2022 Christmas Eve/Day

Christmas Eve

Jay, Laura and Anton invited Claude, Peter and me to a fondue supper.  After the usual pre-meal noshes of shrimp with sauce, chips with dip and salsa we sat down around the fondue pot and dipped cubed ham, assorted vegetables and bread chunks into a traditional cheese fondue.  It was light, nutritious and enjoyable, topped off with an assortment of Laura's Christmas cookies.

Christmas Day

St. Rita's Church was quite full at 10:00 a.m. for the 10:30 am Christmas mass.  We enjoyed the beautiful singing of a tiny soprano that must weigh 80 pounds, if that much.  She sings like a bird with no effort.  A little girl brought in the Baby Jesus and laid him in a manger.  

Father Tim Kitzke gave an inspiring homily and ended by referring to his Polish heritage, finishing by singing Lulajze Jezuniu.  I sat in the second row and sang along.

Peter and I were invited to the Dorns' for 3:00 p.m. followed by Jay, Laura, Anton and Annika, then Claude. 

Prominently displayed was the stable that was made many years ago by a relative of my fraternal grandmother.

Again the cocktail table was laden with delicious appetizers provided by Laura.

I made my usual table favors filled with trail mix and gummy bears

After saying Grace we broke Oplatek with each other with wishes for a Merry Christmas, as Anton and Annika are doing.

Janice served perfect pierogi along with a barbeque flavored muffin, a quinoa dish and a fruit salad.

And what could finish off this wonderful dinner better than with the various assortment of Laura's cookies and Janice's gingerbread men?

Peter and I drove back to SRS on an unusually cold for Christmas (11 degrees) evening talking about nothing but the wonderful day we shared with family.

St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral

Sunday, December 11, 2022 

Claude and I attended the 10:30 a.m. High Mass at this cathedral during our family weekend.  

The robed choir from the choir loft (we did not see the robes until the end of the mass) sang a prelude in Gregorian chant.

The processional included seven servers, including two holding globed candles on poles and one censer bearer. One of the servers could have been a deacon.

The altar was incensed at the beginning of the mass and before the gospel and also escorted the gift bearers at the Offertory.  Before the Preface the candle bearers and the censer bearer came for the incensing of the altar and the congregation, remaining in front of the altar through the Consecration and leaving after the Prayer of the Faithful, with heavy incensing at the Consecration and diminishing until the Prayer of the Faithful.  There was so much incense I was afraid I wasn't going to see the altar.  I'm sure people with respiratory problems would be affected by all the clouds of smoke.

The choir was lovely, and sang most of the mass.  

The recessional included all of the above with incense.

Attending this mass was memorable to experience more of the pomp of the ceremony.

2022 December Outing

 Friday, December 9, 2022

Claude and I left on a slushy early afternoon to our La Crosse destination.  The roads were good once we got to the Dells. All of us arrived at approximately the same time at the Hampton Inn: Brad, Janice and Colin, then Claude and I, followed by Jay and Laura.  After checking in we had dinner at the Freight House, which was like a railroad depot, very spacious.  Our flashlights came in handy reading the menu because the place was so dimly lit, but the service and food were good.

Our next venture was a drive through holiday lights, thousands of lights on trees and on the ground.

When we got back to the hotel, we gathered in the breakfast area to celebrate Jay's Birthday and play a game.  The hotel staff was very accommodating in providing wine glasses for us.  Janice served a delicious  tiramisu for the Birthday cake.  We played a game called Do You Know Your Family where we had to guess answers about each of our likes, dislikes and other questions. There was also fun with many of the answers.

Saturday, December 10

After a nice breakfast in the hotel we set out for the historic Hilton House. https://www.lchshistory.org/hixon-house

Audrey was our guide and gave us a wonderful tour of this house that had almost all of the furnishings of the original owner, Gideon Hixon, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_Hixon and his wife Ellen https://lchshistory.pastperfectonline.com/byperson?keyword=Hixon%2C%20Ellen.  

Entering the house I was reminded of Old World Wisconsin, but Audrey was quick to correct me that this house was older and had all of the original furnishings, unlike OWW that had artifacts that were collected from various sources.

The house was decorated with holiday ornamentation that would have been popular during the period.

The Turkish Nook reflects Ellen's fascination with her trip to that country.

By this time we were ready for lunch at La Crosse Distillery.  We sat at a high table and sampled beverages with a light meal.

We walked through some shops in the slushy downtown area.  I had my walker to make navigating a little easier.  I bought a pair of gloves at Duluth Trading and we were amused with the merchandise at another shop that featured items with clever captions.

Jay followed Brad's car driving through the University of La Crosse campus as Brad told us what we were seeing over the phone.  It would not have been possible to walk this vast expanse with many buildings.  We drove up Granddad Bluff to get a scenic view, but it was overcast with no view to speak of, so we were satisfied with a pleasant ride.  We concluded our drive through the cemetery where we found the gravesite of the Hixon family.  It was a good way to round out our morning experience of their home.

We quenched our thirst at the Turtle Stack Brewery that seemed to be a hot spot for beer drinkers.

We relaxed in our rooms until it was time for a short drive to the Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern for our 6:00 p.m. reservation.  We were happy that we drove through the holiday lights last night when the traffic was light instead of this evening where the traffic was backed up for blocks.  Joseph was our waiter who served us cordially with wine and delicious meals.  My braised short ribs were flavorful with enough to take home for another meal.

We completed the day with another game answering questions that we wrote on wipe-off cards.

Sunday, December 11

The breakfast area was crowded this morning; Laura nailed down a spot to be sure Claude and I would have a place to sit.  After warm good-byes until we see each other again at Christmas, Claude and I checked out by 10:00 a.m. in order to go the mass at St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral at 10:30.

Roads were very good on the drive to Claude's house.  

When I got to SRS I was in time to partake of the dinner hosted by Herman and Nancy Schmidt and Gary Mullarky prepared by Herman's family.  Jackie made room for me at her table as I was served a dish with turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, dressing, squash, macaroni and cranberries with apple pie for dessert.  I had some for another meal.

2022 Christmas Fantasy House

Friday, November 4, 2022

I had a very long eye appointment that lasted until past 11:00 a.m. and was only slightly late for lunch at Harry's Bar & Grill with Terry Harvey and Marilyn Schroeder.  We had light rain when we finished our lunches and drove to the McKinley Marina to get the shuttle that would drive us to this year's Christmas Fantasy House. (Mansion)

 https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/home-garden/2022/10/20/2022-christmas-fantasy-house-has-plenty-space-lots-designers/10499409002/

We knew we would be impressed by this year's creations, and we were not disappointed.

Each room was filled to the max with every imaginable decoration that incorporated glitter, sparkle, color, texture and lights.  With so many rooms occupying three floors, a large crew was needed.  They guided traffic in an orderly direction and told about the theme and decorator of each room.  This home would not accommodate handicapped people.  Even on the first floor there were elevations of one or two steps; also, three stories with many stairs.

The living room, as most of the other rooms, have a panoramic view or Lake Michigan.  I understand that the sculpture in the center is made of buttons. 

Who wouldn't want to be a guest at this grand dining room?

And after dinner, enjoy a game of pool.  These cue balls (ornaments) wouldn't withstand a hard crack.

This upstairs sitting room would be great to read a book, or do some knitting or have a conversation.

And what child wouldn't have sweet dreams in this cozy bedroom?

The third floor had a number of small dorm-like rooms, each uniquely decorated. 

We were quite exhausted after visiting this mansion: climbing stairs and the sheer size.  There was no way to retrace our steps, so I could not go back to buy some bakery that looked appealing.  But this was a wonderful experience to be able to be on the inside of this landmark building.

Wild Saturday

 Saturday, September17th, 2022

Jackie, Eleanor and I met at 10:00 a.m. to plan a memorial service for Helen Smorali who died August 26th.  I left at 10:30 for my hair appointment at 11:00, which usually was adequate time.  Not today!  There was a race along either Michigan or Clybourn and I could not get on the freeway; no one else could either.  With all the rerouting, the streets were impassable; everyone was in the same predicament.  I was about 25 minutes late for my appointment.

After my hair I bought some apples at Awe Orchard, also a caramel apple and some apple cider donuts.  I stopped at P&S on Drexel to pick up some groceries and check out plants for centerpieces.  The clerk said bigger P&Ss would have a larger selection, which I will try next week.  I stopped at Wild Birds for a gift card for Laura's Birthday.

We were invited for dinner at Jay an Laura's at 5:00 p.m.   We got there exactly at 5 and it didn't look like anything was cooking.  Laura said that we're not eating here.  We're having a picnic at Hubbard Park arranged by Jay.  He had everything packed and we were ready to go.  

A wedding ceremony was just finishing when we arrived at the park and the guests were filing into the lodge.  Jay checked and got the go-ahead that we could set up our picnic, which was next to the river.  We sat on lawn chairs sipping wine/beer and munching on cheese, crackers, pretzels and olives.  Jay baked pizzas in his camp oven that we had with Caprese salad with a warm raspberry/pear crisp for dessert.  We felt a couple of sprinkles, but nothing to spoil a perfect evening.  We sat long after it got dark; it was too good to let go.

Alternate Plans

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

The plan for today was for Peter to pick me up at 1:30 p.m., visit the Domes, the Warehouse Art Gallery and have something to eat and drink at Soberman's.  That started out as schedule until we got to the Domes.  It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The day was glorious: sunny, in the 70s, very unusual for the beginning of November.  Peter said, "Why are we doing something indoors on this beautiful day; why not do something outdoors, like a beer garden?"  We had not been to Estebrook Park this past year together so that's where we headed.  I had doubts that it would be open.  It was not only open, but there was a beer special of buy one, get one free.  We took advantage of that with two liters of Octoberfest and a brat for Peter and a hot dog for me.  We sat across from a couple and engaged in conversation; Julie is unemployed, but worked for Facebook, Jason was in some marketing business.  That generated a discussion and the falling stock prices of Facebook.  Two men occupied another table, one was taking out a notebook and seemed to be searching for a pen.  I just happened to have picked up an Educators Credit Union pen on Friday and offered it to him.  He showed me the notebook he was working on that looked like it was mechanically printed, it was so perfect.  He writes everything, and was engaged in writing almost the entire time he was sitting at the table. 

It was nearing 4:00 p.m. and a musician was setting up.  More tables were getting filled.  The saxophonist played with some background music that was quite enjoyable; we danced a waltz.  By this time we were ready for another beer, but opted for a half-liter each with a pretzel.  As the sun set, it became noticeably cooler; the jacket I left in the car would have been comfortable.  We finished our beers before we got too cold and headed to the parking lot.  

We'll save the Domes, the Warehouse Art Gallery and Soberman's for another day.

Last Sunday of October 2022

Sunday, October 30, 2022

Laura came to SRS with her camera so that I could copy photos of my 90th birthday to my computer.  Annika was the roving photographer and she took a lot of nice group photos.  Laura couldn't stay long because Trick or Treat started in her neighborhood at 1:00 p.m.

At 1:00 p.m. we were on our way to  I was at Peter's to the choral program at the Schwabenhof, where the combined men and women's chorus, one segment with men alone, entertained us for about an hour.  At one time the groups were separate; but as each group has diminished in numbers they formed a combined group.  Having the translation helped to appreciate what they were singing about.  There were sandwiches and desserts for purchase.  We had braunschweiger with steins of beer.  Walter and Margie Gries joined us to close out the afternoon. take a drive to see the skeleton display that we were headed to last week, but a flat tire canceled our plans. before going to . We never got to the skeleton display a week ago because we had a flat tire on the way.

The theme this year was a casino with skeletons playing BINGO and some dancing to a band.

And what Halloween Party doesn't have bobbling for apples?

This arrangement seems to be repeated every year.

SRS Octoberfest

 Friday, October 21, 2022

The October Birthdays were celebrated today with an Octoberfest theme with a complementary luncheon choice of schnitzel or kielbasa (I don't know why they didn't serve bratwurst), red cabbage, spätzle, cake and a beer selection. I invited Peter to wear his Alpine hat and red checkered shirt and to bring our steins.  I would wear my Germanfest outfit.

The food was generous and delicious.  The music by Jay Isaacson was modern and very enjoyable.

The day was unseasonably warm after the cold snap we had a few days ago, a perfect day to enjoy a ride toward Holy Hill and check out the skeletons nearby.  We have been doing that for the last few years; the outlandish creations are always so much fun.  The temperature was 78 degrees as we were driving and taking in the glorious colors of the trees.  I don't know when the trees were more beautiful.  It was a longer ride because Peter drove on I43 and we had to backtrack.  It was rather windy.

As we were approaching Holy Hill it seemed very windy, so much so that I asked Peter if he had the window open, because it sounded so loud.  But as the noise got louder he realized it was not the wind, but something wrong with the car.  We were lucky to find an off-the-road area where a few cars were parked from people hiking a trail.  Peter checked; it was a rear left flat tire.  He recently replaced the front right tire.  I called AAA and a service truck arrived in less than an hour.  Fortunately, some cars pulled out behind us giving the service truck plenty of room.

Peter had a great idea to drive directly to the Sommer's dealership in Mequon to drop off the tire and order a replacement.  We got there at 5:00 p.m. while still enjoying the beautiful colors of the season.  We took a leisurely drive to SRS and arrived at about 6:00 p.m.  It was an enjoyable day despite the tire mishap.   Hopefully, we will have a few more nice days to get back to see the skeletons; maybe when the tire is ready.

Tour of Vista West

 Abby drove seven of us to Vista West, a capri community in Madison.  The day was overcast, with some intermittent rain.

We were greeted in this specious facility that is just over one year old.  It is attractively appointed with art throughout and beautiful lighting. The reception area is lovely and welcoming.

 We started at the uppermost fifth floor with a comfortable community room.  We had a wonderful view of the grounds and a glimpse of the Capital dome. On other floors we saw the game room; sheepshead, dominos and bridge players would love this.

The theater, with comfortable chairs and a popcorn machine.

and the the fitness room with a separate room for group exercise and another with a wide range of apparatus.

We saw a one-bedroom apartment, nicely furnished, very similar to those of SRS.  I liked the hard wood flooring throughout, with the exception of the bedroom.

We finished our tour in the dining room with an Apple Pie Social and beverages with other residents.  It was an opportunity to visit and exchange views of our respective communities.

The residents are preparing for a talent show and gave us a sample of their performance. (Unfortunately, my video of "Deep in the Heart of Texas" exceeded the space allowed for this site)

The ride home had a lot of opinions about what we liked: the roominess, the attractive placement of artwork, the combining of independent and assisted living residents, seven-day dining service.  Some thought it was too vast, with too long distances between elevators and destinations.  There was unanimous consensus that we all were glad to be at SRS with its more intimate, smaller space.

Overnight with Jay and Laura

 October 8, 2022

Laura called last night asking what my plans were for Saturday. Hair at 11:00 a.m. and grocery shopping afterwards.  How would I like to do an overnight near Madison and tour some art in surrounding farmlands?  That sounded like fun.

After my hair I picked up a prescription and did some grocery shopping. I had most of my packing done, just to put everything in order. I was waiting outside when Jay and Laura drove up at about 3:30 p.m.  We had a nice drive towards Madison on a bright, crisp, sunny day.  We arrived at Staybridge Suites in Fitchburg and checked into two rooms.  We noshed on cheese, crackers and apples with wine until it was time to leave for our 6:30 reservation at the Stone House Restaurant. quiveysgrove.com.

We were seated on the lower level next to a table with about ten young ladies engaged in enthusiastic conversation.  Jay asked for a different table and one in an upstairs room suited us perfectly. 

Each of us enjoyed our meals; however, our waiter was less than attentive. When we said we were not served bread, he brought a basket of bread when we were finishing our meal.

I have a king size bed that should provide a good night sleep, ready for tomorrow's adventure. 

Sunday, October 9.

After a hotel breakfast, we were on our way to the Farm/Art DTour that began in Sauk City.  On the way we stopped at a roadside market and bought some produce and fall decorations.

This is the ninth year of the Farm/Art DTour that features works by artists from around the county creating pieces that explore timeless connections between land and people.  

https://issuu.com/wormfarm/docs/2022_wormfarm_event_guide_forweb

We followed a map that directed us to art and information along a 50-mile route.

The Tippy Top of Under by Denise Rolland Troyer, of Zionsville, IN, uses ceramic pieces to show how the fungi world beneath our feet teems with energy and communication, intermittently gracing us with its presence above ground.

We stopped at the CarbonEra Cafe where we picked up menus with suggested topics that we could discuss with other visitors.  I joined Laurel and her mother to discuss how we can support our farmlands.

We walked through and around Baraboo by Rosalyn Gingerich of Chicago, IL, an experiential architectural inflatable that playfully builds rapport with the landscape while expanding perception of the large world around us.

This group is called Earthtones Listening Station with an interesting planting in a canoe.

We found some picnic benches near this Seed Mosaic and had our lunch while listening to a fiddle and accordion player.  Laura and I also bought some summer sausage.

This chalk art explains fermentation.

An ARK OVEN created by Tory Tepp and Whitey Flagg was built from clay dug from the Enges' Farms and with kenza straw from last year's harvest.

We stepped inside  Our Lady of Loretto Church Museum.

Jay is beside this work by Scott Trimble of Seattle, WA,  called "CURIOUS ERRATIC OF THE DRIFTLESS", a mythical structure made of telescopic concentric shapes that mimics the growing of plants and structures of nature.

Now, Jay is atop hay bales listening to Christopher Lutter-Gardella of Minneapolis, MN, explain how his artwork, The Giant Farmer of Plain is a tribute to local farmers and builders.

Inspired by agriculture and construction, this 20-foot marionette was built by local carpenters and fabricators.

Sarah Savage of Seattle, WA, and her crew braided this immersive woven grass installation in-situ to create an imaginative nurturing space to gather and daydream and calls it Garden of Water & Wind.

Children today can hardly relate to this one-room schoolhouse.

It's no optical illusion, but these chairs in the work STUHLE (U has an umlaut) by Hartmut Ringel of Wisconsin Dells, WI, are really moving (they are suspended by wires).

Understructure - Norden Loam created by Bill Mitchell of Lancaster, WI, invites visitors to walk underneath and experience the web from below, recreating the living systems in the ground.  This work gives the sense of the 'sod' being lifted and peeled back from the land.

Some art was drive-by, other stops were informational signs. like marking the site where the circus set up its quarters, or a statement by Aldo Leopold.

Because the tour covered a large area, there was no crowding or difficulty finding a place to park.  The day was mild, with a lot of sunshine.  There was a short interval of sprinkles, but not enough to diminish the enjoyment of this event.

A take-out order at Lucky Liu's was ready when we got back to Saint Rita Square at 5:30 p.m.  We had time to unwind and savor the experience.