Book Group: Oct, Nov, and Dec 2015

Book: Orphan Train
Author: Christina Baker Kline
Meeting: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at Julie's
Dessert: apple crisp with home-made cinnamon and honey ice cream

Book group is moving to Wednesdays to better accommodate some schedules, including mine. This book was a quick read, interesting story with fun twist at the end. I liked it, but probably not as much as The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty (Book Group pick Nov. 2013) which seemed a more complex story and also featured the orphan trains.

Book: Vanessa and Her Sister
Author: Priya Parma
Meeting: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at Jean's
Dessert: apple caramel tart with whipped cream

Vanessa Bell was the sister of Virginia Woolf and part of the Bloomsbury group in London. The book reads like a diary and introduces way too many characters. But, by the second half of the book I was fascinated by the story and the relationships and breezed on through it. I am embarrassed to admit that I was not familiar with the prolific art of Vanessa Bell.

Book: Guests on Earth
Author: Lee Smith
Meeting: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at Jane's
Dessert: sorbet and lemon frosted cookies

Told from the perspective of Evalina a former patient at Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina.This is the mental hospital where Zelda Fitzgerald resided and where she died in a tragic fire. The group seemed to agree that the compelling story really didn't need the Zelda tie. Insulin shock therapy was used in the hospital. I had not been aware of its use. Wow! It was a standard therapy in the field in the 30's and 40's and into the 50's, I think. It has been replaced by drugs. Good read.

Tennis In My Life

Tennis gear: sweaty visor to keep sun off my face, 50spf lip balm, band for my hair. Ready to play!

Tennis is playing a very big role in my life right now. After years of knee issues, I am enjoying a relatively pain-free time on the court. (I'm knocking on wood as I write this.) Since my physical health is a big part of aging, I thought I should document the state of my health now so that there's a reference point when I reach another stage.

I believe this has not happened by chance, but by faithful almost-daily PT, less body weight, and a reintroduction of leg lifts into my routine. I began the leg lifts after a visit to an orthopedic surgeon who recommended total knee replacement for my arthritic right knee. My physical therapist agreed and said the leg lifts would help me recover from surgery. I opted not to replace the knee yet, but I assumed I would eventually and uncovered my weight bench in the basement. The weight loss I attribute to the Type 2 diabetes gloom and doom of 2 years ago and my decision to count calories along with carbs. (I'm now back to "pre-diabetic.") And the daily PT has been part of my life for years. It's what kept me on the court, or my desire to play tennis motivated me to keep up those side steps, etc. so I could play.

Why is it so important to me?

Well, tennis is really the only sport that I do with joy. I walk some, I bike some, but I do them because I need to keep moving, not because I really like them. I'll bend over backward to play tennis. I'll even organize groups and I am now captaining a team.

Brenda (on the right) named this group Yippie Skippie. We play every Tuesday night.

Tennis provides the social interaction that I need. Some of my tennis buddies have been around for twenty years or more. When I've been unable to play I get ornery and lonely. 

There's always something to learn, a stroke to improve, a strategy to try. I love the competition. I want to win and that drives me. But, I don't think I NEED to win. I'm just happy to be on the court and thankful that I still can. I wonder how many more years I'll be able to play competitively.

I like to buy a tennis shirt when I play in tournaments for the memories it brings.

That's why when my 55+ team won the state championship this summer I was eager to go to the Sectional playoffs in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. It's such a hoot to do a road trip with a bunch of crazy women, share rooms and meals, and try hard on the court. We didn't do too well, but we had a great time and I'd do it again. It's also easier to do it when you're retired! The last time I went to a sectional Jim covered my shifts at Chiripa. 

And Jim plays tennis, too. Our time on the court has changed now that he's a tennis instructor. I can no longer beat him. I get lessons, but with the schedule he keeps I'm reluctant to ask for my time. Maybe I can get him to retire and we can go back to fun tennis. Mixed doubles is the best!

A selfie with longtime tennis buddies Jennifer and Brian on great October day for tennis.

That's the state of tennis in my life at this moment. I hope it lasts a looong time.

Montreal Road Trip, August 2015

This summer's major trips have focused on reconnecting with friends and relatives. August's trip (8/9 -8/27) to Montreal (crossing into Canada at Sault Ste Marie, MI) found Jim's brother John in fine health. We had been concerned because he had heart surgery in the winter. His friend Julie keeps an eye on him. Thanks!

Jim and John at the lookout on Mont Royal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Driving was our mode of transportation and we decided to try out our camping skills along the way. The weather was not always cooperative, but I have high praise for Michigan and Ontario parks. 

First night at Little Bay de Noc in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Some trip highlights:

Roger's Cup (tennis). Men this year alternating with the women next year who were simultaneously at Toronto. The ball goes so fast! And the big guys are so TALL! Fun day.

Jeremy Chardy vs Ivo Karlovic. Guess who won.

Watched Andy Murray play doubles on a smaller court. We were close!

The Murray brothers shake hands. Andy and Leander Paes lost.

Museums in Montreal. There are dozens of museums and we managed to see quite a few. My favorite was probably the Ponte-A-Calliere (The Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History). One is literally on top of the original structures that were ancient Montreal and the museum's underground walks guide you through the building and the changes to the city. Ironically, the current special exhibit was The Aztecs with recently discovered artifacts from Mexico City and a very accessible review of the glorious and tragic Aztec history.
 

What a treat to see a special Rodin exhibit at the Muse de Beaux Arte! I think there were more pieces than what I saw at his studio in Paris. (I still look at the hands and feet and believe they were done by Camille Claudel.)

Opera in the Park. Our trip coincided with the last few days of the Italian Festival and the ending celebration: opera in the park (Barber of Seville) with Italian performers and a live orchestra. Perfect evening, amazing neighborhood. 

Botanical Garden and Insectarium. We took the Metro out to the "Espace pur la vie Montreal" where the 1976 Olympics were held. Great space! Lovely gardens and a way too chaotic insect museum. Screaming kids everywhere, but the bugs were very cool.
 

Can you see the ants carrying the leaves?

Shriner's hospital dedication. John's involvement in the Masons of Quebec is longstanding. He is a Past Grand Master of Quebec. He currently keeps busy as the Shriner's Hospital foundation secretary and a couple other posts I can't remember. 

We were there for a tour of the old hospital and the dedication of the new. They fund an amazing operation and help so many children. Although I sometimes smirk at the trappings of the Masons and Shriners, I am humbled by the good work that they do.

Walking. One of my favorite urban activities is walking and people-watching. John lives near the heart of the hip culture and walking up St Laurent and down St Denis exhausted me until we stopped for special coffees at a sidewalk cafe. So cosmopolitan. 

Coffees at Brulerie on St. Denis

A more serious walk took us to the top of Mt Royal with it's fine view of the city.

Great food of all sorts. Italian, Portuguese, Lebonese, Indian, African not to mention "the best burger in Montreal" and a little home cooking, of course. 

Julie and John at Khyber Pass Cuisine Afghane in Montreal.

Brotherly love. Electrical repairs, fence and railing painting, and lilac pruning. You can't be a tourist every day!

John's house on St Urbain, Montreal.

John volunteered the side of his house for the annual Montreal Mural Festival.

I photographed many murals as I walked the streets of Montreal. They truly transform ugly or unused spaces. Follow the link above for more information and samples.

Posing at the Westmount overlook. Me with the patient brothers.

Final thoughts on the 2+ week trip: 

It's hard to combine trips (camping and urban site-seeing). Packing and finding things in the car would be easier with one goal.

Books on CD make the driving go faster, although new scenery is always fun for me. The media of choice on this trip was Cold Storage Alaska on the road and Americanah for reading in the evening. I'd recommend both.

To truly appreciate a park you need to stay longer than one night. Our timeline or the weather pushed us on. We intended to stay longer on the shore of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but it was cold and rainy and windy. This photo's blue water was short lived. I hope to get back to the Picture Rocks.

 
The jury is out on camping. Our cabin up north was a respite on the last night before home. We pitched the tent on the pontoon, watched the stars, and listened to the loons. Fun end to the trip.

Now it's time to be home for a while.

Book Group: Summer 2015

Book: The Signature of All Things
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Meeting: July 21, 2015 at Nadine's
Dessert: NY Style Cheesecake w cherries

This was my choice based on daughter Heather's recommendation. Women scientists. Funny. For most of this book the term scientist was not in existence. Story centers on Alma Whittaker and her love of mosses. Epic story. I enjoyed reading of her father's adventures with Captain Cook. 500 pages but reads fast. Gilbert is a great storyteller.


Book: China Dolls
Author: Lisa See
Meeting: August 18, 2015 at Barbara's
(I did not attend because of trip to Montreal.)

Grace, Ruby, and Helen; three Asian women thrown together in the Chinese-American nightclub scene of the 1930s and 40s. Takes place mostly in San Francisco's Chinatown. Each has a vastly different background and chapters alternate among the women in their own voice. I had a problem discerning which voice was speaking. Fiction, but based on interviews. Interesting times.

Book: Americanah
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Meeting: September 15, 2015 at Crystel's
Dessert: plum tart and ice cream

I read this book while on the Montreal trip. Nigerian woman immigrates to the United States for school; boyfriend expects to follow her. Years later her blog on race becomes her livelihood. Overall this is a love story, but I appreciated the insights into misconceptions of the African in the US experience as opposed to the African-American experience. Long, but a good summer read.

Seattle, WA and Sitka, AK Summer 2015

This was a trip more about reconnecting with old friends than about visiting places. But, the places we visited were spectacular and the friends more special than remembered.

We spent three days in Seattle on our way to Alaska. Jim met Twit (Howard Conway) in Antarctica many years ago. They stay only sporadically in touch but have a definite bond. 

Twit and Jim on porch in Seattle.

We've been traveling to SE Alaska since the mid 70s but hadn't been to Sitka since 1988. Our dear Madison college friend Jim Downs moved there and worked for the Forest Service until he was lost in a helicopter crash. We've stayed in touch with his wife Kitty LaBounty. And time marches on. . .

Kitty and her island taxi in Sitka.

But first, some photo highlights of Seattle:

We climbed to the top of the water tower (Agua Pura).

Spectacular views from the water tower.

Dale Chihuly Museum at the base of the Space Needle.

A glass ceiling inside the Chihuly museum.

Interior glass gardens in the Chihuly museum.

Remotely lit luminescent Chihuly forms.

Gardens with complimentary Chihuly glass forms.

Can you tell that I loved the Chihuly museum! We also visited the Seattle Public Library, toured a lock system with underground viewing of a salmon ladder, and took a ferry to Bainbridge Island. Twit's university office has a patio with a view of Mt. Rainier. What beautiful country.

Sitka, Alaska / June 28 - July 12, 2015

Then we flew to Sitka where Kitty kept us busy for the next two weeks! She lives on an island (a 10 minute boat ride to Sitka) and parks her boat at a dock about a half mile from her house. One walks on a trail with a partial boardwalk to get to the house and grazes on blueberries and huckleberries along the way.

Kitty's bedroom window looking south.

Kitty sunning in her garden.

Eagles everywhere (especially when the neighbors clean fish).

Kayaking around the island. Kitty made her kayak!

 

Totem poles at the Sitka Natl Historical Park.

Totem design detail.

I'll interrupt the photos for a couple comments. I love this park. The totem poles are placed along a path next to the ocean and they sneak up on you as you walk. The curvature of the lines is quite defined although there was one new pole at the park that breaks the rules. 

The following picture was taken at the Larkspur Caffe which is on the first floor of the Raven Radio station building in downtown Sitka. Members of the group (The Balkan Conspiracy) are friends of Kitty's. While they were performing, the "groupies" played a free-form version of Scrabble (no scoring, loose rules, and you can play outside the grid). Quite a boisterous game. Note: It is about 9 pm and the sun is streaming in the window. It doesn't really get dark this time of year.

The Balkan Conspiracy at the Larkspur Caffe, Sitka, AK.

Heather and Greg arrive in time for the "tuneup" hike to Indian River Falls.

A much needed break and lunch on the 4.5 mi. hike up to the falls.

Spectacular falls. Note Kitty and Matt in lower right.

Reindeer Redhots at the Saturday (July 4) Farmers Market.

Captain in a dress for the 4th!

4th of July parade where everyone throws out candy!

Tour at Sitka Salmon Shares (we subscribe): processing king salmon.

3-Day trip to Fred's Creek Cabin on Kruzoff Island.

Heather reprises her AK 70s pink pants look for her dad.

Beachcombing; lookng back toward Sitka.

Hiking up Mt. Edgecumbe with Steve, Kitty and Mary Beth.

The volcanic summit appears.

Mt. Edgecumbe, a 7 mile climb (6 gentle, 1 vertical).

Gandolf (Greg) and I turn back before the vertical climb.

Sea otters cavorting in front of the cabin.

Checking out Kruzoff tide pools on a rainy day.

Waiting for our ride back to Sitka. Heather is knitting socks with an ocean pattern.

The few days left were all partially rainy, but it didn't stop us from shopping (great NW fabric patterns at the Ben Franklin), kayaking, hiking, eating seafood, playing games (Cantan), helping with chores, and visiting other Sitka sites like the Raptor Center where we saw eagles and owls and ravens and all kinds of birds. I managed to slip on the boardwalk on my final hike from Kitty's to the dock to the airport. No lasting damage. Whew! Knees are safe for tennis when I get home. Great trip. Thank you, Kitty.

Jim Downs: the only thing missing from the trip!