RoMANce

Dancing in Berlin NY Eve

Why are my memories of Germany so vivid?

Was it because that was my first love?

Or because it’s an older memory

recently unlocked.

Was dancing in a ballroom really 

more romantic than dancing

 in a low ceilinged rented room ?

Who am I kidding?

Waltzing in a ballroom with soft lights

is always better than a dark rented room

with bodies standing and swaying to the rhythm.

Dancing in ski lodge

Was skiing in the Alps really

more romantic than Colorado or Michigan?

Who am I kidding?

Skiing in the Alps with lunch in a mountain pub

or our evenings of drinking, dancing and laughing

in a warm wood-lined chalet

is better than a cheap hostel room with flourescent lights .

At 21, the romance was important—-the fulfillment of many teenage dreams.

At 25, the reality of a good partnership was more important 

than any fantasy.

I missed some of the German romance but,

my priorities had changed.

While I loved both men, 

one would have never passed the test of daily life together.

While the other, not colored by the fantasy of romance, 

saw success together

despite several bumps in the road.

And now, this 80 year old woman sees that 

I always needed both: practical realism

with a touch of romance and fantasy. . . .

if it’s not too late.

(P.S.  I don't recall the names of the men in the photos, 1966/7)

Dreamin'

On sunny snowy days, 

I do still dream of skiing down a snow-covered hill

Breathing in the cold air and 

basking in the warmth of the sun.

I can’t ski anymore and even worry about walking in the snow,

but I’m not too old to sit outside on a sunny day.

With snow all around me

and my breath

unfurling in the frigid air.

My memories keep me warm

on this chilly January day.

The drive to ski slopes

over-dressed for the chill 

of waiting in a lift line

was all worth it.

With my first breath of air at the top of a mountain. . . 

and the “Schuss” down a hill.. .

flying

soaring throught the snow.

Then I zig-zag across the slope

not to go slowly

but for the run 

to last longer.

I also dream of dancing with my love in a ballroom

Dipping and gliding to an orchestra playing a walz

A final spin into his arms, eyes locked. . . .

Sitting at a cloth covered table with candles

drinking wine 

while holding hands. . 

Not talking, just absorbing the magic.

Don’t tell me I get no benefit from memories.

Memories allow me to relive magical moments

of my life. 

And, they remind me

there are more memories to be made,

if I reach out and take a chance.

And, it’s all right for me to just sit in the sun

or 

in a chair for a dance. . . 

remembering

Schussing and Waltzing

On sunny snowy days, 

I do still dream of skiing down a snow-covered hill

Breathing in the cold air and 

basking in the warmth of the sun.

I can’t ski anymore and even worry about walking in the snow,

but I’m not too old to sit outside on a sunny day.

With snow all around me

and my breath

unfurling in the frigid air.

My memories keep me warm

on this chilly January day.

The drive to ski slopes

over-dressed for the chill 

of waiting in a lift line

was all worth it.

With my first breath of air at the top of a mountain. . . 

and the “Schuss” down a hill.. .

flying

soaring throught the snow.

Then I zig-zag across the slope

not to go slowly

but for the run 

to last longer.

I also dream of dancing with my love in a ballroom

Dipping and gliding to an orchestra playing a walz

A final spin into his arms, eyes locked. . . .

Sitting at a cloth covered table with candles

drinking wine 

while holding hands. . 

Not talking, just absorbing the magic.

Don’t tell me I get no benefit from memories.

Memories allow me to relive magical moments

of my life. 

And, they remind me

there are more memories to be made,

if I reach out and take a chance.

And, it’s all right for me to just sit in the sun

or 

in a chair for a dance. . . 

remembering

Bucket List Part 3

41. Go on a Rhine River Cruise

Unlike today's river cruises, this one required us to take a train to Koblenz and then get on a boat to "cruise" the river---so many castles and the Lorelei Rock

 #42 Ski in Colorado
This is Keystone 1988.

#43 Visit Disney World

We had visited Disneyland several times but went to Disney World in 1987 with Tom, Donna, Dale, Meredith and Glen.  Yes, Rebecca, it is exhausting!

 #44. Visit San Francisco and Monterrey Bay

We first visited in 1971 when we took Dave's parents car out there.  We re-visited in 1985 when I won 2 tickets on TWA.  We visited the wine country most of the time.

 #46 Visit Bath, England
June 1985.  We have also visited Baden-Baden Germany an equally beautiful "Roman bath" city.

 #45 Fly in an airplane
My first flight was going to Germany in 1966.  The photos below had our son-in-law Kyle as the pilot out of Spirit of St. Louis.  The only passengers were Rachel, Dave and I. We were able to fly over Lake Sherwood where my parents lived. Dec. 2000.

 #47 Get a mink coat/jacket
Daughter Rebecca helped her dad pick it out.  Think she enjoyed that?

 #48 Go on the Brussel's Ferry and eat at the hotel on the Mississippi River
Our first anniversary June 12, 1972

 #49 Go to the summit of a mountain
This was Nebelhorn in 1967.  We went up in a cable car.  My friends skied down, I took the cable car back down.  There was a restaurant and a bar made of snow---see slides for this.

 #50 Go to Niagara Falls
We took the girls in 1956.  We have a better photos somewhere with all of us in slickers going under the Falls.

 #51 Marry Prince Charming

 #52 Be selected for National Honor Society
#53 Be selected for Delta Delta Delta
#54 Be selected for Who's Who

 #55 Learn Cross-country skiing
We actually learned living in Pittsburgh but didn't get our own skis until St. Louis.  I used to ski in our back yard and at Queeny Park (alone) until I almost wound up in a pond there.

#56 Witness an Olympic event

1984 Passing of the torch on Clayton Rd. less than a mile from our house

 #57 Quit smoking
My last pack of cigarettes!

 #61 See the Berlin Wall
New Years 1966-67

 #58 Read all Mark Twain Nominees for a year
#59 Read 20 of Oprah's Book Club
#60 Read 20 Newbery Medal winners

 #62 Visit Venice
I visited with a group of students as part of their class trip in 1967

 #63 Travel Highway 94 from the beginning to the end

That's all I have in my scrapbook

Bucket List Part 1

A few weeks ago I was talking to a friend about Bucket Lists.  She said, "So, you actually made one?"  I replied, "I made one and I documented it in a scrapbook."  Yes, I'm that kind of nerd.

It began on a drive to Jacksonville, IL Jan. 1, 2000---I started writing things down.  I included things I'd already done because I figure I'd already lived most of my life.  Later, I decided to make a mini scrap book.  I lost steam in 2007 about when I started blogging.

1. Ride the KATY Trail.  

Although we started riding in 1995, a flood washed out the trail and postponed progress until the next year.  We rode on weekends, parking our car at a trail head, riding about 10 miles and then riding back.  The following weekend, we'd go to the next trail head.    225 miles X 2= 450 miles.  We earned a patch and a T-shirt for filling out our "passport"---a millennium  project sponsored by the state of Missouri.

2.  See the Grand Canyon.  

March 2003, Jane and Richard took us to the Grand Canyon---brrr!  We had a blizzard heading out.  I'm reading a book for a reading promotion at our school.

3.  Get a VW Bug

4. Have a car with a sunroof

5. Buy a new car

Actually my first car was a Camaro S.S. 1968 (in photo for #15).  My first sunroof was on my Rabbit (VW 1980) But this was my first bug, was new and had a sunroof!

6.  See a whale in the wild.

This is one of many humpback whales we saw on our Alaskan Cruise June. 2002.

7. Go through the Chunnel

July 1, 2000 Paris to London (downtown to downtown).  I loved the Eurostar---a fast train, a foot rest, table with a clip, reclining seats.  A window would have been nice, but as you can tell, there wasn't much to see in the Chunnel (goes under the English Channel)

8. Eat salmon in Scotland

Port Appian July 2000

9. Eat in an outdoor cafe in Paris.  

Bonus points for Latin Quarter June 2000

10. See Stonehenge (June 6, 1985)

11. Visit a Mormon Temple

Before the Temple was ordained, we were able to get tickets for the tour.  Mom, Dad, Vera Nelson and we all went.  It was beautiful.  This was 1998 I think.

12. Ski the Alps

1967---Helga Kreitmeier and I took ski lesson every weekend---not wussy American lessons---we had to pack our own slopes.  Usually we had to side step up, but this photo was one of our rare rides with a lift.

13. Eat Baked Alaska

Bonus points for eating it in Alaska 2002

14. Buy a house in Kirkwood

15. Buy an old house and fix it up.

We replaced the roof, put in central air conditioning and rehabbed every room of the house in 2 years.  It had 4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 2 car garage, all masonry, copper gutters, wooden floors, marble window sills and aluminum windows.  After a lot of work, we had a lovely home.  In the living room, we replaced the carpet, tore off walnut wood panels, painted and replaced the curtains.  You can see the improvement at bottom.  It was a great house when we got done---just in time for us to move to Pittsburgh.

16. Live in one place for over 4 years.

After our move to Pittsburgh, we moved again 3 years later.  I just wanted to live in a house long enough to pick an apple off my apple trees.  We bought this house in August 1978.  We will soon mark our 40th anniversary here!

17. Get a Bachelor's Degree

18. Get a Master's Degree plus 40 hours

Bachelor of Science at S. E. Mo. State 1968 with double major:  English and German
Master's Degree at UMSL 1996 in Elementary Reading.  Both of those degrees and the 40 hours certified me K-12 in English, German, Reading, English as Second Language  and 6-9 in Social Studies.

19. Visit King Arthur sites.

Since Kathy Suessdorf Blevins introduced me to Once and Future King, I have been obsessed with King Arthur legends.  So in 1985, we visited most of the sites associated with King Arthur.  Rachel (in pink) at Tintagel and Rebecca (in blue) at Gastonbury.  As you can see the girls shared my excitement!