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.

Joyful, Joyful

 This evening was the final concert of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic for this season and it was a smashing success.  All Beethoven, all beautiful, played to a full house.

The evening began with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73. "Emperor."  It was lyrical, lovely and beautfully performed. The solo pianist, Jon Kimura Parker, was excellent.

After the intermission we heard Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral" performed by the full orchestra and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Chorus.  The Chorus is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and they did not disappoint.

I will continue this blog tomorrow after I have time to do a little research into Symphony No. 9. Meanwhile "Ode to Joy" will be running through my dreams tonight.  

please pass the chocolate

 I am not a chocoholic.  I mean I am not actually addicted to chocolate.  However, if someone offers me a piece of chocolate, especially dark chocolate, I can't remember ever saying no.  Chocolate is, after all, one of the basic food groups on its own, and it is a vegetable (it's made from a bean).  

When my west coast brother informed me that today is "National Chocolate Chip Day" I cheered, and then I realized that we didn't have a single chocolate chip in the whole house.  I really didn't search the whole house, just the pantry, but I'm pretty sure my presumption was correct.  

Sadly I didn't have time to go to the grocery store, and I'm pretty sure, if I asked my wonder spouse to go to the store, just to buy chocolate chips, he might have jumped to the conclusion that I planned to bake chocolate chip cookies.  I didn't have time to bake cookies either.  And yes, I can bake cookies, even though all my friends and family know that my spouse does most of the cooking.  

So I did what any chocolate loving person would do.  I raided a bag of candy left over from Halloween (yes, I know it's May but it was a big bag of candy) and ate a Tootsie Roll.  It's kind of like a whole bunch of chocolate chips rolled into a log.  Kind of.

Hummm, maybe it's not too late for a bed time snack.

It's not working.

 When is a blog not a blog?  The answer, when technology refuses to cooperate.  For the last hour my wonder spouse and I have been trying to write today's blog on my tablet, to see if I would be able to take the tablet with me and use it to blog on our upcoming trip.  I don't want to take my laptop.  Packing enough clothes for a month is challenge enough.

The tablet worked on our last trip but it's not cooperating today.  I have decided to go low tech instead, so I am taking a different kind of tablet.

In addition to the roses, the necklace, the picture and the lovely note, the mother of the boy I tutored gave me this tablet.  It measures 9"x7.5" and is half an inch thick, all made of paper with lovely lined pages.  I had already decided to take it along to make quick notes when I want to remember something to blog about later.  Now I think that 'later' may com after we get home from our trip.  Actually that will be fine.  I will have plenty of pictures and experiences to share and time to do a good job of writing about them when I get home. 

So, if in a few days you stop seeing my nightly blogs you'll know that we are off adventuring again.

PS If you're thinking "Why doesn't she blog on her phone?"  It's because I haven't tried that yet.  Maybe???

Here doggie, doggie...

Did you know that there are  coyotes living in Chicago? My wonder spouse first heard of this and passed the information on to me.  I think that it's fascinating to think of coyotes living in a city and decided to share this information with you.  Some years ago, when I lived in a rural area north of Fort Wayne, we would occasionally hear coyotes howling in the distance, but that was in the country well away from people.  But now I've learned that "coyotes are well-established, year-round residents throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 2,000 to 4,000 thriving in both suburban forest preserves and dense city neighborhoods. They are highly adaptable, nocturnal 'ghosts of the city' that typically avoid humans and help control rodent populations. __ Populations are relatively stable, but sightings often increase in late winter/early spring (February–March) due to mating season, and again in late spring when they are feeding pups. __ Lack of foliage and increased foraging for pups makes them more visible during the day, though they are usually active at night. __ Chicago coyotes often use railways, alleys, and golf courses for travel, and cemeteries or parks for dens. __ They generally avoid people and are rarely aggressive, with over 95% of urban coyotes causing no issues."

 "The Urban Coyote Research Project, initiated in 2000, is the leading study on these animals. Researchers have found that Chicago coyotes actually have higher survival rates than rural counterparts due to the lack of hunting/trapping, and they rarely consume human food, preferring natural prey like rabbits and rats."

I hope you've enjoyed this brief look at city-dwelling wildlife.

For more information you can visit the Urban Coyote Research project website.

 My west coast brother, who happens to raise goats, provided me with this limerick because today is "Limerick Day":

A goat on a stroll near a brook

Found an old movie film and partook. 

"Was it good?" asked his mate.

Said the goat "Second rate!

Not nearly as good as the book."

I responded by sending him this limerick:

On a date a young lady from Wheeling

was having an unusual feeling.

She wasn't quite sure his intentions were pure

As she lay, gazing up at the ceiling.  

While my brother admitted that his was not original, but found on the internet, I was able to inform him that the one I quoted was actually one I made up (except for the first line) and sang in my only ever singing role in a play.  I only sang that one song and, because I was playing a drunk over-the-hill actress it didn't matter at all that I can't carry a tune.  

The end of an era

 Today was my last ever day of tutoring.  For 12 school years I have tutored a series of elementary school students through the Fort Wayne Community Schools Study Connections program.  A group of volunteers from our church have been meeting with students at South Wayne Elementary for an hour on Monday afternoons during all those school years.  Each adult works one on one with the same student all year.  For the last three years my wonder spouse has also volunteered.

Next year they are tearing down the school where we have been tutoring, the students will be dispersed to several other schools and no one could tell us where tutoring sessions would be held.  My spouse and I decided that this would be a reasonable time to retire from tutoring. The fact that we're not getting any younger also factored into the decision.  

So it was with mixed emotions that we headed for 'party day,' the last tutoring day of this school year.  I took a gift and a good bye letter for my student (whom I have worked with for two years) and assumed that this would probably be the last I would every see of him, as had happened with all my other students.  It's the way the program works.

But today was different.  My student brought me a bouquet of red roses, a beautiful necklace (called an Arrow Shot necklace) and a note from his mother saying how much she appreciated my work with her son (who, by the way, was an absolute sweetheart and easy to work with) asking if we could keep in touch and enclosing her address and phone number.  I checked and made sure this is ok with the school and it is, since his mom reached out to me.  I am so excited to think that I can follow up with this student. I'm not sure how it will play out.  I doubt that I'll be around long enough to see him graduate from high school.  But somehow, some times, along the way, I will get to see him.  I couldn't be more pleased.  

PS the Arrow Shot necklace came with this verse "Words are like arrows shot.  They have no wings, but fly far."  A good reminder to speak kindly.

mommy moments

 Yesterday I told you how I celebrated Mother's Day a day early with my great grandson.  Today I have decided to look back on some memorable moments in my career as a mother.  

We had a music festival in church today and as I sang I was reminded of one moment that still shines clearly in my mind. I was rocking my one year old daughter to sleep one night and tried singing her a lullaby. She opened her eyes, looked at me and said "Don't sing, Mommy." Ouch, that hurt.

Fast forward two years.  I had my "My child would never do that." reality check when I looked out the window and saw her running around naked in the front yard.  Happily we lived on a quiet street and no one saw except my best friend next door neighbor.  She though it was hilarious.

Years later their father and I were invited to Earlham College to watch my daughter play in a co-ed Rugby game.  A rough sport but she was six feet tall and strong.  My son was a senior there that year and my daughter was a sophomore.  At half time I got a close look at my daughter and saw that she had shaved the sides of her hair.  She explained that this was so she could tape her ears back so they wouldn't get hurt in a scrum.  When she let her hair down it covered the shaved areas completely. Thank goodness for thick hair.  While we were sitting on the grass (there were no bleachers) my son who was also watching the game stood up to go get some water and three girls who had been sitting behind him started giggling and pointing out how tiny his butt was based on the imprint left in the grass.  They seemed to find this very masculine, almost swoon worthy.  I was amazed that my baby boy (now a long and lean 6'5")  had become a chick magnet.

I could go on and on about fun times and rough times but that's enough Mommy musings for one night.  Thanks for indulging me.

Celebrating Mother's Day...

 I hope all of you who are mothers or had or have mothers, or loving grandmas or dear aunts or very special mothers-in-law find your own special way to celebrate Mother's Day tomorrow.

As for me, I celebrated a day early.  My wonder spouse and I shared a pizza supper with my grandson and granddaughter-in-law and my two- month old great grandson.  

 The last time I held him he was only six days old.  It's amazing the change in two months.  He is much livelier now, considering the world around him with eyes wide open. He's also physically stronger.  He weighs nine pounds so he's getting to be the size baby I'm used to. 

Here we are enjoying rocking chair companionship, and here's a picture his mommy took to celebrate his two month milestone.

I'm pretty sure that he's the cutest baby in the whole wide world, but if you are also a great grandma you have the right to disagree. 

More together time.  Happy Mother's Day everyone.

In my home town...

Today is May 8. What's so special about that? I'm glad you asked.  There are many, many things that can be celebrated on May 8. Some serious, some just for fun.   

It's the 81st anniversary of "V-E Day" marking the end of  WWII in Europe, obviously serious.  

It is also "Fintastic Friday" which encourages the conservation of sharks skates and rays.  It happens that I have a great niece-in-law who has her doctorate in marine biology and spends a great deal of time in large pools filled with water and sting rays.  She loves it.

On the fun side it's "No Socks Day" and "World Donkey Day." I didn't see any donkeys today but it was warm enough to go without socks.  It's always fun to start wearing sandals.

But my favorite day locally is "National Public Gardens Day." Over a hundred years ago generous benefactors contributed a very large amount of money to the city of Fort Wayne for the development of public parks and gardens throughout the city.  There are now 97 parks (open daily from 6:00am to 11:00pm) covering 2,840 acres of parkland and 120 miles of trails. 

My favorites include Headwaters Park, Promenade Park, Johnny Appleseed Park, Moody Park and the Rose Garden. Not just pretty to look at, our parks offer picnic spaces, golf courses, splash pads, sites for festivals and much more.  So get out there.  It's a great time of year to start enjoying the parks.

packing my bags...

 Today is "National Tourism Day."  This one I found on my own because my west coast brother was still too busy contemplating his very own D*****mit Dolls, received from our mutual friend, to think about special days.

"National Tourism Day" is a perfect day for my wonder spouse and me to celebrate.  While most of our tourism is being done internationally these days, we each have our own fond memories of travels throughout the United States from our childhood on.  

In fact one memorable trip was a shared experience with our first spouses while they were still alive.  Our friendships go way back. We were all newlyweds at the time (aka before children).  The trip we took together (four people and our luggage in a rather small car) involved sleeping in a large green boy scout tent, put up, with some interesting expletives, at a different campground each night, and by daylight enjoying the natural wonders of the rocky coast of Maine.

For thirteen years my first husband and I travelled throughout the US with our two children and two dogs in our faithful VW bus camper conversion.  We took them to all of the contiguous 48 states.  We camped in national parks and forests and KOA campgrounds.  My spouse had similar experiences with his first wife and two sons (minus the dogs).  We were reminiscing over coffee this morning and agreed that those travel times were excellent.  We also agreed that these days we prefer cruising with Viking.  A very different kind of travel adventure.  

In two weeks we will be leaving on our next cruise.  While our accomodations and dining experiences will definitely be a cut above camping, we will still be national tourists, at least part of the time with several stops in Alaska and a family visit in Washington state. 

As a national tourist I have been to all 50 states.  After this coming trip to Alaska my wonder spouse still needs to add Hawaii to his list. 

I am anxious to help him reach that goal.  Aloha, everyone.

What is it??

 Actually "What on earth are these?" is what I asked when I opened a box that arrived in the mail from my pen pal yesterday.  I know that sending snail mail is an old fashioned idea but my friend, who lives on the other side of the country, doesn't use a cell phone or computer so we are pen pals.

This is what was in the box. Four very peculiar looking dolls (for want of a better word).  At first glance I thought they were Voodoo dolls but they are not.  According to the letter she enclosed her latest hobby is making these "theraputic (get rid of agggression and frustration) 12 inch tall Dammit Dolls."  She is making a whole bunch of them and keeping them in her truck to give to anyone she meets.

Each stuffed paper doll has a message in a heart on its chest.  The message reads 

"Whenever things don't go so well 

and you want to hit the wall and yell 

here's a little dammit doll you can't live without. 

Just grasp it firmly by the legs and find a place to slam it,

 and as you wack the stuffing out yell damn it, damn it, damn it."

I will never be able to use these.  My mother will be rolling over in her grave just knowing I'm typing such words, let alone saying them out loud.  So if any one can use a doll or two, or four, please let me know.  I will send them your way.

I must admit I think it's funny that my friend is keeping these in her truck and carrying them with her.  Can you imagine being stuck in a traffic jam and having someone tap on your window and hand you one of these, or being given one while standing in a long line at the grocery store? 

Depending on your mood, it might or might not be well received. Either way there might be some slamming going on....

A tale of two plants....

 This all started a few days ago when my brother-in-law asked me if I would like a cutting from his Dieffenbachia plant.  It was getting too tall and he needed to cut it down.  Years and years ago I had a lovely Dieffenbachia plant which I remember as being pretty easy to take care of. My kind of house plant.  So I said sure.  He said that if we had a pot and some dirt we could come and get the plant this evening.  He was also offering part of the plant to his great niece.  

So this morning my wonder spouse and I took a trip to Menards for plant soil and pots.  We bought enough of everything to share with his great niece.  We still have more than half of the bag of potting soil left.  

We bought quite a large bag of potting mix and two pretty pots, one for her and one for us.

My brother-in-law gave us the top of the plant as well as three pieces of the stalk. It turned out that his great niece couldn't take any of the plant home because it's toxic to cats, so we got all of it that he wanted to share.  I was doing a little reading about the plant after we got it home and read that you should always wear gloves when cutting it because of the toxic sap.  I did not know that but figured it out when my left hand started itching and burning.  Happily, after lots of hand washing it's feeling much better.   

The Dieffenbachia is a tropical plant, native to Central and South America.  It likes a warm humid environment and bright but indirect light.

Little did this lucky plant know that it has just come home to the perfect environment.  We have an indoor pool in a room with skylights, shaded windows and a lovely touch of humidity. All of our plants live in our pool room and thrive there.  Doesn't it look happy already snuggled up with some new friends. It's almost like being at home in the jungle.  I'm anxious to see if the pieces will sprout.  

Star Wars...

 Today is 5-4-26, aka May the 4th.  To those of us who have know and loved the Star Wars series it is also known as Star Wars Day because of the well know line in the movies "May the force be with you."

I have been a fan of the Star Wars series since the very first one, originally simply called "Star Wars," came out in 1977.  The subtitle "Episode IV A New Hope" was added to the title for a re-release in April 1981 to align with the release of the second Star Wars movie "The Empire Strikes Back." A series was born.

My first husband and I took our children to see the original movie when it first came out because we wanted to see it ourselves and thought our kids might enjoy it.  We were hooked from the first blast into hyper-space, but the true joy was watching our son.  He was five at the time. Our daughter (three years old) slept through most of the movie but our son literally sat on the edge of his seat through the entire show.  He was hooked.  

Over the years we've enjoyed all of the Star Wars movies together, but more than that.  That first taste of 'space travel' led to 12 years of involvement with Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama first as an attendee, then as a counselor.  Since college every job he has had has been space related.  He never became an austronaut but he has experienced weightlessness, and helped countless children enjoy learning about space.  

If he called me tomorrow and said "There's a new Star Wars movie coming out. Do you want to go see it?" My answer would be an instant "Yes!"

Bloomsday???

 My west coast brother lives near Spokane, and he has informed me that today, in Spokane, is "Bloomsday."  He described it as "a springtime ritual in Spokane where 50,000+ people risk heat stroke while chasing a dozen or so Kenyans around a 7.5 mile course, snarling downtown traffic for several hours." He also informed me that he has avoided participating for the last 50 years.  Since this is the first year that he has ever mentioned this event to me I thought I might look for a few more details.

The Lilac Bloomsday Association sponsors a major 12K (7.456 miles)  road race held in Spokane on the first Sunday in May.  Today's was the 50th running of the race. The purpose of the race is to promote fitness, sports and community well being and to celebrate the enduring spirit of the "Lilac City." I did not know that Spokane is the "Lilac City" but I have seen some beautiful parks when visiting there. The event, which attracts thousands of participants every year, winds through some very picturesque and scenic areas of the city. 

On the other hand today was also "Lemonade Day" and "Garden Meditation Day."  My brother decided, wisely I think, that these were a better use of his time.

watching on TV

 It's a really good thing that I was not at the Kentucky Derby this year.  Of course I never have been to the Kentucky Derby so this year was no different.  I watched it on TV as usual.  It's fun to watch on TV but I would like to wear one of those amazing hats.

The reason it's good that I wasn't there is becaise this way I didn't loose any money.  If I had been there I would have bet some money on Great White, the physically largest horse in the race.  I liked his looks. Sadly all my dreams for Great White were shattered while they were still getting the horses into their gates.  As they were trying to get him in, Great White reared up, threw his jockey, fell over on his back and almost rolled over on his jockey.  Great White was a non-starter, out of the race before it began.  They wouldn't let him run after that fall because there wasn't time for a vet to check him out thoroughly to be sure he hadn't injured himself.  I presume they checked out the jockey also but the commentators didn't say anything about.

It was a very exciting race though.  Golden Tempo came all the way from the back of the pack to win the race.  It was amazing to watch. Golden Tempo was trained by Cherie Devaux, the first woman trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.  The jockey who rode him, Jose Ortiz, had his first Derby win in 11 trys.  Hooray for all concerned.  It was a great day at the races.

a delicious dessert...

 My west coast brother told me that today is, as well as being "May Day" which we all know about, "Bread Pudding Recipe Exchange Day."  Evidently my west coast sister-in-law makes her bread pudding from day-old Cinnabons.  That does sound delicious to me, but I will not be asking her for her recipe.

My interest in bread pudding is all about the eating, not the making.  This will come as no surprise to those of you who know that my wonder spouse does most of the cooking in the family.  He does make fantastic fudge but has never yet made bread pudding, at least since we've been married.

As a matter of fact, I had never even heard of bread pudding until I accompanied my then boss to a Century 21 Realtor's Convention in Las Vegas.  This was about 40 years ago.  We stayed at the Golden Nugget Casino Hotel - a beautiful fun glitzy place on the old downtown strip.  My boss not only introduced me to the yummy bread pudding which was on the buffet every evening but also taught me to play Black Jack, a game I have loved ever since.  Happily I live some distance from Las Vegas which has probably saved me quite a lot of money.

In case you're wondering, yes we actually did attend several motivational and educational sessions while we were there, but always made time for bread pudding and Black Jack.

Book review...

Have you ever been so caught up in a book that you can't put it down? Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I am an avid reader and that I enjoy discovering a new series of books about the same characters.  This started with the "Little House" series and it is still my great delight to discover a new series that I really enjoy.

Currently I'm reading the second novel in "A Scottish Isle Mystery" series by Lucy Connelly.  I will readily admit that I picked up the fifth book of the series, on a display shelf in our local library, because I was attracted by the author's name.  When I discovered it was one in a series I requested the first four and am happily reading my way through them. 

Don't let me mislead you.  If you like very sophisticated angst filled novels about tortured souls you might not find these books to your taste.  But, if you, like me, enjoy a good murder mystery in a book filled with interesting likeable characters set in a small community in Scotland (one of my favorite countries) then I think you will enjoy this series. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my book.

Woops...and yummy...

 Last night I forgot to blog.  This is rare for me.  Except when I'm on vacation I write my blog every night.  

In my defense, last night I had a pain in my hip, my real one not my bionic one, took a Tylenol PM, and fell asleep on the job.  But I'm back at it tonight having watched my wonder spouse work for a couple of hours to get my trusty computer connected to the internet with a wired LAN instead of Ethernet.  We're not there yet but he enccouraged me to write this blog and get off my computer so he can get back to work on the improvements.

So here is tonight's blog.

Today I met three of my friends (friends I have know since high school, which is a very long time) for lunch.  We tried a new Indian Restaurant (new to us anyway) called BB's on North Anthony.  It was a delicious experience.  I had a mild chicken currie dish made with a cashew sauce, also a milkshake like drink made from dates and coconut milk, quite tasty.  I highly recommend this place.  

Now I'm signing off so my EE wonder spouse can get back to his improvements.

a traveler's tale....

 My wonder spouse and I have just finished another jigsaw puzzle.  We have promised ourselves that this is the last one until we come home from our cruise in May.  

Here's a picture of the puzzle.  While we were working on the puzzle I kept thinking that the scene looked familiar, but I thought that that was probably just wishful thinking.

However, after we finished the puzzle we decided to try to find out what it was a picture of. You would think that they would have that info on the box, and they did sort of, but it wasn't easy to find.  My spouse found out, by going to a website listed on the box in very small print, that this is a view somewhere along the coast of Amalfi (a stretch of coastline along the west side of Italy).  Then I knew, I really have seen this scene or something very much like it.  

In 2023, before I married my wonder spouse, a girlfriend and I took a trip to Rome and Tuscany and one of the optional tours was a boat ride along this very coast.  I'm sorry that I can't find a photo in my archives to prove it, but I really have been there and it really was just this beautiful.  

just ducky...

 There is a Swedish proverb that I learned recently "Shared joy is a double joy, shared sorrow is half a sorrow."  

Today I was able to share a joy and a sorrow and I think both parts of this proverb proved true.

Every Sunday after the 11:00am service at my church we have a coffee hour. It's a time to chat with friends I know well and also to make new friends.  Today's coffee time began when a friend sat down with me and a few other people at our table and shared live pictures from a camera feed to her phone.  What we saw was a mama duck who had made a nest in my friend's flower bed, up close to the side of the house.  As we looked at the camera we saw the duck sitting on her ground nest.  We were told that she was sitting on 15 eggs.  We all watched for a while as we drank our coffee and ate our cookies. The duck was just sitting there, not doing anything very interesting, until suddenly she raised up, just a little, and a newly hatched duckling poked its head out from under the mama. What a joy.  We all cheered.  Truly a shared joy.

Gradually, people left to head home and I realized that one other person and I were the last ones left at our table.  She was a casual friend, someone I know from committee meetings but not really well.  I asked her how she was doing, remembering that she had been having some health problems, though I didn't know the details.  She said "ok" but her voice didn't sound like she was really ok so I said that I knew she hadn't been well during the last couple of years but really didn't know the details.  She told me all about the very rare cancer that she had been diagnosed with and all the tests and teatments she has been going through since 2019.  She talked and talked and I listened.  I think that sharing her sorrow really did help, at least I hope so.  She seemed 'lighter' and happier as we parted.  

So remember that Swedish proverb and make time to share other people's joys (that's easy) and sorrows (harder but you might really be helping someone).  All you risk loosing is a little bit of your time.

Books, books, books...

 Today, according to my west coast brother, is "Independent Bookstore Day."  While I enjoy browsing in a bookstore, independent or otherwise, as much as anyone, I do wonder sometimes how they stay in business. 

I imagine that, in some large cities, libraries aren't as conveniently located as they are in Fort Wayne.  The Allen County Public Library has a wonderful large downtown library, with one of the best geneology sections in the country, and 13 branch libraries, one of which is within walking distance of my house. Lucky for me I can get all the books I want or need at our local branch at no cost, and usually in large print which I find very helpful.  

Many years ago I taught in a small town in the Catskills.  At that time I couldn't afford cable TV (the only option that worked in the mountains) but I discovered that my little town had a wonderful bookstore (with shelves and shelves of paperback books) located right next door to the laundromat.  What could be more convenient?  I read all of the novels by John D. McDonald and discovered many other fine authors along the way.  So I must admit, independent book stores do have their place.  I certainly helped keep that one in business.  

Date Night...

 My wonder spouse and I regularly go to Philharmonic concerts but tonight's event was really special.  It felt like we were on a date.  It started with him holding me very close as we walked from our car to the venue - the newly renovated downtown Philharmonic Center. 

Of course he was holding me close so we were both protected by his big umbrella as we dashed through the deluge, but still it was fun to be held so close.

The evening kept getting better.  We had reserved seats at one of the little tables right in front of the stage.  The other couple at the table were very nice so we had some pleasant conversation before the show started and at intermission.  My wonder spouse bought me a glass of wine and then the show began.

We were treated to two hours of dazzling piano music performed by Jodie deSalvo.  If you've never heard of her, look her up.  She is amazing.  The music ranged from Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven (the entire sonata) to Gershwin tunes and so much more.  

Because we were seated so close to the front I could watch her fingers flashing over the keys.  I've said before that I like to see music being performed, not just listen to it.  I couldn't have asked for a better seat to do just that.  Thank you, Wonder Spouse, for a fabulous date night.