Feeling sheepish???

 My west coast brother and my excellent sister-in-law raise sheep and goats on their hillside farm out west.  I think it's because of their lifestyle that he suggested I read two books about sheep.

A recent movie "The Sheep Detectives" is based on these two books. I will, I think, try to see the movie sometime after I finish the books.  

The books "Three Bags Full" and "Big Bad Wool" were written by a German author Leoni Swann and translated into English by Amy Bojang.  The first one takes place in Ireland.  I have always enjoyed reading 'cozy mysteries' and you can't get much cozier than cuddling up with fluffly fictional sheep.  Real life sheep can tend to be smelly and sometimes nasty, but we're talking fiction here.

Having sheep dectectives try to solve a murder (with a few people here and there along the way) is a fun twist on traditional murder mysteries. They have unusual skills, like a keen sense of smell, to help them in their detecting. All of the sheep have names of course.  My favorite is Miss Maple, a wise old sheep who figures things out.  Shades of Miss Marple?

If you're looking for a uniquely entertaining read, I recomment these books.  

Trying something new...

 I do not like to talk about my physical ailments in this blog.  I actually have very few to talk about anyway.  However today I experienced a new treatment for my knee pain that I want to share.

I noticed on our most recent vacation that after moderatly long walks my knees, especially my right knee would be hurting.  Not excruciating you understand, but enough to be bothersome.  Because I don't want the pain to get worse I tried a new treatment (new to me anyway) called Softwave.

I had my first treatment today and was surprised at how it worked.  I had expected the treatment to be pain free but it wasn't.  However my knees felt really good when it was over.  I will be going back for a series of eight treatments which should keep my knees pain free for a long time to come.   This brochure explains the process better than I can.  

The company doing this in Fort Wayne is "Integrative Health." You can get more information by Googling 'Integrative Health Fort Wayne.'  Happy hiking everyone.

Follow up...

We won!!  We Won!! I am happy to report that the soccer game we attended last night was every bit as exciting as the one we watched on TV today and the outcome was more satisfying because Fort Wayne won with a score of 3-0.  The new soccer stadium was everything a soccer stadium should be.  There was even a 'pep squad.'  At least that's what we called them when I was in highschool.  Of course back then it was the basketball players we were cheering, but last night's chant of "We want another one, just like the other one." sounded very, very familiar.  Very enjoyable indeed.  

This afternoon my wonder spouse (who is responsible for getting me interested in soccer) and I watched the final match of the FIFA World Cup competition.  Spain vs Argentina.  

If you haven't heard, Spain won 1-0 with their only goal scored at the very end of the game.  Argentina was not able to score due to some really excellent saves by Spain's goalkeeper.  

I felt like I was in a win-win situation watching this game.  My favorite city in the world is Barcelona (pronounced Barthelona if you're interested) which is in Spain, so of course I was inclined to cheer for Spain.  On the other hand Lionel Messi who was playing for Argentina (a country I have visited and like) at one time played soccer for Barcelona, and he is an amazing player, well worth cheering for and so I did.  

From now on, for the next few months at least, I think our soccer watching will be focused on (FWFC) the Fort Wayne Football Club. Sometimes on TV and sometimes in person.  I'm especially looking forward to the in person games, and not just for the big salty pretzels with cheese sauce which were very good indeed. 

Getting ready...

Woops, it looks like I forgot to blog yesterday.  In my defense I have a nasty summer cold so I'm not thinking too clearly.  But on to happier things. 

My spouse and I have been watching the FIFA soccer games on TV and enjoying them very much but this evening we will be going to a real live soccer game at the newly completed soccer stadium here in Fort Wayne.  Happily the smoke that was in the air yesterday from the Canadian wild fires has drifted away and it looks like we will have clear skies for the game.  It always helps, when watching soccer, if you can actually see the ball.

This evening the FWFC (Fort Wayne Football Club) will be playing the Greenville Triumph from South Carolina.  I have a feeling that this game may not be quite as intense as a FIFA game, but we shall see.

But I'm laughing at myself this morning because getting ready for this expedition is beginning to feel like packing for one of our trips. 

First of all we have discovered that there are rules to be followed. 

1. Any bags brought in must be clear plastic.

        Not a problem, I'll wear my 'vest of many pockets' and not carry         a bag.

2.  We cannot bring seats of the type that are often used to soften sitting on bleachers. 

    However, it is ok to bring blankets.  Since the temperature will be     well over 80 degrees for the entire evening, I had not considered        bringing a blanket.  But I will now, and will fold it to create                comfortable seating for my spouse and myself.

3.  This is not their rule, but we will also be bringing insect repellent.

4.  We must remember to take our phones which contain our prepaid      parking permit. 

5.  We probably should bring along water and sunglasses although         our seats will be facing east, I'm told.

6.  The head pastor at my church, who has organized this whole event      will be waiting by the entrance to hand out our tickets for the             actual game.

I'm sure that, once we are in and seated, a good time will be had by all.  As long as the rain holds off.  They are predicting possible thunder storms this evening.  My wonder spouse says that they will play in the rain as long as there is no lightning.  Perhaps I'll wear my nifty 'rain jacket of many pockets' instead of my vest.  

A little comercial here  - my vest and rain jacket are from SCOTT and I highly recommend them for anyone who travels a lot or simply doesn't like to carry a purse. 

Look for my follow up blog tomorrow.

Snakes and other things

 First of all, and most importantly, today is my wonder spouse's birthday.  He is now my age, at least for the next five months.  I have gifted him with a fizzy water maker.  When we travel on cruises we are always asked if we want 'still' or 'sparkling' water with our meals.  I always say still and my spouse always says sparkling (aka fizzy).  I am delighted to report that the fizzy water maker works and, with all that was included in the box, he should have an abundance of sparkling water for at least two years. 

On another topic, my west coast brother has informed me that today is "World Snake Day" and "Guinea Pig Appreciation Day."  We agreed that a large snake might really appreciate a guinea pig for a snack.

Thinking about snakes reminds me of what my mother taught me long ago.  She insisted that snakes are not slimy to touch but are instead dry and leathery.  I know this is true unless the snake you encounter is a water moccasin that has just slithered out of some swampy place.  Although, realistically, if you are confronted by a water moccasin, wondering what it feels like should be the least of your concerns.  If it flashes its white gums at you, that is not a smile. They won't kill you but their bite can make you pretty miserable. 

But back to the nice snakes.  According to my mother, her grandmother, my great grandmother, kept two large Black Snakes in her dirt-floored basement.  They assured that she had no problem with mice.  I know that cats can provide the same service, and they are definitely more cuddly, but snakes don't gift their favorite human with the remains of their catch. 

But speaking of cuddly snakes, my daughter and her then boyfriend bought a snake, a small Boa Constrictor, when they were in college.  When summer came, his mother absolutely refused to have a snake in her house so Charlotte came to live with me.  She lived in a large glass terrarium and my daughter kept her fed and watered, so she was really no problem.  Ocassionally we would take her out of her big glass box to stretch her scales.  I discovered that, after she had crawled around a bit, she was very happy to curl up on my lap for a little snooze.  Who knew that snakes like to cuddle? 

SMILE!!!

Today I went to see my dentist, actually to be seen, since for most of the visit my mouth was wide open and my eyes half shut and blurry since I had taken my glasses off.  

After the technician ushered me into a room and got me settled into a big reclining chair, she asked if there was anything she could do for me.  I told her I would like to watch the soccer game.  They were not able to accomidate that wish but the appointment went rather quickly so I did get home in time to watch most of the game between England and Argentina.  England got the first goal but Argentina won.  

But back to the dental work.  I was fitted with a new mouthpiece to prevent me from grinding my teeth and clenching my jaw.  My first one fit very tightly and broke when I removed it one morning while we were on our cruise.  This one fits more comfortably and will work much better I think.  My dentist (the grandson of the dentist I started going to in1982 when we moved back to Fort Wayne) also replaced the crown I popped off three weeks ago while eating a Milk Dud.  I will avoid caramel treats from now on. All in all a very successful visit.  Now I am going to bed to "test drive" my new mouth piece.  Good night.

stirring things up...

 Once again my west coast brother comes through for me.  He has informed me that today is "Shark Awareness Day" and also "Pandemonium Day."  The two do seem to go together.  When sharks are sighted off shore in an area where people are swimming it does seem to cause some pandemonium as people scramble to get out of the water.  

My brother asked if we had seen sharks on our trip and I was able to reassure him that the only sharks we saw up close were in a huge open air aquarium.  We were able to walk down to a level where we could look eye to eye with the sharks and other sea creatures.  We admired them as they looked curiously back at us.  While they swam in circles and figure eights and other interesting patterns, it did not really feel like pandemonium.  It was much too serene for that.

We did see one interesting bit of action though.  As I mentioned the tank was open on top, allowing sunshine, and sometimes other things, to come in.  While we were admiring the sharks at the lower level, a duck dived into the water, plunged all the way to the bottom of the pool, then shot right back up and out again.  Not exactly pandemonium but definitely startling. 

If, by chance, you have been dealing with sharks today or involved in some other type of pandemonium, chidren are home for the summer after all, here's a happy thought.  Today is also "National Mac and Cheese Day."  I know from personal experience that children love this. When my grandchildren spent summer days with me a friend of theirs who lived down the road really enjoyed coming to my house for macaroni and cheese for lunch.  I'll admit it was made from a mix (thank you Kraft).  I found out later that his mom only fed him "healthy food."  I'm glad I was able to broaden his horizons. 

Breakfast anyone??

 My west coast brother has informed me that Krispy Kreme was founded in 1937.  That makes the company older than me, so of course I decided to explore a little more. Nice to know it's still around.

Krispy Kreme opened its doors on July 13, 1937

Vernon Rudolph bought a secret yeast raised doughnut recipe from a New Orleans French chef, rented a building in what is now historic Old Salem in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and began selling its Krispy Kreme doughnuts on July 13, 1937 to local grocery stores. The delicious scents of cooking doughnuts drifted into the streets, and passersby stopped to ask if they could buy hot doughnuts. So he cut a hole in an outside wall and started selling Original Glazed doughnuts directly to customers on the sidewalk.

Improving the doughnut making process through innovations

By now there was a small chain of stores, mostly family owned. They all used the Kripsy Kreme recipe, but each store made its doughnuts from scratch. For Rudolph and Krispy Kreme, the results were always good, but not consistent enough. So Krispy Kreme built a mix plant and developed a distribution system that delivered the perfect dry doughnuts mix to each Krispy Kreme store. Then Rudolph and his equipment engineers invented and built Krispy Kreme’s own doughnut making equipment. From the 1950s on, they focused on improving
and automating the doughnut making process.

So now you know.  If you want to learn more about Krispy Kreme's history you can Google it.  On the other hand, if you're just feeling hungry right now, Krispy Kreme donuts are available in your local grocery store.  And, if you cut one in half before you eat it, all of the calories will leak out, or so I've been told. 

picking up..

 There are friends with whom, after a long silence, you can pick up a conversation and carry on as if no time at all has elapsed.  

I had that kind of fun conversation today with a friend whom I've know since college.  She lives in Texas now, while I'm in Indiana, so it's not surprising that we don't see each other often, and we each have our own busy lives so the contacts are very infrequent. 

Today is her birthday so I called her, thinking I might leave a message if she was out celebrating with family and friends.  However, she was at home, the dinner being scheduled for later in the afternoon, and so we had time for a good long talk.

Afterwards I got to thinking about how our conversations have changed over the years.  First they were about who was dating whom.  I actually dated her future husband before I met my first husband.  Confusing, but we all stayed friends.  That was college.  Then comparing notes on our first years of teaching.  Later the conversations revolved around what our children were doing,  later still the grandchildren.  

Today I won points for having a great grandchild.  She doesn't see any on the horizon.  On the other hand, she won points for having more doctors.  She's wearing a pacemaker these days.  

I had to laugh at how the topics of our conversations have changed.  Who would have thought, 60 years ago, that we would ever be comparing our ailments.  Have we, gasp, grown old?  

just curious...

Earlier this week I spent over $100 buying birthday cards for family members and friends who have July birthdays.  Both of my brothers, for example, were born in July.  Also my spouse, his son, two friends and two daughters-in-law.  And there are more.

What makes me curious is why July?  I could understand lots of birthdays in September for example because of people celebrating all the December holidays exuberantly.  But what was going on in October?  Halloween doesn't seem like a romantic holiday to me.

Perhaps in the olden days, when we were a much more agrarian society, by October the harvest would be in, nights were growing longer and colder and there was no TV to watch.  But, old as I am, I am still young enough that I and all of my friends and family were born in the 20th or 21st century.  So what was going on in October?

Statistically August has the most baby births in the US with July and October close behind, but September contains the most common birthdays with September 9 being the most popular birthday.  My son was born on September 13.  Missed it by that much. Ah well. 

Still wondering what was going on in October...

Keeping our cool...

 A couple of weeks ago, not long after we returned from vacation, our refrigerator developed the nasty habit of leaking water on the floor every night while we were sleeping.  We would walk into the kitchen each morning to find a puddle of water, the width of the refrigerator and extending out about four inches from its front.  We would wipe it up - we started to keep an old towel handy for just that purpose - and wonder what the problem was.  Obviously something was wrong with our fridge.  We began to shop for a new one.  We found several that looked pretty good.  

As we were trying to decide which model to buy, my spouse dug out the service manual for our current one, wanting to double check sizes, etc.  We were surprised when we realized that our current fridge is only nine years old.  I've lived in this house for less than three years so I really had no idea about its age.  I knew we hadn't replaced it when we had the kitchen remodeled because it was working just fine, and, since it was black, it matched our other appliances. 

Anyway, when we realized it was only nine years old, we started thinking seriously about having it repaired, rather than replacing it.  The refrigerator repairman came today.  He discovered that we were right in our guess that the water puddle had something to do with the automatic defrosting that modern refrigerators go through every night to prevent frost build up in the freezer.  

It turned out that while we were on our month long vacation, various elements inside the freezer had frozen and not thawed, I don't know why.  But the result was water on the floor instead of contained and evaporated inside the fridge.  

The repairman came today, spent an hour making all necessary repairs, and charged us $175.00.  Soooo much cheaper than a new refrigerator.  

The moral of this story is that you don't always have to buy new.

An Abundance of Cookies

 My west coast brother has informed me that today is "National Sugar Cookie Day."  I didn't know that there was a special day for sugar cookies but they certainly deserve it.  While not as renowned as chocolate chip cookies, they deserve to be celebrated because they do have a deliciousness all their own.

I learned this through a diligent investment of time and energy one summer when I was 12 years old.  A girlfriend, Sandy, who live 'down the road' and I were both in 4H, and we decided to try for a ribbon that year in "demonstrations." I can't remember if that was the actual name of the catagory but the challenge was to demonstrate to the judges some aspect of food preparation.  We decided to bake sugar cookies. 

I suspect that our mothers may have guided this choice because the ingredients were relatively inexpensive.  Except fot the vanilla which my mother bought from the "Jewel T Man."  All summer long we praticed baking sugar cookies.  We would alternated homes.  We each had a ten year old brother, and they were absolutely delighted to test taste our cookies. Over and over again. 

If they had been the judges I think we would have won purple ribbons and gone on to the regional competition.  As it was, we won red ribbons.  Ah well, wisely I think, neither of us went on to become professional bakers.  We did remain friends though, all our lives.

This blog is in memory of my baking buddy Sandy, who died last week.  I hope you're enjoying sugar cookies in heaven.

a blog book??

 You may wonder at this and I'm not quite sure what made me do it, but I have just finished printing out all of the blogs that I wrote during our recent cruise.  The blogs are, of course, all saved on my computer, but e-things have a way of disappearing, or at least becoming 'lost' to me.

Also, the third grader who I tutored for the last two years gave me a lovely journal as a parting gift and I have decided that it will make a very good scrapbook. This is the cover of the journal.

It makes me smile every time I read it, so what better place to preserve my trip memories?  I hope that sometime later this summer I'll be able to share this with my young friend.  He loves maps so I will try to print out a few to include. Scotch tape and scissors, here I come.

it just seems right...

 Today, according to my west coast brother, is "World Chocolate Day." I can certainly understand why this would be a world wide day to celebrate rather than just a national or even international event.  Chocolate is universal after all.  I personally celebrated with an entirely chocolate supper - a chocolate soda made with chocolate ice cream.  Soooo good!

Some weeks ago, my wonder spouse and I decided that ice cream treats (or in his case a yogurt treat) from Zesto's would make an excellent occasional supper.  Especially on days like today whe we had had a fairly substantial lunch.  We feel it is our civic duty to support Zesto's as much as possible during the summer months, since their income is so seasonal.

Evidently there are many other civic minded people out there because the line at the drive through is always quite lengthy, especially around supper time.

I do find it interesting that, after only a chocolate ice cream soda for supper, I don't feel hungry until breakfast.  Evidently chocolate really is a wonder food.  Sweet dreams everyone.

What? Again?

 Well here we are at the beginning of another FIFA soccer game involving the US team.  This one finds the US team in what I expect will be a tough contest with Belgium.  We shall see.  At least my spouse and I will see as we settle into comfortable seats to watch tonight's game.  We have never considered ourselves particularly interested in sports be we are finding soccer oddly interesting, especially when the USA team is involved.  

Personally, I have always enjoyed sports more when I feel strongly on the side of one team.  I was never a cheerleader in highschool but I was part of the Pep Squad.  We would cheer our team on at home games and (after long bus rides) at away games.  These were always basketball games by the way.  We didn't have a football team until my senior year and girls sports, aside from cheer leading, were simply not a thing in our small rural school. 

My brother John (see yesterday's blog) played football his freshman year.  He was 6'6" tall and broad shouldered and the coach was very happy to have him on the team.  However, after one year John decided that football was not for him - too much chance of getting hurt, so he contented himself with being in the band.  He played trombone. 

The coach understood John's decision but complained that he couldn't find anyone to fill John's size 16 shoes.  I guess they were part of the uniform and belonged to the school.  But that's enough about high school sports, I have a soccer game to watch. 

Remembering John

Today would have been my brother John's 79th birthday.  He died in January 2020 of Covid, before we even knew what that was.  He is not to be confused with my west coast brother who is my baby brother.  

My brother John was two and a half years younger than I was and for many of our childhood years we lived in the country and were each others only playmates most days, unless we were in school.  Because I was the oldest I got to write the "scripts" for most of our adventures. It was the Roy Rogers / Dale Evans era, so much of our play involved cowboys.  On his 8th birthday John got his dearest wish, a set of two cap pistols with a belt and holsters. 

Fast forward to high school.  I was the college bound nerd, while John was the popular one, with his friends at least. He got called to the principal's office for one infraction or another at least once a week.  The only time I got called to the office the whole classroom laughed because they we so used to hearing John's name called.  Turned out I had won a scholarship.  

John got married to his first wife for the first time right out of highschool.  He fathered a child, got divorced, got drafted and sent to Viet Nam.  That was a lot of growing up fast. When he came home he remarried his wife and they tried very hard to make a go of it, for their daughter's sake, but some marriages just don't work.  I did get a very dear niece out of it though.

John held many jobs over the years and discovered that he had a real gift for selling cars.  He worked his way up to managing a dealership.

He married again and he and his second wife were married for several years until that marriage also ended, although they stayed friends long after. 

During his ensuing bachelor days, which happened to coincide with my 18 years as a widow, we took a few long driving trips together and had a wonderful time rebuilding our childhood bonds. 

And then (God does work in mysterious ways.) John got involved in leading activities in his church and, with lots of ongoing study, ultimately became a Methodist minister.  He served two churches and was very popular with his parisioners.  Although when I went to his church one Sunday one of his flock, on finding out who I was, told me I had his "deepest sympathy."  John's great personality always came through.

Rest in peace dear brother. Happy birthday. I love you, I miss you and I always will.

The glorious 4th!!!

 Happy Independance Day everyone.  When my west coast brother texted me earlier today, he posed this question. "If, when Yankee Doodle went to town, a-ridin' on a pony, he did indeed stick a feather in his cap and call it macaroni, was he calling the cap, the feather or his pony macaroni? And why would he call any of those things macaroni?"

Of course this made me curious so I did a little research and here's what I found. 

Macaroni archaic definition:

Definition: (noun) a man whose principal interest in life is to be fashionable (archaic)

Example: Sir Edward Malfreney was a perfect macaroni, with sparkling shoe buckles and a powdered wig so high he could hardly walk upright through doorways.

Quote:

“Yankee Doodle went to town,
Riding on a pony,
He stuck a feather in his cap,
And called it macaroni.”

- Revolutionary War era song

As the definition states, a macaroni was a dandy. Rich, young, eighteenth-century Englishmen traveled to Europe and brought back continental fashions, often extreme ones. And they formed their own society, called the Macaroni Club, whose existence was first recorded in 1764. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the name of the people came from the name of the club, not the other way around. (And yes, they also brought back continental food, so the name of the club was related to the then “exotic” Italian pasta.)

So back to the holiday, the reference in Yankee Doodle is ironic. Such decadent clothing was both impractical and hard to come by during the War of Independence, and the British were ridiculing colonials for their provincial fashion sense. 

So now you know.  And now that the melody is no doubt firmly set in your mind, feel free to sing, whistle or hum it all day long.  

It's puzzling???

 I may have mentioned in a previous blog that my wonder spouse and I really enjoy putting together jigsaw puzzles.  We have completed two 2,000 piece puzzles but we really prefer the 1,000 and 500 piece ones.

Our puzzle table is in our finished basement under a bright light. A really good work space.  Since it's lovely and cool in the basement on a hot summer day it's a perfect place to spend time when our "must do" jobs are finished.

What makes me think that we may be reaching "obession" level with this hobby is the fact that we have started preserving and framing our masterpieces.  At this time we have seven completed puzzles preserved and hanging on our basement walls. It's very easy with thin sticky backed sheets of plastic that you can spread on the backs of puzzles to hold all the pieces permanently together.  Then we frame them in inexpensive poster frames from Michael's and hang them up.

This is our most recently finished puzzle.  (Sorry about the reflection in the picture.) Only partly because we are running out of wall space in the basement, we have decide to hang this one on our bedroom wall.  It is a very bright and cheerful picture.

But I recently got to thinking - what on earth are our children going to do with all these puzzles when we die.  We're not getting any younger you know.  I suppose we could will them to our kids and grandkids (one each).  That would take care of 14 puzzles.

Or we can just leave them hanging on the walls and let someone else worry about it.  Enough musing.  My spouse is waiting for me to join him in the basement.

Half time...

This will be a very short blog.  My wonder spouse and I are too busy watching FIFA World Cup soccer to think about our regular routine. I really do enjoy watching soccer, it goes so much faster that American football. 

It does bring back a funny memory though.  When my grandson was five years old and his little sister was three, they were playing beginning soccer for very young players.  The scene firmly fixed in my mind is my grandson racing up and down the field (not sure if he ever actually kicked the ball) while my granddaughter quietly sat in the middle of it all picking dandelions.  

What can I say? Not all of us are meant to be athletes.

What to wear???

 My ever helpful west coast brother has informed me that today is National OOTD day.  Outfit Of The Day - I had to look it up.  I find this an interesting day because I am one of those people who like to plan ahead and know what they are going to wear tomorrow, depending on what the plans are for the day.  I also like to plan ahead as much as possible when I'm packing for a trip.

I start sometimes weeks ahead of an upcoming trip gathering clothes into a nice empty guestroom closet.  Our last trip was a real challenge because we would be traveling for a month and in places that ranged from 80 degree highs (Tokyo) to 55 degree highs (Alaska).  The key of course is layers and my spouse and I find vests very convenient - lots of pockets - no need for me to carry a purse.  

For most of our excursions off the ship I wore jeans and the same layers on top, a tee-shirt, my faithful Scotts vest, my burgundy hooded sweatshirt and my waterproof rain jacket (also a Scotts product with lots of pockets).   

When we got off the ship in Alaska for land excursions we were required to carry our key card for our stateroom, which was used to record when we got off and back on the ship, thus assuring that no one would be left behind, and a legal ID like a driver's license or passport. 

One afternoon, as my wonder spouse and I were ready to get back on the ship I discovered, after a frantic search through all the pockets in my jeans, vest and jacket, that I had not brought my ID with me.  What to do?  My spouse volunteered to go to the ship, get my license and bring it back while I waited.  It wasn't raining or anything so I was willing to wait, but after a little discussion one of the young men there to assist pasengers back on to the ship (about a 10 minute walk away) simply escorted us back to the ship, and made sure I could go aboard without my driver's license.  

All of this was done with the cheerfulness that every Viking crew member demonstrates.  Another reason that I will always travel with Viking. 

a story from my youth...

 Our ride on the canal boat yesterday reminded me of a memory from my youth that I would like to share.  After my sophmore year in high school I had a summer job as a house keeper/cook for an elderly lady (she was probably the age I am now).  I would stay with her all week and go home (only a few miles away) on weekends when one of her grandchildren would stay with her.

It was not a hard job.  Mrs. F was not a demanding person except for her unfortunate liking of breakfast at 6:00am.  When we were not busy we would talk and I really enjoyed her stories of what life was like when she and her husband (long since passed) had first moved to their 80 acre farm.  This would have been in the late 1800s.  I'm not sure what the price of farm land in north east Indiana was at that time but I'm pretty sure it wasn't very much. 

A side note here, when I worked for her, Mrs. F had just sold 75 of her 80 acres to BF Goodrich for a very handsome price (or so I was told).  Goodrich built their plant on what had been her land and a couple of years later many of my classmates got their first jobs after high school graduation there.  A few went on to spend their entire working life with BF Goodrich. 

But back to Mrs. F's story.  When she and her husband first moved to their farm the Wabash and Erie Canal ran along one side of their property.  Years later we could still see the remnants of the canal in the deep ditch on the north side of Highway 24.  

She told me that all of their furniture and farm equipment was delivered by canal boat.  The boat would stop at their landing and unload everything they had ordered.  I found it so fascinating that she had lived through an era in history that we had learned about while studying Indiana History in school.  

Born about 1880, died about 1964, imagine all the changes she had seen in her life.  

One more note about the canal.  When my west coast brother, who is 10 years younger than I am, was about five years old our family was driving along Highway 24 and my dad commented that the deep ditch along the road was the site of part of the old canal and that it had all been dug out by hand.  "Weren't they allowed to use shovels?" asked my brother.  

Sweet Breeze

 I know I said that, after our recent three week North Pacific Viking cruise, my wonder spouse and I would not be cruising again any time soon.  In fact I may have implied that that was our last cruise ever.  

Yet here we are, home only a week from our trip, and we went cruising again today.  Granted it was only a 90-minute cruise on a replica of a canal boat from the late 1800s, but still we were on a vessel moving over water.  The Saint Joe and Saint Mary's rivers to be specific. 

By the way, do you know the difference between a ship and a boat? The captain of our ship on our recent cruise made very sure that we understood that we were on a ship not a boat.  A ship carries boats (life boats, tenders etc.), a boat does not.  

But getting back to today's cruise, we were definitely on a boat, not a ship. The docent was very informative and we learned a lot about Fort Wayne history from the 1600s on.  

An inside view of the boat.  It's a flat bottom boat, very stable.

I couldn't get a good picture of the full length of the boat but these pictures give you an idea of what it looked like.

I highly recommend a ride on the Sweet Breeze.  I also recommend, if you're going on the 90 minute cruise, that you take along a cushion.  Those wooden chairs are hard. 

old enough...

 I should have known better.  I am old enough and experienced enough to know better, but some lessons seem to need to be learned over and over again.

Here's the lesson I should have learned long ago.  Don't try to chew a Milk Dud.  It is far better to simply let them dissolve in your mouth, and they last longer. 

I just relearned this lesson by biting into a Milk Dud.  If you're not familiar with Milk Duds, they are nickle-sized mounds of caramel coated in chocolate.  Quite delicious actually, but made to eat cautiously because caramel is sticky stuff.

It's late Saturday afternoon now, and I'm not in any pain, but Monday (hopefully) I will be seeing my dentist.  He will be pleased to know that I saved the crown, and, after cleaning off any lingering bits of caramel, he will reattach the crown to the appropriate molar.  

Lesson learned, hopefully for the last time.  Of course I should never eat Milk Duds again, or caramels of any sort, but I am making no promises.

a new old house

 My wonder spouse and I just got home from a house tour and dinner with his oldest granddaughter and other family members.  His granddaughter (age 27) has just closed on the first home she has ever owned and we were invited to come see it.  She hasn't moved in yet but it's really hers.  

I have always enjoyed touring empty houses.  This goes way back to my 25 years as a real estate agent.  I always took great pleasure in finding the "perfect" house for my buyers.  I once had a buyer who said "This is it." as we stood on the front porch of a house.  We hadn't even gone inside yet but she liked the feel of the house and the neighborhood.  They did buy that house.  

I was very pleased with our granddaughter's house. We had driven by before but had never seen the inside.  The house she bought is older, in an old established part of the city and it has lots of excellent features (at least ones that appealed to me).  For instance, it had high ceilings, a feature I have always appreciated.  The bathrooms and kitchen had all been remodeled, the flooring was new throughout the house and there were some interesting architectural features.  It also had a front porch that spanned the entire width of the house.  I have always loved big front porches.  All in all a great starter home.

Maybe we should buy her a porch swing???

Bear with me...

 I know that I've been home for almost a week now but I still haven't quite gotten back into the routine of blogging every day.  I fully intend to do so, so bear with me.

Bear is an interesting word. It, of course, refers to the animal, which, as we learned on our trip, comes in brown, black, grizzly, polar and Kodiak.  There are probably others but these are the ones I remember. 

But the same word, bear, can mean to carry something as in "Don't let that bear bear you away."  It can also be a request for understanding as in "Bear with me while I try to find someone to help rescue you from the bear."

Then of course there is the homophone bare.  You can bare your soul or bare yourself by taking your clothes off.  Neither of these activites will help you much if you're confronted by a bear. 

We got lots of advice about dealing with bears during our recent time in Alaska.  The number one rule was don't carry food with you when you go wandering into a woods where there might be bears.  Another good bit of information was that bears don't really hibernate.  They do sleep in their caves for most of the winter months but they are not really hibernating.  If you poke a sleeping bear it will awake suddenly, will be able to move quickly, and will not be happy with you.  Best just to avoid caves that look dark and comfy.  In the spring, mama bears will not let you play with their cute little cubs, so bear that in mind as you go hiking. 

The closest we got to bears was in a natural history museum.  My wonder spouse said this was close enough. 

We were warned that bears can climb trees so trees are not a good escape route.  Bears are omnivorous and eat lots of berries, and salmon when they can get it. However people meat is also acceptable. The best advice we heard was to go walking with someone who runs slower than you do.  I always figured that our guides were sizing us up.  

Latch vs Luck

 One of our tours while in Alaska included a visit to "Potlatch Park."  This park actually had little to do with food, except for the name, but was actually a collection of very fine totem poles.

We did learn the difference between a potluck and potlatch dinner from our cheerful short red-headed guide for this tour, who didn't look at all indigenous but was quite knowledgeable about totem poles.  He was one of many college students from all over the states who had come to Alaska for a summer job.  He not only guided the tour but also drove the bus from our ship to the park.  He admitted that being able to drive a bus helped him get the job.

This all took place in and around Ketchikan, one of the southern most cities in Alaska. In the culture of that area a potluck supper (you may know it as a carry-in dinner) is one where everyone brings something to contribute to the meal while a potlatch is a huge (possibly many day) feast hosted by one person or family for all their friends and neighbors.  As I said, it can go on for days.  There is no expectation of being repaid for this but the giver of the feast can hope for a return feast someday.

Totem poles are not to honor the dead, instead they tell stories of the clan and identify the family.  This one is clearly from the Eagle family.  We were told quite a long legend about the beautiful black haired woman faithfully waiting for her husband to return. 

The blue color in the eyes of this one comes from copper powder.

This is a view of the art work on the end of one of their community houses.  The structure inside with a center pit with benches around the four sides reminded me of kivas I have seen in the south western states.

The expected life of a totem pole is about 50 years.  When they fall down they are left where they fall to be reabsorbed into the natural growth around them.

We're Home!

 My wonder spouse and I have returned home from our month of wandering, and after a few days to unwind, unpack and do laundry, life is beginning to feel "back to normal."  We celebrated Father's Day by having an early supper at our favorite very casual, nearby Mexican restaurant.  Burritos and pineapple water - sooo good.  

On our way back home we noticed that everyone had their garbage bins and recycling bins out by the curb. Ah, yes, Monday is garbage pickup day.  As I gathered trash from the upstairs wastebaskets (my part of the chore) I reflected that a person can get really spoiled on a three week cruise.  Where do those wet towels and filled waste baskets disappear to?

But, now that we are back, and I can blog on my computer, I should be able to include pictures. 

A totem pole in a down down park in Spokane.  More about totems in my next blog.

The rapids that rush through downtown Spokane, a really beautiful city.

A view of the wide open spaces from my west coast brother's little ranch. Is it any wonder that I love it there?

Almost home

 On Monday we disembarked (don't you love long words)? We got off our ship, made it to the Vancouver airport and, to our delight, were able to get an earlier flight to our next destination - Seattle. We were very, very pleased that we could go through customs while still in the Vancouver airport. Big signs saying WELCOME TO THE USA guided us easily and quickly through the process. So quickly in fact that we were then able to get the earlier flight to Seattle, discover after landing that the plane we had just gotten off would be boarding in a half hour to fly to Spokane, our ultimate destination. We had expected to arrive in Spokane by 11:30pm, instead arrived at 7pm to be greeted at the airport by my west coast brother and sister-in-law. And this brings me to the almost home title of this blog. My spouse and I won't actually be home til early Saturday morning, but right now I am at the one place in the world where I feel most at home except for my own home. The unique and very comfortable house and rolling rural vistas in all directions make this an excellent place to be, but it's the family love that makes it feel like home.

On dry land...

 So here we are at the end of our lovely cruise, on dry land again. We have followed all the steps, which, by the way, has involved lots and lots of steps. We have identified our luggage which is now on the way to the Vancouver airport and, in an hour, we will board a bus to follow it there. From there we will fly to Seattle then on to Spokane. 

When we flew to Tokyo at the beginning of this odyssey it was a 13 hour flight from Chicago. Now we are in Vancouver, much closer to our goal, playing the waiting game. And speaking of games this city is decorated with soccer balls. Evidently there will be some big games here later this week.

Meanwhile we are in a comfy hotel dining room waiting for our bus. Passing the time eating cookies and drinking coffee. We must keep our strength up. 

The last night

 Well, here we are. My Wonder Spouse and I are relaxing on our balcony of our state room watching the gently rippling water as the sun sets. It has been a lovely long cruise. I've experienced two big accomplishments. 

The first is stuffing everything I own into my big suitcase and my carry on with a little overflow into my spouse's carry on. He's very understanding.

Second, I think I really saw a whale, and about time. This is my last chance. I saw the long dark shape and the dorsal fin. Of course no picture, there's never time for that. But I feel confident about what I saw and I am content. 

Next stop Vancouver, then Spokane. No more cruising til next time. 

Bears, glaciers and zip lines

 Well no bear sightings yet but we have been warned repeatedly not to carry food with us as we hike. Yesterday was not a problem because our excursion was by catamaran. We sailed through lots of ice chunks to get close to Hubbard glacier. So blue and beautiful. We even drank a Margarita made with glacier ice. The hot chocolate we were given when we got back to our ship was much better. When we get home I will be able to post pictures with my blogs so will play photo catch up then. 

Today we actually ended up doing quite a bit of hiking. We rode a gondola to the top of a mountain, then hiked a long way to the zip line site. So much fun but then another mile plus hike from the zip line touch down to the shore to get a tender back to the ship. The zip line ride was fun but a little chilly compared to our zip ride in the Caribbean. But really fun. I will do it again the next chance I have. 

If you haven't tried it you really should. The zip lining that is, not the glacier Margherita. I should mention we are at Hoonah and Icy Strait Point today.

Different aspects of Alaska

 Yesterday in Homer we  visited the Pratt Museum and today in Seward we visited the Alaska Sea Life Center. We are surrounded by snow capped mountains and today was gloriously sunny so we did enjoy some time in the great outdoors. However the real treats were indoors. 

I am not a big fan of taxidermy but the Pratt did have some excellent stuffed animals including a 10 feet tall grizzly bear. I do not want to meet the real thing. They also had an excellent display of small sculptures made from wood and folded paper and a lovely large quilted wall hanging featuring purple moose and other fanciful creatures. 

Today at the Sea Life Center things got livelier (pun intended). We walked through an amazing display of huge aquariums featuring salmon and sea lions, star fish and anemone, and so much more. Some of the huge tanks were open to the sky. We were looking at one from the underwater level when a duck dived in and way down to the bottom of the tank. I did not know that ducks would dive so deep or stay underwater so long.  

I highly recommend both of these stops the next time you're in Alaska. 

A tour to remember...

 Today we docked in Kodiak, Alaska. As usual, my spouse and I signed up for the included easy tour. It was a misleading description. Our easy walking tour through downtown Kodiak turned into a three hour hike in misty cold rain (45 degrees) up and down sloping streets, along creaking piers with a cold wind in our faces most of the time. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn't it? I have never been more miserably cold on a tour. 

I have also never been so absolutely enthralled by a tour guide. Through the entire tour she told us about fascinating events that had happened in the history of Kodiak. She was a fountain of information about the ups and downs of the fishing industry, earthquakes, tsunamis, bears, ship wrecks, survival suits and so much more. 

We ended the tour at a small, lovely Russian Orthodox cathedral, founded in the early 1700s, where the priest very graciously answered our questions and showed us around. 

When you  visit Kodiak, and you really should, be sure you get Ani Thomas as your guide. Regardless of the weather, you won't be disappointed. Check out kodiakani@gmail.com.

Logical activities

 Today is our fifth day at sea with no sight of land or whales, although we do keep looking. We've listened to several interesting lectures about sharks, bears, whales, salmon and much more. I really do enjoy these educational hours but sometimes a woman needs more. So, no surprise here, I booked some time at the salon for a shampoo, cut and blow dry. The shampoo alone took a half hour because it included a wonderful scalp massage. I'm very pleased with the haircut. Now back to watching for those elusive whales. 

Around the world...

 Viking prides itself on being the cruise line for thinking people. Now I do not think of myself as a great thinker. People seldom accuse me of having profound thoughts. However, I do enjoy learning new things. Viking is very good about providing opportunities to learn, especially on days like today when we are at sea. No chance to get off the ship and stroll through an interesting city. Our next chance to do that is five days away. 

Meanwhile, our educational opportunities today included a lecture about James Cook who traveled around the world for years. What interested me most, while looking at a map of his trips, was how he got to the orient from England.  Being from the US, I envisioned him sailing west from England, down the east coast of South America, around the Horn, then off into the Pacific. Instead, according to the map, he sailed south from England, along the west coast of Africa, around the southern tip, then east into the great Pacific. He visited sites from Australia north, all the way to the west coast of Canada and Alaska. Fun fact, he made his crew members eat sauerkraut to keep from getting Scurvy. Not so fun, he had a fiery temper and ended up being beaten to death by a group of indigenous people on a remote island. 

He did keep meticulous records and is credited with creating, or having created, very accurate maps of the Canadian, Alaska coastline. Meanwhile, back in the eastern part of America a little scuffle we refer to as the Revolutionary War was going on. Isn't history interesting?

Glass half full..

 I like to think of myself as a positive kind of person, able to make the best of a situation, but yesterday and today have been a bit of a strain. We are currently docked at Otaru, about a one hour drive from Sapporo, with a lovely view of Mt. Tengu. At least we think it's Mt. Tengu. Yesterday evening, soon after we docked we boarded a bus for an excursion up Mt. Tengu by bus and cable car, anticipating an amazing night view of the lights of the city, and a starry sky. Everything went according to plan with one little exception. A dense fog moved in and completely obliterated the view from the cable car and from the top of the mountain. As I sat at a window seat in the mountain top restaurant I gazed out the window but all I could see was my own gray reflection in the fog shrouded window. Not the least bit interesting. The tiny little cheesecake slices we were served were quite tasty, so the evening wasn't a total loss. 

But today, ever optimistic, my spouse and I were up and out and on our assigned tour bus by 8:20am, ready for a driving tour of Sapporo, a visit to a Shinto shrine, and a tour of an historic village, Hokkaido, which was full of interesting old buildings. All of this to be accomplished in four hours. Fog still hung on the mountain tops but things were relatively clear at ground level. The shrine was beautiful but we couldn't go inside because of a ceremony taking place. The historic village was interesting but one would need at least one whole day to fully appreciate it. The occasional bursts of driving rain and cold wind really didn't help either. 

I did learn some interesting things though. Sapporo was the site of the ski jumping events in the 1972 Olympics. Sapporo gets an average of 16 feet of snow every winter. Their winter lasts from September to April. They are famed for amazing seafood. Their traditional houses are built with flat roofs. This doesn't create a problem with all that snow because the roofs slope in slightly toward the center where there is a drain pipe which allows the melting snow to drain down through the center of the house and to flow away underground from there. 

We are back on board our ship now, having passed through Japanese customs one last time, waiting to cast off at 6:00pm.  Next stop Kodiak Alaska. We should be there in about seven days. Meanwhile we will eat (the food on board is delicious) sleep, enjoy the views, make new friends and generally just goof off. I have enjoyed Japan but I'm ready to move on.  

At Sea

 After two fascinating days touring Tokyo we are now on our way to Sapporo. We boarded our ship, the Viking Orion day before yesterday. This will be our home for the next three weeks. It's such a pleasure to be unpacked and settled in.  Just one little problem, I haven't quite gotten my sea legs yet and it's choppy this morning. Not a real problem. Plenty of handrails along the way from our cabin to the elevator then down to the dining room. I marvel at how the waiters, carrying trays of food and drink, usually one handed, maneuver between tables, avoiding passengers like me who are still feeling wobbly and deliver meals perfectly. I think they must be hired for their sense of balance. But enough of this pondering. It's time to go to breakfast.  

AI toilet??

 Not to be indelicate, but the hotel we stayed in for the last two nights had the most amazing toilet. We were at the ANA Intercontinental Tokyo. Now we are on the Viking ship Orion ready to set sail tomorrow for Sapporo and points north but I will not soon forget the toilet in that hotel room bathroom. First of all the seat was heated, very comfy, secondly, it flushed with no prompting when I was finished, even before I stood up. How did it know? Third, and most fun, there was a "control center" mounted on the edge of the counter right beside the toilet. It offered options for hard sprays or gentle sprays, with warm water of course, from every possible direction beneath your bottom. My spouse tells me it was a Toto brand, probably available in the US. I want one. 

Box lunch

 Today was a full day spent site seeing all around Tokyo. We visited a Shinto shrine and got to see the outside of the Imperial Palace. There was a lot of walking involved. My very favorite part of the day was the "box lunch." Our paperwork said that we would be having a box lunch at an historic old hotel and would be able to stroll through the beautiful old woods adjacent to the hotel after we ate. It sounded nice but not wildly exciting. 

Things started getting interesting when we were led off the bus and into an elegant hotel, lavishly decorated inside. Crystal chandeliers all over the place. We then took five long escalator rides down to a lovely large dining room, round tables for eight, set with linen and silverware, and at each place a black wooden box about 10 inches square and three inches deep. When we opened the boxes we discovered that the inside was split into quarters and in each section there was a little china dish holding some delicious tidbit. We had fish, beef, rice and veggies in tasty sauces or brine. Then there was 'Ancient rice with sesame' and a Japanese sweet of the day. 

I have never had such an elegant box lunch. As we were leaving the hotel we watched a wedding couple having their pictures taken. Evidently they have lots of weddings there. The bride's train cascaded down five steps of an awesome staircase. 

If I ever come back to Tokyo I will stay downtown at the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo.

Tokyo...

 We have arrived in Japan and are ready to go touring some historic sites today. The ANA Intercontinental Tokyo is a fine hotel, good shower, comfy bed, excellent breakfast buffet. It meets all my criteria. The 13 hour overnight flight was quite comfortable. I highly recommend flying business class. It was like having my own little bedroom. Stay tuned for further adventures.

On our way...

 After an early, early start in Fort Wayne (up at 4am picked up by our Uber driver at 5am) we have arrived in Chicago. An uneventful flight although, if you count the runway time, it felt like we were driving most of the way. But we're here now. We have had brunch, not as good as Klem's but the coffee helped a lot. Now we are in the business class waiting area for our Tokyo flight. My Wonder Spouse did a great job of guiding us to the right terminal and gate. 

About that Uber driver... he was waiting when we opened the garage door (the easiest way to get the luggage out) and later as we drove admitted that he had been waiting since 4:30 having driven up from Muncie or maybe Cincinnati (it wasn't quite clear).  He was cheerful and seemed competent but his car really needed a visit to Mike's. I wondered how he could see out the windshield. Using the wipers just seemed to smear the murk around.

But enough about Ralph. We are on our way and that's what counts. 

Travel Time....

 'Twas the night before trip day and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, 'cept me and my spouse.

Our bags, neatly packed, stand ready to go

and we are just hoping the Uber guy will show.

We will go to bed early and try to sleep fast

While vizions of conveyors belts keep moving past.

Will our suitcases be there, will they ever arrive? 

We will be up at 4 and ready by 5.

Our driver will come and off we will go.

Will we get there on time?  Will our driver be slow?

Will it all come together, as smooth as can be?  

I'm going to bed now.  We'll just wait and see.

                                                        His, mine

                                    and ours, ready to go.

Eureka!!!

 I knew it could be done but it took my brilliant Wonder Spouse to figure out how.  I am now able to write this blog from my phone which means I will be able to continue my daily blogs during our up coming trip or at least all those days of the trip which are in the US.  We will be at sea for several days and in the mysterious Orient for part of the time so I can't guarantee anything, but please keep checking in. 

Yo Yo packing....

 I am not literally packing yo-yos but there has been a lot of up and down and in and out going on in my packing process this week.  My wonder spouse and I are leaving on a month long trip beginning this Friday, and that involves a lot of clothes. 

Now I am no novice to packing for trips. I have been doing it almost all my life.  When I graduated from high school my parents gifted me with a set of Samsonite luggage (olive green which will give you an idea of the era we're talking about).  I packed up everything I owned and headed off for college. 

However, packing for this upcoming trip has been presenting some challenges.  We will be cruising to some places where the average daily temperature is above 80 degrees so summer clothes, right?  But we will also be visiting some places where the average daily high is about 55 degrees. So do I take winter weight outer wear or lighter weight multiple layers?  I've decided to go with the multiple layers which means lots of separate pieces to be rolled and fitted into my big suitcase and a fair amount of in and out while I decide what goes with what.  My wonder spouse, whose biggest decision is wearing a short sleeved or long sleeved shirt, has trouble understanding my plight.

Add to that the fact that I decided to pack my suitcase on the first floor so my spouse wouldn't have to carry it downstairs (ever thoughtful, that's me).  Instead I am carrying armloads of clothes down stairs and, inevitably, some back upstairs.  Lucky for me my packing area is the first floor guest bedroom with a nice big closet where I can hang my clothes while I contemplate my choices.  My biggest fear is that after ten or 15 days at sea I'll end up wearing my bathing suit with boots or something else equally rediculous.  

Ah well, at least the food will be delicious.  

cousins

 My granddaughter and I have had quite a text discussion about cousins yesterday and today.  It all started when I accidentally said that my great grandson was her nephew.  I realized that was wrong when I remembered that she and little MJ's father are cousins not siblings. So I corrrected myself by saying that they are second cousins. 

This is where it gets murky. She responded by saying that technically he is her "first cousin once removed."  she went on to explain that being removed comes from a generation gap.  Since MJ is the son of her first cousin he is her first cousin once removed.  His children (little MJ's that is) will be her first cousins twice removed. 

"So where do second cousins come into the picture?" I asked. "Second cousins are the children of your parents first cousins."  So since MJ's father and she are first cousins, any children she has will be MJ's second cousins.

I think I get it now and I realize that cousins I always thought were second cousins were actually first cousins once removed, the children of my 17 first cousins.  At this time I only know of one first cousin twice removed.  She is the great granddaughter of one of my first cousins and a little cutie.  Maybe she and MJ will play together someday.  I will have to ask my granddaughter what kind of cousins the two little ones are.  When do cousins become kissing cousins?  I'll let you figure that one out.  

More about Beethoven....

  With a little more reading after last night's blog I discovered two more interesting facts related to Beethoven's Symphony 9 in D minor.  First, and this is the part most of you already know, Beethoven was deaf when he composed this, his final and most ambitious symphony. He completed it in 1824 but never heard it performed.

Second, I was surprised to learn that "Ode to Joy" incorporated into the finale of this work was actually composed by Friedrich Schiller.  Those of you who are much more knowledgeable about classic music have probably know this all along.  I decided I needed to find out something about Fredrick Schiller.

Here's what I found. Isn't Wikipedia wonderful?

Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (German: [ˈjoːhan ˈkʁɪstɔf ˈfʁiːdʁɪç fɔn ˈʃɪlɐ], short: [ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈʃɪlɐ] 10 November 1759 – 9 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered to be one of Germany's most important classical playwrights.

He was born in Marbach to a devoutly Protestant family. Initially intended for the priesthood, in 1773 he entered a military academy in Stuttgart and ended up studying medicine. His first play, The Robbers, was written at this time and proved very successful. After a brief stint as a regimental doctor, he left Stuttgart and eventually wound up in Weimar. In 1789, he became professor of History and Philosophy at the University of Jena, where he wrote historical works.

During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendship with the already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. They frequently discussed issues concerning aesthetics, and Schiller encouraged Goethe to finish works that he had left as sketches. This relationship and these discussions led to a period now referred to as Weimar Classicism. Together, they founded the Weimar Theater.

They also worked together on Xenien, a collection of short satirical poems in which both Schiller and Goethe challenge opponents of their philosophical vision.

The above was interesting, but didn't answer my question about who actually wrote "Ode to Joy."  I dug a little deeper and found the straightforward simple answer.  Schiller, a poet, playwright and historian, wrote the poem "Ode to Joy" in 1785.  Beethoven set it to music in his 9th Symphony.  So there you have it.  The music is all Beethoven's.