HAPPY NEW FALL!!

I have always thought that the fall of the year was really the more beginning of things than New Year's which falls in the dead of winter after all the activities of Christmas and nothing to look forward to but January, February and March and Income Tax time. 

Ah fall with its bright blue skies, lovely moderate temps, the leaves on the trees beginning to turn eleven different colors with the blue spruces and other fir trees behind them or in the midst of them accenting their beauty.   Everything starts up again.  The most obvious being school which takes on many meanings for different people. Teacher's best three things about teaching--June, July, and August are now over for another year.  Some young mother's are sending their first born  away from home for the first time.  Mothers with older children are breathing a sigh of relief that summer is over.

Churches start up their Sunday Schools and other programs.  And of course, FOOTBALL is back and the Green Bay Packers are filling our daily newspapers with trivea on all the injuries and predictions of future wins.  High school  football is just as important and comcert series and all kinds of things!  Can't  you feel the excitement of a new fall?

Out come the heavier clothes that are kinder to the human form and can cover a lot of deficiencies.  You can hit your ball farther on the golf course because the ground is harder and they roll baby roll.  I'm sure you all can think of other things that fall brings.  It is my favorite time of the year.

Just a note in closing.  I have found out this summer that Old? Who? Me? has now occurred and I am glad this summer when I was in sick bay most of it is now over.  I have seen so many doctors and ERs and they can't find the source of my problem so I am leaving for the Mayo Clinic Sunday.   As usual, I pray for strength and courage.

CHANGE AFFECTS US ALL

Change is a word which can include many meanings. If there is one thing certain in our lives it is the fact that there will be changes--some good, some bad. To paraphrase Portia from the Merchant of Venice in her lovely speech about how the quality of mercy is not strained, but drops like the gentle rain on everyone, one could easily insert the word change as having the same quality.

People have different reactions to change. Some crave variety and change while others prefer the status quo. It all depends on what you are talking about. I immediately think of changing one's place of residence. We have had to do this many times in our lives. It is no surprise that all of my children settled in one spot and were determined to stay there the rest of their lives. One said she wanted to have her children graduate from high school with the same kids they started with in kindergarten. And they did. The others are determined to stay where they are too. Except one. Don 't know about him yet

Politicians bombard us with the idea that a change is necessary for this or that office and perhaps I would say that is a good thing. Some enjoy a change of the seasons. Where I live we have an extra season--NFL football season. Others brag about the warmth most of the year around. (They don't talk about the 100 degree summers) We all enjoy a change of scene to go on vacation, new clothes, and some variety in our lives, but we pretty much want the basics to stay the way they are. That is, if your basics are good and not if you are out of a job or homeless. Some have changes in marital status. Kids have to go through mom and dad's divorce or the death of one of the parents or a sibling.

When you start thinking about change, the list grows exponentially (spellcheck doesn't work). I just thought it was an interesting subject. Each of you will think of your own experiences. How did change affect you? Do you wish it could have been different? You can't change it now, but can you turn it into a plus? Or was it a plus to begin with?

A BIT OF HEAVEN ON EARTH

First. I have to tell you all that I won or check-mated a game of chess against the computer last night. Holy Baloney, was I thrilled. I have only played over 700 games heretofore. Takes tenacity or stupidity--I don't know which.

My son, Jim, and I just returned from a week at my favorite lake in Minnesota-Green Lake at Spicer. We had a great time even though we didn't have all the rest of the family there as usual nor my boat. But the lake still has the velvety silky quality about it and is lovely to swim in and we did have a boat at our disposal. It was an old-fashioned aluminum rowboat with a 6 and 1/2 horse motor and you would be amazed at how fast it seemed to go and how well it took the waves and swells even when you are used to going 30 or so miles an hour in the Bayliner.

I've sent along some of the pictures of the resort which I have been going to for over 52 years. (We missed some when we lived in Denver and Michigan but not more than 5 or 6 I would say.) The first time we went, my daughter, Julie, now 54, was 2. So figure.

This is our cabin 9 where Julie's family used to stay all the time. Years ago 9 of us stayed there until cabin #8 opened up and then we got more room.

Cabins 8 and 9 are still advertised in the resort brochure as being the new cabins. We stayed in them in 1958! It is Deja Vu as they have not changed in all these years.

When our family gathered, my oldest son stayed in Cabin 5 with his family and my youngest son in in Cabin 3 with his family. Most fun to have them all there all those years.

Here we are in front of the Spicer Castle, bed and breakfast, and then here is a close up of the enchanted Spicer Castle.

For our 50th wedding anniversary, the kids had a dinnerparty here at the castle for my husband, Bill and I. They brought in my Bill's best man and other lovely friends that had attended our wedding so long ago. Our good friend the judge had us repeat our vows.

Wanted to share a bit of the piece of heaven we find there each year.

AN OLD MEMORY

For lack of a topic for this post, I found this tidbit which I had jotted down years ago. So I m going to print it just as I wrote it then.



It is an unfinished poem I was composing as I drove the car on a trip and Bill tried to write it down. I know words are missing and we haven't refined it or got it right, but I have been carrying it in my purse for so long on an old envelope that I did copy it down to preserve it for future work.

It is about the time we were in Estes Park, Colorado and just as we were leaving I saw a car stoppd by the side of the road. I looked and a glorious herd of elk were coming down from the woods into the town. I didn't have a camera. Many more people stopped and took pictures. I almost gave one of them some money and my address and asked them to send me a shot of the scene, but I never did and have regretted it ever since.

Apparently it is quite common for there is a preserve nearby and I understand it occurs every rutting season. One lady told me in the grocery store that the elk had gathered outside their church one Sunday and they were bugeling so loudly they had to cancel the service.

That day also I saw my first white Mountain Goat high up on a sort of shelf as we went by. He stood out in the sunshine like a white god and I was thrilled at the sight of him. It was a miraculous day.

Here is my description of the Elks:

And there they emerged from the wood

Materializing where before there had been nothing.

Yet the wild things were surely and slowly

Softly picking their way down the hill

God's gorgeous four-legged creatures.

But wait! Here comes their King! Who with every movement displays

Royalty and the mantle of command;

His rack is large and has many branches

His head heavy with its weight.

No matter he is old and infirm

Deference and honor belong to him

And he knows it and glories in it

Because he knows that his strength

Lies in past victories of wars won.

This is all she wrote folks. Can you see what I saw that day?

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

Yesterday was the fourth of July--a celebration of our Declaration of Independence where among many other rights we were given was the pursuit of happiness. Some of our Middle Eastern countries are now beginning their revolutions against the tyranny of dictators and seeking the same rights as we enjoy.

So just what is happiness. Happiness is different for a lot of people. Some are happy just to have something to eat and a place to sleep. Others have to have houses with all the amenities, the supposed disappearing middle class. And still others are not happy unless they own big and multiple houses built like castles. A lot of us today would be happy to just have a job!

That is just one phase or example of what makes some people happy. We could list many more. Healthy children. Being loved by someone, having numerous friends, traveling wherever we like, being healthy which is probably foremost as none of the others matter if you are not well. Having a lifework that one enjoys and supports one's family. Certain foods one loves to eat. Losing weight. There are so many things one can think of that make us happy.

So why are so many of us unhappy? Are we getting too greedy? Do we try too hard to keep up with the Joneses? Do we forget to count our blessings instead of the bad things that happen to us? Do we take our measure of health for granted? Have material things taken over what really matters in life? The loss of a loved one. Do we forget that there is a mystery here that we cannot know.

What makes you happy? Little things like someone I know--a cold glass of beer. Being able to get up when you feel like it. Being able to even walk. The feel of the water around your body while swimming in a beautiful lake. A piece of lemon meringe pie. A surprise visit from a friend. A warm Spring rain or a lovely floaty snowfall. A dog who adores you for no reason at all.

Take a minute or two and comment on what makes you happy.

It's Called a Lifetime, Stupid

Dr. Mehmeh Oz

"The reason so many otherwise rational people don’t screen themselves for disease is not that they don’t understand the risks—they do. And it’s not even that they believe they’re somehow immune from disease or death. We all grasp that in a primal way from the time we’re very small. But even as we age, death still seems somehow remote—something that will happen at some vaguely later time and that we’ll deal with it in some hard-to-fathom way. It’s that distance that helps us cope with the idea of our mortality."

When I found this gem of philosophy I latched on to it and felt that here was a real explanation of how I had felt for a long time. Actually I have been feeling rather stupid because of my lack of realizing that there would one day be an end to our lives as we knew it. Oh, I cared for my mom when I was 23 when she suffered so and died of cancer . My dad died when I was in my 30's and my sister died when I was 56 but somehow in my mind I guess I thought Bill and I would go on forever.

He had Alzheimer's maybe (they never knew for sure) but his folks had all lived into their 90's and Bill was in good health until near the end. And we who had been one for so long were ripped apart with great pain and a lot of you know how that feels. So I just thought I would share this quotation with you because some of you might have the same problem I had. I have come to the realization that everyone has a lifetime--even stupid me. I know this sounds crazy and perhaps I haven't explained it well. But I tried. I guess you could call it an acceptance I can tolerate.

On a happier note I have included some beautiful pictures I have taken. The first two is of a garden in Shawano, Wisconsin. I have visited that garden many times in the past. Mrs. Riley says they have been there building this huge garden with every kind of flower for over 50 years. Her hands were encrusted almost with soil. No gardening gloves for her!!















These are the two mannequins Mrs. Riley has added to the garden. They are up on the porch that overlooks the garden. The mannequins really add to the ambiance of the garden.













This is my backyard flower garden with my dog Dodger blending in so well with the green grass. My son, Jim, has put out 4 bird feeders in the back yard and the other day he came home and I told him to look out and all feeders were full of cardinals a
and those redheaded redbibbed sparrows or
whatever they are called and underneath were 4
squirrels, two bunnies, and two two mourning doves. Jim said he felt like Francis of Assisi.

This is the front of my house. Jim has planted and planted, though I did the pots.

Here's Dodger on his 2nd birthday. He is a fine dog.












I leave you with the sunset over the bay. Green Bay that is.

MY KINGDOM FOR A NAIL

I am sure you all have been bombarded with return address stickers, notepads, cards, even talking wristwatches from zillions of worthy organizations and causes. If you open them and read them, some of them will break your heart and others not so much. Which makes it difficult to choose which causes you want to support.

Which exacerbates the problem more often is trying to decide which one is the legitimate representative of that particular disease or cause. There are many for my most obvious choices--cancer and Alzheimer's and the ones that help children like Boys Town, the children born with cleft palates (yup, they got me on this one too) and the blind children (talking wristwatch).

I understand that their expenses are ongoing and if you do donate to their cause, they are right back at you for more. I finally realized the Paralyzed Veterans were sending me something almost weekly and the included "gifts" were increasing. But I guess it is up to us to figure out things like that and act accordingly.

My favorite charity though is Habitat for Humanity. Here in my town, a few years ago, only women could work on the house they built. I was enraptured at this and wished to pound a few nails myself but they were working mainly on this steep roof and the things I could do had been done. But they did have a problem. The guy next door would not let them use his hose for water. Talk about a selfish old bastard. After watching and kibitzing for a while, I left after putting my name in for the next house women built and went to the drug store (my second home) and they had this tremendous sale on bottled water! Like almost giving it away. I bought up all they had left about 16 crates and brought them back to the building site. That was a fun fun thing. I know, just a blip in the radar, if that. Since then I have kept up with the organization.

Where they have helped all over the world is amazing. In addition to building new homes, they have a Microbuild Fund which they offer to those who have started a home, but lacked funds to finish it. In places that have been hit by disasters such as Japan, Sri Lanka, India, Ethiopia, Haiti, Bosnia, and here in America, they offer help with clean-up and rebuilding. The figures are astonishing. Since their beginning, they have served more than 2 million people! This is a world wide effort by many nations helping other nations.

You can sign up for more info here habitat.org.gov or Habitat.org.getinv if you are interested. As I said starting out, you all probably have your own favorite charities. Tell us what they are!