Tuesday

Last week this time we were at the campground in northern Minnesota. Today we are getting ready to fly to the State of Virginia. The rapidity with which we can change our spot on the earth is amazing.

A few years ago a pastor recounted his trip to speak to us at a pastor's wives retreat. He had flown from the State of Washington to Minneapolis, hired a car and driven to central Minnesota, all within a few hours. His location was completely changed so quickly. He could remember when, as a child, his father would hitch up a team of horses and they would travel several miles into town, do some business, and then travel back home. It might take them the whole day... but during that time, they had an opportunity to look at the nature around them, talk to each other, and think about things. Life at a slower pace had many advantages.

When do people have an opportunity to just THINK and PONDER? So many people seem to be constantly connected to some form of technology. I don't even know what all these plug in things are called. Of course, there's the phone. The cell phone is a wonderful invention, but some people find it impossible not to stay "plugged-in" every minute of every day.

I have always been a "ponder" sort of person. So much so that I would drive my spouse completely crazy at times wondering what in the world I was doing! Hard to explain that you are just thinking as you stare into space.

Well.. off to my day of packing and getting ready for a trip to the coast. Talk to you as soon as I can get to a computer. Might be a few days. Take care.

double oofta

Okay. We had a wonderful few days camping and are home. Lots of work for just a few days, but this view should give you a small taste of why we go. Naomi and Tony are here overnight to say good bye before they move to Portland, Oregon. The sun is setting on an era.

Now, George and I are setting out on a trip to the state of Virginia to see John, Beth and Matthew, so we have to whip ourselves into shape by EARLY Wednesday. When I say early, I mean early. We have to leave the house about 3 am and travel to Fargo. Embark for Chicago and then Richmond... on stand by, yet. So you can see why I call this double oofta.

More another time. Take care.

The picnic

We are at the Foster Street Beach in Chicago. Both Dianna and Mary are about to go swimming. The others of us are just content to look at all of the other people at the beach, take in the skyscrapers in the distance, and veg out. Wonderful. The thing I liked best about it was not only getting to know these members of my family better but also to take in the wonderful vista. Wow. To think this is right in the city of Chicago.

Today is Saturday. It is raining. We are preparing for our camping trip to Northern Minnesota. I will attempt to take pictures of our camp to share with you. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Everybody around here needs rain so I hesitate to hope for a rainless week, but I hope for some rainless days, at least. We'll see how it goes. It will all be wonderful because the company will be the thing that makes it so.

I was so amused by Karen's telling me about her encounter with Izzy and Enid at the super market. She looked up and there was our blogger and his girl friend in the living flesh and pink t-shirt in Alexandria, Minnesota. Note Izzy's comment on the last blog. Izzy is large even here in Minnesota. Izzy is hard to miss. I still have difficulty wrapping my mind around what his impact must have been on the Japanese kindergartners. We are glad you are back, Izzy, and await your blog from Texas. Thanks for your comment! Hi to Enid, too.

Off to the packing. Take care.

Millenium Park

I have a sort of foggy remembrance of this spectacular fountain and the great park which leads up to the ART MUSEUM. Fantastic outdoor restaurants and statuary. As it was a very hot day, I was too eager to get inside to fully appreciate it. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Air conditioning... and ART. Now we're in the right place.

Naomi and Steve took very good care of me that day in Chicago. We looked at paintings and other forms of art until I was obviously starting to fade away, and then they steered me to a restaurant. A lovely restaurant right in the museum. We were waited on with all the obsequiousness necessary in a first class place, and by the time we were done I was ready to rock and roll once again! Not only were the waiters attentive, but the food was also good. Great!

We saw some great art and about four pm my eyes started to glass over and we headed back to the el and the bus. Fantastic day. Thanks to you, Steve and Naomi, for your great care of moi. I had a blast. And we had another day to look at art in the galleries! More yet! Wow.

Take care

Would you believe it?

This is a photograph of my picture in the 1956 yearbook from Roland. I am listed as the English, Speech, Journalism and Dramatics teacher. As I remember it, I did everything but sweep the floors. Five preparations, plays, newspaper and yearbook. I think I took care of the library, too, when it was also a study hall.

The kids were great. I looked through the book and had very distinct memories of many of them. What a wonderful bunch!

Memories are great. They enrich our activities in the present. I think one has to be careful not to become enmeshed in memories to the point that one has difficulty returning to the here and now. I can remember my mom taking photo albums from dad because he would become too involved in them and not be able to return to the present. This was when he was about George's age. It is rather interesting to attain ages that compare to the ages of your memories of your parents.

One of my clearest memories of mom and dad in Florida is their reclining in their recliners watching TV. They would both be asleep, so I would turn off the TV, which would wake them up and then they would protest that they had been watching a favorite show. The show was no longer on, though, and they would laugh at themselves. What a picture of us, now, that is. We in our recliners, watching TV. We have become our parents. It's inevitable, I think, if one lives long enough.

I do have one claim to fame, however, that is mine alone. I have a rowdy group of friends at the gym. They will never let me lapse into the past! Right, girls? See ya soon! Take care.

happy day

Life never ceases to amaze with its twists and turns. One day this week I received a visit from a student I had over 50 yeats ago! Turns out that she and her guest were also graduates of St. Olaf College. Naturally I took them down to the Coffeehouse Art Center and we had a picture together. Carolyn also has a connection to the MaeSae Lutheran School in Tanzania where Naomi and Tony spent three months recently. The connections are amazing. We all had much in common.

I was amazed at how much Carolyn still looked like her highschool yearbook picture. Because I taught in Roland only one year, their junior year, there was no picture of me in the year book. I can testify, however, that I do not look much like I looked back then. I should dig out a picture from that time for you to compare. I was so saddened not to be able to attend their highschool reunion in early June because of my health adventure, but her visit to me was very invigorating. It was amazing how many things I recalled from that one year.

Fran: do you recognize the jeans I have on in this picture? That is your green paint spot on the leg! The jacket is one that went with the dress I had for Naomi's and Tony's wedding up at Scenic State Park. The T Shirt is one Naomi had in highschool.

The necklace is a style statement that I have recently adopted from memories of my teaching years. I never seem to have a pen when I need one although I am sure I own about 2000 pens which are distributed around the house... so I have begun wearing one! Along with a marker for marking down dates IMMEDIATELY on my calendar and the nifty small Swiss Army Knife I got from George at Christmas. You never know when you might need a small scissor, a screwdriver, a toothpick or a tweezer. Many times a day I use one or another of the instruments I wear hanging on my neck. I feel it is a method of minimizing frustration. At my age that can only be good.

Take care.

At the beach!

This is the fabulous Foster Beach in Chicago. It is quite a contrast to the Lake Moses access, or throwing a stick to JYY at Moon Lake. I especially like the skyscrapers in the distance. Do you recognise them, Karens?

This is where we had our great evening picnic in Chicago. Both Mary and Dianna went swimming. As the note from Fran pointed out, Dianna is a rabid athlete! She has even encouraged her mother to begin swimming, biking and running. The swimming part I can document! Kudos to these valiant ladies! Steve goes at it in his own way. He is a dedicated walker! I really liked the atmosphere of the city, and the beach sealed the deal.

Of course, the art stuff didn't hurt, either. We took buses and the el to go to the art museum. I managed all the walking and returned to the apartment happy and ready to lay in the movie sac chair which is not difficult to get out of at all. The second day Andrea and Steve picked us up and drove us to a spot in the city where there was a gigantic art store. I DIDN'T BUY ANYTHING!!! One of the high lights of the trip was my control. It's interesting when you have all the supplies you need at the present moment and the only thing you want they don't have! Wow.

Then we began a series of visits to art galleries. Wow. I loved it. We stopped for lunch and visited more art galleries until my energy level bottomed out. Andrea drove us back to Dianna's apartment. I went in and took a nap to prepare for the above mentioned picnic. One of the best parts of my trip was getting to know my relatives better. They are the bomb!

I thank God I was able to enjoy this trip and have the energy to do all of the things we did! The memories I have are the greatest. Thanks to all who provided the wherewithall.

Take care.

All relaxed!

This is a picture of me on the movie sac chair that Dianna had in her apartment. What a fabulous chair. It is covered with corduroy and fits the sitter perfectly. Both Naomi and I became fans. It is also so large that it would take up the better part of any room you decide to put it in. Fantastic but large!

I am slowly recovering from the trip. I have painted a bit, read a bit, done a bit of acrostics, cooked a bit, cleaned a bit ( a very little bit), and slept a lot. George has a very painful leg - from the hip to his foot - so we are trying to find out what to do about that. Tomorrow he goes to a doctor that his doctor referred him to, to look further into the causes of the pain.

I received a phone call from Caroline (Carolyn?) in Iowa. She will be dropping by for a chat tomorrow, too. She was a member of the class that I taught mega years ago in Roland, Iowa. I was planning to attend their reunion but had to cancel the plan when I had my health adventure. I hope to get news of their get together from her and catch up on old times.... It is always a surprise to realize how old the times are getting. Ooofta. Take care.

What fun!

As we walked down the street in Chicago, there was the road sign that heralded the beginning of Route 66! Friends of Naomi's are going to take a ride on Route 66 (or what remains of that historic Route) for their honeymoon, so we took this pic to show them where to start!

Chicago is a beautiful city. It has great buildings, along with a gorgeous lake shore with at least four open public beaches. We looked at the art in the art museum, ate at a fancy dancy restaurant in the museum, and when I started to fade, made our way back to the public transportation. We were furnished a great apartment by family, and I was glad to get back and collapse in a heap. I expended just the right amount of energy. I'll tell you what we did the next day tomorrow!

Take care.

spooky

Ok. Now I'm spooked. The last remark on the last posting is so idiotic I hope it is a joke. On the off chance that it was made seriously, I'm spooked. Yes, spooked. All bread is baked whole and then cut. In Brazil it was cut by a machine that had a saw blade for each slice set the length of the loaves. The loaves were put in the holder and then the blades vibrated through the bread and cut the slices. The loaves remained stable and were put into plastic bags made the right size. The only trouble with the machine at our super market was that one of the saw blades was gone, so always the loaves we got of sliced bread had that one large slice about 3/4 of the way down the loaf.
Whatever.
I'm having a surreal day as I get ready for my trip. I screwed up the taking of my medications (you do realize that older people - ok, OLD people - spend their lives calculating which medications to take when?) so that at 4 am I was taking medications I should have taken at 9 pm the night before. Sigh. I suppose that I will therefore take the medications I should take at 9 am this morning a bit later. Whatever.
I am filled with whatevers this morning.
Clothes all packed, medications all measured and included, books and puzzles in the big bag, all systems almost ready to go. Now, hopefully, I am also ready to go! Wahoo.
Think of all the new things I will be able to comment on after I return. Be prepared.
Take care.

From Scratch

Today at the gym! I was taken aback by the remarks of a lady that she couldn't find Texas Toast for sale in the grocery stores. I had no idea you could actually BUY Texas Toast as such. Why not buy uncut bread, cut it thick and make your own? The idea was met with amazement by the others in the gym.
Evidently I lived too long in Brazil... or I'm just too old. The idea of making something simple from scratch is such a novel idea! Not. I still make almost all the food we eat from the real thing. I make my own spaghetti sauce with venison, tomatoes from the garden, etc., etc.. and we eat simple basic natural stuff.
I feel pretty wild when I buy the rotisseried chickens and manage to get three meals or more from them. Soup, cream chicken on biscuits, sandwiches, etc. Is it because I was raised during the hard years just after the depression or because I lived in Brazil where everything was bought in its natural state from guys in wagons riding around hawking their wares? The "super market" cut its sliced bread with a machine that had one saw missing so there was always one slice ready to be Texas Toast! The trouble was I didn't know what Texas Toast was at that time. I do love it now when I eat out, though.
I really love making stuff from scratch. With all the cooking shows on TV, I thought maybe everyone else liked it too. Who knew? What say you?
Take care.

HOT WEATHER!

This is a very blurred image of the acrylic painting called "Where's the Note?" which is of a bottle washed up on shore. It is one of the first that I painted and the one that Ben chose.

It is hot enough today that it would be fun to dive into the water for a little cool off period. We have an airconditioner in the bedroom window and several fans distributing the cool air around the house. So far it has been just fine. With the onslaught of HOT weather we are expecting, we will have to see how it goes.
I am trying to figure out what to do first to get ready for my trip to Chicago. Nay and I are riding the rails from Mpls. I am leaving all of the details to her, but I have to decide what to wear, etc. Just think of all the news I can give to you after I get back.
Wow. I am REALLY looking forward to my time in the museums seeing the paintings there. I am sure there are other things that will happen, too, but the art museums are always on my list of favorite places to go. More tomorrow. Take care.

Getting reacquainted is great!

Cherie, Sarah and Ben came to stay. It was so much fun. I told Sarah she could have this painting which she admired and inscribed it to her. Then I told Ben he could pick one, too. I will include that one tomorrow. I also gave one to Cherie and she bought one. I will include those in the days ahead.

We shared all sorts of memories of Peter John. He was George's nephew and Cherie's husband and the kids' father. He was the person who owned the Indonesian shirts that I made into quilts for the two kids. They have them and loved them, so that is GREAT. A nice sweet deal all around. We are becoming more and more acquainted. Sarah is going into 10th grade and Ben into eighth. Of course, I loaded them up with tons of books that I thought they might like to read, as well.

Now I am getting geared up for the trip to Chicago. George and I went out to the golf club this morning. I was a cheer leader and the taker of some photos for John. The golf club is such a jewel he wanted to show the folks in Virginia what a golf club could look like. I weathered all the strenousness of driving the golf car and taking some pictures. I did not try to golf. It was already hotter than a pistol even though we went at 7 am. I had a blast, though.

Take care and don't get too hot!

Good Heavens!

As you know, I start my day playing a few games. One of them rewards me with the chance to receive a jewel of wisdom if I should win. Ok. I won. This last "jewel" was definitely phoney baloney in my book:
"One that keeps one's mouth shut keeps one's life, but one who opens wide one's lips shall have destruction." Right. That's such a crock. If I kept my mouth shut, the whole bunch at the gym would go home unamused by my scintilating wit... or witlessness, I don't quite know which. That saying must have been written for a downtrodden woman who is abused at home. I am definitely on the side of saying what is necessary. I think of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Teddy's daughter. Someone said that if what a person was saying was unkind or unnecessary, not to say it. Alice said, "That's great. Just don't sit next to me." I am very loosely quoting all this as I am too lazy to look up the exact quote. But you get the picture.
I don't advocate unkindness, or untruth, but lively conversation is so much fun. Wahoo.
Peter John's widow and kids are visiting us today. They are the kids I made the quilts for. I have recovered from my two days at the art workshop. Now, I'm rarin' to go! Take care.

Yup, well

I'm going to be out of touch for a day or two, so I had to post something for anonymous to read with her morning coffee for one of the days, at least!

I play games each day on my computer. I have a ritual I follow. First, plain solitaire. Then Spider solitaire. Then two kinds of mahjong. Then on to my day. When i win one of the mahjongs, I am rewarded with a saying. The one I got today was too great not to share.

"Some people are at their best asleep." I would hate to think that was true of anyone I know. I can assure you, if I know you, you do not fit into this category. I would hate even more to think that i fall into this category. It's best to remain in ignorance, so if I do, for pete's sake don't tell me. Just let me wonder.

Welcome back home, Karen. I hope you had a great trip. Take care.

Time Marches On

Way back when I would awaken at my daughter's apartment in Olympia, Washington and look up at this view. I was entranced by all of the angles. It amazed me how long I could gaze up and dream. It is a painting that infuriates a friend of mine because the edges are not parallel to the edges of the paper on which it is painted. I try to explain to her that because of the placement of the bed, that is the way that the view looked and just exactly what made it entrancing to me. Nope. She can't stand it.

Is that what happens to us as we go along in life. Do things that look entrancing to one look out of whack to someone else? Infuriatingly so?

Some things are so infuriating that they drive people to bombs in order to right what seems out of order. That is, perhaps, a leap of reasoning, but i wish people could just chill out and stop blowing each other up. There are so many strange and wonderful ways to look at things.

Perhaps in heaven we will be allowed to stand together and look at things without the wish to blow people up for disagreeing with us.

My friend and I have managed it... so far.

Keeping me on my toes!

That "anonymous" is such a slave driver keeping me at my keyboard!
I worked at the gallery in Battle Lake yesterday from 10 am to 8 pm, with an hour out for supper from 6 to 7. It went great! I was able to do all the stuff required even to using the credit card machine flawlessly! Those machines are quite a quandary at times. I once dropped to the floor and begged a customer to please write a check so I didn't have to continue to try to operate the machine. That was at the old "Point of View" gallery. I never could make that machine work. It was something about the speed with which you swiped the card. The owner could always do it, none of the rest of us ever could. So....... I was greatly relieved when the card machine worked without a hitch yesterday.
George came up at 6 and we went to Stella's for supper. I had a prime rib au jus sandwich which was great. George had Thai Chicken salad. It's a new place where the old R and R was. Quite an upscale Italianate sort of place with outside dining possible.
What I really like about working at the gallery is meeting new people. The tourists are at it hot and heavy, and I sold quite a bit of art to people from Omaha, Nebraska and Seattle, Washington. What fun.
Okay, anonymous. Have I fulfilled my duty? Take care.

try # 3

Ok. So this is an uncropped copy of a painting, etc., etc.. it is absolutely the best that I can do at the present moment. I finally transferred the photo from Windows Photo Gallery (which for some reason I cannot access from this post) to my desktop. THEN I could manage to upload it. The painting is really much better than this photo of it shows. Too bad. I wonder who bought it. A guy used to come in the gallery quite regularly to admire it and I hope it is he who finally succumbed.

Well. Off to beddy-bye. Take care.

One Potato

OK. I am trying to find a picture of the painting of the tomatoes and a potato. I am not having any luck doing that. I will find it after I finish writing this blog, and then include it later. Karen W. wants to see it as she cannot remember it and it is the one I just sold in Battle Lake.

I am feeling good today. I had a rather invigorating day yesterday and lived through it, so I hope that tomorrow will go well, too. I am working up at the Battle Lake gallery. That is always fun. It is such a beautiful place with all of the fabulous art work. Any of you who want to could come to visit me. That would be great! After we have had a talk and you have purchased hundreds of dollars worth of art (right) you can stop next door for an ice cream cone at Granny's Pantry. They also have coffee and 100's of styles of candy. Well, maybe not 100's... but MANY for sure. And those great waffle type cones, etc......

I try to make it a rule that I never darken the door of that store as it is WAY too tempting to little old diabetic me. But the rest of you will find it heaven.

I'll get back to you with the potato. Take care.

Yippee

What a morning it was at the gym! It was my first visit back in a month. I managed to go around the circle once and a half, so I felt quite successful. While we were chatting and exercising, a motorcycle pulled up and there was Jim, back from his trip to Alaska. Coming to greet us all before he even went home. He looked slightly stunned. Sort of vibrating from being on his bike for too many hours for too many days... but he was home in one piece. I presume he went for a bit to eat at Mac's and then home for some shut eye. It was so great to see him!

I am feeling rather good. I am slowly building up my strength day by day. My incentive is the great trip to Chicago at the end of the month. Wow. I will work two days at the Gallery in Battle Lake this week. Then the next week I will assist at an art workshop there for two days. The worst part of everything is George is undertaking to drive me around. Poor boy will have to go fishing while I am at the gallery, etc. What a burden that would be! Right? Right.
Take care.