How to make four hours go fast…

August 3, 2016 Shirleyjdietz3 Comments

It’s not a statement, it’s a question. I’m all settled in at this big airport, at the place I think I’m supposed to catch the shuttle to my final destination. It doesn’t arrive for another four hours, and when it does we’ll have a three hour ride farther north. I’m tired of sitting which is about all I’ve done since leaving home at 7 this morning.

But, it’s been a safe, uneventful flight. Every time I dig for something in my backpack I’m enveloped in this heavenly smell of essential oil that has evidently been leaking in there somewhere. And believe me, I am so glad it’s the one that does smell heavenly rather than the one purported to smell like cat pee. Small blessings.

Growing up, I had no idea that I lived somewhere called “remote”. We seldom went anywhere farther than our 60 mile trip to get school clothes in the nearest town with a department store. But school away from home changed all that.

And as time wore on, the girl from the north, in school down south (Texas), met a man from the east (Pennsylvania) and moved west (California), before coming back home to Wisconsin for a few years. I live in Florida and am afraid to guess what part of the U.S. is going to be next. I don’t know whether to say the world has gotten bigger or smaller.

When I fly I look down at the land below. Although this is a very big country, it seems to be pretty full of people. All the habitable space is divided up into squares or circles with clusters of dwellings at every intersection. At night, I see towns dotting the darkness everywhere I look. During the day we fly between cities so sprawling and large that it scares me. Our ancestors could not have imagined this. And I cannot imagine the future.

I guess I’ve talked myself into being thankful for a destination that’s still three hours from a major city. It’s gotten bigger (but not much) and there’s more traffic but it is still beautifully remote and it’s home to many family members and friends, making it even more beautiful.

Two and a half hours to go… just sayin’.

Portland Water

April 10, 2016April 10, 2016 Shirleyjdietz7 Comments

20160410_094858[1] — from a Portland street while waiting to be hit by a bus

Morning shower

Washing over me warm

Portland’s wettest from rivers

From mountains and sky

Portland’s germs from

A Thousand hands sharing

And traveling Portland’s water

Making its coffee

Which I take in

Breathing Portland’s air

Touching its soil and

Eating its food

Watered by its rains

Food touched

By Portland hands

Washed in Portland’s water

City of Bridges over water

Over streets

City built by its water

Stand under its warmth

Drink in Portland

The way I always thought it should be…

March 27, 2016 Shirleyjdietz3 Comments

Rain on the window, gray in the sky, blossoms on the trees

Seattle in early spring is the way I imagined it before I had ever been here. Today was cool (50’s ) and rainy, clouds rolling through. Everything green is glowing, in contrast to the grays and browns of wet rocks and trees. I am usually here during the one week in summer when there is a heat wave, so this sweet chill is a treat for me. I am prepared for this visit with my sweatshirt hoodies and scarves, and of course my walking shoes.

I took my friend Charlie the dog for a walk on one of our favorite routes from last summer. I couldn’t stop looking at all the things that were visible through trees that hadn’t leafed out yet. Surprisingly, there are a lot of houses hanging precariously on the sides of the ravine above the park’s lower trail. I did not know they were so close. In spite of the cold, there are flowers coming out all over, and they are different from the ones in the summer or fall. And the lush moss grows everywhere.

We walked up to the top of the ridge over Alki Beach (what a workout, gasp..) and I was glad to be here, grateful to be seeing it all. I couldn’t help wishing that my friend Karyn who followed my stories last summer was still here to read again. I was grateful that it was a day when resurrection, physical resurrection, was on my mind. As unexplainable as it sounds to modern ears, a man came back to life never to die again. Because he did this miraculous thing, Karyn will too. This is not a hard thing for me to believe, because I see life coming out of what looks dead all around me. It’s right there in front of us, if we have eyes to see and hearts willing to consider.

Thanking Jesus for doing what he did – the first of many.

Good Times and Bad Times in the Air

July 11, 2015July 11, 2015 Shirleyjdietz1 Comment

This sunset was so awesome. I couldn't stop taking pictures of it. — This sunset was so awesome. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of it.

I will start with the good time. While in Seattle I got to visit the Columbia Building with daughter Esther. This qualified as an adventure up in the air because I actually saw airplanes going toward SeaTac on about our level. It was above the Space Needle and every other high building in the city, actually made all the rest look small. What a great view of the city, the harbor and the surrounding geography! We had a special invite to happy hour at the Tower Club – thank you Duncan – and it was a great experience. To relax with some great food and drink and conversation, all the while getting to look at this.

I mean it, I couldn't stop. — I mean it, I couldn’t stop.

The appetizers we shared were large enough to serve as our meal. We had lemon risotto, garlic mashed potatoes with buerre blanc and asparagus on one plate and quinoa with roasted tomatoes, glazed carrots and squash with kale and herb sauce on the other. Delicious. Duncan was very creative with the drink he made Esther, using rhubarb liqueur and egg white. He is the lead bartender at the Tower Club and did such a great job of making us feel welcome. His parting advice to us was to make sure we visited the Ladies Room (even he had been there). And the pics will show you why…

20150709_185338[1] — This was so, so good!

I couldn't resist the mirror shot... — I couldn’t resist the mirror shot…

20150709_200258[1] — Don’t you love this sunset?!

The flight home from Seattle was the bad time up in the air. I won’t mention the airline because I don’t think it was their fault. It was a “red eye” flight. I was tired and wanted to sleep. I had a middle seat between two strangers and as I usually do I said a few words just to let them know they had permission to speak with me if they wanted to. I got a one word answer from one of them and that was the only exchange for the rest of the flight. We all wanted to sleep, including the people in front of us who promptly reclined their seats. I mention this because once that seat back was reclined I found I could no longer reach my bag which was at my feet. My arms weren’t long enough. And this became problematic when around 3 am I got a headache that made my whole face hurt and needed some headache relief medicine from my bag. And to make things worse, it was really warm in the cabin. I don’t know if they did that on purpose or maybe I just worked up a sweat trying to get my bag without lying my head down in someone’s lap. Crashing headache, claustrophobia, heat wave and a developing nausea – perfect conditions for sleeping. I was so glad to get off that plane, 5 hours later in Atlanta.

I took a couple Excedrin and started to feel the pain go away on the second flight, but by then I was having headache hallucinations – thinking I was eating my airplane snack while I was really sleeping. It was very strange. But now at home and after a good nap, I feel none the worse for the experience. Travel, you never know what’s going to be next. Just saying’…

Been up in the air a lot lately... — Been up in the air a lot lately…

A Different Kind of R & R

February 4, 2015February 4, 2015 ShirleyjdietzLeave a comment

It often means rest and relaxation to others. Not to me. I can’t even rest and relax when I’m asleep. My R&R is responding to randomness.

Randomness has a couple definitions, some of which I apply to my life and some, not so much. The one I like is “random is often used neutrally to describe that which is done or occurs by chance but also suggests that one is receptive to the possibilities of the unexpected”. I often have to make decisions about going places and doing things that are not my usual routine. Truth is, I don’t know what my usual routine is anymore. Something unexpected is always happening, it seems, and those are the things to which I love to respond.

I have four younger brothers and a couple weeks ago the oldest of them called. He lives in the same state as I do, but it’s been years since we devoted much time to each other. We are more often at family gatherings with crowds of other people to divide our attention.

“How would you like to help me drive up to Wisconsin? I’m taking a truck and trailer up to get some equipment and I thought it would be a time for us to get in a good talk.” I had to agree that 30 hours of drive time would amount to a pretty good talk.

In my mind I’m tallying up the things I would need to reschedule or back out of. “Well sure, I think I could do that but let me have a day or so to work on it. I’ll let you know.”

Road trip!!!

And that’s how things get started. After telling several people what I was considering doing I had to call him back to find out why we were doing this in the middle of winter, trying to get up and back between blizzards. Also, was I actually going to be asked to drive the truck with the 30 foot trailer or was I just going along to keep him from falling asleep?

The truth is, I love family adventures more than any other kind. Should I not take any opportunity to get to know these people with whom I share genetic material? And how better to get to know them than to actually be doing something with them? Appalachian hikes, trail rides on horseback across Florida, camping across the country and picnicking at 12,000 feet in the Rockies, cruising with everyone for a 50th anniversary – all these things started with a somewhat unexpected idea, to be rejected or embraced. Thankfully, most of my family is of the “bring it on” nature.

My randomness is by no means purposeless or unplanned. Just unexpected. In fact, planning and anticipating is at least half of every adventure for me. Sometimes it takes weeks, and other times it gets pulled together in hours. There’s a lot of variety. Because of all this I have actually forgotten how to be bored, well, almost. The brother I planned on starting the trip with tomorrow morning has already called to delay our departure because of unforeseen circumstances BUT it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he showed up at the door, ready to go tomorrow morning.

There are really two reasons this lifestyle works for me. One is that I do need a lot of variety, whether at work or at play. I have very few routines and don’t do them very consistently. I love surprise!

The other reason is that I don’t claim to have control over my circumstances, so it never disappoints me when I don’t. Those circumstances are in the hands of God, whom I look to kind of like a writer and director of a big story, and the only one who has read the whole script. When I get up in the morning, I’m not always sure where my part is going to be played out but I know the director is going to direct me. After all, he’s given me a part in the story because he wants me there. What seems random to me is in no way random to him. He is the ultimate planner and takes care of all the details. I just have to respond and follow directions. There is a lot of peacefulness and freedom to have fun in that. And sometime tomorrow I will probably be having fun, somewhere on I-75, talking with my brother. Just sayin’…

My four brothers lined up in back. On the left is the eldest one with whom I will soon be reacquainted.

Thanksgiving Day

June 2, 2014 Shirleyjdietz4 Comments

Today is a thanksgiving holiday for me. I’m just taking a day off after two weeks and several thousand miles of travel to be thankful for making it there and back once again. I have “that thought” every time I leave home that I might not be back again, ever. I’m not upset or overly morbid about it – it’s more a realization that there is no promise of longevity or a trouble free life given to anyone. Stuff happens, no matter how careful you are.Read More »

On the Road in Arcola, Illinois!

May 31, 2014 Shirleyjdietz4 Comments

Back in the tiny, little car (with great gas mileage, ok, I should be thankful) for a full day of travel in the midwest. Wisconsin is a long state going north to south. Illinois is even longer. Adding to it’s longness is the fact that there is very little to break the monotony of the landscape . “Oh, there’s a field! Oh, and there’s another field! Oh, oh, there’s a barn!” It continues like this for hundreds of miles in a mind dulling, flat way. However, it is spring so at least it is green and the fields are planted. In August when it’s hot and dusty and dried up you don’t even want to be there.

As evening rolled around I saw a sign for a Dutch Kitchen restaurant and thought the husband might enjoy stopping for dinner. It was an Amish community of about 3,000 population, Arcola, Illinois. I think a town has to have at least three Amish people to take advantage of the label “Amish community”. Right away the husband is wondering if the reality show with the Amish mafia has done any filming there. We left the interstate and drove into town where there were real brick streets and beautiful, big, old two story frame houses with shady lawns. Main Street was where we found the Dutch Kitchen Restaurant and had our meal.

The husband decided to try out his Penn Dutch heritage on the waitress. He asked for some dish in another language and got a blank, “deer in the headlights” look from the very young waitress who had no clue what he was saying. Of course, this was an opportunity to educate, which he did fairly thoroughly. She came back and asked if she could just bring him a dish of cottage cheese and he could put his own apple butter on it. We repeated the lesson later when the owner came around to check on us.

But who would have guessed that we had landed in a place with such a claim to fame. The pictures on the wall in the restaurant were full of the history of the town, including one from 1898 when a castle built entirely of broomstick corn was erected on the street right outside the restaurant (see pic of pic). They have a broomstick corn festival at the end of the summer. And when I went outside to get some photos of the town I learned that the inventor of Raggedy Ann and Andy was born in Arcola. They have a festival for the dolls every year (see pic below). Two festivals for one town! And there could be more for all I know. The streets and buildings were classic old midwestern town and really quite interesting.

I’m just sayin’ it can be kind of fun to pull off the road and spend a few minutes in some small, unheralded place, on a whim. Do it.

Yum, yum - the Dutch Kitchen. — Yum, yum – the Dutch Kitchen.

All who love Raggedy Ann and Andy - must go here. — All who love Raggedy Ann and Andy – must go here.

Brick streets and buildings like this. A little town on the prairie... — Brick streets and buildings like this. A little town on the prairie…

A to Z Challenge: The Letter D

April 3, 2014 Shirleyjdietz11 Comments

D is for Departure: Another Family Story

A friend of my daughter, a thirty something business associate, lost her mother last week. In an email to my daughter she said “go call your mother, now”, and that’s why I got a nice, long chat with my eldest girl. I couldn’t help but think how blessed I was, at 60 something, to have my mother and dad visiting me for the past month. I went and gave my mom a hug and a good chat as well.

And this morning in the dark I drove the parents to the airport and watched them depart to their flight. Departures. Whole lists of flights going to everywhere. I wanted to go with them because their carry-ons were really heavy and Dad’s shoulder isn’t good. I wanted to be there to help hold things, find things, zip the zippers, turn off the devices, settle them in. But sometimes departure means you don’t get to go. Then there’s that final glimpse as the tram doors close. I have that fleeting thought “what if something happens and I never see them again?”. No one else thinks morbid things like that, right?

Back at home I have to look at the places where they sat at the table, the closet where their clothes were hanging. I have to change the bedding and put the bedroom back the way it was before they came. The pain of missing them has it’s very vivid moments when I can’t avoid the fact that they’re gone. It’s a little like rehearsing for the last, big departure we’re all going to experience, not that rehearsing will make it any less sad, or easier – but maybe more familiar. It’s ok to be sad. I’m giving myself permission to miss them, for a while.

Fortunately, departures are only half of what’s on the board at the airport. We get to have arrivals too! If the snow ever melts up north, the husband and I are planning a car trip to Wisconsin to help Mom plant her garden. We’ll take Dad to Walmart to walk the aisles for exercise. We’ll help clean the attic, play us some Mexican Train, look through old letters and work on the memoirs, probably have a picnic and cook hotdogs in my brother’s yard. We’ll enjoy being a family! I am already looking forward to it with anticipation! Now that I think about it, I’m might be rehearsing something there too… Yep. Just sayin’.

A to Z Challenge: A is for Atlanta

April 1, 2014 Shirleyjdietz8 Comments

There was something white on the trees, and on the ground in Atlanta this week – and it wasn’t snow, it was petals from the flowering dogwoods and other gorgeous trees.

Atlanta was wet, cloudy and lit with a subdued daylight that made the grass and trees fairly glow with green-ness. Rain makes Atlanta smell fresh and woodsy in spite of the thousands of cars emitting fumes on it’s frighteningly busy throughways. The parents and I were there this week for the graduation of a special niece who now holds a doctorate of chiropractic degree from Life University.

Kudos for sticking it out girl, and creating another do-able family event for those of us within driving distance.

We journeyed there by car on Thursday and met at the motel that evening. Family breakfast on Friday morning sustained us through the graduation ceremony in the afternoon. The after celebration at Darwin’s Burgers and Blues introduced me to the Memphis Burger. Who knew that putting bbq sauce and coleslaw on a burger would make it that good? Watching my brother and his family celebrate their eldest daughter’s accomplishment was a heartwarming family experience. Someone who not too long ago was a crazy kid is now an adult with a plan and a purpose.

Okay, and here is what really proved that to me. Being in the “older” group of celebrants, I and the parents didn’t stay up for the 2 am (and later) partying but went back to our motel to prep for our early morning departure. Elissa asked us what time we were getting up and when we were having breakfast before leaving town. She wanted “family breakfast” again and said she would be there at 7:30 to have it with us. Mind you, I was not sure this could be accomplished… the girl is not typically a morning person and I wouldn’t really have blamed her for crashing in the wee hours. Was she there? WAS SHE THERE!

Yes, yes she was!. Family breakfast was eaten and a good time was had by all, even the sleepy ones. Thank you Smiths for a meaningful, family memory of celebrating in Atlanta, beautiful Atlanta.

Speaking of Rubber Bands

January 26, 2014January 26, 2014 ShirleyjdietzLeave a comment

I was speaking (writing) of rubber bands in my last post and this thought came to mind, Rainbow Looms. Now for those of you who are not frequently in the company of children and may not know about Rainbow Looms, let me introduce you to a new craft/toy craze that is sweeping the WORLD. It really starts with a very simple concept of stringing rubber bands of various colors and sizes together to make bracelets, etc… but goes on to some pretty complicated stuff. The loom itself is a small plastic apparatus with multiple upright pegs.

I first heard of it when my cousin who has a young daughter started buying rubber bands in bulk to sell in her flea market business. Honestly, I didn’t see the draw and kind of mentally passed it by. Later at our Thanksgiving celebration her daughter and another young guest spent quite a bit of time making bracelets. The other girl had been doing it for a while and was making some fairly complicated patterns – these girls were into it, seriously.

But I did not know the true power of Rainbow Loom craziness until we went to Cambodia. The Rainbow Loom “people” had donated a number of looms and bags and bags of rubber bands for us to take with us as gifts for the children in the orphan homes. There were a few extra so one day we gave some to the university students in the girls dorm. The next day we found out that one girl had been up till 3 a.m. making bracelets and hair bands to give away as New Year’s gifts for her friends. There is evidently no age limitation to the fascination.

Later we took the loom project to each of the orphan homes and our experts sat down on the floor to teach and demonstrate. Hours later the madness was still continuing… They catch on quick. Thank you Rainbow Loom for a really fun time.