The Scourge

Most people trying to maintain a lawn seem to "hate" these plants. They spray them, dig them out, pluck off the flowers before they go to seed….anything to keep the yellow bursts of color from popping up amidst their green grass.

But have you ever really looked at the lowly dandelion? This is one beautiful flower. Can't even begin to count the multiple petals. And what perseverance! These yellow orbs pop up every year. For those living on lawns where home owners do a lot of mowing, they may be low to the ground as if trying to hide and quickly flower before the mower passes by again.

But give one an un-noticed corner or an alleyway…leave it alone and just look at what happens! Big, bold, beautiful….tall!

Wikipedia defines the dandelion like this: "Taraxacum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Eurasia and North and South America, and two species, T. officinale and T. erythrospermum, are found as weeds worldwide." 

So it seems that this pop of bright yellow is considered a weed wherever it grows - no matter that the leaves can be included in a salad, that some people make dandelion wine, no matter that the flower just looks happy! It's a weed….with determination, the "try-try-again" spirit and a "never give up" attitude.

Weeds! Poor things - but don't tell this one - it's loud and proud!  

Backwards….Inside Out….Upside Down

What do these men have in common: a rabbi, a paramedic, a police chief, a Boy Scout leader and a police officer?

My first response might be they are all in "helping" professions…..they are all active members of their community….they are all good role models.

Think again. According to today's issue of USA Today all of these men were arrested on charges of "trading child pornography in what federal officials say is one of the largest-ever roundups in the New York City area." Really? Where did these men, and the other men (and women) involved go so far off the track? When did they make the choice to abuse children….some of the children their own sons and daughters. How does anyone ever imagine to themselves that this is "okay"….that they "aren't hurting anyone"….and sometimes even "the child enjoys participating"?

This is another one of the societal plagues that I just can not wrap my brain around. These are fathers, sons, uncles, grandfathers, mothers…..these are our demons. How do we stop this? What do we watch for? How do we protect our kids/grandkids? How do we warn them about rabbis, paramedics, police chiefs, Boy Scout leaders and police officers? What on earth do we say?

What do these people have in common? They are our worst nightmares.

P.S!

Burbach, Zanchetti, Highway Paving, Milwaukee Construction Company!

City History at My Feet….Maybe a Little Bit Obsessive!

When I walk the dog sometimes I spend a lot of time looking down at my feet. Actually I'm looking at the sidewalk as we go. Counting. For the first few year we lived here I was looking for the oldest section of sidewalk - so far I've found a few squares in my neighborhood dating back to 1926. Just think of all the people (feet) who trod on that pavement during the last 88 years.

Now I'm sort of keeping track of all the different paving companies that, over the years, were awarded the contract to create or replace our Bay View sidewalks.

I've noticed Snorek Inc., Milwaukee Concrete, Zenith, Bauman, Milwaukee General Construction, Bel-Aire, Sauve Concrete, Meade, Milwaukee Paving, Schneider…..and I'm sure there are many more. Sometimes the names are "un-readable"….too old or just worn off. But if I change my normal route I'll probably be able to add to my "collection".

I also notice the many different colors of concrete in our sidewalks. Some is almost white and smooth, other blocks are grey and pebbly….I like those the best. More interesting to look at. Different companies obviously used different mixtures. And that makes me wonder why some areas of neighborhood sidewalks seem to last longer than others.

I'm not sure when it started, but I've always had this sort-of-counting-things-obsession. I used to do it on Sunday mornings in church where I always counted the pipes in the organ (the same every week!) or the sections in the stained glass windows, or the beams in the ceiling. I guess my mind was wandering from the spoken word projecting from the pulpit. Maybe it's because I'm a visual person - I like to look at things, colors, textures, patterns.

Whatever - I think I'll go for another walk.

City Mouse Goes to Visit Country Mouse

I grew up with one sister and two cousins. We were sort of "stair step" kids. I was the oldest, then Cousin Claudia, then Cousin David and then my sister Susan bringing up the "rear". (In the interest of their privacy I will not use any last names!)

My sister and I lived in a Chicago suburb near O'Hare Airport and my cousins lived on the south side of the city in a neighborhood full of nice brick bungalows (similar to where I am now in Bay View.) We spent a lot of time together because both families would congregate at our grandparents' home on a small lake outside of Antioch, Illinois almost every Sunday. Our dads and moms to do yard work and help around the house. We kids would play….and we had a ball!

During the years in Antioch we trekked through the woods, ran through the fields, played hide and seek in the next door farmer's corn field, skipped stones on the lake, read books in the hammock, rowed around in Grampa's rowboat and when we were old enough, swam off the raft our parents anchored in the middle of Voltz Lake. Antioch was where we'd enjoy Gramma's fresh pies - usually two waiting for us whenever we came….apple and cherry (fruit from their own trees). Antioch was where we spent "camp" weeks in the summer. Claudia and I sharing the hide-a-bed with "Mrs. Barney" in the middle. (Gramma invented Mrs. Barney….a roll of blankets designed to keep us from kicking one another and giggling to stay awake longer. A good idea that didn't work very well.)

The good times sort of stopped after I went to college - we seemed to "age out" of weekends at Antioch. And then our grandparents moved to a condo in Appleton and Antioch belonged to someone else.

College, marriage, raising kids, moving for career opportunities…..as adults we four cousins saw each other very infrequently. At weddings, at funerals and sometimes for a fun reunion or Thanksgiving gathering. Just enough to keep that cousin connection.

Now I live in Milwaukee, my sister in Chicago, Cousin David in Colorado and Cousin Claudia on a farm in southern Indiana.

In June this City Mouse is going to visit my favorite Country Mouse - Milwaukee drives to Indiana for a few days. Dave and Claudia's husband, Rob, will harvest some hay, Fenway will get to chase some cattle….and Cousin Claudia and I will talk, laugh and play catch up for a few days. It's all good - memories from yesterday and talk about future plans.  Cousins. Family.

What's Wrong with This Picture???

Wednesday I went for a walk …. bundled up as usual because the wind was blowing off the lake. When I got back to our yard I noticed that our tulips were trying! Brave souls…..especially when I came inside the kitchen and noticed the reading on the outdoor thermometer.

And then on Thursday it was 80 degrees inland - a little cooler by the lake. Crazy. If you don't like the weather in Wisconsin, just wait ten minutes.

Just an Education…..Please

Events happening around our world, once again, make me reflect on just how fortunate I am. Where I was born, the parents who raised me, where I lived, where I went to school, the friends I made over the years, the man I chose to marry, the two terrific children we raised together. Our jobs, our homes, our pets, our "things", our together adventures.

I am aware that much of this starts out as completely random chance - which sperm hits which egg to get the whole story started. But then choice enters the picture and it's the choices that my parents made for me….and then those that I made as an adult….added to an element of luck that determined my fortunate life.

Over the years of active parenting I remember sending my kids off to school, first our son, and then our daughter and worrying about things like "did they get their homework done?", "will they eat their carrot sticks with lunch?", "will they have a good day?", "will the teacher recognize their individual needs and their special talents?", "will they make friends?"

I never once had to wonder "will they and their classmates be kidnapped from school today…taken away from us to some unknown destination and denied a future?" All because they wanted to learn. All because their parents wanted a better life for them. All because another adult had the power to decide that they did not have this right….that what they were learning was  a threat….that what the teacher presented was against a specific doctrine or religious philosophy.

It's hard to wrap my brain around this….and frankly it brings tears to my eyes when I even try to imagine the resulting heartache for moms, dad, grandparents, siblings, family, friends.  It's happening again, in the name of "religion" interpreted wrongly, in the name of "me against you", in the name of "if you get some I might not have enough"……in the name of "you can't have your chance at education…..because I don't agree with what you are learning and that is a threat to me".

The things I take for granted….the things that are just "normal" to me….the things that so many, in so many other neighborhoods and countries would give anything to have. The things I take for granted.