Happy New Year

It's a milestone for me

     I started this blog in 2014 as a New Year's Resolution. 
     You see, I don't finish things.  I start something, then drop it and often don't return.  I have been that way my entire life.
     I spent a fortune on Revell car and other model kits as a kid.  I don't think I ever finished one.  I had a really cool steel MGB that was about a foot long.  I took it apart to paint it......and years later pops tossed it, along with all my unfinished models and  well read comic books, because I had gotten married, moved, had children and clearly was not coming back.
     I have four books that I am working on.  I have finished one, but when I sent it to a publisher I received an empty envelope in return.  I have another book finished, but I am still revising.  Molly Fader, I am not.
     You get the idea.
     But the blog.....I can't seem to stop.  I have thought about quitting on those nights I was tired, had too much wine, not enough wine, had nothing to say...and those nights I wanted to pour out my heart but didn't.
     I just want to say thank you to those who read this, whether it's every night, every morning, or once a week.   I appreciate your likes and your comments.
      But I most appreciate the support (and love) you have shown me and Jackie over the years.
     As we enter this new decade, I just have one wish.
     I want Barbara Walters to usher it in.  Can you hear her?  "This is Barbara Walters and this is 2020."
     It would just be cool.
     Happy New Year and blessings to you and your kin
Love and Peace

Oh no....

Sometimes I don't communicate clearly

     There.  I admit it.
     I  found a special Christmas cookie  from Germany and Aldi's is the only place I know that carries them around here.
     The cookies are a buttery delight.  They come about 20 to a package and are priced at $1.69  or so.  But after Christmas, they go on sale for 49 cents, sometimes less. 
     So I buy as many as I can and freeze them  Then we eat a bag every couple of weeks.
     When I went to Aldi's the other day, they only had 3 packs left.  So I bought them and put them in the pantry.
     I also bought two other kinds of German cookies and put them in the pantry.
     Today Julia and Emily went shopping.  They asked if I wanted anything.  I said yes, buy  those German Christmas cookies if you happen to be in Aldi's.
     During the day they called and said they were at an Aldi's and there were plenty of cookies, so I said buy them.

     I now have 50 bags....OF THE WRONG COOKIES!!!!  \
     Yes, I had a bag of these in the closet.
     Yes, I should have been more specific about which of the 3 cookies I wanted.
     Yes, I need to be a better communicator.  To be honest, I forgot about the other two bags.
     Don't get me wrong, I like these.  Jackie likes these.  We will eat them.  Or most of them, anyway.
     Meanwhile, I'll be checking out the Sycamore Aldi's for the buttery ones.
     Sure, I will lose weight in 2020.
Peace and Love and cookies

typical Terry

When is it too late to send thank yous?

     I had intended to send thank you notes to the people who donated to the MS walk we took part in last May.
     In fact, I have a few thank you notes on the desk that I wrote....and never mailed.  I realized after about three months, that it was getting late for mailing them.  So I never did.
     Then something happened.
     About 3 years ago I did a favor for someone and appeared in a commercial.  No big thing, I was part of a group doing an activity.  The person who set up the shot thanked me and gave me a bag of goodies...mug, t shirt, stuff like that.
     Three years ago.
     Last week, in the Christmas wrapping frenzy, Julia was looking for a gift bag and picked up a green bag that had tissue paper.  She pulled out the tissue paper and there was a card addressed to me at the bottom of the bag.
     Inside, there was a $50 bill with a note of thanks for helping her.
     I guess I just missed the envelope.
     I am going to send a thank you with an explanation.
     If 3 years isn't too long,  then maybe, just maybe, I will get the ones finally finished from May.  Just don't hold your breath.
Peace and Love

what haopened?

I just realized how much has changed in my life

     Ten years ago I would have spent the day on the couch watching college football.  Here it is, 10 p.m. and I don't even know who is playing!  I guess one team scored a bunch of points and will play for the national championship, but I don't know when that is either.
     The Chicago Bulls are still playing basketball.  I used to listen to them on the radio and watch them on tv, but now, I don't really care.
     Ten years ago I was hoping to make it to 70....now I hope to make it to 80.
     I would have been reading A Christmas Carol, swilling egg not by the quart, watching all sorts of movies in the past.  This year, I have not even watched the movie let along picked up the book and I may be on my first quart of nog.
     Ten years ago I would not be spending time on Facebook, scrolling through dozens of posts of people wanting to buy and sell things.  Some of the stuff they are selling is pretty sad looking.  Yet, I have posted on there.  (I still have a treadmill and 2 foot square columns.  The treadmill is free and would make a great trade in on a new one.  The columns would be great in a new house or theater.........)
     Funny how life goes, isn't it?
     We are always changing....sometimes for the better, sometimes it's just a change.
     Time for some egg nog.
Peace and Love

just wondering

Sometimes I get puzzled

     By now, most of you know that I am reluctant to toss out anything.
     Check out these two bottles of syrup.  Both are light, both are Karo, both are unopened.
     The only difference is the one on the right was bought this year.  The one on the left might have been bought this decade.   I tossed out the yellow Karo.


     Was it good?  Don't know.  Don't know if the yellowing is natural or if it just sat too long on the shelf.
     And maybe somebody can explain this



     It appears to be a pair of feet and a butt in our Christmas cactus.
     Dang kids.
     I also wonder why there are so many geese around.



     A gaggle of geese......and they are everywhere.  Years ago you would hardly see any, now they stay here year round, dropping goose poop everywhere.
     Had a zoo day today and stopped for a coffee at a local coffee shop.  Then went out to dinner in Cherry Valley with some friends and had a couple of glasses of pop.  My guess is, I will still be awake at 3.
     I will never learn.
Peace and Love

call me Sherman

I have a food addiction

     Trust me, I am not making fun of people who have addictions.  That malady is painful to family and friends of those addicted.
     I just can't pass up anything.  Except vegetables.
     Cookies from a friend?  A mix of pretzels, white chocolate, peanut butter and  Chex?  Gone in 60 seconds.
     I eat when I am not hungry.  I eat when I am full.  I eat when I am bored, nervous, depressed, upset, mad, typing on the computer, reading a book.  The only time I don't eat is when I am outside. 
     I need to live in a tent.
     At one point this year I was down to 194 on my home scale.  Now I am at 198.  I feel bloated, uncomfortable, tired, and fat.
     Yet I keep shoving it in, sometimes eating two  sweets at one time!
     Part of me just doesn't want to waste food, while the other part of me says it tastes good. 
      And when I eat, I get angry and upset, so I eat some more.
     I just have to find a way to end this circle of food.
     Or else I will end up looking like David Navarro!

Peace and Love but hold the sweets

366 days until Christmas

Well, this was a pretty special day

     I am truly blessed.  My family was together, and that means the world to me.
Emily, Julia, John, Camryn....that's really all the presence I need at Christmas.  (Note the clever play on words?  Presents/presence?  Good, huh?)
     I did get neat stuff, but I will not brag or bore you with details.
     We had some friends over for dinner and really had a great time visiting and talking.  And eating.
     I did three things I don't recall ever doing on Christmas.
     I rode 5 miles on my bike.  Outside. That put me at just over 300 miles for the year.  'That is about half of my goal, but still mentally  it feels better than saying 295 miles.
     Then....I let other people clean up!  I ALWAYS clear the table and do the dishes.  Every dinner, I do that because these people are guests in our house.  But today, whether due to the overindulgence of appetizers and food, I fell asleep!      As I slept, the crew cleaned up the table, put away leftovers, loaded and started the dishwasher and hand washed a bunch of dishes that don't go in the dishwasher.
     Finally, I did not have dessert!  By the time the pies rolled out, I was so full I could not stuff another morsel in my mouth without causing some widespread fall out.  So I passed on angel food cake with cherries on top, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and cookies!
     Truly, a Christmas miracle.
     I made it to bed by 2 a.m. and was up at 7, so maybe that is why I was tired.  I think I will be going to bed early....and soon.
     So....if I did not say it before, Merry Christmas.  Hope your day was a blessed one.
Peace and Love

the night before Christmas

 I am almost ready to settle in for the night

     Jackie and I went to church, drove around Rochelle looking at some lights, ate pizza, visited with John, Emily and Julia, and watched a little tv.
     Very little
     I am headed off to the basement.  No, it is not punishment.
     I have a tradition.  I watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and wrap a few presents while sipping egg nog.  Since I usually do that a bit later in the evening, Jackie is not quite up to staying awake and Julia isn't into George Bailey.
     At some point, I get drowsy and just stick stuff in bags, have another egg nog, and go to bed.
     I am getting an earlier start, it's not quite 10....and sometimes I don't get to bed until 1.  Hopefully, tonight it will be before midnight.
     So.....Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Peace and Love

almost

It's almost Christmas Eve

     The house is a mess.  I have presents to wrap.  I have movies to watch.  I am tired but can't sleep.
     I hate the lack of snow.  I can't even dream of a beige Christmas.
     I may be turning into a Grinch.
     Bah, humbug.

it's a wrap

We finished our play today

     And none too soon, I would say.  I still have some shopping to do and a lot of wrapping and cleaning.  But I have a week before Christmas, right?
     The end of a play is weird.  On one hand, I am glad it is over and my life is back to normal.  On the other hand, the cast becomes like a family.  I spent a lot of time with them....about 12 hours a week up until the final week, then it seemed we were together 4 hours a day! 
     In this play, we actually ate dinner.  Ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, buns and carrot cake for dessert.  The ham was always good and the carrot cake always yummy, which made me eat more than I should have every time we used real food.
     We deconstructed the set and took it back to what will eventually become our theater.  It took about 5 hours to take it down, move it all and clean up the hangar.  Now I have to empty my car of all my stuff and empty coffee cups.
     Maybe I will even sleep tonight.
Peace and Love

memories

Life is full of memories

     One of the cast members in this show was in one of my first or second classes in fourth grade.  That was a long time ago.
     Tonight at the show a young lady came up to me and said, "Hello....remember me?"  Apparently she picked up on my confusion and she said , "I'm........" and I was just shocked.  She was beautiful!!  She is now near 30 and working two jobs so she can save money for school.  I have not seen her since....well, fifth grade.
     Also in the audience tonight was a young man who was in my cast of "Sideways Stories from Wayside School," which we did probably 12 years ago.      And the director of this was an assistant director for that show.
     And I went to a party, briefly unfortunately, given by friends I have known since my very early days of being involved in theater in Rochelle.....probably 30 years ago!
     It all tells me I've had a pretty good life in Rochelle.
     That's a good feeling to have, especially as I head off to bed, tired from a long day on stage.
Peace and Love

Half way

I can see the light

     We are half way through our run of "In laws, Outlaws and Other People that Should be Shot".
     Technically, we are not truly half way through, because we are doing 5 shows.  But if you count the full dress rehearsal, than it is 6 shows and we have done three.
      Tomorrow will be tough.  We have a matinee and a night show.  That means I may not get my afternoon nap in, as I usually do.
     It was a smaller crowd tonight, but they laughed and were entertained, and that is what the purpose is.
     I also made it to my little guy's Christmas program and it was darn cute.  I mentor a little boy in second grade and he asked me to come to his holiday program, so I did.  They sang and danced to four songs and it was darn cute.
     Sometimes I miss those days.
     But not as often as I used to.
     I do miss the days when I had young girls who took part in those programs.....seems like yesterday.
     Time flies.
Peace and Love

whew.....

We had a great opening night tonight

     Our theater group seldom does Thursday thru Sunday shows.  But since we don't have an actual theater yet, it was decided to do five shows in four days.
     Tonight we had a sold out crowd.  On a Thursday.  In an airport hangar.
     It was a fun night....good crowd, good laughers.
     And best of all, I felt better than I have all week.
     Hope it all continues.
Peace and Love

oops...me bad

Sometimes the little details of life escape me

     I go to an urologist.  A urologist?  Whatever.
     I see him twice a year, or so.  Older men have prostate issues.  I am an older man.
     I went to see him in September.  In November, I got a bill for $194.  I called the provider and they said I did not have a referral, so my claim was denied.
     I checked.  I did not have a referral.  It expired about 3 weeks before my appointment.
     I called insurance, because they had sent me a statement saying I did not owe anything Nice people at insurance explained  since the provider was a signed contract provider.  they can't send me a bill.  That's part of the contract.
     Provider says they will review case.
     Yesterday I get a call that I owe provider $194 because insurance denied my claim.   I call insurance.  They say, nope.  Provider is a signed contract provider.  It's their responsibility to be sure a referral is on file, and if it isn't they have 30 days after the appointment to ask for a post appointment referral.  SOP in the insurance world.
     Then the insurance lady provided the best explanation.  "They messed up and now they want the money from you to cover their mistake."
     Honestly, I hate the insurance stuff.  Referrals, preferred providers, in network, out of network......it can get complicated, especially for older folks who might not be dealing with complete decks anymore.
     So....my case is being reviewed again.  I expect another call in a month or so.
     In the meantime, I did ask for a referral because I am due for a visit in February.
     Such is life.
Peace and Love and Good Health

reruns

Sometimes my life is like a rerun

     I sit down at the end of each day and wonder where the day went. 
     Still coughing, though not as much.  Doctor was no help.  I did sleep all night last night thanks to a hot toddy and some cough syrup.  I think sleep helps the most.
     Less stuff to do would be nice.
     Once the play is done, I will have so much more free time.....and probably be healthier too.
     Today my elevator seems to be going up.   I know, I ended a sentence with a preposition. again!
Peace and Love

like riding an elevator

I just can't shake whatever it is I have

     I have been this way for at least a week, maybe more.  Actually, I feel like I have had a cold since Thanksgiving.
     One minute I feel great, the next I feel miserable.  Sometimes I am hungry, but most of the time I am not.  I cough a lot for hours....then nothing.
     Hopefully tomorrow I get in to the doctor.  My regular doctor is off on Friday and was gone today, so he may be able to squeeze me in sometime.  I really don't want to go to urgent care, because I don't know them.  Call me crazy, but that is important to me.
     Julia has a cold...coughing, trouble sleeping.  But I think I had mine first.
     Worst time of the year to be sick....lots to do.
     Anyway, it's past 11 and I am still up.
     I had a hot toddy and some cough syrup, hopefully that puts me to sleep for the night.
Peace and Love

a little of this, a little of that

Life is a whirlwind!

     I spent part of the day helping put up the set for our upcoming show.
     I don't lift.  I am a holder and getter.  So my duties are kind of limited.  But I learned the youngins can do a much better job of lifting than an old geezer can.
     I missed the Bears' game, but I guess I did not miss a lot.  A could have, should have game.....typical of the season.
     I talked to my brother in law and his wife and my brother, all Florida residents basking in warm weather.  I enjoyed some fresh oranges my brother sent.  They are tasty.
     I also realized I had some pictures I wanted to share.  Not many more words, just some photo ops.

I have no idea what this building was.....but I think we knock down too many structures.

Set going up

What are you doing to me??????  Help, daddy, Help!!



Peace and Love

blessed

Sometimes I just feel humbled

     Thank you everyone for all your kind words and wishes on our 50th anniversary.
     As they say in my favorite Christmas movie, "No man is a failure who has friends."
     Thank you Clarence.   And everyone else.

Love and Peace

numbers

Life is full of numbers

     Like 50.  Nice round number.  Half a century.  Go back 50 years, to Dec. 13, 1969.
     Two kids got married. 
     There was a war going on in Southeast Asia, man had recently landed on the moon, the Cubs blew an almost insurmountable lead to the Mets, Nixon  was in the Oval Office, and Jackie and I were in school.
     We have come a long way in the last 50 years, but sometimes I still feel like that kid getting married.  A little scared, a lot nervous, and wondering if the Cubs will ever win a pennant...again.
     So far, nearly 170,000 visits have been recorded for this blog.  More than I expected, but then I never figured I would still be doing it since I hardly finish anything.
     2 and 1 and 1.
     Two wonderful daughters, an amazing son in law, and a talented grand daughter.
     71...years on this wonderful planet.
     Zillions....people who we have met along the way who have become friends, offered help, given encouragement, taken us under their wings, stuck with us through it all.  At least it seems like zillions.
     1....grateful guy.
Peace and Love

memories

I don't think this was a day to remember

     I had to buy and mail a card and deposit some checks in the bank today.
     I left the house without the checks.  and without my phone.
     The second time I left, I went to the bank then to my favorite little store to buy some honey.  I told the people there I was on my way the post office to mail a card, then realized I had forgotten to buy the card!
     Making matters even worse, the day before I had been in the shop and mentioned to one of the ladies that her hair was different, much darker than normal.  And her face was a little different.  Now, I have known these people for years....years.....   At some point, I realized I was talking to someone I did not know!  I told them this today and we all laughed at it, but it does worry me a little.
     I sometimes have so much on my mind, I jettison the stuff that doesn't seem necessary.  I did not say important, just necessary.  Like names.  And faces.  And where I put my car keys.  And radio interviews.
     At least I did not lose any checks today.  And I found my way home.  Those are always pluses.
Peace and Love

memories

Tuesday was a day to remember

     Unfortunately, at my age that is not a given.
     If I don't write it down, I probably won't remember it.
     Like the 7:30 a.m. radio interview on Monday.  Or the high school breakfast today.  Or the card I was supposed to buy and mail.
     None of it was written down, and none was remembered.  Getting old is no fun.
     Sadly, I have been forgetful most of my life.
     Picking up Julia was an interesting experience.  There is always such a range of emotion on display.
     One young girl was embraced by a woman who held onto her and just sobbed for several minutes.
     One person coming out of the doors waved excitedly to a woman behind me, who missed it all because she was on her phone.
     The people from Cancun who walked through the terminal in shorts, t shirts and sandals.....I hope they packed winter coats in their bags.  Somehow, I doubt it.
     I have often wondered why O'Hare  has signs  only in English.  Maybe some of the foreign travelers would appreciate a "welcome" or "this way" in their native language.
     Some guy was walking with his luggage when a cart pusher almost ran into him.  The pusher started yelling in Spanish, and the man with the luggage said, "Nice welcome to Chicago."
     The international terminal is a free lunch buffet of watching the human spirit.       Sometimes I am amazed, sometimes confused, but always entertained.
Peace and Love

what a day

I had a great day today

     First of all, Julia came home!  Emily and I picked her up at the airport and took her back to our house, where,  with John and Camryn, we had pizza and talked and laughed.
     But, 23 hours awake makes one a little tired, so she went to bed early.   The problem will be at 4 a.m. when she wakes up and is bored.
     Before the airport, Emily an I went to the market downtown.
     People ask me why I like going, and my answer is because it puts me in a Christmas mood.  Or maybe it's the wine.
     Any way, had some schnitzel, some snowballs and a little wine before we did some shopping.
     By the way, we drove to Cumberland on the Kennedy and parked the car then rode the Blue Line downtown.  We were only 10 minutes from the airport and did not have to battle the rush hour traffic or pay the exorbitant downtown parking rates.
     Here was part of my day.

I love reflections.....

Market was not really crowded.

My blue eyed doll 

Cold enough for the birds to seek heat

This can't be normal

At the airport....always a good time (arrivals at least)

excited

I may find it hard to sleep tonight

     I know Santa is on his way.....he has lots of toys and goodies in his sleigh.
     But Julia is on her way home too!  Emily and I are picking her up at the airport about 5:30 tomorrow.
     It's funny seeing her just a couple of times a year.
     When she first went to Switzerland, I was devastated.  I cried when we left her at the airport, I cried when I walked into her room..... I was always blubbering.
     But now, it is so expected that she leave and return to her home over there.  I don't like it, but I don't blubber so much.
     When waiting for her at the International Terminal, it is always amazing to watch the people greeting relatives who they have not seen for a while.     Grandparents meeting grand kids for the first time, brothers seeing each other after a long separation, a whole string of emotions gets put on very public display.
     Who knows, I may even be one of them tomorrow.
Love and Peace

porcrastinator

I tend to put off things until the last possible second

     Sometimes, hell, often it is rather embarrassing.
     For example, last May John, Emily and I took part in an MS walk in St. Charles.  We raised about $1,200 from family and friends.
     I have thank you notes on my pile in the den.  Some are written, some are written and addressed and one is even written, addressed and stamped.  In addition, I have seen the people several times and never given them their cards.
     Just started a Christmas letter.....maybe even one I like.
     Have yet to put up my train ornament tree....still sitting in pieces waiting.
     I have to get three referrals for upcoming doctor visits.....have not yet called for referrals, so I can't schedule appointments.
     When I taught, I often did lesson plans on Sunday night....for the previous week.  I just never seem to get around to finishing things or dealing with paper.
     On Oct.  30 I signed up for three months of the fitness center at the local hospital.  I have not gone yet.  My membership is almost expired.
     I don't think I will change.  At almost 72, it's a habit that will not be easily stamped out of my life.
     So......when you get things late from me, just accept the fact that I don't always get it done on time.  Or at all.
     I am working on it.
Peace and Love

Lights!!!!

You never know when you will meet a celebrity

Brad Pitt?  George Clooney?  Ellen The Generous?
Nope.
But, still a celebrity.
I bet you will never guess where I was today!

Nature Cat and me!

Peace and Love

blocked

I have a problem

     Writer's block.  I have trouble getting a topic for this, for the Sunday column, for the Christmas letter.
     Every year I do 2 Christmas letters.  A funny one, and a real one.  I don't know if people read either one.
     I wish I had saved the early ones.
     My first was when Julia was still at home.  I began with a normal greeting, and every paragraph got wilder and wilder until I ran out of space.
     We didn't send it to everyone on our list, but I got a couple of calls from family members asking why they didn't get a copy, so I sent it to everyone on the list after that.
     But his is the latest I have ever started a letter.  The One Who Must Be Obeyed said it had to be done this week and mailed by next Friday.  I don't know if I have time to do that.
     Mainly because I don't have any idea what to do.
     Time will tell....but I seem to be blocked with a B.
     Hopefully some inspiration will come to me.
Peace and Love

spritz fitz

I thought I had done it again

     I thought I had lost something, again.   This time, the dough gun we use to make spritz cookies disappeared.  It was not in any of the Christmas boxes.  I looked in all the cabinets, on the pantry shelves, everywhere I could look.      Nothing.
     In desperation, I went downstairs for the third time and saw a plastic tub with only three items in it:  two plates and a cookie press!
     The lost is found.  Why it was in a box by almost itself is a question to be addressed later.
     Hopefully tomorrow we can finish putting out Christmas.  It really takes over the house and with the short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it has been a struggle for me.
     But there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
     I just hope it's not a train.
Peace and Love

energy abounds

I sometimes forget how much energy kids have

     I had my mentoring session with my second grader today, and he was a constant bundle of energy.
     When I was in the hallway, the teeming crowds of students all seemed to have so much more energy than I remember when I taught.
     Maybe it's just me, huh?
     I delivered my poinsettias today, and we made two batches of cookies, which seems to have tired me out.
     Or maybe it was the lack of sleep last  night.
     Talk about weird dreams.  Corki brought in a friend who had six legs and three body parts, all white, with what looked like pipe cleaners connecting or separating them.  For some reason, (maybe it was because this new creature went behind the refrigerator and would not come out) that dream upset me to the point of waking me up.  I slept little after that.
     But the Dickens village still stands.
     And so do I, but only for a little while.  I'm going to bed before 11!
Peace and Love

The village atop the table John built for Jackie two years ago.

Nephew Fred's house

Uh....some thing's not right.

dickens be damned

I have a love/hate relationship with Charles Dickens

     I love Christmas Carol.  I read it every year, starting around Thanksgiving.  But this year I have not even gotten the book out yet.  I am still reading A Confederacy of Dunces, which is a very unusual book.  Great characters, interesting plot, wonderful use of New Orleans as a backdrop.....but it is taking a long time to get through it.  Can't seem to find the time to read lately.
     Anyway, Dickens.
     How can you not get the Christmas spirit when you read about Tiny Tim being saved because Scrooge realized life was not all about money, but family and friends and love.
     We have a lot of Department 56 Dickens Christmas Carol pieces and that is where the hate part starts.  They are hard to set up, the street lights are almost impossible to keep upright and because I am clumsy, parts are being chipped.
     Then the love drifts back in because when it is done, I love it.  Jackie loves it.  Heck, even Corki would love it if dogs had any sense.
     We finished putting out the pieces today.  Now maybe I can find time to read about Scrooge and Fred and Bob........maybe.
Peace and Love

canaries in the coal mine

I was saddened by a picture I saw today

     Part of the road that circles Mackinac Island collapsed after being pounded by waves caused by high winds.
     If you don't know, some of the lakes are at historic high levels and erosion along the shores is becoming pretty common.  And worrisome.
     I believe the climate is changing, and I believe that we humans are a major reason for that change.  Yes, there have been ice ages and glaciers in the past that have covered much of North America.  But the freezing and melting happened over thousands of years.  The changes now are in the last 100 years.
     It's not only Mackinac Island.  Venice has been hit by historic flooding this year, again, rising sea levels are part of the reason.
     I love Mackinac Island.  I was always happy to be a "fudgie" on the island when Jackie and I took our post school vacations there so many years ago.
     I will always have happy memories of riding around the island.  I just hope future generations will also have happy memories.
     To be honest, I love Venice too......but that sinking city isn't in my heart the way Mackinac Island is.
     But if we don't change our ways, it may only be in pictures that people will see the road millions of bike tires have travelled, or the beauty of St. Mark's Square and its hoards of pigeons.

Peace and Love

time flies

I just realized it is after 11

     So much for my plan to get to bed earlier.
     What gets me is...... I did not do a thing today!  Yes, I picked up a scooter and delivered a calendar, but that was it.
     I just don't understand where the time goes.
     Today was Dickens Village day....but that did not happen.  It has to tomorrow.
     But what if Annie was wrong?
     Oh well...one more day lost in a fog.
Peace and Love