A Day in the Life...

A Veterans Day Salute

2011-11-10T17:57:00.003-06:00

Mysterious woman in the pool

2011-05-28T10:53:00.002-05:00

We frequently came about this scene in the swimming pool near our Florida home.
She looked somewhat familiar...

OMG..it's Kim! This was her favorite place to relax while visiting us for a week...this is the life.

Getting ready for the 'Big Launch'

2011-05-19T17:14:00.002-05:00

We had the opportunity to witness the shuttle launch of the Endeavor..and were very excited!
We left our house in Florida at midnight and got to the launch site around 2:00AM. We sat and watched the beautiful sunrise.

And then at 8:39AM the ignition began...

The magnificent blast off that literally brought tears to my eyes!

The ground began to shake and about a minute later..the sound was deafening!

And now the long ride home....what a thrill to be able to witness this shuttle history.

Fred Howard Park

2011-05-15T07:52:00.002-05:00

Tarpon Springs is also home to a beautiful beach called Fred Howard Park.

The beach hugs the coast of the Gulf of Mexico

White sands glitter in the sun.

A beautiful hideaway.

The main recreational activities here are sunbathing and fishing....ahh the life!

Tarpon Springs

2011-05-14T07:47:00.002-05:00

Rated as the "sponge capital" of the world,Tarpon Springs is a beautiful Greek community filled with wonderful restaurants, markets, and bakeries.

One the many boats filled with natural sponges.

Tarpon Springs is also home to some nationally recognized restaurants. I snapped this photo across the street from one of them. It was called Parthenon.
.

While waiting for our order, we sampled tasty sangria cocktails.

We ordered a Greek pizza..very yummy. Fun afternoon..

Baseline Golf Course

2011-05-06T11:31:00.003-05:00

I think we have found the prettiest golf course ever! It is just outside Ocala Florida. Our friends, Bob & Diane took us there, not knowing how it was.
Here I am teeing off on one the holes. It's hard to concentrate with the spectacular background.

Diane & I smiling for the camera.

A waterfall just off one of the fairways...so pretty.

I never knew there were so many different variety of palm trees. I think we saw them all on this course. It was a fun afternoon...will visit there again.

Some more pictures of our Florida hideaway

2011-05-03T19:31:00.002-05:00

This is the street in front of our house...beautiful landscape everywhere.

Some of the "wildlife" in our backyard!

I hope you can make out the huge turtle we spotted in one of the lakes.

And right along side of the turtle was this guy. We found out that alligators don't eat turtles. Guess there isn't enough meat on one to go through all that trouble.

Our First Florida Party

2011-05-02T20:04:00.002-05:00

We got together with 8 of our Franklin friends and gathered at our place Sunday for an informal party. One of the gals brought me these beautiful roses. The gentleman with the beard sings next to me on our church choir

Bob & Diane are our former neighbors who moved to Florida about a year and a half ago. It was alot of fun having all of us together ..just like home!

Our home away from home!

2011-04-28T17:11:00.002-05:00

Here we are in the Sunshine State We arrived on April 1st. and are having a wonderful day.This is a tree in our front yard.

Front view of our rental house

The view on the lanai in the rear of the house. We are on the 6th hole of Nancy Lopez golf course. Bob is in heaven!

The very comfortable living room.

My lovely kitchen.

Tired of Winter

2011-02-26T12:31:00.000-06:00

This is a photo of our backyard

I am really getting tired of snow..

This was our biggest snowfall of the season

33 days and counting until we head down to Florida!

2011-02-26T12:04:00.000-06:00

2010-12-27T12:44:00.000-06:00

Additional pictures of the Jingle Bus Christmas Tour

2010-12-27T12:38:00.001-06:00

Jingle Bus Christmas Light viewing.

Autumn in Wisconsin

2010-10-25T16:13:00.002-05:00

On a beautiful Sunday, about a week or so ago, Bob & I took a ride to view the autumn colors.

We went to Holy Hill about an hour away from town. We happened to get there just as a Mass was ending and a massive crowd of visitors were following a priest in a procession.

I believe the priests and his altar boys were marching along the paths where many grottos are nestled in the hills. The choir was singing while they walked by.

Here is a view from atop the Holy Hill road.

And another..

As much as I dread the cold weather that is approaching us, there is nothing more spectacular than Wisconsin's Autumn!!

Visitors from Alaska

2010-09-27T21:15:00.002-05:00

My Aunt Sophie & her daughter, Therese are visiting Milwaukee for a few days. I decided to join them for a little tour of downtown.

Here they are, along with my aunt Sylvia and cousin, Dolores, standing on the balcony of the Discovery Museum. Skylight of the city behind them.

A prety view of Lake Michigan.

After the museum they wanted to visit and shop at Usingers to buy meats and sausages they don't have available in Anchorage.

After loading up with goodies, we stopped to have our picture taken outside the shop. What a fun time we had. It's always good to see relatives that live so far away.

Introducing...Cactus Bros Band!

2010-09-09T20:33:00.002-05:00

They're a little bit country...and a little bit rock 'n roll. Brian & Mike presented a new sound recently at the House of Harley Labor Day Rally!

Brian & Mike harmonizing one of the many familiar songs.

Friend Eric came on stage to do a new rendition of an old tune..sounded quite good.

New member on the left, Sean, Matt, from MC band, and the boys. I really enjoyed listening to them. I think the crowd enjoyed it as well.. Good Luck, guys!

Shaelin on a Harley!

2010-09-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

The other day, while Mike was over with Shaelin, Uncle Brian stopped over on his Harley. Of course Shaelin wanted to go for a ride.

Here he is giving the "thumbs up.

It looks like they were both looking out for traffic. They never left the drive-way but Shaelin loved pretending!

Hold on tight!

The make-believe ride was over and Shaelin had a blast!

Happy Birthday, Mike!

2010-09-02T16:17:00.000-05:00

For the past 3 or 4 years, we have gone to Benihana's for Mike's birthday dinner. So this year we decided to keep the tradition going.

This was our "personal chef", Enrique, doing his thing to entertain us.

He is really getting into the chopping and dicing and slicing of all the wonderful and delicious food.

The salad was very tasty..in fact the entire meal was quite scrumptious!

After the meal, the waiter took our photo and I must say it turned out quite well. A fun time shared by all!

Fun at the Playground...

2010-07-19T18:45:00.002-05:00

Taking Shaelin to the playground never gets tiring. He and grandpa were just "hanging" out at the different apparatus.

Look at the face of determination!

Now it was grandpa's turn to slide across!

I only wish I could bottle up all the energy little kids have. Even in high 80's temperatures!

Sneeking up on Shaelin and Granddaddy!

2010-07-19T18:31:00.002-05:00

I spotted Bob & Shaelin down at the creek behind our house with a loaf of bread in their hands and having fun feeding all the fish. I thought these photos were awfully cute.

I like the stance on Shaelin in this picture.

Here they are breaking up tiny pieces of bread to throw in the water.

Before they knew it, they must have had hundreds of fish swarming and jumping up for their treat! Good quality time spent with each other...

Meeting a Brewer in person!

2010-07-19T18:09:00.002-05:00

The other evening I had the privilege of meeting Corey Hart, who is a very young and talented ballplayer with the Milwaukee Brewers.

I was given a baseball bat, an autographed photo, and two tickets to a future Brewer game.

Here he is autographing my bat. Because my knowlege of Baseball is for naught, I gave all my winnings to Mike and Shaelin. But all in all, it was still a fun time.

Blame Sally Visits our Home Town!

2010-06-13T17:53:00.004-05:00

A wonderful band from San Francisco graced us with their talents at Pride Fest this year.

Monica Pasqual's band, "Blame Sally," performed on The Miller Stage.

What a beautiful sound from this group of ladies,who just happen to be friends of Kim in San Francisco. So glad we got to hear them perform..

Track & Field Day with Shaelin

2010-05-30T11:09:00.002-05:00

Shaelin's entire school gathered at Grant Park to participate in a fun day of competition. Every student had to enter at least one of the events.

The park was was lovely and the weather spectacular!

Even though she is a bit young, Shaelin's little sisiter, Aria, was there to cheer her brothers on!

Shaelin and his buddy, Carter, watching as Sage was warming up for a sprint.

Shaelin's teacher was very busy doing 'stats..'

There goes Sage running to the finish line...taking 2nd place! Yea!!

Shaelin's Buggy Race

2010-05-30T10:18:00.002-05:00

I think this is the cutest race I have ever watched. Shaelin was paired up with a partner and they had to go along the route picking up their baby, getting baby and themselves dressed, and then racing to the finish line. It was very sweet.

Here is the happy couple getting ready. His partner's name was Trista.

On your mark.....Get Ready....

Go! Here is Shaelin getting into his manly duds.

After getting completly ready to go, he couldn't get Trista to pick up the pace. So he called her over, plopped on her hat and rushed her to the end of the route...

And they took first place! There they are up in the lead wearing the green jacket. What fun to watch these little ones having a great time.

OMG..a Hole-in-One!!

2010-05-29T09:36:00.002-05:00

While golfing Thursday at Brookfield Hills, I came to the 16th hole and had the surpise of my life.

I had a hole in one! It happened while golfing in our Couples League so I had 'witnesses.'

No..I didn't win the car! But the course did give me this magnificent trophy along with putting my name in the Milwaukee Journal. I indeed had my "moment of fame."

Here come the Harley "dudes"..

2010-05-18T16:09:00.002-05:00

Never in my days would I think my sons would some day be riding Harleys! Well, here they are! The other day I pulled up to my house and saw this duo sitting on Harley motorcycles..

Mike, on the left, is riding the motorcycle he bought earlier this year..Brian is riding a bike that he "borrowed" from a very trusting friend..

What you don't hear in this photo is the "purring of the engines.." I have to admit they looked pretty impressive.

Some more highlights of our time in Florida

2010-05-11T19:51:00.002-05:00

We weren't sure renting a house for a month in Florida was going to be a good idea, but as it turned out..it wasn't long enough! We are planning on doing two months next year!

It was such fun watching Shaelin swim with his "noodles".

Toolin' around in the golf cart..

Carrying all our 'stuff' down to the pool.

Watching the polo matches on Sunday.

Inviting some old friends over for a fun time.

Highlights of our trip..

2010-05-11T19:32:00.002-05:00

Now that we have returned from our month in Florida, I thought I would post some of the more important things that happened

Of course the most fun time was having the entire family fly down and visit Disney World.

There is no better way to see Disney World than through the eyes of a 5 (almost 6) year old!

Touring Minnie's adorable house even brought out the "kid" in us older folks.

Shaelin had a great time on all the rides. He had no fear!

One of the floats in the Main Street Parade. What a magical day it was!

Taking a walk through our Florida neighborhood

2010-04-23T12:22:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Bob & I went for a long walk through our neighborhood. Everything we saw was just so pretty I had to capture it with a photo.

This is a view of our backyard taken from the lanai. The water is a retention pond used as a nature preserve filled with many birds, ducks, and cranes.

I think every type of wild grass grows in this climate as well.

A sampling of the various palm trees.

A view of one of the 27 golf courses in the Villages. Way in the background is the Club House to this particular course. This is a Champion golf course..way too big for me!

Another palm tree at a neighbor's home..They are so pretty to look at.

Just having fun..

2010-04-21T18:04:00.002-05:00

Russ & Penny spent a few days with us in Florida. Before they left for home, we decided to spend a relaxing afternoon at Lake Sumpter, one of the two main squares in the Villages.

We didn't have to twist their arm to rent a golf cart for the time spent here. They had a great time touring the area.

We stopped in at this really cute restaurant where the specialty of the house was 'gator tails. Russ just HAD to try them. We all sampled it and yes..it tasted a lot like chicken!

After searching around for our friend, Bob, we finally found him snoozing in a comfortable chair. Couldn't resist snapping this photo.

Meanwhile..back at the restaurant... Penny & I decided to have the BIGGEST margarita I've ever seen!! Note the size of the glass!

A really fun time was enjoyed by all.. Thanks for visiting, Russ & Penny.

Here we are in the Sunshine State!

2010-04-20T15:04:00.002-05:00

This year we decided to spend some time in our favorite vacation spot..the Villages in Florida.

We had so much fun last year for a week stay so this year we are spending a month. This is the home we rented.

The house comes with a golf cart. One drives the cart around to get anywhere. It's not only economical..it is fun!

One of the beautiful sunsets taken from our golf cart on a trip home .

Of course we had to visit our Franklin neighbors, Bob & Diane. They moved down to Florida in December. They love their new place.

There is live music every evening in both of the downtown squares. Spotted this guy on the street looking very cool in his shades!

Grandparents' Day with Shaelin..

2010-04-06T19:11:00.004-05:00

I always dreamed of the day I could go to a "grandparents day" with my grandchild and one day last week I was given the chance to do it! It turned out to be a really fun day at Shaelin's school.

Here he is hamming it up with his best friend, Alex.

We all went outside for a quick recess where Bob got to play a game of soccer.

Shaelin, Alex, Carter, and Bob getting ready to make a goal. They have a huge field to play and run.

Here we sat through the phonics lesson for the day.

The class all had instruments and played a cute ditty for their guests. All in all it sure was fun and I am looking forward to doing it again next year!

Georgia Tech makes it to the NCAA..and Bob was there!

2010-03-30T19:35:00.004-05:00

With the NCAA going on, Bob had a great time driving the Georgia Tech basketball team around for a few days during their Milwaukee stint.

Here is a team photo he took outside the restaurant where they had dinner one evening.

Here is the bus Bob drove with the team onboard. He was able to go on the tarmac to pick them up from their chartered plane.

The sign posted in the window of his bus..

He was also given a police escort from the airport to their hotel..excuse me!!

The team practicing before their game. They did manage to win their first game but didn't make the win on the second round. But it sure was a fun experience for Bob. He was even given an autographed basketball from the team!

A Walk in the Snowy Woods..

2010-03-09T15:57:00.002-06:00

While Kim was visiting here, Shaelin took her outside to check out his snow fort. From there we all decided to go for a walk in the nearby woods.

Here is Kim, Shaelin, and Mike getting ready to explore the woods.

Brian and Kim leading the way.

We had to stop by at the playground for a little swing time!

Brian and Mike demonstating their famous "trapeze" lift off leaping into the air! I gave them a perfect "10" for their feat. I love this photo..

Shaelin told us if they can do it, so can he..and he did!!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2010-03-04T19:55:00.002-06:00

Last week Kim was in Chicago for a work function and when she was finished, Bob & I picked her up so she could spend a few days with us before returning to S.F. We got this brain- storming idea to visit my parents tavern that they ran for many years before retiring.

The neighborhood bar in Milwaukee is still there and even tho' it's no longer the Poca Tap, it looked in pretty good condition.

Here we are visiting with the man who is leasing the bar. He couldn't have been friendlier to us. He was interested in hearing all my stories about growing up here. Kim told him about things she remembered when her grandparents ran the place.

The jukebox was on the same wall as it was back then.

The bar is the same as was the tile on the floor. It was really a fun evening to reminisce.

A Valentine Dinner..belated!

2010-02-21T17:00:00.002-06:00

Because one of the "chefs" was out of town on Valentine's Day, the annual (I think it's the 7th) Valentine Dinner was celebrated yesterday. It's a meal fully prepared by the guys.

One of the 'originals' moved to Florida so we brought in a rookie..yes, another Bob to take his place. From left to right..Bob J, Bob C, and Bob K.

The table was set beautifully..

The entree this year was a dish called 'porkettes'..low fat-low calories- and very delicious.

They took this picture while preparing the meal. We girls were busy taking in a movie.. Once again we were very pleased with the results. Looking forward to next Valentine's Day!

Building a fort in the snow

2010-02-20T12:11:00.002-06:00

Last Saturday was a bright, clear and crisp day so it was a perfect chance to build the snow fort Shaelin has been dreaming of!

After Bob brought in more snow, Mike began digging..and digging!

Here are Mike and Shaelin talking over the structural plans!

Shaelin took a few time-outs..this time to make some snow angels!

Here is a few from inside looking out! It really was quite deep.

A smiling Shaelin giving the job a thumbs up!

The Cactus at the House of Harley!

2010-02-20T11:43:00.002-06:00

Last weekend Mississippi Cactus had a show at the House of Harley here in town. We had Shaelin over at the house so of course we went to hear them play.

Bob had to work that evening so Shaelin and I trekked over to the store.

There was a little stage set up in the middle of the store and the band sounded great!

There was a display of hundreds of different motorcycles. People walked around looking while the music played. Here is Shaelin checking his dad and uncle out while they entertained the folks.

This was one of the bikes Shaelin had his eye on.

It was fun hearing the band play in a totally different ..and smoke-free venue.

Congrats Jill & Nick!

2010-02-13T18:16:00.002-06:00

Because her son, Nick, is getting married next month, my friend, Kathi ran a bridal shower for her future daughter-in-law, Jill on Saturday afternoon.

Here is a picture of the future bride holding Zelda her little pooch.

There was, as usual, plenty of food to be enjoyed by all.

The blonde with the bow on her head would be the future mother-in-law!!!

The shower had a Valentine theme as you can see.

This is the beautiful shower cake baked by another friend, Debi. Good Luck, Nick & Jill..

The Big Cleanup!

2010-02-10T15:57:00.003-06:00

Another snowstorm hit our city yesterday and dropped about 10 more inches of snow. Today was the massive Cleanup Day....and Bob was in his GLORY!

If Bob had his way, he'd plow the entire neighborhood.

He was so entranced with removing the snow, he didn't even notice me taking this photo.

This picture gives you an idea of the depth of the drifts.

After all was said and done..the snow really became a spectacular landscape.

Dog-sitting Ranger!

2010-02-08T13:29:00.002-06:00

Because my friend Vonnie had to serve jury duty last week, she asked if we could check in on Ranger. She didn't have to twist our arms to do this job!

This is one of the few seconds Ranger was still enough to take a picture! He is still a puppy and very active.

He walked along with us pretty well..stopping every couple of feet to check out anything!

We played fetch in his backyard with a frisbee.

While playing, it began to snow. I don't know what got him more excited..the snow or the frisbee!!

More Winter Fun

2010-02-08T13:11:00.003-06:00

Last Thursday, Bob & I took a ride to Lake Geneva to check out the annual Snow Sculpting competition. Brian & Mike have been working this event for the past few years.

The day was very gray and this picture really shows that. Talking to the sculptors, they said the temps were pretty close to perfect for the work they had ahead of them.

People come from all over the U.S. to compete.

Here is the US team just getting started...

And this is what their sculpture will look like when they are finished.

I believe there were 15 participants this year. It was a fun afternoon.

Polar Plunge Brrrr!

2010-02-01T20:51:00.002-06:00

On Sunday our friend, Paul, took part in a polar plunge at Muskego Lake to help raise money for the Special Olympics. We decided to go and cheer him on.

Here are just a few of the hundreds who showed up for the dive into freezing water!

Here he is with some of his co-workers. He would be the guy on the right with the red trunks.
It's hard to believe he is part- owner of an investment company.

Paul takes a leaping belly flop into the frigid lake!!

Bravo! He did it and stands proud!

Bob, Judy, and I were cold just watching these crazy people. But it was for a good cause and they raised over $30,000 which was fantastic.

Shaelin stops over for a Saturday visit

2010-02-01T16:04:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, Mike, Brian, and Shaelin stopped by to spend the afternoon.

He was very anxious to see his dad's new Harley and even got to sit on it!

He became a bit chilled from the cold outside air, so found some comfort in grandpa's recliner along with a snack and a warm blanket. It's so fun having him around....

Meet the newest "Harley Dude"....

2010-01-23T12:26:00.003-06:00

Yep..after thinking about the idea for over a year, Mike finally decided to buy himself a Harley. I never thought I'd see the day, but he did it and he came over yesterday to show it to us.

Here he is sporting an ear-to-ear grin, perched on his Harley seat!

He is ready to go.. just have to wait for Spring to come!

Remember Ranger?

2010-01-23T12:18:00.003-06:00

Back in November, my friend, Vonnie, stopped by with her new puppy. He was barely 6 weeks old and just beginning to walk. Well, last week she stopped by again and I couldn't believe how Ranger had grown!

He is very cute and shiny. But like kids, they don't stay little very long..

Shaelin's first Christmas Concert

2009-12-27T16:12:00.003-06:00

The other night we had a chance to see and hear Shaelin sing in his very first Christmas concert held at his school. Because we were not allowed to take photos or video, I did manage to SNEEK these shots...

He is the cutie wearing the white shirt and suspenders in the front row. He and his class were singing Away in the Manger.

He spotted us in this photo so I tried to act like I didn't see him.

After his performance was over, we had a tour of his classroom.

He wanted Grandpa to sit down at his table.

Shaelin and his teacher, Mrs. Sass. What a fun time it was to hear Shaelin and his entire school singing and reciting the Christmas story..all by memory!

Girls day out in the Windy City!

2009-12-08T09:31:00.002-06:00

Last Sunday, my friends, Judy, Kathi, and I decided to take Diane out on the town to do a little shopping and Holiday Lights viewing in Chicago. Despite the low temps, it was quite enjoyable.
Because Diane will be moving to Florida next week, we wanted to give her one last taste of cold weather.

Here we are dressed in many layers of clothing posing in Macy's.

One of the many many Christmas trees in the Museum of Science and Industry.

A quartet of German fellows entertaining the passers-by.

Macy's indoor tree reaching over 9 floors high!

The lights on Michigan Ave. were quite spectacular. It was a fun day in the Big City.

Beautiful SanFrancisco

2009-12-04T17:44:00.002-06:00

Clear skies and light breezes stayed with us all the while we visited Kim.

St. Patrick church with a magnificent backdrop.

Walking down a street we took in these lovely flowers.

Macy's at night.

We stayed at the Hilton and this was the view from our room.

Kim made use of all our manpower and quickly put them to "use." Her new condo looked great.

Let's Party!

2009-12-04T17:23:00.002-06:00

After months of planning, Kim finally had her 40th birthday celebration..and it was truly a success!

Here Kim & BZ are soaking in the sounds of the band...Mississippi Cactus. She flew the band members in just for her party.

A guest friend of the band, now living in San Francisco, sat in on a set playing a mellow sax.

Mike, sporting a great smile, having a blast.

Monica showing her talents on her accordian.

Heidi , Margaret, and their hubbies hamming it up for the cameras.

Meet the Author

2009-11-14T14:21:00.002-06:00

The Book Group I belong to got together this past Monday evening and it was my turn to host it.
It was the first time that everyone could make it.

The book we chose to read was "While My Sister Sleeps"..and we were fortunate enough to have the author, Barbara Delinsky, join us as a guest speaker....

by phone! We called her personal cell number and she was gracious enough to talk with us for an hour! We put her on speaker-phone and the questions began flying. How fun it was to speak with a "real" author who sounded like she could fit right in with our group.

When the evening ended, we posed for a group picture that we will enclose in our thank you card

to Barbara Delinsky. What a fun evening it turned out to be.

Shaelin on a sunny Sunday afternoon..

2009-11-10T10:44:00.003-06:00

Our favorite visitor spent a weekend with us. What a beautiful day it was. Lots of sunshine and exploring going on.

Here is a picture of "the apple of my eye."

Shaelin took my camera out in the yard to capture anything exciting or dangerous!

Here he found a very appealing catterpillar and snapped this great picture.

After running off a ton of energy outside, he and his dad relaxed..

To watch the Packers lose..again!

Meet Ranger!

2009-11-10T10:33:00.003-06:00

After my friend, Vonnie and her family had to sadly put their lovable Riley down last summer, they immediately decided to get a new "family member".

Here is Ranger..a lovable black lab. He is barely 8 weeks old and just learning to walk. What a cutie he is!!

Trick or Treat...

2009-11-01T12:21:00.002-06:00

Saturday was Trick or Treat in our neighborhood. It was super fun because it fell on Halloween.

This ghoulish character popped up on our front lawn!

Here I am in my Halloween finery (3 layers of clothing underneath) getting ready to pass out the goodies to the "trick-or-treaters" brave enough to step up to our front door!

Of course we can't forget the "Master Monster of the House, who lives for this day every year. I think we get the biggest kick out of scaring the wits out of the adults who accompany the little ghosts and goblins..It's truly a Scream!

Fall Foliage at its Finest!

2009-10-24T20:27:00.002-05:00

After 2 full days of rain, rain, and more rain, Saturday bestowed some beautiful sunshine on our neighborhood. Bob & I decided to walk to a nearby woods to soak in the color.

A neighbor's beautiful tree in full golden hues.

The woods just about a mile from our house with a creek running through.

I took my camera and looked up to peek through the leaves of this beauty.

The "carpet" of fallen leaves that had every autumnal color imaginable!

We were both in awe at the beauty that Mother Nature bestowed on us this day.

Meeting up with Kim in Madison

2009-10-11T15:04:00.002-05:00

Kim's work brought her to Madison this week and on Thursday, Brian, Bob, & I decided to drive up and spend the day with her. Because of the showery day, we thought it would be fun to tour our state Capitol building.

It's funny that none of us had ever really seen this magnificent structure.

We learned that the dome in the ceiling of the rotunda is the largest in diameter in North America.

One of the high courts inside the building.

Kim met up with a very good friend,Beth, whom she hadn't seen in many years . By coincidence she too was in Madison that day. We met her for dinner that evening and spend hours just 'catching up!' When we left for home, we felt it was a really fun day.

2009-10-11T14:54:00.001-05:00

More Summer Happenings.

2009-09-29T19:13:00.002-05:00

This summer also included a grand farewell to our closest friends, Bob & Diane. Even though they won't be moving South until December, we decided to have our party for them during the warm month of August.

One of our friends baked this beautiful and original cake.

Diane became very teary-eyed through all of the festivities.

All together, I counted at least 60 friends who stopped by to wish the Ciras a fond Farewell!

Good bye and Good Luck to our South Bound Friends! You will be missed.

Pictures of Summer...

2009-09-27T18:54:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month, Kim made a visit to Milwaukee. As a family we decided to take a cruise on the Milwaukee Edelweiss which travels along the river.

Before boarding the boat, Bob managed to pose for a picture of he and the Fonz!

Here are Kristine, Brian, and Kim sitting up front enjoying the beautiful weather.

Mr. Shaelin acted as the ship's photographer snapping away at the scenery.

Here is a shot of just one of the many condo units along the Milwaukee River.

The skyline of downtown Milwaukee. It was a fun time on board the Edelweiss.

Wednesday night choir--I mean golf practice!

2009-08-26T11:10:00.002-05:00

Because our choir doesn't rehearse in the summer, our director decided to plan a golf outing for anyone interested. We have some people new to golf this year who are using this time for practice..and loving it!

Every Wednesday we are attracting more and more. This particular night we had 13 who joined us for a quick 9 rounds.

Here are 3 of the newcomers.

These guys are keeping watch while waiting to tee off.

After a fun time on the links we always manage to find a cute place to grab a bite to eat. This is a new Mexican restaurant that opened in June.

We all ate great food and drank wonderful magaritas. We will continue meeting for golf on Wednesday nights until choir practice resumes in the Fall.

Partying with the pig!

2009-08-26T10:51:00.003-05:00

Last weekend our neighbors, Scott & Sara, held their 2nd annual block party. There had to be a hundred people from all around our subdivision.

Scott really went all out this year and contacted the fire department to put on a demonstration.

He even called the Police Dept. who brought over the drug-sniffing "canine unit."

One of the spits held 22 whole chickens which were golden and ready to eat.

I guess you could say this was the guest of honor..all 80lbs. of him.

Everone invited brought a dish to pass and believe me, there was enough food to feed an Army!
We had a great time . It's always a nice way to meet new neighbors.

Hodge-Podge pictures of Mr. Shaelin!

2009-08-17T11:38:00.002-05:00

The other Saturday, while we were at the Fair, I randomly snapped away..taking different shots of Shaelin.

Here he is chomping on a delicious turkey drumstick and still keeping an 'ear' on his dad drumming away on stage.

Doing his favorite thing...talking!

Hamming it up with the camera!

I don't remember what brought on this expression!

Music, music, and more music

2009-08-17T11:08:00.003-05:00

This year, Mike played alot of shows at the State Fair with Andrew Gilles Band.

The band played at the Charcoal Grill RoadHouse Stage.

Even though we had to dodge raindrops, the band sounded great.

The other night we made another visit to Delafield where Brian was entertaining diners at a very cute pub called Revere's.

It was basically,a really old house converted into a beautiful vintage restaurant. He played, along with two friends, nothing but guitars . It was very enjoyable and we will return to hear them again.

They're B..A..C..K !!

2009-08-03T14:30:00.003-05:00

Brian is back in town and a week ago Mississippi Cactus decided to put on a 'Reunion' Show.

They played at the same club where they had their 'Farewell' Show.

After about a half hour the crowd was really getting into the music and the dance floor was packed.

The music was non-stop.

The guys were so full of energy that it seemed they never were apart for nearly a year. We stayed till the music was over at around 2:00AM., but really had a fun time.

Are they really who they look like?

2009-07-25T13:35:00.003-05:00

Mike treated Bob & me to some tickets to see "American Icons." Actually..look-a-likes! The show was at the Northern Lights theatre.

The opening act was the the Country star, Garth Brooks. Hee Haw---

Bob's favorite act, Blues Brothers, was very funny.

"Rollin'...rollin'...rollin' down the river with Tina Turner.

The best was saved for the end. Here Elvis was really "All Shook Up."

A younger Elvis doing "Jailhouse Rock." He really looked like the king and had all the moves. Believe it or not, the show was well done and very entertaining.

Fish Day !

2009-07-25T13:17:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday we visited Port Washington for their annual "Fish Day."
It was unbelievably crowded despite the earlier downfall.

A gentleman was filleting somebody's 'catch of the day.'

Shaelin joined us for an early show featuring his dad. He's enjoying one of the many snacks while waiting for the show to begin.

Once the stage dried after the rain. the Andrew Gelles Blues band played and the sound was great!

The night ended with fabulous fireworks! It was a really fun day.

Fun Day at the Zoo

2009-07-10T18:58:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday, as a thank you to all the Wisconsin Vets, we were invited to a beautiful day at the County Zoo.

The day began with a great and tasty picnic lunch which we shared with 12 of our friends including Mike & Shaelin.

We visited the zoo's newest exhibit, "Wings from Down Under." The exhibit features more than 1000 birds from Australia who are flying everywhere. They give you a food stick with millet to lure them to sit on your finger.

Our friend, Robin, who just happens to be Shaelin's new "crush" had no trouble attracting the different species to feast off her arms and shoulders.

Next we enjoyed the Seal and sea lions show.

After the train ride, Shaelin wanted to go on the carousel with Robin . We couldn't tell who had more fun.

Luau at the Jansens!

2009-07-06T14:29:00.002-05:00

Our friends, Bob & Judy had a 4th of July Luau in their backyard and we were invited.

They go to Hawaii every year and would love to, one day, live there.

Jim was the first in line for the food table. He chose to dress like a Hawaiian tourist!! What an outfit!

There was plenty of Hawaiian cuisine.

Some of the guests.

At dusk, Bob (the fireworks king) put on a "condensed" version of a fireworks display kind of like we saw at the Bartolotta show at the lakefront! It was a fun time..Aloha!

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-04T12:54:00.002-05:00

After eating, drinking, and much conversation, it became dark enough to get the 'sky show'started.

The fireworks were quite spectacular. It's been a few years since we've seen them.

The colors and explosions were nonstop for an hour.

Here is a peek at the grand finale. The noise was quite intense but very beautiful to watch!

The Big Bang!!

2009-07-04T12:40:00.002-05:00

This year we were lucky enough to be invited to view the Big Bang Fireworks atop the War Memorial building in downtown Milwaukee.

Here is a shot of the skylight at just about dusk.

Here we are sitting at our reserved table along with the friends who invited us.

Looking down at a portion of the half million spectators..some of whom camped out the day

I took this picture of the beautiful Calatrava Art Museum next door .

Sights & Scents of Summer

2009-07-01T19:56:00.003-05:00

All of a sudden ..it became summer! Along with the warm weather came all the blooming of the flowers in our yard.

These are just a few of the hundreds of flowers we have in our garden.

This is a very cute clay pot from Brian that he picked up in his travels. I love the colors!

More fun at Summerfest

2009-06-29T20:39:00.002-05:00

After listening to the music, Shaelin felt like having a little fun in the dancing fountains.

Here he is just getting his toes a little wet and looking to see if anyone would get upset!

Well he had to go a little further and then really got into it.

Uncle Brian didn't have to twist his arm for a ride on the sky glider..YIKES!

The brave duo showing off their biceps! It was a fun day at Summerfest.

Summerfest 2009

2009-06-29T20:15:00.003-05:00

You know it's summer when the Biggest Music Festival begins...

This year we stopped down to the lakefront to hear one of the many bands Mike plays with during his spare time..Andrew Gelles Band.

They had an early time slot so we were able to take Shaelin along with us.

Here is Mike getting ready to do his drum solo.

If you look real close between the guitarist on the right and Mike, you will see Shaelin coming on stage to get the drum sticks from his dad!

Here is a shot of the leader of the group, Andy. Great sounding music!

Milwaukee Iron

2009-06-25T07:33:00.002-05:00

We went to watch an indoor football game at the Bradley Center where the Milwaukee Iron was playing.It just seemed strange to watch a football game inside a building!

As I looked around the arena, I spotted a familiar face in the house band.Yep..Mike was filling in for the drummer that evening!

The team has alot of stuff going on which kept the crowd awake.

One of the Iron players posing for a picture.

To be very honest..the only reason we went to this game was to listen to Mike play.I think I'll stick to watching the Packers outside!

And yet..another visitor!

2009-06-25T07:09:00.004-05:00

We had a busy week visiting with my mom's youngest sister, Sophie, who flew in from Anchorage AK.

We drove to Princeton where she was staying with another sister, Irene, and her family. Here she is sitting at the table with Uncle Harry and a few of his huge family.

A plaque I spotted in Aunt Irene's kitchen which I found very funny! It's always fun visiting with the Treders!

We had some more family over for lunch one day. Here Aunt Sophie is chatting with Bob while I was waiting for the rest of our guests.

From left..Dick, Pat, Tom, Aunt Sylvia (another sister), Aunt Sophie, Brian, and Bob. We had a really fun visit just catching up with "family news!"

Visits from Family & Friends

2009-06-25T06:56:00.004-05:00

After getting a recommendation from Mike, as to a good place to take out of town visitors to eat,we decided on Tess located on the East side of Milwaukee.

This restaurant turned into a "diamond in the rough"located in a quiet residential part of town.

The food was delicious. I had a wonderful salmon dish..

We sat on the outside patio with friends we met on our South African trip..Mike & Kerry.

After dinner we came over to our house for dessert and lots of conversation! It was great seeing them again.

Lawn Maintenance Crew

2009-06-07T12:02:00.003-05:00

After returning from church one Sunday, we came home to find a handsome team of lawn maintenance "men "busy at work in our yard.

Here is the 'father & son pair' riding the mower, cutting, and airifying the grass.

The helper on the right was rather short..but very strong!

Here they are removing all the grass clippings and lifting them onto a trailer.

The short guy, who happened to be Shaelin, decided to let his dad finish up the job with grandpa while he supervised.

Wedding at Lambeau

2009-05-31T13:34:00.002-05:00

Recently we attended a wedding in Greenbay. Our friend and neighbor, Bob J. "gave away his daughter" and the reception was held at Lambeau Field.

Here are the 4 "Bobs" having a good time. The father of the bride would be the one on the end hiding his piece of wedding cake!

The huge banquet room was decorated beautifully.

We were able to spend time in one of the luxury boxes to imagine how it would be to watch a game from these seats!

A quick photo of the bridal party in the sky box. It was a fun wedding indeed..

Book Group

2009-05-12T17:46:00.003-05:00

Even though I technically joined a book group a few months ago, last evening was the first time I officially met the members.

The book we read and reviewed was "Left to Tell" by Immacule'e Ilibagiza. The true story of how she survived the bloody Rwandon holocaust in 1994. A powerful 'read.' The evening was very informative and fun. Looking forward to our next get-together in July.

The Blessed Event!

2009-05-05T18:37:00.002-05:00

While walking carefully past the robin's nest yesterday, I discovered that the babies were born.

I managed to snap these couple of pictures much to the displeasure of the "parents."

I couldn't believe how tiny these babies are. I will attempt to take more photos as the 'newcomers' are growing.

Guess who's 5?

2009-05-04T16:26:00.002-05:00

We celebrated another milestone birthday this month. Shaelin turned 5 and he wants everyone to know it!

I was having a bit of trouble with my camera so I wasn't able to take alot of photos. Though I did manage to capture the excitement of opening a few presents. First came the card...

Then he politely opened his many presents.

By the look on Shaelin's face..do you think he liked it?

I believe his favorite present was his Batman figure. Here he is pushing the button to activate Batman's power weapon. He was very happy and proud to be 5!

Happy Birthday to me...and Bob!

2009-04-27T10:24:00.002-05:00

Because Bob had a birthday last month, and I had one this weekend, Kristine, Mike, Bob, & I decided to go out to dinner to celebrate.

.We went to Benihana..one of our favorites.

Here we are looking a little soggy since it had been raining for 2 straight days!

Our "chef" doing his hibachi skills.

Dinner wouldn't be complete without the famous "onion volcano!"

Our surprise birthday dessert. It's always fun sharing a meal with family.

Spring Has Sprung!

2009-04-24T19:10:00.002-05:00

It feels like Spring has finally made its arrival. The temps today were in the 80's.

All the warm sunshine brought our garden of daffodils to burst into blooms.

For the past 3 or 4 days, we have been noticing this mother robin always hanging around our yard.

After exploring a little further, we found out why she is always in the same area. She was sitting on the eggs when I came up to the tree to take this photo. She became very upset with me but I just wanted to capture the brilliant blue color of her eggs.

Teeing off with Shaelin!

2009-04-20T07:53:00.004-05:00

Because of the beautiful weather on Saturday, Bob & I decided to take Shaelin miniature golfing.
He said he "loved" golfing..even though he later said he had never gone before!

Here he is practicing on how to hit the ball gently..

Check out the perfect stance.

After golfing we headed to his favorite eating establishment for McNuggets and some FREE video games. The little boy in the next booth was very curious and was wishing he was 4!

Dessert was ice cream of choice and a lengthy phone call to Uncle Brian. We had a very pleasant day in the warm sunshine.

Whiskey Bound

2009-04-05T19:05:00.003-05:00

Even though Mississippi Cactus is currently on hiatus, Mike is busy playing in two other bands around town. Saturday night we went to hear the country band he is with called Whiskey Bound.

They were playing at Club Lulu , a cute club on the south side.

Mike grinning in his cowboy duds!

Here is Mike doing his awesome drum solo. The crowd loved it!

Here are the rest of the band members doing their thing. It was an enjoyably night of toe-tapping music!

Dancing with the Stars?

2009-04-05T18:59:00.002-05:00

A couple of years ago, Bob & I took ballroom dance lessons. At that time we were actually getting rather good. Friday night some friends and the two of us went out to an actual "ballroom" to strut our stuff!

This is the "set list" of some of the dances that we were supposed to be doing. Needless to say..I think we need to repeat our class again for the third time! But we did have alot of fun.

Visit to the Golf Dome

2009-03-30T16:57:00.005-05:00

Bob & I took a ride to the Currie Park Golf Dome this morning just to get into the "swing of things."

Here is a photo of one of the fairways on the golf course. See the flag in the distance?

Because of the fairly warm temperatures, the snow is quickly melting.

The main entrance to the golf dome.

I spotted this Tiger Woods 'wannabee' in one of the Golf stations!

Happy Birthday, Bob.

2009-03-29T19:32:00.003-05:00

A few friends joined Bob & me for a special birthday dinner in Bob's honor.

We chose a 50's diner where they had lots of memorabilia

Here is the 'Birthday Boy' posing with one of his favorites.

An Early April Fool's Joke?

2009-03-29T19:22:00.002-05:00

This is how it looked this morning when we drove to chuch.

The visibility was very poor with total blizzard conditions.

We had about a 6 inch snowfall that covered the entire state.

Our friends, Bob & Diane laughing at the snow knowing that they will be moving down to Florida in a few months and won't miss it one bit!

Saturday Night at the Bowling Alley

2009-03-16T15:37:00.002-05:00

After a hard day's work, we took Shaelin with us to the bowling alley.

Because he wasn't able to bowl, he found it fun to hang out in the video game room.

He "played" nearly all the games even though he didn't spend a cent!

Later Shaelin took some pictures in the bowling alley. He thought the back of this shirt was pretty cool.

He also took this photo of Bob & Kathi while they were bowling. We all had a fun time.

Busy at work..

2009-03-16T15:31:00.002-05:00

Mr. Shaelin came over and spent the weekend with us. Saturday he helped his dad and Bob remove carpeting from our bedroom.

He wore his hard hard so he wouldn't get hurt.

He was kept busy by picking up all the tacks from the floor.

Oops..the hat got a little big for his head! He certainly was a good helper.

Out with some Bykowski clan

2009-03-14T10:53:00.003-05:00

Last evening we met up with a couple of the Bykowski siblings; Jeff (in from Maryland), and Rick.

Here is a photo of the smiling twosome!

We went to a very loud Sport's Bar where the entertainment was a couple of bagpipers.which then made the place even LOUDER!

I had a very healthy baked fish & wild rice dinner that included some edible flowers.Mmm good.
We had a really nice visit..

Miami..Land of the Rich & Famous!

2009-03-13T17:27:00.002-05:00

After Orlando, we spent a week in Miami where it seemed everyone had some kind of a yacht!

We went on a tour with Jim & Kathi's son, Jason

This is where Jason calls "home"..a high rise in the center of downtown.

You just can't capture the magnificent color of the ocean.

Can you believe a waterfall on one of the greens?

More photos...

2009-03-13T17:09:00.002-05:00

Kathi & I just getting our toes wet in the ocean in Miami

Just one of the many many golf courses we visited

A very serene lake full of gators!

Some friends, who live in the area, had us over for a wonderful Friday fish dinner.

Villages in Lady Lake Florida

2009-03-13T15:22:00.002-05:00

We stayed in the Villages for a week and rented this beautiful house.

The four of us just soaking in the sunshine.

We shared the house with our friends, Jim & Kathi.

We had a full kitchen & dining room.

Our bedroom overlooking the downtown square.

Home from Florida..First stop..DownTown Disney

2009-03-13T14:52:00.002-05:00

We returned home late Tuesday night. I thought I'd better post some photos so everyone will believe that we really were gone!

Our very first stop was a quick visit to Downtown Disney. It is quite the place with all the make believe everywhere.

My favorite animal peering out at us. He wasn't quite like the ones we saw in South Africa!

Here is Bob posing with a huge Star Wars character. Everything in the store is made with Legos.

A cute and friendly dragon just swimming around.

Our Florida Trip

2009-03-03T10:51:00.002-06:00

Just to let everyone know that we are here in Florida but are unsuccessful in getting the ability to downhold any photos to post. As of today, all is going well with us. The temperatures have dropped somewhat but it still remains sunny and clear. Warmup should begin tomorrow. But so far we haven't encountered any icy roads or snow drifts!! When we return home on the 10th, I will then send some pictures. Maybe we will decide to pick up a laptop while here and then we wouldn't have this problem. Bob is enjoying the many golf courses. He is 'holding his own' with playing more of the Executive courses instead of the Championship. Because I can't golf yet,I do drive a mean golf cart!!

Gettin' out of Town

2009-02-22T14:53:00.003-06:00

We have had enough of snow and wind and ice. We've decided to take a couple of weeks and go where the temps are above feezing.

So we are leaving this...

And are going here..http://www.thevillages.com/

Dinner for the Ladies

2009-02-22T14:41:00.002-06:00

This is the 6th year that our friends, Bob J., Bob C, and Bob K. have presented us with their culinary skills and prepared a Valentine cuisine all by themselves! We had our belated Valentine dinner Saturday evening.

The table was set beautifully.

Here is Bob C. putting our entree in the oven. They prepared potato-encrusted cod dipped in slivered almonds mmm!

Here are the 3 chefs presenting us with their homemade chocolate cake. Once again the evening was "all about Bob!"

Puzzle? Finis !

2009-02-19T15:24:00.003-06:00

I finished the "therapeutic" puzzle I was given by a friend. It took me about 6
sittings to complete it.

It really looks kind of pretty that I hate to take it apart. Maybe I can pass it along to someone who needs to relax for a few weeks!