"Wake up, honey; it's a Raisin Bran Morning!" I groan; not because I've been wakened from a sound sleep, not because it's 5:45 am, not even because I can hear the north wind howling, but because "Raisin Bran" is a code, a code that means, "We've had so much snow that to get down to pavement, you will need to take at least 'two scoops' with the shovel!"
So I grudgingly force myself to leave the soft, warm comforter and splash my face with cold water to prepare myself for the first task of the day...getting dressed. Complete with long underwear, heavy socks, heavy jeans and sweatshirt, I waddle down the stairs, a la The Michelin Man. There I add boots, an extra heavy jacket, my warmest hat (the one that makes me look like a character out of the pages of a Dr. Seuss book), tie a scarf around it and my neck, and pull on my warmest mittens. All set! Oops, you guessed it; I have to go to the bathroom! So almost everything has to come off and then be
re donned for the occasion.
Now it's dawn and out I go with my handy, dandy shovel to do my part of the daunting task: the front porch and walk. Meanwhile, my dear husband, who was responsible for reveille this morning, is already hard at work on the back porch with his shovel, and then the long driveway with his
snowblower. About an hour later, we're both back in the house ready for a huge breakfast and a nap. That's right, our "two scoop" morning, has turned into a two nap day! Isn't retirement in Wisconsin wonderful?
"Wake up, honey; it's a Raisin Bran Morning!" I groan; not because I've been wakened from a sound sleep, not because it's 5:45 am, not even because I can hear the north wind howling, but because "Raisin Bran" is a code, a code that means, "We've had so much snow that to get down to pavement, you will need to take at least 'two scoops' with the shovel!"
Although our actual summer vacation begins next week, we've been luck enough to take several "short" vacations as well. Last week it was our annual trek to beautiful Spring Green, Wisconsin, to visit The American Players Theatre where classical and semi-classical productions are staged all summer long. On a perfect summer night we sat with my daughter and son-in-law under the stars to see a delightful version of Noel Coward's "Hay Fever".
In the beautiful, southwestern rolling hills of Wisconsin near Spring Green, lies an amazing theater. At an outdoor venue, off in the woods, the American Players Theater, a stellar repertory group, presents classic plays during the summer months. Camille, my daughter, son-in-law, David and I had the great pleasure of seeing "Ah Wilderness!", the only comedy written by Eugene O'Neill, at the theater on the evening of July 11. We have been in a terrible rainy season here in Wisconsin and we were concerned that it would be rained out, but after a brief but severe thunderstorm, the skies cleared, and we walked up the long hill, through the deep woods to find our seats. Ushers passed out paper towels and the audience cheerfully wiped off the seats and settled in to a most delightful production. The talent of this troupe never ceases to astound me and this was certainly up to our expectations, and more! You can see Camille with my program and ticket, and overlooking the set before the play began. Perhaps she'll accompany us again next year!
Ahhhh.....Winter in Wisconsin! Two days ago more than 16" of white fell on Kohler and it took David seven times to clear the mess. He is over six feet tall, so the snow depth is obvious! It is starkly beautiful if you don't have to drive on it, as we discovered this morning when only through a great driving maneuver were we able to avaid a car that slid through a stopsign! Of course, that didn't stop us from joining friends for breakfast, and after a great deal of discussion and laughter on many topics, I was able to feel calm again. More snow is due tonight! Guess I should have cross stitched a polar bear instead of a panda on the new baby afghan! (shown on the right)
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