The Ugly Duckling err CHICKEN

When Anne asked me to partner with her in raising chickens at first I thought she was fooling with me.  Why would she think that I would want to do this?  I didn't think she knew me that well!  It didn't take long for me to think about a response.  Being in the company of animals has always given me an innate sense of peace.  Perhaps it's that farmer gene that Dad gave me.  He never talked much about his life on the farm and as I learned more about the pain he underwent, growing up in a time when mental illness was a disgrace, I understood why.  But it still left a kind of 'Country Living' romantic twang inside my heart.  When I was a young school girl my best friend, Lori Kunde, and I would sit on the playground and dream of what our house would look like when we grew up.  I was sure that I'd live in a converted barn.

Like Langston Hughes said, this was a 'dream deferred.'  For some reason God saw to it that I'd be able to experience a slice of that dream by connecting me with Anne and bringing The First Ladies to us.  They were adorable to hold and watch grow (front row:  Dolly Madison; back row:  Maime Eisenhower, Eleanor Roosevelt, LBJ).

Dolly was the smallest one but worked to keep up with the other ladies just doing what chickens do (eat and poop).  She was the first one to greet me in the morning when they camped out in my garage while Anne was on vacation.  As she grew we noticed that her beak was becoming more and more twisted.

We checked various websites, where we met backyard chicken keepers that were much more obsessed with this hobby than us, and no one had a chick that had lived to adulthood with a crossed beak.  We saw that her conformity wasn't bothering her or the other ladies, and she was growing at relatively the same pace as the others so putting her down was out of the question.

On Friday, August 13th I checked their nesting spots and saw my FIRST EGG!  Gregg didn't believe me and was just about as surprised as I to see the beauty just laying there.  The ladies had left the coop for the fresh water we'd brought them so we didn't know who the 'mom' was.  At first I thought that it was Maime as she was screaming at me for taking the egg, and being the largest -- I just assumed that she was the one.  The next morning I found another one; same color as the first.  I remembered Anne talking about the different breeds that we have (Americuna and Wyandotte) and that they laid colored eggs but couldn't remember who was who and which did what.  As soon as I got home from my chicken duty I hit the web, trying to learn more about these beauties.  It's now obvious that Maime is the Americuna, as she has these weird sideburns sticking out the sides of her cheeks.  Americunas lay green / gray eggs; so it wasn't her.  I next checked the Wyandottes and sure enough!  They lay the brown eggs; so that left Dolly and Eleanor, although I don't really think that Elenor is a Wyandotte as she's a red color . . . I was perplexed. 

Anne was awakened by the most unusual sound (for someone who's not used to the sound that chickens make when they're laying eggs) and ran outside to see what was the matter with the Ladies -- only to find DOLLY sitting on the nest as proud as could be!  Anne was so proud of her and told her to talk the other ladies into laying.  Before Anne left on vacation she commented on Dolly has become the most beautiful and thought that she'd lead from behind -- little did she know!

What a learning experience this has been, in so many ways:
- The Ladies never cared that Dolly was different than them
- Dolly learned to do with what she had
- They each have their position within the hen house; Maime was the head chick, Eleanor the one who dug
   up the bugs, and Dolly the leader
- They are a team, and when one wandered out of their enclosure the others talked them back in
- When we took Dolly's eggs out of the nest it was Maime who screamed at us the loudest, knowing how
   much those eggs meant to Dolly (I did feel guilty for a bit)
- Dust baths can be shared
- There's room for all of us on the roost
- It's wonderful to have friends and I'm so glad that you're mine!

North of the Tension Line

Took my traveling buddy (aka Manny) back up to Door County this weekend for the FOPPI Annual Volunteer Picnic.  We took Christie's little Nissan instead of my Cobalt, as it's still waterlogged -- Christie's car is so little that the Ferry Line was able to squeeze it on SIDEWAYS! 

I'm not sure if the captain recognized me or that he's just very accomodating to all guests, but I asked if we were going to go past the Plum Island range lights so I could get a picture of them lined up, he hadn't planned on it but offered to do it for me.  So I got my 'perfect' picture.

When the range lights are aligned the mariner knows to start turning into the channel. 

Manny found some floatsam from a shipwreck and I wished that I would have taken some pictures of the floatsam that I saw last month as it wasn't visible anymore.  That's what I get for not charging my camera batteries the night before!

We had over 90 people at our volunteer picnic which was awesome as last year we had six!  My good friend, Dan Nilsson was awarded Volunteer of the Year for his dedication to FOPPI.  He highly deserved the recognition; I only wished he could have been there -- I would have loved to have seen the look on his face when his name was announced.  We sold about $500 of FOPPI merchandise and are ready for a reorder!  Yahoo!  We'll get that Coast Guard Station painted yet!

Manny had such a great time that I only saw him when we left the boat and when we boarded it to go back to Washington Island!  In between he was spotting poison ivy, running back and forth for supplies, carrying gear and being an all around awesome helper.  It's a time when he can run around and just be a boy.  Instead of bringing back smelly crab claws, this time he searched the beach for lake coral and found some awesome specimens. 

On the way back to our cottage I stopped at School House beach to show him the neat rocks there.  He tried to wade in the water but slipped and fell so ended up joining the other kids on the raft -- in his clothes!

Sunday we went to the Farm Museum, which is an open-air museum filled with neat old artifacts from days long gone on Washington Island.  I enjoyed being able to experience the museum at my own pace while he explored and just called out whenever a photo op came up.

We stopped off at the Door County Maritime Museum in Gills Rock on the way back to the Ferry and he learned about the Lyle Gun, fishing tugs, and shipwrecks.  And again, another photo op.

I've got a feeling he had a great time.  He made note of the fact that he's had more cool experiences by the age of 13 than I had -- how'd he know?

People on the path

It was a week of ups and downs here on the ranch.  I'm trying REAL hard to live in the moment and am honestly finding myself less stressed and able to enjoy some of the little things that I would have normally missed.  I'm getting involved in some wonderful projects and meeting the neatest people by living now instead of carrying the baggage from mistakes made in the past!!

Carrie and her family were on vacation at the beginning of the week and, while I missed them immensely, I was glad that they were able to get away and spent some time off the beaten track.  The kids both called me on their way home to tell me how much fun they had 4-wheeling and going to a zoo in the UP.  I asked what else that they did but whatever it was, it wasn't as memorable as those experiences.  They took some wonderful pictures of the fun they had that Manny insisted I come and view as soon as they got home.  I loved the ones of them 'mudding' and the look of shear joy on Manny and CeCe's faces.

I was so busy that I missed my Konner bonding time and am hoping that I'll have some time soon to make up for it.  I've checked Christie FB pictures and get this really cool loving feeling in my chest whenever I see his little smiling face.  What a joy it is to have this little guys in our lives.  He's proof of the power of prayer, belief, and hope. 

Thursday I had lunch with a woman that I met during my job hunting journey.  It was weird how we met -- I thought that for sure I'd get a job right away so I sat at the far table during the workshop we attended.  The people at the other tables seemed pretty engaged, but I felt pretty comfy just by myself.  Cathy approached my table and asked if she could join me and we immediately shared our stories and bonded.  She directed me to the Crosswalk program at Elmbrook Church where I met people who have changed my life:  Wayne Breitbarth with his LinkedIn enthusiasm which led to Dick Dassow with his mission work passion.  Cathy hasn't found a position yet, but has spent a great deal of time volunteering in various capacities and learning just what she wants in this next chapter of her journey.  I am eager to spend time with her again -- for some reason I feel that we were supposed to meet.

After lunch I spent some quality time with CeCe, learning about all the fun she had on her vacation and going to our favorite store, JoAnn Fabrics.  I picked up a 'Jennie' knitting kit for her at a rummage sale so we sorted out the yarn and got a step-by-step book on how to use this cool thing.  She picked out some gorgeous yarn for her next project but at the last minute decided on some modeling clay and a bead project.  So, I'm not sure if she's as excited about the 'Jennie' as I am -- it happens!

We grabbed a McD's shake, I dropped her off and went to school.  I got there early and chose a spot closest to the building so I could pull out quickly.  During my break I saw an odd congregation of students situated by the front door; I poked my head through the crowd to see what they were watching and was completely overwhelmed with the flood that enveloped the whole road and was rising up to the doors of the building!  It occurred to me that if this area was flooded, what would the parking lot look like?  I ventured out only to find my car swallowed by the stream of rushing water with my car sitting in the middle of it!  I waded into the knee-deep water to see if I could move my car to higher ground but it wouldn't start.  Yuck.  I called Gregg at home only to find out that he was out rescuing Carrie who's car was also swallowed by the flood.  He got her car started but the noise it made indicated worse problems.  Gregg did make it out to school and was able to get my car started and moved -- luckily it didn't make the same noise but was quite saturated.  I mopped it out at home and drove it to my breakfast meeting on Friday and to work, listening to the slushing water every time it stopped.  The electrical system was so wet that the door locks and truck continued to go up and down.

My Friday meeting certainly made up for the mess the night before!  I met with Pam and Karen, from Simple Hope, and Kelly from Graebel.  I had this crazy idea that perhaps Graebel could help with their warehousing and shipping needs, and was surprised when Kelly thought it just might work!  Pam was so excited that she was shaking when we embraced after the meeting was over. 

God DOES put the right people in our paths at the right times . . . Cathy, Wayne, Dick, Pam, and Karen.  I'm pretty sure if I hadn't been on my 'living in the moment' mantra I'd have missed them.  It'll be interesting to see where this path will lead me, stay tuned!

Jesus TV

Last year Dean Maytag and I launched a pilot program that the kids called 'Jesus TV'. The concept was to meet the kids where they are, and have them communicate their faith via technology. We used Flipcams to develop short movies on various subjects. Unfortunately, the excitement soon waned as the support system (aka-me) got distracted. Late this Spring, the AV Tech and the Sunday School committees asked if we'd be interested in doing it again. Not one to turn down an opportunity (often to my own detriment), I obliged.

Our theme this summer is missions; I spent the first day explaining what mission programs are, why we support them, and how to get people interested in learning more about the various mission programs that ECUMC supports. The kids divided up into two groups and chose the Honduras Mission program and Habitat for Humanity. I talked to the kids about making sure there was a beginning, middle, and ending and set them loose.

The HfH group got stuck on what to do so I directed them to the internet to get their inspiration, as I often do when stuck on a school paper. They viewed a couple of YouTube videos and settled on one that 'spelled' out the mission in tiles -- the kids got the awesome idea to use blocks from the nursery to spell out their mission and decided to add some music. They stayed within their time frame, worked together as a group, and truly amazed me.



The Honduras group decided to interview Anne & Bob Weiland who had recently returned from Honduras. I reminded them to have their questions organized and present them to the Weilands beforehand. Unfortunately I didn't stress their time frame and it rolled on too long to post online :-( I'm sure that even Steven Spielberg made some mistakes along the way! The Weilands were impressed with the thought that went into the questions and how the group presented themselves. Ahhh, what pride!

This month we're working on our African and VBS in the Park mission programs. Together we drew a bubble diagram identifying some of the challenges of working with Africa and why it's important that we continue our mission programs there. I brought along some of Christie's keepsakes from her trip for inspiration; the kids were enthralled with the props and even the ones that got distracted easily were able to stay with us and contribute to the group. Being the summer, many families take vacations so this series will take a bit longer to produce but I've included some pictures of our brainstorming session and inspiration table.

Toss up some prayers for us -- we have a ways to go but are surely learning from one another and hopefully teaching others about His word via technology.

Paying Attention to the Signs

Awhile back I heard of a woman from Menomonee Falls that went on a mission trip to Tanzania and got stranded because of the volcano in Iceland. I thought that this was an absurd misfortune -- how could something that happened on opposite ends of the globe be related? Something (or someone) told me that I just HAD to meet this woman! I searched for her on Facebook and later we met when she spoke to the younger kids at Sunday School. I still had this feeling that I needed to learn about this woman, her journey, and what made her tick so I made a Starbucks date with her and am so, so glad that I did!

Pamela has such a familiar soul -- we could have talked for hours on how our lives have brought us to where we are today. Her story is much more interesting than mine, but she gave me some insight as to where my new-found energy is coming from. Open your heart and let him in . . . this is what I did when my life fell apart last year during that awful time of unemployment. Her journey took her from serving at the Menomonee Falls food pantry to Tanzania to starting her own non profit, sending food boxes so school kids could be nourished and able to learn; microlending and seeing to it that there is clean water to drink. Wow -- this woman just blew me away. She's also a wife, mother, daughter, friend; just a normal kind of woman that has been called to wear God in Tanzania! She also kept wondering why HER and why TANZANIA but through it all kept strong in her faith and followed his guidance. Children are now going to school and getting nourished; women are now starting their own little businesses so they can afford to send their children to school; and there are wells being dug for clean water -- all in part to the work that Pamela has done!

Is God calling me onto a different journey than I've planned? I'm not sure but he's certainly opened the doors to some wonderful opportunities and influential people! My work with Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands and Emmanuel are proof enough to me that I'm not walking this journey alone. He's brought people to me in the right time, when I've struggled and just needed a little push -- he's put me in front of dignitaries, judges, and pretty important folk. These are people that I wouldn't otherwise have gotten to know and learn from if I hadn't heeded his calling and jumped at the opportunities that he's placed in front of me. Some might say I'm jumped too much but how does one know how deep the water is unless they jump in?

I'm not saying that my life is now peachy, and neither does Pamela, but we're able to endure the crummy stuff knowing that there's better days ahead -- because we've seen them. So, when things all falling apart all around me I just have to remember where I've been and the story of how with God on Pamela's side she was able to administer an IV to her traveling companion who was severely dehydrated (yes, it really happened) and that with God's help I'll get through my current trials.

Click on this link to follow Pamela's blog: www.helpingmwika.blogspot.com

JAM Session!

I've been very blessed with groups of awesome friends that are my support system and make me feel better in my own skin. I remember how lonely my mother was in her later years and vow not to let that be me. I've been considering befriending shut-ins in the area but know that I really need to give this some serious thought as I can't walk away from this when my life gets out of control. Or maybe I've gotten it under control of it now? Think . . . Think . . .

Back to my friends -- Jan and Anne are women that I've bonded with through choir. We complement each other in our voices, careers, families, hobbies and interests; they are such a joy! How God thought to connect us is beyond me but I'm so glad that he did! Jan and Anne decided to form a little singing group and THEY ASKED ME to join them! Isn't this awesome? They obviously had been rolling this around because at our first JAM (Jan, Anne, Mary -- how clever?) session they already had the music picked out and the type of music that we'd sing going forward.

We're practicing "This World is not my Own" in three-part harmony with Jan on the folk guitar. We'll continue to sing old gospel songs from Jan and Anne's collection of old Methodist hymnals. These songs remind me of the mountain music that found me years ago. See, there IS a reason for everything! I remember going to the Appalachian Homecoming in Norris TN years ago and becoming obsessed with the music of the hill folk. There is so much passion in these songs! If you're unfamiliar with what I'm talking about rent "The Songcatcher" on RedBox.

So Dad -- if you're listening, I'm finally living your dream of being part of a traveling singing group. It's not my siblings as you had wished for, but Jan and Anne are close enough.

Hello???

Christie reminded me today that I've been a little lax in posting my blog -- A LITTLE? I now see that I haven't posted since January!! So, I'm going to try REAL hard to post at least once a week so my faithful followers may regain faith in me.

So, what's been happening? Alot! Where to start?

The biggest news is that Gregg is gainfully employed once again. He gave us quite a scare with hernia surgery but, as he's in self-employed, he's been able to pace his work with his healing. He's been using the cats to figure out his weight limit and this week he was able to pick up Vinnie without any discomfort so he feels he's out of the woods.

The Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands newsletter editor / board member gig has been amazingly awesome. I've attracted the attention of an experienced newsletter professional, Janet, who has asked to be on my team -- I'm learning an immense amount from her and she continues to inspire me with new ideas. The newsletter will be posted some time this week so check www.plumandpilot.org to see why I'm so excited to be working with her! Stay tuned, this is only the beginning!

A couple of weeks ago Manny and I went up to Plum Island to serve as docents for the annual Door County Lighthouse Walk. Actually, Manny assisted with me on one tour and recognized the island needed some exploration so off he went. Friends of mine showed him how to be a First Mate and allowed him to pilot the boat almost up to the dock. He was quite excited and slept like a rock! I gave a guided tour of the Lighthouse Keepers' Dwelling, the front range light, ruins of the 1848 light, and the shipwreck that's washing ashore. It was awesome to be with like-minded people eager to learn of the history that I've been researching and recording in the newsletter. We'll be conducting the tour again at the end of the month for our members, so I've been doing more research in answer to the questions that I received at the Walk . . . what type of oil did they use in the original light? What did it look like? What's the name of this flower? Who's scat is that? I've gotten to meet some influential people who have taken their lighthouse enthusiasm to greater heights and are published . . . mmmm, could that be in the stars for me?

God's been calling me to work on various committees at church; I've been on the AV Tech Group for two years and was recently asked to join the Marketing Committee. The chair of this group is absolutely awesome and enjoys a successful career in marketing in software. Does God work in wonderful ways or what? She's a woman after my own heart; quite detail-oriented and passionate about her work. I'm working on ways to bring technology into the church using social media and also taking technology out to the congregation by way of a Sunday School program that the SS students named, 'Jesus TV.' I work with the kids to present His message by way of MovieMaker, PowerPoint, etc. They've recently completed some work on two of the missions that we support that I'm very proud of. I'm hoping that they ask me to continue with this program for the fall session of Sunday School as there's so much to tell and the kids are so talented!

What else? Oh yes, work -- I'll be going full time July 1st which really just means I'll be eligible for benefits but it does sound better than saying that "I'm working part-time."

So, I'll try real hard to get back on the bandwagon with my blog . . . I will!

Family Matters

I received an email from my aunt this week -- she received a wonderful gift from her granddaughter entitled “Grandma Tell Me Your Story.” This is a familiar book about family history. Unfortunately, my aunt was number 10 of 12 and by the time that her solid memories were formed, her father was in the VA hospital after suffering a stroke. Her memories of him were through a glass window, as her mother told her to wave to him. He never came back home and with a family that size, survival was their highest priority. Children married, had children, moved away and gathered together for baptisms, confirmations, and funerals. My mother's family lived in Detroit and for us, the trip was an infrequent affair.

My aunt was plagued with easy questions like what her father did for a living, when did he come here from Germany, what were his parents names? Easy questions you might think, but how often are we given the opportunity to hear their stories and miss? If I think back at my missed opportunities, I have to admit that there were very many. As usual, I was probably more concerned about what was going on now, instead of what happened way back when. However, one time, while driving through Rockfield (WI) my father remembered about the German POW's that were housed at the canning factory! What? I wished I would have asked more questions because years later I learned from my uncle that my grandfather and great-grandfather were crew chiefs for these POW's that worked in the fields. He didn't remember if my father worked with them also but did remember reading the paper (in German) to the prisoners over the fence. What a story! What a story I missed. Dad, what was it like to be so close to these people from a foreign country? Did they tell you how much they missed their families and were frightened for their safety?

Life stories live on within our traditions, thought patterns, and personalities. I know that my sense of adventure is from my father's ever inquirying mind -- he never passed a brochure without picking it up and saving for a time when he'd be able to visit the obsecure sites. My emotions -- yes, my mother. Before she became ill she was a loving woman, ready to take in any stray (two and four-legged). But what do I know about their lives, how they found strength through their struggles, how they celebrated their successes? Mom, how did you get over missing your mother?

I've pieced together some of the puzzle through Ellis Island archives and other online genealogical sources, and found that my grandfather traveled to the US in steerage with $257 in his pocket. He settled in the Detroit area and when World War I broke out he joined the US Army to secure his citizenship. How he met my grandmother is a mystery, as she arrived from Poland at the age of 2 with her mother and brother (her father had immigrated earlier) and lived in the Pittsburgh area. How did she get to Michigan and meet my grandfather?



It's too late to ask them questions now, in any form other than in prayer but perhaps for those of you that are reading this, you'll be inspired to ask your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles what was life like when they were growing up.

Social Networking

When I grew up we would often visit my father's aunts and uncles on their farms after church on Sundays. Dad would be sure that we'd arrive in time to help with the chores (we were young enough to think that was fun) and then we'd wash up for a good old farm meal with more varieties of fresh vegetables than you'd see at the grocery store, and a yummy dessert that was promised to us once we cleared our plates. After dinner the women-folk would begin the dishes, the kids would turn on "Lassie" and my dad would head out on the porch for some farm talk with one of his uncles. Often times I'd sneak out to the porch and listen to the news they shared of the pig prices and new calfs; who bought a new tractor and who's selling out; how well this year's harvest was and what's going in the fields the next year; which farm family is doing well and which one is struggling. This was his link to the community of farmers that he'd grown up with. I think Dad really missed that link, and Sunday was the day that he got his "farm fix."

Dad left the farm shortly before he met my mother and they purchased a home nearby the manufacturing company that he worked for. If he needed assistance with something at the house he'd call up one of his relatives and they'd soon arrive with the perfect tool or someone that they knew who could handle the repair. That was his network -- the farm community.

Thanks in part to my daughter, this is my network: Blogging, Facebook, and Goodreads. I've reconnected with school friends, gleamed strength from their encouragement, and followed others through their journeys. I've had the opportunity to watch my nephew grow through pictures and comments made on his mother's FB page; I've met new friends and learned more about my current friends. So, one could say that my Blog, FB, and Goodreads have become the 'porch' to my community.

Before Christmas I received an email from a man in Scotland who had read the reviews I'd written for the Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands newsletter. He'd noticed that I'd read books of his contemporaries and asked if I'd review his self-published book. Well, of course I accepted the challenge, not thinking that he'd actually send it! I was quite surprised when it arrived and I eagerly read the memories he wrote of being a lighthouse keeper on the lights of Scotland. The book was wonderful, other than some grammatical errors that he's in the process of correcting. So, think of it . . . here's this keeper in Scotland that connects via social networking to little old me in Wisconsin -- how cool is that?? I now have a 'friend' in Scotland that thinks my life in Wisconsin is quite interesting.

So, as Dad pursued his social network out on the porch, I'm pursuing mine -- on the computer. Come to think of it, thanks to my wireless router I could be sitting on the porch too . . . when it warms up!