My Latest Adventure

Just a short blog today before I leave for Elizabeth and Stu’s wedding party at the Urban Ecology Center. They were actually married on April 24th in Door County at Elizabeth’s brother’s house. I chose to redo their gift, thinking the third time would be the charm. It wasn’t. The spacing got squished toward the bottom, but it’s giftable.

I was out for three lunches this week: One with Anita whom I met at Señor Tomas. Then she decided to meet again the next day at Cafe de Art with our Coffee Sangha – Kathy Starck, Eileen Langyel and Peggy Bull. Anita was the surprise guest. We were all members at one time of the sangha that met at the UU Church in Waukesha. It has since disbanded.

I took lunch to Mickey yesterday. Unfortunately, the ribs were not fall-off-the-bone delicious, but she has enough leftovers for another lunch with friends, and she can have them baked a bit longer.

Stephanie Tsoris came for dinner and a sleepover on Friday. I made for her one of my favorite vegetarian dishes: black beans with corncakes. I also served the green and red tomatoes I had roasted earlier. Yes, those are peaches. The recipe calls for mangoes, but there were none to be found. The peaches worked perfectly – maybe even better.

We watched the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. Part action film, part bad dream, very chaotic, but apparently with the deep message that kindness, love and connection heal us. Thanks AI.

Pedro and his crew came on Saturday and completed my to-do list. So, we’re all set for fall/winter. After my lunch with Anita in Hartland on Wednesday, I stopped over at Bambi’s. She told me she needed to thin out her strawberries, and I was happy to be the recipient of her thinning. Cesar, one of Pedro’s crew, created this lovely bed. It’s about 10 x 10. Now I have to get some netting. I don’t need to contribute to the chipmunks’ diet.

And look at this late bloomer. It didn’t really start to show any promise until a couple of weeks ago, and then it really took off.

Still no news from the literary agent. I co-wrote this article today with AI and submitted it to Substack. I see Trump as a virus that is challenging our immune system. So he will either kill us or make us stronger.

Here is a revised essay in a style suitable for Substack, with all sources cited at the end. Posting such content on Substack is acceptable as long as the work is original, provides proper attribution, and avoids violating the platform’s general and legal content guidelines.

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Viral Politics: Trump and the Immune System of Society

Just as a human body must continually respond to viral threats at a cellular level, a society must face disruptive challenges at the political level. Both systems—biological and social—demonstrate how a single invasive force can provoke powerful, sometimes transformative, responses.

On a cellular level, when a virus invades, immune cells detect and react to foreign proteins. Cytotoxic T cells target and destroy infected cells, while helper T cells coordinate defense, activating more responders and releasing messengers that amplify the alarm. From this interaction emerges a vigorous immune response: the host’s entire system organizes to isolate, neutralize, and remember the invader for the future.

In the political “body,” Donald Trump can be compared to a virus entering a host. His influence rapidly spreads through media and social channels, carrying messages that stimulate strong reactions—loyal support from some, fierce opposition from others. As with a virus, Trump’s disruptive energy reveals vulnerabilities in the system. Long-simmering grievances, mistrust, and divisions quickly surface, much as a virus exposes weaknesses in a body’s immunity.

Society’s “immune response” to Trump has been complex and adaptive. Grassroots activism, new forms of resistance, and civil discourse act as antibodies, defending core democratic values and striving for societal balance. In some cases, these responses have strengthened the body social, fostering new alliances and a more alert, resilient public consciousness—much like immunological memory prevents future illness.

Yet, just as some viruses are neither wholly destructive nor entirely evil—they drive adaptation and evolutionary leaps—Trump’s impact is double-edged. While causing turmoil and polarization, his presence also exposes hidden faults and propels collective self-examination. In this way, he is both a symptom of pre-existing conditions (economic, cultural anxieties) and a catalytic cause of new responses, adaptation, and, potentially, growth.

Okay, that’s it. I have a party to go to.

I dropped Dan off at Goerke’s Corners this morning to catch the Wisconsin Coach Lines bus to O’Hare for his flight to France to begin his eighth Camino. At the end of his walk he will be going to Alicante (I think) and then on to Greece before he returns home on Nov. 4. Jolene and I leave for our Camino on Oct. 10 and return on Nov. 9. Everyone will then be home until the snow starts to fall, and Dan will head north. I leave for Panama on Dec. 1. I just started looking for a place there. It’s getting harder because many rentals are now long term, which does not mean four months. The plan is to stay in Panama for three months and then spend my final month (Mar.) in Colombia with Barbara. I haven’t secured lodgings in Boquete yet, but I did rent this in Jardín Colombia:

If I continue to have difficulty finding a place in Boquete, I may just spend my entire time at this place. We’ll see.

I received these photos recently from Maria del Mar. Such a beautiful family. They will be headed for Abu Dhabi after the birth of the baby. This is part of the family (minus Maria del Mar’s parents, Fredy and Ana). Dan will be visiting them all in Alicante after his Camino, before heading to Greece.

I took Sara to the Commodore last night for her birthday dinner. It is quie a dining experience. It was our second year doing this. I let Sara order whatever she wanted. She ordered the beef Wellington for 2. It was deliciou$:

Last weekend Kathy, Michele and I drove to Marinette for a sisters’ weekend. We stayed at The Island Casino. Michele knew of it, and we thought it would be fun. It was an opportunity for me to do a solo (aka without Dan) trip with the Spaceship. It was a mostly fun weekend if you don’t count almonst running out of battery and having to sleep in the tub.

On Sunday morning Michele suggested we drive to the charging station and get that out of the way. We did that. I couldn’t get the charger to work. I even questioned a Tesla driver next to me who seemed to be very familiar with the technology, and he couldn’t figure it out. With only 18 miles left, and nearly two hours later, we decided to make a run for the nearest chargerer, which was 14 miles away. We made it! I am thankful that both Michele and Kathy are very even tempered (for the most part) and didn’t give me a hard time. Turns out I was using the wrong adapter. We have two. I didn’t even look at the second one because the one I used said Tesla on the box. Who knew?? Apparently not I.

Then the bathtub adventure. When we got to our very small room, we discovered only two double beds. We were hoping for queens. In any event, we drew straws, and I won…in theory. Before the evening was through, Kathy decided she couldn’t sleep in the same bed with Michele. She crawled in with me, fell asleep instantly and started to snore. It was so assertive that it was vibrating through the mattress, my pillow AND my earplugs. That’s when I opted for the tub. I laid down all the available towels and pillows and made the best of it. I will confess that I took an Ambien to make it easier. I’ve been off the Ambien since my birthday (July 11) and am feeling very relieved by that, but I allow myself judicious use in an emergency. So, I deemed this an emergency executive order to my brain.

It is still always fun. We just miss Mary Pat. At one point we were in the hot tub and chatting with a few other guests. When one guy discovered we were sisters, he insisted on taking a picture.

The latest in calligraphy: The first two are for a friend, Anita, a member of my Soul Matters class. I will be meeting her for lunch on Sept. 17, so I’ll give it to her then. It is a favorite quote she share in a class. The last one is a botched job from yesterday. I’m using a new ink, and I didn’t realize it took extra long to dry. I smeared it when I started to erase the pencil marks. That’s okay. I didn’t like a number of things about it, so I’ll get a do-over. Their party is Sept. 24, so I have a little time.

I had Cordelia and Marie recently. I loved this conversation:

Me: So how’s camp going?

Cordelia: B-o-r-i-n-g.

Me: Really? I thought you liked it there.

Cordelia: No, we’re not at Good Times anymore. They closed for the summer. Now we’re at Day Spring Church. All they talk about is Jesus and the Bible.

Me: Really?!? (Surprised becaue I do not know Sara or Chris to be philosophically Christian.)

Cordelia: I believe that there was a person named Jesus who died on a cross, but the rest of the stuff just doesn’t make sense.

Marie: C’mon, he walked on water?

Me: Well, there’s a story to explain that…

Cordelia and Marie in unison: LA, la, la, la, la, la, la…. We don’t want to hear it.

They are 8 and 6. I cannot imagine thinking like that at their age. I bought the whole myth, hook, line and sinker. And I’m quite sure it would not have gone very well if I hadn’t.

Jolene surprised me with these yesterday, and she gave Dan a card that made him cry (doesn’t take much).

So, now it’s just us for a while. I have Pepper because Kathy and Dan are on a cruise through Canada. Kathy just texted that her sheets stink – oh, oh. Pepper loves Penny. I found him crying outside her bedroom door this morning.

So, I’ve had two big signs of relief recently: the publisher releasing me from the contract, and an email from the church board saying that two people volunteered to take over the auction. Yay!! Of course I will help with the transition, but the weight lifted is a big one. So, now my only real responsibility is facilitating the Soul Matters class. And even that is a lighter load as Lynne has agreed to co-facilitate, since I can’t do the October class. It’s going to be a good couple of months.

I’m visiting Connie on Monday, lunch with Anita and Lynne on Wednesday, Coffee Sangha on Thursday, Stephanie overnight on Friday and working in the garden with Pedro on Saturday. Stay tuned.

Dan left this morning for his six-day bike ride with his buddies: Ben Guido, Steve Berg and Joe Stuber. I’m not sure of their route. I think it is around northern Wisconsin. I’m sure he has told me a number of times, but I’m geographically challened, and that kind of information just doesn’t stick. Yesterday he said he was in Mineral Point.

What I DO know is that I am pretty much alone for the next six days. Ahhh… I say “pretty much” because I’m not really alone:

This is Penny. Penny is Jolene’s dog. After a three-year experiment, Jolene decided to move back to Wisconsin from Tennessee. She will be staying in our house until Dan and I return in the spring. And now, she and I will be able to fly together to Madrid for our Camino. We leave October 10th. Coming up fast. I feel prepared.

The book continues to be a challenge. They said that they didn’t have to give me any money back because they already invested so much time in it. I don’t believe that. In any event, there’s not much I can do about it. I told them that I wasn’t going to contest the money; I just want to be released from the contract so I can move on. My next step will be to appeal to their humanity and just explain that we’re not a good match. We’ll see.

On August 13th, we went for a pontoon ride on the Milwaukee River. It is such a great way to see the “back door” of the riverfront properties. The passenger list included Dan and Kathy; Russ and Mary; Dan’s sister, Denise, and her husband, Randy; Dan and me. It was a beautiful day.

After our boat ride, we headed over to Bay View to have dinner at Ni Burmese. They were not open yet, so we spent our free half hour at a bar across the street watching the end of yet another fabulous Brewer’s game.

This is the second time I have eaten at Ni Burmese. My first experience, with Timmy, Tom and Kathy was great. That time I had the lunch special, and I don’t recall being asked for a heat level. This time, I chose the lamb curry and asked for a level 3 spice – thinking Mexican, which I can usually handle. I ate one bite, and my mouth of was fire. Others ordered a level 1, and theirs were plenty hot. I took my leftovers home, and even after adding a lot of yogurt, I couldn’t eat it. But that was on me. The food and the ambience are beautiful. I experienced a new taste sensation in the salad with tea leaves. Very good. I will definitely go back.

We spent the last few days of Denise and Randy’s visit with Dan’s family: one night a dinner at Tom and Sandy’s and one at Johnny Pizzas in Oconomowoc. The dinner at Johnny Pizzas was preceded by a BIG game of cards. Or should I say a game of BIG cards.

I love these birds that are in a glass cage at Mickey’s residence, Shorehaven. At first I thought they were fake. They are so unique.

On August 30th, we had dinner here for “the two Sues,” two friends I worked with as medical transcriptionists. This was our second attempt at a get-together. The first time we had to cancel because Boskoe (of Sue Nikolic) was having heart issues, and then this second time, we had to semi-cancel because Jim (of Sue Mostowik) tested positive for Covid. I came up with four happy volunteers to fill in: Tim and Ana and Jay and Ann. And I especially made roasted mushrooms for you, Jim! Maybe next time.

On the 1st Kathy and Dan hosted a birthday party for Sara, Marie and Wesley. I took the opportunity to give the girls their sweaters, and they gave their mom the pine-cone flower project.

Sara sent me this text a couple days after the party: “Cordelia transcribed a letter to one of Marie’s former teachers. Here’s what it said.”

That’s a keeper.

On the 2nd Dan and I drove to Kaukauna for one last visit with my Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Jim, beore we leave on our Caminos. My cousin, Peggy, initiated the visit and asked us to come along. We were joined by my other cousins Mary (Bonnie’s daughter) and Sara (Jim’s daughter). It is always nice visiting “up North.”

We had a cherry tree go down recently. Dan cut it in slices, which we will use for a footpath in the birdhouse flower bed to the left.

Here are a couple of videos of our yard that I made to send to my friend, Elaine, in Escalon, CA.

Elaine’s 85th birthday was September 1. I made her this, which is the same quote as the one I did for Mary’s birthday.

And that brings me back to today. About an hour ago, I received an email from Austin-Macauley that they released me from the contract!!

Yesterday I sent them this email:

“I am writing to follow up on my previous email dated August 25, in which I shared my sincere wish to be released from our publishing contract. I want to clarify again that I am not pursuing a refund or seeking further compensation of any sort.

Having reflected on our entire correspondence, the editing process, and the numerous amendments and concerns I’ve raised over these past months, I feel it is apparent to both sides that our editorial approaches and overall vision for my book simply do not align. While I respect your company’s standards and methods, it has become clear to me—both professionally and personally—that we are not the right match for this project.

I am simply asking, human to human, for your understanding. Publishing a book is such a personal and vulnerable experience, and trust in the process is essential. My trust in this collaboration has understandably eroded over time, and I would be grateful for the opportunity to move forward elsewhere.

Please consider releasing me from my contract, so I can start anew with my manuscript. I am not seeking to lay blame or escalate matters—just to graciously part ways.

Thank you for your understanding and consideration.”

Today they sent me the Release document. I am SO happy. Now I can move on to try and get picked up by Authors Equity. It’s a long shot, but…you never know.

It is Sunday. We arrived home late afternoon from John and Jenn’s place in Eagle River. We had a lovely, relaxing time. Denise and Randy arrived early evening Tuesday. Wednesday Mickey took us out to dinner at Roswell’s, the restaurant at Shorehaven. It was a beautiful evening. I’m happy Jack decided to join us.

We left Thursday morning for Eagle River, and Dan and I stayed until this morning. We had good weather on Friday, so Dan, John and I walked about 9 miles. Dan and I prepared a fish fry for dinner that evening.

Saturday was not so great; it rained all day, but we all found something to content ourselves. Then Denise, Randy and I prepared dinner: chicken thighs with 30 cloves of garlic, mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, broccoli, and carrot cake to celebrate John and Jenn’s 9th wedding anniversary.

There were reports of heavy rain at home as well yesterday (Saturday). My neighbor sent us these photos of the Scuppernong Creek, which was barely a trickle in the spring. A friend said they recorded 10.9 inches in Pewaukee. I just checked Delafield, and it was 6.64. It’s raining right now again, and there are thunderstorm warnings.

John, Denise and Randy took Mickey for a little outing today in Eagle River, just to get out of the house, I guess.

I have to admit I never thought I’d see the day that Mickey would be spending time at the cabin. She’s doing so well. Have chair will travel. John packed her recliner in the back of the van (which Dan recently was gifted from a grateful neighbor), and they were off! She spends most of the day in her chair, watching movies, and sleeps in the chair as well. She brought her wheelchair, but she gets around quite well with her walker, using the bathroom and walking around in the house.

Okay, that’s it for tonight.

Yes, it is indeed Sunday and only a week since my last post. No penance necessary.

I received a nice surprise the other day. As I was sitting writing, Dan cam up beside me and said, “You looking for these?” Wow!! The glasses I lost almost 10 years ago! I knew they had to be in the house somewhere because I can’t drive without them. The last I remember wearing them was when I was in the basement, working on the back of the TV/VCR/CD player. I almost always remove my glasses to see up close, so I remember taking them off then, but I was never able to find them.

Dan found them at the bottom of a five-gallon pail used to hold electrical cords. I must have laid them on the pail somehow, and they fell to the bottom. No clue, but I love when misplaced items show up, like a missing sock in the corner of a sheet. And my prescription hasn’t changed, so I can still wear them. The only negative is, they are not sunglasses.

I finally flipped this week regarding the publisher. After they returned the “proofread” copy for the third time with repeated errors and omissions, I decided enough was enough. I have completely lost confidence in them. With the help of AI, I created a kick-ass “formal request to terminate contract.” AI took all of my email exchanges, put them in a table in chronogical order listing date, sender/recipient, summary and notations of attachments. It then read a copy of the contract and created a letter to support my case that they have not fulfilled their promises. It would easily have taken me two weeks of tedious work to create what AI did in a couple of hours. The letter included my thoughts that in retrospect I would have done deeper research and would have likely discovered the multiple negative reviews by other authors. I also stated that I wanted a full refund and if they refused I would send all of this information to my credit card carrier. I sent the letter by certified mail yesterday. They should receive it tomorrow. Stay tuned.

I also started using AI to study Spanish. I told Perplexity that my goal was to take the DELE (Diploma Español como Lengua Extranjera – Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language) on November 21, 2026. It assessed my current level of proficiency (much lower than I thought) and designed a program for me to be ready by that date. It is SO cool. AI told me that it knows all about the DELE requirements and had sample exams. So, it is using these samples to present challenges for me. For example, it will present a short paragraph in Spanish. Then I have to repeat the paragraph into AI in Spanish using my own words, not just reading the script presented. It then offers feedback on what I did well and suggests what I could change. AI said that I would need to study one hour a day in order to reach the proficiency required of level C1 (“advanced” or “effective operational proficiency”). AI also offers information on how to deal with the stress of taking the exam. I will be prepared.

Jolene is moving back to Wisconsin!! After her three-year adventure in Tennessee, she has decided she prefers her friends and family here to what she found there. She will stay with me and Dan, probably until we return in the spring from our winter get-aways. It will be nice to have her in the house while we’re gone. Win-win!

I’ve been spending a lot of time considering whether or not I want to attempt a live auction for our church. The last time we had one was 2018. Since then the proceeds from only the silent auction have been falling every year. It’s boring. For about five years, I’ve been using a site called Bidding Owl, but last year’s experience left me less than happy. Once I get an idea of which platform might be the best for us, I’m going to send out a membership-wide email to see if I can recruit a couple more volunteers. I already have one, so fingers crossed. I don’t plan on doing this until May of 2026, so I have plenty of time. I’ve spoken with a couple of auction admins from other sources, and the general concensus is that only a few people are necessary to pull it off. We’ll see.

Denise and Randy arrive on Tuesday. They will be here until the 19th. From the 7th through the 11th we will be at John and Jenn’s cabin in Eagle River. Always a lovely time, even with storms and power failures. :). Mickey is so happy.

I’m enrolled in a new calligraphy class with Sneha, my favorite mentor from Dreaming in Script. It is her first foray into teaching calligraphy, and we are excited to have her take us to the next level. I’m off to a very rocky start. Not sure if it’s my ink or nib, but something is definitely off:

I’ll figure it out today.

Only 10 days since my last entry. and it is indeed a Sunday, so I’m getting close to my proposal to blog every Sunday – 🙂

I’m beginning to think I am being scammed by Austin Macauley, the “publishers” of my book. I just returned to them the fourth “proofread.” This time my Amendments page included the preface: for the third time…

They have continued to leave out huge chunks of text and not return my paragraph formatting to the original manuscript.

I was listening to an interview on NPR the other day, and apparently this has become “a thing.” With so many people writing books using AI, these pretend publishing companies are cropping up and taking advantage of wannabe authors. I thought I did due diligence by getting an okay from my editor who has had two books published by them and also a fellow student who said that her book had some vocabulary issues because she’s from Texas, but ultimately she said it went okay.

The billing department said they were told by Production that my requests had been met and that I needed to pay up. I informed them that this was not true and told them about my need to ask for the same corrections, now for the third time. I also shared with them that I was starting to feel that I am being scammed. This is just too bizarre and unprofessional. We’ll see where it goes.

I learned recently that my car parks itself! I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it’s high on my list. A friend the other day said that perhaps I shouldn’t use this because I might lose my skills. Ha!! That’s very funny. It assumes that I had skills in the first place.

When I came out of the grocery store yesterday and was getting into my car, a young woman approached me to admonish me for parking so close to her car. She said that I parked so close that she could not enter her car from the driver’s side and had to crawl in through the passenger’s side. She was now parked across from me, but she decided to wait in the parking lot in order to show me a photo she had taken of the space between our cars. I thought, I could have gotten in there. Given her size, I refrained. I apologized and said that I would do better next time. So, now it seems that parking between the two yellow lines is not enough. Now I must be sure that I am parked as close to smack dab center as possible or I risk being scolded. I’ll see if the parking assistant can help me.

I’m on schedule with my training hikes. I walk Tuesday, Thursday and either Saturday or Sunday, 7 miles each time. It’s enough. I know Jolene and I will be walking more than that every day, but this Lapham hike is pretty challenging, so I don’t plan on doing much more than that. I plan to do a long one with Mary soon.

I walked this morning, and it was 90 degrees. It wasn’t too bad though. I just walked slowly. I met a couple I have seen before. They are planning a hike in Glacier Park in Montana. We were chatting in the community center where I stopped for water. He started talking about his training and mentioned that he was 67, sounding as though that were old. He asked how old I was, and when I answered 73, He said, “I thought you were in your 70s…” Bastard!! Wrong answer! You’re supposed to say, “Really?! I thought maybe 50.”

I think it’s funny how we all like to hear that we look younger than our age, and how many people believe that they look so much younger. Or worse yet when people say “guess” when someone asks them how old they are. Makes me cringe. I remember reading an article a woman wrote basically saying, “No, you don’t look younger, get over it.”

And the park continues to offer enchantment. I was going to try to identify these, but I’m too tired. Maybe some day. I’m particularly interested in the one that looks like a petunia. Any guesses?

I’d also like to identify this plant. I saw it in a doctor’s office. I was suprised that it was real. An app identified it as a Traveler’s Palm, but the photos didn’t match.

I am now officially a certified calligrapher. We had our graduation ceremony on Friday. It was very nice. I thought we were going to see each other, but it wasn’t a Zoom, it was David in his home studio showing our certificates on You Tube. There was also a group chat going on, but it was hard to watch both at the same time. In any event, that phase of my calligraphy journey has ended. I am now signed up for class being conducted by Sneha. I think she is going to concentrate on the capital letters.

Here are a couple of pieces I just finished. The Autumn piece I did for Mickey. She wants to gift it to one of her favorite nurses who is pregnant and due in September. The baby’s name will be Autumn.

This is for another friend, Anita Martin, from my Soul Matters class. I don’t think she reads the blog, so it’s safe to post it.

The centering isn’t great; there should be more space at the bottom, but otherwise I’m happy with it. Anita’s favorite color is magenta.

Cordelia and Marie were here last Sunday (can’t believe a week has gone by already). We started working on the pine-cone flower project.

This is the goal:

Stay tuned…

Samantha bought a house in (or around) Boston. It’s so cute, and I’m thrilled for her.

I’ve been playing around lately with an AI app called Photo Revive. These were all still photos to which the app can add the action of your choice.

Some might say I need to get a job.

And last but not least, Kath;y stopped over today to give me a birthday gift and this cute card that she made:

I did it again. I let nearly another month go by before getting back in here and updating. Writing continues to be my least enjoyable creative endeavor, but ultimately (as in when I’m finished) I feel joy.

Today’s writing will begin with this blog, and then I need to move on to the book. A few days ago I received from the publisher the fourth proof of the book. I was thrilled that they finally sent me a Word document so that I can compare it to the original manuscript I sent to them. I thanked them profusely, but my joy was shortlived. After only a very cursory look at the manuscript I noticed that they changed the name Mary (as in Jesus’ mother) to Marie. Sigh. Fingers crossed that this doesn’t continue. I’ve already requested over 200 changes to their edits, which have not been completed. I continue to withhold payment.

As most people, we are having a busy summer. The major garden work is finished, now it’s all about the weeds!! And the !#@$$! chipmunks. I am in the process of monitoring the sun exposure of the semicirular bed at the end of the driveway, aka the birdhouse bed. Pedro is going to return in September to help me design and plant. Unfortunately, Norma will not be accompanying him. She is returning to Mexico to avoid incarceration. She’s been here for many, many years, but now she can’t move around much. Ana is having a going-away party for her on Saturday.

I just purchased three Russian sage from Sentry, and my friend, Eileen, is going to give me some of her beautiful day lillies. She is a member of the Day Lily Society, and her specimens are incredible. Here are some samples:

I am partial to the peach.

I had two birthday celebrations since last I wrote: Kathy’s and mine. I made my classic fish fry: parmesan/panko baked walleye, coleslaw, German potato salad, fries and rye bread and butter. Mary brought the dessert.

This was a saying oft used by our grandmother, Myrtle Golden.

Can’t believe we are 74 and 73. Wow!

My birthday coincided with Mike and Patty’s Door County Weekend donation to our church auction. Other guests were Joanne Nelson, Kris Zirzow, Theodora and Nancy. Perfect weekend. Dan bought a carrot cake from Anne Luty, our favorite baker.

I went for a walk while in Door County, my usual from their place to White Dunes park. On the way, I am always curious to see what Barbie is up to. Usually the mailbox display shows Ken and Barbie in some seasonal romp. This time I was surprised to see the porch empty and Barbie and another woman in a sports car atop the roof. What’s up Barbie?

Another mailbox has also been added to the attraction:

Other lovely sites on my walk. The knots were part of an exhibition in the park office. I wonder if these are the same knots used in macrame. I was impressed by the letter from the governor and the calligraphied “proclamation.” I’m going to see if I can find out if it is done by hand or computer.

I also received a number of lovely cards and gifts from family and friends. A couple of them made me laugh. The first one is from Judy. It is reminiscent of a day in our 20s when we decided to go fishing. This was way before accurate weather forecasts. We found ourselves stuck in the middle of a storm. The wind was so strong that “we” had great difficulty returning the boat to the rental pier. I say “we” because Judy, being the stronger of the two of us, was doing the rowing. I remember trying to control my laughter as she glared at me over the top of her sunglasses, while using all her might to control the boat. We managed to make it to a pier a distance away from our destination, only to learn that we had to go back and retrieve it and return it to its proper home. I can’t remember how “we” did that, but the card is precious. The other, of me in the Raggedy Ann costume is from Mary, another flash from the past. And in the card group photo is a hibiscus, which was one in a pack of cards I made and gifted to Mickey.

I was enchanted by this video from the girls. Note Cordelia is still wearing the sweater I made for her when she was 3.

I have been impressed watching Dan’s rainwater-saving measures:

He is in charge of all the watering, and he lugs these gallon jugs all over the yard. Things are looking lovely, and I am happy that he doesn’t trust me to do it properly.

I can now share this gift that I penned for Terry Copeland. It took a while to reach her since the address lacked a P.O. Box, but on the second try she received it.

I have a number of pieces that I want to produce, but the book is taking priority right now. I want to get it over with. I have to limit my calligraphy time. But I’ll be back at it soon.

BTW, I’m graduating from the Dreaming in Script course on July 25th, 8 pm CST. It will be on Zoom. We have been encouraged to invite family and friends, so here you go: https://www.youtube.com/@masgrimes/streams. I’m quite sure it will be recorded.

Kathy and I met Timmy and Tom for lunch on Tuesday. We went to Ni Burmese, a fabulous Thai restaurant that I will definitely visit again. Tim gave us these mugs.

Okay, on to the book…maybe tomorrow. This blog took me so long that I don’t have much time left. Dan and I are meeting Ken and Carlos (Spanish buddies) for a fish fry at Kegel’s.

Wow! I’m worn out just getting to this point. I can’t believe (well, yes, actually I can) that it’s been nearly a month since I wrote. Again, not my favorite thing, but it bugs me until I sit down and do it. And I’m always happy I did it. This is a reminder to myself, however, that it is much more fun if it’s not so much work.

Speaking of writing, I’m still struggling with the publishing company. I continue to tell them that I wil be happy to pay my bill when my requests are met. I only needed to spend about five minutes on it the last time to know that my amendments were not done. I received a response last week saying that they were looking into it. “Excellent!” I replied.

I FINALLY finished the girls’ sweaters – and none to too with this weather! :). It was in the 90s today and expecting 100 tomorrow. So, there’s a bit of an issue with the buttons. After I made them, I realized that they were too large for the buttonholes, especially in the spots where I forgot to make buttonholes! The buttons have to forcibly pushed through the holes, and in the struggle, the yarn gets caught on the prongs of the rhinestones. I put clear fingernail polish over a few of them. Not sure it made much difference, and it’s super messy. I will suggest that they just get used to using the top button, or leaving them all buttoned and pulling it over their heads. I do that sometimes with ones I’ve made for myself. It also helps keep the band flat. And, just for the record, the pink and purple yarn is indeed glow-in-the-dark.

Dan and I took Mickey to see her sister, Evie, in Dubuque.

Evie is recovering from hip surgery so she wasn’t able to move around much, but she gave us a tour of her garden, and Maureen took Dan and me for a tour of the motherhouse. They are both retired BVM nuns and now live on this motherhouse property. It is magnificent. The main floor is lined with meeting rooms and libraries, all with their unique fireplaces with what looks like Italian tiles, and massive wood trim everywhere. Each room is decorated according to the color scheme of the tiles.

The property sits right on the Mississippi, and the views are breathtaking. Apparently this order had a financial whizkid member who invested wisely and knew a thing or two about real estate. By all appearances they have done well, and I am so happy that these intelligent, selfless women, who have served their communities so well, are able to live in this beautiful, peaceful place during their final years.

I feel so blessed to have these role models in my life. The other day, I went to visit Mickey. I arrived just as she was finishing her lunch. She said, “Let’s go for a walk.” At one point as I was strolling beside her with her walker, she stopped, looked at me and said, “Aren’t we lucky?” It’s all about attitude.

it reminds me of this piece I cut out of a newsletter about 35 years ago.

ATTITUDE by Charles Swindon

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  The remarkable thing is ­­ — we have a choice every day of our lives regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past.  We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…  I’m convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you.  We are in charge of our attitudes.” 

Number 3 is on the way!! Maria Del Mar is due in January. Right after the birth they are moving from Alicante, Spain to Abu Dhabi. I had to look that up. It’s in the United Arab Emirates, which is across the Persian Gulf from Iran. Not sure how today’s attack on Iran by Trump will affect their plans. Maria already has a job lined up, and Janko’s application is in process. They are quite sure he will be hired without any problem. Abu Dhabi is apparently in need of physicians. Like many countries, their population is aging more quickly than the medical schools are cranking out doctors.

I learned recently that my friend, Pam Bonner, died. Pam was one of my very first friends in Boquete. She and her husband, Ted, lived across the street from us when we lived in Volcancito in the container house. Pam was lovely, probably the most introverted friend I’ve ever had, but a solid friend, not to mention a great artist. I was mesmerized one day as she showed me her art room. I wish now that I would have taken photos. I remember, in particular and giraffe, about four feet high, painted with bright oranges and yellows.

Unfortunately, Pam had a stroke about 10 years ago that left her quite diminished. She was even more fearful but still as sweet as ever. She and Ted moved to Arizona after the stroke. We visited them there but then it became clear that Pam no longer wished to communicate. I have this hanging in my kitchen.

And a couple more of my Boquete beauties! Murray sent me he one with me and Barbara. I can’t remember where it was taken.

A joined a team from church to walk in the Strain for the Brain event to support Karen Haskell and her journey with brain cancer. She is still doing quite well a year out from her diagnosis. She is wearing a device called Neptune, which apparently sends an electrical current to her brain to mitigate the growth of the tumor. Karen is another great-attitude role model. Also, although she struggles with spatial issues and some left-sided neglect, she has been able to continue with her music and is doing live performances – and always with a smile.

Much of this past month has been spent working outside. As is the case every year, there was a lot that needed to be done. However, the big difference this year is I had a LOT of help from Norma (who has helped me with things in the past) and her nephew, Pedro. Pedro is 27. He was born in the U.S. and then moved to Mexico with his mother as an infant. He apparently worked on the family sheep farm until recently when his father decided to sell, and then Pedro moved back to the U.S. He has a day job (can’t remember doing what), and he and his friend, Raul, are starting this landscaping business. They are very knowledgeable, hardworking and skilled.

They did a general spring cleanup, divided and moved plants, powerwashed and oiled the deck, helped with my split-rail border, in addition to other things on my to-do list. Now that most of the big things are done, I can go back to pulling weeds and deadheading.

In this next video of the creek, there are a number of orange flags which are marking where Kathy came and planted some cuttings from her garden. I tried planting them last year at the end of the season but didn’t treat them well, so we’ll try again. Thanks Kathy! Such a great sister.

This beauty suprised me the other day. I almost pulled it out at the beginning of the year, thinking it was a weed, but it is actually a clustered coneflower that we got from Ginny’s garden in Mercer before she sold the house. Thanks Ginny!

I continue battling the chipmunks. So far, steel wool, ammonia, cayenne, and lavender spray have not worked. Now I am trying blocking them from the front window boxes with the black mesh wire and bricks. I’m going to ask AI how far a chipmunk could jump from the ledge to the window box.

Absolutely! The distance shown in your photo is well within a chipmunk’s jumping capability. They could easily leap from the concrete ledge to the window box, and likely do so with confidence and regularity if they are in the area.

Fun Fact:

Chipmunks use their strong hind legs and lightweight bodies to make quick, agile jumps, often surprising homeowners with their athleticism!

Summary:
A chipmunk could easily jump from the concrete ledge to the window box in your photo.

Little bastards!

I’m going to make a solid (or wire mesh) triangle and completely block the approach.

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I am happy that I can now post one of my latest calligraphy pieces. I saw the sentiment on Janice Schuster’s Facebook Page and loved it. So, since Judy’s birthday was coming up, I made it for her. I liked. She liked it. We’re all happy.

I love how the Faber Castell Polychromos pencils work with these flower stencils I found in my stash. I can just fill in the stencil and then do the alcohol blending with the stencil still in place. I don’t have to worry about messing up the lines while blending. I liked the process so much that I bought a set of smaller motifs ( 2″ x 2″) to use on other projects. I am now enjoying doing the wrapping paper almost as much as the calligraphy.

This is Cordelia with her second knitting project. I call it Cordelia with Chicken. I’m so happy that she has found that she enjoys doing this.

I took the girls to a movie the other day, or I should say we tried to go to a movie. We’ll just call it a failed experiment. I bought tickets a while ago to see the the grand opening of the new Disney film Stitch and Lilo. It was near here at the Hillside Theater. Chris dropped them off at 11:30. I checked in at the box office. They said I had tickets for the 12:30 3D version. The girls didn’t want to do 3D, so he said, “Just go in Theater 9; that’s not 3D.”

When we entered the theater, it was empty. After three moves, we were informed by a very nice lady that the only available seats were in Row 1. We sat down in Row 1, and the meltdown began.

Cordelia: I don’t think I like this.

Marie: I definitely don’t like this.

Everything was just too big and loud and overwhelming.

I said, “Okay, let’s get out of here and check out Theater 13. Maybe we can just go in and not wear the 3D glasses. Nope. Cordelia would not even go in the door. So, I said that was fine, I’ll just text your dad, and he’ll come and get you.

As we’re walking down the hall back to the lobby, Marie is now in tears, “I’m so sorry. Please don’t say I was naughty, but I’m just not ready for this.” How do I not laugh?

I had a bit of a shocker the other day. While I was opening a bottle of kombucha, it exploded at about 20x Champagne strength. It went EVERYWHERE. I was happy to be wearing my glasses. Even with them on I could feel the sting of kombucha hitting my eyeballs.

Back to the drawing board. It was likely my fault. The usual recommendation is to allow it to ferment for four days on the second fermentation. This was longer than that. I thought the longer the better. Guess not. I then realized that one had also exploded in the closet where they were stored. Lesson learned.

So, how are things going with the book you ask? I think I already wrote about the mess they sent me on the second proof: lots of mistakes, missing text… I sent that one back with pages of amendments. I think that was April 20. About a week ago, I received an email from them asking if I was ready to pay my monthly payment (remember this is a hybrid; I’m paying one-third of the cost). I told them that I would be happy to pay when I heard something on the status of my project. The next day, they sent me the third proof. It still had days of text missing and no changes were made to the paragraph formatting.

I sent it back again with a second page of amendments two days ago. I’ve decided I’m not going to make another payment until they give this to a different editor. Something is so off with this process.

I joined a new clothes-buying website online. It’s called ThredUp. You can buy clothing in excellent condition from great brands, some with the tags still on. I’ve selected Patagonia. Toad & Co., Athleta, Lulu Lemon and Ann Taylor. I’ve received some very acceptable items at great prices.

They also take clothing you don’t want and either sell or donate it for you, , and then you get a cut. I’m not expecting anything big here, I’m just happy that they will try to keep the clothes out of a landfill for a while longer.

So, as I was packing this up, I thought I’d separate everything into bundles and label them. Because I offered Stephanie a chance to look things over first, I thought she’d get a kick out of the tags. She already thinks I’m a geek.

The deer are enjoying the new troughs Dan made for them. :).

I was hoping to see the new fawn come up. Dan saw it in the front yard a few days ago when he went out to cut buckthorn. He must have scared the doe away shortly after she gave birth. So, that was the end of his workday. It was gone shortly thereafter.

Dan brought more stuff home from Ginny’s yesterday. Thank goodness she is now completely moved. We now have eight cans of WD-40. I offloaded a bunch of paper products at the church picnic today. I think I may need therapy.