Takin' the Blog for a Walk

Found three ways to keep occupied today just west of Eagle. Within a half mile section of Hwy. 59 my oldest and I experienced a live auction at House in the Woods, stopped at Eagle Salvage and visited Eagle Springs Nature Trail. We left the auction with a nice lamp for $3.00, the junk yard with a rusty old strut, and Eagle Springs with these photos.

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I usually hide indoors on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I don't like shopping in general, Christmas shopping in particular, and especially not on the busiest day of the year. But this year I ventured out to see how bad it really was and to try to save $$ on doorbuster sales. Some of the stores in Brookfield opened at 4:00 a.m. but I wasn't foolish enough to go out at that hour.

Oddly enough a store in Downtown Waukesha carries one thing I was looking for so I tried there first at 8:30. Closed. As a matter of fact it wasn't too easy to find any stores open in downtown four and a half hours after they were opening in Brookfield. Plenty of parking though.

There wasn't plenty of parking at the mall. By 9:00 the lot around Brookfield Square was completely full, but I did get lucky and found a nice spot to the west less than a mile away. There were thousands of people there. The least busy person at the mall? The Salvation Army bell ringer who had a Bandaid wrapped around the clapper because someone at the mall complained about the noise. I imagined how the poor guy must have felt being ignored by thousands, as he rang his silent bell and my dropped coin hit the bottom of his empty bucket.

All in all had fun at the mall, but didn't find two things I went for. One was found at Linens 'n Things, but didn't want to buy it because I didn't bring 20% off coupon from my paper and store didn't offer extras. I could come back with the coupon later, or I could glance around the parking lot for stragglers. Instantly found one right outside the door, in the trash, saving me $20.00. 

After trying many stores for the perfect gift for my son, I stopped back in downtown Waukesha to see if things had changed, and most of the stores were now open. I went into Gman Music because they carry what I was interested in and I didn't see a musical instrument store at the mall. A music store that's quiet is a little uncomfortable, but it's also nice. Nice because I really got great customer service - something hard to come by at the mall today. Not only did they help me find the perfect instrument and plug it in to demonstrate it's sound, but they gave me a great deal. A comparable package in the big box stores sell for $100.00 more than I paid at Gman. I could've kissed them! 

This could've been another tale of big guy versus little and little not being able to compete on price. But instead this tale is about a little store in downtown Waukesha that offers service, selection, quality, parking, and price. Something hard to find at the mall today. 

The World's Greatest Cookie Sale has been going on the last twelve years at Country Springs Hotel every Friday after Thanksgiving. With 30 or so groups in attendence, it's not just a good place to find a large variety of fresh, homemade treats with fun things for the kids to do. With access to that many non-profits in one place, it's also a good time to ask questions and meet some of the people behind the organizations. When I'm there I tend to concentrate more on the signs above the booths than the cookies themselves. It's a fundraiser. When I spend money I like to support my favorite causes.

My favorite cause today was a new entrant this year: The St. John Neuman Conference of St. Vincent De Paul. Their profit from this sale goes back to the community by helping the less fortunate in Waukesha. The members told me they enjoyed working together to make this sale happen and they'd be happy to do it again next year.

Thanks to Country Springs for offering their space and running the ads free of charge every year. It's yet another way of giving back to the community.

Over the river,

and through the woods,

to Grandmother Lee's house we go. One hundred horses know the way, to carry the Toyota, through ice and wind and snow.

There was a nice treat waiting for us at Mom's this morning. She made this delicious treat using Pillsbury Crescent dough layed flat and covered with Mascarpone, a soft Italian cheese.

Mom picked this iris from her yard a couple weeks ago and helped it bloom indoors.

One year ago at this time I asked for comment on what you are most thankful for and no one responded. Well, now that the blogs have a built-in comment feature I'd like to try it again. I know it's short notice before Thanksgiving but it doesn't have to be done now.

The Packers' winning season, a new efficient furnace for you home... Let us know something you're thankful for. Thanks!

Within the last week and a half I walked, drove, rode a bike and chased a hot air balloon to the University of Wisconsin Waukesha.

A week ago Saturday was the last time I crewed, possibly for the season. All three balloons that took off together from a park on County K in Pewaukee landed together on the north parking lot of the university. Distance of travel; about five miles. It was fun landing in my own neighborhood for once.

This last Friday I attended the free Fall Instrumental Concert featuring the UW-Waukesha Handbell Choir and the Symphonic Band. Really impressed by the music and little stories behind the music. This was the first year of playing for five of the six handbell choristers and they did a fantastic job. The Symphonic Band took on more than one challenging piece and played extremely well also.

Sunday the university offered free hot chocolate and fireworks after the parade. Friendly volunteers had tables set up to do craft activities with the many children there. It was the second day of the second annual Festival of Trees, a fundraiser for the UW-Waukesha Foundation, a group that supports and promotes students and programs at the university.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the current photo exhibit in the Fine Arts Center on the south end of the campus. The gallery, open just 10:30 to 1:30 M-F, is currently showing 20 or so large, beautifully mounted and arranged photos by Janica Yoder.

Today I enjoyed even more meeting photo artist Janica Yoder during a Visions and Expressions lecture at the university. We saw many slides of her work and she commented on every one. She told us what camera she used, where her models were from, what she was feeling, where she took the photos, how she created certain effects... I found several of the things she said very interesting. First, she loves to photograph at Paradise Springs, the same place I was taking pictures at Thursday. Also, she always uses film, not digital cameras and she exclusively uses natural light for all her photos. We all enjoyed learning how her photos were created as much as seeing the slides themselves. But one of the nicest things of the afternoon was viewing the exhibit once again after learning how the photos were done. Janica's talk gave a lot of substance to the exhibit and I appreciated even more.

My neighbor's yard was swarming with rake-wielding fourth graders today. The kids attacked until the leaves surrendered at the curb. They did such a nice job that I may ask them to do mine next.

Fifteen of Susan Anderson's fourth graders from West Suburban Christian Academy, just a short walk away, participated in this wonderful service project for my elderly neighbors. Hard workers all.

Milwaukee's Holiday Parade had a lot more bands, TV and radio personalities, and "New York style" helium balloons but it didn't have the UW Marching Band.

Without knowing the details I assumed, correctly, that the entire UW band wouldn't be present. I also knew that they were talking about UW Madison's band and not somewhere like Whitewater. The contingent for the Waukesha parade yesterday consisted of about 25 trumpet players, one tuba player and two drummers. The active group of red-jacketed marchers were more Mardi Gras than precise in their steps. They shouted, danced, teased, high stepped and of course played loud and proud.

Each time UW played a snippet of "On Wisconsin" the applause was overwhelming, especially at the five points where a lot of people were concentrated. They brought a smile to everyone's face with their energy and antics. They were constantly moving so I didn't get any decent pictures. That, and it was so dark by the time they passed by.

It was 5:30 by the time the UW band passed by, too dark to see who sponsored their visit. Main Street isn't real well lit though it is better than some. It was dark but at least we didn't have to miss the Packer game!

So who did sponsor UW Marching Band's visit? The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

I didn't get to crew a hot air balloon this morning so instead went to Milw. to see the huge helium balloons in this year's parade. We had great seats on a median of Kilbourn Ave. just before the route turned onto Water Street. It was fun watching Gingerbread Man tip over, then right himself, and it was fun to see the wind play havoc with the dog carrying the Journal Sentinel as it rounded the corner.

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The parade lasted an hour and a half in very light rain. There were four helium balloons and many high school bands and several very good middle school bands.

We're looking forward to Waukesha's Christmas Parade Sunday at 4:00. I'm dying to hear the UW Marching Band.

Since I found myself within a few steps of Hwy. N outside Eagle Thursday I thought I'd get another look at the interesting things at Paradise Springs Nature Trail. I saw plenty of large trout in the spring house and in the pond. It was a quiet and cool fall day and I had the place to myself. The Lions, Lionesses and Leos, along with the state D.N.R., did a nice job of restoring and developing the nature trail from what was at times a horse track, resort hotel, bottling plant, and millionaire's home.

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Across Hwy. N from Paradise Springs is a restored 1850 log cabin and the vista of Scuppernong Prairie. This area is one of Waukesha County's hidden treasures. Another of the County's best kept secrets.

Auction seemed to be the theme of the day Thursday as I discovered "Waukesha County's best kept secret" on a rare day off. I had no idea such an interesting place was as close as Eagle on Hwy. 59. The House In The Woods Auction Gallery is surrounded by hills and beauty at the bottom of a wooded drive. As a matter of fact, the gallery is so naturally built into the hill that it could easily be mistaken for someone's home, and founders Carl and Lynne Seitz do happen to live right next to it.

There are so many entertaining things to see and do at the House In The Woods; sculptures outside, wind chimes 40 feet up a tree, gnomes in the wall, old and newer art and artifacts on display, food, drinks and a game room, . . . it's surprising they don't charge admission. I wasn't there for a live auction, which are held several times a week year-round, but wouldn't mind seeing and hearing one. They've now gone high tech with closed-circuit t.v., real-time auctions on ebay, and a constantly updated website, but still retain the sing-song action of a seasoned auctioneer.

Later in the day, at Country Springs Hotel, I did visit a live auction. The annual HOPE Thanksgiving Dinner and Auction fundraiser for Cooperating Congregations of Waukesha County (CCWC) was Thursday night. I'd been to the last two dinners and wasn't going to go to this one but someone gave me their spot. It was an enjoyable night out with silent and live auctions that raised tens of thousands of dollars for all the various worthwhile programs at CCWC. 

Fortunately I don't have too many issues with my health . . . unless I'm thinking about it. If I try to remain healthy for a particular day I end up concentrating too much on it and the stress it causes makes me ill. So it is with blood donations. I make an appointment in advance while I'm feeling good but as the day approaches every sniffle makes me wonder if I'm feeling well enough to donate.

 With blood donations not only do you have to feel well the day of but also for three days after - not always easy considering you now have one pint less liquid to fight infection with. I did feel well enough to donate at the St. William drive Monday though. It was the first time the BloodCenter had offered us the opportunity to give a double-red donation at St. William and I was the only one to take advantage of it there. My donation may have taken twice as long as a pint of whole blood, but the donation interval is also twice as long; every 16 weeks versus 8 weeks. And the needle is smaller. And they treated me so well.

Now that the donation is over with, I just have to remain healthy enough to watch the parade sponsored by the BloodCenter Sunday at 4:00 in Downtown Waukesha, (where it's still OK to call a Christmas parade a Christmas parade.) If I manage to remain healthy for the parade, high temps for the day - 41 degrees, I could be tempted up to UWW for hot chocolate and fireworks just after the parade. We watched the fireworks from the hill south of the campus last year and really enjoyed it.

Don't be surprised if you see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in Milwaukee's Holiday Parade. If I'm not out ballooning Saturday morning myself, maybe we'll drive in to see the 30 foot high helium balloons of the parade.

Next Tuesday's annual city budget adoption meeting at 7:00 promises to be a long one. As a matter-of-fact, here's your excuse to stay out past midnight if you want to. No, the pillow isn't for sleeping, it's for sitting on. Several hours of sitting on those hard fibreglass chairs and you're going to need one. 

There's a new addition to the downtown Milwaukee holiday scene. Huge blue-lighted stars, encircled above by white halos of light, have recently appeared in the middle of many busy intersections. They are suspended above the roadway by cables and compliment the matching blue lights on the many wreaths along the Avenue. The stars are sometimes pictured in advertisements for the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival but you have to see them in person. They're incredible.

The Milw. Holiday Lights Festival begins Thurs. 11/15, 6:00 p.m. at Pere Marquette Park and the Milw. "Holiday" Parade is this Sat. the 17th at 9:30. An excellent time to see all the wonderful decorations in downtown Milwaukee.

Curious what my neighbors were up to, I joined the large crowd at a barn on Northview last Saturday night to see if Laurel Walker was right; that there would be "power to the people."

Laurel wrote about these ambitious guys in the Nov. 1st Journal Sentinel. They were going to try something unusual and power a concert with riders on stationary bikes. A pedal jam. I don't know if I was more curious to hear what "a soulful mix of funk-a-fide rock with a spiritually positive message" sounded like or if I just needed to see the lights dim when the riders tired. Either way, I live just a mile away, so I went.

Impossible to read addresses at night, I drove until I found cars lining both sides of Northview, a little west of Meadowbrook Rd. Friendly neighbors let me park in their driveway and I approached the barn at the end of a tiki-lit, car-lined drive.

You'd think a large dairy barn could handle just about any crowd, especially one for a "funk-a-fide rock" concert, but the place was packed and I barely made it in the door. The music was decent and loud enough but the lighting was a little on the low side.

The former milking parlor under the concert's main floor was clean and uncrowded and set up with tables, food and a large video screen of the live concert upstairs. But my favorite part of the whole experience was watching the bikers. One gal was pedalling so vigorously I could swear she was dancing. Maybe she just started something -- the pedal dance.

A friend of my mom's loves her Hummer.                                        

Finally getting to know the new, efficient checkers at my local Pick 'N Save grocery store. They've got nice voices and tell me how much I spend and how much I save. They took a little getting used to, but by my third visit, tonight, I was warming up to them and even enjoying them.

The five electronic self-checkers replaced three traditional lanes about two weeks ago. The three lanes rarely were fully staffed and lines were common, so this could be an improvement, at least for the express lanes.

I did and still do enjoy a quick chat or joke with human checkers, some of whom we've known for years. Within the four or so minutes of each transaction an attempt is made at conversation, but most of the time someone is behind us so we just smile, bag and run.

There's probably a number of reasons for bringing the self-checkers in: keeping up with technology, keeping overhead costs and lines down, etc. What the live checkers see is their jobs in jeopardy. What I see is less camaraderie and an easier way to say goodbye to money. I doubt we'll see our grocery bill come down.

So far the self-checkers seem to be working out though. There's rarely a line to use them and I can buy all kinds of unhealthy junk food without feeling self-conscious about it. Now if we could just get them to call us by name. . .

I've wrote before of how difficult it is to get fire trucks into a church parking lot when there's a mass on. It's even more of a challenge when one mass has ended and people are arriving for the next. Add a popular craft fair to the mix and things could get dicey. Of course, the greater the concentration of people in an area the better the chance for someone needing assistance - it seems to only happen when it's most difficult to get an engine through.

I was enjoying the craft fair at St. William yesterday, meeting people, shopping and picking up a hot turkey sandwich and some soup when I came across what I thought was a health demonstration. A person was lying on the gym floor being cared for by a nurse, but the scene so calm that I dismissed it as practice or something. Just seconds after the nurse confirmed to me that it was a demonstration, EMT's walked in and I knew right then something serious had happened - or this was one elaborate demonstration.

So I keep hearing the announcement that a Hyundai is illegally parked and can someone move it. Then they announce that it's blocking the fire truck. Someone must have run a plate check, because now they're announcing by name and they should get out there NOW!

Home now, my son asks if I saw his friend.

I don't know. Which booth was she at. Was she selling something? I saw just about all the displays.

She was helping out as needed. Didn't have a booth. She has dark curly hair and was there between ten and twelve. (Same time I was there.)

Sorry Nick, I don't recall.

Nick calls his friend when he gets home from a sleep-over. She was the one on the gym floor! She's fine.

Since my last post about the upcoming blood drive at St. William's on November 12th, I received a call from the BloodCenter of Wisconsin. I'm already signed up, but she mentioned a little promo they're having throughout the month of November.

For every new donor, including people that haven't donated in two years, that I can get to a BloodCenter or blood drive this month - and mentions my name - I'll be entered in a raffle for Packer tickets.

Now you may think I'm using this blog for self-serving purposes, and I am, but I'm not interested in tickets to a Packer game - Nick and I have already been to one. Even though Nick isn't a huge Packer fan I'd really love to win these tickets for him. The tickets are for a game in Chicago, so they must be playing the Bears, and Nick LOVES da Bears.