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“You are going to feel like hell if you never write the stuff that is tugging on the sleeves of your heart — your stories, visions, memories, visions and songs. Your truth, your version of things, your own voice. That is really all you have to offer us. And that’s also why you were born.”
Anne Lamott

“You are going to feel like hell if you never write the stuff that is tugging on the sleeves of your heart — your stories, visions, memories, visions and songs. Your truth, your version of things, your own voice. That is really all you have to offer us. And that’s also why you were born.”
Anne Lamott

Home Again

George 0 Comments

We returned home yesterday after 5 nights with Clark and Vanessa in Racine, Wi. It was my first visit to Wisconsin and I must say I was impressed. The land was beautiful and the people were friendly. We did some tourist things.

 

 

 

 

 

We visited the Jelly Belly factory and indulged in the many flavors of jelly beans. The Lake Michigan beach at Racine and the Wind Point lighthouse were a treat despite the high winds and cool temps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clark and I got to fish some. Racine is known as one of the best fishing areas for salmon and trout. We fished on the Root River which runs through the center of Racine. The salmon are moving up the Root River to spawn and fishing was great. I caught two really nice Chinook salmon. We described our experience as “urban fishing” as we were right in the middle of Racine only minutes form Clark’s house. From what I learned, the spawning has just started and continues through October. The salmon are followed by steelhead trout and it is a fishing frenzy. The area has a great population of brown trout also. If you don’t have waders and a fly rod you are not a real fisherman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is good to be home. There is a lot going on. I am in the process of finishing up our new bathroom. Hopefully it will be functional by the end of this week. There are several projects that have arisen as a result of the new bathroom that will keep me busy through the next few months. We continue to have good success with our guest house and as a result there is quite a bit of time required to clean and maintain. It is all good.

 

 

Life Lessons

George 0 Comments

I am learning a lot of life lessons. That is good news. It is troubling how long it has taken for me to begin to get it. Recently, I have begun to gain some much needed wisdom; namely, the ability hear and discern between statements and questions. Now this is not about knowing proper punctuation and sentence structure. It is about the ability to instantly discern and respond properly in the course of everyday conversations. Let me illustrate.

I’m getting ready to leave the house to run an errand or such. Ann says, “Are you wearing that shirt”? For most of my married life, what I heard was a question? No problem, my response, “Yes”. With my newly gained wisdom, I now understand that what I heard as a questions was in fact a statement. Accordingly, I go and change my shirt. I highly recommend that all husbands, especially those who are in the early years of their marriages, strive to cultivate this very valuable wisdom. It is not easy but the benefits are worth it.

Catching Up a Bit

George 0 Comments

Before I catch up on what’s been happening with me, I am watching the 9/11 remembrances on TV. Even 10 years later, it is hard to comprehend. The idea that a few fanatic terrorists can reek that kind destruction is frightening.

Beyond the loss of lives and the destruction of property, the events of that day have shaped our world in ways that I could not imagine. I thought about this as we traveled by air last week. The personal inconveniences are inconsequential compared to the residual costs, not only fiscally, but culturally and spiritually. It remains to be seen whether this nation will be able to rise to our former heights.

Ann and I have been pretty busy lately. We started a new project. We are building an additional bathroom located in what we will be calling our “mud room” (we think that sounds more sophisticated than laundry room). Of course, like all these kinds of projects, it will trigger additional changes. I just hope that I have enough time left to get it all done.

Thursday grandson Tyler had back surgery. I am glad to report that all indications are that it was successful and Tyler is recovering quickly. We expect him to be back in shape to wrestle before the first of the year.

Last week we traveled to New Mexico to meet Ron and Jean Like, our good friends from Kansas. We spend three night in Chimayo located between Santa Fe and Taos. I had only driven through New Mexico previously. I was impressed by the countryside and the people of New Mexico. I would enjoy visiting there again. I think I have a better understanding of why they call it the land of enchantment.