Road Trip!

Apologies if the last two months of blogging have been lacking,
but now I can explain why...
Looking for a new job;
after a few offers were declined-
found a wonderful position at an Illinois-based
outpatient aquatic therapy facility,
working full time on contract.





Driving about 75 miles/115 kilometers each way
with interesting scenery every mile along the route.





Also on the lookout at sunrise and sunset
for deer who may decide to try to cross the Interstate,
as well as for state troopers in their ever-changing vehicles
(mustangs, camaros, pick-up trucks, etc.)
not that I ever speed, but...





New jobs are always intimidating the first few weeks
with each side sizing up the competition,
and making sure they follow the stated and unstated
protocols of the office.
As if I am trying out for a school play...
Is my hair OK?, Am I wearing the right clothes?
Do they like me?






The play opened this week
we will see how the reviews turn out.





M

Blueberry Elf

I love costumes.
Always have and always will.

As a child I remember being
somewhat envious of other kids
wearing their store-bought
fancy costumes and masks,
but only until I realized
my Halloween costumes
were always original.
The earliest photograph
of one of my Halloween costumes
is of me; crouched, perching
on an old tree stump
in the front yard,
as a blueberry elf.
Greenish-blue tights, and a sweatshirt
with wire-strung cardboard and fabric
wings, and green tipped fabric ears,
along with a matching acorn-shaped cap
made my imagination fly and play
like the magical fairies of the forest.
I was 5 years old.

I have since learned it must be genetic...
My grandmother and great aunt also
loved to dress up and allow their imaginations
to soar.




Great-Aunt Cleone left me a scrapbook
and I can easily imagine being
part of her group of friends
at a costume party in 1916.
I am not sure who "Lu" is, though.






Remember your most outrageous costume?
I have trouble deciding.
Was it the year I convinced an 11 year-old friend
to be the tail-portion of a two-person
polka-dotted horse costume?
(Designed and build by my parents).

In high school I was in theater...
No further explanations are necessary.

Dating required the young man to plan on
wearing a partner costume
when going on a date in October.

Or perhaps in my early 20's when I
decided to throw a costume party...
Behind a ski boat....
Imagine what skiing
on the muddy Mississippi
does to a white prom dress,
or an old tux,
or a non-washable, fuzzy, leopard-print
"Jane" (without Tarzan) outfit.

Then I got into Civil War Reenacting.




Once again, no further explanations.

Or was it the year a girlfriend and I decided
it would be fun to dress as two
bunch of grapes;
I wore purple, she wore green
with plastic vines and leaves in our hair,
pinning corresponding colored
medium-sized
balloons
all over each other...
And then could not fit into the car...

Around that same time I was teaching water exercise
at various pools in the community.
Let's have another water-based costume party!
I was happy to provide water-proof costumes
to those who tried to forget to bring their own.
After all, fancy HATS, wigs and jewelry
are all you really need when you are
chest-deep in a swimming pool.





I knew John was the one for me:
We met in high school theater.
He loved the rock group KISS.
He was a Civil War reenactor first.
He understands that we have more containers
in the attic filled with costumes
than Christmas decorations.

He gets me.
M

If You Would Not Fail...

More answers for the ongoing question:
What would you do with your life
if you knew you would not fail?


From Timothy;
one of the two instructors
and owners
at Studio Escalier:


Stop sleeping Monday thru FRIDAY,
so I could paint all day, and teach all night.
Then, ask my French bank for 35 million dollars,
to buy and renovate every crusty building
in my town to my standards,
just as a weekend project
(including the old chateau.)
Lastly, elect a suitable friend as mayor,
who'd permanently restore the name of my town
back to Argenton-Chateau,
and build me a train link
from Saumur to HERE to Bressuire!


---Note from Marty:
Michelle -
I need your answer soon...
your comments to the same question are next...

Open Door Policy

Our house was built in 1929,
and John & I are the second owners,
buying this little slice of heaven in 1990.
The previous owner was a mailman in our city,
and we believe the home was built
utilizing mail-order house plans.




Our Craftsman/bungalow style home offers many special touches;
a built-in desk and covered bookcase on one side of the fireplace,
and a glass-fronted bookcase on the other, unusual light fixtures,
sparkly glass doorknobs, and warm, golden wood floors.





Most of the plaster walls had a single layer
of what may be 1930's wallpaper,
and much of the woodwork is in original condition.
We have an open-door policy,
so stop by some time and say hello!

River Views

Yesterday:
Our 20th anniversary.
Photos from LeClaire, Iowa
of a riverboat offering day-cruises,
and an unknown plant-of-the-day...?




Polar bear regatta
Davenport, Iowa.

Living Here...

We have lived in the Quad Cities all our lives.
The Mississippi river divides the four major cities
in our area, and the water draws me like a strong magnet
when I need to think, or relax, or simply remember
my childhood - growing up on its banks.




Today we enjoyed the Mississippi from a local park;
watching the clouds drift past,
the white pelicans soar above the dam nearby,
and just quietly talking
about the next steps in our lives.




More adventures?
Every day.

Happy Stuff at Home

A few happy events since we have been home...

Dinner with friends,
and John using his French Laguiole sommelier tool,
(pocket knife with corkscrew), to open some good wine.






The QC's "Big Fat Greek Festival"
with some potent Greek coffee that stuck to the sides of the cup
and popped your eyes wide open....









And an outdoor wedding at Black Hawk State Park
with wonderful weather
and a beautiful bride.

Jambalaya

United States has been referred to as a "Melting Pot",
(several mixes of ingredients in a soup),
but I believe we are more of a jambalaya -
overall a mix of healthy and spicy ingredients,
fresh from the land, sauteed and simmered
until a perfect mix of flavors are released,
and yet offering distinct and specialized
tastes of the history of all the people.

We enjoy a local ice cream store
with several locations in our town,
lately they have added ice cream flavors;
new tastes reminiscent of other ethnic groups, with excellent results.
And yet our local libraries and schools
struggle for funding to stay open,
and can only offer small amounts of information
easily comprehended by recent immigrants.

This is my next plan of action:
Sweeten the flavors at my local library
to include those who struggle to live here.
Stay tuned on how this travel progresses.
M

Autumn

"All-cheering Plenty,
with her flowering horn,
led yellow Autumn,
Wreath'd with nodding corn".
-Robert Burns




"Many things that grow in the garden that were never sowed there".
-Proverb




"To find out what one is fitted to do
and to secure an opportunity to do it
is the key to happiness".
-John Dewey




"All of the animals,
excepting man,
know that the principal business of life
is to enjoy it".
-Samuel Butler




"The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over the harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then, moves on".
-Carl Sandburg

Enjoyed fresh corn on the cob this evening - Buy Local.
M

Oceans of Truth

To myself I am only a child playing on the beach,
while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.
— Isaac Newton


Yes I want to go see more oceans!
Busy week in Illinois,
trying to keep up with hundreds of choices of;
restaurants, items at grocery stores, commercials on TV, etc.
Going through reverse-culture-shock.

Have finished our scrapbook and our slide show of Europe;
many of those images are now on my "photo album" on this blog.





Enjoying Farmer's Markets every Saturday.

Pleasant Thoughts and Prayers

Remember to Soar

I remember 6 years ago today,
I became hyper-aware that I am proud to be from the United States.
I am proud of those who work in jobs
in order to help and heal others,
and I am proud of everyday people.
On September 12, 2001, I remember feeling
that I needed to simplify my life,
I needed to remind people in my life
of how precious they are to others,
I felt the need to find comfort
in family, friends, and familiar things.
Today,
I am hyper-aware that I am proud to be from the United States,
and I am fascinated by other countries.
I am still proud of everyday people.
I feel the need to simplify my life - more.
I am more comfortable letting
those around me know what they mean to me.
I feel braver -
willing to spread my wings
and soar where my spirit takes me.
I feel the beauty of the human spirit.
Remember to soar.
M

New Travels

I hope Maryluz does not mind being a part of my blog -
her comment was a welcome cool breeze
in what has been a hot and humid week home from France to Illinois.

Will post more Studio Escalier alumni and instructor comments
over the next few weeks, as well as offering quick mini-trips back to
memorable places visited over the past three months.

Above, Argenton-Chateau waterfall
from which John drew inspiration for his outdoor landscape.
Below, more water scenes:
Views near the Seine River in Paris.








Below, Rena at Argenton-Chateau pool
on a day we had the whole pool to ourselves,
and a tiny river at another small town near our home in France.






Now that I have cooled off, other travel plans:
Since I was unable to return to my previous employer,
will be interviewing and experiencing a job search
for the first time since 1999.
Part of my "traveller's joy" will be describing my new adventure;
either looking for a new career - or creating my own business!

Marty