Model Railroad Layout Tour - June 26, 2012

Corey and I have enjoyed the many visits to model railroads with Chuck's model railroading group. But, the visit to Bob Frey's interactive layout (in Greendale) on June 26, 2012, was absolutely outstanding. Two rooms of his basement were filled to capacity with the layout. What was so special about this particular layout, was that he had train manifests prepared so that we could actually run the trains to complete the tasks laid out in the manifest. In pairs (one person being the engineer and the other being the task master), we were given a manifest, a controller and told where our train was located at the moment. Corey and I were given the Beer train which was in Bryan Tunnel. Corey maneuvered the train out of the tunnel and we were off and running to pick up another beer car. Through a few derailments, a few shorts in the layout and having to wait for other trains, we managed to complete much of our manifest before it was time to say good-bye. Thank you, Bob Frey, for such a wonderful and fun-filled experience.

 

 

 

Voki

Tried out the Voki website. You can create an avatar for yourself and record your voice. The avatar will speak what you recorded. It was easiest to record my voice in Audacity and then upload it to Voki.

Welcome to Mimio Training

Surprise!

June 9, 2012   -   Well, I really pulled this one off; Corey's 70th Surprise Birthday party! After more than a month of planning and making arrangements, correcting errors and confirming the agenda, thirty-five of our dear friends gathered at the East Troy Electric Railroad for a fun-filled day. Unfortunately, the plan did not go just as I had hoped. I had purchased masks for everyone to wear as Corey boarded the train, but the train was not ready at the specified time. Ah, the best laid plans....Nonetheless, friends greeted and surprised Corey as we walked into the train depot and then belted out a round of Happy Birthday. I could tell by the look on his face that Corey was stunned!

My dear friends, Linda and Chuck Gevaert, arrived early and decorated the dining car with balloons, centerpieces, the party favor baskets I put together and huge train sugar cookies that Linda had baked and decorated.

We began our leisurely ride to Mukwonago Park with a delicious lunch of a salad, stuffed pork chops, roasted potatoes, green beans and warm apple compote. Along the way, our witty train person, Ryan, told us some of the history of the train and surrounding area.

At the park, we were able to get off the train to stretch and enjoy the beautiful day. I played my new lap harp for a few that were kind enough to listen.

On the way back, we devoured the scrumptious apple pie (with coffee) and sang For He's a Jolly Good Fellow to Corey. After a brief stop at the Elegant Farmer, we headed back to the train depot. Everyone had a big smile on their face as they thanked us and told us that this was a fabulous (and classy) party.

I think Corey will remember this day for years to come!

                 

   

 

                     

          

Arkansas Trip - May 27 - June 2, 2012

Spent a week in Ozark Mountain country (Franklin, Arkansas) visiting Corey's youngest son, Carl. The scenery is breath-taking. I learned a lot about raising Angus beef; how to buy a bull and how to trim cow horns. I also found out what chiggers are - and I am still itching!

We visited Mountain View, AR, where we found real down-home local flavor and history at the Ozark Folk Center. We drove to Blanchard Springs Caverns (on an extremely hot Memorial Day) to enjoy the coolness below the earth. Then we visited a beautiful over-look at Calico Rock, AR.

In Old Town Hardy, AR, I found a musical instrument that even I can play - the lap harp. I love it! There are music sheets that show you exactly which string to pluck. I can instantly play familiar songs from these sheets. I'm glad someone is producing a musical instrument for dummies.

We visited Corey's ex-father-in-law, who is in hospice care. He is quite ill and they are not sure how long he has to live. Corey was unable to speak to him (too emotional), so he wrote Joe a note and asked Marge, Joe's wife, if she would read it to him sometime. I also met Corey's first wife, Kathleen, and her husband Tom. Corey commented that she has changed a lot and he does not even know who she is.

All in all, we had a wonderful trip and great, but short, visit with Carl.

Walk the Dog

I used to be pretty good at the yo-yo trick, walk the dog. These days, I do a lot of  walk the dog, but a little differently.

This morning was so absolutely beautiful, I just had to be part of God's awesome creation. Those of you that know me well, know that for me, being part of nature is even more spiritually meaningful than going to church. So, Riley, Tilly and I set out for our daily constitution bright and early. These are the little life moments that I cherish and want to remember for years to come. Enjoy a video diary of our morning walk.

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty, with love false or true,

But one life loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how life fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid its face amid a crowd of stars.

                               

                        -William Butler Yeats

Great Hike!

     Yesterday, we hiked the Wisconsin Nature Conservancy's Lulu Lake Preserve with the LIR hiking group. What a great time we had! The morning started out a little unpredictable - was rain coming, or would it just be cloudy? Lo and behold, the sun decided to come out and make a perfect day for the 3.8 mile hike.
     The Lulu Lake Preserve is a hidden treasure. It is the most pristine lake in Wisconsin. According to the website:
     "Surrounding the lake and along the river are various types of wetlands including fens, bogs and sedge meadows. On the higher ground, you will find prairie remnants and oak openings. In early summer, shooting stars and other wildflowers are abundant.
     The northern kittentail is this preserve's most endangered plant. In the spring, this plant produces foot-high flowering stems resembling — you guessed it — the tail of a young feline.
     Fish: Of the 150 fish species native to Wisconsin, 59 can be found in Lulu Lake and the Mukwonago River! The river is home to several rare fish species, including the longear sunfish. The clear, deep lake water provides habitat for glacial relict fish such as the blackchin shiner and the Iowa darter.
     Birds: Other significant species are Cooper's hawks, migrating ospreys and nesting pairs of sandhill cranes. Lulu Lake has yet to be thoroughly inventoried, so other rare species may be present. Several plant and animal inventories are currently underway."  
     A conservationist joined us part way through the hike and gave us the history of the area and the conservancy. Yes, it was an interesting learning experience, too. After the hike we all went to Barley's Malt & Hops Restaurant in Troy Center and enjoyed lunch. Exercise, great people, education and good food - who could ask for anything more!
   Here is a photo story video from this most enjoyable day.

                                    

Wisconsin Organ Historical Society Crawl - April 13, 2012

This year the Organ Historical Society's crawl began in Kenosha at Carthage College and ended up at Christ Community Church in Zion, Illinois. We saw a number of manual pipe organs of all sizes and heard extremely talented organists play each and every one of them. Here is a photo story video of the day!

Limburger Cheese

While in Monroe, WI, Corey and I stopped at Baumgartner's to sample their fresh Limburger cheese. Monroe is the only place in the United States that Limburger is produced.

Wow! The cheese was the best Limburger I have ever tasted. Soft, pungent, and creamy - that is the best way to describe it. According to the waiter, the Limburger was "fully ripe" right now. We started by splitting a sandwich and loved it so much we ordered another one!

Good Bye to a Dear Friend

An extraordinary woman and my dear high school friend, Nina (Tipps) Binkley passed away on March 21, 2012, at the age of 62. We celebrated her life and said good-bye to her on Sunday, March 25. Throngs of caring people came to pay their respects, some having to wait in line two and one-half hours. That just emphasizes how much Nina was loved and revered by all who knew her. Nina was loving, caring and sharing with all. She was a Master Gardener (as evidenced by her yard of beautiful, bountiful, blooms), an excellent cook, a huge animal lover, a wonderful mother and wife. My deepest sympathy and prayers go out to Lee, Matt and Erika as well as Nina's extended family.