Germanfest 2022

 Friday, July 29, 2022

There was a school bus shuttle that took us from the P parking lot to the volunteer gate.  It is a very long hike.  From there I managed to get a ride to the Culture Booth on a golf cart, another long hike.  The Culture Booth is on the extreme north side of the grounds.

Eileen and Peter did a fantastic job designing the Culture Booth with posters and other items that represented Salzburg  Peter bought an extra easel and had display boards made to fit the very large posters.   

Peter and I worked from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. with a steady flow passing and admiring our booth.  "The Sound of Music" material generated the most comments, with people mentioning they enjoyed the movie or had been to the various sites.  One young lady who had been in the play as Mother Superior and Sr. Margaretta was amazed to learn that "The Sound of Music" was based on a true story. I'm still a little congested from my cold, but I don't have a fever, so I felt OK.  We enjoyed the Schwabenhof schnitzel as the best value for the money.  We had about $17.00 each in food tickets, but most of the booths did not accept them.  Peter spent them on beer.

Saturday, July 30,

The weather is fabulous, just a tad warmer than yesterday, with sunny skies.  We got the bus shuttle, but the driver didn't know where the volunteer gate was.  It took a little driving around to find it.  Peter and I were able to get a golf cart ride to the Culture Booth.  There were very many people passing through with nice comments.  We had another schnitzel with a can of Coors Light for lunch. Peter left at about 3:30 p.m. to line up for the parade.  During the parade the Culture Booth emptied to just about only the people manning the booths.  After the parade we got a lot of traffic.  The Culture Committee secretary generously offered us two strips of tickets.  We found a Sports Club booth that accepted tickets and sold schnitzel that we ate by the lake.  They were very good.  We got a cup of beer that I didn't care for and drank it while watching the Phoenix Band play.  We left close to 9:00 p.m. and picked up the shuttle at the main gate that took us to the parking lot.

Sunday, July 31

We got to GF earlier and were in time to catch about thirty minutes of Alte Kameraden.  We got our meal tickets and bought two servings of two potato pancakes with three sausages; the pancakes were mushy.  We had to finish quickly because it was a long walk to the Culture Booth for our 5:00 p.m. shift.  Peter went ahead and I hoped to find a golf cart lift.  No such luck: I missed two empty carts; one driver couldn't pick up passengers because of COVID and another cart was going in the opposite direction.  I walked the entire way and was totally exhausted.  Peter got two more strips of meal tickets from the committee and bought two more schnitzels to go.  Then he found a green ticket on the ground with the amount not showing.  He turned it over to reveal a $5.00 ticket!  We had a good laugh with such luck.  So we each had two plates of schnitzel to take home.

The crowd was thinning down and we were informed that the event will be closing at 7:00 p.m. instead of 9:00 p.m.  A woman asked if we'd be able to take a couple of cartons of Gummy Bears off her hands.  We agreed to take three cartons, but they have to be kept cool, otherwise they would melt.  I can periodically put some in the treat bowl at the desk.

Most of the booths were packed away as we were leaving.  Peter will pick Eileen up tomorrow morning to pack everything away and take some to Eileen's house, the rest to his.  They will also enjoy a complimentary lunch.  There is no reason for me to go.

We got the shuttle with Clara, met Margie and Walter on the bus and confirmed that we will be meeting them at German American Day at Carl Schurz Park on August 13th.

Meeting with Masako and Rachel

 Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Rachel texted me if I could meet her and Masako since she has a business meeting in Milwaukee. Her business meeting was at the American Family Field and would include a baseball game.  It would be Masako's first experience at a major league game.  I tried to think of some place that would be convenient to meet and easy to get back on the freeway for them to get back to Verona.  I settled on IHop on 43rd and National, minutes from the game.  I called Claude to see if he was available, which he was.

Masako had a great first-time experience with the Brewers winning over the Twins 10 - 4.  Rachel texted me when they were leaving the game, I called Claude and I took off from SRS.  I would have gotten there faster had I not taken the freeway, but we all had a very warm reunion.  It was the perfect place to meet with hardly any people and no one rushing us to finish.  We had a lot of catching up to do, and it was nice that Masako is doing very well.

Special Tuesday

 Tuesday, July 26, 2022

My car needed service to correct an air bag light that appeared on my dashboard. When I made the appointment I was told that I would have to leave my car because the diagnosis and repair process would take a long time.  To be on the safe side, I rescheduled my mammogram for tomorrow in the event the car repair took longer than a day.  As it turned out, I could wait about two hours for the diagnosis, which was a faulty sensor that needed cleaning and the repair that took about thirty minutes, hardly enough time to finish a refill of coffee.

We had a smaller group playing sheepshead because some were unable to attend for various reasons.  I won 15 cents.

The day ended very special with dinner at Jay and Laura's beginning with appetizers in the pergola

followed by grilled pork tenderloin with browned tiny potatoes, Caprese salad and cookies on their patio.

Peter and I were fascinated hearing about their recent trip to Wales: navigating the roads with a less than ideal vehicle; driving on the "wrong" side of the road and sitting on the "wrong" side of the car; surviving without air conditioning, but thankfully not the blistering heat that followed after they left; their interactions with the locals; and some of the memorable places they visited, especially the homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

The evening ended much too quickly, which always happens when we are having such a wonderful time.

Dr. Leonard Levine

 Sunday, July 24, 2022

Thirty of Len Levine's family and friends celebrated his 90th birthday at Jack Pandl's Restaurant in Whitefish Bay.  Len passed away on May 24th and there were rites at that time.  

https://www.blanegoodmanfunerals.com/obituaries/Leonard-Levine-2/#!/TributeWall

His son David sent emails to everyone on Len's phone contact list inviting them to celebrate his birthday today.  David did not know how everyone was connected to Len, except for some family members.

Len had been a member of WAUC (Wisconsin All-computer Users Club) for many years, giving regular presentations through the years; we could always count on him to give a January program.  Bob and Terry Harvey, John Hirsch, Peter Lee and I were fortunate to be on his contact list as members of WAUC.  Others invited included fellow University members, care givers and members of other associations.  We sat with Len's nephew Chuck and his husband Paul from California; other relatives traveled quite long distances to be here.

Our dinners were a choice of soup or salad, whitefish or pork schnitzel and apple strudel for dessert, plus beverages.  There was a lot of lively conversation as diners exchanged memories of Len and their connection to him.

This was one fine send-off to remember Len.

Golden Wedding Anniversary

 Sunday, July 17, 2022

Dan Di Domizio and Jackie Haessly repeated their wedding vows at St. Ben's at the 10:30 a.m. mass.  The church has an open seating arrangement around the altar with pews mostly with no kneelers.  Three musicians provided the music for the mass with no Gloria or Creed and no collection.  The priest said that most of the parishioners did not have money, but there was a box for donations.  For the Intercessions, a person circulated with a microphone for anyone to ask for a special intention.

Dan and Jackie repeated their vows and all of us extended our blessing.

After mass we gathered for a pot luck brunch with a nice assortment of food.  Jackie and Dan showed us a quilt that one of their friends made.

Dream Flights

Monday, July 18, 2022 

Jack Champagne was being honored for his service to our country with a Dream Flight at the Waukesha County Airport and Lenore Lee, Rita Evans, Dan Di Domizio, Jon Bales and I were his cheering section.  We left at 8:00 a.m. with Life Enrichment Director Abby Syverson driving the SRS bus.

We were the first to arrive and were soon joined by other Capri communities.  We gathered in a hangar with plenty of tables and chairs also coffee, water and snacks.

Jim Tarantino, Capri Community Owner and CEO, made opening remarks; we also had greetings from Mayor Shawn Reilly and County Executive Paul Farrow.

Each of the eight veterans was taken up for a ride separately in a restored Boeing Stearman biplane  over the surrounding area.

Upon landing each received a signed cap and photo ops with their respective communities.

Direct Supply provided lunch, beverages and snacks, with many volunteers assisting.

Summit Singers led us singing the National Anthem with the flag raised by the Waukesha Fire Department.

Quilts of Honor presented each veteran with a handmade quilt that had their name, branch and years of service.  Each quilter wrapped a quilt around each veteran in appreciation of their service.

We arrived back at SRS at about 1:30 p.m. totally exhilarated by this wonderful tribute.

Austrian American Day

 July 15, 2022

Today would be the last time that we would be celebrating this event at the Whitefish Bay Women's Club; it has been sold.  Eileen Kalupa always does such an excellent job making all of the arrangements.  Red roses amid baby's breath were on each table.  Masks were required.  Peter and Franz Schmidt served wine, but no cheese, sausage and crackers because there would be more possibility of contamination.  Edith Bergner served desserts (almond crescents, Black Forest torte and another torte); I poured coffee.

The program featured music of Oscar Strauss performed by artists from Chicago that have been performing for us for a number of years.  Richard Kuenn concluded the evening with his farewell song with everyone joining in.

 So ein Tag wie heute solte nie vergehen drum last uns froelich  sein bis wir uns wieder sehen. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm2PTp8wQB4

 I hope Eileen is able to find another venue for this wonderful tribute to Austrian music.

I took two red roses and baby's breath.  I picked two hydrangeas from SRS to make this arrangement.

Life Station

 Wednesday, July 13, 2022

My Life Station arrived today.  It feels comfortable around my neck.  I had it charging for three hours.

At the Town Hall meeting last Tuesday, Jean asked what we should do if we fall or need help?  Tyler said that SRS is not responsible for the health care of people in independent living; it is like living in any apartment or dwelling.  It is also not advisable to try to give physical help to someone who falls.  We may further injure them, or hurt ourselves.  He strongly advised getting a help alert system and perhaps our health insurance provider might pay for it.

I called United Health Care who said it is not part of my coverage.  The first alert system that popped up was Life Station.  I no more than entered my information on the web site when I got a call.  Frankie asked how mobile or stationary I was and advised getting something that would suit my mobility.  I agreed to the Select Mobile @ $43.95 per month, plus activation.  After I made my commitment I began to question what I did since I rarely buy anything without reading customer reviews.  I was pleased to read every review with a five-star rating.

Kettle Moraine Scenic Route

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Peter and I left SRS at 8:30 p.m. on a perfectly wonderful summer day, heading towards Slinger where we would pick up the scenic Kettle Moraine Trail going north.

We overshot the GPS suggestion for a restaurant, thinking there would be one farther down the road.  There wasn't, so we turned around and found Lena's Café on the outskirts of Slinger and it was just the kind we liked, where the locals frequent.  Peter had eggs; I had oatmeal with plenty of coffee.

Once we got on the trail, the signs guided us very well without having to refer to my printed directions.  There was just one intersection that confused us, but was of no consequence.  The drive was lovely, with tree lined roads that gently curved.  We encountered hardly any traffic in either direction.

I packed a lunch hoping to find a picnic area near the Elkhart Lake boat landing.  We passed it so quickly that I doubt there were any facilities and nothing was remotely close to a picnic area.  We did not see any rest areas and we had been driving quite a long time since breakfast with nature beckoning. My GPS was responding with repositioning, blank screens and useless information. Fortunately, Peter was familiar with the area so we headed in a logical direction.  

We got lucky in Kiel with a City Park that had a convenient restroom, picnic tables under a shelter and next to the road.  We took our time eating Bavarian cheese on toasted herbed bread from Glorioso's, pork schnitzel sandwiches, fruit and beer/wine.

Now that we were in a less remote area, The GPS was able to guide us to the Art Preserve, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, which is free and is designed to house the Arts Center's collection of over thirty-five artist-built environments.  

https://www.jmkac.org/art-preserve/

The three floors of the building were filled with the most unusual creations using a vast array of media.

Here is one of many sculptures of Paul and Matilda Wegner.

http://www.kohlerfoundation.org/preservation/preserved-sites/wegner-grotto/

Nick Engelbert used concrete, glass, paint, metal and shells to create The Organ Grinder.

http://www.kohlerfoundation.org/preservation/preserved-sites/grandview/

Frank Oebser created both of the sculptures below using cloth, leather, paint, plastic, rope, steel, wood and mixed media.

https://www.jmkac.org/artist/frank-oebser/

There were hundreds of figures, with the most intricate details, carved with a jackknife.  Unfortunately, photographs would not do them justice.  Click on the link to see some of them.

http://www.kohlerfoundation.org/preservation/major-collections/levi-fisher-ames/

Fred Smith used concrete, glass, paint and wood for this untitled sculpture.

https://www.jmkac.org/artist/smith-fred/  One can also see his work at the Concrete Park in Phillips, WI.

One has to look up to see the work of Emery Blagdon who created hundreds of mobiles made primarily of bent bailing wire with added ornamentation.  The setting for his work resembles the shed where he worked in.  https://www.jmkac.org/artist/blagdon-emery/

This is just a portion of the sculptures of Nek Chand of India.

https://www.jmkac.org/artist/chand-nek/

I regret that I do not have information on the next two pieces.

We look forward to making another visit to spend more time appreciating these works. We were there approximately 1 1/2 hours, which was not nearly enough time.  This museum salvaged the day.

Peter wanted to see downtown Sheboygan, and maybe take advantage of a Happy Hour at some bar.  We spotted Legend Larry's with outdoor tables and a street blocked to traffic to allow more people to patronize other restaurants on the street.  We found a picnic table while a band was setting up that looked like it might have a lot of volume.  Peter noticed quite a few people going into an Italian restaurant and suggested we go there.  I was reluctant at first, but after sitting at the bar with a gin and tonic, I changed my mind.  We shared a Fonduta al Formo appetizer which was a wood-fired terra cotta filled with melted mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, oregano and San Marzano tomatoes, topped with slices of prosciutto - delicious.  The bartender practiced his German with Peter.

We had a  pleasant drive home, arriving just before 8:00 p.m. - almost a 12-hour day.

Bruce Kosbab

https://www.schmidtandbartelt.com/obituaries/detail.aspx?id=16096&view=vwObituary

Bruce's passing was a shock to every WAUC member.  He was so vital to the club, taking on very many duties.

I got to Pilgrim Lutheran Church after my 11:00 a.m. hair appointment and shopping at Walmart.  It was a very lovely service justifying Bruce's commitment to his church.

After the military ceremony with taps, we gathered in the church basement for a light lunch.

Fish Fry With Barbara and Rikki

 Friday, July 8, 2022

Our first attempt to have a fish fry at Alioto's with Barbara Leigh and Rikki Thompson didn't materialize because Rikki was not feeling well.  We tried again for July 1st, but Barbara's phone fell on her foot causing some pain and swelling.

We were successful today arranging to have dinner at Pitches.  Peter remarked more than once that he really liked Pitches because every time we went there we were seated immediately with no reservations.  Because Barbara is wheelchair bound, I called Pitches on Thursday to see if there was handicap accessibility.  The person I spoke with seemed frazzled and couldn't answer my question because there was a large party in the restaurant.  I tried calling again early Friday afternoon and I could not make reservations until after 8:30 p.m. because there was a large party.  So much for not having to make reservations.

I called Barbara and she agreed to Alioto's at 5:30 p.m.  Peter already was planning to pick me up at 6:15 p.m. to go to Pitches.  I called his home and cell countless times with no reply.  Finally, I reached him, and took a sigh of relief that we had the change of venue agreed upon.

Now the story becomes unbelievable, according to Peter.

Peter was at Aldi's today and recognized and greeted Tom's son (Tom, the owner of Alioto's).  Peter thought wouldn't it have been nice if we would be meeting for dinner tonight at Alioto's instead of Pitches, never realizing that it was already arranged.  We were all amazed by the coincidence. 

Barbara ordered fried eggplant that we shared; Peter and Barbara had baked cod, Rikki had a combination plate and I had an exceptional perch dinner.  Three of us had wine.  We even had dessert; Peter and I shared a schaum torte.  I can't remember when I ate so much.

We had a delightful evening.  I drove with Barbara and Rikki both to and from the restaurant.

Book Club and Movie

 Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Everyone panned Jodi Picault's A Spark of Light, about an abortion protester who murdered clinic workers and took some hostage.  Kathy gave it the highest rating, but everyone else were generous with even a 2.  We stretched out the meeting until 1:00 p.m.

Terry, Kathy and I had lunch at Cabrera's.  I used up the rest of my gift card and added cash to the check.  I had a very nice Italian chicken salad.

Kathy treated us to see Downton Abbey at Showtime with complementary popcorn.  We enjoyed it very much.

I drove by my condo on the way home and was delighted to see the Betty Corning clematis in full bloom.

Holiday Weedend

 
Saturday, July 2, 2022

I made rhubarb bars with the rhubarb that I bought at the farmers market last Wednesday.

Peter's woodworking friend called to tell him that his brother was celebrating his 86th Birthday at the Bavarian Bierhaus and asked Peter to drop in.  Peter called me to make a Birthday card and I happened to have the St. Bartholome church on hand.  We took a leisurely drive and could not find a party of about 18.  We ordered a beer and some food, and then Peter spotted someone who looked like the Birthday person.  Sure enough, it was Ed sitting with a small group of his relatives, not nearly eighteen.  Peter got the card from his car and wished him a Happy Birthday.

Sunday, July 3, 2022

My rhubarb bars got cleaned up really fast.  Jackie said that rhubarb was not her favorite, but these were delicious.  Everyone else thought so also.

I did knitting and watched the conclusion of Upstairs Downstairs.

I heard the fireworks, but the trees blocked my view.  I suppose I could have gone to a sixth floor balcony.

Monday, July 4, 2022

We did a Tai Chi type of exercise this morning.  It's very quiet here otherwise.  Peter suggested doing something together, but I don't feel much like getting out among crowds and traffic.

It is overcast and cool with rain likely.

Drone Demo

 Thursday, June 30, 2022

Terry invited some WAUC members to join her and Bob at the Waukesha Sheriff's Dept. to learn how the police use drones.  Bob and Terry are Waukesha County Sheriff's Department Citizen's Academy Alumni.  We met on a perfect evening to be able to view the drones in operation.      

 Two officers, Detective Honrath on the left and Officer Farrell on the right, 

gave us a Power Point presentation with general information about drones.  Some of the uses would be to aid in fire control and causes, finding lost people, crowd control and observing criminal suspects.  

The department uses three sizes of drones, each with different capabilities, the largest being the most sophisticated with a more powerful zoom lens camera.  We learned various rules that have to be observed, such as how high above buildings they can fly, the lights they use in night flying, their compliance with FAA regulations and they have to be able to be seen by an operator.   We went outdoors to view the special trailer that is the command post and houses all the equipment.  

                                                                                                              We saw a number of videos of drones in use and an operation at the Baymont Inn in Waukesha.

This is the large sized drone.  Once it was in the air we watched what it hovered over from a large computer monitor in he trailer.  We were watching people playing golf and traffic moving along the highway.