Closing A Chapter.....Turning a Page....

Well somehow we did it.....we just celebrated our FIFTIETH wedding anniversary. It's really hard for me to wrap my brain around that one. I honestly had no conception of what it would mean to shepherd a marriage through so many years. Ups and downs.....mostly good, a little hard.....life lived day by day and year by year.

So here we are.....way back when.....December 29, 1967.....

....and here we are, December 29, 2017.....

If this is a "lesson" of any kind I guess it's that if you keep on keeping-on time goes by and you find love changing but still warm and secure and worth any effort it took to get here. I "found" a good one way back in college....and I'm keeping him!

The Pefect Gift.....

It was a lovely Christmas. We spent the afternoon of December 24th enjoying a movie with our daughter, son-in-law and kids....and then went back to their house for a few games and a delicious fondue dinner. We ended the evening viewing of the ever popular (for most of us!) "A Christmas Story" where we watched Ralphie hatch various plans to get his Red Rider BB Gun from Santa. ("You'll shoot your eye out!")

Christmas morning started at 7:00 a.m. with dogs and adults and teens and pre-teens gathering in the living room next to the tree to pass out gifts, open our stocking stuffers, drink coffee (adults)....exclaim and smile over each new gift.

Dave and I don't really exchange gifts anymore....we happily wrap up pieces of paper that name an upcoming adventure. I opened "Snorkeling in Akumal" and he opened "February in Austin!" We look forward to shortening Wisconsin's winter by escaping for a few weeks.

And I suppose I shouldn't say I had a favorite gift.....but sorry, this year I did. Our two grandsons gave me six small wrapped cylindars. When they gave me the gift I said "Wonderful! I need more Chapstick and I asked Santa for at least 20!" Each tube was individually wrapped in candy-cane red/white stripe paper with the ends twisted shut. I began to unwrap the first only to discover that it was not Chapstick but some wonderful multi-colored thread for my quilting projects! They may have gotten the idea from their mom, I'm not sure, but it was the special kind of thread I almost never buy for myself but love to use!

Six spools!

I honestly got a lump in my throat as I opened tube after tube....and a few goosebumps! Look at those colors!

Creativity.....here I come!

A Colorful, Personal Goodbye......

I won't use any names, because I didn't ask her family for permission. And I won't post this to Facebook so, frankly, very few friends will ever see it.

I went to a memorial gathering yesterday for a friend who died last week. She was a quilter. She was an amazing, creative and accomplished quilter. She had a loving family....daughters and sons-in-law and grandchildren and a husband......all who will miss her very, very much.

I was just a friend.....an occasional friend. I'd see her at guild and once in awhile we'd get together to do something else. But usually it was a once-a-month-friendship. She was a little older than I am, but not much....and such fun to be around. A warm smile, an encompassing hug, an infectious laugh, an enthusiasm for life. She was a wonderful role model.

Walking into the gathering at the funeral home I signed the guest book and then entered the reception room....and my eyes filled. The room was full of the photo groupings that are now almost "required" at any memorial.....but in additiion there were her quilts. Dozens and dozens. They covered the chairs, small ones were displayed on tables, others were on the walls and many covered the pews. There was color everywhere.....bright, beautiful, warm, cheerful color. It was my friend reflected in the beautiful quilts she left behind.

I came home and described the scene to Dave and asked him to please remember it......for future reference if I die first.

She was a beautiful woman.....and this was a beautiful, personal, colorful, warm way to celebrate her life.

New Guy in Town......

I took Fenway out about 6:45 yesterday morning for his pre-breakfast walk. It's a quick and purposeful jog as all he really wants to do is eat!

We turned and walked a short way up the bike path.....it was light outside, but not full sun yet. Suddenly Fenway was growling, the fur on his neck was at full alert. He began pulling at the end of the leash and barking like crazy. I'd been watching my feet in order to avoid any black ice....but I stopped walking to look up.

There was a stranger along the path next to our condo....and Fenway was letting him know, in no uncertain terms that he'd best move along!

My brave protector.

Scratch Your Head.......

A news story surfaced the other day that provided me with another "scratch your head" moment. Reading it I was thinking..."What are they thinking?? Just who is making this new rule? What country is this? Maybe this is fake news."

According to the Washington Post, and other sources, "The Trump administration has prohibited the Center for Disease Control from using the following words/terms: vulnerable, entitlement, diversity, transgender, fetus, evidence-based and science-based in any official documents.....This censorship comes almost a year after barring the EPA from sharing information with the public and having it remove all references to climate change on its website."

????????

The administration offered no explanation.....but put the agency on notice that if these unacceptable words appear in grant requests the documents will have to be re-written or budgets and grants will be affected. Hmmmmm......so let's ignore evidence and science as health care decisions are made. Sounds like a really good idea as far as I'm concerned. Not.

Is our world spinning backward? Is the next edict going to proclaim that the world is flat and everything really was created in seven days???

It's sort of laughable, if it weren't so worrisome. And some of this ridiculousness hits pretty close to home. Our son, Todd, is Natural Resources Director for the Samish Indian Nation. His office is in the administration building out in Anacortes, Washington. I can remember him saying, as he wrote his grant requests for 2017, that he'd been instructed to remove all mention of "climate change" and "global warming" if he wanted the funding for important programs. He had to twist his language and stand on his head to present the facts without referring to the facts.

Again....laughable....if it wasn't so frightening. Want the money? Follow the new rules.

Hello out there.....who are you and who put you in charge? I'll never believe that 45 is coming up with all this stuff on his own......there is a Wizard of Oz hiding behind the screen.

Kindness to Strangers.......

'Twas not quite the night before Christmas.....but there were a lot of my friends gathering at our condo. It's fun to have people over when the Santas are on display, the "electric" fire is in the fireplace, snacks are on the table and wrapped gifts are piling up.


It was a fun few hours spent with friends who live in the building, friends from quilt guild, some from Ozaukee County Newcomers Club, and more "others" I've made over the years in the Milwaukee area.

Dave and I have been having an annual open house for years.....but this year we couldn't find a weekend night that would work. So I planned a "Ladies Only" party. And each year we've asked that guests bring a donation for our local food pantry instead of any kind of hostess gift. We have all we could every want or need!

This season brings out the best in people....their most generous spirits look for ways to connect with others and make a difference in big and small ways.

So my friends came....bearing gifts....and I thank them all for their kind contributions. We don't know who will benefit but I will take the donations to our food pantry on Tuesday morning....and strangers will have a happier holiday season because of my friends.

And as the traditional Christmas poem says...."A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

One of Three......

Dave grew up in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. His parents bought a lot and built a Cape Cod home in a new development and Dave moved there as a toddler. There weren't many other homes completed so his family watched as one lot after another sold and homes went up to create a neighborhood.  However, as little David grew up there weren't a lot of kids to play with....yet.

Then one day, as my mother-in-law told the story, a moving truck pulled up to the completed house two doors down....followed by a family car. She watched out the window and crossed her fingers...maybe the newcomers would have a pre-school son that could play with her young boy. The car stopped, the parents got out followed by two girls....and then three boys that appeared to be about the same age as David. Wow! What luck!

So.....she sent Dave out to make new friends....and according to my husband, the triplets promptly "beat him up". And that was the basis of a fast friendship that lasted through grade school, middle school and high school. As Dave often told me....if anything went wrong in the neighborhood everyone knew it was either his fault....or the triplets. (And they were usually correct.)

The friendships grew more distant during college....but all of the triplets were groomsmen in our wedding, December 29, 1967. The photo below shows the beaming groom in the center....his younger brother, Bill, on the left, another very good friend, Gary, on the right....and the triplets surrounding Dave. David, Robert and Ken. My Dave has his left arm around Robert's shoulder. I won't begin to talk about the history of this friendship.....just too many fun memories.

We had a sad email this morning. Robert died over the weekend. How can that be possible? Look at that young, smiling face....his whole adult life just around the corner. And here we are fifty years later and one of the triplets is gone.

We hadn't seen him in years.....but there is still an ache. Tears from both of us this morning.....a hug and a quick remembering. The earth shifts just a little bit....and memories come back. I have a few....Dave has thousands......

Pink Sky.....

It's cold in Wisconsin now.....and we've had some cloudy days. I'm not usually up early enough to see the sunrise come up in the east over Lake Michigan....and the sunset to the west is blocked by the bluff behind our condo.

But we've had some amazing sunsets the past few days! Lucky me - driving home from the city at just the right time yesterday. I pulled over and took a few photos with my phone. No filters, no manipulating of the images.....but these are pretty good.

When we lived aboard our sailboat we had a saying...."Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailers take warning." So.....this was a delight.....

What Do You Do.....

What do you do when you can't do anything?

I have a friend and she has cancer. I can't say she is a close friend.....but she is a quilting buddy. I met her several years ago and enjoyed being with her once a month at our guild. She invited me to join a smaller group just to keep the creative juices flowing....and that continued for about a year. She and I gave presentations at two area guilds talking about how we use our photographs as inspiration. I used an easy method....she was much more creative and detailed. I attended a little workshop at her home to try her method and made this quilted wall hanging....

Her plan involved taking one of Dave's photos as my inspiration and then cutting lots of tiny pieces, layering them and fusing them to the background to re-create the image. It took hours!  I did finish it and have it hanging in our bedroom. I do like it. I think of my friend each time I walk into the room.....but I will never use her method ever again.

I much prefer my method where you print the photo out on fabric and slap it on top of the little quilt. Faster and much easier!













But I started this blog with a question and my thoughts keep wandering. It's just that I
think of her every time I see my wall hanging. She inspired me.....she even challenged me at one fun lunch when we "dared" to talk politics! She always greeted me at guild meetings with a huge smile and a big hug.

And I just wish there was something I could do. I know she has a very supportive family and many long-time close friends who spend time with her and hold her up these days. And I don't know how much time she has....but she is dying. Could be months, could be weeks....could be days. Could be she is "waiting" for after Christmas.

I worked for two hospices.....so I have some familiarity with death and with how families and friends handle loss. You'd think this wouldn't be so hard for "expert" me. But it is. What do you do when you can't do anything?

I send cards.....lots and lots of cards filled with air hugs......I hope she feels them.

Slight Alterations.....

Dave has been making a gingerbread house in December for years! It started when we lived in Delaware and he actually baked his own gingerbread and cut it to fit. He did that until the year that he tried to put it together and the gingerbread wasn't quite "done" and the whole house collapsed. I came home to a disaster of a kitchen....and sounds of sawing in the cellar.

He created a "gingerbread" house made out of plywood. Once he finished decorating it you couldn't tell the difference. So we kept it and used it year after year until we moved on the boat. Sort of cheating, I know, but it was a fun decoration each year.

Since we moved back to Wisconsin we've had two nearby grandsons to help with this....and so now, he purchases a ready-made house at the store and he and the grandsons have fun putting on the sweet stuff. As they grow up they still seem to enjoy it and I know Dave does! The house lives with the grandsons until New Year's Day when the boys get to smash it with a hammer and eat whatever they want.

Looking back through the photographs I see how the boys have changed.....and this year's "house" was designed to be a dog house. So a slight alteration in the theme.....but it's still a fun Woodard tradition.

                               

   

And So It Begins......

Every year about this time the boxes appear. Four large plastic bins full of smaller boxes, Santa figures, snowladies, silk pointsettias, a feather tree, ornaments, ribbons and bows. And we begin.

The holiday season gives us a chance to add a little "zip" to our decor....bright red and green accents, shiny snowladies and Christmas balls. Greenery threaded with lights on top of the large armoir and additional lights for the railing outside on the deck.

It's fun, unwrapping each item and trying to figure out where it belongs for the month. Should I put each in the same spot as last year or maybe try a new arrangement in a new spot in our condo. We've had most of our decorations for years.....moving them from house to house.....familiar, old friends.

The end result is fun and makes the place very festive.....but every year it starts with this.

Looking Back at 70......

Somehow it happened. I am now "in my seventies".

?????? Even writing that sentence brings me up short.....where did the time go? How can that even be possible? Who is that white haired woman in the bathroom mirror, or glancing at me from a store window as I walk down the sidewalk? I do a double-take almost every time I see her.

Turning 71 is not a big milestone birthday.....but somehow "creeping" into my seventies just seems incredible. I remind myself everyday that I am healthy, mostly everyday happy, fortunate and enjoying my life in the moment. But can I really be "in my seventies"?????

November 24, 1946 - November 24, 2017.....I guess I can't avoid the truth.

Ah well....as my son-in-law said to me yesterday, "Think of it as the first anniversary celebrating your 70th birthday." It took me a minute to catch on.....but OK....that is another way to do the math. So 70 is in the rear view mirror.....now to enjoy 71!

Some Slightly Different Traditions.....

It is Thanksgiving morning.....a nice day here in Port. The wind is down, the sun is out and the temperature is mild. A nice day.

We are having a very "small" Thanksgiving dinner this year....Dave and I along with Fenway and Cousin Sadie. So instead of the big turkey we are doing a turkey breast, stove top stuffing, frozen green beans along with the cranberry dish and roasted root veggies. We will top it all off with a store bought pumpkin pie and spray can whipped cream. Yummmmmmm.....

So some of our 2017 food traditions are sort of "new"....but watching the TV with coffee this morning it occurs to me that there are several other new "traditions" that were never part of Thanksgiving in the "old days". Yes, we had Black Friday sales.....but we didn't have the continual reminders that Super Early Black Friday Deals are available on-line and you better check repeatedly because the stores change them every hour. All the stores....all the time.

As we age, our shopping list gets shorter so there are absolutely no specials that could drag me into a store and I don't plan to shop via internet either. Today I will just enjoy the day....and continue one of our "old" traditions....I will be doing my "thankfuls"....remembering all of the things that I am thankful for and recognizing just how fortunate we are:

• my family, even though, on this day....I wish they were not spread so far and wide!
• four happy, healthy grandsons....again spread far and wide!
• my friends....they make each day special, meaningful and fun....and once again I wish they weren't spread all over the Country!
• my view of Lake Michigan....something I never imagined would be part of my life
• all of the "things" that inhabit this condo with us
• our health and the fun we have exploring in our little RV
• my fabric stash :-)
• an almost-50-year-old marriage!
• and oh so much more

Happy Thanksgiving to all.....and wishing everyone could be as warm and comfortable as we are.

 

Not Me......At Least I Don't Think So.....

For weeks our national conversation has been revolving around women stepping up to say they were abused by a man. It's making the news because the reports are about men in the public eye.....film/television/politics/media etc. and because so many women are saying "Me too!"

The widespread reports and the swell of support for the victims got me to thinking about my own life. I can't recall an experience where a man made me feel uncomfortable, or pressed me with unwanted physical contact or made innappropriate comments.

Well....there was that one time in fifth or sixth grade when a neighbor's boy (about a year older than me) pulled down his pants and "danced" across the basement recreation room with his little penis bouncing up and down. Big smile on his face....and I buried my face in a pillow. End of event. I never said anything about it because his mom was one of my mom's best friends....and they were a very nice family. The middle-school boy was just being a jerk.  But as I think about this memory I realize he was also exerting his "power" over me. I felt helpless.

And then....come to think of it....there was the dreaded walk up the steps to get to the college cafeteria for lunch every day. The guys from one of the fraternities (one full of "jocks") would take their seats in the window wells at the landing (about ten or so could fit in the space) and make comments about the young women as we walked up the steps and turned to pass them. At the time I don't think it really bothered me....I took it as sort of a compliment. Maybe because I was receiving mostly positive comments. Today I might think of it differently. Now I wonder about the college girls who walked up the steps, not to "positive" cat-calls but to more critical comments. Again.....this was sort of a power play. The jocks "owned" the stairway.

I can't think of a time where anything happened in a work situation. I had a variety of supervisors in a variety of settings as we moved around for Dave's career and they were all supportive and never condescending or threatening in any way.

The reports we see now are disgusting and sickening.....and they make me sad/mad. But it is interesting and hopeful seeing the groundswell of support that may lead to long-term change in the way men treat women. Parents everywhere may take much more time discussing acceptable behavior with their children.....what's OK and what's not.

Now if only someone would talk to 45.

Remembering.......

Last week I went to a matinee. A group of us sat in the darkened theater and watched "Goodbye Christopher Robin." It was a lovely movie. I hadn't read any reviews so had no idea what to expect....but I didn't expect what I saw! This was the author's story....how he came to write the Winnie the Pooh series and what it did to his family. I found it fascinating......sometimes sweet, often sad. Sort of like the books.

My mother introduced me to Pooh when I was young. I have a very distinct memory of taking a bath, mom sitting nearby and reading pages out loud and both of us laughing at some of the Pooh-isms. I was probably five or six and she'd read the book to me several times. It was a favorite. Years later, I read it over and over to each of our children when they were young. I never got tired of it. And after seeing the movie last week I am going to "borrow" our old copy from my daughter and read it all over again. Some of Pooh's wisdom just never goes out of style. My thanks to A.A. Milne.

“Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.” 

“Some people care too much. I think it's called love.” 

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” 

“I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.” 

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” 

If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” 

“I used to believe in forever, but forever's too good to be true”

“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.” 

“Think it over, think it under.” 

Just a Quick Flash.....

When we lived in Bayview we shared the neighborhood with several red foxes. One walked through our back yard as I sat on the patio reading a book. One sat on the porch beneath our mailbox for a moment.....surveying our front yard. Once, on the way to work, I slowed and stop to allow a mother fox and her three kits to cross the road in front of me. Once, walking toward the lake a fox paced out of an alleyway, glanced at me and, in no particular hurry, continued on his way.

Someone told me there was a fox den at the north end of "our" bike path here in Port....across from the community garden. But I've never seen it.

Then there was today.....our 9:00 a.m. walk so Fenway could do "his business". Going along the bike path we always spot squirrels and lots of birds. Often we find rabbits and deer peering out of the brush, or crossing the path ahead of us. It's one of the reasons this is my favorite walk. Within a few minutes of the condo building I feel like we are miles away from any civilization and nature presents me with surprises.

Today, moving out of the brush on the left side of the path and scampering straight north in front of me was a beautiful red fox. An adult.....moving quickly and disappearing around a curve. I walked as fast as possible....but rounding that same curve the fox was nowhere to be seen. I looked left and right as we continued along....down at the stream, up the hill. But he/she could have been anywhere.

But what fun....Fenway and I saw a fox. Wish I'd had my camera and had been quick enough to capture the disappearing tale.....a free photo from the internet will have to do. For now......

Ya Da Ya Da Ya Da......

With lips pursed he says it again...."It's too soon to talk about gun control."

Take a look at the figures below:

April 16, 2007 - Seung Hui Cho, a 23 year old student, went on a killing spree at Virginia Tech killing 32 people
December 14, 2012 - Adam Lanza, 20, gunned down six adults and 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut
October 16, 1991 - George Hennard, 32, shot and killed 23 people in Kileen, Texas
July 18, 1984 - James Huberty, 41, gunned down 21 adults and children in San Ysidro, California
August 1, 1966 - Charles Joseph Whitman, a former Marine, shot and killed 16 people at the University of Texas in Austin
August 20, 1986 - Patrick Henry Sherrill killed 14 postal workers in Edmond, Oklahoma
December 2015 - Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in San Bernadino, California
November 5, 2009 - US Army Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 people near Kileen, Texas
April 20 - 1999 - Students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and one teacher in Columbine, Colorado
September 16, 2013  - Aron Alexis killed 12 people in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater
October 1, 2015 - Christopher Harper-Mercer shot an assistant professor and eight students at Umpqua Community College near Roseburg, Oregon
June 18, 2015 - Dylann Roof, wanting to start a race war, killed nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, South Caroliina
October 1, 2017 -Stephen Paddock killed 58 people at a concert in Las Vegas, Nevada
November 4, 2017 - Devin Patrick Kelley killed 26 at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas

This list includes the names of three people, involved in two separate mass killings, as pledging allegiance to the Islamic State. All the rest? Mostly white men.....mostly, if not all, American citizens.

Reasons? Anger issues, mental health problems......probably. And this is a "small" list - only including victims of mass shootings. It doesn't take into account the individual acts of gun violence in America. (According to Gun Violence Archive information 15,084 people died in America as a result of gun violence in 2016.)

But yes.....way too early to talk about gun control. Especially after funding is cut for mental health programs. Those programs aren't needed either. Extreme vetting is very important according to Fearless Leader.....but gun control? The ability to purchase automatic weapons? Too early to make any decisions about that.

So go ahead and plan a trip - but you might want to avoid visiting schools, concerts, churches, movie theaters. Welcome to the United States of Guns.

Midnight Conversations.....

For some reason I've been waking up in the middle of the night. Not an unusual occurence.... but until recently I always just turned over and went right back to sleep. The last few nights I've been up for at least an hour....trying to shut down the conversations in my head.

I don't seem to have a specific "theme" going on....each night is unique. Sometimes a dream wakes me and I just continue on with whatever was happening while I was asleep. I continue the conversation and the story in my head goes on....and on.

It's frustrating. I can put a stop to it if I grab my pillow and my book, migrate to a couch and read for awhile. Then, turning out the light, I go right back to sleep until morning. I wake to find Fenway on patrol....trying to find me so I can take him out for his early morning constitutional.

While I have finished two books in the past week by using these middle-of-the-night hours, I'd rather take a few days longer to read the book and spend my night-time hours sleeping in my bed.

Midnight conversations......discussions, questions and answers, ideas....enough already.

Some New Language.......

"Walking it back."
"Fake news."
"180 degree turn."
"Chaos in the Oval Office."
"Bigly."

I am saturated. Waking up each morning to have news coverage on both radio and television about the latest series of very "presidential" tweets and misstatements is just too much. The grammatical errors, the inability to speak without causing major confusion and head scratching. I find the information, repeated and repeated, and analyzed and discussed just puts me in a sad/bad mood....probably affects my blood pressure and stress level. And his statements frighten me.

So I'm trying to just stop - stop listening, stop watching, stop...stop....stop.

I know it won't be possible to ignore it all. But I'm going to try. I will try to scroll past the Facebook posts. I won't keep my radio on PBS all day....I will listen to music. I will walk out of the room for the nightly news and probably not start my day with one of the morning shows. At least for awhile.....until I can strike a balance. I know I need to stay informed, but if his "handlers" cannot keep him on track why should I waste my time trying to sort through the confusion?

And if only the news professionals would try to do the same for a few weeks. Just cut him off....don't give him the soapbox or the publicity....he thrives on it.  So ignore the man. Cover the NEWS. Cover what's actually HAPPENING.....cover the final DECISIONS.

Just stop covering the sad/ridiculous/unqualified crapola that originates with 45.

Just stop.......

Three + Grands....Who Knew!?

We've been lucky to be able to do a lot of traveling. Some of it while Dave was working and I could accompany him on various business trips. It was pretty special being able to visit a Colorado ski resort, San Francisco, Arizona, Orlando and Boston for various conferences. Now we take ourselves at a slower pace....using our little RV to drive to spaces and places we want to see.

The first time I saw the Grand Canyon it was out of an airplane window. Way down below was this long gold/red/rust/purple "gash" with a blue stream of water meandering down the center. At first I wasn't sure what it was....pointing it out to Dave he's the one who said "That's the Grand Canyon!" From the air you get a wonderful sense of just how huge it is.

Now we've driven to visit the south rim and stood looking down - up close and personal.

And then someone said you need to visit the second largest canyon in the country - Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.  So we did.....

And then there was the trip that included a few nights camped near The Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado. Dave saw it featured on a PBS documentary just before we planned our excursion. Amazing....and black!

We've seen beautiful canyons in Utah and vistas throughout the West. Each curve in the road bringing another "ahhhhh!"  But I was surprised, on our way home from a recent trip to the Adirondacks and New England to find that Pennsylvania has it's own Grand Canyon near Wellboro. It's not as big or impressive as THE Grand Canyon and we didn't have the best light for a photo.....but still. Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon

The power of Mother Nature.....wind, rain, water. Beautiful carvings in the land......

Getting Harder to Read......

It can't be age. It just can't be. It can't be the prescription for my glasses....they are brand new. It can't be cataracts....I had surgery earlier this year.

I know what it is. Map makers are using smaller and smaller print. It's their fault.

And Yet Again.....Those Famous Words....

“The deadliest mass shooting in recent American History.”

7:10 in the morning......in from Fenway’s quick walk....plug in the coffee pot and hit the remote for the small kitchen TV. Starting the day with Good Morning America. And yes.....what a good morning again in America.

This time a country music festival in Las Vegas.....and hundreds of shots ringing out as Jason Aldean sings on stage. At this report hundrds of people hurt and at least 50 killed. Mass hysteria. The shooter dead....his story yet to come out.

And so it begins.....the listing of the other incidents we’ve seen unfold on our TV screens. And the talking heads analyzing the event.

And once again....let’s celebrate that damn second amendment. “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.”

A few of the phrases that hit me....”well regulated Militia”......”security of a free State”....neither of which ever seem to apply in our mass-shooting events. So yes, our founding fathers were intelligent and educated men....for their times. They had goals for our young Country that are reflected in the documents they created.

But now? There are so many “holes” in any safeguards designed to put guns in the hands of responsible individuals that the rules created just don’t work.

You want to own a gun and be part of a well regulated militia? Drive down to the nearest recruitment office and join the armed services.

Walking With Butterflies....and Refrigerator Magnets...

An absolutely beautiful day here in Wisconsin. Blue skies with white puffy clouds, Lake Michigan's blue was gorgeous.....a perfect day for several dog walks. Fenway and I went out twice during the morning and once again after lunch.

On our last long walk we started down through the volleyball court, through the woods, across the bridge and back to the condo along the well traveled bike path. Fenway pranced along in front of me and I just looked at the trees, listened to a few birds, dodged the bicyclists and noticed a few monarch butterflies migrating south. One large butterfly literally flew alongside me for about five minutes. Slowly swooping up and down the way they do....from one side of the path to another....but continually along side me. It never stopped at any of the blooms along the way.....just slowly flew along with me as I walked.

I, along with many others, have a "thing" about nature and "signals" and "moments" where heart strings connect across time and space. Watching the butterfly was one of those moments for me......memories of my cousin flooded back. Memories of my mom and my mother-in-law. Memories. A few tears, a small smile and a nod toward the monarch. "I see you and I'm so glad you came."

Later, making our dinner, I glanced at the refrigerator. It's covered with magnets....that's what I buy when we travel. These small souvenirs remind me of adventures and of just how fortunate we are to be able to explore new places. The refrigerator also features about a dozen photographs....some happy ones of family gatherings....others of smiling faces no longer part of this world.

So of course...tonight my eyes flew to the one corner....there were some of the people I miss. My mom and my mother-in-law, my darling cousin in the photo where we were both giving cancer "the finger" and one of my best hospice volunteers who died suddenly and much too young.

Monarch butterflies, refrigerator magnets and memories......

Looking Down......

We recently spend a few weeks exploring New York State, Vermont and New Hampshire. Our little RV took us down the road from place to place as we wandered. A quick stop at Niagara Falls, campgrounds along Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain, wooded sites in the Green Mountains....each evening provided new views and new discoveries.

One of the best parts of the trips was connecting with family and friends we don't get to see very often. Brunch with one of Dave's high school friends (he was in our wedding almost 50 years ago!) in Franconia, NH. Two days visiting with Dave's brother and family in Atkinson, NH and then two nights in our friend's (the Other Lynn and Dave) driveway in Hollis, NH.

The big adventure in Hollis was a tramp through the woods to find mushrooms! The exploration began when Lynn and I were walking Fenway and noticed a few interesting specimens along the road. We brought one home.

Challenge accepted the two Daves grabbed a basket and disappeared into the woods behind their house. Gone for quite awhile they came back with a mother load......we now have to find a mushroom book to figure out just what they are.

Leaving the house to do some shopping Lynn and I renturned to find that the treasures inspired creativity......creativity covering most of the round table on the screen porch. We squeezed our plates and silverware around the edge just so we could enjoy this one-of-a-kind centerpiece.

So now as I walk....sometimes I look up and sometimes I look down. You never know what little delight is waiting!

Oops and What the Heck is Poutine.....

A day in Halifax included a visit to a wonderful art museum. My two friends and I were especially pleased to see the Maud Lewis exhibit. Maud created wonderful folk art in spite of severe physical challenges. She lived in a very quiet corner of Nova Scotia and her personal story is inspiring. I can't wait to see the movie about her life when it comes to Milwaukee.

Our day included the museum, the public gardens, lunch, conversation and laughter.  And one big "Ooops!"

We were at the art museum and somehow got separated for a few minutes. I needed to use the facilities (located right next to the exhibit) but when I walked into the room showcasing Maud's amazing work my friends were no where to be found. I went back toward the lobby....no one in sight. And that's when I heard some giggling. Turning to look back down the hallway I see one friend at the door to the men's room saying "I'll guard it!" What?????!!

I've made the same mistake myself.....but usually back away at the last minute. Not these two "brave"souls! No names....but I just had to capture the moment.

And then lunch......I'll tell you about poutine....it's delicious!!!

At

Folding Towels and Elevator Reminders.....

A few weeks ago we took a Holland America cruise to explore a little bit of Canada. We left Boston and stopped in Halifax, Nova Scotia, visited Prince Edward Island and then on to Sydney before going down the Saint Lawrence to Quebec City and Montreal.

There are lots of things that make cruising a lot of  fun......not the least of which is sharing the time with friends. But, for me, it's also wonderful to enjoy lots of wonderful meal choices without having to do any shopping or preparation. Especially as I browse the dessert selections!

Two fun things also include the towel friends who greet us every evening in our cabin.....and the reminder in each elevator. One does tend to lose track of time on a cruise......but it must be Friday!

Those Busy Bees.....

Fall is approaching....fast. And the bees are busy. With colder temperatures just around the corner they are gathering all the pollen and nectar possible! A recent visit to the Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia included their beautiful display of colorful asters.

Every fall I notice the bees zipping back and forth with great purpose. Time to gather as much pollen as possible. And I've also noticed that picnics become more of a challenge.....spread your repast out on the picnic table and before you know it you are "competing" withe the bees.

So eat quickly.......

A Sad, Sad Post.....

I am a dog lover.....I have a dog. I've always had dogs. I love my today dog as much as I've loved my previous dogs. I love coming home to this exhuberant little soul who is so thrilled to see me and so glad I am home.

Our current dog is a Boston Terrier named Fenway Underfoot Woodard. He will be eight tomorrow and is boasting some grey hair. I watch him run through the condo, or walk along at the end of his leash and I wonder how eight years can pass so quickly. When we bought this small-ish dog Dave remarked "Do you realize we've taken on a responsibility that will probably last until our late 70's or early 80's?" It was hard to wrap our brains around that concept....so we just started enjoying our little guy.

The other day, on another blog, Julie Zickfoose sadly told her followers that their beloved Boston, Chet Baker, was gone. You could hear tears falling all across America and beyond. We've been reading Julie's nature/family based blog for years and we all knew Chet. Dave and I had dreams of driving out to Ohio in the RV, finding Julie's driveway and stopping by so that Fenway could meet him. Silly I know....but fun to think about.

Chet lived a wonderful life in a farm-like setting. He went for long daily runs, he went on trips with his parents, and to book signings and to concerts. He was much loved by his human "brother" and "sister". And he really was loved by everyone who "knew" him on Facebook or through Julie's blog.

Her heartbreaking post on August 31st was titled "Chet Baker's Last Run"....I've read it several times, tears always. The prose and the memories and the photographs celebrate a little dog's life. A little dog....a big hole in the family now.

So I offer my own inadequate toast to Chet....and to his family. I know he will be well remembered, and I know just how much he is missed. I hope the memories of the laughter that enters the home when you own a silly Boston Terrier will provide them some comfort.

I don't expect that the Zickfoose family will ever see my little blog....but it makes me feel a bit better to just remember Chet and to thank Julie, Bill, Liam and Phoebe for sharing him with all of us.

And I look at our Fenway....as our new puppy.....

...and now with his grayness showing....

...and I think...."oh slow down love, just slow down".....

TV at the Gas Station.......

I stopped at one of our local gas stations to top off my gas....with prices rising due to Hurricane Harvey I thought it prudent to keep the tank full. I pulled in, flipped open the tank's cover plate and got out of my car. Grabbing the handle of the hose I inserted it into the car and turned to choose the grade of gas and start to fill.

I was met with a television screen....and the minute I started to hear gas running through the hose the "program" started. I think it was some kind of ad....I really don't know. I was just sort of amazed that I was watching a TV show while filling my car. I wondered just how long the program could be anyway And just why does a TV screen need to be there?

So now our world inserts a screen into another everyday activity. Stopping at the gas station. Fill her up....and watch TV.

So here's a picture of my reflection taking a picture of a gas station TV. Does this count as "screen time" for my brain?

Really???

Busy Bees and Touch Me Nots.....

It's a lovely time of year to wander down our bike path. The trees and bushes along the path are thick and in full green. Some of the wildflowers are gone....others open to take their place. Years ago learning about wildflowers was a portable hobby for me. The little field guide fit into our car's glove compartment. With kids in the backseat for cross-country travels to Gramma and Grampa's house it gave us something to do to pass the time. We got pretty good at spotting a variety of wildflowers while zipping down the interstate or stopping for a picnic lunch.

That hobby fell by the wayside over the years, but I still have the field guide and can recognize many of the species that decorate our Port Washington bike path. During the past few weeks I've noticed the   orange Spotted Touch-me-nots boasting their fragile beauty.

Also known as jewelweed, my information states that this annual often attracts hummingbirds on their migration routes and bees are important pollinators. The stem juice can relieve itching from poison ivy and can also be used to treat athelet's foot.

Just along the way I also find bushes full of Pale Touch-me-nots with their softer yellow blooms. And bees....lots of busy bees. My photos aren't too clear, but it was fun to watch one been going from one blossom to the next - crawling inside for a few seconds and then backing out to stop at the next one.

Can you spot the black bee butt??

So Fenway and I continue home and just before arriving at the end of the path I spot a quick darting movement in the bushes. I wonder "what kind of small bird"? I stop to look and zip....there she is....a female Ruby Throated hummingbird. She hovers for a second looking at me and then zips back into the bushes. She too is stopping to visit the Touch-me-nots on her way south for the winter.

What a lucky morning!