Friday, 1 January 2021: Together at Our House on Hartung

We said Happy Anniversary  yesterday.  We got married in Austin and spent that New Year's with Dellene and Willie Nelson at Austin City Limits.  Year one found us in Paris; year two in Germany with Xavier and Nicole; year three in Padre Island and years four, five and six in Celestun.  Year seven, here we are at Hartung Street.  Happy Anniversary Baby! 

Welcome 2021!  We started the day by reading Dave Barry.  His EOY recaps tend to get a bit long but I always enjoy them.  This year's was particularly poignant; I particularly liked his month of "Marbril" -- yes, it did rather all run together.  Something in his writing reminded me of the artwork on the Houston Yellow Pages when I was growing up. No one will appreciate this reference except Dellene I guess but that too is okay.  

You can bet your sweet patoot we had black-eyed peas and greens.  No way I am leaving that to chance!  Texas Caviar and a spinach dip were followed by a fillet topped with crab stuffed shrimp.  I tried a new recipe for Melting Potatoes -- its  keeper.  Pretty darned good eats!

Erich and his kids came to town.  He stayed with Jordan and his family since they've all had vaccines and or the virus. I made more cinnamon rolls since Erich had missed out on the Christmas baking.  Sadly, these weren't quite done and they sunk in the center.  Very sad.   Justin went over to visit one evening.  Jordan has set up his garage with his kegerator and party lights for appropriately distanced gatherings throughout the winter; I stayed with the all too familiar driveway visits.

                                

I don't typically make resolutions and I certainly don't think anything I write is profound but some day down the road when I go back to read this diary missive, I hope I remember the Heroes for our time -- the health care providers, the police and fire fighters, the grocery store clerks, the garbage collectors -- all the front line workers.  I hope our attempts at wearing masks, trying to stay safe and patiently waiting for the vaccine have payed off.  I hope we are not relegated to drive-way visits and that we can enjoy live music and order a drink at a restaurant.  I haven’t eaten off anyone else’s dishes since March when we were in Mexico.  I don't think I have EVER gone this long without travelling somewhere--anywhere.  Certainly I never stayed in one place this long since I joined DoDDS in 1988.  I hope I still make bread and enjoy putzing around the house and going for walks.  I hope to get back to a day when I can worry about jury duty.  I hope to get back to a day when politics is boring and Black Lives Matter is way of thinking and behaving and so much more than a phrase of the day.  I hope to get back to a day when science matters.  I hope to get back to a day when I can have friends and family over for dinner ... and hug them!

Wednesday, 30 December 2020: in the driveway

Two days of shoveling snow this week.  It might have melted the first time without really getting out the big guns, but it was the first time and it was novel.  Oh, how I do remember Misawa.  I also remember that Stephanie won a snow blower one year as she guessed the day of the first snow fall.  Since we don't own and don't want to own our own equipment, Justin had arrange with Lloyd and Gloria that he'd clear both driveways using their big-boy blower.  I cleared our deck and sidewalks and then I was done.  Justin worked with Lloyd to arrange his garage.  The first time was more involved just getting things all set up.  Today, our second snow, Lloyd went out too with his smaller snow blower while Justin was clearing driveways.  At age 90, it reminded me of my mom using a vacuum cleaner as a walker for stability.  He told Justin he wanted to try his hand with the larger machine -- that lasted about two minutes.  Lloyd then went back inside as he was done.  Gemma is quite happy to bound about in the snow...she is a girl from Sheboygan after all.  

We made a trip to Lambeau field this week.  I wanted to drive through the stadium district.  It is rather sad.  However, I was proud to see Vince Lombardi and Curly Lambeau proudly wearing masks and serving as examples for the community.  

We also made a trip to D and D Glass to get a table top cut for a Japanese silk spool that will now serve as an end table.   After having had five different companies come out to our house to get estimates on window repair and replacement, we found that D&D can do the job.  What a find!

We had a very pleasant and long-overdue chat with Ken and Eileen this week.  One day we might just be able to go visit.  I was reminded of when a colleague commented that Eileen wore pearls so casually.  Me? I've been wearing pearls every day since the election (in a tribute to RBG) even when shoveling snow.  

Friday, 25 December 2020: Living Room

 

Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time!

Wednesday, 23 December 2020: Hartung

40 degrees today -- this is unseasonably warm.  I am fine with it.  The river is open at least for the moment.  The temperature is set to plummet -- down to 24' tonight but sliding to 14’ tomorrow night.  A high of 24' is expected for Christmas Day.  It sure des look like winter along the shore line in Brussels.  Ice covers the stones and the bay will soon be solid.  

One month until inauguration.  And it cant happen soon enough for me.  Trump has been almost out of sight since the election.  Meanwhile there is more evidence of a tremendous breach of our computer and security systems.

Thankfully the passing of a second stimulus bill looks promising today as does the passing of a budget.  Meanwhile more and more cases of COVID 19, more hospitalizations and more death.  Yes, the vaccine is being distributed.  

Meanwhile, I am still baking and loving putzing in the kitchen.  I am going to make cinnamon rolls for the kids, Gloria for Christmas so I needed to practice.  Thankfully Justin is an eager guinea pig.  

 

Thursday, 17 December 2020: NorthEast Wisconsin

 We went to Oshkosh yesterday.  It was a big day for us. The venture out was a treat for us. I needed a new coat.  I'd kept a few from Japan and Germany but not a REAL coat.  And, if we are going to be here, I needed the real deal.  We found a new REI along the way so that was an added bonus.  

Gloria’s birthday was this week.  We are so lucky to have she and Lloyd next door.  She and Justin spar over Facebook on politics and that is a little testy from time to time; her Trump/Pence flag is still waving.  She knows everything about the neighborhood and everyone so I am quite pleased to have here next door.  

The river is frozen.  This morning's photo is of geese walking on water.

We got the Kia in the garage!!!  Yes, boats and treasures and trashcans arranged so the car would fit in there too.  This will be critical when winter does truly hit.  In the middle of the conversation Justin said he just wasn’t a "one garage kind of guy. "  I replied that I just wasn’t a Lorrie and Randy Grant type of person since I was happy to have a bag full of wrapping supplies...just for when you need it.  Our friends Lorrie and Randy Grant retired early and got it all down to a backpack and a carry-on.  That's it.  I need more stuff.  

I found a sewing machine table on Facebook Marketplace so we drove to New Franken.  I am going to set up my sewing space in the basement... or maybe upsatirs... I haven't decided yet.  

Monday, 14 December 2020: Hartung

We woke up to snow on Saturday morning.  The Weather channel said it was 31’ but felt like 18’.  BURR!

The first vaccines were given today.  Thankfully Jordan and Erich are near the front of the line.  Justin and I are so far down on the list but we will be ready when it is our turn.  

The Green Bay Packers took the NFC North Division.  Are playoff in their future?  Would we go to playoff games in Lambeau if we could?  Oh, hell yeah.  As it is, Lambeau is open to fans on an extremely limited basis.  One week they hosted about 500 family members and more recently they hosted maybe 2,000 first responders.  With seating capacity of almost 82,000, the stands are so, so empty.  The revenue lost is incredible.  Will we ever recover?  

I made a butternut squash quinoa chili. It was really a North African stew more than a chili but it was yummy.  In true Texas fashion, I made chocolate chip cookies to go with the chili.  The New York Times had published their most popular recipes from 2020 and I used that one rather than the tried and true Toll House.  However, their recipe did not have nuts.  It just isn't worth baking or eating a chocolate chip cookie without nuts.  I also made no-knead bread again.  I'm quite pleased with these results.  

                                          

                                                                                                                 

I want politics to be boring again.