St. Germaine

 Monday, September 17, 2018

We were on the road at 9:15 a.m. on a cloudless sunny sky and very warm.  We drove for two hours before stopping at Perkins' for breakfast.  Roads are very good and traffic is light.

On the way, Peter mentioned a Facebook friend that he just heard from this morning. He talked about him and his daughters and thought he lived in a town near where we were driving that began with an H.  As we were driving along he spotted a not too prominent sign with Harshaw. That's the town! We drove a little farther then decided to see if we could could find his friend, Mike Hempe.  We kept following the resort signs for a very long time, almost giving up.  At last we came to a private road, right up to the property. We exchanged warm greetings and related the details of how we arrived here.  Mike was amazed, because we came without an address and people with a GPS can't find it.  What a gorgeous view and beautiful home that he bought completely furnished. We stayed just long enough to have a short visit and were on our way.

 At 3:10 p.m. We were driving into to our cabin.  We unpacked and had cheese, crackers, and beverages on the picnic table.  We took a walk along the lake, read on our porch with light jackets, as the sun is going down and there is a chill in the air.

We finished the day at Fiddler's Restaurant, a very short drive away.  We had dark ale beers with our dinners, a half rack of very meaty ribs for me, perch for Peter.  He had enough to take home in a box along with the rest of a loaf of homemade bread.  It will be delicious in the morning toasted with the hard cooked eggs I brought.

Tuesday,  September 18, 2018

We had hard cooked eggs and toasted bread from the restaurant last night; however, the slices were too thick to fit in the toaster and burned.  So we had plain bread and some cheese.  We had coffee on the porch on an overcast 55 degree morning.  Jackets felt comfortable.  I tried casting from the pier, but the water is very shallow so all I picked up were some weeds.  

We packed our picnic gear and headed for Bond Falls in Michigan; it was a little over an hour drive.  The falls were beautiful, with wild rushing water.

We walked some paths for different views.  There was a convenient picnic table close to where we parked the car, so we set up our lunch. 

We usually get comments from passers by, and today was no exception.

We like taking a different route on our return and headed for Presque Isle.  Peter would try to look up a B&S friend there.  We parked next to the Chamber of Commerce and I waited in the car while Peter went for information, with no luck.  I recalled from Facebook that Carol and Jim lived in Presque Isle.  I called Janice for Carol's number and she welcomed us over.  Mary and Rodney were also expected for dinner.  I assured her that we were coming to just say hello and goodbye, and would not stay longer.  We got a grand tour of their indescribable house, and that's all that I can say: the view of expansive Oxbow Lake which they have full bay frontage, spaciousness, design, living space were out of this world. 

We had some wine, and since Mary and Rodney were coming shortly, it would really be rude to leave before saying hello.  Well, it didn't end there, and next we were invited for dinner: spinach salad, German potato salad, special corn from Mary and salmon, all delicious, with cheese cake for dessert.  Our conversation touched on politics, and I seemed to be the only one against Trump.  Jim was in favor some of his business policies.  We talked about books and other general subjects, some related to family.  It was a very pleasant evening.

The day remained pleasant, with the sun making feeble attempts to appear, but it didn't rain and we got up to 60 degrees.

Our trip home in the dark took us over lake roads that were not paved, and our gas was getting low; AAA would have a dickens of a time finding us.  Fortunately,  we got back on paved roads and a gas station, and it didn't take much longer to get to our cabin. 

Wednesday,  September 19, 2018

We had coffee on the porch with light jackets.  It started to mist when we took off for breakfast at the Wolf Pack Restaurant in St. Germain.  We had a very short wait before being seated.  We passed on coffee because we had plenty in our cabin.  I ordered a pancake that was thin and was as large as the dinner plate with sausage.  Peter was expecting the kind of vegetable omelet he got at Meyer's, but was very pleased with how many vegetables were in his omelet.  Very satisfying.

We drove to Eagle River and went to the shops on each side of Wall Street in light mist.  I bought a Birthday card for Brad, beer bottle puzzle for Claude and a nice fall top for myself.  Before driving off I bought some caramel corn.

We headed for the Twilight Bar and Grill that changed its name to Bull Pen.  We sat next to a man born in Munich and exchanged stories, and whose favorite German beer was Augustina.  We had beer and burgers.  I'm afraid to get on the scale when I get home after I was doing so well. We ended the day playing dominoes; I won 7-6 in close games.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

We had hard cooked eggs, rye toast (I really liked that Sendik's plain rye with a salted top), bananas and coffee.  We had our first cups on the porch.  We cleaned up the cabin, took out the garbage and are on the road at 10:00 a.m. in light rain, 57 degrees.

We had a very satisfying dinner at Schreiner's starting with loaded bloody Marys: pork chop for Peter that included navy bean soup, roll and butter, mashed potatoes, corn and coffee.  I had a salad, rice, corn and six panko breaded shrimp and coffee.  It was a perfect stop and will be our main meal for the day.  We were back on the road at 2:50 with mostly light rain on the way, turning to overcast and 75 degrees.

I was home to a warm kitty greeting from Hello Dolly at 3:30 p.m.

Austrian American Trip to Stoughton

 September 8, 2018

After a week of torrential rains, with almost all of Madison flooded, we had  a beautiful sunny day that wouldn't reach 80 degrees, but perfect for traveling.  Half of our group met at the Watertown Plank P & R, the rest at Goerke's Corners.  Irma and Jerry couldn't find the Watertown Plank site, but caught up with us at Goerke's Corners.  We had 31 signed up, but one couple didn't show because the husband was in the hospital with an eye infection.

Frank didn't waste any time tying into Peter for not answering his messages and bringing the cooler with beer or other beverages. Of course, I have the same trouble as a lot of other people, because Peter doesn't make use of his cell phone and doesn't always keep up with his phone messages.

We arrived at the Norwegian Heritage Center just at 11:00 a.m. warmly greeted by Laura Trotter of the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce.  She led us into the Heritage Center where we gathered to watch a film of a traditional Norwegian wedding and were told about the establishment of the Heritage Center.  We viewed many artifacts as volunteer docents explained many of the items we were viewing.  People had a hard time leaving the area, because it was so interesting.

Next we walked to the Sons of Norway Lodge.  We gathered in the lower level, because the main floor was being decorated for a wedding.  I don't think anyone could complain about the plentiful luncheon that was served by the volunteers of the lodge.

We had cucumbers in vinegar, corn, red potatoes, ludfisk and large meatballs.  When a bowl was empty, it was quickly replenished.  Dessert was a rice pudding and donuts with coffee/milk.  Just as we finished a member of the lodge told us about hardanger, Norwegian dancing and growing tobacco.

After lunch we boarded the bus for a tour of historic Stoughton where a guide pointed out historic buildings and the people who had lived there, also some history of Stoughton.  We ended out Stoughton segment at the Veterans Memorial where a veteran who was one of the planners explained the large pillars telling about each war from the Civil War to the present.  Large memorials were engraved with the names of all who served on each respective war.  Another memorial was dedicated to those who gave their lives.

As we were leaving, Gisela was ready to take over the driving!

We had a slow drive to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, because we scheduled our trip on the same day as the Badgers' first game of the season.  We also could see remnants of the terrific flooding in Madison with record rainfall.  Puddles were still visible, along with sandbags.  We arrived at the museum at 3:30 p.m. which seemed sufficient to view the exhibits in an hour.  I read a lot of the information about Wisconsin's involvement from the Civil War to the Present, with many artifacts and scenes. Some decided to take to benches, Frank went for a beer at a nearby bar.

Everyone was ready to board the bus at 4:30 p.m., arriving at Goerke's Corners and 5:35 p.m. and Watertown Plank Rd. at 6:00 p.m.

Peter and I finished the day at Sazz's with beers and a grilled cheese for me and a loaded hamburger for him.

2018 State Fair

 Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Peter and I met where the buses drop off, he from Watertown Plank Road, me from Loomis Road.  Buses from Loomis Road don't run as frequently, but we arrived just about the same time, shortly after 9:00 a.m.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day, sunny, but not too hot.  If I heard how good it is to go early in the day one more time, I'll scream!  We started off at the MG area, which was very well planted.  Then we headed toward the opposite end from the animals and worked back.  We sat in on judging sheep and hogs and listened to how the judge determined the winner.  The hog judge was easier to understand.  The grounds were very lovely, with imaginative plantings anywhere you could put a pot.  The Journal Sentinel had a great article about the grounds.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/state-fair/2018/08/06/plant-lovers-wisconsin-state-fair-thyme-fun/891932002/

At about 11:00 a.m. we had a Usinger Italian sausage which I don't think was as good as Millie's.  We covered more ground before settling for a beer at the Budweiser Pavilion, where we watched Chuck Blaha dance, and Peter met a man that he was in the chorus with a number of years ago and his lady friend.  We watched a flower arranging demonstration and admired all the handwork in the  Grand Champion Hall.  Beautiful quilts and flowers, including Doug Amon's prize winning 'Crescendo'.

We sat in on Melinda Myers's talk and I asked her to identify a plant that caught my eye.

Melinda thought it was some type of bean (Peter thought so, too), and she said she'd send me an email when she finds out.

We weren't hungry for another big meal, but wanted something to top off the day, so we headed to the Wisconsin Products building for a sundae.  We shared a table with Pat and Jerry Tobin and another couple who shared their German travel experiences.

We pretty much covered everything we wanted to see, so we headed to our respective buses.  Peter's was waiting and mine pulled up right after.

Germanfest

 July 28, 2018

Carol Schaefer from the Culture Committee called and said she would like my inventions to be interviewed on TV on Friday; however, I needed a dirndl.  I said I don't have a dirndl.  She suggested borrowing one.  I called Betty Hohl, who said she had two that are used for DANK, that she cannot loan out.  I called Betty Kitzke, who suggested Chris O'Donnell who has a collection of costumes, also the Germanfest office.  I left a message with Chris, talked to someone at Germanfest office who said I could rent one for $10.  In the meantime, Betty Hohl called Peter that I should call her back.  She said she had a dirndl that I could keep.  Perfect!  We arranged for Peter to pick it up on Thursday, July 19th at the Schwabenhof, where where Betty would be rehearsing.  I gave him the specifics of where she would be.  He e-mailed me and said he did not see anyone that he knew.  (She was in the big hall, where her didn't check.  He's the one that doesn't miss a thing.)  I got back to Betty and we would both be at the concert at Pius H.S. and she would bring it there.  Now, I was holding my breath, because the window to borrow one from Germanfest was over, and what would I do if Betty's dirndl did not fit?  When we got to Pius, the first thing I did was try it on.  If a dressmaker fitted me, it wouldn't have been better.  I was thrilled.  When Carol got back to me again, she said that I could have my choice of 5:45 a.m. (I don't thing so!) or 8:15 a.m. on Thursday.  I thought she originally said Friday.  She said it was Channel 56.  She confirmed it was Friday.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Peter and I got to our booth at 3:00 p.m. for set-up.  Mary and John McGinnis helped to put up the mural and put covers on the tables.  Doug insisted that we always have two tables, which we managed to secure.  We are at an end, so we don't have a problem with getting in and out.  We stayed for the meal and beer provided by the Goulash booth.

Friday, July 27, 2018

I gathered my electronics and was at the Glockenspiel in plenty of time, on a bright breezy day.  John Schaefer and I would be talking about inventions.  When I looked at the TV camera, it said Fox 6, and told everyone it was 56; besides, I had my DVR set to record it.  But it went very well.   Here is the link to all three segments.
https://fox6now.com/2018/07/27/one-of-the-largest-celebrations-of-german-culture-takes-over-henry-maier-festival-park/

I had told Peter to pick me up at the beauty shop after my hair, which was not the smartest place to meet.  He called from the Hales Corners P&R that he didn't know where I was.  It took me minutes to get there, which made a lot more sense, but I just didn't think of it.

We set up our area with Doug and it looks very nice.

We had a steady stream of visitors that were very interested in the items, especially the crystal set that a few men made when they were younger.  The time went surprisingly fast.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

We had our Vagabond breakfast and I told Peter that we'd meet at 11:15 a.m. at the State Fair P & R.  I knew he wanted to water his yard, but when he still wasn't there at 11:35 I called and left a message.  He was still at home.  He thought we'd meet at 11:30, but how could he think that if he was still at home at 11:35.  In the meantime, I had turned my ignition on to open the windows, and like a fool, I left it on without the motor running.  I had a dead battery.  I called AAA and a man was there in a very short while.  I sent Doug a message telling him of our situation, and we got there at a reasonable time.

It was a gorgeous day.  A lot of people came through and had a lot of comments.  Don wrote me that he Masako, Naomi and her three daughters would be coming to Germanfest.  I did not tell Peter of those plans.  They came while Peter was in the parade.  Don left and just shortly after, Peter came back.  I was able to catch up with Don and he came to our booth, with Peter getting pretty emotional at seeing them.  It was a delightful surprise.  They said they'd be returning, but they never did.  Instead, some rode the glider, and when that ended at the far end of the grounds it was too far to come back.  So they headed out and topped off their day with a stop at Leon's.  I had a slice of pork on a bun from the goulash booth, but I feel like they give me food grudgingly.  Besides, I really don't enjoy the food.  I also had a cherry strudel.  We took breaks to eat and use the restroom, but mainly I stayed pretty much in the booth.  We decided to stay for the fireworks, which was very nice,  worth waiting for.  I got home about midnight.

 Sunday, July 29, 2018

We met at 10:00 a.m. for the Lutheran service.  We set up our booth and it was another fabulous day, with a promise of large crowds.  I got a strip of tickets for being on TV.  Claude made a stop at our booth; it would have been nice if he had connected with Don. I had a nice bratwurst and beer for my extra tickets.  The crowds started dwindling down from about 8:00 p.m., but we gave out a lot of stickers in the passports throughout the event.  We started taking down about 8:30, but had to wait for clearance to bring the car in to load our supplies.   There is a huge hand painted banner that is the background of our booth.  Up to now, John McGinnis has been keeping in, but would like to relinquish that responsibility.  On Thursday, Peter and I were debating taking it and I offered to store it.  But reconsidering its size, I don't want to take on that storage.

Checking the calendar on my phone, I missed lectoring this morning at 10:30 a.m.  This is the second time in this session that I missed.  I feel just awful.  I can imagine the scrambling they had to do at the last minute to fill in.

Germanfest Electronics

 July 23, 2018

When I saw all the cars parked on the street as I came home from Festa last night, I remembered the letter I received last week that our driveways were going to be repaved and we had to park on the street.  I had to park some distance away, but not too far.

The Osher Potpourri was on stage productions, mostly the Rep, and how a script of book or movie gets adapted to the stage.  Pretty interesting.

I got home and for some reason I had a post-it note on my frig reminding me that I was to meet Tom Mauriman at 1:00 p.m. at the McDonald's on 27th and Ramsey.  I remember hearing him say 2:00 p.m. and I wrote 2:00 p.m. on my phone calendar; I think I also told Peter it was 2:00 p.m.  But to make sure, I left at about 12:45, took my knitting and planned to wait it out.  I bought a coffee and sat at a window overlooking the handicap parking where he said he'd park.  When all three handicap spots were occupied, I decided to sit at a table outdoors and wait for his black SUV.  Just about 2:00 p.m. he drove up and parked close to where I was parked, he spotted me, and I went to meet Tom and his wife Rita.  He put his tote box in my trunk and explained the different items he would share with me for the Germanfest Culture Booth.  He had a crystal set, radio with tubes, one with tubes and circuit board and a transistor radio.  It should make a great display.  Rita had a cane and was having a hard time standing this long and she suggested moving into McDonald's where Tom could tell me more.  I learned that Rita is a former teacher from Chicago, private school and MPS.  She talked about the the German societies and all that she belonged to, German tribes and settlements, genealogy.  Sometime Tom would get a word in.  She was a walking encyclopedia.  I left at 4:00 p.m., but they probably could have sat there for another two hours.  I promised that I would return all of his equipment in the condition that he have it to me.

When I got home, I saw what happened to my driveway.

Chris O'Donnell returned my call re: borrowing a dirndl.  She has the collection that she'd like to pass on to someone else, since she is no longer active in the club.