Turning for Home.....

I woke to a beautiful blue sky and bright sunshine......a pre-Wisconsin-spring sort of day. Following our normal routine I ran Fen outside to "do his business" and we came back in for his breakfast and my coffee. Then we watched Sunday Morning on CBS before I got dressed to take him for a longer morning walk. About 9:00ish he becomes a "man with a mission" I dare not ignore.

It was crisp and a bit breezy when I left the condo and rounded the corner to walk north up the bike path. Robins! Some wrens and a cardinal! A woodpecker busy at the top of a dead tree. Could it be that warmer weather was on the way? It was very quiet as we walked along, we had the path to ourselves. While we were out of town our woodsy bike path changed a bit. The town maintenance crew came through and cut down a lot of dead and dying trees.....big ones. (Thank you emerald ash borer.) So it's much more open at the beginning of our trek.

But still.....the sun was shining and it was really a nice walk. We went up the path to the bridge, crossed over to the other side of the stream and made our way back next to the hill. And then we walked out into the field heading south and back to the condo.

Ahhhhhh......wind chill. That's why I heard waves crashing on the shore.

Nope....not really spring here yet.....

A First Time For Everything.....

I've never carried a protest sign in my life. Back in the '60's Ripon College seemed so "removed" from Viet Nam protests....and then we were married and raising a baby....and working....and just not politically active other than going into the voting booth.

But there is a first time for everything. So today, on a pretty cold and windy "spring" day here in Wisconsin, Dave and I joined thousands of others in down town Milwaukee. We joined the March For Our Lives here.....as hundreds of thousands marched in other towns and cities across America. I didn't know what to expect.....but the young speakers were inspirational, the signs were varied, the crowd enthusiastic and respectful. I never expected to see such a big turn out.

Maybe this is a tipping point.....maybe the young people who have organized around Parkland Florida high school students by using social media will keep this energy going. Maybe the politicians we elect to lead will do just that....and lead us into a more peacful future. Maybe our children and grandchildren won't have to continue to practice live shooter drills in their classrooms. Maybe realistic common sense changes can be made to our current gun laws.  Maybe, just maybe we can force our elected officials to take the NRA out of their back pockets....to stand up and say "NO...I don't want your money for my campaign."

It was an amazing event...... I joined in once, and I will do it again. It broke my heart to listen to a sixth grader address the crowd and say she wanted to feel safe in her classrooom. Sixth grade.....she should never have to say that.....she should never have to feel afraid that someone with a gun may roam the halls of her elementary school. The students lead the chants "We say BS!" and "Never Again!" Dave and I joined in....adding our two voices to a growing melody of American citizens who say "Enough is enough."

Many of the young people there today are not quite old enough to vote. But I am....and I'm taking my protest into the voting booth with me.

Springs......

Austin began to bloom while we were there.....trees leafing out....flowers popping up. Green everywhere. Walking the dog was a pleasure.....no sweater needed and lots of lovely blooms to brighten the route.

But now we are back home.....and it seems we left spring in the rearview mirror. Port is enjoying a beautiful sunny, blue sky day.... but not much green.

Ah well....we'll just bundle up for a couple more weeks and then we get to enjoy a second spring. I know it's out there.....just not here yet.

A Possible Repeat........

We’ve been spending a few weeks living in Austin, Texas. We picked this area to hide from some of Wisconsin’s winter.....and with most of our days in the 60’s and 70’s, we made the right choice. We’ve explored a little of the Hill Country....some cute towns, a winery......scenery. We visited the Austin Zoo, the Capitol building, three museums, Sixth Street with it’s pubs and music, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Preserve, wandered up and down Congress Street and Second Street, found a great dog park amd lovely coffee shop, walked our neighborhood....we’ve had a nice time.

Warm weather let us eat outside, play cards in the courtyard, listen to the birds, enjoy some spring flowers and greening trees......but now it’s time to head home. So we are eating whatever is in the refrigerator and packing our suitcases. Leaving early tomorrow for the long trek home.

Would we come again? I think so.....Austin is a neat city....lots going on. Would we stay for an entire month? I’m not sure.......maybe. We are more used to the RV trips where we keep moving along and see new things almost everyday.

But who knows....winter 2019 seems a long ways away and we have time to think about it.

Aren’t we lucky!

So Imagine This......

Today....all over the Country.....students left their classes and walked outside. They held signs and gathered around symbols. 17 empty desks, or 17 students lying down on the ground.....17 out of how many more? They are peacefully saying “Enough is enough.”

I am amazed at these young people.....purposefully working together from one coast to another to say that the United States of America needs new laws pertaining to guns. Duh. It seems to me this is a no-brainer......but somehow our legislators cannot agree that there should be more stringent background checks, automatic and semi-automatic weapons are not something that a citizen should be able to purchase. That these weapons belong in the hands of our military only.

I’m a mother....I’m a grandmother. I cannot imagine having my cell phone ring and here my children or grandchildren whispering “ There is a shooter here at my school! Help!” And what would I do? What would I say? What if this was our last conversation?

It is heartbreaking to imagine.......and heartbreaking to know that this is happening in our America.

I will be marching in Milwaukee on March 24th......enough is enough........

An Unwanted Personal Memory......

I’m active on Facebook......apparently that means technology has passed me by. I don’t tweet, or snapchat or whatever. I’m a Facebook dinosaur.

So, when I check my account in the morning, there is a private memory page that only I will see....unless I decide to share. I hated today’s memory page. As I skimmed down through the pictures and posts I came to one from this specific date back in 2016. It was my blog post titled “A Drip of Hope.....” and it was about spending the day with someone I loved as she spent the day getting her chemo treatment. Re-reading the first few words brought the whole day right back into focus.....the drive to the hospital, the physical space of her little treatment room, the kind nurses and staff, our conversation and laughter, zipping out to pick up lunch for both of us. The whole damn day.

And tears come automatically......and once again that bandaid is ripped off my heart. Claudia I miss you.

Only 30 Pages In......

I love to read......for as long as I can remember, curling up with a book has been a favorite pass time. And when, occasionally, I start a book and have a hard time putting it down, that’s the best!

My book club discussed Fredrik Backman’s best seller, A Man Called Ove, and before we left on this Austin adventure I bought another of his books......my grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry.

Within the first few pages I was hooked....by the charcters and by the beautiful sentences. “Mum shakes her head in a very controlled way and says Granny is making all this up. Granny doesn’t like it when people say that things are made-up, and reminds Mum she prefers the less derogatory term ‘reality-challenged.’”   “Having a grandmother is like having an army. This is a grandchild’s ultimate privlege: knowing that someone is on your side, always, whatever the details.” “But it’s pointless trying to explain to these people, as fruitless as claryifying to a guy carrying around a rabbit’s foot—because of its supposed good luck—that if rabbits’ feet really were lucky, they’d still be attached to the rabbit.”

I don’t know where the story will lead.....but within the first few chapters the girl’s grandmother dies and seven-year-old Elsa is left without her protector. Granny dies on page 44.....and I have to continue until the end on page 370.

It will be a pleasure.

Not Quite Friends......

Renting a cottage in Austin, Texas, for a month means we miss much of Wisconsin’s winter. That was the whole point! For the past few years we’ve taken our little RV to go exploring warmer climates for a few weeks in February or March. This time we took the car and decided we’d try staying in one place the whole time.....therefore a month in Austin.

And the first two weeks have been nice.....weather warm enough to sit outside and read, lots of shops, museums and galleries to explore. New restaurants.....new views.....new places to walk Fenway. But it is different staying at one location. It’s sort of like relocating to a new city....but not having the motivation or time to make new friends. It’s just the two of us for activities and conversations. Lucky for us, the other rental on the property was “home” to a very nice couple from Connecticut. They were here visiting family, so were busy...but we spent several evenings sitting at the table in the courtyard, glass of wine in hand, talking and sharing a little time. 

They left today.....to fly home to work and their normal lives. Thinking about them, I looked up the definition of the word “friend” on line. “A friend is a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.” That seems a little “deeper” than the connection we developed over two weeks.....ours was a bit more casual than that.

But still, it was nice having neighbors.....it was nice making that simple connection. Another couple will be renting the house later in the week......we’ll see if our luck holds!

In the meantime.....so long Ron and Nancy....it was so nice to meet you......