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.