May 30, 2024......A Day To Remember.....

Another step down his road.....this was one of the most amazing screen shots I've ever grabbed with my phone.

A Goof and Bunny Spotting.....

An absolutely beautiful Saturday morning in Milwaukee.....taking advantage of it because the rest of the Memorial Day weekend looks kind of "damp". Sunny, blue skies, temperatures in the upper 60's. For me it's perfect. So I decided to walk over to the library because my reserved book was waiting. Checked on the internet and yes, the library was open.

Grabbed my tote bag and put on my jeans jacket and took off. I was crossing the parking lot when my phone rang so I answered and then went to put it back in my pocket. Ooops....mistakenly hit the camera app and took a picture. Me!

Continuing on my way I crossed Prospect and was walking along the sidewalk when I saw a slight motion in the grass. A baby bunny happily munching on the very green grass. He made me think of Fewnay and how quick he was to spot his "prey".....but never successful in grabbing anythng!

I enjoy these little wildlife moments in the neighborhood, nothing too exotic but still fun to see that people presence hasn't scared everything away....as bunny runs for safety under the nearby bush.

Got to the library only to find it closed for Memorial Day weekend. I guess I didn't check the fine print on their website. Oh well, nice day for a walk.

Lasting Beauty....

I was away for a few days at a gathering of my friends from college. We'd been gettiing together almost once a year since 1994 but COVID put the breaks on and we hadn't seen each other since 2018. So being together was really special this time.  I drove home on Sunday, May 12th to find a special Mother's Day gift from my son who lives near Seattle.

Then ten days later I pulled out the flowers that were dead and made a smaller bouquet. Still beautiful!

Then this morning, two full weeks after the flowers arrived I had to toss most of them....except the four dried roses. These I will keep as a beautiful reminder of Todd's special gift. Look at the color!

I'm sure our first-born sent the original bouquet because it looked so beautiful on-line, and it was. I don't think he imagined that it would bring such long-term pleasure to his far-away-mom!

Why?

Sunday morning before brunch I set off on a quick run to a nearby Walmart. This is not my favorite shopping destination but it is the closest place where I can find thread and some fabric. I wanted plain white flannel to cover a quilting design wall in ECP's Creativity Center.....none.  I wanted some fusible bonding web to start on a new idea for another quilt.....none.  I found strawberries, blueberries and red pepper hummus and then headed to the pharmacy area. I needed some deodorant.

Much to my surprise the whole deodorant section is now locked behind glass.

I stood there for a minute wondering "Why?" I looked around for any sales staff but didn't see anyone and didn't feel like waiting. Why would deodorant now be "behind bars"? Has someone figured out how to boil it down to make some new kind of street drug? Is it just targeting by shoplifters too often??

I don't know. I really did walk away sort of shaking my head and puzzled. 2024, what a world.  I will walk the three blocks to CVS after brunch.....in the meantime, don't get too close!

Busy.......

I walked up to CVS and Boswell Book Store this morning.....it was after 11:00 and I wanted to get up there and back before the forecast of rain came true. I turned the corner and noticed motion down to my right. A big bumblebee was sitting atop of one of the yard's dandelions.

I grabbed my phone and quickly opened the camera app hoping to catch it before it flew away....success! The fat little guy/girl buzzed off just after I snapped his picture. It just made me smile...being in the right place at the right time.

This is a good reason to remind people that bright yellow dandelions provide a wonderful bee-attraction. Don't mow them down or pull them out! This was one busy little bee.

 

The Girls We Were......

This past week I walked back in time. My small group of Ripon friends were together again (most of us) at a B&B in Belleville, Wisconsin. These 1965 sorority sisters "found" each other as college students and after some side-roads "found" each other again at a Ripon reunion. I'd seen some of these friends one-on-one at various times, but raising new families, moving around the Country, starting careers, becoming adults meant that our worlds diverged.....until they didn't.

As we hugged, talked, ate, danced, laughed at that reunion we all said "We have to see each other again soon!" And so it began. In the 20+ years following we managed to gather about once a year (girls only) and pick up our conversations where we'd left off. We were similar and yet different. We were well educated and confident but had differing views of our worlds. That simply didn't matter. For the three or four days spent in Williamsburg or Nantucket or Myrtle Beach or Wisconsin or North Carolina or wherever we just had fun together and built more memories.

We left our reunion in Naples, Florida, we planned to meet to explore Nashville in 2019. But COVID got in the way. So this year we arranged to meet back in Belleville....with a few alterations. Our one Bestie couldn't come so that mean an hour-plus-long Facetime visit with her. It wasn't the same as the in person fun, but it helped fill the space where she should have been. One other friend was unable to be with us for the overnight part, but we spent two whole days together and just talked, laughed and remembered. At other reunions we've gone to the theater, played miniature golf, explored museums and galleries. This time it just seemed more important to be together and just share.

We are all now in our 70's and life has handed us different challenges and choices. It's hard to believe that so many years have passed since we pledged our sorority in 1965. It's hard to wrap my brain around remembering the girls we were and then celebrating the women we've become.

I wish everyone experiences like this.....time with friends who knew you when. No judgement....just acceptance, encouragement and love. Sending this out to Susie, Diane, Judy, Linda and Donna. Hugs to you all and I'm looking forward to the next Mini Ripon Reunion with you.