Special time
I don't want to sound too sappy or goofy, but the Wisconsin trip was really special. We've all been emailing the group, waxing sentimental about how great it was to be together, what a special group we are, etc. It's all true. 17 of us, not a cross word, no complaining (that I heard). The organizers (the Midwest Group--MWG) did a wonderful job, a huge amount of work, getting it all together. They found the place, rented it, bought huge amounts of food, decided what we'd eat for each meal. The drivers figured out who would get there in which vehicles when. What a team. People like me just had to show up in the right place, wherever we were told to be, at the right time, whenever we were told to. I screwed up twice, though, and everyone had to wait for me. That was really embarrassing--I don't want to be the person people complain about. "Where is she? How can she keep so many people waiting? Is she shopping?"
When I first got home it almost felt as if I should go to work, then go home to the house we all shared. I know, dorky. We'll get together in a couple of years. Consensus is that the Midwest works probably best for everyone. Makes sense, a central spot. We've got east coast and west coast people. Plus the MWG can get and transport stuff. They've got a rhythm, it seems.
Now that I've been home a week I look at the pictures and think about how nice it was to be part of such an embracing group. We all turned out really well, nice, caring, generous women. Who do interesting things and live interesting lives. I'm the only one who lives alone and there are, I think, only 3 of us who have no children. That bothered me a lot the last times we were together but this time it was not a big deal for me. It was an issue that my life was completely different from anyone else's but now it's just the way it is.
This weekend is the Rogers family annual meeting. Another crowd I'm part of. Not as many people I enjoy being with, I'm afraid. You know how it is--you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relatives. I always feel this way the week before the meeting, but it gets better after the meeting. They're ALL cousins and children of cousins. My mother is the only one of her generation left. I have 11 cousins and they all have children. Most of them have grandchildren. No worry that the family will become extinct, but there aren't many Rogers males in the next generations--only maybe 4 or so. Out of 100 in the family.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Majestic Pines
Yes, this is where we were. And yes, it's called Majestic Pines. No, no one else was there. The caretaker said it cost $1.5 million to build and that the owners got carried away when they started building it. It's pretty nice inside but I sure don't like orange buildings. It was a great place for us to be together, though. We need to find a place like this every time we get together. Not very expensive when you divide the cost by all of us.
wisc july 08 013
Our bedroom. I slept on the top. Priscilla and Pat were generous enough to sleep in the double on the bottom. The place sleeps 27, with lots of people sharing beds. There are 3 bedrooms like this downstairs. I'm not sure how they came up with a total of 27, but we fit 17 the first night.
wisc july 08 017
We didn't even make a dent in these bottles. Mostly we drank beer and vodka (Cosmos). With 15 people you drink a lot of vodka, but at our age you don't get very drunk. We sure are past that.
Mornings
This is where we had our morning coffee & first visit of the day. Those of us who got up before 7 sat here for a while having a nice peaceful visit. It was nice having the group grow and grow and more people got up. We spent lots of time in our pajamas. I didn't buy pajamas but wore the nightgown I use for conferences. I don't like p.j.s or nightgowns. too constricting. No more details about night time attire.
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This would probably be the sitting room, if you wanted to identify areas in the downstairs. Taken from the living room, looking toward the kitchen.
wisc july 08 077
This looks pretty strange--the chairs are encircling the fire pit. Apparently the previous tenants left a mess in the pit. The wood we could have used was wet from the rain so we never had a fire. I think these chairs look sort of strange, anyway.
wisc july 08 090
The hot tub, which didn't get used in the 80+ degree weather. It wasn't just that the weather wasnt hot-tubworthy, we just didn't have time.
wisc july 08 074
Trees in the woods next to the house. Looks like a painting by some famous painter. sort of.
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Typical mealtime scene. The kitchen was less magnificent that the rest of the place but it was, as kitchen's are, a nice gathering place. And the bar was useful.
wisc july 08 106
The living room, looking down from the upstairs (obviously). Ostentasion (word?) at its American finest.
fit for a queen
who in their right mind would have a bed like this? This is the bed in the master suite. How queer is it?
naturally
Looks like a charity march, but it's our nature walk. It was a bird walk but I spent most of the time identifying wildflowers. The only bird I saw that was new to me was a yellowthroat. Something new to add to my list. Plus I learned to identify some familiar calls. Will I remember them? well ...
a mystery
Does anyone know what this is? I can't find it in any wildflower books or on the web. It's all green except at the top, like a poinsettia. Hey, wait--maybe it's some sort of wild poinsettia. Oh, I give up. Some things just weren't meant to be identified. I'm not sure I can deal with that.
Duck duck goose
Here's a Duck. This is what you ride on through the Dells. They're amphibious vehicles, left over from WWII. They were used to land troops on beaches (did you see Saving Private Ryan?). First you go through a bunch of woods, then you go into the Wisconsin River (and your goofy medical student tour guide named Sean tells you he's locking up the wheels and dropping down the propeller--before he tells you some more really stupid jokes).
The rock formations are pretty and it was nice to see sandstone again. I think I already talked about that. The rivers in the midwest are so different from our rivers here. They don't call the Mississippi Big Muddy for nothin'.
The rock formations are pretty and it was nice to see sandstone again. I think I already talked about that. The rivers in the midwest are so different from our rivers here. They don't call the Mississippi Big Muddy for nothin'.
Highland school
Here's a picture of those of us who went to Highland Elementary School together. Some of us were in the same Brownie troop (we met in Debbie Springer's basement, her mother was troop leader). Someone could have told me my hair makes me look as if I just came out of a birth canal. Anyway, I like this picture. These people have known me longer than anyone except my family and I think that's really cool.
We moved 6 times before I was in 3rd grade and it made me feel geographically transitory for the rest of my life. Hawkeye is the only geographical stability my siblings and I had. That was really important to my brother. And me.
We moved 6 times before I was in 3rd grade and it made me feel geographically transitory for the rest of my life. Hawkeye is the only geographical stability my siblings and I had. That was really important to my brother. And me.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Last supper
We're trying to eat most of the food left in the house tonight but we can't even come close. We have leftovers from the restaurant last night, plus food the Midwestern contingent brought. There is the equivalent of a small grocery store still here and they're spending a lot of time trying to figure out who will take what home. Luckily those of us flying home have nothing to do with these discussions.
Still very hot and humid, blazing sun today. I got up at 5:45 this morning, plugged in the coffee pots and waited for everyone else to get up. We spent the day in Madison, first going to the broadcast of an NPR show (What d'ya know?). We got to be on the air (listen for the broadcast where he crashes Rockford and introduces the Potluckers one by one--I'm Betsy Rogers, of course). After that we walked to the farmers' market, through broiling streets, then went to a great restaurant/brew pub and had lots of great beer and food. Long hot walk to the cars, then drove around the UW campus, which made us all wish either we or our children would go there. Got ice cream at the student union (like the Univ.of Vermont, UW's ag people make their own ice cream). Some of us sat by the lake but most thought it was too smelly. Well yes, it was, but there were nice ducks there and I miss the water.
Long tiring ride home. Everyone faded and tired but we've all perked up. Now eating leftovers and drinking various combinations of vodka, cranberry juice, ice, etc. Cosmos, etc. Lots of conversations taking place in several places, such a companionable thing.
Friday, July 18, 2008
DROP 2
Field trip #2 for today works out well because there are 14 of us so we fit in 2 vehicles. Our morning trip was complicated because we had to put 8 in each van. We went birdwatching (with a guide, of course) in the John Muir woods. J.M. was from Wisconsin and those who know that are very proud. We saw several kinds of birds, the most exciting of which for me was a yellowthroat. That was my first one. Others I'd seen before but we also saw several sandhill cranes, one pretty close up so that was cool. Mostly I spent time identifying wildflowers, which I liked because they are prairie flowers, some are different from ours, but they're all open field flowers. I found one plant I absolutely cannot identify so I took lots of pictures and the search is on.
Yesterday we spent lots of time hanging around the house. Kathy, the organizer of these trips, decided we should play indoor badminton, so she rearranged the living room furniture and we did that for a while. Didn't break anything and had plenty of fun. Last night we watched the director's cut of Woodstock, lots of our old music. I looked through the entire yearbook from our senior year. Yes, my old boyfriend really was a cute as I remember. I found the whole thing sort of sad, which surprised me. We're talking about going to our 40th reunion, which is in 2 years. Interesting thought, and wouldn't be bad as long as enough of us went.
The nearest town is Oxford, pop. 350. Tonight in the corner bar there's a Coyote Ugly contest. We're going to a supper club, though, so no dice. Here in the Midwest there are supper clubs--restaurants with big appetizer tables, relaxed atmosphere like a family place. There was one in the North Country that Jamie and I used to go to a lot, then Ralph, Lin and I went to every Friday night. It closed but I think has reopened. It's called the North Country Club--see? a supper club.
Still hot, humid and buggy here. Lots of hungry mosquitos. This afternoon we might go on a Duck ride. Ducks are amphibious vehicles (the kind used in WWII for landing the troops on the shore) and they give you rides around the Dells. The Wisconsin Dells are a series of sandstone chasms through water. It would be great to see sandstone walls again--that's one thing you absolutely do not see in the Northeast, nor is there much limestone.
On to the next stop
Field trip #2 for today works out well because there are 14 of us so we fit in 2 vehicles. Our morning trip was complicated because we had to put 8 in each van. We went birdwatching (with a guide, of course) in the John Muir woods. J.M. was from Wisconsin and those who know that are very proud. We saw several kinds of birds, the most exciting of which for me was a yellowthroat. That was my first one. Others I'd seen before but we also saw several sandhill cranes, one pretty close up so that was cool. Mostly I spent time identifying wildflowers, which I liked because they are prairie flowers, some are different from ours, but they're all open field flowers. I found one plant I absolutely cannot identify so I took lots of pictures and the search is on.
Yesterday we spent lots of time hanging around the house. Kathy, the organizer of these trips, decided we should play indoor badminton, so she rearranged the living room furniture and we did that for a while. Didn't break anything and had plenty of fun. Last night we watched the director's cut of Woodstock, lots of our old music. I looked through the entire yearbook from our senior year. Yes, my old boyfriend really was a cute as I remember. I found the whole thing sort of sad, which surprised me. We're talking about going to our 40th reunion, which is in 2 years. Interesting thought, and wouldn't be bad as long as enough of us went.
The nearest town is Oxford, pop. 350. Tonight in the corner bar there's a Coyote Ugly contest. We're going to a supper club, though, so no dice. Here in the Midwest there are supper clubs--restaurants with big appetizer tables, relaxed atmosphere like a family place. There was one in the North Country that Jamie and I used to go to a lot, then Ralph, Lin and I went to every Friday night. It closed but I think has reopened. It's called the North Country Club--see? a supper club.
Still hot, humid and buggy here. Lots of hungry mosquitos. This afternoon we might go on a Duck ride. Ducks are amphibious vehicles (the kind used in WWII for landing the troops on the shore) and they give you rides around the Dells. The Wisconsin Dells are a series of sandstone chasms through water. It would be great to see sandstone walls again--that's one thing you absolutely do not see in the Northeast, nor is there much limestone.
On to the next stop
Thursday, July 17, 2008
AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND
Here I am, with 16 of my closest friends, nestled in the woods of Wisconsin. Last night there were 17 of us here, one is leaving now to take her kids and horses to St. Louis to compete. These are my friends from elementary school, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Jr.High & Sr High school. This is only the 3rd time I've been a member of this reunion group--they gathered twice before I joined them. The first gathering was for our 40th birthdays, then it was every 5 years but now it's more often. We just decided we'd get together in 2 years at Lake Tahoe, then for our 60th birthdays we'd rent a villa in Tuscany. Since we've been talking about Tuscany for a while, this may actually happen.
We all grew up in Rockford (Ill.) together, so when we get together we all become totally Midwestern. We've got 2 living in Calif., 1 in Montana, 1 in Ohio, 1 in Va., me in the Adks., 2 in Wisc., several in Ill. and maybe some I've forgotten. I always forget how much I have in common with these women and how nice it is to visit with them. There are always several conversations going on, with a couple of us off in private. I've been reading my book group book a little, joining in conversations some, taking pictures, enjoying the whole thing. We went on a walk this morning but it's sooooo hot & humid (soooo Midwestern). Lots of mosquitoes, too. Two of us headed back early and saw a doe & 2 fawns, very nice.
We're staying in a huge log lodge, which supposedly cost $1.5 million to build. It's not that attractive, just too big with too many huge pine beams, but it accommodates us well. Hysterically funny and complicated showers with side jets and steam. Kathy, our leader, gave strict instructions that everyone was to have to figure out how to use it alone: no hints or instructions from those who knew how.
Tomorrow morning we're going on a bird hike. This morning one of us demonstrated hula hooping as exercise, in front of a video. We haven't warmed up the hot tub yet. Last night we drank a WHOLE lot of vodka and beer (not together) but we're old and go to bed pretty early. I'm sleeping on the top bunk--shades of college.
Uh--oh, cocktail time. Bonnie keeps asking for bloody Marys, but that's only because we have no tomato juice and she says she doesn't want to succumb to peer pressure and have to drink.
Here I am, with 16 of my closest friends, nestled in the woods of Wisconsin. Last night there were 17 of us here, one is leaving now to take her kids and horses to St. Louis to compete. These are my friends from elementary school, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Jr.High & Sr High school. This is only the 3rd time I've been a member of this reunion group--they gathered twice before I joined them. The first gathering was for our 40th birthdays, then it was every 5 years but now it's more often. We just decided we'd get together in 2 years at Lake Tahoe, then for our 60th birthdays we'd rent a villa in Tuscany. Since we've been talking about Tuscany for a while, this may actually happen.
We all grew up in Rockford (Ill.) together, so when we get together we all become totally Midwestern. We've got 2 living in Calif., 1 in Montana, 1 in Ohio, 1 in Va., me in the Adks., 2 in Wisc., several in Ill. and maybe some I've forgotten. I always forget how much I have in common with these women and how nice it is to visit with them. There are always several conversations going on, with a couple of us off in private. I've been reading my book group book a little, joining in conversations some, taking pictures, enjoying the whole thing. We went on a walk this morning but it's sooooo hot & humid (soooo Midwestern). Lots of mosquitoes, too. Two of us headed back early and saw a doe & 2 fawns, very nice.
We're staying in a huge log lodge, which supposedly cost $1.5 million to build. It's not that attractive, just too big with too many huge pine beams, but it accommodates us well. Hysterically funny and complicated showers with side jets and steam. Kathy, our leader, gave strict instructions that everyone was to have to figure out how to use it alone: no hints or instructions from those who knew how.
Tomorrow morning we're going on a bird hike. This morning one of us demonstrated hula hooping as exercise, in front of a video. We haven't warmed up the hot tub yet. Last night we drank a WHOLE lot of vodka and beer (not together) but we're old and go to bed pretty early. I'm sleeping on the top bunk--shades of college.
Uh--oh, cocktail time. Bonnie keeps asking for bloody Marys, but that's only because we have no tomato juice and she says she doesn't want to succumb to peer pressure and have to drink.
Monday, July 14, 2008
july dock 028
july dock 028
Originally uploaded by woodsrun
There is a loon family on the lake--a mom, dad and fuzzy baby. A few of us have been watching them for a while. First we worried that a pike would snap up the baby, then that an osprey would, now that an eagle might. Have to worry about something, I guess.
favorite sight
For some reason I love this view. Looking down the lake from the boat house. It's funny that I like this, since what you see are other camps. I just like the way the boughs of the hemlock tree grace the view. Hemlocks are feathery and are one of my favorite trees.
Life on the lake is pretty good these days. Our camp is empty, after some cousins' week-long visit after the 4th of July, and a work weekend before that. I've been staying in the boat house a lot. It's been hot and humid, and I stay there when night temps are around 60 (is it because I'm a cataloger that I tend to live my life by absolutes?). That means I've been there a lot lately, but then the temps dipped into the 40's and I made the cat happy by staying at home.
There's a fair amount of boat traffic, especially on Saturdays. It was a wonderful dock day on Sat. I stayed home all morning because Bill's Boyz were stacking my firewood and I feel I should keep them company (they don't need to be supervised at this point). I got some gardening done, too. I got to read on the dock most of the afternoon while Jenica was here. Great stuff! Except that I was reading a preview copy of The history of the donut. My review is due today. The book was getting better, but it's awfully repetitive. There's not that much to say about the history of fried dough with a hole in the middle.
It was a busy weekend. Sat. afternoon we had a meeting of our shoreowners' association (called Hawkeye Conservationists--it started out as an organization fighting an extreme development planned in the '70s, now is just sort of a social thing) We do water testing, invasive species testing, a newsletter (that Linda and I do), we have a big treasury, we sound the alarm when someone threatens to break the rules big time. We used to sponsor sailing races, which were great. Anyway, we had our meeting with very few attendees but it was good anyway.
Last night there was a cocktail party at one of the new camps, held to what? maybe recruit new members? of the Adirondack Council, a big and very wealthy conservation organization. The Council has been a big help to us in recent times, paying for legal help in one case. It was a nice gathering, even when an hour after it started Jamie and Mrs. Jamie arrived. People from the Council had grilled me when I arrived about my connection to Jamie, then I found out why. A couple of the employees were sort of nervous. After the speeches, during the mingling I whispered to Jamie that we had to pretend we were friends to make everyone happy.
Later (after about 2/3 of a bottle of wine --yes, I know, I shouldn't drink very much) I talked to him--the turd monkey has never initiated a conversation with me--and he was pleased and his old self, like his 30 year old self. He remembers every detail of my house, which seems sort of sad but may come in handy.
Day after tomorrow I'm off to Wisconsin to reune with my high/junior high school friends. We do this every few years. There are about 14-15 of us (one year there were 18). We've all been emailing like crazy I'm looking forward to seeing them all.
Life on the lake is pretty good these days. Our camp is empty, after some cousins' week-long visit after the 4th of July, and a work weekend before that. I've been staying in the boat house a lot. It's been hot and humid, and I stay there when night temps are around 60 (is it because I'm a cataloger that I tend to live my life by absolutes?). That means I've been there a lot lately, but then the temps dipped into the 40's and I made the cat happy by staying at home.
There's a fair amount of boat traffic, especially on Saturdays. It was a wonderful dock day on Sat. I stayed home all morning because Bill's Boyz were stacking my firewood and I feel I should keep them company (they don't need to be supervised at this point). I got some gardening done, too. I got to read on the dock most of the afternoon while Jenica was here. Great stuff! Except that I was reading a preview copy of The history of the donut. My review is due today. The book was getting better, but it's awfully repetitive. There's not that much to say about the history of fried dough with a hole in the middle.
It was a busy weekend. Sat. afternoon we had a meeting of our shoreowners' association (called Hawkeye Conservationists--it started out as an organization fighting an extreme development planned in the '70s, now is just sort of a social thing) We do water testing, invasive species testing, a newsletter (that Linda and I do), we have a big treasury, we sound the alarm when someone threatens to break the rules big time. We used to sponsor sailing races, which were great. Anyway, we had our meeting with very few attendees but it was good anyway.
Last night there was a cocktail party at one of the new camps, held to what? maybe recruit new members? of the Adirondack Council, a big and very wealthy conservation organization. The Council has been a big help to us in recent times, paying for legal help in one case. It was a nice gathering, even when an hour after it started Jamie and Mrs. Jamie arrived. People from the Council had grilled me when I arrived about my connection to Jamie, then I found out why. A couple of the employees were sort of nervous. After the speeches, during the mingling I whispered to Jamie that we had to pretend we were friends to make everyone happy.
Later (after about 2/3 of a bottle of wine --yes, I know, I shouldn't drink very much) I talked to him--the turd monkey has never initiated a conversation with me--and he was pleased and his old self, like his 30 year old self. He remembers every detail of my house, which seems sort of sad but may come in handy.
Day after tomorrow I'm off to Wisconsin to reune with my high/junior high school friends. We do this every few years. There are about 14-15 of us (one year there were 18). We've all been emailing like crazy I'm looking forward to seeing them all.
as always
It never really changes--Silver Lake Mtn from the boat house at sunrise. Always pretty, always dramatic. Rearrange the clouds, move the sun around.
Prettiest girl
Is there are prettier site? Chances likes to pose alone on the end of the dock. As well she should.
When I took another test my sister posted I turned out to be the BULLY. Insecure, the kind of person who steals kids' lunch money. How discouraging. I much prefer this one--
I am NOT the quiet type, however. Everyone knows that. I'm only 33% intelligent?
Humility
Humility is your strongest virtue. You are humble.
Humility is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. And you? When you do the right thing, you're doing it for all the right reasons. All 7 virtues are a part of you, but your humility runs deepest.
It is likely you're a quiet type. But if not, then you just have dark, secret side that loves to give.
Humble famous people: JD Salinger, Isaac Newton, Harry Potter (pre-puberty)
Your raw relative scores follow. 0% is low, and 100% is perfect, nearly impossible. Note that I pitted the virtues against each other, so in some way these are relative scores. It's impossible to score high on all of them, and a low score on one is just relatively low compared to the other virtues.
YOUR VIRTUES
40% Compassion
33% Intelligence
63% Humility
56% Honesty
13% Discipline
43% Courage
25% Passion
+ 'Quickly! Before the monkeys come: Take The Best Thing About You Test'
I am NOT the quiet type, however. Everyone knows that. I'm only 33% intelligent?
Humility
Humility is your strongest virtue. You are humble.
Humility is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. And you? When you do the right thing, you're doing it for all the right reasons. All 7 virtues are a part of you, but your humility runs deepest.
It is likely you're a quiet type. But if not, then you just have dark, secret side that loves to give.
Humble famous people: JD Salinger, Isaac Newton, Harry Potter (pre-puberty)
Your raw relative scores follow. 0% is low, and 100% is perfect, nearly impossible. Note that I pitted the virtues against each other, so in some way these are relative scores. It's impossible to score high on all of them, and a low score on one is just relatively low compared to the other virtues.
YOUR VIRTUES
40% Compassion
33% Intelligence
63% Humility
56% Honesty
13% Discipline
43% Courage
25% Passion
+ 'Quickly! Before the monkeys come: Take The Best Thing About You Test'
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