Perspective

It is hard to maintain perspective about life in the midst of chaos. It’s easy to think that everything has gone to hell and there is no hope for the future. I don’t know about you, but I find it crucial to being able to function to FIND some sense of balance with the world.

Like a lot of retirees, I suppose, I watch more TV than I should. That being said we no longer have cable tv — we get along quite nicely with a feed to the interWebs and with YouTube and Prime we fulfill pretty much all our needs/desires/interests that we can’t find in any other way.

I don’t think I have watched any commercially produced U.S. television except for a very very few news broadcasts in… well, at last since we moved into this house and for quite a while during the 5 years before in Franklin. On Prime I mostly watch foreign language TV. I find the languages challenging and my comprehension is growing in French, German & Spanish, and I am still totally confused by Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish. Mostly I rely upon subtitles — so it’s a family joke that we don’t “watch” tv, we “read” it.

The interesting thing — to me, has been that programs produced by other countries end up telling you subtle things about their cultures that you don’t get in “news stories.” Attitudes about social problems, for example, come infinitely clearer than we might expect from U.S. News stories about other culture. Yeah – if you are watching some fictional story about, for example, police procedurals, you have to realize that they too exaggerate various ideas to make their point, or their story — but the run of the mill life of characters, and living conditions that pass by your eyes as the camera pans from one place to another are telling.

We also tend to watch videos on YouTube about bike packers, through hikers (people walking a LONG trail or series of trails to a destination many miles distant). Sure, the scenery is interesting, we’ve gotten to see many places on this planet we’ll never get a chance to visit. But in addition to. scenery there are also the interactions between the biker/hikers and local residents of wherever they may be traveling. We’ve watched, with fascination, on every continent and been fascinated how humans are just that — human. We all have our joys and sorrows, we have troubles that we do our best to overcome, we interact with family, but we also interact with absolute strangers and there are millions of folks out there who are kind, and loving, and eager to help, feed, get to know strangers — just because. They have no ulterior motive. They aren’t greedy or miserly. Often, it seems that the poorest among them, among us, are the most generous and giving.

It’s important not to believe everything you see or hear. I remember being in my 20’s or younger and first coming across a scripture in the bible that exhorts people to “try the spirits, whether they be of God” — well, “Trying the Spirits” is pretty much the best advice you can give anyone. You always want to know whether you can trust the people you are dealing with, not everyone is wholesome and caring, some people are just jerks, others are pure evil, and “trying the spirit” is a good way to stay alive.

Here in the U.S. we are living in a bubble, and ugly, angry bubble — perhaps about to burst — or not. But we can easily be blinded to the fact that millions of people outside this country are getting along nicely, humanely, cooperatively together. No — not everywhere. There are wars and rumors of wars — there always have been. Humans seem unable to live together in peace for very long. Greedy people are impossible to satisfy and wars and poverty have been a constant in human experience. But not everywhere, at all times, for all people.

I don’t know how YOU maintain perspective. I wonder about what others are doing to maintain a level head in a very un-level world.

I hope you’re doing well — as well as can be expected. I know that’s always my comment back to my doctor on my 6 month visits: Are you depressed? Why sure, I’m depressed, anyone who is paying attention to the news HAS to be depressed, but no, I’m not having feelings of self-harming and I’m living the best life I can. It’s IMPORTANT to talk about the elephant in the room — world affairs. But never let the elephant stand on your toes!

So, enough for today. I’ll be back soon to chat some more. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. :-)

January 31, 2025January 25, 2025 Peter

The Garden Bench

About this time of year I really want to sit in a pleasant garden in the dappled shade and enjoy the sounds of nature around me. That was the mood I was my mood in 2010 while on a visit to Callaway Gardens, in Georgia. Just the right bench and just the right amount of sun to while away an hour or so, watching others enjoying the garden and myself and Peggy listening to the sound of birds and the smells of the garden.

I never used to want to sit idly on a bench. The idea of being “idle” was anathema to a guy who grew up on the Protestant Work Ethic. But I have learned the error of my ways. It’s taken a while, but yes, I think I can safely say that is a lesson I have learned.

I was on a speaking trip in England some years ago and I overnighted with a dear Christian sister named Amy Wood. She lived in Sheffield England — and is long since deceased. She was about 80 years old — I was in my late 40’s I guess. She was legally blind. Actually, all she could really “see” were shadows and not very distinct ones at that. Anyway, let me get to the story.

We were to attend a meeting at which I was speaking and after breakfast we sat in her lounge (our “living room”) waiting for someone to collect us and drive us to the meeting. As we sat there chatting, Amy said to me, “How nice it is to be ready and WAITING.”

We talked for half an hour about the idea of anticipation in our lives. How waiting for things intensifies the longing. I do think that for Christians the idea of anticipating the hereafter — whatever that may be — is a significant influence on how we live our life. But religion aside anticipation has a lot of positive benefits — as long as the thing anticipated is a positive thing. Anticipation becomes worry when the thing anticipated is a negative and I guess it’s only right that if positive anticipation brings about good results so also negative anticipation is going to bring about adverse results.

As a brief sidetone, I found it particularly difficult to sit there as an able bodied male whilst she made breakfast. The cracking of eggs and the cooking of bacon was difficult enough to watch from the table at the other side of the kitchen where I was perched on a stool. But what was agonizing was to watch her make toast — the English way.

That is a thing, or it was 20 or 30 years ago. Then, among the people whom I knew, not a one of them owned an electric toaster. They all used their oven boiler to toast bread for breakfast toast. None of the ovens I saw actually had timers that were effective for the short cycle of toasting bread — so I saw a fair number of bread slices get incinerated whilst cooks talked to guest/s. And in Amy’s case I watched as she incinerated slice after slice after slice because she didn’t want to serve a “guest” burnt bread. I’m sure she put the slightly singed pieces to good use somewhere — perhaps the birds got them — I don’t know — but I wanted to get up and snatch them out of the broiler before they were ruined — except I had been previously warned by a mutual friend that dear old Amy took umbrage at things being done for her. She was a proud woman who wanted to manage her own life. A sentiment I can now appreciate infinitely more than I could at the time.

Ok — that’s it for today. Take care of yourself and I’ll be back tomorrow to chat.

November 2, 2024October 30, 2024 Peter

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee is not exactly the place that you think of when you think about stunning or tend-setting architecture. We really only have one really trend setter and that is already a few years old, the Calatrava wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum. But I wanted to reminisce a little about the Milwaukee lakefront — the location for the art museum and how its location has changed. This first image is from 1945. At the left edge of the image, that dark gray long thing was the Northwestern Railway train station. it stood at the base of Wisconsin Avenue overlooking a plain that marked a fault line and a drop to the level of the lake. In the bottom center — that white concreted area served as a large promenade.

c1945 – A great aerial view looking west over the city before the War Memorial was built, and before the freeway system.

Before the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center was built in 1955, a statue of Abraham Lincoln was the focal point of that area, after years of fundraising. A movement to raise funds for a fitting memorial to Lincoln began in 1916.

The project was interrupted by World War I, but became a reality in 1934. Most of the money came from the city’s schoolchildren, with the rest given chiefly by labor unions and the city’s black community.

On Sept. 16, 1934, the 10’6″ bronze statue, created by sculptor Gaetan Cecre, was unveiled. The memorial site provided a magnificent view of the city’s shoreline. In 1955, the statue was moved to make room for the War Memorial Center. Today the statue stands just south of the center.

After World War II, Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen was commissioned to create an arts complex on the Lake Michigan shore, with a museum, performing arts center, and veterans’ memorial. After the architect died in 1950, his son Eero Saarinen took over the project. When fundraising proved insufficient, Saarinen reconfigured the plan without the performance space. Construction began in 1955, supervised by Milwaukee architects Maynard W. Meyer & Associates.

Eero Saarinen’s innovative design for the War Memorial Center was influenced by the abstract geometry of modern French architect Le Corbusier. Saarinen incorporated many of Le Corbusier’s ideas: lifting the bulk of a building off the ground on reinforced columns; eliminating load-bearing walls to allow a freeform façade and open floor plan; and using plazas, courtyards, and rooftop terraces to allow an interaction between internal and external spaces.

The Milwaukee Art Museum, which overlooks Lake Michigan, was partially housed in a building designed in 1957 by Eero Saarinen as a war memorial. From the outset, two lower floors were allocated for use as an art gallery. Further exhibition space was created in 1975 by David Kahler’s 160,000 square meter addition — a structure that extends to the water’s edge and effectively creates a plinth on the axis of the Saarinen building. The Saarinen-Kahler ensemble is notable for its massive character: a concrete structure with rectangular geometry, connected to the city by a concrete bridge. However, despite its growing importance, the museum lacked architectural identity and functional clarity.

Calatrava proposed a pavilion-like construction on axis with Wisconsin Avenue, the main street of central Milwaukee. Conceived as an independent entity, the pavilion contrasts to the existing ensemble in both geometry and materials, as a white steel-and-concrete form reminiscent of a ship. It is linked directly to Wisconsin Avenue via a cable-stay footbridge. Pedestrians may cross busy Lincoln Memorial Drive on the bridge and continue into the pavilion. Most visitors, though, will drive to the museum, entering either from a vaulted underground parking garage or from a drop-off in front of the new entrance.

The design adds 13,200 square meters to the existing 14,900 square meters, including a linear wing (made of glass and stainless steel, with lamella roof) that is set at a right angle to Saarinen’s structure. The design allows for future expansion, offset from but symmetrical to the exhibition facilities, on the other side of the Kahler building. At shore level, the expansion houses the atrium; 1,500 square meters of gallery space for temporary exhibitions; an education center with 300-seat lecture hall; and a gift shop. The 100-seat restaurant, which is placed at the focal point of the pavilion, commands panoramic views onto the lake.

The pavilion features a spectacular kinetic structure: a bris-soleil with louvers that open and close like the wings of a great bird. When open, the shape also becomes a sign, set against the backdrop of the lake, to herald the inauguration of new exhibitions. The pivot line for the bris-soleil’s slats is based on the axis of a linear mast, inclined at 47 degrees, as a parallel to the adjacent bridge mast.

Ok — enough about architecture for a while. Take care of yourself and I’ll chat with you tomorrow.

July 13, 2024 Peter

Why not try something crazy stupid?

June 21 1955. Sam Gray, David Rutford and Fred Hallberg begin their cruise down the Mississippi river from Saint Paul Minnesota on a homemade raft. The raft was built of barrels and planks. Power for the propeller was provided by a 1939 Chevrolet they had paid $ 15 for. the car had 172,000 miles on it. The rear wheels of the car ran against another set of wheels which turned the propeller. The car’s steering wheel turned the raft’s rudder.
In Saint Louis Missouri the men had a delay as the Chevy’s valves needed to be ground. Outside of Memphis Tennessee a bearing on the propeller shaft burned out but the men were able to repair it with tools borrowed from a barge crew. The men ran low on food as they discovered a stowaway was eating their food. The stowaway was a rat. The men tried fishing for food but caught nothing the entire trip.
Other problems encountered included mosquitoes, driftwood in the river and backwash from passing barges. On July 25 1955 the trio reached New Orleans. They planned to drive the Chevrolet back to Minnesota.
Epilogue. The three men made it back to Saint Paul driving the Chevrolet in 49 hours. The car used five gallons of oil for the return drive.
Photo Ramsey County Historical Society.

You needn’t ALWAYS be sensible!

May 1, 2024April 24, 2024 Peter

vicarious travel

Our daughter had to be at the airport before 6 a.m. for a flight. She’s going to Bozeman MT with fellow mom/mother in law Jennifer for a girls weekend together. I’m happy for them. And I’m living vicariously through them.

I’m not incapable of long distance travel. But between meds and medical appliances the actual taking of a trip can be more onerous than the enjoyment thereof. So, we have consciously limited how much/little we travel for the past couple years and that may be the case for the longterm future.

If you have lived your life with a little bit of gusto, by the time you get to our age it mightn’t be too much of a loss to start not doing some things. I’ve traveled more than I wanted in my life. While I do love travel, I never wanted to be away from Peggy as much as life has asked — but the side result is that there are a lot of places that I have been. So hearing that Katy was going to Bozeman was for me kind of like a return to a place I remember. Oh, sure, things have changed there in the years since I last set foot there. And I didn’t visit all that many times: a few pleasure trip motel nights, a few truck deliveries, several restaurants, a bad snowstorm or two. Still,

Memories are wonderful things. In my life I’ve never spent a lot of time reflecting on my childhood, or things I’ve done, but as I get older I admit to finding myself remembering a lot more about places I’ve been. Maybe just because I feel unwilling to make those same journeys again. I’m quite content to visit via the pages of memory rather than going there.

Kathryn has become good friends with her daughter’s husband’s mother. She and Jennifer share a lot and they are both gregarious. Truth be told I don’t know whose genes Katy received because neither Peg nor I are anywhere near as sociable as she is. But we are happy for her, and perhaps one of our only regrets in life is that she didn’t get to enjoy a sibling or two because at this time in life she seems to have missed that part of her growing up. It makes me sad but circumstances were such that it didn’t happen and we have to be content about that. However, the fact that she’s getting along so well with the in-laws (as well as a good complement of friends here at home) give us great happiness.

We don’t expect momentary updates — though she’s one to post her selfies like so many others. But I’m sure after she returns we’ll be regaled with tales of all the fun things they did. She loves telling stories; and we love listening to them. She IS enthusiastic!

The trip will only last a few days. Saturday she’ll be back home and happy to see her hubby. A little break is good. While she’s out there, we’re at the trailer soaking in the forest. Life is good right now.

April 1, 2024March 27, 2024 Peter

Why isn’t Door County an Island?

One of the most popular destinations in Wisconsin is Door County. It’s that finger of land that juts up on the far North-Eastern corner of the state. If you are in Sturgeon Bay — the gateway to the Door Peninsula — you cross a bridge. As you cross you can look both directions and see solid blue water on both sides. You are about to set food on an ISLAND.

It’s never been explained but for some reason we always think about Door county as if it WERE a peninsula when in fact it isn’t.

Peninsula: a piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out into a body of water.

Door county does indeed PROJECT. In multiple ways actually. The fact that such a narrow base is the only part in anything like close proximity to the rest of the state has resulted in a a county that has developed very much in it’s own ways. It’s a largely agricultural county — with summer tourism clearly challenging what remains of the agricultural landscape for dominance. A weekend visit is marked by a steady stream of traffic onto and off of the peninsula/island. There are no fast roads — the local interest lies in keeping traffic speed slow not only for the safety of pedestrians and bikers but also insuring that visitors will be inspired to stop at restaurants, parks, gift shops, and food vendors along the way. The few summer months are 90% of the county’s income production.

I have never, ever seen an explanation about why the peninsula isn’t called an island. It’s a lovely place to be. I bet there’s some legal or tax reason having to do with whether it qualifies as part of the state but I don’t really know.

We’ve only visited a few times in spite of its popularity with out of state visitors. I’m sure part of our reasoning has been that it’s just too busy for a rural area. I am, after all, a semi-qualified hermit.

From the quaint little towns to the verdant forest lined roads there’s a great deal of beauty to be seen. Places like Peninsula State Park offer camping and picnicking as well as boating and swimming. There are numerous marinas for your sail and powerboats. Summer isn’t the only time to visit — the great autumnal color display is outstanding in a year when summer weather has been good for fall colors. Autumn colors are always a gamble. 2022 was an outstanding year. 2023 saw rain during the colors and the leaves fell rather quickly. Too bad. But there are a lot fewer cars in autumn than in the summer and still a good number of hotels and restaurants catering to the traveler.

So, Peninsula or Island — take your pick, but give some thought to a visit next time your in Wisconsin

October 29, 2023 Peter

Devils Lake State Park

July 5, 2023July 3, 2023 Peter

Vacations with Adult Children

I like to travel. Peggy likes to travel. Our daughter Kathryn likes to travel. Our Son-in-Law Michael, not so much. The idea of a road-trip is NOT something Mike gets excited about; though he has periodically given in to his wife.

A couple months ago Katy asked us if we were interested in a trip together. Ostensibly it was to “help” her aging parents, but we all knew she was just itching for an excuse to use some PTO time.

Travel has been problematic these past three years. Not just because of COVID. Our mutual changing health situation has resulted in revising our view of travel; not always in favor of more travel. And now that we have returned home I have to admit that even our downward revision of how much activity is good, is overly optimistic. Still we had a great trip.

Our original plan had been driving south to St Louis for a visit to MoBot.

Missouri Botanical Gardens | Joe McCauley painting

It’s a place we’ve visited before and it’s always great to mix flowers with world class BBQ, pizza or a trip to the Old Spaghetti Factory. Unfortunately we ended up grudgingly accepting that it would be WAY to hot for two of the three of us.

A change of plans was needed and Katy has never been to Mackinaw Island. So North it was. We did not plan on smoke from Canadian fires, but in the end all worked out just fine.

I admit to being a “cheap” traveler. I rarely opt for the better hotels. Well, I NEVER opt for them. We rarely spend much time in hotel rooms, and to be honest we’ve never had enough money to AFFORD posh accommodations. We travel modestly and probably spend more money on dining which we all enjoy even more than having plush towels and larger rooms.

This trip, though, we splashed out on a lake view, a top floor, and a few more creature comforts. I’m glad we did because even with those concessions and a slowed down touring schedule it still took me three days home before my body was anywhere close to pain-free.

it’s a 7 hour drive from home to Mackinaw City. Much of that was spent in the rain, but switching drivers (which is still hard for me, I love to drive) made it easier. Still, Katy needs to contribute and I was happy for help.

Our first day in Mackinaw was forecast with poor air quality; it was the same day that Chicago had the worst air in the world. We were better but not great. With poor visibility we opted to drive to Sault Ste. Marie..

We had a leisure day, wandered around INSIDE a retires coal/steel freighter and enjoyed an absolutely top notch seafood lunch.

I can’t say it was an easy day, my feet didn’t think so but it was wonderful. Check out The Lockview resto if you’re there.

Our hopes that the next day would provide better weather we’re rewarded. The Sun shown bright the skies were clear and we rambled over the Island till our feet gave out; literally.

The next day we returned home, happy, tired, sore, and content. I know not every family is still close when the “kids” have passed their own 50th birthday. I count it a blessing that we are fortunate that way. It’s about mutual respect and giving everyone a chance to contribute in their own way, not is the way someone else thinks they should. we have a good time traveling together and Michael is spared the aging of sitting still in a car for hours and trudging around on his injured foot, which isn’t fun. I understand completely.

I have no idea where next we will wander. Perhaps we’ll make it to St Louis another time. Here’s hoping.