Walking in a Winter Wonderland Again

This is my last walk in Minnesota. Tomorrow we drive to Milwaukee.

It's misty and cold today. I love it.

It's three miles around the lake. I want to try walking the entire way today but doubt we can make it. We started through the nearby woods but thought better of that because it looked a little treacherous. Falling in the snow is one thing, falling on the ice is another.

So we're on the safe walk. Earmuffs, hat, scarf over my nose and mouth. Gloved hands in my pockets but they're still tingling. I love it! It's so exciting I can hardly stand it.

Can't see to the far side of the lake. Can't even see too far ahead. We're talking about the North pole explorers and how it must have been to see nothing but a sea of white before them.

About 10 feet below us on the lake we see a cross country skier from time to time. Further out on the lake are two men next to a little hole. How can they even think about fishing?

I can't possibly even stand still.

But I love it.

Afterwards hot soup at Turtle Bread.

I've Learned My Lesson

About noon I couldn't find my wallet. It was missing from my purse.

Of course I retraced my steps from the last time I'd seen it. We decided that I had to have lost it in the restaurant last night while we were celebrating my birthday with friends. I'd put my purse on the floor under the big round table. The wallet must have fallen out.

Yes, I looked in the car.

My boyfriend called the restaurant. They would make a search but the restaurant was jammed and they couldn't crawl around under the table with eight diners seated there.

How serious was it? Lots of credit cards, money, insurance cards, gift cards, drivers license and I.D. (I have 2 more planes to board.) And here's the worst part. I wasn't carrying my copies of all of these things.

We headed to the car to drive to the restaurant to crawl under the table where the 8 diners were eating to look for the wallet - ourselves!

But when I opened the passenger's side door, out tumbled the wallet.

All of the cards are copied - and life is good again.



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The Nutcracker

To my knowledge, there are no more tall department stores in Florida. Almost all of them are located in malls. Two-stories at the most.

Yesterday we took our walk in downtown Minneapolis. It was cold. Many of the tall buildings disappeared into the midst. We admired the architecture. We toured the new library (designed by Cesar Pelli.) We took the stairs.

Then we walked a few blocks to Macy's. We have Macy's in Florida. They bought out our wonderful Florida department store, Burdines, several years ago. Some of us still affectionately call it "Burdines."

The Macy's in downtown Minneapolis was once Dayton's. They were bought out by Marshall Fields. Marshall Fields was bought out by Macy's. My Boyfriend calls it "Dayton's."

It's one of those wonderful, old 12 story high department stores - with a bargain basement. The 12th floor has a famous restaurant called "The Oak Grill." They're known for their chicken pot pie.

At Christmas time, on the 8th floor, they have a presentation of what we, when I was a child, knew as the "windows." Remember the windows with the animated themes where we pressed our noses against the glass until somebody dragged us away?

But this is much more eleborate. It consists of 16 animated, lavishly decorated ROOMS. They tell a story. (They would make even Disney proud.)

They've done it every year since 1963 so we need to give Macy's props for keeping up the tradition. Last year was my first time. It was "Mary Poppins." Not the movie mind you, but the book.

This year we stood in line with loads of preschoolers to see "The Nutcracker." Well worth the wait.

I only wish my younger grandchildren could have been with us - especially the ones who missed out on seeing "The Nutcracker in Florida this year.



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Concept vs. Reality

I know many children and adults who've never seen snow. Of course they know what it is. They've seen it on the news. But
they've never experienced it. It's a concept to them.

I've lived in Florida for 45 years. Twice it's "officially" snowed but it wasn't anything to write home about. Over the years I've visited snowy places - but haven't really had the time or the inclination to play.

Snow is more like a concept to me. Something I experienced as a child.

This morning I woke up in Minnesota. Snow is everywhere. My Boyfriend's back yard, the creek, other yards, are all one big snow covered wonderland.

We had a hearty breakfast, bundled up and drove to a close by park. We walked for miles. When we got home we played in the back yard. I've been excited all day.

Just like a little kid. I kept putting off going to the bathroom because I had on many, many layers of clothes.

For those of you who were impressed with my one little suitcase packing, it's mostly because I wore half my clothes up here on the plane.

Playing in the snow is one of the things I used to know in concept but now have experienced as reality.

Gifts

I've already received several Christmas gifts. Nothing big and fancy or expensive. Just loving.

Last night the husband of one of my Power Rangers threw her a surprise birthday party. It's hard to believe but she was truly surprised! Of course the logistics of getting her out of the house and others into the house - and then getting her back into the house - were daunting.

My take on it is that this was as much a gift for her friends as it was for her. Being in her home, surrounded by people I love was a wonderful birthday gift for ME. This is good because my birthday is coming right up.

There are lots of December babies. I don't know why.

My best gift so far is a card. I had my usual breakfast with my OLD friends yesterday. He's 87 years old, she's 88. They gave me a card. I waited until I got home to open it.

It's home made. They made it themselves. My picture is in the middle, surounded by felt poinsettias and angel stickers.

Gifts don't get much better than this.



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Packing

I'm packing today for a 3 week trip that will include 10 stops. I'm not leaving until Sunday morning but tomorrow is another busy Christmas celebration day so I don't want to have to rush home to do it.

Besides I'm putting everything into a tiny suitcase that I can heft over other passengers' heads and slide into the overhead compartments on at least 3 planes.

And I'm going from weather in the 80s to weather in the zeros and everything in between so it takes a little thinking through.

I've heard more than one of my friends tell people "She's taking one pair of jeans and one pair of black pants!" - like I'm some sort of crazy bag lady trying to fit my stuff into a shopping cart.

But, actually, it's not just about the packing. It's about life.

These days I travel light.



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Songs of the South

We have a big controversy going on right now in Florida. Our state song has been rejected for being racist. That's right, "Swanee River" (you may know it by it's real title which some people think fits us "Old Folks at Home") is being replaced.

We're down to 3 contenders for the new song. The guy in the lead is a New Zealander.

But parodies abound. They all deal with our faults.

And currents songs have been suggested like "Big Yellow Taxi" (They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.)



And, of course, there are those who want to retain "Old Folks at Home." They think only the pinko liberals are offended by the words. After all, we don't have any more slaves in Florida.


My favorite local columnist, Mike Thomas, wrote several sets of lyrics for alternative consideration this morning. Following are his titles:

To the tune of "I Shot the Sheriff" - I Bought the Condo

To the tune of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" - My Glock is Packed, I'm Ready to Go

To the tune of "She Loves Me" - I'm In Foreclosure, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.

But my favorite was by another columnist, Scott Maxwell, written to the tune of "America the Beautiful"



Oh, hurricane-filled, cloudy skies,

O'er sinkhole-covered lots;

Where mice run free,

And we clear-cut trees;

Where elections we have botched.



Oh Florida, Oh Florida

You mean the world to me,

Where beaches have sea walls,

And lots of strip malls,

Ooph, I just hit a man-a-tee.



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Bug Season

The holidays are here. That means lots of people are sick. Not me. I'm fine. My little B/P saga is under control and I'm looking forward to flying north in a few days for a glorious reunion with my BF.

But I'm also spending time with lots of other people including kids with running noses and adults with crazy coughs.

The little Viet Namese lady who did my nails today was sick as a dog. After all of that pampering I went straight to the restroom and scrubbed from the elbows down.

My 2 and 4 year old grand kids are coming over tonight. I can't wait. Tomorrow morning I'm visiting a man who's sick in bed with the stomach stuff.

Tomorrow afternoon I'm attending my favorite luncheon of the season - or any season. No telling how many germ factories will have had their hands in the buffet before it's over.

Christmas eve I'll be in church with hoards of little kids bouncing off the walls. My new 4 week old grand child is playing the baby Jesus. It's an acting stretch because she's a girl but I think she can pull it off.

Is all of this worth the risk of my getting a bug? Are you kidding me?

But I have started taking Airborne and doubling up on the V-C.



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Houses

I love being in people's houses. Our living spaces tell so much about us.

I remember my grandparents' city house being big and beautiful. It wasn't big. Quite small really. But the yard was huge. And almost all of it was covered in flowers.

A writer/artist friend lives in a 300 sq. ft. space. It's charming.

One of my Power Rangers has lived in the same house for over 30 years. It's a "big family" house. The "go to" place. I laugh whenever I see her garage. Two cars can fit in but the walls are lined up solid with stuff. I'll bet she could live in the garage for a year and not run out of supplies.

My Boyfriend's daughter and family live in downtown Chicago in one of those tall, deep, skinny, one room wide-four stories high, brick houses. (Think the Cosby show.) I love it.

Another of my Power Rangers and her husband have recently downsized. They moved from a downtown house to my condo community - into the very same floor plan as my condo. Their place is lovely - but it looks very different from mine.

I've lived here for the past 12 years in a two-bedroom condo. I love where I live and don't think I would move even if I was fabulously well-to-do.

It's a good thing because I would be seriously breaking the 10th Commandment these days if I wasn't content in my place - since I've recently been in some fabu homes.

A younger friend told me yesterday that she wasn't going to any more holiday get-to-gathers because it was too hard on her to be in people's big houses when she didn't have one.

That's sad on so many levels.

It's also one of the reasons our country's in the mortgage mess.



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Shopping Tips

I've been a party animal the last couple of weeks. Last night was my big annual Sunday school party. Lavish and fun.

After heavy Hors de oeuvres and heavy desserts we (about 45 of us) settled in for the gift exchange. It's one of those deals where, when your number is called, you pick your wrapped gift.

Everybody brings one. Everybody gets one.

The big hit last night was - well, I don't know what it was. I guess some sort of exercise gizmo. There were all sorts of suggestions as to what it was. Some a little off color.

Most of the gifts were useless but funny.

But I have some practical suggestions for your last minute shopping. I read about the following gifts in the flight catalogue while on my way home from Atlanta a few days ago.

• PERSONALIZED BRANDING IRON $89.95 plus shipping. Just think about your loved one serving the big standing rib roast on Christmas morning with her initials seared right on top. She'll be the envy of everybody. Or think about meatloaf for the kids. They're screaming and hungry but she says "Wait just a minute while I burn my initials into the side of this thing." I can't think of anybody who wouldn't be impressed. And the kids could find lots of other fun things (pets) to brand.

• BASKO THE SUMO WRESTLER Sculpture and Glass-Topped Table. $225.00 for the wrestler and $89.95 for the glass. This is a lovely nearly naked Sumo squatting beneath the clear glass. What's not to love.

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Healing Memories

I was with a group a while back where we were asked to tell about the best Christmas gift we received as children.

I told about receiving some homemade paper dolls from one of my aunts. Back then people would sometimes make paper doll clothes from wallpaper samples. I know this sounds pathetic but much of my childhood was pathetic.

Years ago I worked in fund raising at a Children's Home. Most people don't know what this is. They think it's an orphanage. But there are very few orphanages in this country. Most every child has a mom or dad.

But there are lots of sad stories. This particular children's home is a good place where the children live in beautiful brick cottages with house parents, go to school, receive counselling, and, for the most part, live well.

But most children would still rather live with their parents, no matter how bad it is. One day I stopped by a cottage to chat with a houseparent. He showed me to the bedroom of one of the children. It was the day before Thanksgiving. The child's belongings were neatly piled on the bed because he was excited about his mom picking him up after school for a home visit.

But the houseparent told me that she'd just called. She wasn't coming. It was the 4th holiday in a row that she wouldn't be coming. The houseparent was dreading having to tell the child.

Later in the day I scared up some tickets to a theme park so that he and the other kids who didn't get picked up by family could have fun on Thanksgiving.

I learned a long time ago that one of the best ways to heal my childhood memories is to make good memories for other kids.


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She's Still At It

Thirty years ago I met a woman here in this city who, like me, was trying to change the world.

She's still at it.

The other day she wrote an editorial for the paper about her work with kids. To be more specific, Muslim, Jewish and Christian kids. She's all about projects that help these kids work and play together.

She says, "We are teaching our kids from the three faiths that human kindness transcends everything."

Our kids have learned how similar they are, but more important, they are learning about the differences that exist among them...learning not to be fearful or suspicious of those differences, but to treat them with respect...

You would absolutely not believe the hateful, mean, scary replies she's received from this one editorial. And I'm ashamed to say that it looks like most of them have come from Christian men.

I don't know how she has kept her courage over these many years. Nor do I know how she has the stamina (at her age - which is my age) to carry on.

In 2006 she was Amnesty International's Human Rights Activist of the year.

Let's see. What was I doing last year?

Magical Night

My favorite museum has a large collection of Tiffany art work. Every Christmas, for one night only, they haul out Tiffany Christmas Windows and place them in the park - on my favorite street. It seems like a lot of trouble to me but I'm so happy they do it.

The windows are all back lit and breathtakingly beautiful. Right after dark the Bach Choir, in formal wear, tunes up for Christmas carols in the bandstand.

Father Christmas walks around and chats up people. He's different from Santa because he wears the LONG coat.

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people show up with their blankets and lawn chairs. Some bring little tables with linen and stemware for a champagne picnic.

If you get bored with the Tiffany or choir you can step across the street (easy because traffic is blocked off) and shop at the beautiful shops. Or just enjoy the twinkle lights for as far as you can see.

This all happened last night. As my friends and I sat out on the street, next to the park, having a light supper we said in unison:

"It just doesn't get better than this."

Of course we all have family that we wish could experience this. I wish my Boyfriend could see it. But last night, for a little while, I was "in the moment" with people I love.


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The Comback Kid

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling terrible, as I have for a while.

But since I'd been on new drugs from the cardiologist for 24 hours I began feeling better throughout the day. So by last night I was my old self.

And my blood pressure is FALLING. Whee!

Let's review what can happen to you if your B/P stays unusually high. Heart damage, stroke, kidney failure, dementia and other stuff.

Had a wonderful lunch with friends. When it started I was sick. When it ended I was well.

Then met with my Power Rangers in the afternoon. We had a deep conversation about ultimate things. I love and admire their individuality, wisdom, openness, goodness and spirituality. I felt energized when I left.

I felt back to pretending to be the most powerful woman in the world.

But on the way home a little old lady I know called and asked if I'd stop by because her car (Lexus) smelled really bad and she didn't know what to do. So I stopped to smell this person's luxury car. It was pretty bad but I couldn't find any dead animals in the undercarriage so I told her she'd best take it to the dealer.

So much for self importance. But I still feel good.

Slow is Beautiful

One of the things I used to consult about was"Time Management." To me it was never about being busy every minute of the day. It was always about living a "Balanced Life."

Creative people, especially, need time to think and dream. But we all need to take the time to figure out who we are. My body rhythms are not like yours. My mind is sharp in the morning and clicks off at about 7 PM.

I've read literally hundreds of articles on "Time Management." The vast majority of writers tell us to slow down but then spend half of the article bragging about how crazy busy they are.

Even my retired friends are in a tizzy most of the time. Way over committed. Sometimes when I ask "Why did you volunteer to do this?" the answer comes, "Because nobody else would do it."

My answer to that is always "So?"

Today when I was having lunch at Panera's and looking at my "People" magazine I counted how many diners (seated with other people) were on their cell phones. LOTS! If I have lunch with you, here's all I want - your undivided attention.

My friend and guru sent me these quotes a while back:

We carry whole worlds within us as we brush by each other in the supermarket to read mayonnaise jars - Mark Nepo

The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside. And only she who listens can speak. - Dag Hammerskjold

The two most radical things you can do in America are to slow down and talk to each other. - Mary Pipher



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Dogs

I'm not really a dog person. They're OK but I like the saying:

You're never really free until the last kid leaves and the dog dies.

When I was a runner I had a couple of scary times with big mean dogs. I'm still afraid of them. But my very favorite dog weighed as much as I do. He belonged to my son in law and family for 14 years. A Golden Retriever, he was the sweetest dog I've ever seen. He died last year after declining health that lasted way too long.

A few months before my Real Husband died he said, I can't believe that dog is going to outlive me!

Spoiled dogs crack me up. I see lots of designer dogs, all decked out, at the Farmer's Market every Saturday.

My brother and sister in law have two little, tiny white dogs. One is a psychopath. A couple of years ago my niece wrote to tell me that she was worried because her folks were "dressing the dogs." As it turns out, it was just dog sweaters - but my brother did buy one of the dogs a tiara when he visited me a few years ago. He bought his wife oranges.

Regarding spoiling dogs, how far is too far?

I read an article in my paper last week about doggie implants for those unfortunate males who've been neutered.

While neuticles - testicular implants for dogs - are strickly cosmetic, they're said to boost a pet's self-esteem by replacing what was lost.

I'm not making this up.

Predictions

I heard the first Advent sermon this morning on "Preparing." It was to remind us that we need to prepare for things we know are going to happen but we don't know when.

There are always people around predicting when stuff will happen. They're almost always wrong.

Another hurricane season is behind us. Despite dire predictions, Florida has been relatively hurricane free for the last three years.

One of our big hotel tycoons threatened to sue the National Weather Service over the predictions. Bad for business.

Not unlike predicting the stock market, predicting hurricanes is tricky. This past year one of our local columnist did his own study.

His panel consisted of:

• Meteorologist and Hurricane Expert William Gray (who has traditionally scared the bejeebers out of us)
• A monkey from the local zoo
• His 4 year old son
• Himself

As there were several categories the results were mixed. But they were all consistently wrong.

I guess the lesson from the columnist and the minister are the same. We know some things are going to happen but we don't know when. So let's try to be ready all the time.

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But Are They Worthy ENOUGH!

This morning at the Christmas Parade I talked with an acquaintance who complained to me about delivering a turkey dinner last week to people she didn't feel were "worthy enough" to receive it. It didn't give her the warm, fuzzy feeling she was after.

Many years ago my Real Husband was the executive director of an urban ministry in Fort Lauderdale. There were all kinds of programs to get involved with: literacy, building projects, systemic community change, hunger and lots more.

We were always scrambling for volunteers.

Except at holiday time. This time of year people are so loving and generous. Back then we had a group of several hundred business men and women who delivered turkey dinners and gifts to needy families.

We always had loads of food donated so it was a fun experience. Except there were always a few (thankfully, very few) delivery people who were disappointed. The receiving families just didn't look needy enough to them. Sometimes they lived in pretty nice houses. Sometimes the kids had - not only a tree - but presents under the tree!

We were always nice to these business people. But we usually invited them to come back in January and they would see the kind of poverty they were after. Most everybody gets fed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But there are 363 other days of the year.


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Am I Having a Stroke or Just in Love?

The B/P drama continues. First a recap.

Sunday I became ill and had a B/P of 203/92. After two days of tests in the hospital I was thrown out due to good health.

Wednesday I felt ill and was sent to Urgent Care with a B/P of 197/92. Had to stay there a few hours to get it down but I did talk with my friend/handyman who was painting my bathroom. He asked me to stop for more paint on the way home.

Friday I finally got in to see my Internist. (B/P 178/94) She switched my meds to a beta blocker to tide me over until I see the cardio guy on Tuesday. Took the first one in her office.

Today, after a restless night I drove to my favorite street to have 7:30 breakfast with my dear old friends. At 9:00 A.M. the Christmas Parade started.

I walked up and down the street greeting old and new friends. I felt terrible and thought I might keel over or (worse) throw up but, oh well, probably 500 people would call 911. They were already on their cell phones.

How did I feel? Exhausted, dizzy, weak, short of breath.

After shopping I drove home thinking I'd take my blood pressure then head to Urgent Care again for another jump start.

But to my pleasant surprise, the meds were working and B/P was pretty good (150/66.)

Just looked up info on the beta blocker. Side effects are fatigue, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath and trouble sleeping.

I still feel that way but I'm happy.



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