RENEWAL

Celebrating the Christmas season was joyful this year, Andy  just having received good news from his scan.

The Sunday after Christmas Jonel and family, Freddie and I took a short hike above the Kickapoo River.  There is really nothing that can renew one's spirit, highlight the miraculous beauty of nature, and fill one with awe and gratitude as walking in the woods, especially along this river.

There really is not a spot where the view is not stunning and magical.  Being with the little ones, who stopped every few feet to exclaim at something, pick it up and put it in their pocket (or mine), only emphasized the wonder.

There is no season where this winding river is not beautiful.

...and as always the rock outcroppings are beyond my words...

...one of Elsa's finds...

Stepping out on one of the outcroppings high above the river.

These two made this hike very special...really through the eyes of little children...

A true 'tree hugger'.

Sometimes this season can cause one to feel depressed and blue, however this day, this walk in the woods above the river, this time with children and family, was marked with deep gratitude for so much; for Andy's healing journey, for these little girls whose love of nature is so pronounced, for my daughter (and Andy) whose parenting of these girls is so right on, and for all of the gifts being their Nonna has bestowed on me.  I pray this new year brings health and happiness, healing and love.

HOLIDAY FAIR

On Saturday, Dec. 5th the Kickapoo Valley Reserve held, among other things, an Arts/Crafts show.  This was my 'booth'.

Lots of people came by, and I sold a rug, bracelets and lots of other things.  I did not expect to do much business, but rather just have a day of fun and visiting, well, I had both.

A while back my friend Monica Jagel offered to teach a group of us how to bead these wrap bracelets.  At firs I thought it a bit boring, but as I got more adept at it, I found it very meditative.

The bracelets are really quite lovely, and they were a good selling item.  Off to La Crosse tomorrow to buy more beads, it seems that this has become a wee bit addictive.

A GOOD BIRTHDAY

Sunday, November 15, (my birthday) broke sunny and truly beautiful!!  A gift to me from the very start.  Despite the unhealed broken toe which occurred on Sept. 16, two months ago, Freddie and I took a short 'hike' on our own property.  I would have loved to hike the Reserve but a longer hike was not in the picture for my toe, plus there was hunting on the Reserve which deters me.  Nevertheless, our property is stunning and varied, too.

One of our favorite places, hiking through our pine forest.  It is not unlike the quiet and majesty of a cathedral.

Just one of the views on our 207 acres.

This hike was filled with small wonders, nature's gifts...

Everywhere I turned there was something beautiful to capture the heart and the eye.

On the last leg of our journey we came across this tree, which I do not recall having noticed before...

I could feel the hug of the tree on the right, honestly it looked like such a loving gesture, and I accepted it openly.

Jonel, Andy and the girls had a birthday dinner for me...filled with good food, lots of love, and for this day, a blessing, Andy felt very good.

Hankering after a cheesecake, I made my own, along with some cupcakes for the girls.

What a gift they are to me!!

....and oh, the night included some real laughter as Grandpa tried to get out of this (Swedish) chair....

and the girls rushed to his rescue.  And as Grandpas everywhere do, he milked the situation until we were all in tears.

A wonderful birthday...I pray for another year of good health, much love, Andy's cure, and peace for this sweet young family.

HALLOWEEN AND ?HIKING?



These goblins came to my door on Halloween day...Quinn, Abe, Iris, and Elsa....

and to get ready for them I made bread pumpkins



...two little ones for Iris' 'boys'....

and bags of popcorn, plus two little ones for the 'boys'

The next day, a beautiful Sunday, was screaming at Freddie and I to take a hike.  I broke my baby toe on Sept. 16th at a very crowded County Fair...jostled in the group, toe pulled back




these being the only footwear that I can put on my feet...nice four-five inches across...



as

my baby toe looks like this, it is almost three times the size of my other baby toe.

So we tried to hike, just on our own property, which is actually quite beautiful,

and we came upon this tree which grows at the top of the hill to the north



 



we have been told by county foresters that this tree is upwards of 200 years old...a mighty oak!

and just before heading down to the house

this vista greeted us...amazing even after all these years.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC

A very busy season, but I found time to knit this sweet vest and matching hat and five finger puppets for Adam and Annie and Alma.

Haloween is upon us, and I took out my 'apple witches', and Iris and Elsa and I made new ones for the season.  They are fun to watch as the apple transforms over a two week hanging period.  The teeth are rice and the eyes are beans. 

Pretty scary if you ask me!

Andy is once again undergoing three intensive days of chemo therapy, so I am spending much time with the girls.  As Andy and Jonel have to leave early in the morning, I go there about 6:30 and the girls are generally already up.  This day they had a surprise for me, originally to be presented at 10:30 but they just could not wait. 

Iris has been playing the violin for quite some time now, and Elsa actually gave it a try, but she was convinced the instrument she wanted to play was the cello.  A Suzuki cello teacher was finally located, a tiny cello finally optained, and lessons began.

The surprise

an early morning concert.  Above is the playbill which they pinned to the 'curtain'.  The music for this event was original, composed and written by Iris.  Now Iris cannot read music yet, but she does know the names of the strings.  So she made up her own notation, taught it to Elsa,

and they were set.  Above is Iris' music sheet

and this, more simplistic notation....string D, long, long, long, long stroke, is Elsa's.  Some of Elsa's were noted with short lines, and some with both.

Iris tuning her violin.

Elsa getting ready to perform.

Iris beginning....as she said, "With a one and a two and a three", and Elsa chimed in with words and cello, too.

It was magnificent, really!!  They even composed some songs that depicted each of their cats, and honestly, I could tell which cat was each song. 

These girls truly love music.  I have a CD of Idzak Perlman that plays Klezmer music, it is one of their favorites, as they sing along with the Yiddish, and create scenes for the instrumentals.  Yesterday during a fast paced instrumental they envisioned and narrated...a rabbit running scared, he finds a bush, there, he hides inside it, now he is peeking out, oh, no, here comes the hunter again"  and on and on and on. 

You can imagine how much fun this is for me!!

IMPORTANT THINGS IN MY RECENT LIFE

Nonnie Day last week brought a magnificent production from two very talented performers.  These two girls must have spent hours putting together the music, the dance, the costumes, and all else that comprised the 45 minute (I kid you not) production.

The Play Bill posted alongside the bright red curtain.

The MC of the production...announcing the forthcoming Balinese Dance, performed mostly by dancer Elsa Mae, joined in on the last two songs by Iris.

Without a doubt this dancer had the moves down, spot on.  It amazed me that she did this for 45 minutes ( with a few announced two minute breaks) done mostly with arm, hand and head movements, and an occasional hip movement as well.

Both girls ending the performance (Iris had noted that the 'real' dancers used pronounced eye movements as well.)

It truly was lovely, in spite of being performed to what seemed, to my ear, decidedly like African music.  They put in much work for this flawless performance.  

Nonnie Day yesterday brought much activity.  First off the girls had been collecting and saving various and sundry boxes, cardboard, tiny things, etc., to create a living space for tiny things.

They cut, glued, colored, taped, and fluffed for a couple of hours to create entirely on their own, (well I did play the gofer quite often) this unique and amazing display.

I do believe this will bring many hours of play in the future. 

On another note, Friday, October 2nd was the annual Friends of the  Kickapoo Reserve Pasta Supper, the evening before the Dam Challenge.  I, once again, made Sicilian pasta sauce for about 200, filling 16 ice cream buckets with this meat sauce.  I also made two ice cream buckets of roasted meatless sauce, and one large bowl of fresh, uncooked sauce.

The serving area...one roaster with pasta, one with meat sauce (shredded beef, pork, cut up meatballs and Italian Sausage), crock pot of meatless sauce, roaster with garlic bread (I made 30 loaves of bread), two bowls for salad, one plain and one with homemade Italian dressing, and one bowl, in the middle, with fresh, uncooked sauce.  Shredded basil and grated Romano cheese as well. 

Prior to serving these ladies made lovely arrangements,

to decorate the tables.

Our numbers were down this year, but it really was a great success.  

As usual, I wished my father's presence, he who would make a meal for any number, even 100's with great love and focus.  It is from him that my love of cooking, food, and serving comes.  I am so grateful for my Sicilian upbringing and for my chef of a father.




 

Nonnie day last week brought with it a great production, one the girls had been creating, rehersing and prepping for, for hours.  Above you see the Play Bill which they had taped to the side of the red curtain...suspended across the wide door way on a shower pole.