Camp Lebanon - one of my "favorite things"!

There's no "raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens" but Camp Lebanon is one of my favorite "things". It is located north of St. Cloud and is a year-round Christian camp and retreat center dedicated to providing a 'Meeting Place with God' for children, youth, families and adults. I go to quilt (sometimes). This time I started a quilt using Batik fabric called Log Cabin Windows. The camp averages at least 75 to 100+ women each weekend that come and quilt, cross stitch and scrapbook. I personally go to play cards and sleep on a hard mattress. Makes you appreciate your own bed back at home, otherwise you'd never leave, it's that great. Most of all I enjoy playing Hand and Foot with friends, a card game much like Canasta.

Who ever heard of Dickerson?

If you ever have missed hearing the UWEC - Blugold Marching Band you have missed alot. To answer the question, Randal Dickerson is the director of the one of the most active marching bands in the upper Midwest. They have a unique and highly energetic marching style, their music is not your standard band music but songs arranged by not only Dickerson but band members as well. With a total enrollment of 232 members (when he came in 2000 there were only 60 members in the band) the Blugold Marching Band is America's largest NCAA D3 marching band. Just returning from UWEC to see Karen perform with the band was something worth the 2 hour drive. Playing drums in my college marching band made it even more enjoyable for me personally, even though my experience doesn't even come close to the experience that Karen has had over the last 3 years. Thanks Karen for a great afternoon of a truly remarkable marching band led by a truly gifted director.
This is just the drumline when they performed at the close of the High School Band competitions held at the Metrodome this past October. Karen is 2nd in from the right on cymbals.

Yes, we are "cheeseheads" (at least every autumn)

We went on our annual fall vacation for a week (and no, that's not us). It's amazing to me how something that is the same every year can also be so interesting and entertaining. We always go to SW Wisconsin and drive down the Illinois side and take back roads because that is where the interesting and entertaining part comes in. This picture is of a Amish cart just outside of Cuba City, Wisconsin. Michael said that is a first for that area because the Amish tend to live in groups to support their lifestyle and he never had seen one so far south.

This picture is a Llama that is at a stop we make annually. Lots of animals and a building with all kinds of jams, apples, popcorn, etc.
We also make a point of visiting people as well like the neighbor that lived down the street from Michael's childhood home in Cuba City, a cousin that lives outside of the Quad Cities, a friend who lives in Tomah who has known us since we were single, and always a final stop to celebrate mass with Fr. Ken Fiedler at his parish in Madison and breakfast afterward. We always stay in a hotel in Hillsboro, Wisconsin on the first night and the last. It is a lovely little town with this one hotel, and a bike trail not far from there. The only "downer" is that our cell phones don't work unless you get about 45 minutes away in any direction. It's a real "deadzone" but the scenery is well worth it (you forget what clouds look like when you live in the city). We go home through different little towns one that's set atop some of the most scenic hills of SW Wisc. named Cashton. It's called "the heart of Amish country". Its surrounding townships are home to the largest Amish community in Wisconsin.
This picture is of one of the Amish farms and their harvested hay which is done by hand. Normally a machine does it and it looks like rolls.
We did alot of biking on the trip covering almost 30 miles total. The weather was fairly good except for one day. We had picked a trail that horses and ATV's can also ride on. Even though the rain had stopped, the trail was muddy which was complicated by some friendly ATV's riders that yielded to us but...(we had to powerwash the bikes when we got home). Thankfully we met no horses. My final picture is one of my personal favorites. Michael was in front of me and I can't believe it wasn't completely out of focus as I was riding the bike when I took it. We traveled 3 different bike trails throughout the vacation, and this was one of my favorites for scenery and interest overall. Makes one wonder why people want to live where the seasons don't change. Amazing.

Memphis Minus Elvis

This past weekend Northwest Airlines sponsored an overnight trip to the Memphis Zoo.
At first I thought it was a strange idea but after my visit to the Zoo I was extremely impressed and would recommend it to everyone even though we got there after 5:00 p.m. They had live bands, rides, a tram that took you all around the zoo sites, and a wonderful assortment of zoo animals including two pandas from China. All looked very well cared for amidst lovely grounds and walking paths. The architecture of the buildings was wonderful.

One of my favorite places was the building with all the alligators, lizards, and snakes. This picture is 11 year old Lola. She rests on this railing alot and they say it's one of her favorite places. They also let her roam the grounds (with assistance, I'm sure).
All in all we had a great time, stayed overnight at the nearby Holiday Inn and returned home the next day. One of my personal favorite times of the trip was visiting after returning to the hotel with Michael and one of his co-workers even though it was sooooo late. Thanks Jill! It was a personal favorite time. I definitely plan on returning sometime soon.

Ann's Place

This past weekend Michael and I went up to a rustic area around Bayfield, Wisconsin to visit a long-time friend at her cabin. We stayed overnight in Hayward and enjoyed sightseeing, etc. and met her up at her cabin on Saturday early afternoon. She invited us up to burn timber that had fallen during a recent storm. Her cabin sits back from Lake Superior shoreline and she owns approximately 2 acres of what normally would be fairly uninhabitable land even though beautiful. The cabin is still in process of being finished with no running water nor heat. she has distant neighbors on either side. We spent the afternoon burning off timber. she took us on a mini-tour of her land and told us that she has seen bears as well as wolves and deer that roam free in the area. We spent the evening playing cards and enjoying conversation over hot beverages. Her two dachshunds, Kurby and Kaylee joined us in front of the fireplace which helped warm the cabin for the night. We had a wonderful time and hope to return again to be a "guest" of natures own. The two pictures (I'm still learning how to place them so bear with me) are of her cabin and Michael hard at work mixing the logs together in the fire.

Fun in the Sun

Those of you that know us know that our favorite pastime as a couple is biking. We go almost every weekend, going over a bike map, picking a trail somewhere in the Twin cities area and hit the road. Last weekend we went with another die-hard biking couple and headed to Medicine Lake area via car. From there we covered approximately 13 miles of beautiful lake front homes (I'm sure my doctor lives in one of them) and ended up at French Park. We usually bring snacks to share and rest up abit and head back. We had a great time. Included, as usual, is a picture our friend took of the two of us enjoying the day together. Life's a beach! (actually it's behind us).

Grease is not just a movie title

When I decided to "retire" from cleaning homes, a business I had for approx. 17 years, my father was against it. Being in business for himself was something he always took pride in so hearing that I wanted to go into a job where I got paid less than half what I made cleaning homes he felt was a big mistake, not to mention that I would have to get up every morning and buck the traffic like the rest of the world working for someone else. I explained to him that I was willing to buck the traffic and get paid less for what I had a passion for which was to make a difference in the lives of other people in a more personal way. All the negative reasons for "retiring" were facing me, but I have always had an interest in working in the healthcare industry. so when Daniel came to us after high school and announced he wanted to be an auto mechanic, I was against it. After all we had given him a wonderful education that included 7 years of private schooling which we felt would set him up for true success. We figured he would go into engineering like his dad since math was his best subject. However it was his decision and after 2 years I have decided that maybe he was right. Even though he may never be the book learner I would have liked, he is truly gifted at his mostly hands-on work with cars. He also went out and got hired at the place we have our cars serviced and has learned an enormous amount along with tons of experience working on different makes and models. He comes home greasy, dirty, and tired but he truly is a natural at it. The picture I chose is the day that his older brother David came over to have Daniel help him fix his truck. I am thankful that I have been able to see the fruit of allowing him to seek out his own desires, something that my father was not able to see as he died before I finished school. Congratulations Daniel for knowing what you truly want in life and going for it!