Davenport, Iowa

We are cruising through the heartland of America--on an American-built ship, with an American crew--filled with geezer-Americans. Does it get any better than that? In addition, we are not seeing the news, we are not talking politics, and we have no idea what is happening in the rest of the country, let alone world. It's a complete immersion into "life on the river" and it's good. Frankly, I did not know if the other DrC would like this "isolation" but guess what? He does!

Today we stopped in Davenport, Iowa. You have to wonder why a city gets a name like Davenport. I asked my search engine for synonyms of Davenport and 17 words showed up. So they could have named this place--chesterfield, divan, couch, settee, lounge, lounger, sofa, loveseat, tete-a-tete, squab (this is a new one on me), etc. Given all those choices, I can only imagine how "they" chose Davenport.

We were scheduled to go on a shore excursion (shorex) but it looked like it was going to rain, so we did the laundry instead. Never an earth-shaking event, but it was a needed event. In addition, the 3 washers and dryers were free, and the ship provided Tide pods and dryer-sheets. As you know, we've done a lot of cruising, and that's a pretty rare occurence. Since tomorrow is a "river" day without a stop, everyone is going to be doing their laundry then. We missed the rush, and it's good.

The cruise down the Mississippi is wonderful. The scenery is beautiful with lots of wooded islands and green hillsides and levees. There are towns, big and small alongside the river. The trains are a constant. Great long uni-trains carrying only 1 commodity. To a west-coaster who does not see a lot of train traffic, I find them fascinating. The railroad works and it is good. We are seeing a slice of America that is very different from what we are used to. It's terribly interesting to see...and very different from either the shaky side or the dirty side. This is an extra-special adventure.

A Lazy Day in Dubuque

Sometimes it's important to sit back and smell the roses--and that's what we did today. We spent the morning watching tree-filled islands go by from our perch in the Sky Lounge on our riverboat. It was peaceful and quiet. We were scheduled to get to Dubuque Iowa a little after noon, and we were on time. Lunch was being served in the main dining room, but we opted for lunch at the Lounge. All too soon it was time to go on our excursion--we looked at each other and said "no--I don't want to go." So we didn't go. Instead we spent a couple of hours on our veranda looking at the birds, trains, and water traffic. It was great. Not a care in the world..just looking at the changing scene in the water. Every so often a tall boat would ply the river and the old iron bridge would rotate to let the boat thru.

The river is wide in Dubuque. There are homes (vacation or otherwise) along the hillsides overlooking the river. Trains speed up and down the tracks delivering their unicargo of coal, grain, or gravel to points unknown. It's been a quiet Friday on the river. This is turning out to be a very nice vacation.

LaCrosse, WI

This picture pretty much sums up the day in LaCrosse. It was very restful and full of opportunities to eat some wonderful food. The hard part is NOT eating all the wonderful food. If, for some reason you think that Viking Cruises are the best--think again, American Cruise Lines has it beat, hands down. I've been on one from each, and ACL is better. You need to try both of them and make a comparison for yourself--and just think--you get two cruises out of the deal. BTW, no matter which one you choose, both are good.

After an early breakfast and a walk around the boat--and a little nap--we were ready for lunch and a short excursion. I've decided to eat small lunches in order to fit in my clothes at the end of the voyage. We took a "loop" tour of the city. Think of a hop-on-hop-off bus...only this bus is owned by ACL. In fact, the bus driver drives her bus using a similar land route as the boat. She leaves when the last tour is done and heads for the next port of call--gets an overnight hotel room at the "next" city and is ready to go for the first tour that starts about 9 AM. We have our own dedicated bus and driver--a very different model than the one used by European river boats.

We saw "old" LaCrosse and "new" LaCrosse. At the turn of the last century some mighty fine homes were being built and they are still being used. We learned there are 4 institutes of higher education in town; we saw the old German Catholic Church and the old English Catholic Church. Back in the day, folks spoke German or English. This made sense to me as my German grandmother grew up in Wisconsin and spoke German before she spoke English.

We returned to the boat and sat on the back deck and had our afternoon cookie and recounted our day. We had yummy tenderloin for dinner and Italian Lemon Cake for dessert (see why we have to cut down on lunch?) and then retired to our room to see the last edition of Indiana Jones. A good day on the river. Right now we are cruising downriver to Dubuque, Iowa. Keep watching this spot to see what happens next.

Morning on the River

I got up early to see why everthing was so quiet and why the ship was not moving...only to find out that we are docked in LaCrosse WI. After a quick shower I went to the Sky Lounge (which is only 10 feet from our room) and had a wonderful breakfast of fresh yogurt with granola and some type of berry preserve, a fresh banana muffin and 2 cups of coffee. Next I walked outside and breathed in the cool morning air and came back inside. It was 7 AM and not too many folks were stirring on the ship. There were only 4 people in the lounge, all of us awake but not really ready to interact with each other. It was funny--we each took a corner table and drank our coffee knowing that talking to each other was not going to happen. Don't get me wrong, I know we were not being anti-social, we were just comtemplating the day. Then, after sitting silently for a whole cuppa, we all waved to each other and walked to another table, where we had a little talk. We each needed some coffee to get started.

There are 164 pax on the riverboat. I don't know how many crew, but there are a lot. Service is excellent. So far, the food is good and they seem to be able to accommodate any type of diet. I filled out my daily menu, while in the Lounge, and my server did not seem to think that a low sodium diet was all that unusual. She said there are a lot of lo-so folks. I know from past sailing experience, lo-so diets are alive and well, and the ships can and will prepare food to meet our needs.

Today we have a lazy excursion--it starts at 2PM. Until then, we'll discover more about the American Serenade.

Life in Geezerville: Day 2--Red Wing, MN to LaCrosse, WI

We are sailing on the Mighty Mississippi. It's excellent. This morning after breakfast at the luxurious St. Paul Hotel, we bussed to Red Wing (you know, the home of Red Wing Shoes). It is about 45 minutes from St. Paul. We left the busy city and drove on the interstate past many cornfields that still had a lot of corn to harvest. It was not quite ripe! That surprised me. We shadowed the River most of the way and saw lots of boat traffic, some barges, some barge pushers and alongside the river, lots of trains.

Once in Red Wing, we boarded The American Serenade, the newest ship on the river (according to American Cruise Lines). We had a welcome aboard glass of champagne and we were told to find our rooms. We took the very quiet and fast elevator to the 4th deck and found our sweet "suite" right outside the Sky Lounge (where they have warm cookies daily at 10 and 3) as well as a myriad of drinks and beautiful river-views both inside and out.

There was a lot "stuff" that had to be covered today. We did the life vest and muster routines, then we were told about excursions, meals, drinks, snacks and other important stuff. The excursion coordinator said we want you well fed and watered on the cruise. That's a fact too. The food menu is fit for a Hobbit with some sort of food, snack, dessert, main course, etc. listed for every hour of the day. Since Hobbits are known to eat a snack called "tensies" or "elevensies" (one for each hour of the day) they would fit well with the American Serenade.

Tonight we are rolling down the river at a nice clip. The water is smooth and the ride is easy. We were eating dinner when we passed thru a lock right at sunset. Later after dinner we sat on our veranda and looked at the view. If you use your imagination, you can almost see Tom and Huck hiding in the wilderness by a campfire. It's pretty amazing, as it still looks like Mark Twain described it all those years ago. Tomorrow we stop in LaCrosse WI. I have a shore excursion but I have no idea what it is--but it sounded OK when I checked it off. What I do know, we'll have more adventures on the water and in the towns that dot the Mississippi in the days to come. It's all good. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Day 1

The most exciting part of today was meeting a huge bull elk on our drive to the airport. lucky for the elk and us, we both survived the event, but our adrenalin was pumping for awhile. The elk, in full velvet rushed onto the Snake River Road about 4:30 and ran right in front of our car. I had a warning that something was amiss as the vehicle in front of me, put on his flashers and that caused me to slow down, and that was a good thing. The rest of the drive was very uneventful.

We boarded the plane without a hassle and headed for Salt Lake City. From there we boarded our second flight and headed to MSP (Minneapolis-St.Paul airport). On the plane I saw "Barbie." A year late and a dollar short, but I saw it. I even got teary eyed a couple of times. Who wudda thought that movie had some sentimental moments. It's a chick-flick filled with very curvy-Barbie doll look-alikes. The look-alikes are all young and gorgeous--in the end, it's just a fun (semi-woke) movie. Along the way, Delta served us a gourmet lunch, which we had pre-ordered. Flight was uneventful except for the first few minutes. Someone forgot to pave the sky as it was full of potholes and very bunpy...after about 10 minutes the "pavement" smoothed out.

In St.Paul we took a taxi to the fancy St. Paul Hotel. It's an old-fashioned hotel with a bell captain in top hat and tails greeting all the guests. (Don't look at his shoes tho--he had on black running shoes covered with spats. I liked the look even if it was not traditional.) As you enter the hotel there's a huge round table with a beautiful vase of flowers. Once inside, you see crystal chandeliers and faux-marble pillars...and some fine art reproductions. Our room is large, very clean, and has all we need and more.

Tomorrow morning, the porter will pick up our luggage between 7 and 8:30. At 10:40 we will be taxied to the riverboat and we'll start sailing down the Mississippi River. It's been a good day. I hope your's have been good too. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: The Adventure Begins

Tomorrow morning we are getting up at zero-dark-thirty and heading for our local airport where we'll catch the first of two flights to St. Paul, MN. The next day we will board The American Serenade and sail down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. We've been on small portions of river in New Orleans and Tunica, MS before...but we've never sailed the whole river. It's something that the other DrC has wanted to do in a very long time.

And, it's been a long time coming too. We made the reservsations the first time right before Covid arrived on our shores. Needless to say, the cruise was postponed. And, it was postponed the next year and the year ater that. One summer I canceled the cruise with the idea that I would schedule it when we were "covid-safe." That day arrived early last summer when we made this set of reservations. Lucky for us, the cruise has not been postponed or canceled. The river cruise is finally going to happen tomorrow. We are a more than a little bit excited

As you know, we've been on many river cruises in Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa, so it's about time we start exploring our local "big river." We will be making stops most everyday, so watch this spot to find out what on earth we are up to now. I hope to have pictures too. Lastly, I hope y'all get inspired to go on a river cruise too, because it's important for geezers to have plans. Remember, we're all in this together. (photographs courtesy of American Cruise Lines)

Life in Geezerville: Company Edition

We live in the "high country" close to two world class National Parks--Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Both are different and both are spectacular. Grand Teton is a boutique mountain range that soars above Jackson Hole that offers wonderful hikes, pristine mountain lakes, and of course the mountains. Yellowstone, the world's first national park, has everything that Grand Teton has and more: wildlife, geysers, hot pots, and places that have never seen the hand of man. Going to both parks is an awe-some experience. We live nearby and going to the parks is "normal" and "no big thing" only it really is a BIG THING. The parks are what drew us to our little home in the aspens and the parks keep us coming back year after year for over 50 years.

Living in this wonderful place brings visitors and company. I love company. This week we have had 2 sets of company and we got to trot out the local beauty. With company, we get lots of time to talk, time to see the parks, time to share meals and time to remember when. I love it. Last night, after dinner on the back porch, we talked til midnight--this morning we got up early, had a quick breakfast and talked about what was going to happen next. Tonight, we'll all come back exhausted and excited about all the wonderful things we've seen. It's such a treat for us to share our little patch of the world with our friends and family. So, if you have not been to either of these parks, come on over and hang out for awhile. I'm even a pretty good tour guide. Remember, we're all in this togehter.

Life in Geezerville: Overton Window Edition

Do you know what the Overton Window is? According to Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge??) it is "...the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time.It is also known as the window of discourse.The term is named after the American policy analyst Joseph Overton..." To make that sound less academic, think of the Overton Window as what is allowed in polite conversation---or TV, movies, books, sports, etc Think back to your youth (I know geezers, that's a long time ago) but only "certain" things were said in polite conversation. When I was a kid, no mom-to-be said she was "pregnant" instead she said "she was expecting." No one said anything about "sex" as that was beyond the pale. No one used "four letter words" as that was not nice, especially in front of children. My father never swore, nor did any of the other fathers on the block. To put that in sociological terms, that was not inside the Overton Window of the time. Think about television when you were a kid. Did anyone sleep in double beds? The answer was NO--Beaver's mom and dad had twin beds...so did Donna Reed and her husband...and every other married couple. The first time we saw a pregnant woman on TV was Lucille Ball...she shattered the Overton Window by showing off her "baby bump" (it was her second child at the time as the first one had been "covered up") The Overton Window has made us more humane too. We don't talk about various ethnic groups or personal choices as bad/ugly/etc. We talk about people in a kinder, more accepting way. Certain pieces of the window have been closed for now and might not open again. We don't know what the future holds. The Overton Window has shattered many times since mid-20th century. Think about all the broken glass that has happened since then. We talk about pregnancy, single motherhood, drugs, sex and rock and roll without batting an eye. Four letter words are splattered in everyday conversation, books, movies and television and no one seems to bat an eye. The Overton Window seems to have opened wider by the decades as "stuff" that was considered taboo is not taboo any more. And, stuff that was commonplace is not. Some of the breakage is logical and good--some not so...but the beauty of the Overton Window is, it keeps marching along. Opening and closing according to the times. Every generation has an Overton Window of polite discourse and the older we geezers get, we are probably more and more annoyed as the "window" changed and we have not embraced all of the change.

To that end, I'm annoyed when I look at a Netflix program that is littered with F-bombs exploding every 30 seconds. Is that really necessary? I'm annoyed when I read a book that turns violent with no good explanation, or a movie that has sex scenes that are better left unshown. I'm annoyed when I see people dressed (or is it undressed) in a costume that should have a bit more fabric. I find I've become a geezer-prude who harks back to a different, more innocent Overton Window. Don't get me wrong...sometimes the Overton Window needs to be opened more...sometimes it needs to be closed. To that end, I need personal filters so I can open and close my "individual" Overton Window and forget about what others are doing with their private Overton Windows. So I ask...am I the only one who is geezer-prude? Are there others out there? Please let me know. Remember, we're in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Fall is in the Air

Today I saw another vestige of autumn--a yellow leaf. Aspen turn a beautiful lemony yellow during the fall, and it that color change is just beginning. In addition, the fawns are losing their spots and growing like weeds, getting ready for winter. When we drove to Jackson on Sunday we saw more signs that autumn was on the way too. A few trees were decked in orange leaves albeit the majority were still green. If you look carefully at the aspens, there's a slight "under hint" of yellow. It's after Labor Day, so autumn is to be expected.

What I find disappointing is my aster prediction. Six weeks ago the asters started to bloom. The "local lore" for the WY high country says autumn will arrive 8 weeks after the asters bloom or, as was the case this year, September 16. The asters were wrong! I don't think any of the deciduous trees will still be green on the 16th. I'm already seeing the white "snowberries" too. Around here, most of the wild berries turn white during the autumn and the deer love to eat them. Our snowberries have arrived.

The seasons march by in logical progression--spring to summer to autumn to winter. Soon it will be time to snowbird away to warmer winter climes. Our winter home has 2 seasons--warm and hot. Summertime is triple digit hot for several weeks. Wintertime is mostly warm with a touch of cool every now and again to let you know that it is winter. There's not a big autumn color display as there are not many deciduous trees in the desert. 

We have beautiful autumn colors in western WY and I'm expecting this year will be pretty spectacular too. When that happens I'll take pictures for you. If your area has a pretty autumn please send me pictures and I'll post them on the blog. In the meantime, remember, we're all in this together. 

Life in Geezerville: Laundry Edition

It's Labor Day, so why not talk about a job that never seems to be finished. I'm talking about laundry. Do you have an empty laundry basket? In my house, it seems there is always "one more thing" to wash. It's a never ending battle. In addition it's a battle I've been waging since I was old enough to help my mother with the laundry. It's definitely an unsung labor that gets little reward. No one ever thanks me for doing the laundry. I don't even thank me. It needs to be done, so it gets done. End of story.

Back in those old dark, pre-geezer days (my mother wasn't even a geezer), my job was to empty the hamper and sort the clothes into piles. There was a pile for whites, one for delicates, one for darks, one for heavy fabrics one for lightweight fabrics, etc. After I sorted the clothes into what I thought were the "right" piles my mother would check them. She would ask me what each pile represented be it white or dark etc. Then she would ask the rationale as to why I put a light blue shirt into the white pile, and finally she would agree or disagree, make changes and the task of loading the washing machine and completing 7 or more loads of clothes commenced. Back in those days, my mother did not have a dryer, so the clothes were hung on clotheslines in the backyard where they flapped in the breeze until they were dry (or it started to rain). We would diligently take the clothes off the lines, sort the plastic from the wooden clothespins in the clothespin bag and haul our laundry back into the house. That was the Monday ritual. She would do laundry at least 3 more times during the week. The Tuesday ritual was ironing the clothes, yet another unsung labor.

Fast forward to today. My mother taught me well. I can sort clothes till the cows come home. I know light from dark; thick from thin; delicate from heavy-duty...but alas I do not sort clothes. That's because I wash one load of clothes at a time. It's rare that I do more than one load of clothes per day. I used to sort clothes--but with all the camping  we did over the years it was just easier to dump everything into one BIG giant campground washing machine. That habit switched over to non-campground life and persists to this day. I'm sure my mother would not be happy with me--but she was a realist and my logic would have made sense to her. 

So today, on Labor Day, I labored with the laundry. I dumped my full basket of laundry into the washing machine, collected the hangars I needed, and started the machine. Half an hour later I dumped the clothes into the dryer. When the dryer bell rang, indicating the clothes were finished, I hung up my hanger items, and folded my clothes. The other DrC folded his clothes. I'm not a good wife. I may wash his clothes but I do not fold them, nor do I put his clothes away.

The laundry basket was empty for about 2 hours when it started to fill up again. It's a never ending battle with clean vs dirty. Dirty seems to be winning at my house. But I'm thankful I don't have the rest of the "stuff" to do that my mother had after the washing and drying was complete. There were no permanent press or "miracle" fabrics in the 50s. After washing seven or eight loads on Monday, she had to starch, sprinkle, iron, and put away those 7 or 8 loads. I have no idea what starch looks like and while I do have an iron, I use it more for sewing than for my clothes. I don't think I've sprinkled any clothes for decades. Have you?

Laundry and Labor Day seem to go together. It's the "labor" that the day celebrates...it's the labor that makes a house work. It's unsung labor. It's never ending labor. If you have a way to make it disappear let me know. So on Labor Day, I did the laundry. As well as have a nice dinner for friends. What did you do? There are other unsung labors such as gardening, cooking, vacuuming, dusting, mopping, etc that never seem to end.  The job of keeping a home is an unsung labor of love. I do most of those labors --sometimes reluctantly, but they get done. I'm sure you do them too. I'm not complaining. It's Labor Day--and household labor never seems to end. Remember, we're all this together.

Life in Geezerville: Time Edition

Last night I cooking a new-to-me recipe. I had looked at several recipes online -- but I needed more information. SO, I called my friend and asked if she had a recipe...and sure enough a few minutes later she shared her recipe. What a treat. I can search the net for hours or I can ask a friend...much more fun to ask a friend.

Now that we are geezers we have time. Before geezer-hood, we were working and did not have much extra time. What matters is how we make use of that time. Do we sit on our geezer-duffs? Or, do we do something productive with that time. 

As for me, I'd much rather call a friend than sit for hours scouring the internet for the perfect recipe. I'd much rather have a cuppa with a friend, than have a cuppa with my computer. I had a "career" and that meant I did not have much extra time. Now, I am retired...so I have time to talk to my friends; time to listen; time to crochet; time to volunteer; time--that blessed gift of time. 

So, my fellow geezers, how are you using your time? For me I want to spend my time with my friends, or volunteering, or trying to make my world a special place. I truly don't want to spend my time listening to the latest political ads. And, more importantly, I don't want to waste my time doing useless pursuits. I want to use my time wisely with folks I love. So I ask you again: How do you want to spend your time? Remember, we're all in this together. 

Dollies

 

I started to make dollies...and then I got carried away.

There are now over a dozen of them looking for a good home.

All seem to be well-behaved and quiet...

So, if you would like a dolly let me know and you might get one. 

They are fun little dollies who will make you smile.

Zuchhini Muffins

 

Yesterday my friend Judy gave me 2 huge zucchinis. Today, the other DrC processed them and I made 1 batch of zucchini muffins and froze enough zucchini for 3 more batches. That means I have some magical muffin makings in my freezer now. 

I use a recipe that I found online and then modified it a bit. To make these delicious zucchini muffins measure and combine14 oz of all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder in a medium sized bowl. In a larger bowl add 3 large eggs, 14 oz of granulated sugar, 2 sticks of cooled melted butter and 2 cups of chopped zucchini.  Mix all the wet ingredients (sugar is considered a wet ingredient) together then add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Generously spray 2 muffin pans with vegetable oil and divide the batter as evenly as possible into the muffin pans. 

You have a treat in store--2 dozen homemade muffins ready to eat or freeze. 

That's what I did today. Now you can do it too. 

Life in Geezerville: Hanging in There Edition

My last entry talked about all the ugly things that are happening, but the news is good this time. My friend who broke her pelvis is in a skilled nursing facility getting PT 3x a day and should be home on Sunday. My young friend is out of the ICU and on the mend. The other DrC is taking his medications and will see his doc on Thursday, and we're hoping for good news. As you can see we're hanging in there. It's important to hang in there.

In the meantime, the fawns in the backyard are getting bigger and their spots are fading a bit. That's always bittersweet for me. It's bitter, as the little ones are growing up and soon will become adults. It's sweet as I witnessed them growing up. This summer the deer have been camera shy. So I've taken a lot of pictures from my screened porch...but on Sunday I snapped a good one of my mama deer. She's beautiful standing in the aspens.

The bluebird blue skies are back. The air is clean and the aspens are tall and straight. All seems to be good in my little patch. I hope the same is happening for you. (Yes I know it's political season, and yes I do read the news, but NO I don't put any of that stuff on my blog. If you want to stay up to date, see other DrC's blog for all that kind of stuff.) In the meantime, remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Be Careful Out There

 This past week there have been 3 uglies that have happened. Since things "come in threes," I'm hoping that is all the bad news that I can get. My girlfriend of way too many years, fell and broke her pelvis; my 20 year old friend was in a pretty bad automobile accident breaking her mandible among other problems; the other DrC has an infection in the head wound he has had for a long time. None of these were foreseeable -- they just happened. They happened to older folks and younger folks. Ugly things happen...and because they do, please be careful "out there." 

Around your home, don't have loose floor mats in your house--they are tripping hazards. In your vehicle, drive defensively and alertly. As for an infection...I don't know what do say about that, but keep all wounds as clean as possible. I don't mean to harp on this topic...I just want all of us to be happy and safe and sound. Remember, we're all in this together.

State Fair

The WY State Fair is happening right now. My "kids" are participating and having a blast showing their animals and collecting recognition for their hard work...as well as ribbons and belts and other prizes. 

 Grand Champion Lamb

 Grand Champion Pig at the county fair and Champion of Champions at the State Fair

WOW...that is fantastic

Reserve Grand Champion  Pig

The Champion of Champion prize...that's some belt and buckle...

The kids work hard with their animals. Their parents work hard too. Kudos to all who participated in the local and state fair -- but bigger kudos for "my kids" who were absolutely wonderful. I'm so proud of them and blessed to have them in my life.

Life in Geezerville: Hobby Edition

 

I''m a geezer. I don't know when that happened but it did. Now that I'm here, what am I going to do with my time. I go shopping, I keep the house tidy, cook, do laundry--you know all those household chores that never go away, but I have time for a few hobbies too. The hobby that I've "practiced' all my life is crochet. I learned when I was about 7. I copied what my mother was doing, as I've been told...so I work in the typical "German" style but backwards. You read that right. I mirrored what my mother was doing, and she learned to crochet from her German mother. Maybe, she mirrored what her mother did, and I mirrored what she did...whatever the case, when I'm crocheting with a group of folks (and I do that every now and then) my process is different--but I end up with a product that looks the same. I learned a long time ago, there are many ways to peel an orange, the idea is to peel it. Same with crochet.

A few summers back I discovered the joy of making toys and giving them away. I've made lots and lots of piggies, kitties, sheep, hedgehogs, teddy bears, turtles, cars, trucks, airplanes, and more. Then I branched out to boxes, nesting boxes, flowers (like those above), etc. It's fun to see what will come out of my crochet hook.

Most recently I've started to crochet dolls. Little dolls less than 5 inches tall. They are fun to make and I find it amazing how the same pattern can create so much diversity. Sometimes the dollies are  a bit bigger...sometimes smaller...but all are cute and I'm sure some little girl (or maybe a geezer girl) will have fun playing with them

You might ask what is the purpose of making a dolly or a critter or a flower? The answer is easy. The process of crochet keeps my hands busy, my mind active, and sparks my creativity. I look at hundreds of pictures and read hundreds of patterns before I make up "my" pattern. I then take that 2 dimensional picture and create a 3 dimensional object and that object looks like the picture. There's a lot of "work" between picture and product. That has to be good for any geezer to do. My geezer friends who quilt are doing the same thing. Keeping mind and body active is important, and even more important in our geezer-years.The same with my geezer friends who paint (rocks or canvas), create string art, play the piano, write blogs, or do counted cross-stitch. These are important hobbies that keep geezers active, alert and happy. What is your hobby? Maybe you don't do any of the above, but you play golf, or swim, or run? Maybe you read or listen to books? Being actively engaged is the key. Staying active keeps the mind and body working better and longer. That's important.  Remember, we're all in this together.

(Courtesy of Sam, string artist)

Life in Geezerville: 4H Edition

Today I went to our county fair (the second county fair I've gone to this year) to see the lamb judging. Two of "my" kids were showing their lambs. These are NOT the typical lamb you see in a field, these are well groomed lambs with closed cropped wool and black feathered leggings. The kids have been working with their lambs all summer, teaching them manners. Some of the kids were very successful--others not so much. My kids did well in their division, with one winning grand champion and the other "tying" for grand, but the judge gave it to the other lamb. 

I love watching all the kids show their critters. It takes a lot of work to get untrained baby critters to show-worthy in a few short months. The kids have to feed and tend to their critter on a daily basis. They can't take time off for snow or sickness or the weekend. The critters need to be trained to walk by their child and follow some basic commands. That type of training cannot be done in a couple of weeks before the fair--it has to be done for months. Mom and dad give a big helping hand too, as it's a family affair getting the critters ready for fair. When fair arrives, the kids are cleaned up and shiny, just like their critters. Our county asks that the kids were clean blue jeans and a white shirt. While they can't wear cowboy hats, they can wear boots. One little girl had blue pinpoint lights randomly flashing on her boots--as far as I was concerned, they were the best boots EVER. I was fascinated with her colorful boots and maybe judge was too, as she won one of the prizes. 

When I taught a hundred years ago, the 4H kids always seemed to do "better" than the others. They knew how to work hard to reach a goal. They were "on top of things." The kids who did not have the 4H experience had to play catch up. The non-4H kids were usually city kids, while most of the 4H kids were country kids. The country kids knew what it was like to raise a critter from farm to market and the city kids did not have a clue. The 4H experience taught them what to do and when to do it. Skills that are needed throughout life. 4H might be for critters, but the critters include the kids.

As for me, I was the city kid. I never paid much attention to 4H or to raising livestock. I knew city ways well and living on a ranch or farm was not in my realm of experience. I knew how to take care of a parakeet and a cat. The thought of taking them to a "show" was not on the radar screen. Needless to say I did well as school, but I would have been more well-rounded with the 4H experience. That was then, this is now. 4H is a program I support with a full-heart. I'm sure there are other programs "out there" that work with kids to make them better people, and my hats go off to them too. It takes a lot of work to get an untrained "baby" (of any variety) to be a worthy individual. Remember, we're all in this together. 

Life in Geezerville: Reading Edition

 My whole life, I've been a reader. As a kid I read everything in sight including several thick dictionaries and even the encyclopedia. When magazines were delivered at home, I devoured them. I had a library card when I was 4 even though the "legal" age was 5. The librarian knew I could read and she made an exception for me. 

At 3 I taught myself to read by circling words I knew in a Life Magazine. My dad had already given me permission to write in the magazine, as long as I did not make a mess of it. I started very methodically--I circled all the words that I knew. Please don't ask me how I knew a word, but when I saw a word that was "mine" I circled it. My goal was to circle all the words in an article--then the magazine. If any of those old Life Magazines are still around, there would be pages of words circled in blue ink. Those were MY words.

Fast forward many years and my "discovery" of books on tape. Since I have always found it hard to read in a moving vehicle, reading in the car or truck, has never been an option. But, one day, a student of mine gave me a tape of the first volume of the Harry Potter series. WOW! I could listen to a book while driving or riding in a vehicle. What a treat. Soon we had lots of books on tape--they evolved to books on CD--and those have evolved to books on my phone. I love listening to stories.

I have many favorite authors and storytellers who can read to me to my heart's content. The man who read the Harry Potter books, Jim Dale, captured each character with a different voice and outlook, that makes simple reading of a book so much more enjoyable. Since Jim Dale, I've heard many fantastic readers. Lorelei King, Huge Fraser and Walt Guidell are just three who come to mind--but there are more. 

If you have a few minutes, download the free app for your phone from the public library and start borrowing books on tape (as they are still called). If you want to own some books, use an app like Chirp. You can also download Audible, available from Amazon (it might be available from other sources too). If the book is on "tape" you can hear books from any genre and age. I find it completely enjoyable and I hope you do too. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Home Edition

What is home? Is it a house? A place? A memory? Something you have? Something you want? A distant dream? Something you will never attain? 

For the dove in the picture, home is a safe place to raise her babies. She has chosen a quiet flowerpot on a front porch where she can hide from the "baddies out there" to hatch and raise a clutch of chicks.

For the deer in my backyard, home is a place away from hunters, speeding cars and noise. Home is a place to rear her fawns where the quaking aspens lull her offspring to sleep. A place where she was raised. She knows it's a good place for her fawns too.

It does not matter what home looks like. It can be a flowerpot, a backyard with trees, or a house. For some folks, it has wheels under it and roams the open road. 

Home can be a job with colleagues who have ideals like yours and where you feel like you are doing something useful. Home can be a country--where you know you are protected from harm.

When all is said and done, home is where your heart is. It is a familiar place where you feel safe and loved and cared for. It's friendly. You love your home because your home loves you back. So I ask a question? Where is your home? I know where mine is--with my loved ones, whether in my house in the woods or my house in the desert or in between. I'm safe there. I'm loved there. I give safety and love back too. Find your home and cherish it. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Pickleball Edition

Pickleball--it is certainly "the" rage for geezers right now. But, I found out something the other day, youngsters are playing it too. My friend said her granddaughter was on her high school Pickleball team. The game is spreading out to other age demographics and that must be a sign that the game is catching on. I wonder when the Olympics will recognize Pickleball as a "game."

As someone who suffers from lack of coordination, the lure of the Pickleball court does not call me. But, I'm definitely in the minority. Every morning, the parking lot at our local Pickleball court fills up with golf carts, electric bicycles, regular bicycles and even a few cars. Some folks even walk to the Pickleball courts. They come with paddle and pickleball, ready to compete. They play everyday, but not in the rain. They arrive at 8 and stay till noon. It must be fun, as a lot of folks are doing it. Also, our local courts are expanding--soon 8 more will be added to the playing field. That's a lot of Pickleball games for us geezers. Last month, there was even a Pickleball Tournament that brought in people from all over the western US. The game is popular.

My Pickleball friends, claim it's a lot of fun, is filled with lots of good exercise, and you don't even have to play well to enjoy the game because the ball is slow...in addition, it's a fun way to meet folks. I understand the last part of that reason, but the others, are not something I can do. For me, a slow ball is just as easy to miss as a fast ball. But, I digress, I'm not an athlete.

If you see a group of geezers playing a game with a holey ball, paddle and net, you are watching Pickleball in action. It might be a lot of fun, but alas it's not for me. My sports are travel, walking and sitting in a hot tub. What are you good at? Find your geezer sport and enjoy it. I've found mine! Remember, we're all in this together.

Meet the "Big Boys"

 

I love watching the wildlife in my backyard. This year we've had at least 3 but maybe as many as 5 fawns, a lot of does and this morning, I saw 3 nicely antlered stags. Now I'm watching them thru my screened porch, so it's hard to get clear pictures of them...but I was able to capture 2 of the 3.The third fellow was very illusive.

Each of these male mule deer had an 8 to 10 point rack of antlers...all in velvet and all very majestic. I watched them as long as I could, but the call of the wild was alive and well and they went to other pastures. In the meantime, I was mesmerized by them.

Life in Geezerville: Never Give Up Edition

 

There's this barn sitting in an open field that is NOT going to fall down any time soon. I've been tracking this barn for several years and while it looks rickety and broken down, it is still standing. I think of it as a beacon of hope. It's not giving up any time soon. 

This barn has survived countless storms, thousands of inches of snow (albeit not at the same time), critters, people, who knows what else, and it's still there. It is still nailing down a small piece of real estate with the best of them. All it does is stand in the field--baking in the sunshine or freezing in the snow. As the wood gets more weathered and wobbly; as the roof gets more stove-in, the barn stands. Is there a better testament to "hanging in there?"

There are times when I feel like this old barn. Some days I creak and limp and complain--then I think of this barn. If the barn is still standing--heck I can stand too. I think "be like the barn" and I'm whole and strong (at least on the inside) and I'm ready for another day. 

So, when you feel like your shingles are sliding off, your floorboards are rotten, your roof is caving in; when your windows are broken, and the dust is the only thing that is holding you up...think of the barn...be one with the barn. It's still there, standing in its glory. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Penney's Edition

 

The teeny-tiny town of Kemmerer, WY is not known for much, but it is where JCPenney's began. Given the size and location of the town, it's hard to imagine that anything like a Penney's could begin there, thrive (and now survive) for 122 years. They call it the "mother" store. And, you know what is really strange? I recognized the layout of the store. I knew the store, as I shopped in one exactly like it when I was a little girl.

I know the store was remodeled at some point in time, as it had modern hardwood flooring that did not creak, but the plan was simple and familiar: A first floor and a mezzanine. I went inside that store and I remembered the Penney's my mom would take us to when we were little. Back then, children's clothes were in the Mezzanine. I remembered, climbing up the long staircase. Yesterday, that staircase did not seem all that long. As you know, it's a matter of perspective.

Around the store there were reminders of Penney's past. Some of them I remembered too. I wonder if you do? Remember a cable system that went from a register to somewhere upstairs (kind of like the Mezzanine, but for workers). The clerk would put the receipt and cash in a canister and hook the canister to the cable where it would wend it way upstairs, was opened, and appropriate change was made. The canister was returned to the register and change was given to the customer. I remember thinking those canisters were magical as they always gave the right change. I had no idea where they went, until one day I visually followed the canister and saw a person open it up. It was not magic after all. 

Another display showed a red blazer with a P on the breast pocket. I remember a gentleman walking around the store wearing a similar red jacket. My mother said he was the "boss" and that we should not get in his way. Naturally, being a good little girl, I never got in his way. To tell the truth, he kind of scared me as he never smiled.

A beautiful portable Singer Sewing Machine complete with its carry box, sat atop a jeans display.

This sewing machine was a marvel in its day. One of the moms up the street from my childhood home, had that very machine. She said it belonged to her mother. Once in a while she let the little girls on the block use it to make doll clothes. I loved that little machine...and there it was. What a fun memory.

As a kid, I never saw anything as special as that pram, or the fancy luggage, but back in the day, these  were a few of the items sold at JCPenney. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the mother store. Another blast from the past, which sadly, I'm old enough to remember. I don't remember 122 years of history of the store, but I have a memory that goes back several decades. The modern Penney's does not look anything like this little store, and something in me, harks back to this place. It's completely analog. It's mechanical. What you see, is what you get. Everything in that original store was Made in the USA--what a concept. I know we cannot go back to those simpler times, but once in a while we can visit them, by taking a walk down Memory Lane. Yesterday,  I took a walk down that time-worn street, and had a good time. Maybe you can take a walk down that street soon and enjoy it too. Remember, we're all in this together.