I am not much of a beer drinker, not to say I haven’t enjoyed a cold one on a hot summer day after hours of yard work, but that about sums it up. However, I had an opportunity to take a tour of the Stevens Point Brewery and loved the experience. This is how our adventure played out.
Dan and I left Cornell bright and early, stopping in Greenville, Wisconsin to have lunch with his oldest sister, Maryanne, and then to Stevens Point, Wisconsin for a great visit with Dan’s nephew, Dave, his wife, Tracy, and their amazing son, Preston. We haven’t visited for years, so it was fun getting caught up. Next we found our way to a lovely hotel, Cobblestone Hotel, in downtown Stevens Point (picture country downtown, not Seattle downtown), ready to get a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, the hotel restaurant was closed due to a separate celebration going on, so we found our way to a pizza place and had dinner. The prior evening the town enjoyed a big party for the hockey win and pretty much rolled up the night we came into town. The pizza place was the only place open that evening – what can I say, small town, they rule their schedule.
The next morning we walked around the town and enjoyed the beautiful old architecture. I do love the creativity, the unique patterns in the brick – and the ironwork is impressive. 
The original reason for this adventure was because Dan and I had an opportunity to meet up with my stepdaughter, Jessica, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, for a few hours. Once Jessica got into town, we grabbed a bite to eat and then headed for our appointed time for the brewery tour. The smell of yeast and hops surrounded me like an old friend – as a child, our stepfather made homebrew. We were the ones that washed the bottles and capped a new batch in the middle of the night, so, yep, I know the aroma of new brew.
The history of this brewery is so fascinating, and our tour guide, Damarco, was so entertaining and informative. Seeing the large equipment, hearing their process was so much fun. This old building even has a “haunted” elevator – yes, I really, really wanted to take a ride, but it wasn’t open to visitors. The photo of the original company had one person that was never identified, so he became the “point” person – pointed head and a new marketing plan was made – and a successful one at that. This is award-winning beer, of many flavors. We were given tickets to get samples, and for a free tumbler glass. I did have a couple that piqued my interest, but I’ll stick to my wine. That said, if you ever get a chance to take a tour, I highly recommend it. We plan to do a distillery tour someday, too, even though I don’t drink whiskey, I am interested in how it is made. 
When we headed back to where our truck was, we passed this guy carving snow and had to go around the block to get a better look. This guy is a disabled veteran that lets his creativity bring so much joy to others as they travel the snowing road on Clark Street in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. You can find his Facebook page – Snow Art Zone if you want to see his creations…amazing.
When it was time to go, we headed for Shawano, Wisconsin, for a visit with friends there, and laughed the evening away with good food and wine. We had to get back home because our pellet stove had been going for over forty hours, and we were giving it a good test to see if the “full hopper provides fifty hours” of heat was real. Thankfully, it was, and the cabin was toasty warm when we arrived at 1:30 in the AM.
It was a fun trip filled with wonderful family, great friends, and fun adventures.
Happy Friday, it’s been a cold month for us here in Cornell, Michigan (woke to -4 this morning), and for those in my PNW home as well. 
Even with the cold, the beauty surrounds me. I wanted to give you an update on our life here as we, meaning Dan, continues to make progress on the cabin. We now have a well, and from what the well drillers told us, it will outlive us – yay, future generations, you lucked out. Dan did a quick taste and said it is good, but I’ll wait until the purification test is completed – better safe than sorry, I always say.
Now, we do have water, but it’s a work in progress. The pipe running from the well to the house is above ground currently due to the frost line. It will be underground late spring when the ground thaws and Dan can excavate. We need one more part (on order) to allow the pump to work on its own. Right now, Dan manually turns the valve on and off (outside), turns the pump on, and fills the holding tank that is nice and warm inside. The hot water tank draws from that tank and viola – I can wash the dishes without heating a pan of water. I can also flush my toilet about four times on a tank. I know that seems very weird to some, but life here is different than the city. Once the line is underground, it will be more of a “normal” situation, but right now we need to fill tanks, and then let the water drain back into the well, so it doesn’t sit in the pipe outside and freeze. The great news is we have water. They went down 100 feet, and they were happy with the results – and so are we. 
Though now it is easy to understand where the expression came from, “It’s colder than a well diggers backside” – they are doing this job in some freezing weather. It’s a massive piece of equipment – and loud. Regardless, the deer watched from a distance as they ate their cracked corn. It was my first experience seeing this done, and it was beyond exciting. I was able to help Dan do the pump hook-up, and witness the first run from the well. When I came inside the cabin and opened the kitchen faucet – well, words can not describe the excitement – I cried. Yes, folks, the emotions could not be capped. To see water flowing from our well to the faucet is how I imagine it feels to a child when they see a big package under the tree at Christmas. It’s wonderful.
I love taking my walks to the mailbox each day. In case you don’t know, that’s a 1/4 mile each way. So, I bundle up and head out. I stop now and then and soak up the quiet, peacefulness and let my soul absorb the feeling. I imagine it is how it would feel if I was the only human left on earth. I almost feel a few eyes watching me from the woods, but as I look, I see nothing but snow and mostly bare trees. I have my walking stick in case I need it for protection from any four-legged threat – yes, there are coyotes, wolves, bobcats, etc…and neighbors that let their dogs (mean and nice) run wild. I also have ice cleats on my boots — one of the best investments for my safety. I fell last year on ice that was covered up by new snow and fell hard, thankfully, I didn’t break anything – but that was a warning for me to be better prepared this year. The road is solid ice, and I don’t bounce anymore. Just because I’m 69 going on 30 doesn’t mean a thing on ice…lol.
I had mentioned I was working on a love story, not a romance novel, but a love story – well, that was round filed. I have taken the characters and rolled them into a new Sara Series book. Sorry if I led you on to think I was going for a new genre. I couldn’t get traction on it – couldn’t pull out what was needed. It started falling into the Hallmark, cheesy movie category, and that isn’t me. So, now I’m on Chapter three of where I’m happy writing. I’ll keep you posted, but I’ll tell you this – Sara has a new neighbor that has enough trauma to fill a “dream” – and Cat (Cathleen), Sara’s youngest, is getting in on the action. If you read and remember the end of Trapped in Darkness, you know Sara found what turned out to revealed Cathleen’s artistic visions – giving Brandon more stress. Okay, that’s all the beans I’m spilling for now.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend – stay warm, stay safe, keep the lights on, and, as always, thank you for reading my ramblings.
As I look back to 2019 – I can’t believe how fast it went. I spent a lot of time with family in Washington while Dan built the cabin. Highlights I blogged about were spending Christmas 2018 with my daughter, grandkids, and the rest of the family. I managed to organize a family game night – which isn’t easy with work schedules, kids sports, and some of them traveling down from Canada. I went with my sisters to Seaside, a fun trip with my daughter to visit my son and his family in Reno. My family from Canada made a second trip to see my granddaughter, Jo, in one of her plays and spent an extra day with me, enjoying the downtown Seattle sights. Then Dan and I wrapped up our summer with our youngest daughter’s wedding. It’s been a whirlwind of a year. But, there are a couple of more notables that deserve to be mentioned as I wrap up my 2019 blogs.
Funny Story – On December 5th, I flew from Seattle to Green Bay, with a stop in Minneapolis. During my last leg flight, I had a young man sitting next to me. I didn’t get his name, so I’ll call him Sam. I did mention, however, that this little incident would wind up in a blog…to which he laughed and said that is fine with him. To lay the groundwork for this tale, did you know that on your phone – if you press the side button or top button (depending on phone model) 3-5 times quickly, you will alert an emergency service? It is an SOS feature – I still haven’t tried it, but it’s a good thing to get acquainted with – I think. Here’s the deal, it works in “airplane mode” as well. Who would have thought, right? And it was a surprise for everyone sitting around this young man. He had his earbuds in listening to music, minding his own business when he attempted to turn down the volume. He pressed the side button five quick times, and just like that, an alarm went off – shaking all of us out of our daydreams, movie watching, and naps. My, and likely others, first thought was something was wrong with the plane. It was a siren type alarm. My mind started whirling with not-so-good possibilities…until I realized it was coming from the guys’ phone next to me. The funny thing is the kid didn’t realize the signal was coming from his phone until it dawned on him that his music had stopped playing. He was so apologetic and embarrassed. We all got a chuckle out of it (some stayed grumpy) once our hearts returned to a normal rhythm. What I loved was his response at the end, “Only need to do that once to learn it works, right?”
Acts of Kindness – Once or twice a week, Dan and I go to town, and many times our trips include laundry. Dan and I have been going to the same laundromat in Escanaba for years. They are a full service, so the shop is always staffed. I don’t know them personally, but I’ve enjoyed chatting with them now and then. Karen (I’ve recently learned her name) has even helped us bring our laundry to our car. Routinely, we run errands during the washing/drying of our items. I set an alarm on my phone so we know when to switch it out to avoid holding up machines for other customers. The other day we were running late due to unforeseen issues and when we came back to fold our clothes, Karen had just finished folding them for us – you read that right – the lady had folded our clothes – truly a treat. It was not a busy day, so our being late didn’t interfere with machine usage. This act of kindness is what it means to live in a small town. In many cases, people treat you more like family then a customer.
Loss – As I mentioned in my August blog, Dan and I have a friend, Jack, and how we would stay overnight at his place in Newago, Michigan. Jack was a friend of Dan’s dad, so they had known each other for the majority of Dan’s life. Over the years, Dan built a friendship with Jack, keeping their 60+ memories alive. I loved hearing about Dan and his life from Jack’s perspective. Learning about Dan’s parents, and many other people that passed before I could meet them. We had many enjoyable visits with Jack. In November, Jack passed away at 85 years old, leaving a hole in the hearts of many. He has joined his wife, Deloris, the love of his life, and is likely wearing a big smile right now. Jack was a beautiful spirit, loved, and will be missed by all who knew him.
R.I.P. Jack Marks
As for 2020 – I don’t make resolutions, but I do set some goals for myself. I want to finish my next novel (I currently have three chapters done, and it looks like they are going back to the drawing board) – I’d like to work on my autobiography. I can hear those chuckles “why is she writing an autobiography, she isn’t famous or important” – and with that, you would be correct. However, I want my children to have the story of my life and how I became who I am because I never had that opportunity with my parents. I did learn to understand them but would have loved their take on their childhood and early adulthood. I also have been told by non-family members that they would love to hear my story in its entirety after hearing an incident or two. And, of course, writing is healing to me, so what can it hurt, right?
I also have a new macro filter I’ll be testing out, and other photography work. I can’t get enough of clicking that shutter, so that leaves a lot of work to do in keeping up with filing photos, editing, and hitting the delete button – always a challenge. With the water freezing around here in Upper Michigan, I plan to get many shots of the ice effects. As we drove over one bridge, Dan slowed down so I could get a photo of “The Islands of Ice” 
– Dan’s idea for a name, which I loved…very fitting. This was after a day of sun, so it changes almost daily. Photography is such a passion, and I can’t get enough.
Dan and I have a trip planned to Washington at the end of February, and we’ll be there for a couple of weeks – you’ll hear all about it afterward. It looks like we will work out a trip to Colorado on our way back with my car. This summer, Dan and I are planning to caravan with another couple to Alaska – that should be a trip of a lifetime for us.
All-in-all, it will be a full year for us. We still have a lot of work on the cabin and property to do. We need to act retired and take some mini sightseeing trips, visit family members, and friends, that are spread out across the states and Canada, and be kind to ourselves with some simple downtime.
I hope this past year has been good to you, that the new year brings you much happiness – and that you take time out for yourself. As always, thank you for reading my ramblings, and Happy New Year to you all.
As mentioned in my last blog, I gained permission to watch my granddaughter, Jo, during her rehearsal of the upcoming high school performance of “13 Past Midnight,” which opened on December 5th (the day I flew back to Michigan) and ran six performances in all.
Jo was born to be on stage – you can feel her passion and dedication as she brings her audience entertainment. I have had the pleasure of seeing Jo in plays for a couple of years since joining drama class, and she shines in her performances – leaving me awestruck. This latest play was a fun mystery that was sure to make the audience laugh, jump, and question the motives of each character. I chose to post my blog until after the final curtain so there would be no spoilers on my conscience…lol. Yes, I knew the guilty party – who was none other than my granddaughter.
Besides bragging about Jo, the reason for this blog is to share my take on life backstage. I am an entertainment hound – I love movies, plays, and TV – but to witness what goes into a play backstage was a privilege. 
There are the headshots to be taken as cast members entered the room adorned in costume, and candid shots during rehearsal. The stage manager, Winter, 
who checks, and rechecks the stage props, then goes over her clipboard to be sure everything is in order. The drama teacher, Ms. Meyners, busily going over her notes and making new ones as the performers gather around for some scene discussions. Ms. Meyners deserves a gold star as she manages the excitement and energy pulsating from about twenty teenagers. She treats the cast and stagehands as professionals, and, hence, they do not disappoint. 
You can easily see how serious everyone takes their role. I sat there listening as the teacher worked with the sound/light control room aka the booth, to bring up red lights, take down bright lights, redirect where the light should be, quiet the thunderclaps a bit, bring up the music at a precise moment, and instruct the timing of gunshots to reactions. Sound effects and lights are important, and making sure everything runs like clockwork is a painstaking endeavor – proof that timing is vital.
Putting a play together takes patience, determination, and pure love of the stage for everyone involved. There are the missed lines, awkward pauses, the retakes, and more retakes. The light checks, sound checks – and the checks again. I would be remiss not to mention the people that create the set. It’s important the construction and set up is correct, or it could have significant consequences if not built sturdy enough. It’s getting everyone on stage to listen to changes or new improvisation for the crime scene. I watched the fun adlib, the excitement of a scene that ran perfect, and the notable exhaustion when another scene had multiple takes. It was watching the victim laying on the floor under a sheet with a turkey baster filled with water, to be replaced with fake blood for the performances, of course, getting soaked as he attempts to have liquid spread across the sheet. How do you keep a turkey baster from becoming a visual stage prop? Trial and error. Not to mention, though I will, the rug that slid across the stage taking a cast member down in the process. Another prop to secure and master before opening night. Keep in mind, these teens have already had a full day of calculus and science, for example, but kept going regardless.
Time flew by as I observed laughing, sighs, and meeting of minds over what was going to work and what wasn’t. There was getting the cast back on stage after a break using the “We’re back in 20…19…18…” – Ms. Meyners continues counting in a normal tone, effortlessly as she walks back to her seat close to the booth and I watch with sincere respect as the cast follow her lead. Their natural movements as stage positions are checked, along with their spot-on listening to directions say so much about the students and their teacher.
I am overwhelmingly proud of Jo, her commitment, and her passion, but also for the rest of the cast, crew, and their teacher, Ms. Meyners. It’s the blood, sweat, and tears of acting that no one else sees. Until this experience, I didn’t really think a lot about all the rehearsals, or what went into them, to bring us, the audience, a performance that draws us in to love the play, the cast, and the environment overall.
In this busy, and sometimes tough world we live in it is not only refreshing but needed to have our hearts lifted by these beautiful young adults and all the backstage people that entertain us with their incredible talent.
I hope the next time you see a poster or hear of a high school play opening, you will purchase a ticket and support the local arts. I am witness to the work that is involved, and genuinely feel it warrants our attention. Thank you, one and all, for reading my ramblings – signing off until later – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Here I am – again – rolling to the end of my time in the PNW. I arrived on October 25th and will fly back to Michigan on December 5th. I have stayed at one sister’s home, filling up my sister-time meter with great food, fun movies, and lots of chatting and laughs. I’ve traveled to Canada to visit another sister, yes, more meter filling…lol. I’ve spent time with my best friends shopping, eating, and laughing. I had my “Nana and Jo time” (14 yr old granddaughter) and had Disney movie time with my future stepgranddaughter. I smiled continuously at my future stepgrandson’s 4th birthday party – there are not enough cuteness words to describe this little guy. I’ve made a few dinners to enjoy at my daughter’s and future son-in-law’s home. When we have finished eating, we stay at the table and one at a time we share what was the best part of our day (which for me is always being with them, but I choose other things that happened during the day, so I don’t sound repetitive), and then I crash on their couch for the night or a few nights. When morning rolls around, I watch their routine that is flawless and timely, yet, still reminds me of how lucky I am to be retired.
I was very excited to be here for my daughter’s 40th birthday celebration. Everyone was invited to join in her “turning 40 birthday book drive.” The books were to be for children 5-13 yrs old and will be donated to Spruce Elementary. Kristin’s heart is always in the right place for the right reason, and her selfless birthday plan was no exception. Her book drive yielded over one hundred books. I am so proud of Kristin and blessed to have her and her integrity in my life. Makes a mama smile.
My sister, brother-in-law, and I did the Wings Over Washington ride downtown on Pier 57. 
Highly recommend it – what a blast. I also came within seconds of deciding to do the Wheel – but chickened out – maybe next time. It’s at the end of the dock with a view like no other, so the temptation gets stronger as I think about riding it. That was my first trip downtown since the viaduct was removed, and I had no idea how beautiful some of the architecture was until I got the full view with no viaduct in the way. I’ve posted some of the photos on Facebook. I do love downtown Seattle and the beauty it holds for my eyes – Seattle will always be in my soul.
I still have a few more days filled with plans to watch Jo’s rehearsal for a play she is in that doesn’t go to stage until after I leave, a birthday movie date with Kristin, and as much time as I can fit in with family and friends before “big bird” takes me back to Michigan.
Time goes by fast, and I’ve been busy filling it with all the people I hold so dear to my heart. At times it feels my life is a double-edged sword that I carry around slicing through my heart when I am away from one side but enjoying the other. As the holidays near, I thought I’d manage okay, but that is not the case. I can not speak for anyone other than myself but the holidays carry with them happiness and great memories, but also, sadness because I miss those that have passed on, I miss the traditions I was so much a part of…simply said depression sneaks in. Many things are mixed in, guilt for moving away from my family, for actions I took that made changes in my life and affected others…a mixed bag. Not that I don’t enjoy the celebrations that I am involved in, but they have changed over the years – I want the old times back, I want them frozen in time so they will never melt away…but that isn’t how life is. It is continually changing, evolving, being edited – it’s keeping up with those changes that tend to throw me off guard and into a meltdown…admittedly a couple of times a season – but the rest of the time I’m smiling, laughing and having a great time. Maybe this is too much information, but it is me…real and raw.
Dan stayed in Michigan to hunt while I was here, and though we miss each other, he is happy I had this extended time with family and friends. Since we didn’t get to have Thanksgiving together, I plan to make a turkey with all the trimmings when I get home, to bring a bit of that hometime feeling back to the cabin.
I want to add that it is okay if I have multiple emotions during this holiday season. I love the atmosphere filling the air with holiday cheer. It merely means, perhaps for many of us, that it is also a time that emotions can run high – be it sad, happy, silly, or joyful – I still know mine always settles back into simply being thankful.
As always, thank you for reading my ramblings – and a big Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all…xoxo