Sun and Shadows

 I'm quite happy. As bad as the sciatica was two days ago, I never expected to be feeling so good in just a couple of days. I managed to keep doing things until 3 p.m. The problem is that sitting is really not good. Standing is better but lying down on a heating pad is best. So, at least I get to read.

Look what showed up this morning!

Do you like your shadows more organic?

Or geometric?

In the afternoon the sun went away and we got more fluffy snowflakes.

I'm starting to feel guilty about so much down time, so I hope the back contintues to feel better at the same rate.

See Noon Shadows

Adventurous Women 5 - Tori McClure

 This is one of my all-time favorite adventure books about a woman. I'm not entirely sure why because I'm usually more captivated by land adventures than watery ones, but it's a combination of a very strong and tough woman who meets a totally unforgiving ocean. The book is A Pearl in the Storm. Tori sets out to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.



The boat Tori builds just doesn't look very seaworthy. It's clunky and made of plywood. However, the plan is that the design will keep it afloat and self-righting with a water-tight cabin.

She tries to catch the Gulf Stream currents, but isn't sure she's ever actually succeeded.

The accounts of the storms she endures and survives will convince you never to try this at home! It's amazing.

As the book progresses, you learn more about Tori the person and what gave her such a competitive spirit.

After surviving the hurricane on the Atlantic in a wooden boat, she had to abandon this first quest. But this isn't the end of the story.

In 1999, she became the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

My back is much better. I was totally functional for more than half the day, but did spend some time on the heating pad, and I'm headed there again. No headache. I really think that was connected to the back pain. I edited, cleaned the kitchen, took a little walk (moving is better for the back).

See Robyn Davidson

Oops and Ugh

 I've got nothing to share today. I occasionally get sciatica, and I woke up this morning with a really bad attack. Then I got a migraine. I've done some editing, but not much.

Om made some toast, and even the smell was making me nauseated. UGH.

Sharing an OOPS picture from last week. I don't even know how I took it. Ha!

Hoping for a better tomorrow. Now it's back to my heating pad.

See 100 Miles for Monica

Concert at St Joseph's 2024

 Tonight was the annual concert at St. Joseph's church in Hart. I left home at 3:45... what with helping to pack the equipment in vehicles, getting there, practice, performance, and after-event. Got home about 10 p.m.

It was a really awesome concert. There was a lot of energy in the room, and the beauty of the church always heightens the experience. Not to mention it has wonderful acoustics.

I had a spare minute after we unloaded and before practice, I and went up in the balcony. I'd never gone up there before. This way, you can see more of the church in one picture.

This is the front window in the balcony.

We played all four of our songs. The choir had 10 numbers! They sing from the balcony. This year, they were accompanied on some of the pieces by live percussion and brass. Wowser!

I think my favorite was a Polish carol called "Glad Tidings Bringing." There was also a piece simply called "Gloria" that had a lot of tympani and fanfares in it that was awesome too. There was also a Phillipine solo in Tagalog.

Of course, I like the more familiar ones too. We all sang four carols together. And people really sang.

The church was totally packed. They put two extra rows of chairs on either side for the whole depth of the building. (you can see them in the pic of the empty church)

For as long as I've been involved in this, the church puts on a supper for the choir and bell choir afterwards. I really can't eat that late, but there was a ton of food-- lots of good stuff. I'll just show you the "all-important" cookie table. I ate a few samples of salads, a couple of meatballs, and brought some cookies home for tomorrow.

I'm telling you, this concert is always very good, but this year seemed extra-special. Drums? Energy? Something different about me? Not sure, but it was great.

In other news: I moved the snowblower to a more serious hospital (the dealer), I did errands, I edited. Well, I've made it to tired!

See St. Joseph 2023

Two More Handbell Videos

 Here are the other two videos. The first one is the adult choir. This is a difficult song, and we did a pretty good job. I really wish people would quiet down. There is background talking all through the song. Sorry about that. This is "Angel's Jubilee."



And we also have the second song that the kids played. "Angels We Have Heard on High."



I concentrated really hard on editing today. Made good progress. Maybe two more days, and I'll have this project finished. Already have two more in the wings. Tried to be really "good" today, and I mostly succeeded. Also had to do a few errands.

See Christmas Church Service

Christmas Church Service

 Yes, we played handbells today at church, but it was also a service with a lot of Christmas content. We played 2 songs, and the kids bell choir also did two. I also have some still shots. I'll do two videos today and two tomorrow.

The adult bell choir played "What Child is This?"



John and Bruce sang "Jesus, What a Wonderful Child." My camera audio isn't good enough to record voice.

The bigger kids narrated the Christmas story. The one is dressed as the "mouse." Yes, the one that wasn't stirring. Except it was... and providing some snarky commentary about Christmas being the season of "gimme, gimme, gimme." Which the others convinced him was not true.

This is the kid's bell choir. This is like basic training in a church that promotes bell choirs. The director holds up a card with colors on it, and the kids ring when their bell matches the color on the card. I missed the very beginning of the song, but I didn't want to cut any out. It's "Away in a Manger." You'll catch the tune in a few seconds.



But this is the very best. No disrespect meant, but I think it's adorable.

Yes, that is Mary and Joseph. Please note that Baby Jesus is Pikachu!

I've managed to do some editing today, but this was enough.

See November Handbells

Last Vendor Event of 2024

 The vendor event at Mason County Central was huge. I wasn't sure the attendance would be very good but it was all right. Some people had good sales, some had almost none. Mine were middle of the road.

I did get to try something new. I get really jaded about the "stuff" that is being sold. After a while, it all looks alike to me. But one cookie maker was selling cinnamon roll cookies. Had to try that. Sorry, I took a nibble before I remembered a picture. It was really good. A brown sugar dough rolled up with cinnamon like a bun. Glaze on top. Yummy.

The MCC athletes are Spartans. Their mascot visited. The event was put on by the Band Boosters. I give them A+ for having students around to be helpful to the vendors. It was their first event. I'm sure they learned from today to not put so many vendors in the hallway. It was too packed. Hopefully, enough people had good enough sales that they can get vendors to come again. I did well enough I would do it again since it's so close to home. The "problem" is that there are a lot of December events, and I'll never do more than two in one year. I waited too long to get into a couple that I wanted to this year, so I tried this one.

There were only three authors selling books. I was one, of course.

Chris Cornell was there with her crafts and her memoir, Moments in Time.

I just met Jessica Smith at the Fruitport event last month. She was there selling an anthology of short stories called As the Snow Drifts.

Other friends who were vending are Shirley and Bill Mitchell. She knits various scarves and accessories (we are in bell choir together). Bill has cards made from his pen and ink drawings.

I believe there were over 50 vendors. Some people thought that was too many- that the event was overwhelming. Not sure about that. I've been at huge events and done well. If they solve the crowded hallway problem I think everything will be fine.

I'm tired. I was trying to figure out why, but I just remembered that I woke up at 4:30 this morning. I think I've tracked down the reason, eh?

Bell choir tomorrow.

See Fruitport Library

Snow Shots

 I had to do a few outside chores and took a little walk out back. the snow is still sticking to the plants.

Branches.

Jackpine cones

Thistle heads

Scots pine.

And my favorite- on motherwort.

In other news: I edited a lot. I'm trying to get a book finished up for a client. I did the little outdoor tasks. I did laundry. It is enough. I'm surprisingly tired.

See Snow 2019

Adventurous Women 4 - Robyn Davidson

 This adventure has always seemed more outrageous and foreign to me than most of the others I've read about, including skiing to the North Pole. That, I can imagine. Riding a camel across Australia just boggles my mind. The name of the book is Tracks. It was also made into a movie, but I haven't seen that. Edited: I have now seen the movie. It's free on YouTube with ads. It's very good.


In 1977, Robyn Davidson decided to cross the Australian Outback by camel. She managed to convince National Geographic to sponsor the event in return for a story. The trek was photographed by NatGeo.

Of course, camels are not indiginous to Australia. She thought they would be perfectly suited to the climate and the task, so she finally procured four of them that had been brought to Australia by other explorers who had also thought the same. A dog also accompanied her expedition. Except for the occasional appearances of the photographer, she trekked 1700 miles with only the camels and a dog.

A great deal of the tale is the preparations. There is a fair amount of Australian cultural tension. She dealt with Aborigines at Alice Springs where she staged the expedition, and learned quite a lot about the treatment of those native peoples.

The trip was hot, lonely, at times desperate. To be honest, I don't know if I could have done something like this. The heat doesn't appeal. The bleakness of the landscape doesn't call me. OK... ice is bleak too. Must just be me.

Taking care of four camels and trying to make miles sounds more like a job than an adventure. But I loved the book.

It's mind-blowing that Robyn is only a couple of years younger than I am. She has also written a recent memoir called Unfinished Woman. I might want to read this.

In other news: I managed to edit a fair amount. We got out of the driveway without too much trouble. I got a (rare for me) migraine after lunch and had to lie down for a while. All better now.

See Ordinary Women

I've Got (Half) a Ticket to Ride

 The big local news is snow.

We are socked in. But that's not the focus of my day. This is one of those stories that goes on so long it becomes ridiculous. I've been trying to get a train ticket East to go to the 2025 Flower Show.

I started trying to get a ticket yesterday. I already knew the Amtrak web site is bad, but how bad? I could get the round-trip ticket and the correct dates etc in my cart, but could not pay for it. I also could not see the return trip times. That seemed worrisome, but I used their live chat and it was explained to me how to see that, which I then could do.

Kept trying to pay for the ticket. Of course, after 5 minutes the site times out. Tried to log in, but it said I don't have an account. Well, I did... so I wonder how long that lasts before they dump a customer out of their database. Ran out of time before Monica picked me up yesterday.

Started trying again today. Created a new account Tried in two different browsers. Still no way to actually pay for the ticket, and every time you have to start over because it times out. Tried to get help through the chat. Explained it all. They bumped me up to a supervisor. Explained it all again. No go. That person told me to call the 800 number to make my reservation.

Ten minutes on hold. Their voice activated system could not understand me saying the word "reservation." Last I knew, I speak standard English. Lady with thick Spanish accent finally came on. She said I sounded like I was talking under water, and she could not understand me. She hung up.

I installed the Amtrak app on my phone, loaded in all the info for the trip yet again. It would not take a payment.

Called the 800 number again. Got a robot named Julie! This is possibly good. It speaks English. It took the reservation and quoted me a price that was double the online price. I hung up.

Tried the web site again in both browsers. No. Tried the phone app again. I got it to take my payment!

The e-ticket arrived and it is one way.

Well, I'm going East at the end of February. We'll see if I am returning. I really can't tolerate working on this any more today. I've already spent over two hours.

This is the kind of thing that makes me absolutely NUTS.

Now, here's what I really wanted to share today. I had posted this picture once long ago on Facebook, but then I couldn't find it. Well, the original slide is somewhere, but I knew I had it digitally. It just wasn't filed where it belonged. Anyway, here it is!

This is from a Girl Scout campout either my junior or senior year in high school. I actually don't know most of the girls because it was some kind of council exchange thing where our troop went and camped with another troop.

I have no idea who owned the truck. It was borrowed for the occasion, but my mother agreed to drive it. My mom had spirit! She is sitting on the running board.

The woman standing on her right (picture left) is Delores Bush, the school librarian who was our assistant scout leader. She was rigid and severe at school, but had a fun sense of humor and spunk when one got to know her.

I am sitting top left in the picture with my hands on the head of Vienna Louma (nickname Vanilla. I was Chocolate, and another girl with red hair- not in the picture- was Strawberry) whom I met at Camp Comstock. She was from Ithaca. Sitting next to me is Faith Hiltbrand, a friend from school. She died a couple of years ago. The only other person I recognize is Lexi King of Trumansburg who has her head sticking out of the cab window (or maybe she's standing on the running board).

The truck makes this look like it's a scene from about two centuries ago instead of only one! We didn't care. It was a truck to haul our tents and gear, and we had a blast. Thanks to whomever trusted the ladies to borrow it. I'm wearing my standard out-of-school uniform. Jeans and t-shirt. See My Natural Habitat

I am pretty much in a snit about the ticket. Edited a little, but I'm busy snitting. See you tomorrow.

See Sunrise from the Train

100 Miles for Monica

 It was an awesome day for Monica. She wasn't sure she was going to have enough time free from work/family to finish her Hike 100 for the year. But we managed to pull it off today. See the "100" in the snow?

The day... well, the day was even busier than yesterday, believe it or not. I managed to edit a little bit in the morning. But then I had to do errands. Monica picked me up after lunch and we went to check on a venue for an upcoming chapter event. We planned to take a short hike after that.

But she only had to do five miles to complete her 100 for the year! So we decided to try for it. I was the one with the deadline. I had to be back for bell choir practice.

Monica has been so swamped with work we haven't had really any time together lately, so this was great fun!

We managed to hike 5 trail miles, 0.5 spur trail miles, clear 7 or 8 smallish trees off the trail by brute force, take locations for another 6 that someone will have to come get with a saw-- all in 2.25 hours. And we got done before the rain started, and I got to bells on time!

We hiked as far as the new turnpike section that was completed in August. It made a great goal for us to shoot for. It's looking good. Next spring will be the real test. This area is usually a mess in spring.

And after bell choir I had a zoom meeting for another hour.

Next stop, bed with a book or a game.

Miles hiked in 2024: 543.8. NCT miles hiked in 2024: 165.5

North Country Trail, Lake Co, MI. Bowman Trailhead south to Rainbow Bend and back. 5.5 miles

See Loren Gets 100 Miles See Young Volunteers

Sausage Time for Sunny

 Snow is pretty much gone for now, and the temperature was quite moderate today. Sunny is turned into the winter sausage.

Last year, tinfoil crammed in the door crack kept mice from getting inside. Hopefully that will work again. I brought in the mats and anything that shouldn't freeze. I took a few things out there that can freeze. This year, I remembered to bring the small shop vac in the house for the winter.

I tie the extra ropes around it because it can get so windy up here, and I don't want the cover to shred.

I also put away the rest of the garden stuff and a few other little outside jobs.

This evening, the bell choir gave an extra concert at Cornerstone Church. We played all four of our Christmas songs. I'll get them recorded for you, but not tonight. Because this was an odd time for us, we had to have several substitute players, and even a sub director. But, we did all right.

Just in case this wasn't enough, I edited a lot in the morning, and got groceries on the way home from the concert. I think that's enough for one day!

See My Little Sausage

More Vermin Tales

 We no longer have a dog. I no longer have any toxic houseplants (maybe). I really have very few houseplants. I gave them all away before the big hike, only requesting that one of them come home. Two more have appeared since then, but one of those is now dead.

Well, I do have the succulents that came inside from the rock garden for the winter. Two of those are a variety of aloe, but I don't really consider those houseplants.

The mouse traps we had were getting tired, and the mice were continually stealing the bait without getting caught. So I bought new traps. Good traps. Caught seven mice in four days and the current population seems to be zero.

However, I've learned something this year. I've never had this problem before, but mice will burrow in houseplants. And they will bite them off.

See the hole beside the Christmas Cactus? At least this plant is still alive.

They plain old killed a plant Marie gave me this summer.

There are some plants that are supposed to be poisonous to them. Aloe is on that list. However, they don't seem to have noticed. The two aloe that I would like to grow large enough to put in the rock garden for the summer have been continually dug up and left lying on the top of the soil. Aloe are tough, but even they have limits. I have two small sprigs that are still alive. Barely.

I have not caught a mouse for over a week now, nor seen, nor heard one.

Do I dare fill in that hole? Last time I did, it was immediately cleared out the next night.

I have now read that I can put certain spices in the pots that will deter the mice. If they come back, I'll try that.

I love the cute little deer mice and hate killing them, but they have to agree to my rules that they stay outside-- out of my pantry, kitchen and plants.

In other news: I edited a LOT. I watched White Christmas because, well, I like Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen, and it's a sappy, feel-good Christmas story.

See Six Mice

Spirit of the Woods Hike - December

 Today was the monthly hike of the Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the NCTA. We had 15 people, a ferret, and two dogs who braved the snow. The sled has Toys for Tots that we collected.

Dan Dreisinga received the chapter Honor Award for the year. He's done a ton of work for the chapter since joining, and the plan is that he will be the next president.

Then we headed into the snowy woods. Snowshoes were appropriate.

We hiked outward for an hour before turning around. We only made 1.5 miles in that hour. Monica stayed back at Timber Creek and got a fire going and water heating.

People brought finger food to share. The temperature rose to the 40s, so it was plenty comfortable to stand/sit around and visit for a while.

I managed to edit a little and do the dishes, but this pretty much filled my working day. After I got cleaned up, I crashed with a book.

This snow is going away. The next few days will be above freezing. That's good. I have to put Sunny to bed for the winter yet.

Miles hiked in 2024: 538.3. NCT miles this year: 160.5

North Country Trail, Lake County, MI. Timber Creek north and back 3.0 miles

See SPW- November