sunflowery's Diaryland Diary

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Catching Up. Long Entry, so Beware.

Good Lord it's been a while since I've updated. Sorry folks...life with school and work and a husband and 2 cats is busy and not very exciting.

Tracing back my life - Did anyone see the season finale of Veronica Mars last Tuesday? Oh! So! Good! Anyway, last Wednesday night: I stopped by the DMV to get a new photo for my driver's license. They took it but it takes 3 to 4 weeks before they mail it out. Bummer. I thought I would have it to take with my on my road trip. Bob surprised me by doing the laundry. Silly man. He was supposed to leave it so we could bring it to WI.

Last THURSDAY - Bob woke me up before he went to class. He said he was feeling dizzy and nauseated. He HAD to go to school though as he had presentations in both classes. He said he didn't think he could go to WI with me but would let me know when he got back from school. I prayed for him before he left and then went back to sleep and slept until 9am.

I got up at 9 and began cleaning our apartment. Then I packed my suitcase and made sure I had everything I needed for the trip to WI.

Bob didn't get home until a little after 2. He still wasn't feeling well, so we decided he would stay home and I would go to WI by myself. It was hard to leave him home, but I knew that if he wasn't feeling well, it was best for him to stay where he would be comfortable. Plus, he could take care of the kitties. I gave him my dad's work number and had him call my dad in order to tell him I was on my way.

I drove through rain most of the way, but due to my wisdom in picking up a book on tape, I barely noticed. The 5 hour trip went by so fast! I made one stop in LaCrosse for dinner and the rest of the time, I was speeding my way towards my folks' home. I got there at almost 8 on the dot. Just in time to watch CSI with my dad. Yay!

FRIDAY: I got to sleep in a bit and then Mom and I went downtown for some coffee (well, I had chai). The town was spiffy in preparation for the big Syttende Mai festival. We got our drinks and ran into mom and dad's former neighbors. It was nice chatting and catching up with them. I hadn't seen them in a long time. They left and Mom and I sat on the coffee house couch and chatted for a while.

After coffee, we went into some shops. A brand new shop had JUST opened in time for the festival. They specialized in selling art from local artists. One of the most beautiful pieces was something called digital painting. They took a photograph of a scenic place and then used digital photography software to make it look like an impressionistic painting. It was beautiful. There was a sofa sized painting that I long to hang in our living room. They also had sculpture, pottery, jewelery, and paper goods. And they had a shop dog! A sweet natured golden retriever that would press her nose into your hand if you weren't using it to pet her already. They also had yarn! And they were going to have classes in knitting, crocheting, art, drawing, photography, you name it! It is exactally what my mom needs and I am glad for the timing of this shop's opening. Wish I still lived there so I could partake of the wonders of this place.

Mom and I also hit the cheese shop and the housewares shop. I got a bottle of Reisling from a local winery at the housewares shop.

Later on we went to Target where I purchased a wine stopper. Then on to Michael's where I purchased 2 candles for my Southern Living at Home candlesticks. We also stopped in to Ashley Furniture. They had some nice pieces for good prices.

We headed home to meet my dad. He got home soon after so we set out for the downtown area of their town. The festival had officially started which meant the food booths were up and serving.

We had brats and hot dogs from the Optimist booth, corn on the cob from the Rotary and cheese curds from...The Lions? I can't remember. No! The Lions were selling Polse Lefse. Which is a hotdog wrapped in lefse. Didn't try that delicacy.

After eating, we wandered down the street and ran into people they know. We ran into some other former neighbors who were walking with their granddaughter. I asked her how old she was. She looked at me square in the face and said, "NO!" Her grandfather said she's not very good with strangers. Ha.

After wandering around a bit, we stopped at the bridge covering the river that runs through town in order to watch the canoe races. That was fun. The guys that won were paddling in sync with muscle and were way ahead of anyone else. In fact, they came around the bend and finished before we even saw any other canoes.

After the canoe race, we head over to the parking lot where the street dance was to take place. Street dance, HA! It was more like hooligan central. Lots of middle and high schoolers running around, spraying silly string, chaing each other, yelling, and laughing. We saw a cop question one hooligan, be heckled by 4 more, and arrest another all in the span of about 4 minutes.

My dad pointed out a guy I went to high school with. I scoffed. No way. That guy was a guy. A dad. A dude. He had grey at his temples. He couldn't be the guy who went to high school with me. Then a middle school age kid ran up to him to beg for money. I laughed. No way could he be old enough to have a kid that old. Dad laughed at me. "You have a brother with a 10 year old." Oh yeah. And my 20th high school reunion is next summer. The people I went to high school with are OLD! I'm OLD! Arg!

After the hooligan watch, we went home and chilled out.

SATURDAY: I got up early and drove to Madison in order to meet my friend at the farmers market. I drove down John Nolan Dr. and drank in the skyline of the capitol and Monona Terrace. So cool.

I parked my car and grapped my bag. I should mention at this point that my digital camera was with me the whole time, though I was experiencing technical difficulties. My LCD screen went cablooey! I could still take pictures, but I couldn't see them until I plugged my camera into my computer and downloaded them.

Anyway, I was walking up State Street and saw the Syttende Mai race runners passing by the capitol square. However, by the time I got to the square, they had all passed by. I stopped at the coffee stand and got some chai while an old cowboy played the steel guitar. I wandered around and took pictures while I waited for my friend. Some minutes later an older runner ran by the opposite way as all the other runners had been running. He was lost! He asked for directions and was set onto the right path. I hope he made it!

My friend and her mom showed up, got their coffee and we started out. In the past, when I lived here and went to the farmers market every weekend, we used to walk once around th square to see what bargains were to be had. Today, we just made one loop around. I was on the lookout for cheese and flowers. I found both plus some home made summer sausage. So good. My friend and her mom were looking for plants and flowers for their gardens. They scored some beautiful greens. I bought some lillies of the valley, tiny, romantic purple roses and some rembrandt tulips. Ahhh.

After we finished our tour of the market, we sat for a bit and chatted before parting ways. They needed to stop at some nurseries for more good things to plant and I had other plans.

As I walked back to my car, I took pictures and stopped at a local cheese and wine shop. I wanted to purchase a fume from a local winery but ended up getting a cranberry blush and some cheese curds. Mmmmm, squeeky cheese!

I drove back to my home town, parked my car and used my mom's cell phone to call a friend who's boyfriend had just finished the race from Madison. (They run from the capitol square to the fair grounds in my home town.) We hooked up in order to say hey and then they took off. Their story is cute. The gal I called used to be a student in the high school youth group I was a leader in at the church I went to in Madison. She's now a college graduate and is working in Madison. She met a guy I have been friends with for a while. In fact, he was in the single's group I was in when I lived in Madison. And now they are dating! My friend and my former student! Whoot!

After they left, I walked to main street and got a brat, some cheese curds and took some pictures.

There was a guy standing on the corner of the main street. He had a bullhorn and was street preaching at the crowd. He was not preaching love and forgiveness. He was the fire and brimstone type. We were all sinners on our way to hell. Most of the people in the crowd were doing their best to ignore him. However, there was a gang of middle school boys heckling the guy. The louder they got, the more firery and loud he got. There were others handing out tracts. I wish now that I would have taken one just to see what kind of message it held. Most people ignored them too. But one girl took the tract, looked at it with disgust, then threw it down and said, "Ha! I don't believe in anybody. Not Jesus. Not Budda. Not Ghandi. Nobody!" Okaaaaay.

After that, I went to the town opera house to hear the Grieg men's chorus. I heard them sing Amazing Grace and Oh Norway, My Norway. Very moving.

After that, I wandered around town some more and then settled in to watch the youth parade. I grabbed some curb and waited. And waited. And waited. It took a while to start, but when it did, it was fun.

Just towards the end of the parade, a woman in a group of people sitting near me recognized me as a high school classmate. We reaquainted ourselves with one another and had a nice chat. I met her kids and her friend's kids. As we were talking, we noticed the clouds closing in. Minutes ago it had been sunny and warm but now a wind had kicked up and it grew dark and chilly. As the last float passed by, the skies opened up. Everyone ran for the awnings over our quaint shops. It poured. It was awkward standing so close to so many strangers, but we were all in the same boat. I had an umbrella in the car, but that was 10-12 blocks away!

Once the rain let up a bit, I walk/ran to my car, a bit more wet than worse for wear. I drove home and had just enough time to arrange my flowers and upload my photos. Then my beloved nephews, sister-in-law and brother showed up for a family barbeque.

We had a nice visit, a lovely meal and wonderful fellowship. After they left, I forced myself to study from some of the school work I brought.

Bedtime came fast, but after the day I had, I was more than ready to sleep.

SUNDAY: church with my folks. We got there early so I could chat with a gal from there who had had bariatric surgery in February. It was nice to chat and talk about what has become familiar to us now.

After church was lunch at Culvers with my brother and his family. LOVE them! As we were finishing lunch, a tour bus pulled in and we agreed that our timing couldn't have been better.

After lunch, I packed up my stuff, packed up my car, said goodbye to my folks and took off. I had another book on tape and again, the trip went by so fast. I had to stop once, again in LaCrosse. I got home by 5 and was able to have a sweet reunion with my precious hubby. SO FUN! Except I was so tired from all that driving and activity, I was in bed and asleep by 8:30.

MONDAY: Up and awake by 7:30. Starting homework for class by 8. I had 2 papers due by 6pm. I finished the first paper by noon and the second paper by 3:30. Thankfully, we turn them in electronically, so I made the deadline. I took off for class by 4:15 and good thing I did. Traffic was horrible. I didn't get to my school until 5:30.

Class was awesome, once again. We lost one more classmate though. I really like all the people in my class. I am smack dab in the middle of the age groupings. We have 2 girls who were born in 1984, 3 people who graduated from high school in 1996, and 2 people who are 42. Me and one other girl are 37.

Monday is our last day in Concepts of Communication. We have a 10 minute presentation due and a paper. LOTS of work with these classes.

The rest of the week has just been work, homework, and sleep. Oh! I did take my wedding and engagement rings to the jewelery store to get resized. I am down 2 ring sizes! I can't wait to wear them without fearing I will lose them.

Nothing much else is going on. I leave you with a link to the pictures I took on my road trip. Click here to see the pics. As always, seeing them is free. You will be asked to set up a free account if you don't already have one. Snapfish is one of my favorite websites. Check them out.

8:39 p.m. - Thursday, May. 19, 2005
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