Happy Birthday Wisconsin

On May 29, 1848, Wisconsin became a state and added the 30th star to the United States flag. Happy 162nd birthday Wisconsin!

This poster was unveiled in Madison by me and Governor Thompson on Statehood Day in 1998 for the Sesquincentennial. There were 400,000 copies given away free at Wisconsin libraries. I'm still really proud of it. And yes, even with the rough winters,I really do love this place! : )

Moon Lit

Moon Lit
Originally uploaded by son_nguyen2133

May's full moon is called the Full Flower Moon, according to the Farmer's Almanac. I found this photo by son nguyeb2133 on flickr. It is a wonderful shot I thought worthy of such a special time. I am attending a concert tonight, so I will be celebrating music + spring in the moonlight.

...It's a marvelous night for a moondance...

People Get Ready

People get ready, there's a train a-comin'
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin'
Don't need no ticket, you just thank the Lord
Curtis Mayfield

There's a good Christian woman aboard this train. She lived a long life, and always had her ticket ready. Godspeed, Ann

In memory of Ann Kress 1911-2010

"People Get Ready" video by Seal

Armed Forces Day

Today is Armed Forces Day. I might not have known this except that I put a reminder in my phone last year. For some reason, this salute to the troops doesn't get a lot of advance publicity.

So I decided to give it some in this post.

I have had the pin for some time. I like that it is sort of all inclusive. It can stand for those men and women serving now, or in the past. It includes all the military branches. I wear it to say thank you to all who have served, or are serving now.

If I could remember where I got it I would share that so you could have one too. I can point you to a free poster you can download here.

And if you need a flag to wave, you can find a free download here.

My Checkered Past

No, I am not dabbling in abstract art. But this is such a fun little experiment. It is a newly tiled checkered floor as seen thru a big chunky glass block. The flash bounced off the glass making it brighter, meanwhile the tiles behind the glass were 'shaded'. The result was so unexpected. I enjoyed the surprise, and thought I should share it.

So Sweet!

I awoke to the prettiest pink and green (?!) roses...

and NASCAR Oreos

My daughter served up smoked ham and rolls,cheesy potatoes and her special pasta salad...

My daughter-in-law brought the Hummingbird Cake from Christina's blog

and the evening ended with an impromptu guitar concert featuring Metallica, Bob Marley, and Beethoven.

How sweet it was, and the memories will be. :)

Happy Mother's Day

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

My Mom is Glamorous

My Mom is Glamorous
Originally uploaded by Moonflower Studio

Yoko Ono tweeted Friday night about her "MY MOMMY IS BEAUTIFUL" project on both facebook http://bit.ly/MyMomFb and flickr http://bit.ly/MyMommy. You can post photos, messages, stories...whatever. I think it is a wonderful way to share, especially for those of us whose moms are no longer with us. This photo is from the newspaper announcing her engagement. The original photo was not yet in my digital collection, but even this rather faded one shows what beauty she possessed. Thanks to Yoko Ono for creating this project! Now go and share yours!

An Ounce of Prevention...

It has come to light that our social networking may putting our lives and very identities at risk.
So as to protect myself and my loved ones I am here by enacting the following measures.
If you are looking for me, I’m ‘at the gym’ with Joan Cusak.
My home is protected in my absence by the Order of the Phoenix and the Gollum is hiding in the woods.
The moat has been stocked with Guard Muskies.
If it is my identity you are after, good luck. I’ve got more personalities than Sybil on a bad day. If the others find out that one their own is missing, some of the other vast numbers are likely to turn you in. I would not be surprised to see a ‘Wanted’ poster of you wearing a red shirt just like that guy from Star Trek. I’ll just text Sarah O’Connor to adjust her settings to ‘terminate’.

Have a nice data.

Cinco de Mayo

We were last in Mexico 11 years ago, attending the wedding of friends Lori and Pat. (Happy Anniversary you two!) I was surprised that Cinco de Mayo was not being celebrated in the streets. Then again, every day is a fiesta when staying at a fancy resort with a swim up bar in the pool. And every time the resort's sounds system played "Marta Elena" by Garibaldi, the entire staff would stop their various tasks and dance to the catchy tune.

So enjoy this day, be it fiesta or siesta. Vaya con Dios for all your travels, wherever in the world you may be. And be sure to enjoy the sunset.