Julie's Savannah Anna Treehouse

How long have I lived here? Today I did the Lake Loop around Lake Monona. Thanks, Sandy, for taking me on a vacation to someplace I've never been before. Except for the gigantic homes (institutions) embedded on otherwise serene lakefront property, it was a beautiful ride. I want to do it again real soon, before the snow flies.

http://www.librarything.com is the best place to go for book-lovers. This site is fun. So far Ive learned how to review a book, review other reviews, what a flag means to a review, how to display my collection, yadda yadda. Best of all, using my WordMonkey translator on my Google homepage, I learned that zeitgist (spelling?) means contemporary.

Well, really, that's what this weekend was all about. Five or six issues of Mad magazine for a quarter each, a hard copy of To Kill A Mockingbird, ( in honor of its 50th anniversary) , and Dale's sage and rosemary grilled chicken, bathed in liquid smoke. We left the windows open all day. Wow. Blue skies, nothing but blue skies. And after dark, crickets in the jungle that was our backyard. Gin and tonic and beer. What, me worry?

First I saw the western sky turn yellow and gray. It had been gray and raining and raining and raining. Water pouring downhill, everything and everybody sopped , thunder and lightning. The rain had stopped by 7:00. By 7:30, the sun had broken through. I thought "hmmmm....rainbow?". The sunlight in the Northwest burned against the dark sky, and I turned to look east. Rainbow. I clapped my hands, my neighbors clapped their hands. I saw it next through the window of the market down the street. The cashier told me it was a double rainbow. I followed it home. Neighbors on their sidewalk, people in the market parking lot, everyone had their heads up, and everybody was happy.

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day - E. B. White Photo and quote courtesy of Stephanie at Goodman Community Center. Thanks Stephanie!

Dear Job seekers of the world: Keep on going! It's probably not your fault...... I'm in the middle of resuming my resume, and I'll let you all know when it does the job as it should. I've heard that being faced with real challenges later in life, something more challenging than word searches and crossword puzzles, is one of the best ways to keep your brain fresh... I believe it. In the meantime, I always remember to treat myself for any effort I make. And I'll keep learning whenever I can. Here's to us!

Wee woolly sheep  (baaa baaaaa baaaaa) who like to bleat, Send our wishes, despite all the heat. With all our love, we'd like to say,  Happy Mirthday!  -- a  poem written by an obsessed person dressed as a sheep for a July birthday party on a porch in Amherst, MA. 

Wisconsin is where I like to be. Right now. Talk to me in six months. That's the problem. I enjoy the summer always with an unconscious image of snow, bare branches, gray skies. "Get ready!" my psyche says to me. The cicadas keep the summer spirit alive, with a song of defiance. " We'll sing as long as we can as loud as we can!" Being a stubborn little witch myself, and trying to be a gentle lady (oh my), I realized their sound releases me from my frustration with the facts of life in Wisconsin. And winter has its rewards. I'll write about those later. In the meantime, remind me to share my list of summertime movies to watch in the dead of winter. And in book news, my latest discovery is Heir to the Glimmering World by Cynthia Ozick.