For Parky Toenail

Happy now?

The iceman, he's on his way

This weekend, it was time to face reality and realize that winter is coming soon. I pulled out all the tomato plants and raked the lawn (for the third time). The weather was gray and cold and damp, a true November day. We even had a little snow, although it didn't last. Just enough to for Old Man Winter to whisper in your ear, "See you soon!"

I even spent a little time in the kitchen, making a split pea soup that seemed right for the season. I also attempted something called a galette, but I won't embarrass myself by describing how I goofed up with it.

And somehow, in the surest sign yet that the days of playing outside are over, Alice finally popped her bouncy ball. Here she is having one final tender moment with it:

All in a day's work

Last night, one of our regulars called--a man who's known for asking, with complete sincerity, questions that can best be described as off-the-wall.

After asking several questions about the election process, he asked this one: "Is it true that wearing blue jeans brings you bad luck?"

Sigh.

Baby bug

The getaway

Last weekend, my friend Shawn and I had a girls' weekend in beautiful Door County. Both of us, I think, really treasured having a weekend to relax and unwind. We stayed at the Harbor View Resort, which was nice and quiet, and true to its name, had a lovely view of the harbor:



Besides staying up late and talking and drinking wine and watching really bad movies on TV, we had a great time doing all sorts of typical Door County activities. Our first night, we went to the fish boil at the White Gull Inn. It's a simple dinner--just boiled whitefish and potatoes, but it was delicious. There was also an accordionist playing, and cherry pie for dessert. It was a quintessential Wisconsin meal. I also introduced Shawn to Al Johnson's and their famous Swedish pancakes. I've been going to Al Johnson's since I was a kid and it hasn't changed a bit.

Although the weather didn't always cooperate, we managed to fit in quite a big of shopping and sightseeing. We stumbled across The Clearing and decided it would be fun to take a class there sometime. All in all, it was a great weekend. Besides getting to visit a place I love dearly, the best part of the weekend was getting to spend time with a friend I love dearly.

Alice having a ball

If Alice could choose just one thing to do for the rest of her life, this would be it.

An evening out

This year, for my mother's birthday. my sister and I bought tickets for a k d lang concert. We went to the concert this week, and it was absolutely incredible. k d lang has the most beautiful voice, so full of power and beauty, and to see her perform live was wonderful. As a fan, I left the concert liking her and her music even more.

My mother asked me what my most favorite concert ever was. I told her, quite honestly, that I could never single out just one. I don't go to many concerts, but the ones I do go to are pretty darn fantastic. I've seen huge rock concerts in arenas with thousands of people, and smaller, theater-based shows that let you get up close to the performer. What they've all had in common for me, and why I enjoy them so much, is the sheer pleasure of the music. To watch professional musicians perform, and perform beautifully, is a pure delight for me.

In her concert set list, k d lang included her cover of Neil Young's "Helpless"; it's one of my favorites: