Playground Full of Possibilities…..

A beautiful evening to sit on our little deck, read a book and glance up at Lake Michigan once in awhile. A slight breeze, no bugs, the sounds of families enjoying the playground across the street echoing in the background.

I glanced up from the page just in time to see a little boy fall off one of the equipment's hanging bars and land flat on his back on the bark chips. There was silence for a few seconds and then I could hear his cries. His young father quickly gathered him up, hugged him for a bit and walked with him back to the bench along the side. I could not hear any conversation between the adventurous little guy and his parents…..but after a few minutes he was back exploring.

This is a playground designed for the younger set. There are colorful slides, some ladders, a bridge to cross….nothing too challenging, but perfect for the pre-school set. After about age five or six they probably prefer the big kid playground up on the bluff. It's a safe place….there are no swings, there are bark chips to cushion any falls, plenty of places for adults to sit and supervise. It's an adventure setting for safety minded families in 2015. Our playgrounds were a bit "rougher" growing up….with asphalt "cushions".

But this is a fun place to watch….little ones broaden their horizons, test their muscles, build their skills. Try new things, make a quick friend, chase each other and laugh going down the slide.

As I said, I couldn't hear the conversation, but I hope the little boy's parents were encouraging…saying things like "Wow…you were really hanging on tight to that bar!" "We're glad you tried!" "It's OK…everyone falls sometimes. You can try again."

It must have been something along those lines because, once again, he went back. Go little guy….go. There will be many stumbles in life….this wasn't your first and won't be the last. But you can do it.

Wonder why, looking back at the book on my lap, I suddenly had a lump in my throat and my eyes felt moist. Memories of supervising little ones who no longer need my supervision I guess….now they are all big ones!

……Competition

The same neighbors who care for the flower garden along the fence between our condo and the bike path also take time to fill several bird feeders.

We walk by or watch from the deck and window to see lots of bird activity as the feeders empty. I'm not good at bird identification, but I know we've seen little wrens and gold finch as well as many others in the past few weeks. (These feeders seem to be squirrel proof because we've never seen one of those climb the pole.)

But the birds do have competition. I notice movement outside the window as I sit at the desk….one of our neighborhood deer steps out onto the bike path. It walks north and over the grass for a quick stop and a snack. Who says this is just for the birds?? A little munch and then he/she moved on up the path.

No sooner had I put my camera away and gone back to the desk when there was more movement outside. Three more of our resident "herd" popped out of the trees, but they didn't stop. They slowly walked past the birdfeeders and on up the bike path.

I'm sure it's frustrating for the bird-seed-fillers…..but it was fun to see. Maybe I'll offer to buy a bag of birdseed to keep the feeders full for whatever wants to stop for a snack.

Blooms, Bees and Watching Fenway's Butt…..

Fenway is a good condo dog. He has a routine we can count on. Wakes us up about 7:00 a.m. and we take the elevator down and go out for a quick walk. Back for breakfast (first favorite meal of the day). Then mess around, nap, stare at us, play with a toy, nap….and go for a longer walk. Then another nap or playtime, more staring at us…..early bird special "dinner" about 3:30 (second favorite meal of the day) and another walk. Evenings are spent playing toss and run and growl with a toy before curling up on the couch under a quilt while we sit and watch TV. Last walk about 10:00 p.m. and down for the night. So….he's good guy to have in a small space.

But sometimes I think he does miss his easy access to our fenced yard back in Bay View. When I take him out for a walk he heads toward the nearest bench and flops down on the grass in the sun. Bakes one side, while I sit and watch, then rolls around on his back and flips to the other side. After about ten minutes he's "done" and off we go.

Yesterday, while sitting on the bench outside our condo I was happily watching lots of bees buzzing around the blooms along the fence. (A condo neighbor does a wonderful job of planting and caring for all of these flowers.) There must have been twenty bumble bees and other bees going from bloom to bloom. August is a busy bee time in Wisconsin.

Then I glanced down at Fen….quietly napping in the grass. He was right next to three clover blossoms and one big yellow dandelion was growing up right behind his butt. Each of the blooms had a busy bee on top. I tightened his leash without disturbing him.

Wouldn't that be a rude awakening! Happily roll onto your back….wave your legs in the air for a minute or two….and then turn over on top of a busy and now very distressed bee. Not a good way to enjoy your time outside.

So now, at least for a few weeks, I get to enjoy the blooms, watch the bees…..and keep an eye on Fenway's butt. He's worth it.

Four Letter Words……

We've entered another election cycle….for the forseeable future we will be listening to radio commercial and even more fun, we will be watching TV commercials. Then there are the debates. And the newspaper coverage. And postings on Facebook (and yes, sometimes I pass them on or respond.) And the internet. Election coverage and talking heads will be everywhere.

Listening to NPR in the car yesterday and it seems Canada is also having a major election. I think the commentator indicated that this was an especially long run up to the voting booth - eleven weeks. And a few years back we were in Ireland and there were signs everywhere…..again, for only a matter of weeks before the Presidential election was decided. (And Michael D. won!)

So I have to wonder…..why does it take us so long? Why do candidates start sometimes two years before the election? And why do incumbents also spend so much of their time running for re-election?

And I also have to wonder why we all seem to judge each other based on who we voted for in the last election? Since when have Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, right-wing, left-wing all become four letter words. Why do conversations simply shut down when people who disagree on a candidate try to have a discussion? Why can't we have the conversations, explain our reasoning….perhaps even change our minds? Why is it all so nasty…..and so long?

Sigh….I will be in the voting booth and I will make a decision. I admit I'm not listening too much right now….there's just too much noise…..too many people in the mix. This process in the USA is just too damn long (and yes….that's a four letter word).

A Pile of Pieces…..

Quilts percolate in my brain until they are ready to come out. Occasionally a pattern will prompt an idea, or a stack of fabric that goes well together. Sometimes it's just a concept without a pattern….and sometimes the end result is deemed a success….sometimes not.

But it's the process I enjoy the most. Maybe it's an off-shoot of the fact that I loved geometry in high school…..shapes and pieces put together to make the whole. Is that a right-brain or left-brain activity? (Whichever side is the one that does not involve algebra because I needed a tutor to get through that class.)

Anyway - I purchased most of these fabrics at Paducah during quilt week last year. I just loved the palette. And they sat in my stash cupboard until recently. They moved out to my counter top and are now starting to "make something".

After a few days they move to the design wall tucked into what used to be a walk-in pantry. (It now belongs to me! No food - just fabric, my sewing machine and other quilting supplies. Works fine for us since I hate to cook….but love to quilt.)

Eventually the finished quilt will decorate our bedroom. I recently made a similar quilt and frankly Dave was disappointed to see that it was leaving the condo and heading to the Seattle area to help a non-profit raise funds with a raffle. But I assured him there was enough left for quilt number two…..and we will keep this one.

Love the fabric shoping, love the planning, love the process, love the results. Color me happy.

FWP.......

Earlier this month Dave and I treated the "kids" and their families to an Alaskan cruise. There were ten of us....with four grandsons ranging in age from ten to 17. Two mothers and two fathers.....with different interests, and two "oldies" with their own wish-lists.

I guess our biggest "wish" was just that we would enjoy the time together.....anything else would be a
bonus. As with most trips or vacations there were a few "bumps".....starting in Milwaukee when our plane was delayed and we flew out two hours late.

Sometimes we were frustrated on our huge cruise ship just trying to FIND each other.....and at moments the two younger families sharing one cabin each felt a bit "crowded"! The food wasn't to everyone's liking.....and frankly the coffee in the buffet was really weak....and we had some rain that dampened a few of our excursions.

But....Dave and I went snorkeling in Alaska! The kids did some sea kayaking, some rock climbing, visited a glacier, got personal with a number of wild animals at an animal rescue park...including a huge moose! We played Scrabble and Monopoly together, had some fabulous meals in the ship's dining rooms, swam in the pools and sat in the hot tubs. We sat on deck and talked. Since we are spread from Wisconsin to Washington State this doesn't happen often enough! And the dessert selection was amazing.

Our steward took care of our rooms each day, we didn't have to cook a darn thing all week, we got to spot whales and seals and just stare at the amazing ocean.

So the fact that we "suffered" a few bumps pales in comparison to all the good things that we enjoyed. As Megan said (quoting a comedian) .... we were complaining about First World Problems. Really not problems at all. On a scale of one to ten they are not even on the list.......

Except Meg just texted me to say their flight was delayed for who knows how long in Seattle. The escape chute deployed by mistake! They were sure to miss their connection in Dallas. Crap.....sorry, but that is a pretty frustrating FWP!

Out of Control…..

Driving along on our last RV trip out West we were, as always, taken by the beautiful scenery and jaw-dropping vistas unfolding as we moved state to state. Wisconsin has its own beauty but we don't have canyons and we don't have mountains. Mountains and canyons bring another level to roadside scenery.

Driving curving roads up and down mountains adds another level of excitement (or should I say TENSION!) to the trip. But we love it out there and hopefully will go west-ish again before too long.

One thing we noticed were the runaway truck ramps. We've seen these before, but never paid much attention. But driving the RV down the road and keeping her under control I became more aware of just how important the brakes are. And what if they fail!???

Good grief……if you were a trucker and your brakes failed I know you'd be glad to see this sign and the gravel up-grade just ahead. But just driving past this was scary enough for me! I could see how the bed of gravel would slow and then stop the truck….but then what??? How do you get back down??

Maybe driving around flatter Wisconsin most of the year is excitement enough.