When I was a child living in an old farmhouse out on French Road, the Christmas tree came down on Twelfth Night, the day before my mother's birthday. By Twelfth Night, the tree, which was cut in our own woods, was dropping its dry needles all over the carpet. One of my job was to pick the needles out of the carpet.
I've continued with that tradition, but with the funeral in Illinois, we didn't have time to finish the job yesterday. When I got up this morning, I took down my office tree and all the decor around the house, leaving the big tree still decorated in the dining room.
This afternoon, I had some kind of a sneezing and nose dripping attack that put me back in bed for the afternoon. Though I feel better this evening, I still have that one tree to go. It will still be there tomorrow. I don't really mind. It's extending the holidays that much farther.
At least now, I have an artificial tree so no needles have dropped.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Motels
While in Illinois, we spent two nights at a rather expensive motel. The web site showed a beautiful swimming pool and exercise room, both of which sounded good to someone like me who needs to work out.
However, when we got there, the swimming pool was closed because of chlorine problems and the exercise room had only one piece of equipment I could use, a recumbent bicycle. Our room was way too warm and there was no way to cool it down. I woke up sweating. Agony. The hallways were even warmer
I found motels like this across the western states last summer. Once I called ahead and asked, "Do you have a swimming pool?" Yes, indeed the motel did. I made the mistake of not asking if there was water in it.
I saw billboards that promised low rates at a certain motel some sixty miles ahead. When I got there, the clerk said, "Oh, those are our winter rates." It was July.
Over the years, I've wanted to use saunas and whirlpools that were out of order. This happens far too often.
Given a choice between a motel and a tent, I would always take the tent....weather permitting.
********************
Wade has another story at Black Coffee Fiction
http://blackcoffeefiction.blogspot.com
He describes a battle outside Yuri's door and a war within with a refuge. What is the honorable thing to do?
Next week I have to come up with a short story myself, so I will be holing up and working at this computer.
However, when we got there, the swimming pool was closed because of chlorine problems and the exercise room had only one piece of equipment I could use, a recumbent bicycle. Our room was way too warm and there was no way to cool it down. I woke up sweating. Agony. The hallways were even warmer
I found motels like this across the western states last summer. Once I called ahead and asked, "Do you have a swimming pool?" Yes, indeed the motel did. I made the mistake of not asking if there was water in it.
I saw billboards that promised low rates at a certain motel some sixty miles ahead. When I got there, the clerk said, "Oh, those are our winter rates." It was July.
Over the years, I've wanted to use saunas and whirlpools that were out of order. This happens far too often.
Given a choice between a motel and a tent, I would always take the tent....weather permitting.
********************
Wade has another story at Black Coffee Fiction
http://blackcoffeefiction.blogspot.com
He describes a battle outside Yuri's door and a war within with a refuge. What is the honorable thing to do?
Next week I have to come up with a short story myself, so I will be holing up and working at this computer.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Funeral
As I suggested two days ago, a funeral is also a social event.
The moment we entered the funeral home, Gary's relatives came up to talk to him. In most cases, they hadn't seen him in years, but they could recognize a Harms, the distinctive nose, I think. They went into family reminiscences and lost me on who was related to whom. For instance, Douglas who is the son of Miriam who was the sister of the deceased. Miriam also was Gary's father's first cousin which makes Gary and Douglas second cousins.
I probably should have taken notes.
Whenever I get into one of these situations, I go to in-laws and partners who tend to be as confused as I am. Gretchen, Doug's wife, and I hit it off. Before the funeral, at the cemetery, and later at the lunch at the Lutheran church we kept making running observations on human nature, life, and living with the Harms clan.
During the day, we discovered that everyone from the deceased to the current generation are pack rats. The deceased had been hoarding things throughout her room in the nursing home. There is a lot of stuff being stored in many drawers, closets and attics by members of the clan. Gary comes by it naturally.
Later we stopped by to visit his aunt Shirley who had declined to go to the funeral. At 91, she likes her own schedule. But once we showed her the digital photos Gary took at the funeral, we were able to convince her to let the relatives come for a visit on the family farm. They soon arrived and swarmed the place, looking at the property and house. Miriam, only ten months younger than Shirley, stayed in the van and Shirley joined her there.
Of course, whatever they were doing stopped when it was time for Shirley to feed her class. She likes to keep to her schedule.
Later, Gary and I visited Donna, another relative, though Gary doesn't know how they are related. I met Donna at another funeral. We've been writing ever since. She showed me all the cards I've sent her in the past two years. Another family pack rat.
Funerals are a great place to meet people.
The moment we entered the funeral home, Gary's relatives came up to talk to him. In most cases, they hadn't seen him in years, but they could recognize a Harms, the distinctive nose, I think. They went into family reminiscences and lost me on who was related to whom. For instance, Douglas who is the son of Miriam who was the sister of the deceased. Miriam also was Gary's father's first cousin which makes Gary and Douglas second cousins.
I probably should have taken notes.
Whenever I get into one of these situations, I go to in-laws and partners who tend to be as confused as I am. Gretchen, Doug's wife, and I hit it off. Before the funeral, at the cemetery, and later at the lunch at the Lutheran church we kept making running observations on human nature, life, and living with the Harms clan.
During the day, we discovered that everyone from the deceased to the current generation are pack rats. The deceased had been hoarding things throughout her room in the nursing home. There is a lot of stuff being stored in many drawers, closets and attics by members of the clan. Gary comes by it naturally.
Later we stopped by to visit his aunt Shirley who had declined to go to the funeral. At 91, she likes her own schedule. But once we showed her the digital photos Gary took at the funeral, we were able to convince her to let the relatives come for a visit on the family farm. They soon arrived and swarmed the place, looking at the property and house. Miriam, only ten months younger than Shirley, stayed in the van and Shirley joined her there.
Of course, whatever they were doing stopped when it was time for Shirley to feed her class. She likes to keep to her schedule.
Later, Gary and I visited Donna, another relative, though Gary doesn't know how they are related. I met Donna at another funeral. We've been writing ever since. She showed me all the cards I've sent her in the past two years. Another family pack rat.
Funerals are a great place to meet people.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
From the Passenger Seat
When Gary is driving, I have more time on my hands but what to do with it?
I began by starting to keep track of the birds we saw, but it was a cold day so there weren't a lot around. Still, by the end of the day, I had thirteen on my 2012 list. By the time we reached Appleton, a bald eagle swooped over the highway. Soon after we passed a farm whose silos were dotted with rock doves. Many birds were commonplace: herring gulls, starlings, crows and geese, but when we passed the border into Illinois, there were lesser scaup. They won't be back into our part of Wisconsin until late March at the earliest.
We always keep track of the big semi trucks we pass, glancing at the doors to see where they came from. This day a lot of Manitoba trucks were heading into Illinois, so Canada is still exporting to the USA.
We talked about keeping a running score of all the people driving while talking on cell phones, but there is no sport in that since it soon was obvious about every third driver was endangering others that way.
We took Highway 2, the drive along Rock River, which I had remembered from years past as one of the loveliest roads in Illinois, but sadly it has been "improved", widened with passing lanes. This required removing many trees. It is probably safer, but now monotonous.
Happily, Maxson's is still there. This restaurant has superb food with a view of geese, a riverboat and the statue of Blackhawk across the river. Gary later said in Illinois they slaughtered the Native Americans then erected monuments to them.
We stopped to see Gary's Aunt Shirley, but she is stone deaf and takes an afternoon nap. We knocked and called with no result. We'll see her tomorrow at the funeral. Aunt Shirley is almost 92. We're attending a funeral for his Gary's father's cousin who died at 98. Meanwhile, his great aunt Alice is 96 and living with her younger paramour in Colorado.
Gary is likely to outlive me with those genes, so I don't worry about his pack rat ways, since the odds are against my outliving him. Someone else will have to deal with the mess.
I began by starting to keep track of the birds we saw, but it was a cold day so there weren't a lot around. Still, by the end of the day, I had thirteen on my 2012 list. By the time we reached Appleton, a bald eagle swooped over the highway. Soon after we passed a farm whose silos were dotted with rock doves. Many birds were commonplace: herring gulls, starlings, crows and geese, but when we passed the border into Illinois, there were lesser scaup. They won't be back into our part of Wisconsin until late March at the earliest.
We always keep track of the big semi trucks we pass, glancing at the doors to see where they came from. This day a lot of Manitoba trucks were heading into Illinois, so Canada is still exporting to the USA.
We talked about keeping a running score of all the people driving while talking on cell phones, but there is no sport in that since it soon was obvious about every third driver was endangering others that way.
We took Highway 2, the drive along Rock River, which I had remembered from years past as one of the loveliest roads in Illinois, but sadly it has been "improved", widened with passing lanes. This required removing many trees. It is probably safer, but now monotonous.
Happily, Maxson's is still there. This restaurant has superb food with a view of geese, a riverboat and the statue of Blackhawk across the river. Gary later said in Illinois they slaughtered the Native Americans then erected monuments to them.
We stopped to see Gary's Aunt Shirley, but she is stone deaf and takes an afternoon nap. We knocked and called with no result. We'll see her tomorrow at the funeral. Aunt Shirley is almost 92. We're attending a funeral for his Gary's father's cousin who died at 98. Meanwhile, his great aunt Alice is 96 and living with her younger paramour in Colorado.
Gary is likely to outlive me with those genes, so I don't worry about his pack rat ways, since the odds are against my outliving him. Someone else will have to deal with the mess.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Illinois bound
We received word that one of Gary's father's first cousin died in Illinois so we will be heading south tomorrow. She was 98 and essentially just wore out. In a case like that, the funeral is a social event, relatives connecting with relatives. Since I don't know most of his Illinois family all that well, I will be meeting new people and getting a course in genealogy. Gary says everyone had too many children so he could never figure it all out.
We plan on visiting two cemeteries to see gravestones from those who have gone before. We'll visit Gary's childhood haunts and he'll tell me stories. I'll make note of some of them because I am the historian in this family.
You never know what will happen. I met Gary's cousin Donna (he's not actually sure how they are related) at his father's funeral and hit it off immediately since we both have a wacky sense of humor. We've been writing back and forth ever since.
So off we go on what we consider our first winter outing. I'll be posting from a motel in Rock Falls, Illinois until Friday.
We plan on visiting two cemeteries to see gravestones from those who have gone before. We'll visit Gary's childhood haunts and he'll tell me stories. I'll make note of some of them because I am the historian in this family.
You never know what will happen. I met Gary's cousin Donna (he's not actually sure how they are related) at his father's funeral and hit it off immediately since we both have a wacky sense of humor. We've been writing back and forth ever since.
So off we go on what we consider our first winter outing. I'll be posting from a motel in Rock Falls, Illinois until Friday.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Fears
On New Year's Day, I started a new day planner that includes a quotation of the day. Today it was this one:
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
On Facebook, a friend passed on this quote:
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing." ~ Muhammad Ali
When I talk to groups about my adventures solo traveling and camping, women in the audience usually say, “Oh, I could never do that!”
My answer is, “Then you can't.”
Why do people limit themselves that way?
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year 2012
I've set my 2012 goals.
__ Finish my novel and send it to an agent. If I can't find an agent, I'll self-publish
__ Continue writing short stories for Black Coffee Fiction at http://blackcoffeefiction.blogspot.com
__ Continue writing this blog with no interruptions. (I missed posting three times in 2011.)
__ Self-publish a non-fiction book on my summer tour
__ Publish an e-book collection of short stories with Wade Peterson
__ Take the Circle Tour around Lake Michigan this summer
__ Exercise...swim three times a week, go to the fitness center twice a week, do yoga daily
__ Walk 1000 miles
__ Bike on recumbent bike 400 miles
__ Put in a bigger vegetable garden
__ Re-do the bathroom
__ Lose 25 pounds
I won't manage all of this, I never do, but by setting the goals, I keep moving forward. Check back at the end of the year to see how well I've done. If readers see me slipping, call me on it.
__ Finish my novel and send it to an agent. If I can't find an agent, I'll self-publish
__ Continue writing short stories for Black Coffee Fiction at http://blackcoffeefiction.blogspot.com
__ Continue writing this blog with no interruptions. (I missed posting three times in 2011.)
__ Self-publish a non-fiction book on my summer tour
__ Publish an e-book collection of short stories with Wade Peterson
__ Take the Circle Tour around Lake Michigan this summer
__ Exercise...swim three times a week, go to the fitness center twice a week, do yoga daily
__ Walk 1000 miles
__ Bike on recumbent bike 400 miles
__ Put in a bigger vegetable garden
__ Re-do the bathroom
__ Lose 25 pounds
I won't manage all of this, I never do, but by setting the goals, I keep moving forward. Check back at the end of the year to see how well I've done. If readers see me slipping, call me on it.
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