Destination Driftless

The Truth, How Beautiful It Is

2012-02-26T18:09:00.000-06:00

My Servant Leadership class met recently to discuss decision-making and the important aspects of leading with a servant's heart. We make decisions every day essentially all day long. Do you ever think about your own process of deciding? How do you come about your decisions? It can seem automatic but most of us are using some variation of Truth, Consequences, Character and Fairness. Seems simple enough.

Rick Kyte, our instructor, gave an example of a debate within his household. He and his wife were deciding something for their son. They were focused on the consequences and their son was focused on the fairness of it all. Everyone walked away frustrated until Rick realized he had fallen into the decision-making trap. The trap is when you only look at your side of the argument and fail to step out of the place your discussing/arguing from (i.e. consequences) to consider other aspects of the debate. So, in this case, Rick later realized he and his wife had not gathered the facts (i.e. the Truth) on this one. Oops.

Rick went back to his son, insisted that they make some calls to his friends to get to the bottom of this debate. Once they got more information, the whole premise of their argument fell away. But his point was that it is very hard, in the heat of a discussion or in the midst of a big decision, to keep perspective. But it helps. A lot.

This class is largely focused on how one comes to be a leader, how leaders are made. In Servant Leadership, one has to look in the mirror. Tom Thibodeau, our other instructor, talks about taking a long, loving look at the Real. Knowing what is inside of you, your past, those that influenced you in the biggest way over the course of your life.

Conversation and friendship (community) are other aspects.

"We all need people we can belong to, knowing that being with them is coming home."

--Bernard Cooke

And Tom's parting comment to the class:

"Dear God, please help me to recognize the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is."

--Alan Cohen

Old School Variety Show: Love

2012-02-17T17:49:00.002-06:00

The Old School Variety Show, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Storytelling, singing, folk tales, jokes, puppeteering, magic, impersonations...variety. And a collective experience. Sitting with friends and family, coming together to watch this show, laughing and reacting both individually and as a group, listening and engaging with the performers. The value and uniqueness of the group experience. The crowds are bigger now that the show is just on Saturday night. My husband has been hosting this show for about five years now, with a handful of people who are centrally and peripherally involved in most if not all of the shows. This group is extremely important to the Old School. And I thought about this as I saw every chair filled in this ballroom. These friends listened and offered and encouraged the fruits of Mike's labor and helped make this all happen. And they continue to be involved year after year. Every chair full, the room bursting with energy, laughter, talking, lines of people at the bar. Everyone waiting for the show. Who will be here tonight? What stories will be told? I wondered this myself. There are always surprises and each show is so totally different. Different performers, different material and a different audience. And the interplay between these three things determine the success of the Old School Variety Show. The performers, the material and the audience. The Grand Hotel is a great venue, a beautiful comfortable place that really seems made for this kind of entertainment. But you also could throw this show in a park, in a backyard, in a living room and the important factors would still be the performers, the material and the audience...and not necessarily in that order. Different every time. I sat with my family and friends and took a deep breath as Mike came out on stage. And this show about love began.

Mike introduces the show.

Elizabeth Caucutt and friends sing Ingrid Michaelson's "Everybody"

Kit and Kate Mayer

My videotaping skills need a lot of work. My tape cut off before any of Kate's lyrics :(

Terry and Ken Visger singing their love song.

Mike and Nancy Caucutt sing This is Us. They sang this a year and a half ago at our wedding. Goose bumps. They rock. In every way. And they have been a huge part of the variety show, helping launch and conceive of the whole thing.

See everybody in April!

On This Day

2012-02-14T17:58:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetheart. You make my heart sing.

My February Face

2012-02-09T17:01:00.000-06:00

A cold winter Saturday. The whole day ahead of us. We went to Fayze's for breakfast, my husband and me. The park beckoned to us (or to me and my camera). As I scrambled around Friendship Gardens, my husband was on the lookout for birds. I was trying out my prime lens which offers no zoom feature so you have to be right up on your subject. Kind of acrobatic. But I love the shallow depth of field and the background blur with the prime. Photography and short, brisk walks seem to be the only things combatting the February blues. Though we haven't had the cold temperatures here in Wisconsin, I seem to be freezing to the core. Unless I'm submerged in a bubble bath or under four layers, I'm just not warm.

"There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you ..... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself."

- Ruth Stout

One of the things I do like about winter is this quiet time where we all crawl into our caves for the coldest months. Dark at 5pm, either cold or damp and windy or wet, none of it is fun or preferrable. So in we go for soup and blankets and at my house, Netflix. Now is the time to get caught up on all of the shows I can't watch during the season either because we don't have HBO or I don't find the time during other seasons of the year. So while I want February to be whisked away quickly, I am savoring this private, quiet time.

"Why, what's the matter,

That you have such a February face,

So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?"

- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

I'm pretty sure I do have a February face. And it's much different than my July or August face because that spells body warmth, so many more hours of daylight and countless festivities to choose from. But it is not July or August. It is February.

I remember an acquaintance one time saying that he "didn't live according to seasons." I don't remember anything else this person said other than this crazy statement. How can seasons not affect a person?

So I kept on walking through the park. And I thought, 'to everthing there is a season'...now how does that go?

To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose under the sun.

A time to be born and a time to die;

a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

a time to kill and a time to heal ...

a time to weep and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn and a time to dance ...

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to lose and a time to seek;

a time to rend and a time to sew;

a time to keep silent and a time to speak;

a time to love and a time to hate;

a time for war and a time for peace.

ecclesiastes 3:1-8

So I put on my February face. But took stock in these words.

And I enjoyed the birds.

Winter Rec Fest: Our Way

2012-02-02T06:17:00.000-06:00

I watched Owen, 7 years old, trying to get his snow pants on. He was dragging them up his body, hopping from foot to foot. I started to step in to help. And then I remembered putting on my own snow pants the same way when I was that age. Not necessarily the quickest or most efficient way, but it works. I looked back over to Owen. The snow pants were on. He found a way. Emma was using all of her lung capacity to blow into one of the inflatable sleds. Did she need help? She looked pretty determined. We no sooner walked up to the sledding hill at Winter Rec Fest and she was coming over to us looking so disappointed. The inflatable sled was deflating. The sled was studied for a moment. Another sturdier sled surfaced. She was soon zooming down the hill on the new sled. She found a way. Ian, the oldest, was the most excited of all of the kids. He claimed he was "staying until midnight" on the sledding hill. He wasn't going home. He didn't stay until midnight. But he managed to hit the jump and get more air than I thought possible. He found a way.

I didn't really want to go to Rec Fest. My chilly office left me feeling cold from the inside out by the time I got home. No time for the hot bath I often take to thaw out. I put on long wool socks, envisioning us standing at the top of the sledding hill for hour after cold hour. Not sounding fun. We made our way to Rec Fest and the snow began to fall in pretty little flurries. The hill was packed with excited kids and a lot of very game parents jumping on sleds as well. There was a lighted ski/walking trail at the base of the hill. My husband and I made our way down there through the screaming, zooming sleds. We walked and crunched over the snow, passing torch after fiery torch along the way. Making our way around the trail, we came back to the base of the sledding hill. Very cool view from below. The snow continued to fall. The Forest Hills clubhouse was all lit up with diners and cocktailers. My husband stepped in for a drink. The fireworks started. We found our way.

And at the request of Mike and the kiddos, I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas was our theme song for the night.

Winter Rec Fest from Polly Scott on Vimeo.

Servant Leadership and Peacemaking

2012-01-22T20:09:00.002-06:00

Peacemaking. My Servant Leadership class met this week and we talked about peace and peacemaking. This topic always strikes me as both vague and overwhelming. Discussing, say, Peace in our Community or Combatting Violence in Our Neighborhoods is conceivable. But the term 'world peace' is just inconceivable as a goal because it is too vast of a concept. When I hear the word peace, I think of bumper stickers. For awhile, everyone in Madison (WI) seemed to have the one that said Visualize World Pea (s) and instead of Peace there was a picture of green peas. There are also a lot of quotes about peace. And this is what was handed out when I went into class. It isn't that I don't believe in peace and non-violence but where do you begin? Back to the overwhelming nature of the topic. Well, we read over these quotes in class and then picked one person at a time to discuss the quote.

Peace...starts with each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us. When our community is in a state of peace, it can share that peace with neighboring communities, and so on. When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace...

--14th Dalai Lama

Several classmates tell stories of personal epiphanies and share ideas of peacemaking. So peace starts within each one of us. When you pull it together enough to be self-aware and look outside of yourself, notice your neighbors, really notice them, notice your community, opportunities are all around to be involved in some way. Getting less vague.

"Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache: You won't be able to find it. But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you."

--Ajahn Chah

I thought of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in La Crosse. The past couple of weeks the topics were Compassion and Connection and then Moral Vision and Courage for this Moment in History where they discussed the "Occupy Movement". So many opportunities we have in our community to listen, absorb and connect to important things going on all around us.

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main....Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

--John Donne

The importance of building up trust between each other was discussed. The professor leading our class, Rick Kyte, told a story about sitting in on an Ethics class taught by Tom Thibodeau (Viterbo University). Tom showed up to class without a syllabus and pulled up his chair and told the students, "let's talk about your expectations for the class and then let's share our stories". So at some point, a student shared a highly personal and vulnerable story. The first day of class. And this much trust had already been built up.

Rick shared another story about his wife who at one point taught little children. When a small child is playing in a sandbox and another child grabs his pail, the child hits the other one on the head with his plastic shovel. The teacher explains the words that need to be used, instead of hitting. By the next year, when this same incident happens, the instruction is "use your words". So as young people we learn to use words to solve conflicts. Not all of us learn this though. And some don't learn it as well as others. So when conflict happens, the choice is to face off with someone as an individual, thinking only "I want to win". Or you can use words. And remember that something much bigger is at stake.

As I walked around our campus, through the wet, spiralling snow, the peace quotes swirled through my head.

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius--and a lot of courage--to move in the opposite direction. Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.

--Albert Einstein

I still can't Visualize World Pea(s). But it's easier to look around and see words being used, work being done and both individuals and a community working together for something bigger.

A Good Winter: Eau Claire

2012-01-18T22:10:00.000-06:00

We set off with the idea of skiing and a possible story idea for a romantic weekend getaway. Tower Ridge Recreation Area has 12 miles of intersecting cross-country ski trails. With rolling terrain, towering snowy pine trees and the sun peaking through every other branch, my husband and I glided off on the trails. The day was cold, really cold. My fingers were so cold, they were burning. Finally, I warmed up and relaxed into my rhythm. There was a general feeling of happiness on the trail, big white smiles and exclamations of “great day” and “beautiful out here”...and it was. We stayed for a long time, several hours. I was starting to feel the fatigue and wanted to be back in town in front of a towering frothy coffee. As we skied and skied around this corner and that bend and this grove of trees, the sun was starting to fall. A beam peaked through a bough and a sliver caught me around a corner and I kept following it, reaching for our destination, the end of the trail. My legs ached, my body wilted, my arms strained. We reached the trailhead, the sun sank over the trees and I took a last cold, invigorating breath. Winter sports in Wisconsin.

We spent the rest of the weekend taking long, cold walks through the snowy streets, the neighborhoods still lit up with Christmas lights. I fought my husband when he insisted we should walk...everywhere. But we did walk everywhere, and I'm glad we did. We ate warm and spicy food at Taste of India, chocolate mousse at The Chocolate Lounge tromped around town more, ate tasty pasta at Mona Lisa (bad service, good food) had drinks at the Red Bar, woke up with the sun and I thought about our soundtrack. The music that was the back splash to our weekend. Bon Iver came to mind. Bon Hiver is French for “good winter”. The band Bon Iver, from Eau Claire, intentionally misspelled the word, intending just to convey the feelings of winter culture. Justin Vernon, the lead singer, believes "we are who we are essentially because of where we come from". So he holed up in a cabin in Eau Claire, "the northwoods of Wisconsin" and wrote a hit album. It is about loss and sadness and searching, conveyed through the lens of a long, cold Wisconsin winter. I kept searching for our soundtrack.

There are so many ways to tell a story, to convey an experience. Sometimes words are best, sometimes pictures, or just one picture, or a piece of music. This is my sophomore effort. There will be more. More Driftless Destinations, more stories, more walking around Wisconsin towns. Eau Claire, this was our experience of you. The Decemberists sang us home.

Destination Eau Claire, WI from Polly Scott on Vimeo.

Winter Comes to Wisconsin

2012-01-13T15:36:00.000-06:00

Winter has descended. I've been cold and the air has been damp for months but now it is official. I spent less than ten minutes taking pictures at the park and my hands froze in pain. 19 degrees. I had forgotten what that felt like.

We're supposed to be tired of shoveling and complaining about snow at this point. The temperatures have been 25 degrees warmer than normal this past week alone. We're six weeks away from March. I found myself searching for the nearest Spring getaways the other day. I didn't know what I was getting away from.

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.

--William Blake

So now that the snow and truly cold temperatures are here, I can just enjoy. When it's dark by 5 pm, there is a lot more TV watching and just less activity in general. I feel a bit guilty about this but now, I can just enjoy. The icy, hazardous Wisconsin winter is here. It's brutally cold and snowy out, you say? I better just curl up under my laptop and watch Netflix while the stormy winds howl.

And now there will be bright, fluffy snow photography to sink into for a couple of months.

My plan has been to capture the seasons in a few choice spots in my town. But there has to be a clear division of seasons to pull that off.

So this is what International Gardens looks like in winter. And soon we'll find out what the La Crosse River Marsh looks like in winter. Now that we can all go enjoy winter in our local nature spots.

So as I watch the light, puffy snowflakes fall outside my window, I'm thinking about just enjoying winter. No big effort at teaching or learning, just preserving energy, staying warm and engaging in some good old-fashioned Wisconsin winter sports. We're taking off for a little x-country skiing weekend. The time has come. So enjoy everyone.

An Afternoon with the Birds

2012-01-09T21:40:00.028-06:00

I took the afternoon off and planned a special photo shoot with my husband. Soon we would be ice skating in the beautiful frosty marsh under a setting sun. One problem. There were big puddles, bumpy patches and lumpy gray slush where there had been a glossy, smooth perfect ice skating rink.
January 6th and 50 degrees. Sigh. We switched gears. This isn't hard to do in La Crosse. As part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, there are a number of scenic places to spend an afternoon. We drove along the Great River Road on Highway 35 and landed at Goose Island, a county park that is also an island in the Mississippi River. It is located in the heart of the La Crosse District of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge. Considered one of many birding hot spots in La Crosse County, it could be a nice place to spend an afternoon.

Black-capped Chickadees everywhere (North American songbird)

The Wisconsin Great River Road runs through the center of the Mississippi River Flyway, a superhighway for migrating birds, such as songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors.

Mike is a bird nerd and has this down to a science.  I just like to follow him around with my camera and breathe it all in.  We didn't see any real unusual birds but it's pretty cool to have a variety to look at and watch them come in so close.

Bird whisperer

Downy Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch, a small North American songbird of the nuthatch family
Northern Cardinal

I did finally tire of the birds for the moment.  Mike had long since gone.  I stood around watching 
the sky.

I thought I'd stalked the sky long enough so I got in my car and drove home through La Crosse.


And then I saw this.  Maybe I didn't need to head home so fast.  
That sky wasn't done with me yet.




Sigh.  And now I can say goodnight.

Word for 2012: Compassion

2012-01-05T21:15:00.004-06:00

Originally, I thought this post would be about willpower. I was listening to public radio this week and there was a show on, what else, New Years Resolutions. I was only half-listening until the guest began talking about willpower. A person on the show was describing a habit he had and how he broke it. His bad habit was eating good n plenty (ew!) any time he was in an airport. He did this for years and years. At some point, he said began thinking about how awful he would feel a few hours after eating the candy and once he had this thought, it broke the habit. The guest, psychology instructor Kelly McGonigal, told him this was one of the best ways to fight bad habits. To think ahead. I decided this was right then the best advice I'd heard about change.

It seems so incredibly obvious that I'm not sure it would have had the same effect if I'd just read the words. If I hadn't heard another word, I think this would have been enough ammunition to launch me ahead with my own resolutions. I did, however, do a little more research.

McGonigal has written a book called The Willpower Instinct. She connects willpower to your goals with the power of "I will, I won't and I want". The "I will" and "I won't" is about self-control but the "I want" is tying your urges to a larger goal. I've always considered myself to have very little willpower.

But I was stuck on the rigidity of self-control, or lack thereof. I thought ahead to where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do. This is where compassion comes in. One of my favorite blogs is Shutter Sisters http://shuttersisters.com/home/2012/1/4/searching-for-the-words.html. They have a One Word Pool on Flickr where people are invited to post a picture with their word of the year attached. A lot of words have come to mind. I have a lot of hopes and dreams for this year and the years ahead. Some of this will involve willpower. Some of the hopes will involve plain old goal-setting. Some of the desires and resolutions will be about "I will, I won't and I want". But I realized that compassion is my word, the thing to help me set my intentions for the year ahead. Giving myself a break if every day doesn't go according to plan, taking a nap when I'm really tired, taking a break when I'm over-extended. Aiming for both small and big goals but being willing and able to adapt. And opening myself up to compassion. I spoil myself in many ways, but I don't think I give myself a break at times when it would be really helpful to just, well, give myself a break. And give others a break in return.

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily

--Zig Ziglar

And I can see it. I can see that year ahead, chaos and all. I see victories and hopes staying alive and small changes in habits, a few less vices, some mistakes along the way, compassion for self, compassion for others, more napping, and a certain amount of mystery that makes each year one big surprise.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

--Mark Twain

Times Gone By

2012-01-01T15:27:00.000-06:00

Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012.

Making Merry in Milwaukee

2011-12-29T16:33:00.003-06:00

And we were on our way to visit our Milwaukee family, Nana and Papa Scott. They have this big comfortable condo but my favorite thing is their pretty backyard, woodsy with a little pond.

The kiddos ran out there with their slingshots as soon as we arrived.

We did gift opening (hello juicer!), had 5pm cocktails (one of my favorite Scott rituals), ate pizza and visited around the table. Here's Mike and Mom.

Mike and his Dad. Joe has even more stories than Mike.

I know I'm probably not supposed to add this picture but I can't resist. I asked Mike if he knew anything about his Dad's tatoo and he said just that he "doesn't like it". I like it because it is unexpected and I assumed came from his time served in the Navy. It says "Scottie".

Waiting for breakfast at First Watch. Avocado omelette, oh yeah.

Joe and Marilyn. Married 56 years. They give big hugs, tell hilarious family stories, and fill us up with good food. They have given their children, and grandchildren the best example of family and commitment and love.

And we did.

We headed off to the Milwaukee Public Museum. Mike often went to this museum as a kid so its fun to go back and visit each year.

Puelicher Butterly Wing

The Streets of Old Milwaukee is a permanent exhibit recreated in the essence of urban life in Milwaukee around the turn-of-the-century – roughly the 1880s to just prior to World War I.

North American Indians

And ring pops at the end.

We made one more family stop on our way home and had a quick but nice visit with Mike's sister, Patti and family. And then sped home to tuck in for a cold winter's night.

Making Merry

2011-12-29T12:00:00.002-06:00

I didn't have too much Christmas spirit this year. I worked right up until the holiday so I had no time to just enjoy the moment. My grandma recently passed away and my dad was exhausted and ill so he called to say he wasn't coming. Also, I'm still getting used to hosting Christmas at our house. For a hundred years, we've either gone to my Grandma's house or my mom and Bobber's house. Old habits do die hard. Also, there was no snow. This wasn't December, it was more March...brown, damp and kind of ugly. I don't like sentimental movies or stories, but I've realized I, myself, am sentimental. So each Christmas is supposed to feel like the last Christmas or my childhood Christmas. This is what I was thinking. Then my family showed up. You put the people you love all around you, throw in good food, tasty wine and thoughtful gifts and that is Christmas. I forgot about the snow problem and made merry.

Tula and Grandma Kat warming up for presents.

Emma could barely stand to wait for everyone to arrive so presents could be opened. Remember when Christmas morning was THAT exciting? Now, I just can't wait for the food.

Legos are a great invention. Ian spent so many hours with this thing and was so proud of the outcome...the Beasley's, oops Weasley's 3-story house, pretty cool.

Tula's first Christmas.

Everyone crowds around the little gal, those puffy cheeks and her little squawks of delight. As the first baby in my family, she just seems like a little miracle to me. Unexpected and so welcome.

You never really know which gifts are going to stick. Owen loves this watch. Began telling us the time every 5 minutes. I think its the first time he's become aware of time at all. Oops. Hope we don't intrude on the beautiful innocence of the timeless childhood. They generally pay no attention to time. I'm so envious.

One thing we did that I feel sure was unique to others' holiday celebrations. We moved furniture. After a large bloody mary, Mike decided we should all move our large TV and huge couch downstairs. There was some chaos and some very heavy lifting and an hour or two later, we had two rooms that looked awesome and like new. It's all kind of a blur now.

Taking a break in the new sunroom (poker room).

The new sunroom. Technically, its a poker room but what you can't see are a couple of rocking chairs and a little fireplace heater.

Then I pushed everyone outside to take pictures. This really was a spontaneous holiday.

There were many attempts at this picture. I probably wouldn't be good at portrait photography because I usually like the candid photos. I almost like something "off" about the photo.

Love it.

Yep, this was my favorite one.

I totally love this photo of my Mom and Stepdad.

House sparrows everywhere.

Dinner was a bit delayed due to the furniture moving, but we did eventually sit down to a fabulous ham.

Post-dinner poker where Owen took it all. He would sit there looking over the top of his cards at everyone saying, "You guys do not know what I'm doing." And, indeed, we did not.

And we settled into our new TV room (now perfectly located in the basement) to watch the Packers beat the Bears. We're a mixed family so some were happier than others.

An Old-School Night Out in La Crosse, WI

2011-12-19T21:50:00.002-06:00

We headed off for the The Grand Hotel, a 1930's Art Deco Reception Hall, totally refurbished and full of exposed brick, shiny hardwood floors, a nice bar and a noisy crowd of people. The Old School Variety Show was gearing up for its annual holiday show. My sister-in-law and I were having a girls night out and what better place? A night of friends, music, stories and cocktails. The variety show is about reviving the craft of traditional storytelling and providing great live entertainment. My husband has been organizing and hosting this event for the last four years and has many friends that join him at each show.

Mike getting the show rolling

Elizabeth Caucutt does a sweet "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"

Mike and Nancy Caucutt start off with a sassy little "Baby, It's Cold Outside"

Ivan tells a Christmas story that concludes with, "Just know that when you open that present, what you find in the box is the smallest part of the gift."

Carolyn Temanson plays beautiful accordian music from the film, Amelie. If you've seen the movie(or heard this kind of music), you know how seductive French accordion can be.

Dr. Bob! He's a puppet magician and he makes all of his puppets with his own two hands.

Mike doing his Garrison Keillor "News from La Crosse, WI"

Fayme Rochelle and the Waxings with their always excellent banjo, fiddle music and original songwriting.

Look at this crazy little cutie.

Farewell

The party continues at our house.

A good time was had by all.

The Christmas Farm

2011-12-15T18:35:00.006-06:00

Remember when we had snow a couple of weeks ago, for like five minutes? That was fun. That also just happened to be the weekend we went to get our Christmas tree. We cut it down ourselves. So very Little House on the Prairie. This farm was beautiful and the drive out there was just Driftless gorgeous, rolling hills, blufflines, cruising through rural scenery with our urbanite eyes. I loved it. And I think the kiddos liked it too. You'll see.

Shaking the snow off. This thing is coming in our house.

Emma looking for the best one.

Ian contemplating.

Let the snowball fights begin.

Could it look any more like Christmas at this farm? I feel like I should preserve these photos for posterity...see we did have snow in December!

But back to the snowball fight.

And off we go to drag this heaping, wet somewhat lopsided beauty into our home.

..The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep

--Robert Frost (Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening)

And I loved it. A mess of needles and snow all over the floor, the fresh smell of pine, covered in lights and a mix of homemade decorations, colored balls and Packers ornaments. Bring on the snow flurries and the Christmas cookies.

Rest in Peace, Grandma Forsell

2011-12-08T18:38:00.005-06:00

She called us home. Not in a literal way, but she did call to us. I thought of this as our family pilgrimage, making plans with one another, getting in our cars to head home to Rockford and preparing to say good-bye. My dad had been a rock through this whole thing and really held it together so we could all say good-bye at once. My mom was rightfully with us though this had been an ex-mother -in-law for a long time...they were alike in some ways. They could tell each off, but be friends again five minutes later. It was hard for all of us to say this final goodbye.

A lot of memories have come to the surface in the past week. I thought about how much fun Christmas was at my Grandparent's house. They gave my brother and I these huge stockings with oranges the size of softballs, huge grapefruits, cans of nuts, chocolate, toys...they were more fun than the gifts. My best memory of their house was sleeping in their back bedroom, always a little cool but heaped with warm, wool blankets, and tons of pillows. Just as I was falling asleep there would be the sound of the grandfather clock(which is now in my house) chiming ten o'clock as they turned the news off for the night. And then I would wake up to my Grandma's Swedish pancakes. She had a long life, my Grandma. 99 years old. And she could be cranky. One time my dad had put on some boots he just bought and when my Grandma saw him, she said, "New boots? They're ugly!" My husband and I sometimes just shorten it and point at each others' boots yelling, "they're ugly!"

My stepdaughter, Emma, saw this picture and said, "Is that a BB gun?!!" And I was thinking,
"those are nice boots."

The only time we've seen my Grandma laughing! She was more of a quiet chuckler.

Grandma and my Dad

My grandma crawled into my old bed to mess with me...she was pretty tiny.

The two things I associate with my Grandma are good cooking and gardening. She didn't talk too much about either one. She just did them.

She was a spitfire.

Watching a peaceful death of a human being reminds us of a falling star; one of a million lights in a vast sky that flares up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Say hi to Grandpa for us.

A Week in the Life

2011-12-04T08:48:00.003-06:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks that snuck up on you and became an extraordinary week? This week was one of those experiences for me. There wasn't any one thing that stood out. Just a number of small nice moments. Like any week, I was wishing away the weekdays and looking to the weekend. In the midst of my clock watching, life happened and reminded me of the here and now.

Being is not only beyond but also deep within every form as its innermost invisible and indestructible essence. This means that it is accessible to you now as your own deepest self, your true nature. But don't seek to grasp it with your mind. Don't try to understand it. You can know it only when the mind is still. When you are present, when your attention is fully and intensely in the Now, Being can be felt,...
--Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now)

Reading with the O-man

My stepson, Owen, is just learning to read. This is the first big landmark event that I've experienced with the kids. Watching Owen move into this level of childhood has been really exciting. I listen to him sounding out the various letters of each word (yay phonics!), and when he sees an explanation point he lifts his fist into the air for emphasis. Awesome. He climbs up on my bed most nights with his little books. Some nights I read to him, and some nights he reads to me. This whole world has just opened up to him and it warms my librarian(and stepmom) heart.

We are short-staffed at work so I've been opening the library most days of the week. I'm out the door in the cover of darkness. By the time I arrive at my destination (a matter of miles), the sun is already peaking up. The biggest surprise to me is how much I like this early morning stuff. I mean, look at that morning sky. Better stay quiet about that or I'll garner the crack-of-dawn, rooster shift forever more.

Riverside Park, Festival of Lights

I went down to the park after work earlier this week. I stood on the periphery of the festival and took it in. Dusk had just fallen so all the lights were just starting to sparkle against the backdrop of the river.

Later that night, we put on our coats and walked over to the kiddos' school for their music concert. They were so cute, all dressed up and looking nervous. Having heard the occasional plunking from the kids, I was curious as to how this concert would go. The music instructor was great though. He made this an educational event and would explain before each little piece how he went about teaching them...reading music, finding the keys on the instrument, moving from note to note. Oddly fascinating. It made me excited for the kids and I hope they stick with it. They have so many years to learn and improve this skill.

Friday night we went to a play at UW-La Crosse. We threw on our coats, walked across the street and through campus and sat and watched some lively college theatre. I'll just say, my town felt a little like Mayberry this week.

Buzzard Billy's, downtown La Crosse

It was my brother, Parker's birthday on Saturday. We weren't sure if we were going to make it to lunch at all. At the last minute, plans came together and other friends joined in as well. Yummy warm food and a cold tasty beer, and my cutie niece, Tula.

Erin, Parker and Tula

The best smile I've ever captured on my brother's face. Of course, I had to go and overexpose it. That's the thing about photography, sometimes you have to move really quickly and the camera settings aren't what you'd choose(not even close) given more time...but I'm more concerned with the expression, myself. So I love what this photo says, exposure be damned.

The new parents had to exit right after lunch with a tired little one. The rest of us carried the party on. That's the way we roll.

With our friends, Larry and Jody

Bodega Brew Pub, downtown LaCrosse

Friends, family and a nice place to call home. I was reminded of all of this in my week in the life.

Orange Sky Monday

2011-11-28T18:33:00.001-06:00

Chill in the air. Winter is coming.

Over the River and Through the Woods

2011-11-27T12:19:00.000-06:00

Baking, basting, football, bloody mary's, napping...exactly what Thanksgiving should be with a few new traditions now in the mix. My family joined us this year in La Crosse for a pretty relaxing holiday. I do wish more of the Scott family could have joined us. I'm always thankful for family. During the holidays, I experience the gift of now. The people we get to keep in our lives with each passing year. In the words of Jane Kenyon "But one day, I know, it will be otherwise." ("Otherwise")

But this year I think we did a good job of living it up on our holiday.

Tula starts the party off

Hugs from Grandma Kat

Dad and me--time for a family walk

An Iroquois Prayer for Thanksgiving

We return thanks to our mother, the earth, with sustains us. We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water. We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases. We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters, the beans and squash, which give us life. We return thanks to the bushes and trees, which provide us with fruit. We return thanks to the wind, which, moving the air, has banished diseases. We return thanks to the moon and the stars, which have given us their light when the sun was gone. We return thanks to our grandfather He-no, .., who has given to us his rain. We return thanks to the sun, that he has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye. Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in whom is embodied all goodness, and who directs all things for the good of his children.

Mike and I, right before he races back to throw in the turkey

i thank You God for most this amazing

day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun’s birthday;this is the birth

day of life and love and wings:and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any–lifted from the no

of all nothing–human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

-e.e. cummings

Mom and Bobber

For each new morning with its light/ For rest and shelter of the night/ For health and food, for love and friends/ For everything Thy goodness sends

.~Ralph Waldo Emerson

O Lord that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.
~William Shakespeare

Tula and Grandpa Jim, home again.

Go Pack!

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.

~Erma Bombeck

Thanks, Erin for making sure I'm in some of the pictures!

Oh, yeah...11-0 for Green Bay

Darla Dog is happy for the Packers

Like father, like son

A little pre-dinner poker

Over the river, and through the wood,
To grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way,
To carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood,
To grandfather's house away!
We would not stop
For doll or top,
For 't is Thanksgiving Day.

--from Lydia Maria Child's "The New-England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day"

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.--Meister Eckhart

The Great River Road to Dubuque

2011-11-20T13:50:00.000-06:00

We set off for Dubuque along the Great River Road, a historic byway of the Mississippi River. Rather than building a new road, the existing network of rural roads and then-fledgling highways that crisscrossed the river, became the Great River Road back in 1938. Nearly 3,000 miles long, the Great River Road runs through 10 states along the Mississippi River (http://www.experiencemississippiriver.com/great-river-road.cfm). We watched eagles flying, tundra swans swimming, and made our way through 15 different river towns on our way to Dubuque. Our first stop was Potosi Brewery in Potosi, Wisconsin. Founded in 1852 and recently refurbished into an excellent brewpub restaurant, this place had personality. Apparently, the brothers that founded this company had a traveling bar that would pull up to county fairs and give away beer! Oh, and that beer was good.

And as we were finishing lunch, in walked our neighbor. This place is popular.

We continued on our quest for the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.

There are six aquariums and a 3-D theater with a great river documentary. Unfortunately, the alligator was sleeping when we were there.

These images are kind of disturbing. Probably should have used a little flash, the animals wouldn't look quite so scary. I had no idea beavers were this big.

Mike communes with his hero.

Indeed.

The rest of our trip involved gluttony. Also walking, I felt like I walked my feet off.

Remember when we would complain about Christmas cheer starting right after Thanksgiving? It isn't just retail starting right after Halloween anymore. I do love the lights though.

Chilly. Time to stop somewhere for a drink.

This place was original. Crazy art on the walls, good music, cozy, like a grad. school hangout.

And then we were off to Crust, advertised as an italian kitchen + bar. This was a casual low to medium priced dinner place (also lunch), mostly pizza, good atmosphere, not particularly crowded. They overcooked my pizza but made up for it with large mounds of spinach on each slice. I'd go back.

We woke up with the morning sun and grabbed coffees at Jitterz. Mmmm...warmed up a chilly walk through the early morning streets of Dubuque.

We had a perfectly old-school breakfast at this townie breakfast joint. We stood out. The people eating here likely eat here every day or every weekend and order the same thing every time. Your basic bacon, eggs and toast, local people living their lives, city photographs on the walls, basic and efficient service. And this is what I'd say about Dubuque. They are old-school, not trying too hard, nothing fancy, some nice restaurants and boutiques mixed in with old buildings and a city that doesn't look like it's changed too much over time.

Elevator to the bluffs. This is the Fenlon Place Elevator, operating for over 100 years and rebuilt several times due to fires and mishaps. I'm glad I didn't know about this history before climbing aboard.

View from above.

Goodbye Dubuque. We like you, you're easy to be around.

Servant Leadership and Our Deep Story

2011-11-19T12:24:00.002-06:00

I attended my second Servant Leadership class this week, a professional development class that meets once a month for Viterbo University employees. The class is led by Rick Kyte, the Director of the Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo and Tom Thibodeau, the Director of the Servant Leadership Program. This week we talked about the importance of story on both an organizational level and a personal level. First we broke out into small groups to talk about our five life markers: a highly significant person in our life, a big idea that evokes our passion, an event that shaped our destiny, principles that guide our life's work and a metaphor that guides our understanding of life. We had about 10 or 15 minutes to cover this topic!

Rick then discussed the transformation of an organization, starting with an "I", the person who founds the business or starts the organization, and then evolves into a "we" as more people are hired and work together toward a common goal. Over time, these employees change and the "we" can start to turn into an "I" without common experiences and understanding. Asking employees to be participants in a common coversation keeps the organization together and cohesive. This is where the importance of the "deep story" comes in. To understand where we are going, we have to understand where we came from, as individuals and in a larger sense within our workplace and our larger community.

I was thinking about the Viterbo story and the recently announced collaboration with the La Crosse Community Theatre (LCT). The new La Crosse Performing Arts Center will now be a 450-seat main stage theatre that is home to both LCT and Viterbo. During the Viterbo University Forum this week, it was mentioned that part of the Viterbo conversation involved the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) and their risk in the opening of the Fine Arts Center at Viterbo in 1971. This has been a real success story and one that has been celebrated all this year during their 40th anniversary. The Sisters, the founders of Viterbo, continue to be involved in many ways throughout the University and their story is all around us.

One of the Sisters in my class spoke of how the FSPA struggles with the "we" and the "I" in their community. As more Sisters pass away, she said they struggle to attract younger FSPA members. We moved from talk of organizations back to us as individuals. Each of us in class shared the main themes of our Five Life Markers discussion. My group had a nice contrasting theme of the value of both young ones and elders in our lives. I initially thought about my mom and dad who have both been huge and positive influences in my life. But then I realized that it was my grandma and grandpa who were sitting in the room with me at that point. As someone was telling a story about their grandparents, I remembered recently looking through family photographs. Every Christmas picture, birthday picture, significant event, year after year after year was taken in one of two rooms at my grandparents' house. That is virtually where we grew up and where my story takes place. As we moved around, my parents divorced, my brother and I grew up and then moved and moved and moved...there my grandparents stayed with their car and house long ago paid for and always a dining room table full of food and comfort. My grandpa died when I was in grad. school (at 93 years of age). A very rough loss. My grandma is 99 years old and we are calling in hospice for her as she gets ready to leave us. She is very ready to go. This loss is sad in a symbolic way as it signals the official end of the Forsell grandparents. They leave behind their spirit, their values and an essential part of my deep story.

Tom ended the class by saying that all leadership is biographical and by considering our deep story we look at the depth of who we are and where we came from. Thank you Servant Leadership for revealing things to me that only come with a little bit of quiet and contemplation.

Urban Safari: November

2011-11-13T11:26:00.003-06:00

We walked through the marsh just craning our necks for that big bright moon. We were one day late on the full moon but full of expectations, just after sunset and a clear sky. The marsh is beautiful at night. We walked along the trail, the last of the pink sky dropping quickly, various bird calls singing to us, the lights of the city flashing all around us. The La Crosse River Marsh is 1,077 acres and part of the Mississippi River Floodplain. There are 24 different species of mammals and 139 species of breeding and migratory birds.

Canadian Geese fly overhead.

We stop looking for the moon, we keep walking, deeper into the Marsh and then we turn around.

“May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and a smooth road all the way to your door.”

Irish Blessing

Now for the urban part of our adventure, the Holiday Open House in downtown La Crosse. This is a good way to support local businesses and have free food and drinks along the way.

The coolest spot we visited was this new gift shop, A Vintage View (thanks Jenn!) on the seventh floor of a historic building on Main Street with a great view of the city down below.

Many stores and footsteps later, we happily plunked down with our friends, Mike and Nancy and Greg and Sue at Buzzard Billy's. This may have been the only point in the night where we weren't all talking. The basketball game has temporarily transfixed them.

Mike and Nancy telling stories.

Latin Vibe at the Starlight Lounge

Cheech at The Joint

Brent Brown at Popcorn Tavern.

And our own Mike Caucutt gets up and belts out "Scotty, We're Coming for You" by The Kissers...awesome.

Brian Beard.

And as Mike and I are dropping over from fatigue, we decide its time to hoof it home.

The Freedom of the Moon

I've tried the new moon tilted in the air

Above a hazy tree-and-farmhouse cluster

As you might try a jewel in your hair.

I've tried it fine with little breadth of luster,

Alone, or in one ornament combining

With one first-water start almost shining.

I put it shining anywhere I please.

By walking slowly on some evening later

I've pulled it from a crate of crooked trees,

And brought it over glossy water, greater,

And dropped it in, and seen the image wallow,

The color run, all sorts of wonder follow.

--Robert Frost

and we made our way home under the shining moon, another Urban Safari gone and another one sure to follow.

Ian Turns 11

2011-11-05T16:41:00.020-05:00

A Dump Dinner(video to follow) Legos and Air Soft guns. This was the focus of the night for the kids....the Air Soft gun really. He did run and put his Legos together. And they were immediately consulting the U.S. Army Survival Guide book which thrilled him. But the kiddos were mighty enthusiastic when Ian received the Air Soft gun for his birthday. He's smart. He's into strategy and building things and knowing how things work. According to the many Internet sites devoted to air soft guns they are defined as: air powered ballistic projectors that replicate real fire arms. Yikes. Sounds awful to me, however they are plastic and make virtually no noise. I don't know, I played hopscotch and hid in my books at that age, so it's all a little confounding to me.

Ian readying his James Bond pose.

Between sophisticated video games and James Bond movies, they're bored by anything less. Here's Emma taking a shot.

Even Dad took a shot. This was a rare moment to see any kind of gun in his hand. He's a bird watcher. The one time he went hunting as a kid, he shot a squirrel and felt terrible about it.

Enough talk about guns, let's look at a cute baby.

Tula and Momma came for the party.

She was unfazed by Dad in his scary Jason mask.

The most exciting thing for the adults was the Dump Dinner...essentially a Crawfish Boil dumped on the table. Yum.

Cupcakes, Ian's favorite.

The O-man

Time for bed.

Happy Birthday, Ian. We love you!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

from Bob & Joan

Urban Safari: October

2011-10-27T20:29:00.004-05:00

Urban Safari has a few rules. You can't use a car. Public transportation is encouraged. Biking and walking are good too. Frequenting downtown establishments is preferred. Remaining within city limits a must. Just another way to enjoy your own town. So my husband and I set off last week on foot and walked our city streets.

and of course, every good Urban Safari has to end in a stiff drink at a local establishment such as The Cavalier Lounge---excellent cocktails and a killer jukebox.

home sweet home after lots of fresh air and exercise and a little bourbon to warm our hearts.

Beulah's 99th Birthday

2011-10-26T07:24:00.001-05:00

She's my grandma and she's 99 years old. She doesn't really want to be 99. She's been hurtling towards centenarian status kicking and screaming. Let's just say she's a spitfire. And the fire has only increased with age. She's really slowed down this last year. Her sister Cleona is over 100 so Beulah might be staying alive to compete with her sister. I like to think she's stayed in order to see her grandkids settle into their adult lives. She's a sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was a wife, a golfer, a gardener, a great cook and the family storyteller. She's stubborn and she's loved and she's 99 today.

Happy Birthday, Grandma Forsell.

Sunset and Servant Leadership

2011-10-23T20:25:00.002-05:00

I chased down this sunset the other night. I kept looking for it and then I almost gave up and then I came around a corner and this pink sky opened up in front of me. Sometimes the sky can still surprise me. The next morning I was out the door before sunrise. I attended a Servant Leadership course where we started the day with a moment of silence. The instructor suggested we think of all of those that had worked to put out coffee and food for us and helped to make this morning happen. I sat and thought about those individuals. The sixteen people in the room were silent and the room was motionless for a minute or two. Then we talked for two hours about Servant Leadership, this particular type of leadership where you serve others and lead from behind. One of the instructors referred to it as a dance...where you are stepping in and stepping out continuously. I thought about this dance that we do at work and then another kind of dance at home and in our community and also in relationship to our beautiful landscape here in La Crosse, WI. We can serve in so many ways by listening and being present. When we had that moment of silence, I thought about the connection between work, home, community and this incredible local landscape of ours....and for that moment I just felt gratitude.

Getting Freaky for Fall

2011-10-21T13:45:00.000-05:00

It started with pumpkins. The kiddos had been asking to carve pumpkins for weeks. So we finally got out to Bauer's Market in La Crescent, MN...love that place. The kids picked the biggest, heaviest pumpkins they could find. I have to just comment on the pumpkins for a moment. Why does everything have to be so big? Big food, big cars, big houses, now pumpkins have to be big to be worthy too? Just my observation. Anyway, so the carving commenced. They were pretty dedicated to the carving too. I pretty much just took pictures but the craft mood was settling in on me.

Had to pick up caramel at Bauer's as well. Yum.

Roasted pumpkin seeds. My, my these were tasty.

Leaves from the yard glued onto a glass candle-holder with white tissue paper glued over the top.

Plastic pumpkin painted black with foam wings glued onto the sides (toothpicks glued to back of wings).

Mom and Me and our DIY Project

2011-10-13T07:08:00.001-05:00

I have moved 14 times in my adult life. My brother has moved twice as much, at least. Our mother has been at just about every move, either to help with boxes rearrange rooms or provide some kind of domestic support. She has said many times that she is done, "she's too old to keep doing this". I understand. She just had the unfortunate situation of raising two nomadic children. She probably thought when I moved to Nashville that she could check out for awhile. She couldn't. I got her on a plane to help me with my move into my first apartment in Nashville. It was the coolest apartment that I ever lived in...so of course I stayed a whole two years before moving again.

My much improved apartment after a DIY visit from Mom and my Aunt Starr...who has been at a number of my apt. makeovers as well.

My mom does resist some of these paint/makeover jobs but she gets really into it once we get going. So I figured with this latest paint job that she would probably be tempted and I nabbed her one last time. When my husband and I recently decided to paint our kitchen, I immediately started worrying, thinking of our last painting episode. I picked a color that was wrong (aiming for mustard yellow and got pumpkin-y yellow) and then he didn't tape so there were splotches all over the ceiling. Then the kiddos came home during the middle of painting and he put a paint brush in their little hands. We had painted switch plates and large orange streaks across the white woodwork. So when I realized his kayaking plans for the upcoming weekend, I put in the emergency invite to mom. I guess I should be painting with my husband but my mom is still the first person I think of when redecorating/redoing a room. She has vision. So I promised her wine and good company and I put a paint brush in her hand. And she delivered. We also talked and snickered through the whole thing.

Before--not sure this pic completely captured the bland, vacant white on the walls. It did capture the clutter.

On the scale of DIY projects, this one was small, but it made such a big difference. We went from a kitchen that was a utilitarian spot to cook food and have a quick meal, to a space that was welcoming, warm and a cool room to hang out in.

Good times.

Much warmer and nicer, don't you think? Best of all, my husband loved it.

And we even snuck in a walk through the marsh...

and a little time with family...

We watched Owen, my stepson, ride a bike for the first time. This is a pretty cool first, when it comes to firsts.

Granddaughter Tula, irresistable.

Thank you, Moo. I love you. Just think, when Tula grows up, you can start this all over again with her.

Favorite Autumn Spots in La Crosse, WI

2011-10-05T22:25:00.004-05:00

I like visiting my favorite La Crosse Area spots throughout the year but Fall is my favorite. Everything is ablaze...bluffs, rustic roads, gardens, the marsh. There is always one more place, but I've decided to slow my obsession with fall photography, our colors are peaking about now, and I can resume my "normal" life. Can't say it better than John Muir...
------
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
John Muir
-----

La Crosse River Marsh

and many seasonal bike rides with my husband.

Hidden Trails Corn Maze--this thing is huge and I had no idea where we were at any point in this maze.

in the neighborhood.

International Friendship Gardens

Mississippi River from the Cass Street Bridge

Goose Island

Rustic Road 26, South of La Crosse

Dropping sun, autumn departing soon and breathing in these warm October days.

a good night in Wisconsin...

2011-10-01T20:52:00.012-05:00

Brewers win!

hanging out, listening to the game on a perfect autumn day.

doesn't she look like Max from Where the Wild Things Are?

still celebrating that Brewers win!

every once in awhile I just have to tell someone to take my picture, otherwise I never end up in my blog.

at the end of the night, I glanced into the backyard and saw this sign. My husband put our name on the scoreboard and hung twinkling lights above it. This made me smile...enough to go take a picture--to remember this sweet night.

goodnight moon.

Boats and Bluegrass

2011-09-25T09:48:00.005-05:00

This festival was so music-focused I initially got confused. Expecting a long line of vendors and a big beer tent, the scene was decidedly more low-key than the average La Crosse festival. A couple of food vendors, a few local artist tents and one tiny little beer tent (with great craft beer, though) and lots of kids running around with wagons and glow lights. And two very cool stages on the river. Call it the Oktoberfest mindset, but I had in mind a little festing and then a little music. So a trip to Ed's No Name Bar solved that problem. And then we came back to the best round of music. Night descended, the crowd got bigger, the music was a great mix of banjo/fiddle/bluegrass with some steel guitar/mandolin/fiddling rock music.

Farmhouse Band out of Minneapolis--oldtime Minnesota partygrass.

the always wonderful Fayme Rochelle and the Waxwings, La Crosse's own Americana band, with a lot of original bluegrass music.

Deadman Winter, a band out of Minneapolis playing rugged roots rock music with the sound of The Replacements...I will be downloading some of their music today.

Trampled by Turtles, wow! Some of the same members from Deadman Winter

The Boys N' The Barrels--up-tempo bluegrass with a great beat...

Parker and Mike enjoying the show in silhouette...

Sandman, The Rappin' Cowboy--I was equally fascinated and confused by this guy. He's a performer and fun to watch...the crowd loved him.

thanks Boats and Bluegrass, see ya next year.

Niece Love

2011-09-23T07:03:00.003-05:00

I remember exactly where I was sitting when my husband accidentally spilled the beans about my brother and his partner's pregnancy. My brother had wanted to wait and tell me in person. My husband, Mike, is not a good keeper of secrets. I merely asked how Parker, my brother, was doing when Mike returned from his kayak trip with him. Mike immediately said something like, "You know, don't you?!" I didn't have a clue. I thought he was going to say Parker and his girlfriend, Erin went and got married. When he said they were pregnant, I about fell off my chair with excitement. And now lovely Tula is here and she's already 6 months old. I will probably need a separate computer to store all of my photos of this little bean. One of my favorite things about her is how she studies your face. Her eye contact, this unique studied gaze, has become her signature, to me. Here are some of my recent favorites.

Feet or balloon animals?

Tula and Momma

Tula and Papa

Have you ever seen a cuter pumpkin?!

Can't wait to watch you grow up, Tula Ardea Forsell.

I Heart Faces | A Touch of Sun

2011-09-20T14:04:00.000-05:00

My niece, Tula, is one of my favorite photo subjects. Tula's mom held her up to the light after her bath and out came this big, sunny smile. This is my entry in the I Heart Faces Photo Challenge.

9/11 and Story

2011-09-11T18:08:00.003-05:00

As the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 has approached, I've been surprised by the number of stories and pictures that I'm seeing for the first time. I wonder "am I seeing them for the first time or just noticing them for the first time?" One of the first 9/11 articles I read heading in to this anniversary was in Esquire http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/the-falling-man-10-years-later-6406030. The article started with a picture that I vaguely remember seeing years ago. The picture is called Falling Man. I couldn't take my eyes off of the image. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who googled Falling Man to find out more about the identity of this individual. The picture disappeared largely from view after it was first published in The New York Times. In my research, I realized there is a documentary called 9/11 The Falling Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXnA9FjvLSU. This film is very intense, not sensationalistic, and very heartbreaking. It is also riveting.

Also mentioned in the Esquire article is a documentary called 9/11 made by a couple of brothers http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1uktl_9-11-by-the-naudet-brothers-1-of-6_news. They had set out to do a film about the New York Fire Department. One of the brothers was standing a block from the World Trade Center filming a couple of firefighters. He begins panning the area, the towers the sky and then you hear this loud plane noise and see the firefighters all look up. The camera slowly pans to the left as the first plane hits. They continued filming in the towers as the event was happening. Absolutely amazing footage. While they don't show anything graphic, the footage is a lot to take in all at once.

There are so many written pieces out there, it can be difficult to sift through the masses. There was a recent article about the babies (now adolescents) of 9/11 victims. Each of the kids had lost a daddy to 9/11. They had no memory of him, only stories.

As we gain more distance from 9/11, each of us will choose the degree to which we want to remember or engage. Putting politics and media noise aside, there are many beautiful, heartbreaking and incredible stories being told and waiting to be told. And I hope we will continue to listen.

Beautiful Baby Bump, My Childhood Friend

2011-08-29T19:25:00.006-05:00

I've known Angie since we were little girls in Belvidere, IL. I feel a sisterhood with her as we both enter into marriages and parenthood (me, a stepmom) alongside each other. She's had a busy life with a big career, a lot of travel and loads of friends. She's always embarking on some new and exciting adventure and now she is on the brink of one of the biggest adventures of all, parenthood. I'm thrilled for her and can't wait to see her amazing Momma energy. Her husband, Chris, is just as excited to be a Dad and has a wonderful quirky spirit. I had a blast photographing them and capturing their energy, laughter and anticipation. There is a lucky little boy about to join this family. Let's take a peek, shall we?

Lincoln Park Zoo: Chicago, IL

Angie's mom made this amazing blanket with material from their travels.

These two are so funny together. This should help during the 3am feedings.

And off they go into their new life...

Brewers Fever at Miller Park

2011-08-21T19:08:00.002-05:00

We packed up the car with drinks, brats, camp chairs and headed off for Miller Park. Many snacks, video games and traffic jams later, we arrived....with 42,000 other people. I'm kind of glad we were late because we walked in and missed the mob scene at the entrance.

I didn't know there was such as a thing as standing room only at a baseball game, but this was the case at Miller Park. There were throngs of people covering every inch of space on this sweaty Thursday.We sat in the bleacher seats...whole different kind of crowd in these here parts. There was a guy next to us that was "entertaining" everyone with cartoon-sounding belches. I'm surprised flames didn't come out of his mouth.

But we were right behind left field and oh so close to Ryan Braun. My stepdaughter is a huge Ryan fan. She is a committed tomboy but when I gushed over him and aimed my camera his way, I think she actually looked bashful...or embarrassed of my overt display of affection, not sure which one.

There wasn't much action on the field though. The only exciting thing that happened at this game was the Sausage Race.

So the Brat was like the Roadrunner. He started booking it and was way ahead of the other weenies. I've never seen any of them actually display running talent until this race.

Oh yeah, the other fun thing at the game. Icy cold margaritas to help cool us down.

The kiddos drank their weight in sugary drinks and tried to remain patient during a boring game with the Brewers scoring 1 run (1-5, Dodgers).

Brewers swag! Their favorite part of the game. My husband says we'll be back in October.

3rd Annual Apostle Islands Trip

2011-08-16T20:43:00.004-05:00

It wouldn't be hard to beat the last two Apostle Islands trips with my husband...the first time it rained so hard, we didn't even take the kayaks off of the van. The second year, we were kayaking in a storm with waves so big, our kayaks were smacking and shivering and beating their way to the shore. This year, calm waters and sunny skies.

I still had my anxieties. I'm a beginning kayaker so Lake Superior scares me every time. But the benefits and beauty are so great and so giving.

We spent quite awhile at the Sand Island Sea Caves and I had to try out my new HD camera/video cam.

And York Island was quiet and lovely. We played a lot of scrabble and drank wine through a rain storm, ate a great dinner and just lounged.

and one last money shot of my husband in his kayak. Love this place.

In Spite of Ourselves (Our One-Year Anniversary)

2011-08-01T20:23:00.003-05:00

My husband and I celebrated our one-year anniversary this weekend. The day took on a life of its own. I took a long, sweaty walk through the marsh in the morning, we went with the kids and bought me a new camera (wahoo!), saw Pirates of the Caribbean 4, went to dinner at a new Irish pub downtown and then walked by the river. The day was spontaneous, chaotic, mostly unplanned, fun and exhausting...which is the way I would describe our first year of marriage...with three step-children and two active adults trying to make everyone happy and stay sane in the process. I had high hopes for a video of us dancing...but the video turned out to be a reflection of the day...chaotic, a little awkward and lots of laughing. We wrote our own lyrics to this song and our friends sang it at our wedding reception. When I get motivated, I'll dig up the lyrics and post them here.

Sunbeams by the River

2011-08-01T18:47:00.002-05:00

We went down to the riverside the other night and I went crazy taking pictures. That beautiful late afternoon, sun dropping, summer night kind of beauty. This is definitely my favorite kind of photography, all natural light and early evening.

And then to The Pearl for ice cream. This is my husband smoking a candy cigarette. Hmmmm....

Photography 101

2011-07-24T18:17:00.042-05:00

I've taken a couple of photo classes and researched photo tips online but my time behind the camera has been the best experience of all....which seems obvious but its easy to fear mistakes and retreat into books and websites. Joining the 365 Project, where you post a picture a day was really the impetus to my moving from complete novice to more of an intermediate position in photography. I find myself wandering around town looking for photo ops. With the Mississippi River at my doorstep, this has been a great place to learn photography.

I recently wandered through Riverside Park and International Gardens to explore the light and beauty of the day. International Friendship Gardens (http://riversidegardens.org/Home.aspx) was established in 2007 as the first of four gardens for La Crosse's sister cities in Russia, France, China and Germany. My husband and I had our wedding here, saying our vows in a gazebo that looks out on the intersection of three rivers, the Mississippi, the Black River and the La Crosse River. There is a new waterfall in the gardens that held me in its trance some time. The waterfall faces the River to Bluff trail where you can hike from the Mississippi River to the top of the bluffs without crossing a city street. This trail leads into the riverfront area with a River Walk that leads along the banks of the Mississippi River and a paddlewheel boat, The La Crosse Queen. I like watching people find their space in the park...sitting on park benches at sunset, sitting in the grass helping their kids feed the ducks, dipping into the fountain and just watching the boat and barge traffic from day to day. I think I'm going to have a mountain of photos coming from this park.

View from Riverside Park--Cass Street Bridge

The La Crosse Queen is an authentic paddlewheel river boat that is run by a twin diesel engine that powers motors that then turn the paddlewheel.

International Gardens

heat wave

2011-07-20T14:31:00.003-05:00

heat wave, a photo by snap2010 on Flickr.

walking outside today i felt the full weight of the heat wave raining down on me. i loved it. i wanted to bask in it, tip my face up to the sun and breathe in. air conditioning bedamned.

Learning

2011-07-20T08:04:00.000-05:00

I sat and read with my 6-year old stepson last night. It's an amazing thing to watch someone learn to read. I listen to him sounding out the consonants and verbs. Deciding when to step in and when to let him decipher on his own. He is learning so fast. When I first got to know him, he didn't know a word and now, just a couple of short years later, he's whizzing through two-syllable words in many cases. Watching these milestones with a child, even if he isn't my own, is like watching flowers grow and the sun set and the moon rise and babies being born...the world keeps on moving forward and when I stop and take notice I see what a magnificent world we have.

rained out

2011-07-16T11:55:00.012-05:00

Well, we were rained out of our plans. My family came up/down for the weekend/nite and we all gathered to go to the Blue Stars Drum Corps. Drum and bugle corps was a tradition in my family. We would grab our seat cushions and our sweatshirts and blankets and head off the The Phantom Regiment, our local corps at the time. Even as a young person I remember getting teary-eyed and full of goose pimples when the Phantom would come out horns blasting and drums banging and vibrating. I never knew how nostalgic I would become as an adult. But now here we are, my brother and I, sharing drum corps with our own respective families. Now we become Blue Stars fans because that is our local corps, and our parents came to join in the tradition. But, alas, we were rained out. A disappointment, but I have to say, seeing all of my family together...is such a welcome sight, that I was kind of okay with the rain as we sat on the porch with our little cocktails, twinkling outdoor lights, watching the rain and telling stories about our younger drum corps days. Sometimes I really appreciate a broken plan, even when it means you miss a great event. Having family and friends around makes the most broken set of plans, become something new.

Driftless Greetings

2011-07-14T12:15:00.001-05:00

Well, I've hemmed and hawed about this blog. What to call it, how to write my first blog entry? I've wanted to create a blog for over a year and have been stuck at square one. What do I want to post about? What kind of pictures do I take and how will that relate to my theme? What is my theme? What is my deal? And on from there...So just getting this first post up, and deciding, more or less, on my Driftless travel theme, seems like an accomplishment for me. I think I'm taking it all a tad seriously and maybe read too many blogs, thereby paralyzing myself. Everyone's blog is so pretty, smart, perfect, fitting to them. I'm finally just jumping in. My blog and my theme and my deal will reveal itself along the way and I will adapt. I truly love the Driftless Area of Wisconsin (and Minnesota and Iowa), take lots of pictures of the area and with my family often in tow this seems to be the way to go. So I start with the nuts and bolts and very beginnings of a blog, and I build and write and photograph and post away. Hello, blogging world. Its nice to finally join you!

--Doots