Passionate Tribute to...Old World WI

Everyone should have some special places they love to go to. My favorite place is Old World WI. There are so many things I Love about it, it will hard to mention them all. First I love the name of the city it is nearest to, Eagle. As I go through the front gate and drive down the winding tree lined road to the parking area, I can feel relaxation encompass me. Crossing over to the entrance I discover the first of the sight, sound, smell experiences that surround me. The soft sandy ground is lightly covered in fragrant pine needles and cones. I enter and head for the Clausing Barn which has a restaurant in the lower level. I have tried many items from their menu, but most often I have a bowl of soup, my favorite is the cheeseburger which is served in the Spring and Fall. I love to eat outside and am often visited by a cat who might be interested in a snack. We finish our lunch and I head for the gift shop that has a wide variety of unique items. I take the stairs down to the small theater where I have a seat, generally once a year, and enjoy the tour of the grounds. Next I head outside to catch the Tram, which takes me to the Village. Often there are special activities planned for the day, so I try to coordinate my visit to be in the right place at the right time to enjoy them. From the Village the Tram will take me to each Ethnic area; African-American, German, Polish, then Finnish, Danish and Norwegian.

I can't really say I have a favorite area or house, there are so many parts I like about each one, but if you get off the Tram at the Finnish area and visit the Rankinen Farm, you will find the beginning of my favorite trail, the Pine Plantation Trail. Follow it until you reach the center of the Red Pines, there will be 2 benches to rest on. From here you can see down the path in both directions, now just sit silently and listen. With luck you will have come on a day there is a breeze, now look up at the trees and in the insulated area of this small forest, you can hear the trees crack while they sway in the wind. Continue down the path, cross the road and you will end up at the Pederson Farm in the Danish area. Next follow the path up the hill and next to the fence and you will be on the Prairie Remnant Trail. This is where I had a butterfly land on my hand. It was very cool! This is also where the Surprise Loop Trail is, but that will remain a surprise. At the end you come out near the Fossebrekke Farm in the Norwegian area. OWW has 12 trails to explore.

Along with the nature sights, there are animal sights also. Today I spotted 3 wild turkeys sitting on a fence, when I crept closer to take a picture, I found more, there was a total of 10 all together hidden in a wooded area behind the fence. Later 3 pheasants were crossing the road. This of course is besides the normal vintage farm animal breeds on the grounds during the season.

Another coincidence gives the place an air of authenticity. While you are strolling around the grounds, occasionally you will hear gun shots. You may wonder if a neighbor is hunting, but actually there is a police firing range in the area, but the sound adds to the ambiance.

Other enjoyable moments include the warmth and aroma from the woodburning stoves in each house. The smell of food cooking in each house; bread, cake, pie, fried potatoes and onions, pork and cabbage, apples, rhubarb, each in season and often fresh from the gardens on the homesites. Then there is the hand crafts, quilting, sewing, needlework, spinning and weaving and household and farm chores, soapmaking, candle making, wool dyeing, butchering, thatching, planting, harvesting, blacksmithing, etc. All with costumed interpreters to educate and present historical facts about the time period and history of the homes and families.

New this year is the formation of a vintage baseball team, wearing vintage clothing, vintage equipment, and playing by vintage rules to the 1800's. Very exciting and enjoyable!

All together this place created the perfect place to spend a day in a relaxed atmosphere. I myself would truly Love to just live here. To go back in time and feel some of how it felt to be dependent on yourself and your family to survive. I know I would want modern amenities, but just for a while, I would Love to give it a try!

In Memorial...

My best friend laid to rest her daughter today. She was 23 years old.
I can not imagine burying a child. It would be like cutting off an arm or leg, and trying to go on without it. Every moment would be like you are missing something, like you left something behind and have to go find it. Incomplete. My friend cared for, watched, protected, guarded her child's life with every part of her being, but she couldn't prevent her from slipping out of her grasp.

The service was beautiful, had many touching tributes, overwhelming flowers and did leave you with a sense of comfort, that her life mattered, was well spent, was devoted to family and friends, that she was a gift. There was a feeling of peace, but there were some moments that struck me hard.

Mom and Dad saying goodbye before the casket was closed. Brother and nearly Brother-in-law leaning on each other for comfort. Watching as the family drove away from the cemetery, leaving behind the girl they all treasured. Still, the most painful moment was when Audreys' fiance' showed me the rings he had given to her when they got engaged just 5 days before she died. Heartbreaking! What should have been a happy time, shared by family and friends became a time of sorrow. Joyful plans of a wedding gathering turned into making final arrangements and gathering for a final farewell.

The hardest yet, is still to come. All the days of time marked by events happening either prior to or after losing Audrey. Little things that happen that you want to share with her. Times you would call her or get a call from her, that aren't possible now. Now only one way conversations, things you share with her in your heart. Silence for eternity.

Passionate Tribute to... Movies

I Love going to the Movies! Not any movie, but most. I love the previews, the music, seeing the city or location the movie takes place in; a kind of travelogue, and the costumes, if vintage, or clothing styles if current. My perfect movie experience is achieved usually at a matinee, on a weekday. The cost is less and frequently, if I wait until the premier of a new release is past, the attendance is lower. This way I can enter the theater and find I am the only one present. I select my seat in the second or third row from the top and sit in the exact center seat. Now I wait to see if my "private" showing will last. Sometimes another person or two arrives and that's OK, but ideally, I will remain the solo viewer. I feel like a Queen! An entire movie played just for my enjoyment! Before long, I am involved in the story, and if the movie is good enough, I become totally engrossed in the story, characters, setting, and outcome. I am released from any care, worry, concern, responsibility, obligation for generally 2 hours. Any thoughts I may have come in with, are set aside for the length of the movie. I had such an experience today! It was Wonderful! Instead of dwelling on my problems, I struggled along with the characters, to the resolution of their problems. Upon leaving the show, I achieve a new perspective. The small break from my concerns' alters my point of view. Now I approach them with thoughts of, tomorrow is another day, things will work out, it's always darkest before the dawn, things will look better in the morning, etc. So, I wait and see if I can come up with solutions, resolutions and an understanding that there probably is a reason for the things that happen, even if I can't understand it or know the meaning of it now. All this for about $6.00!

Primordial Blogger

The thought came to me today, that I am in the company, as I write my daily blog, with a person I greatly admire. Eleanor Roosevelt, as first lady of the country, wrote a daily column of at least 500 words, 6 days a week, for twenty-six years, from 1936-1962. This column was called "My Day" and it covered topics from gardening at her cottage to formal receptions for foreign dignitaries. I feel this merits her with the title, Primordial Blogger. In reading many of her entries, the time-span they cover ranges from the heart of the Depression, thru a World War, the re-establishment of peace and economy, and the development of the United Nations, for which she served as a delegate and chair of the Committee on Human Rights. Eleanor Roosevelt was a champion for the "underdog". A cause that she considered right, deserved to be heard, and she had the connections to make sure it was. Her Motto was "No one can make you feel inferior, unless you allow them to do so". Her Blogs celebrate triumphs large and small; and express sorrow, personal and global. I have no illusion my essays could compare in any way to hers, but it is an honor to have some kinship with a sister, in the attempt.
To learn more about her life or to read her columns, use my link to the public library system and order one or more books on-line which you can pick up as soon as they come into your local library.

Impending Gloom

My drive to and from work takes me past acres of farm land. I observe the seasons come and go by the changes to the landscape. In Spring I rejoice as I search for the tiny pale green shoots that appear on the Willow trees' pale golden branches. In Summer, I await the small sprouts of corn that unfold between the furrows of sun warmed earth. I measure the progress of Summer by the appearance of the corn stalk tassels. Their presence marks the half way point for me, and it is always disturbing. I make it a point to say, get going, if there are things you want to do while Summer is still here, you better hurry up. Then Autumn arrives, I Love the glorious look of the sun on the gold, orange and red hues. Still, farm by farm the corn is harvested and the fields are cleared. Then today for the first time I saw them. The piles of snow fencing. Tomorrow on my drive home, I may see the stakes spaced out or driven into the ground. The next day the rolls of fence will be laid out one by one, and by Monday the fence will be up, cutting the open fields into slices of ground waiting to be covered by snow, in a patchwork of blanket, stitched together by line after line of fence. Depressing, it will be Winter!

Passionate Tribute to...Toast

I Love Toast! It is warm and softly crunchy, makes the house smell good, and is a wonderful comfort food. The Ultimate Toast is easy to prepare, but does require some devoted attention.
The bread. You must start with a quality bread. It should be slightly dense, have some weight to it, in order to stand up to the toppings of butter, margarine, jams, ect. and should not cave in when these toppings are spread across the slices. Whereas inexpensive "airy" bread is desirable for P & J sandwiches, for those of you who like a glob stuck to the roof of your mouth, it does not qualify for the Ultimate Toast. Next the toasting. Now this step in the process is somewhat dependent on your toaster, it is quite difficult to find a toaster that will evenly toast your bread from corner to corner leaving no over or under browned areas, but this can be overcome. You simply must control the dial of your toaster, thats right Just Take Control! If you consistently find one side of your bread light and the other dark, you must interrupt the cycle, pop out that bread, and manually turn the bread around to the other side. This action must be carefully watched however, because if you leave it unattended, it will over cook and create the worst toast nightmare possible, burnt! No scraping will save it, it is "toast" he he, directly to the trash! Other options are rotating the insertion, top to bottom, side to side, whatever is necessary, the effort will be worth the trouble. Now, when you have the perfectly browned bread, let the slices rest on a plate for about 2 minutes. Lay them side by side, stacking will create steam which will cause sogginess, a bad side effect. Then one slice at a time, gently spread your topping on, covering every possible area of the top, paying close attention to avoiding the perimeter, to allow for picking it up without soiling your fingers. The butter, etc. should not melt completely, another soggy effect, but just pale into a glistening covering, while still retaining its original form. Repeat with another slice, after indulging on the first, you will absolutely desire another. Now you may enjoy the ultimate treat. As you perfect this technique you may want to expand into other areas. Chicken salad, ham salad, tuna salad, then BLT's and for perfection Club sandwiches. Still the best is just plain Toast! Enjoy!

Church

A part of my weekend activities, included going to church with my son and his family. It was quite interesting getting five people out of the house on time, when the family includes a 1 month old baby and an almost 3yr. old, but we succeeded admirably, or so we thought. During about the middle of the service, by daughter-in-law, glancing down the row, slightly frowned and whispered to me, "Did you notice that we are all dressed alike?". Sure enough, all three adults were dressed in black shirts and blue jeans, which, by the way, is acceptable attire at this church. In our hurry to get ready, no one had noticed our color choices. Now this in itself is really no cause for alarm, it just was funny, and I wondered if anyone else had noticed. Luckily, we were able to space out the children, who were dressed in other colors, so as to not draw any unwanted attention to our dilemma.

Now, if they would only attach cup holders to the back of the pews, and allow a Starbucks franchise in the narthex, not only would they pack the pews, and have a more alert audience, there also wouldn't be so much of a need for all those fund-raising activities they are always needing help with!

Welcome

You have inadvertently entered into the strange mind of whitesky. Please enjoy reading the scattered thoughts that will be expressed in the days to come. Complimentary comments are appreciated.