main character overhears two high school girls talking about not wanting to ride home with a friend who had too much to drink. He's connected to them in the story line, so simply gives each of them his business card and says to call him if they ever need a ride, anytime, anywhere, no questions asked. And he will not say anything to their parents. And the story evolves.

The author continues, "It doesn't matter who you are - the teenage years are hard. High school is a war zone. Myron (the narrator and main character) had been a popular kid. He was a Parade All-American basketball player, one of the top recruits in the country, and, to trot out a favorite cliche, a true scholar-athlete. If anyone should have had it easy in high school, it would be someone like Myron Bolitar. But he hadn't. In the end, no one gets out of those years unscathed. You just need to survive adolescence. That's all. Just get through it."

I read that paragraph at the start of the novel and 1960-1964 flashed back into my memory. My big high school with 4,000 students. A good school in a very nice up-scale Chicago suburb but full of the typical "groups". You belonged, or you didn't. I was shy and unsure of myself and although academically I always did well, I often felt lost and really, really did not enjoy my high school years. I thank my small circle of good friends, and my slot on the high school yearbook staff - those people and that one after-school activity "saved" me.

I went on to choose a very small college (900 students)….grew into myself, found a wonderful and lasting set of friends and my future husband and loved every minute of my four years there. (Well, maybe not every minute!)

So finishing the novel, and then hearing on yesterday's news about another 14-year-old with a gun in West Virginia. He held a teacher and her students hostage for part of the day. It just made me so sad. A young boy who obviously, for whatever reasons, was in real trouble - and he thought he could solve his unhappiness by bringing a gun to school. Thankfully the teacher and others were able to convince him that he had options and so it was a much better ending than it might have been.

In our little family we have two high school age grandsons - one a senior, and apparently he's "conquered" his high school, and another entering the same school as a freshman who I think will also do well. Two other much younger grandsons are marching along toward high school….but it will be awhile until they get there.

No doubt some of their experiences will be very good and some not-so-good. But I just hope they can wait it out….looking back so many years later you realize that those four years flash by, and actually mean very little in the bigger scheme of life. But when you're there….at that high school, the midst of teenage angst….it really can feel like a "war zone".

Magic for a Moment…..

We've spent the last three or four days living in London - or at least it doesn't seem like Port Washington. Temperatures combined with the breeze off the cooler water of Lake Michigan - fog and mist roll in for awhile and then roll out. Fascinating as things change….come and go….disappear and re-appear. The upper bluff is there somewhere, and the lake….I think.

Today Fenway and I walked up the bike path, across the stream and back through the woods. We spotted one deer, heard many familiar bird songs and enjoyed the early morning walk through the mist. The forecast says we may hit close to 90 degrees today - so we went out early.

Coming back the woods we suddenly heard something unexpected echo down from the bluff above our heads. Softly at first and then a bit louder….the sound of someone piping up on the top of the bluff. Bagpipes….a lovely serenade to accompany my walk. The piper played at least five or six different songs and then it was over.

Music brings back memories and bagpipes are associated with both some sad funereal ones for me, but also with an amazing sunset in November 2001. We were still living aboard Connemara and were peacefully anchored in Mile Hammock Bay at a spot on the Inner Coastal Waterway in NC. About a dozen boats, sheltered, peaceful, quiet. It was wine-o'clock and we were sitting in the cockpit enjoying the sunset and suddenly heard bagpipes.

Heads swiveled in every cockpit in the anchorage - there, center stage, on the foredeck of a sailboat was the piper. A man serenading all of us as the sun went down. It was a goose-bump magic moment….met with applause as it ended.

I wish I could have applauded this morning - but I was too far away. Mist, magic, bagpipes….what a terrific walk.