Purse Gravity

I’m ready to take the dog for walk so I go to grab my keys. They are somewhere in my purse. I know they are . I stick my hand in and start rummaging. 

I can feel my wallet, find my cell phone, work my way past about a dozen Kleenex (sinus infection!), stumble on a chap stick, some loose change…but where are the keys?? Keep in mind that I have a nice big key chain holding about five keys – so it should be easy to find. Frustration growing and Fenway looking at me with expectation in his eyes, I dump everything on the kitchen counter – and of course the keys fall out – they were way at the bottom. 

Why is it that no matter what I am trying to find in my purse it’s always at the bottom? No matter what kind of purse I buy, no matter how many specialty pockets it has – everything ends up jumbled together and whatever I want is at the bottom!

I’ve tried lots of different purses over the years and this same problem crops up every time. I start out determined to always keep my keys in one pocket, always put my cell phone in another specific pocket but my plan never works. 

In the scheme of things this is really not a big deal – so why do I let it bother me so?

Ah well – purse gravity strikes again. 

…..Still Looking Up

And then again this evening……over the lake and toward the north. Never-ending beauty.

Look Up…..

Yesterday I drove around town to run a few errands. Had NPR playing in the background. Wasn't listening too carefully, but heard a doctor being interviewed about "new" physical ailments. There is now some kind of "text neck" that people develop because they walk around so much looking down at their phones and sending texts.

This morning I got up, walked Fenway, made coffee and went out to the deck with my book. Went back inside for my camera.

Never opened the book - just looked up! The sky was "screaming"…."Look at ME!" Beautiful clouds slowly moving east and out over the lake. Sunbeams streaming down and the tops of the clouds crusted with light. It was absolutely beautiful. My little camera didn't do it justice - but I had to try.

There are many days when a moment hits you and you notice your surroundings - this morning was one for me. The book never did grab me - the sky did.

Look up everyone - look up! This morning will help cure "text neck".

Early, Early Morning…..

I was having lunch awhile back at a friend's home in Bay View.  I noticed that she had a note posted on her kitchen wall with numbers. They read something like 5:12, 5:17, 5:20. I was curious so asked her what that was all about.

With a big smile she said that one of the goals she had when she retired several years ago was to always get up early enough to walk to the lakefront and watch the sunrise. This was not a goal that we held in common.

Since moving to Port Washington I've been waking up way too early. Sometimes it's 4:30 a.m., sometimes 5:00. Occasionally I am able to fall back to sleep - but mostly I seem to toss and turn while minutes tick by until I give up and get out of bed.

Once I stir that means that Fenway wakes up in his crate and I see a little black and white face looking at me - ready to get up and go for his morning walk.

Ugh. I've seen way too many 6:00 a.m. mornings along the bike path that runs next to the condo. Yes it's quiet, yes I can hear the birds, notice a breeze, look out at the lake.  Yes Fenway and I have seen deer, and rabbits and even an otter on our early morning stroll. It may be too late to see the sunrise, but it is pretty out there.

Still, I'd happily give up this early morning routine any day now. Maybe when the list of things-to-do-in-a-new-place is shorter I can sleep later.

I Needed Mustard…..

On the way home from Milwaukee today I stopped at a local grocery store. At one nearby intersection we have a Piggly Wiggly, a Pic ‘n Save, a giant Walmart and a big Walgreens with a food and alcohol section.

I parked and went into the Pic ‘n Save. It was to be a quick trip, two bananas,  some milk and a jar of mustard.

Let’s see....regular yellow mustard? Honey mustard or Dijon? Stone ground? The store brand, or Plochman’s, one with a little horseradish added? Hmmmm.....such a “difficult” decision. As I viewed the shelves, once again I realized just how fortunate I am to be able to walk into a large grocery store and have this many choices.

Then I came home and watched the evening news. Israel is granting a five hour cease fire so that families in Gaza can leave their homes and try to find food ..... bread and milk...and water.  Try to find food.  And then the Palestinians can go home again and sit through another round of rockets.

I’m not going to wander into the political here.....the history of this tragic fight. Who’s “right”, what actions are justified. The background and history of hatred and anger. The results of carving one country out of another and telling the citizens/neighbors to “get along”. This part of human history is repeated over and over - we like what you have, it used to be yours, but now it’s ours. So leave your homes, leave your land....a place where you can trace your ancestry back for centuries. Get over it - now it’s ours.

No...I won’t go there because this happens all over the world, all the time and has been happening ever since we began to trace back through historical records. The Romans, Genghis Kahn, the Sunnis and the Shiites, Boko Haram in Nigeria. Can you say American Indian reservation?

All I needed was mustard....and I could have stood there for hours and no one would have thought much about it.

Bread and milk and water to drink....five hours....find it if you can. Then get back home and try to keep your family safe.

Welcome to Town…..

We moved in on a Tuesday in July and four days later Port Washington threw a heck of a party to welcome us!

It was the 50th Port Fish Day billed as the largest one day fish fry in the world! First thing in the morning people participated in an 8K run. There were five stages with musical entertainment, tents with food and beer, more tents with food and beer. Carnival rides and entertainment for the kids, souvenirs, more tents with food and beer. There were helicopter rides, an art fair, a classic car show and a two hour parade! At nightfall the event ended with a big fireworks display.

Our little deck overlooks Veterans Park and the “Classic Rock Stage”. The first group went on at 10:30 in the morning! During the day we had a chance to hear groups such as Tangle Foot, Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Alter Boys, The Squeezettes, Road Crew and Josh Thompson.

The weather was perfect and we hear at least 60,000 people came to partake of the festivities....what fun.

So thanks to Port Washington for welcoming us in such splendid fashion.....who knew!

:-)

Always Something…..

The movers arrived this morning and worked steadily for about three hours and then they were done! Amazing how quickly the two men were able to maneuver large pieces of furniture through small door openings, around corners and out to the truck.

And then I did a last walk-through before vacuuming the carpet, wiping down the cupboards and generally trying to make the house look nice for its new owners. We've so enjoyed our little space in Bay View and I know the new owners, first time buyers, will have fun creating their own memories. So goodbye little house - take care of your new people!

Ooops - there is the "ghost" of a large cupboard in the living room. Guess Dave will have to run back tomorrow with a paintbrush.