Hidden Passages

Hand Portraits

2011-12-30T22:33:00.002-06:00

Holly Matucheski : Hands of a Quilter

Nurse, Mother, Daughter, Wife, Gramma, Gardener, Reader

A few year's ago, the Hospital where I work celebrated Nurse's Week with Hand Portraits. Many people didn't want their pictures taken, but they were perfectly ok with having their hands photographed. Hands do the work; Hands do the caring. It was a very moving display of so many nurse's hands.

A few years ago, I saw a beautiful photography display at Evergreen, a retirement community here in Oshkosh. They had beautiful black and white hand portraits of some of their residents. Often with a moving quote. I loved this display, and wanted to capture some of the hands in my family that I want to remember ... So at Christmas this year, I took a few pictures.

Gramma Pickles - Violet Smitmajer

I love her red fingernail polish, and the sparkles! Her ring-finger is missing a knuckle from when the cow kicked the shovel she was holding in the barn ...

Frank Matucheski - being goofy

Rosita Matucheski's Hands

Ray Matucheski's Hand

These are my hands, full of cranberries!

“Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by.”

-- Carl Sandburg

My own hands again, with currants from the back yard.

Teacher

2011-12-30T21:21:00.001-06:00

Here's another one prompted by Story Corps' National Day of Listening : Debi Thomas skating to George Michael's "One More Try" way back in 1988 at the Calgary Winter Olympics. This was her Thank You to coaches and teachers in the exhibitions after she won a Bronze medal. The expectation back then was that she would win Gold. So this was kind of an apology and a disappointment. Looking back, it was phenomenal, marvelous and heartfelt. Hindsight is 20/20, right?

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own." -- Benjamin Disraeli

There are several teachers I want to give my heartfelt Thanks to : Mr. Harry Cramer, David Olson (DO), Anne Lundin, Doug Johnson. You, too, Dottie. You all made a difference in my life, and I'm glad you were part of it. Thank you!

****************************************************************

Mr. Harry Cramer, my old Latin teacher in Antigo High School. He looked ancient even then in the 1980s, but he always had a smile through the wrinkles. What a great sense of humor he had. You had to have a sense of humor to wear the horrendous ties he wore everyday to school--they were a talking point. He made learning Latin painless with the help of cartoons and where the characters "clamat OW!' and "amat mel." 25 years later, I can even still tell you what that means. (Victor yelled ow! after hitting his thumb with a hammer (or some such). Anna loves honey.) He and his wife, Mrs. Cramer offered me my first regular job as a clerk in the local book store Mrs. Cramer managed : Book World in Antigo, WI. I tended to go there anyway because I was interested in books and song lyrics ... I guess they were looking for a kid who would be interested in the nature of the work. I was.

Mr and Mrs. Cramer organized trips to Greece and Italy regularly for the Latin Clubs. My mom and I got to go on the trip in 1988. What an experience that was for both of us. My mom had never been in a plane or left the county before that time (me either, for that matter).

Mr. Cramer also introduced me to the Holiday Folk Fair in Milwaukee that I love so much. Back in the day, the Language clubs used to take a 5-hour bus trip down to Milwaukee the weekend before Thanksgiving for the Folk Fair -- 3 days of ethnic foods, folk dancing, and crafts from all over the world. It was love at first site for me! With a name like Matucheski, I could never deny that I was Polish, and the Poles were the butt of many Polish jokes in that neck of the woods. Well, the Polish stand at the Folk Fair Bazaar had the most beautiful wooden boxes and painted eggs as Christmas Tree ornaments for sale, crafted in Poland. Here was concrete proof that the Poles made a contribution to the world, and made beautiful things. The Folk Fair is still a fall tradition for my little family. I was saddened to hear that the Language Clubs no longer make the annual trek from Antigo. The Folk Fair was one of many gifts Mr. Cramer gave me.

Mr. C. developed Parkinson's Disease in his later years. Last year when I was home for Christmas, the phone rang. It was Mr. Cramer, who had accidentally and serendipitously dialed the wrong number--ours. It was good to catch up with both him and Mrs. Cramer that day. I'm thinking of you, Mr. C!

Bread Labels from the Heart of Yorubaland

2011-12-06T15:38:00.004-06:00

In 1993, I spent the summer in Nigeria, West Africa, with a group of college students on a Fullbright Intensive Group Study Project to study the Yoruba language and culture. We were based in Ile-Ife, the cradle of humanity. ;-)

All over the neighborhood where we lived, people had cottage industries selling soap, or bread, or soda pop, or mop strings, or pottery, or any other number of things ...

With a dozen students, we ate a lot of bread that summer. I started collecting labels from loaves of bread. I was intrigued by the names and creativity of each label. It was all home-made white bread--every one of them tastey.

Ok--The Ezekiel Bread is from the Madison, WI, area, but it was so much the same spirit that I kept it with the bread labels.

A few years ago, I was looking for these and couldn't find them anywhere. LOST. This week, a small box toppled down and there they were : FOUND!

These will now be properly scrap-booked with my pictures and writings from that summer.

Have a Little Faith in Me - Kurt Browning

2011-11-27T08:21:00.003-06:00

Mmmmh-Mmmmh-Mmmhh! This was my introduction to John Hiatt, before I knew who John Hiatt was.

I love that this video is recorded in an empty practice rink. It goes to show how much practice time and effort "real" skaters put in. Kurt Browning makes it look so easy. That footwork sequence is really difficult. And those beautiful deep edges don't happen without a lot of practice, and some magic skates!

Enjoy!

Kurt Browning's Crash Into Me

2011-11-27T08:17:00.002-06:00

Kurt Browning is one of my all-time favorite skaters. He's like Gene Kelly on ice! Makes me want to get up in the early morning dark to go and skate tomorrow morning.

And what a great song! This one always makes me smile. ;-)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T18:44:00.007-06:00

We celebrated Saturday-After-Thanksgiving at our house in Oshkosh with family and friends--lots of food, my "new" $5 rummage sale China (Thank you, La Voisine), and these glorious cranberries.

Wanna know what we DO with these cranberries? Try this recipe.

Unca "Rainbow" Ray, My Mom and Dad, Seth, Rosita, The Family Jage, and Rieko the exchange student from Japan. We had a houseful with a cheery fire and a full table. CL even got up early to put the turkey in the oven by 7 am. My Mom and Dad experienced round-abouts for the first time. I guess we should have warned them about the changes to the area roadways ... Oops!

Unca "Rainbow" Ray

My Dad with a Beer and a Broccoli (What a goofball!).

Thanks to Doug Johnson, Art Professor at UW-River Falls

2011-11-25T10:04:00.003-06:00

Professor Emeritus, Doug Johnson. Photo from here in 2008.

Prompted by the Story Corps National Day of Listening where you Thank a Teacher, I am honoring Doug Johnson, Professor Emeritus in Art from UW-River Falls.

I have to give this guy credit. I took two classes with him while I was in my early college years at UW-River Falls around 1990. His Art 100 was not just the usual art appreciation class where you look at lots of slides of great art and discuss. He actually had us all purchase Craypas and good paper so we could MAKE some art of our own in all the styles we were studying. Each week, we had to show our stuff, too, for a critique. I had no idea how liberating that would be! In high school, I had creative and talented friends who were in all the Art classes, but I was on the college prep track, so no time for art classes. Sigh! Thank goodness Art 100 was REQUIRED in college. And thank goodness, I took Doug Johnson's class that pushed us beyond merely appreciating art.

Dog in the style of Nabi (circa 1990). This is the only piece I kept from those days. One of our dogs laying on a hunting jacket.

Doug Johnson encouraged us to really press the color into our paper. None of that wishy-washy pastel stuff. We had to be "committed" to the piece. He didn't want to see any of the white paper showing through. ;-)

My last spring semester in River Falls, I took a sculpture class (I had learned the year before that it was impossible to take heavy and serious classes in spring--Try writing a paper on nuclear war while the apple trees are blooming, and you're in love! The two are not compatible!) Anyway, the creative classes took an investment of time, but not memorization--it was a different kind of learning where we really got INSIDE of the lessons-- for which I am grateful. I still have the sketchbook from that class, though none of the sculptures.

I don't know that he ever made it big with his art. He was the kind of guy who--if he dropped a pottery sculpture on the way in to the gallery, and if he liked the way it broke apart on the floor, he'd fence it off and make it a display. Now that's rolling with the punches! I think for him, it was more about creative expression than making a lot of money.

Doug Johnson made me promise I would take more art classes, even if it wasn't my major. He saw some potential in me. Now, it's 20 years later. I doubt he'd even remember me. I would like to say "Thank you for the encouragement in those early years." I have taken more classes and made more art since then. "Making stuff" has become an important part of my life. Some of it is tracked and recorded on my Sweet Leaf Notebook Blog.

You made a difference in my creative life, Professor Johnson. Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!

Steve Jobs on TED : How to Live Before You Die

2011-10-09T18:54:00.005-05:00

This man's passing really moves me, as I write this on my MacBook Air (The first computer we ever had at home in the 1980s was an Apple IIc. The first computer I ever bought myself was an Apple, after I graduated from college.)

Steve Jobs learned some valuable lessons in living with a life-threatening illness. Deep down, I think he knew this stuff before the illness.

Steve Jobs, you changed the world for the better. Thank you.
Rest in peace.

Sunset at Chreokee Marsh

2011-09-18T17:24:00.006-05:00

Cherokee Marsh is one of my absolute favorite places on this earth. It is sacred ground for me.

Walking the path back to the water, we can see glimpses of the sunset through the trees.

When we get out to the dock, we have the perfect view to watch the sun set.
And watch the fish jump--it's their feeding time.

Back when I lived in Madison, and went out to the Marsh several times a week to watch the sunset, I always had this lantern to light my way back to the parking lot. It's dark after the sun goes down! This little lantern was indispensable. It lit my way on many dark nights.

A Grand Day Out in Madison

2011-09-18T12:38:00.012-05:00

Sept 17 - A Perfect Day with my Sweetie in Madison, WI. We woke up and Oliver had already done some of his work and biked off to a friend's house to spend the night. Nice to have an older kid who can manage himself.

We (the adults in the house) "drove south" to Madison for a grand day out.

I got a start on my album of Wisconsin's Barns. This one is on Hwy 26 (I think). Someday these will all have crashed to the ground as people stop farming.

We got to Farmer's Market in time to see our old friend, Tom Brantmeier, who was there selling garlic and herbs, veggies and fresh pears. CL worked for him on the farm in Monroe for a time back when we were courting.

We got to Farmer's Market too late to get any cheese curds or bakery, but this colorful pepper stand was still up. Love the reds!

We did get some of this delicious pesto from The Renaissance Farm stand before market closed. Even brought an insulated bag to keep it cold until we got home. Yum!

After 15 years, we still like each other. ;-)

We had a nice lunch from Johnson Public House Cafe (decent warm hard-boiled egg sandwich, a salad, and an almond croissant) eaten on the shore of Lake Mendota. We watched a guy move across the water on what appeared to be a surfboard, but he was treating it more like a Gondola. He didn't fall off, and he made good progress, which makes me believe this was not his first attempt at it!

Then we headed over to St. Vincent De Paul's on Willie St. to see what treasures we could find. I got a couple of "new" sweaters -- one is a real wool cable sweater from Ireland. Bring on the snow and cold! I'm ready for it. ;-)

Also got a copy of One Thousand Splendid Suns for a mere $3. This book has been on my list for several years. Now that I have a copy, there's no excuse NOT to read it now!

This is the bag they put my St. Vinny Treasures in. I loved it! From Madison, WI to Fairbanks, AK. Multi-Culti and green, too!

After the St. Vinnie's adventure, we stopped at my friend Bob's house. He's a remarkable person with remarkable interests. Including an incredibly green thumb :

Bob's whole back yard is a lush and beautiful garden (No, I don't think he owns a lawn mower). We could see a little hummingbird flitting around among the flowers.

Bob wasn't there when we arrived, but he knew we were coming and he left a note on the front door for us ...

... and a big jar of his golden honey. Yum! He keeps honey bees to "work" the neighborhood gardens. A jar of Bob's honey is always a special treat! Thank you, Bob!

This is one of Bob's chickens. He has some real chickens, too.

Off to Hubbard Ave. Diner in Middleton for dinner :

They are known for good ol' traditional food done well (like biscuits and gravy, or fried chicken, and especially pie). Tonight I had a BLT, and since I didn't have to set a good example for Oliver, I actually had the French fries. ;-)

CL had the White Chicken Chili with cornbread-- along with some of my dinner. You don't think he keeps that boyish figure by ordering just a cup-of-soup, do you?

And then of course, dessert! It's all about the PIE at Hubbard Ave. Diner.
"You can't eat your green beans until you've had your pie!"
This is the apple pie a la mode. Yum!

Cherokee Marsh at sunset. This was always the BEST light show in town. This is absolute bliss for me--Heaven!

Then, of course, the reason we came to Madison this day. Hiatt gave a decent concert playing some of the old favs (Through Your Hands, Have a Little Faith in Me, Drive South ...) along with songs from the new album. We think it was his daughter Lilly Hiatt who opened for him. Looks like she's a chip off the old block! It's always good to see old friends!

What a perfect day!

Maggie Apples

2011-09-10T11:45:00.003-05:00

Maggie is my beloved 2nd-hand Newfie. She loves apples.

We had a Honey Crisp apple tree in the back yard, and she considered it HER tree. She likes to pick her own apples right off the tree. She was also known to push up against the trunk to shake an apple loose. She didn't like wind-fallen apples; She wanted a fresh one. Then she'd lay down for a leisurely chomp.

Last week, the little apple tree blew over in a wind storm. The trunk broke about 3 inches from the ground. It was heavy with apples, and it just toppled over. I finally got the tree cleaned up and removed on Labor Dy. For several days this week, CL reported that Maggie would stand over the broken stump at 10 am, looking directly at him and bark her protest that her apple tree was gone. Yes, she noticed it; Yes, she missed it.

She's a great communicator when she wants to be.

Oshkosh Farmer's Market

2011-08-21T09:14:00.006-05:00

This summer, the Oshkosh Farmer's Market moved from the parking lot at the Courthouse, to Main St. downtown. They block off the street for several blocks for the market on Saturday morning. What a great idea! The whole town seems to turn out for it. We usually bike in together as a family.

One of the attractions is Pie on the Porch. They raise money for historical restoration on The Morgan House here in town :

And the Blueberry Pie IS good! They serve the pie on real china plates, with silver forks, and cloth tablecloths, and real flowers on the tables. It's a classy affair for a street cafe!

Me and Oliver downtown.

Oliver in front of Russian Sage.

I liked the color display at this stand. ROY-G-BIV!

Yummy Plums! Time to make the dumplings ... except the plums all disappeared before I could get out the flour and boil the water. We also bought apples. I got a whiff of cinnamon and ginger last week, and knew someone would be selling apples this week! Time for apple pie and apple crisp and ... and ... and ...

Skies above market.

Black Hawk Hot Dog

2011-08-21T08:43:00.003-05:00

I don't consider myself a hot dog eater, but these dogs at the BlackHawk Music Festival in Mt. Morris, WI, are DELICIOUS! So in July, I ate my annual "dog."

Linden Blossoms

2011-07-13T21:21:00.009-05:00

The Linden Trees are in bloom! I caught a very pleasant whiff of that unmistakable perfume this evening, and I knew it was time again -- All I had to do was look up at the trees nearby.

Linden Blossoms

Linden Tree Leaves, also known as Basswood (so you might recognize it when it's not in bloom).

Grappa Eddie Smithmajer

Great Gramma Smitmajer (Eddie's mother)

My Grandfather (Eddie Smitmajer for those long lost cousins in The Czech Republic) said his mother loved Linden Blossom Tea. When she found a Linden tree in bloom, he would help her pick the blossoms in July, which would then be dried in a warm oven for this mild tea all year round. When he realized we had a Linden tree behind our barn, I went out with him to fill a brown paper shopping bag with the sweet blossoms. I don't know how much tea he actually drank, but it was a nice memory. For years after that, I had a huge jar of those dried blossoms.

Tonight I made a fresh tea from these little beauties. My husband says that his Grandfather in France also had great reverence for Lindens. His family had a summer place in the country, complete with an orchard, Linden trees and bees. CL would go there to get "hunny and money" at Mailly. Another reason I married this wonderful man!

Image from here.
Linden flowers make the BEST honey. If you know a beekeeper with Linden trees nearby, they will keep the Linden honey "under the table." You have to ask for it. It's in short supply and they typically don't leave it out for general sale. Linden flower honey is always a special treat.

Give the Kind of Love you Have

2011-07-04T17:16:00.005-05:00

The following passage was published in Patti Digh's little book, What I Wish for You : Simple Wisdom for a Happy Life. When her daughter graduated high school and left for college, Patti asked her friends to give her daughter some advice on such a momentous occasion. Watch the video for more info.

There's a lot of great wisdom there in this little book. This one in particular rang true for me :

Give the Kind of Love You Have
by Tamara Bailie

One thing I wish I would have known earlier in my life is this ... the love you take into your heart as you live your days is going to come from many different people. You hear often in stories and songs and movies about the ONE person whose love will be everything to you, who will be everything you ever needed. What you will find, however, is that people give what they have. We are wired differently. You will find people whose love feeds your mind, and people whose love feeds your sense of humor, and people whose love you can count on at 2:00 am on a random Tuesday. When you let all of those different kinds of love into your spirit, it will smooth out the rough spots, filling in the tiny spaces left behind from moments of pain and misunderstanding. One person may not fill the role of providing every kind of love you need, and that is what makes life interesting. When you let different people play the parts they are best at playing, it allows them to simply be who they are when they are with you. And when you can give the kind of love you have to the world, you can simply be who you are, giving what you have to give. People sometimes seem to let us down simply because they don't seem to give us what we need. Try to remember that they are giving what they know, what they've been shown, and what they have. Many of us are carrying much more than we need, and sometimes all that we carry can keep us from seeing all that we are. You can lighten the load for people each time you offer acceptance of their stories, acknowledgment of their songs, and awareness of what makes them unique. Hold on to the love people have to give, and let go of anything else they've handed you to carry. And keep your own carry-on bag as light as you can, so you can see who you are, where you're going, and what you're leaving behind for the ones you love.

Twilight

2011-07-02T15:02:00.003-05:00

We are fortunate in Oshkosh to have Menomenee Park with a path that runs along Lake Winnebago, all the way out to a Point on Miller's Bay. One evening as the sun was setting, I captured these scenes. Can you tell I've been watching Art Wolf on PBS?

Here's a little wider shot. One week later, the grass had been cut down. Glad I got the shots when I did!

I love how the dark and light play on the water in this one. The duck could be a silhouette and it would still work. This one might turn into a journal quilt some day ...

Cottonwood Leaf.

Exquisite Spring!

2011-05-28T14:50:00.000-05:00

Perfectly Pecked Oranges

2011-05-22T18:58:00.001-05:00

The Baltimore Orioles were here this past week. They perfectly pecked the juice out of this orange. I never expected them to be so systematic about it!

The Emperor of Oranges ... Answers Dead Letters

2011-05-15T10:11:00.008-05:00

In this poem, he talks about writing an email to the dead, telling them you miss them, and wanting to know they're all right. When he's Emperor of the Internet, you'll get an automated response back ... Isn't that a lovely thought?

It's been 10 years, Sandy. Yes, Oliver is 10 years old now. Can you believe it? You died before he was born, didn't even get to see him wriggling in this world. He's a good kid, not the quiet, shy kid I was at that age. He is confident, bold, smart, when he applies himself. He could do anything he'd want to do in this world. I did good. :-)

Sometimes I can hear you laughing--oh what a big laugh you had! But you also knew how to cry. You felt your feelings, whatever they were. You taught me how to stand up for myself. What a gift you were in my life! I miss you. I want to know you're all right wherever you are now. I want you to know that I still think of you. You made a difference in my world. Thank you for being part of my story. I just wish you were still here so we could do another canoe adventure, so we could lay on the dock out at Cherokee Marsh and count dragonflies, so I could hear you laugh ... so we could talk again.

My close friend, Sandra Matthews died unexpectedly 2 months before my son was born in 2001. I had just visited her the weekend before ... I don't think any of us saw her suicide coming.
About 6 months later, I did a meditation to talk with her, to find out if she was all right and to say, "Good bye." When she met me in this "dream," she gave me the gift of a flower--a water lily. She said, "For your future, Kid!"

When I started putting this quilt together, the flowers reminded me of the water lily Sandy gave me that summer's day. And now, I know that I can talk to her anytime I want ... Those who loved us in life, love us still after death. This seems like a good day to wrap myself in that quilt of comfort.

"The day will come when it is more painful to stay tightly closed in a bud than to bloom." --Anais Nin.

These colors are not at all "Sandy." She was bright and flashy and sparkly and loud. Before I knew her, she was an exotic dancer ... but she couldn't wear the high heels anymore, so she had to make a career change. She became a naturalist, learning about ecology and giving nature tours--she loved the outdoors. Read about a Fall Day in the Baraboo Hills with Sandy. No--these are really MY colors. This quilt is a gift to myself--with Sandy's continued blessing and encouragement.

Sandy, I wish you could see how I've bloomed. You were the gardener.

Chicago Trip April 2011

2011-05-01T14:50:00.013-05:00

The kid was on school vacation this past week, so we decided to spend a few days in Chicago. After CL saw this marquis, he's seriously considering a return trip in May for Elvis Costello and Paul Simon. Unless they are also playing Milwaukee ...

Here we are waiting for the vallet to bring the car around to the hotel entrance. We stayed at The Silversmith Hotel, which is right downtown and within walking distance of almost everything we wanted to do and see ...

We had a very good and reasonably priced lunch here at The Pittsfield Cafe -- just walked in and sat down, no waiting. CL had a pastrami sandwhich (see below). Although I've heard of these, I've never seen one up close, much less tasted one until this day. Pretty good! The beef brisket was nice and tender and went well with the rye bread.

Oliver wanted to go to The Lego Store on Michigan Ave.
I still love Star Wars, and Lego had plenty of it!

My main objective in Chicago-land was to make a pilgrimage to Dick Blick : 2 floors of art supplies! So much potential! So many possibilities in all those raw materials!

I got a set of Inktense water color pencils. I've heard so much about them from some of my blogging friends, that I really wanted to give them a try.

A picnic dinner from Trader Joe's seems to have become a tradition on these Chicago adventures. The wait-times at so many of the restaurants in the evening is too long to endure if you've got a kid along. So a little baguette, some prosciutto, a good goat cheese, and a little hummus is just enough in the evening. And then there's some left for breakfast, too!

We walked around the Loop area. I liked how the glass on this building reflected the trees across the street.

We also went to The Shedd Aquarium. I really wanted to spend some time with the Belugas, but alas, they were not on display other than a brief stint in the show. We did not attend the show, but stayed below and caught a brief glimpse of these gentle giants here :

The Shedd was really noisy and crawling with screaming kids that day. Somehow, I had not considered that. The last time I was at the Shedd was a few years ago for a conference, in the evening. It was all adults. We had a very elegant dinner around the Caribbean Reef, with a guy in the tank telling us about Nickel the sea turtle who lived there and her rescue story. Then we had a few hours to roam the Shedd. I hung out by the Beluga tank and just watched them for most of that time. It was a wonderful and restorative experience for me. Not this time ... The Shedd offers a regular Jazz evening (Tuesdays?) for adults only. I'm sure that would have been more up my alley, but then we had a 10-year old with us ...

Here are some pictures from the Shedd :

The best part of the trip for me was getting to see my old friend Chris Corcoran. I've known her since my African Lit & Lang days at UW-Madison (almost 20 years!). She was in Nigeria with me the summer of 1993 (What a summer that was!) I spent many a Saturday night at her lakeside apartment in Madison eating great food, watching foreign films, and discussing the great issues of the day. She is a wonderful storyteller. I don't think I would have made it through that period without her! She even took me to Vogue Fabrics that first time when I bought the linen for my wedding dress. She still has that wonderful curly hair. It was wonderful to see her again! As you can see from the picture, we laugh as much as we ever did together!

Lightning Storm 4-10-2011

2011-04-13T18:57:00.003-05:00

Cloud-to-cloud lightning in this storm gave off quite a show Sunday night (April 10, 2011). It was almost a constant stream of lightning. Although you can hear a little rain falling in the background, the thunder was just a low rumble in the distance, barely audible. This is just 45 seconds from our front porch. Although we went to the basement for a while to wait out twister tendencies, the storm wasn't really too bad by us. We were on the edges.

David Sylvian - Rare

2011-04-07T09:15:00.004-05:00

An assortment of David Sylvian videos on YouTube. I've tried to purchase the Mps, but these don't seem to be available. So I'm pulling them together here in one HP post, so I can find them again later.

After all these years, David Sylvian is still making beautiful music. So sit back and enjoy a quiet evening. You won't be disappointed. ;-)

Bhajan

I Have Waited for You

Moments in Time

For the Love of Life

Some Small Hope

A Candle for Japan

2011-03-12T13:29:00.003-06:00

I lit a candle for Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake, tsunami, and resulting upheaval this week. May they feel our support in the recovery.

My sister lives in Chiba City with her two little kids and husband. They are all okay--Thankfully.

Quilts are for People!

2011-01-23T12:00:00.002-06:00

We sent this Twin Connection quilt to our old and dear friend, Kevin Bradley. We've known Kevin since our Summit Coop days in Madison.

A quilt he had since he was a kid was stolen out of his van last fall--with him in it. A Quilter (like me) hears a story like that and has to DO something! While it's not the quilt he had since childhood, maybe this one will take him the next 50 years.

Cheers, Kevin!

Cheap Date at Pho Viet in Milwaukee, WI

2011-01-13T19:52:00.007-06:00

Bun bi Chia Giao - Yum! This is my all-time favorite Vietnamese dish (so far) : a noodle salad with fresh veggies, and a Vietnamese egg roll. We still affectionately call this #22, because that was the number it had on the menu at I'm Here Vietnamese Restaurant in Madison, WI.

The Special Sauce that goes with the Bun Bi above.

CL had the Pho -- the beef soup.
The restaurant is named after this soup, so it had to be good. It was!
We love Vietnamese Cuisine. The flavors are so light and delicate compared to Chinese or Thai foods (which we also appreciate). Here, you taste the lime and cilantro, and green peppers. Sweet, sour, salty, tangy, fresh --It's all there!

They also had Vietnamese grinders. I saw these on Sandwiches You Will Like (a PBS documentary). It was tasty--and only $3.50. The bread is the French influence on the culture.

This was one of the condiments on the table. I'm still not brave enough to try it, but it's got gorgeous colors! I'm sure we'll be going back there again someday. ;-)

Nearby, there was an Asian grocery store. I've never seen one so big! I wished Wei Ching or Sung Tran were still around to tell me what we were looking at!

At the deli, this looked like a seascape in a cup :

Rosita's Toffee

2011-01-13T19:40:00.003-06:00

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter

Nuts
3 Hershey bars

Melt butter. Add sugar and 3T water.
At 280 degrees, add nuts, if desired.
Heat to 300 degrees F.
Pour into a buttered pan.
Lay the Hershey candy bars out on top of the toffee. Spread it out when it melts. Add more nuts.

Rosita brought this to my mom's house at Christmas. Yum!

Perfect Day : Cross Country Skiing Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-01T10:45:00.006-06:00

Our little family Christmas tradition is to go cross-country skiing in Gartzke Flowage. After a big holiday meal, and too much time sitting around watching tv, it's time to get up and move!

This year, we had a PERFECT Day with tolerable temps in the 20s, and a good base of snow. The trails were groomed, and Oliver stayed home so we didn't have to hear him complain. We got there about 4 pm, so the sun was going down. It was even starting to snow! Beautiful! This is one of my all-time favorite things!

Merry Christmas!

Taste a Little of the Summer : Peach Jam

2011-01-01T10:42:00.003-06:00

Most welcome in January!

"Taste a little of the summer ... my Gramma put it all in jars." -- Greg Brown in "Canned Goods.

Holiday Folk Fair 2010 in Milwaukee : Folk Dancing

2010-11-21T13:49:00.010-06:00

This was the first picture I took, thinking that the night setting on my camera might work well as I was sitting in the back of the arena in the dark. It made the dancers a blur, so I switched to the action shot setting with much better results. It does give you a good idea that dance is about motion, and how difficult it is to capture it in a single frame.

The Mid-East Dancers. Yes, they were belly-dancing. ;-)

The Russians.

The Bulgarians (from the back).

The Bulgarians (from the front).

The Pomeranians. They are clapping with their shoes on their hands. And yes, they are dancing in front a huge American flag. This is what being an American means to me, where all these cultures come together.

The Thai.

The African-Americans. These are definitely action shots! These girls can move!

The African-Americans (again).

The Serbians.

The Serbians.

The Irish.

The Ukranians are always a huge crowd-pleaser. You never seen any old guys doing this dance!

The Ukranians!

The Ukranians.

The Poles (from Krakow). The beauty of folk-dancing is that you don't have to be some skinny little bean pole. Big girls can do it too! Anyone who is interested can be part of it!

Latvians (These could be Lithuanian, too. I always get them mixed up. My apologies if I've labled it wrong.)

I am in awe of these costumes. The skirts are woven beauties!

The Poles (Syrena)

Another action shot of these whirling skirts and flying colors!

The Croatians.

Croatian Dancer from the back.

Croatian Dancers. At the Serbian stand, CL saw and heard a Croatian lady talking with a Serbian. It just brings tears to my eyes -- they would be fighting each other, hating each other in the old country. Here in Milwaukee, WI (of all places!), they are both "Balkans." They laugh together, eat together, and dance together.

The Italians. This is another wonderful "happy" dance that brings tears to my eyes.

Action shot of the Italians banging their tambourines.

The Greeks. Note the handkerchiefs.

The Bavarians. I have to say, I consider this dance cruel and unusual for the ladies. They have to spin and spin and spin in one place while the men are off doing manly knee-slapping and clapping. Then they dance together for a while, then it's back to the spinning and spinning.

The Scotts - of course they are one of my favorites! There is no such thing as a quite bag pipe!

Action shot of Scottish kilts flying high.

Schnitzl from Bavaria. (Aka pork loin sandwich, good with mustard and a pickle.)

Rakviki (little coffins) from the Czech Pastry Stand. First stop at the Folk Fair!

Thank you to Mr. Cramer (my high school Latin teacher) for taking so many language classes down to the folk fair through the years. I was in 9th grade when I first went to this window on the world, and I've loved it ever since! Where else but New York City can you see so many people together and celebrating their cultures?

Miracles Happen ... Meet Stina, Mercy ICU Patient

2010-10-08T07:52:00.003-05:00

I had the good fortune to meet this remarkable woman and her equally remarkable husband.

They were here at my hospital long enough to "make the rounds" and subsequently made the whole hospital their home during their extended stay with us. It's rare for people to stay so long in our age of managed care. When she was well enough to be parted from machines (or at least when the machines were portable), Steve would take Stina on tour around the hospital, including the library. Everyone knew them, knew what a miracle it was that she recovered. This couple has an aura about them ... maybe that sounds crazy. They were surrounded in light ...

Even now when they come back to visit, it is an inspiration to see them, and to be part of her recovery. It reminds me that what I do in the provision of library services and health information goes beyond just providing people the info they need to make good health care decisions. We can all make a difference in the lives of our patients--and they can make a difference in mine, too!

They are telling their story in the Archival Reading Room in my Library at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI. ;-)

Ed Herder : Shepherd of Refuse

2010-09-05T10:31:00.008-05:00

This sketch probably looks pretty strange ... It's a sketch of a lone chimney stack, left standing after a house burned down when I was about 12 years old. I don't have a real picture, so the sketch will have to do ... Here's the rest of the story :

I grew up in the country outside of Polar, a small village in Northern Wisconsin. One of the biggest events in that community’s history happened about 1982--second only to the restaurant and bar burning down the week after they’d finished building a new volunteer fire house not 50 feet away. This event I’m talking about was another fire …

Across the road from our house lived an old hermit named Ed Herder. He was an old man who collected and saved everything other people didn’t want. Now, we’d recognize him as a hoarder. He really did keep the area free of litter. I only found out how much he’d done after he was gone.

His dark house was a ramshackle old thing, with no electricity, no plumbing. I think even the stairs leading to the second floor had probably fallen down years before. His yard was overgrown with lilacs and sumac and other brushy weeds I couldn’t identify. The wood siding had weathered to a dark gray long ago. We kids were ordered to NEVER GO EXPLORING over there. Aside from stepping on rusty nails or other hazards, he was suspected of booby-trapping some of his space. My parents just did not want us to get hurt.

Herder must have been about 70 years old, though he may have looked older than he actually was. He always wore a ratty old dark wool coat. Even in the dog-days of August, there he was at the side of the road, hitching a ride to town in this smelly old wool coat. I’ve heard that wool is warm in winter and cool in summer. Maybe this was the proof? Or maybe it was easier to hide things that he shoplifted?

He had lived through the Depression years and learned the ethic for conservation. For a while he actually owned two houses. The other was next to the saw mill right in Polar, also without modern amenities. When that house burned down, I remember people who helped him salvage his belongings, saying that they saw mayonnaise jars stuffed full of money. He didn’t trust banks at all. He’d lived through the Great Depression, remember, when people lost their life savings. At that time, Social Services set up an account and made him put his money in the Credit Union, for his own good, so that he wouldn’t be subject to burglaries.

I remember one day when I was 6 or 7, I walked out to the mailbox with my little brother and my baby sister. Herder was just returning home from a forage through the dump. It must have been a good day because he seemed really happy. He greeted us and offered a pair of old creme-colored pumps to the beautiful lady I was with. She was unimpressed. After he turned to go home, so did we and she commented that he was a “creepy old man.”

Well, after Herder's first house burned down, he lived across from us. When winter got too cold, he would ask us for candles, matches, or a loaf of bread to tide him over until he could catch a ride 10 miles to Antigo to get supplies. We also let him draw water from our outside faucet. We always knew when he was around because the pipes would shudder and ache through the house to announce his preasance. It was this sound heard 2 times daily for so long that we missed first one day, then another, and another.

On the third day, Dad really started to worry and decided to go over and check up on him. Grappa Eddie went with him.

They returned about 20 minutes later with news that the old man was dead in his chair next to his wood burning stove. Ma called the county coroner while Dad and Grappa told of all the junk and newspapers and jars he had piled up there, leaving only a rabbit trail to wheedle through the monstrous piles of stuff. He even had an old piano there with no strings in it! The man seemed to save everything! It had taken them so long to find him because Herder had boards piled up outside his house which were hidden by the quack grass. Some of them still had nails in them, so they had to be careful where they stepped. Dad seemed to be pretty affected. He said the body was already starting to fall apart with the warm August weather. Back on our porch, he could still smell Herder’s rotting body, though the rest of us smelled nothing amiss.

Not long after, the coroner arrived, asked a few questions, and trekked off across the road with a few things and a black plastic body bag. Dad led the way.

Anyway, after many weeks of legal permits and red tape, the house was officially condemned and legally set aflame. The fire trucks came in the evening with a very fine misty rain to help contain it. Twelve of us, family, friends, and neighbors, sat on the porch with drinks and soda pop watching the event.

The wooden parts of the house came down first, leaving a brick chimney which stood like a tower for several more days before it finally fell. Herder had died sitting next to that chimney. Perhaps it was his spirit and energy that worked so hard to keep it standing for a few days more.

We found out that he actually did have some family. Two nephews in Milwaukee came up and parked a boat next to the rubble for a few years. They said that he’d led a hard life and had been abused by his father. They also said that he was French, after which, Dad always referred to him as Ed Hertier to make him a little more upscale than he was. The nephews posted a sign attempting to sell the land. Seven years later, they were still trying to sell it. Mr. Herder had collected everything nobody wanted, and now nobody even wanted his land.

I should say that Mr. Herder, Shepherd of Refuse, lived as he did because he wanted to. He had plenty of money, and no debts. He lived alone, though he could be around people when he desired. That’s real freedom--to live the way you want, even if it’s outside the norm.

After her died, I noticed a lot more garbage at the sides of the road. No one bothered to stop and pick up the aluminum cans any more. They were only worth something to an old hermit.

Note : This story was originally worked up for Anne Lundin's Storytelling Class in 1997 when I was still in Library School.

Last Days of Summer

2010-08-28T12:51:00.003-05:00

I just love this picture of Oliver swimming in a lake.
Looks like he is of 2 worlds ...

Water Lily

2010-08-23T11:28:00.004-05:00

This summer's water lily on my little pond. ;-)

Life is a Celebration

2010-08-20T20:47:00.004-05:00

The Kids from Fame sing Life is a Celebration.

I feel GOOD tonight!

I Sing the Body Electric

2010-08-20T19:58:00.003-05:00

I remember the Swing Choir singing lots of songs from Fame when I was in high school. I didn't sing, but I did play bass guitar with them. The Fame songs had the most interesting and do-able bass lines. I loved those songs because they MOVED!

This song, I remember being mystified as to what the words really meant, figuring I'd get it some day.

Today, I feel like I get it (at least part of it)! Can you tell? It's a great day!

I sing the body electric
I celebrate the me yet to come
I toast to my own reunion
When I become one with the sun

And I'll look back on Venus
I'll look back on Mars
And I'll burn with the fire of ten million stars
And in time
And in time
We will all be stars

I sing the body electric
I glory in the glow of rebirth
Creating my own tomorrow
When I shall embody the earth

And I'll serenade Venus
I'll serenade Mars
And I'll burn with the fire of ten million stars
And in time
And in time
We will all be stars

We are the emperors now
And we are the czars
And in time
And in time
We will all be stars

And in time, we will all be stars. So mote it be!
I've got it good!

The Jester's Tear

2010-08-16T20:37:00.004-05:00

Marillion's Script for a Jester's Tear (Recorded Live)

That year after my Spring awakening in 1989 was filled with work-work-work. Winter Quarter, I remember realizing 1 reason I was so frustrated and bogged down was from schoolwork assignments. Between an African-American Literature class, Sociology, and whatever else I had that quarter, I read over 4,000 pages of text in 12 weeks. No wonder I was cranky then.

For Spring, I was smart enough NOT to take a heavy class-load that would require research and writing essays on nuclear war while the trees were exploding in fizzy pink color. Instead, I took 2 creative classes : Sculpture and Creative Writing. You still had to put the time in, but it was a refreshing way to learn and create other than rote learning and memorization. We studied and learned the forms (wood, clay, metal, paper mache ; sonnet, haiku, short story, etc.). Then we did our own stuff within those forms.

In the sculpture class with Doug Johnson, I made a Jester out of clay. No mouth which represented 8 weeks of being wired shut after my jaw surgery. The jester is supposed to make us laugh, supposed to be happy himself, but that's the irony--The jester hurts, too, and can't speak of his sorrows. I was also a big Marillion fan even back then, so this song was also on my mind.

Spring Awakening & Reconciliation

2010-08-14T08:56:00.007-05:00

[Image by Debbie Fischer from here. Used by permission with my gratitude.]

"Every now and again the compressing folds of time touch and prompt a memory sparkle, sometimes inducing sadness, and sometimes a private smile that carries [me] for a moment before disappearing again ..." --Fish (the Rockstar)

Do you remember Tony Moore? [No, not that Tony Moore ...] He was that set designer/theatre guy I fell for in college at UW-River Falls in 1989. It was a beautiful, gorgeous pink and sparkly Spring that I don't ever want to forget. I was so young, just 18 years old. He was a student of 26. We got to know each other in 40+ hours in the scene shop, building the set for Joe Egg. On the night of strike, after the last show, when everyone else had gone, he kissed me. I was in 7th heaven! In May, 2 weeks later, we stood under these exploding pink crab apple trees while the sun went down, and the moon and stars came up. [Talk about a magical set!] We talked about our futures--apart. He was encouraging and supportive and tried to be kind ... He broke my heart back then, but I understand why he had to do it : I had things to do, a life to lead, places to see ... and so did he. He gave me my freedom.

Anyway, he's been in the dog house for the last 20 years of my mind, or pushed down so as not to think about him at all. They say when we fall in love, we fall in love with the way the other person makes us feel. He made me feel like I'd never felt before ... Of course I wanted more--who wouldn't? But I couldn't have more, so I buried it. But those buried pieces kept sending up shoots and runners that would not be ignored ...

About 2 years ago, CL was cutting some fresh lumber in the front yard--the smell of that fresh-cut lumber brought me back to the scene shop at UW-RF, and my lovely spring romance. So I re-read my journals, and realized, yes, that spring was sweet, but there was way more hurt there in the year of separation after. Even just 2 years ago, when I thought of TM, I would argue with him in my head. Knowing that wouldn't go anywhere, I eventually buried it again.

Something shifted this summer. I had a dream about TM, and although I don't remember any real words, the general feeling was Reconciliation. He didn't apologize (and neither did I), but the feeling is very different now. It's hard to explain ... I wonder where he is now? First kiss. If he hadn't been that, I'd probably have forgotten about him. That was another defining moment / turning point in my life. Because of all the problems with my jaws in high school, I felt like a freak--The Elephant Woman with people staring at me. Even after the jaw surgery fixed the physical problem, I still had psychological scars. I did not feel beautiful or attractive or desirable--even though looking at pictures from that time, I just looked pretty normal. Tony Moore gave me a glimpse that I was not a freak, though it took many more years for me to really GET it. Tony had a way of just watching me walk across a room with true appreciation and pleasure--not at all leering, or lascivious, nor did he want anything from me. He just enjoyed what he saw in me. That was a precious gift for me. I liked his eyes on me; I felt comfortable with him. That was entirely new for me. In 40+ hours in the scene / set shop for Joe Egg, we got to know each other. He was funny, handsome, and talented. He would say hilarious things, and none of the other students would understand he was making a joke. All that to say it was a mutual attraction. I liked him too.

Now I'm older, I can look back on those situations and yes, I remember my own hurt, but I can better see what the other person was going through, too. Compassion. It was hard for him, too. He liked me, just didn't realize I was so young. He didn't write me at all that summer -- and when we got back to school in the fall, of course I was hurt and angry and still wanted to be with him. He had broken it off before it started ... but now I remember him coming to the reference desk at the library where I was working when Mike A. (the computer guy) was there. He was talking to Mike, and looking at me the whole time with a pained look on his face. Now, I understand that he just wanted to be near me, but he couldn't approach me alone ... Now I'd probably say, "Let's go for a walk, Ton. Seems like you have something to say ..." At the time, I think I probably escaped to the bathroom. It was just too hard to be that close to him, and not hug him. There were a few other incidents like that. I didn't understand what was happening then, or how to handle it. I was too hurt and dejected. It was hard for him to turn me away--for my own good. He liked me too.

I wish we had found a way to enjoy each other AND get our schoolwork done. I wish we'd have been able to get to know each other better ... I really did enjoy his company, his sense of humor, his soft voice--not to mention his good looks. It was more than infatuation for me, or I wouldn't be reflecting on it 20 years later. Sigh! But then, as they say, "a kiss is just a kiss."

It's a defining moment for me because I soldiered on and built my life as I wanted, as he ordered me to do back then. I couldn't wait for him. He wouldn't let me do that. Back then, too, I didn't know how to handle the situation. It wasn't so much rejection as redirection. But at the time, it sure felt like rejection. In later years with bad relationships, I learned how to let go and not look back, learned what I wouldn't put up with in a relationship. It worked because I'm not pining away for any of those guys. Tony was special for me. There were some firsts, some really wonderful memories that I don't want to forget. Those are the parts I don't want to let go of. I finally let go of the anger and the hurt ... That feels GREAT! I will savor the sweetness. TM is part of my story. He is written into the threads of my life. I don't have to give that up. ;-)

Thanks for the memories, Ton! I'm glad you were part of it. I hope you are well and that you've found someone to share your heart with.

Now, 20 years later, what I really want to do is give him the update on my life, tell him how things have turned out for me so far, and hear his adventures, too. I honestly wish him well. I wish him Love, Abundance, Happiness. All things good.

None of this should matter now that I've got a whole other life with a well-matched husband. I'm happy, and grounded. Except that it DOES matter ... Anyway, I just hope that Mr. Moore feels the shift in energies through the Force (I'm talking Star Wars here), because I'll likely never get the chance to tell him myself.

A big day for the inner life.

Coming of Age

2010-08-10T07:08:00.004-05:00

Coming of Age

And when it rains,
do you think of me?
Of the night I
trudged the six blocks
through the downpour
to stand on your step?
I needed to be with you.
I needed reassurance
that my world wouldn't
cave in without you.
But you had other plans:
You wanted to show me
that I could stand on my own
like I'd done all the years
before I knew you.

I didn't believe you then.

You said I had so much more
to do, see, and be
--and so did you--
before I settled down on
one person. Besides,
you said, you didn't
want to put me through
all the doubts,
all the uncertainties
of a relationship
carried on over
distances : land, age, life.

I've had my doubts
about my own strength,
even your expectations for me.
But I've survived
not without believing
that your love for me was
pure enough to let me go--
no--to make me go
when both our futures
pulled in opposite directions.
What else could you have done?

Thank you, and know
you still have
a piece of my heart.

Spring 1990
Lessons from Tony M.

To My Dog : Golden Keiya

2010-08-10T07:05:00.006-05:00

A lullaby of rain falls
on the roof above our heads.
Sleep, Golden Keiya of the Wolf,
at the foot of my bed.
How warm you shall keep my feet,
and already my heart!
Does the night, singing us to other places, realize it too?

Somewhere in the Wings of Time ...

2010-07-25T15:01:00.008-05:00

When I was 17 years old, I wrote a letter to my favorite writer at the time : Laurens van der Post. My mom received the letter at home, and brought it to me at the book store where I was working after school. I looked at the envelope with the British stamp on it, and couldn't figure out who it might be from, but I knew it was important. My heart was racing as I opened it ...

"VdP! It's a letter from VdP!" That was my shorthand for his name. I was so excited to see that he had actually written back to little ol' me in northern Wisconsin! I have kept this letter framed ever since.

Here's what I wrote him (taken from a draft that I kept) :

Dear Mr. van der Post :
I am happy you still live and that I have this opportunity to express my sentiments to such a wonderful writer.

I shall begin by explaining how I came to know your work. Initially, I was a fan of David Bowie, curious to see his talent as an actor. I saw the film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. It was among his best acting, but in it, too, I found a great story of honor, guilt, and values I find missing in this world. I did finally acquire the book, less violent than the film and full of such beautiful prose! Do you remember this line? "The wet earth at our feet was like an antique mirror and we stood with our feet among the stars." Lovely! I've since read In a Province, First Catch Your Eland, and Face Beside the Fire.

I am not so old--just 17. The lessons we learn in History class trouble me. Your books are hopeful. The mystical sense in your writing holds me. I am grateful for that and so I thank you. Africa fascinates me and your doorway to the landscapes, foods, people, and stories keeps me dreaming that one day I might see it with my own eyes.

Would you one day be so kind as to autograph a copy of Yet Being Someone Other for me? I would so appreciate it. I wish you many helthful years to come.

With Only Respect,

Michele Matucheski
************************************
Even after all these years, this letter still means a lot to me. He had a way with words!

Who stands in your own "wings of time?"

Bridges and Walls

2010-07-13T09:50:00.007-05:00

Katie Doherty's beautiful song, Bridges.

I think of my role in this world as being a bridge or a channel--a connector.

I figured this out at a Work-that-is-Real Retreat a few years ago (Thanks, Dottie--I'm still reflecting on that weekend!)

In the song, Katie sings about a woman building bridges and a man who builds walls. Her home has open doors, but her bridges "can't conquer the human wall."

I just realized I built a stone wall 20 years ago. All this time, I thought it was the other person shutting me out, but it was me. I was young and hurt when I built it, for my own protection. I'm in the process of dismantling it now after so many years.

Forgiveness - Compassion - Love - Personal Responsibility. It feels good to bring it down. I can see the beautiful landscape now! It's been a gradual dismantling in the past few weeks. New insights every day. ;-)

I also know in my heart-of-hearts that the person involved will be greatly relieved too. I look forward to re-connecting with this person soon. I just have to wait for the dust to settle ...

Baltimore Oriole

2010-06-15T17:24:00.001-05:00

Baltimore Oriole enjoying grape jelly in my garden. ;-)
My friend, Vicki Moen made the trellis.

Zuill Bailey : Extraordinary Resonance on NPR

2010-06-06T17:25:00.004-05:00

Listen to Zuill Bailey playing his magnificent cello on NPR's Morning Edition yesterday. NPR offers a "Desktop Concert."

Treat yourself and be enriched!

Grandlac : Fortified Farm House, 1500s France

2010-05-23T09:28:00.005-05:00

Near LaCanourge, we visited a fortified farm house built in the 1500s.
Looks pretty cool, doesn't it?

This the the back side where the door is. The Poyets knew the owners and had permission to show us inside. This round tower is the circular staircase.

When we got inside, I didn't even take pictures -- I was so startled. It was cold, dark (not many windows). The ground floor would have been like living in a cave, or a garage. The Poyets said that people lived here up until the 1970s. It made me think twice about wanting to live in a castle--and how hard it would have been to keep it warm in winter. The 3rd floor was the most livable now, with a kitchen ... Still rugged living.

You have to love solitude to live there.

This is the barn, built like a boat, and low to the ground.

The slate (?) roof.

Inside the barn, built like an upside-down boat. It was perfect for sheep back in the day.

Another building on the property. Looks like a crofter's cottage in Scotland.

The family who owns this property has been slowly restoring it, and making it liveable. They have a modern farm with 500 sheep over the hill. We didn't see the working farm, though.
I also kept looking for a big lake, but didn't see one ...

Montsegur : The Last Cathar Stronghold

2010-05-23T08:52:00.006-05:00

See that little bump on the top of this rock? That's Montsegur, in Southern France as we approach on the winding roads through the mountains.

The view from the parking lot. This is as close as you can get by car. The ticket booth is 1/2-way up so you can get a good idea if you'll be able to handle the rest of the climb. CL and I climbed up to the very top (Oliver stayed in the car and read D&D, so we didn't have to listen to him complain).

This is what the path was like ... very rocky and rugged, with stones people have been walking for 1000s of years. You just had to take it one-step-at-a-time. It was a 3-4 hour trek up and down. Think about getting supplies up there--it had to be what you could carry.

This is the view from the top ... I thought I could see Heidi tending the goats, or hear Maria singing "The Hills are alive with the sound of music ....' Sorry, wrong movie ; wrong country.

Snow-covered Pyrenes in the distance.

Inside the fortress. During the Crusades, the the Pope (at the time) launched a Holy War against all "infidels." [Sound familiar to anything happening today?] The Cathars were considered infidels because they kept to themselves, advocated a simple life (poverty, chastity ...) They were Christians, so I'm not sure where "infidel" comes in, other than they worshipped in their own way and were not interested in sending money to Rome.

In the 1200s, the Crusaders seiged Montsegur during a hard winter. The Cathars couldn't move, or get supplies. At the end of it, more than 200 Cathars were burned at the stake here in their own castle, their last stronghold. It's a grim ending, and one that makes me appreciate all the more the Freedom-of-Religion tenant in our US Constitution.

Yes, maybe the Cathars seemed a little strange, but they weren't hurting anyone. They kept to themselves and they built some magnificent castles which I can appreciate today. This kind of history really troubles me , even 800 years later.

The rocky way up to the castle.

Closer to the sky.

Vending Machine for Raw Milk (in France)

2010-05-23T08:34:00.003-05:00

For those of you in WI (US) disappointed with the state legislature making it illegal to purchase unpasturized milk from local dairy farmers ... (We drank fresh milk all the time when I was a kid and we (or someone in the family) kept cows. I also understand the public health issues ... but it seems to me there could be a compromise with adequate testing, or something ...

This is a vending machine in the town square of Roanne, France, where you can purchase fresh unpasturized milk 24/7. They take taste seriously!

You can even get to know the farmer and his cows on one side of the stand.

They'll fill the bottles when you make a purchase. Only in France!

Favorite Moments from the Vancouver Winter Olympics

2010-05-14T21:42:00.007-05:00

Even 4 months later, there are still moments from the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Olympics that float through my mind ... Here are some of may favorite moments :

Whales on the Floor
This was just plain amazing!

The whales swimming in the ocean changed to Salmon swimming upstream. All in motion!

A performer runs through a flowing wheat field.
Picture from REUTERS/Gary Hershorn (CANADA)

Fiddlers (and Dancers) from the East See the NBC Video
God--I love that Cape Breton Sound! They were on fire that night! HOT!

And kd lang singing Hallelujia. Photo by REUTERS/Jerry Lampen (CANADA)
What a perfect voice she has!

Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes

2010-05-14T20:52:00.003-05:00

Been kind of a tough week for me. The one thing that is sure to make me feel better is hearing this song. This live version makes me want to get up and dance and sing along--so I did. ;-)

Enjoy!

J's Techno Whales

2010-05-09T09:27:00.005-05:00

My long-time friend (from way-back in junior high), Janna got a job this spring flying a small plane for a right whale survey off of Cape Cod. This is such a cool job for her, because she's been wanting to fly as long as I've known her, and now she gets paid to do it! I'm excited about the subject matter, too ...

See some of the pictures that wound up on BBC Earth News.

Here is an email she sent a few days ago (posted with her permission) :

From: janna greenhalgh
Subject: Techno whales
To: "Michele Matucheski"
Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2010, 4:05 PM

We flew today offshore from Cape Cod. What a day! The whales are moving out of the area, we have 11 more days and about 15 more hours left in the season. We didn't expect to see much and had a great survey. The north end had about 50 humpback whales spread out between 20 miles! As we approached the southern end about 20 miles off shore it started out "I see a blow..oh, and another, oh, and.. Oh my God..."

There were maybe 30 fin and probably Sei whales all feeding near the surface and about a dozen right whales scattered in them. Tough to keep track of for circling as they came up and down!

The fin whales look like giant tad poles when their pleats fill out in feeding. Even more cool is that this was very near the NOAA boat Deleware II, which I spent some time on! They had a small boat out and were tagging whales. We got a great couple photos of them doing this. I'll probably never see them, but it was cool to know they would get them.

And to top the good day off we saw Wart. The same whale we spent over two hours circling as the small boat tried, yet again, to get the ropes off of her. Three years of chronic pain was showing in her activity. The ropes had been successfully removed a couple days ago minus one and we were told to keep an eye out for her to see what her condition was. No ropes at all and a VERY active whale! Yeah Wart!

We saw another nick-named White Cloud that was paler than other right whales and had a white edging on its fluke. Very neat!
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More info at Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies.