The LaCrosse Queen Cruise

 Early in the month 5 of my (Red Hat) friends and I drove across the state to take a ride on the Mississippi River on the LaCrosse Queen.

Originally I planned on taking a bus trip, but I waited too long to make the reservations so we decided to drive....from the easternmost part of the state to the Mississippi on the west, a 4 hour drive. Unfortunately we had to take 2 cars, we kept in touch and 'rested' at a planned gas station. 

take from their website:

The La Crosse Queen is a modern-day replica of the grand river boats that plied the Mississippi River in the late 19th Century. Cruising out of LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN, she is one of the few authentic Mississippi River paddlewheel river boats still in operation in the United States today. In keeping with early traditions, she was built with sternwheels that are her only means of propulsion. The La Crosse Queen has a split sternwheel and each is run by a twin diesel engine that powers hydraulic motors which turn the paddles.  This is in contrast to most Mississippi River paddlewheelers in operation today that have a "free wheeling" paddlewheel at the stern of the boat for visual effect, but have traditional screw-type engines hidden for their real means of propulsion. The La Crosse Queen is U.S. Coast Guard inspected for safety and is licensed to carry up to 149 passengers.

 Lunch was buffet style and very good, except I heard that the coffee was very strong and instant. Guess that is not good if you are a coffee drinker.

We really had a good time! The weather was nice, so we did not freeze when we stayed outside to see the sights. The captian (correct term?) explained things to us. 

  The colors were beautiful on the drive over, but the closer we got to LaCrosse the more green they were. Everyone said the color was very late this year. 

Going through the locks. That was very interesting, I've never done that before. The boat (s) is tied as the water is raised or lowered.

As I often do I wandered away. I was on the upper deck while the rest of the group stayed below.

(does anyone need a root touch-up?)

The American Queen was getting ready to leave when we were there. It's a huge, beautiful ship. The smoke stacks fold down when they cruise (so they can get under bridges).

 Water, water, water everywhere. 

The scenery in the western part of the state is so different than here in the east. Love the rocks!

I'm sure the flowers are long gone now, but the garden was beautiful. 

Riverside park, where the cruise line is located, has a beautiful garden and lots of other things to see. A person could spend a good part of the day walking/relaxing in it.

I'd like to see these mums by my front door.

We saw some huge Koi in this pond. 

Seven gnomes were placed in the garden....we hunted to make sure we saw them all. 

Beautiful scenery, good friends, warm weather....yes, it was a good day. 

If you haven't been there you might want to check out this area.

This Could Be A Depressing Post

....but it's not going to be, why should it be sad???

Monday I, and one of my good friends and a usual travel partner, traveled to Milwaukee to my visit with the cardiologist at the heart failure clinic (100 miles from home.) At first someone had to drive me, now I can do the driving. I don't like driving in big cities but another friend gave me directions for a very easy way to get to the hospital so it's (almost) a piece of cake. And it's so much easier with a friend riding shotgun.

It was a nice day for a drive, the trees are still very pretty and we had a nice visit. 

beautiful berries outside of the museum

I had an ECHO with an injection so they could get a clearer picture. I also had my usual blood work done. When I saw the dr he did not have the results of my lab nor did the person who reads the ECHO have the 'official' numbers. The nurse called me yesterday. My blood work was 'beautiful' according to the nurse. 

My ECHO was down to 35 from 43% at my last one. Normal ranges from 55-70. I was hospitalized at 19% so I know it can be improved with meds. I Have an appointment in 3 months for another ECHO.

I want to talk to my oncologist about the anastrozole that I am taking. It's a precautionary measure. It interferes with the production of estrogen in the body. The amount of estrogen is reduced so the growth of the tumor is limited. But my tumor had a very low percentage of estrogen reception. I am also wondering if that med is causing the aches in my legs when I go to bed.

On our way home we stopped at my favorite grocery store to get my FAVORITE pickles. When you're watching your sodium pickles are hard to find and I LOVE pickles....as as kid I often drank pickle juice...even as an adult I did. We also checked out the Land's End outlet. Most of their clothes are not my style, although I do love the jackets and sweatshirts. It's not a cheap store but the quality is good, you don't find the thin shirts you see at the big box stores, the ones you HAVE to wear another shirt over or under. 

Yesterday I had lunch with 2 friends and then went to a table setting display. I've posted about that before...and will again.

I weigh myself every day (per doctor's orders) and my weight was more than ever today:

*I had too much salt yesterday

*I eat too many sweets and too much food

I need to get back on track! and I will!

Today I am going to the yoga class at the senior center. It's not your usual on the floor yoga, but the stretching and breathing will be good. Twice a week I am taking a Livestrong class at the YMCA. I can walk so I should....I need too. We have a Little Free Library about 2 blocks from our house so that is an incentive for me, to add or take a book. I take the long way around to get there.

Today I have a follow up visit with physical therapy for the lymphedema in my breast. It really doesn't look better. I need to be more vigilant in doing my exercises and massage for that also.

So much to do.............Linda get busy!!!

Just because the cancer was cut out of your body doesn't mean it's over. The same goes for an chronic disease, it is always there....always a struggle, and a 'work in progress'.

I hope you have a great day!

Fruit Loops and More Nonsense

Nope, no one ever accuses me of being a Cheerio, I am definitely a Fruit Loop. My grandson and I joke about that often...only we don't say fruit loops. Our descriptive words are crazy or silly and, of course, awesome! I think it runs in the family...he is too. The other night I was talking to one of my granddaughters and asked her how her younger sister was and she replied "just as crazy as ever, but in a good way". There is nothing wrong with being a little outside of the box.

For instance, my grandson was over on saturday, and I gave him 2 paper crimpers and showed him how each one impresses a different design into the paper. I would have never thought of it but he put the paper through one crimper first and then the other one. 

I like to do things a little different sometimes too and hubby HATES it...he doesn't like to make waves, at all!

I think Robin Jingles is thinking about making some waves and is getting excited about the upcoming holidays. He jumped down from the shelf and I found him snuggled up next to Crash and my pink cancer cure buddy. He was probably lonely, so I'll let him relax with his buddies until Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, my granddaughter and I Have a secret....we're involved in a conspiracy involving her mother. I can't go into details on here just incase mom reads my blog. One can never be too careful, you know? It's a good conspiracy though, one that will produces smiles............I hope!

One more thing - if  like to read my blog but sometimes forget to check for it or don't have the time, you can sign up and get it in your email when I post. Then you can read my blog posts at your convenience. At the top right of the page, under my bio is a box where you can enter your email...and it's as easy as that.

Thanks for stopping by..............have a great day!!!

Short Post About A Wedding

Friday night Kevin and I attended the wedding reception for his nephew. It was held in Milwaukee at a fabulous venue: Cuvee, a champagne bar. It's a bar I could hang out at. I wish I had photos of the wedding & decorations, but it was too dark for my phone's camera. We weren't able to leave here until after Kevin got home from work and we spent more time on the road than we did at the reception. We picked up Kevin's sister and her husband so we had a nice visit with them. At 8:30 we were on the way home again.

 I loved the tall centerpieces with the jewels (can't think of the correct word) hanging from the branches. 

 We chose the food we wanted: chicken, steak, or vegetarian when we went in our RSVPs. We had the steak, it was very good. The salad was excellent (I ate part of Kev's also). The people who chose chicken loved it also. After dinner we each got a cookie, the ladies were given a dress and the men received a cake. Cute, eh? I didn't eat mine yet. 

This was not a redneck Wi wedding. Naturally, we were in downtown Milwaukee. The bride's dress was different, elegant. More things I liked: They cut the cake and fed each other a piece on a fork, no smashing of it in their faces, no dirty clothing. No clinking of glasses and kissing 50 times.  Everything was very tasteful....nice for a change.

Ok, back to the mundane tasks of everyday life.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me.

Busy, Busy, Busy October

I know I have a lot to catch up on....I'm going to try to get back at my blog. I'm happy and well, just busy.

Don't you just love this fall bouquet on my table? Actually I love any kind of flowers on my table...or anywhere else for that matter.

This squirrel was pretty hungry earlier this week. I filled up the feeder yesterday. 

 I have been doing A LOT of driving the past 10 days or so. I don't mind driving, but I do get tired of running all over the state. Next week I'll be able to stay pretty close to home, except for friday. Hubby's nephew is getting married in Milwaukee (about 85 miles away). We can't leave until he gets home from work, so we'll make the dinner and part of the reception. We're not staying over night and hubby may have to work the following morning, so we won't stay late.

 I made it to my 12 year old grandson's soccer game this morning. It was a nice day, low 50's and sunny. One of my old neighbors came over to talk to me. We are facebook friends and play Words with Friends, but it's still nice to talk in person. I also had a nice visit with my oldest granddaughter while we watched the game. She was babysitting a 3 year old boy and I was happy to see what a good sitter she is. They are a nice young family. The children participate in sports and mom and dad are there to watch....my son doesn't make the cross country meets if they are in the afternoon when he's working.

 What can I say about this tree? Isn't it perfect?

Photos just cannot do the fall colors justice...but we try to capture the beauty.

Monday afternoon I watched my oldest granddaughter run in a cross country meet.  

Her meet and her brother's soccer game are about 70 miles from here. After the game my daughter in law, grandkids, and I had lunch at A&W. I didn't get a root beer float, but maybe I should have. Before I left for home I stopped in to see my sister, it was nice outside so we enjoyed the sunshine and some chit chat.

At least I had some beautiful scenery to look at as I drove. 

As I am driving I'm looking at the trees and thinking 'Oh, that would be a great photo.' But I can't just slam on the brakes and pull over for a photo shoot. I'm thinking I need a (built in or attached to me) camera that gives me the ability to snap a photo with the blink of the eye.

Since life will be a little quieter now I am going to try to read some of your blogs. I've lost track of what my blogger friends have been up to. Fall offers such pretty scenes and crafting activities. 

My Visit To Minocqua

Minocqua is a small, touristy, town (pop. 4400) in northern Wi. The lodging & restaurant prices reflect that status. It's about 3 hours from here. 

We left at 6AM so we'd have time to stop for breakfast. It was a pretty drive. A portion of it was rural, we did see some color in the trees, but everyone seemed to agree that the color change is behind schedule this year.

This is the sunset we saw the first night. We stopped for dinner but the place only offered sandwiches and we were in the mood for a dinner. We found another dinner club, walked in, checked the menu....it was too expensive for both of us....and didn't offer anything we were really craving, so we headed off to find another place to eat.

 I don't remember how we ended up at the Stingray bar.....I think we just happened upon it and stopped in. Several places were closed on Tuesday night. The owner of the motel was eating there with family....small town, huh?

I had delicious liver and onions. I don't make it at home unless Kev is out of town. It was good, even though I was not able to eat all of the bacon.

We breakfasted at Perkins, can't go wrong with their breakfasts. Wednesday night someone recommended another bar, so we tried that place. The food was good there too, but something I ate didn't agree with me that night. In the morning I was fine.

On the way to and from the stamping store we noticed these colorful cows................what???

 Of course I had to snap a photo...good thing I did, the next day they were gone. They are all fancied up for BEEF-A-RAMA weekend. It's a big weekend celebration with many activities, including beef cooking contests.

When I was paying my bill for breakfast thursday morning I noticed a woman with a purse with the same pattern as mine, so I commented. We started talking and the couple told us where to find the thrift store. Of course I took an interest in that! After our class we stopped to look around. The place was small and pretty crowded because they had just reopened after a closure allowing them to clean and set up for the new season. I bought a cancer awareness bracelet...we mostly just looked around.

 We stayed at a cute little motel, hotel prices in the area are expensive and a friend recommended this place. It's a typical motel. It was decorated nicely, clean, and the woman who ran it is so nice!

On the way home we took a detour...that will be my next post.
Do I ever stay home??? Nope, it sure doesn't seem like it. This morning I am heading to a church retreat up north (again) and will be home late sunday afternoon, gone again on Monday, gone all day on Tuesday....Wednesday I hope to catch up on my sleep. Wish me well! 

Thoughts On Thursday

 How do you wake up in the morning?

Other than being confused (as to what day it is) I am optimistic.....often singing in my head: "Zippity do dah" or "Everything's going my way", especially on a sunny day. I prefer summer, but the sunshine is what ultimately seals the deal for me!

"Oh what a beautiful morning
Oh what a beautiful day
I've got a beautiful feeling
Everything's going my way"



A few of the things that have been going my way this week:




* our 3 grandsons (the ones I was not allowed to see) came over on saturday afternoon and we made garden stones and fed the seagulls at the beach.




*grandson J stayed overnight and made it to Sunday School the next morning




* I bought a piece of art from an artist friend and had a nice visit with her



(I had a form like this and was going to do something similar....but I never got around to it, so I gave it to my grand-daughter. She painted it and put it on a base.I think I was meant to have it, as it came back to me.)









*the house has been vacuumed and bathrooms cleaned




*I needed a small weight for the exercises my therapist gave me to do and I walked into the thrift store after my session and found the exact one I was looking for (3# for $1). Many times God puts the exact item I am looking for on the shelf at the thrift store.




*Tomorrow I am off to a Christian retreat, up north, with 2 good friends. The weather is suppose to be cool....but no rain or snow. We shop and eat our way to our destination, 3 hours from here.

Stamping Up North

 Last week my friend, Carolee, and I spent a few days up north in Minocqua, Wi to take some stamping classes at Stamp This Scrap That. 

I apologize for being missing in action for so long, I haven't felt like sitting down in front of my computer for any length of time. I've been packing and unpacking, attempting some creative things, trying to straighten up here........keeping busy.

One of the things we made is this Halloween book, I love it! I am working on a Christmas one. I am hoping Carolee, as Stampin' Up demonstrator (her blog) will hold a class to make this folder book. It's made with one, plain manilla folder. 

The front and the back are the same, we just added some Stickles glitter to jazz the front up a bit. The photos do not do it justice.

 The zig zag background is Washi tape. 

Here it is opened up.

 The bottom is unfolded. The green square on the right doesn't unfold because it is a pocket.

 This shows the top squares unfolded.

I know it's hard to see and explain on here. I do have directions if anyone would like them. I am not sure if they are understandable if you can not see the product. 

 Button art was another class. 

 We weren't sure what to expect, it was more fun than we thought it would be. 

 If you have enough buttons it would be an easy project to do with children. Need to know how to do it?

These are 5 x 7" frames, remove the glass, we used burlap as a background, trace the shape onto your background, lay down a thick layer of glue, add the buttons and Viola!

 We also made a bunch of cards.

 We had a great time at the store with the ladies who run it, at the classes, and just getting away. While we were there they had a 50% off sale on everything in the store! It started the 2nd day we were there....how lucky were we? We shopped for 3 days.

Come back again....more about our trip in the future.

Halloween Cards

 Last week my girlfriend came over one night and we made Halloween cards. I have 9 grandchildren and have enough for each one of them and for  friends.

It was fun and I actually got into card making mode. I haven't made cards in a long time.

As I was putting them away I found about 8 more cards...so I have plenty. 

I hope I remember not to make any next year!!!

This afternoon I put away the Halloween/fall stamps and started cleaning my area (once again, it is a never ending process or one that never gets finished).

Maybe, while I am in the mood, I should pull out my Christmas stamps??? I did make 2 Christmas cards at the Stamp- a- long on monday. Those will show up at a later date.

Have a good, relaxing weekend!!!

Thoughts On Thursday

My first thought is that I'm glad I know it's thursday! 

When I wake up in the morning I often have to stop and think 'What day is it?' 

Someones I think about what hubby did the day before, it used to be did he golf? (twice a week), now I wonder if he bowled....that means it's friday. Kinda sad that I have to depend on his activities to determine what day it is. Never fear, I have plenty on my calendar...it's just that I don't have to get up for work so when I wake up I'm not sure what day it is. Is this weird or does anyone else suffer from this affliction????

I used to be a redhead and inside I still am!

I am so angry at myself. Tuesday afternoon I could have attended 2 different sporting events for grandchildren, and there was also a cancer support meeting that I really wanted to go to. I just had to find out what location it would be at, they switch meeting places every month. I totally forgot about it, I was thinking of it in the afternoon....but like often happens, if it's after supper I'll just forget...and I did. (sad face)

When I peruse the thrift stores I look at almost everything....that's why I prefer our small St Vinnie's in town. Anyway, I sometimes see turbans or hats that would work for chemo patients. As I look at those I get a sick feeling in my stomach....remembering, feeling bad for those people who owned the head covering and for those who will purchase it for future use. I get that same feeling when I walk in the back door of the medical building for an INR. It just smells so strongly of cancer drugs. It's hard to handle. I have physical therapy in the same building and use the front door for that appointment. Unfortunately I still have to walk toward and look down the hallway leading to the cancer treatment area. 

Been there, done that, praying I don't have to do it again.

That's what I'm thinkin' about today.

Thanks for letting me share with you.

Fall Is In The Air

 I had to pick up my grandsons at a local park yesterday. My bff came along with me and we were early so we walked around a little. We decided to look at the beach...actually I am drawn to the beach, and neither one of had seen it before. The first thing we saw was this pretty little bridge.

 As you look down you can see the water is quite shallow. I bet this is a very small stream when it's dry.

 Here's the view from the other side, looking toward Lake Michigan.

The leaves are turning and falling............this one posed so nicely for me.

Some kind of fall berries I am sure the birds like.

The next several photos are of the beach area. It's pretty secluded and I had the place all to myself this morning...just me and the wind. 

Yes, I was there yesterday with my bff but we had to leave before I really got to look around. This morning I had some time so I drove back over to the park to take some photos. .....and to pick up some nice, flat stones. (Mom would be so proud.) I have plans for an art project. 

Bright, yellow goldenrod. I had a photo of one with a bee, but this one is clearer.

I didn't know what to write in the sand...so I opted for the month and year. On my way back to that area it was all gone.....as you can see the tide almost got it in this photo.

Pretty little yellow flower growing peacefully in the sand.

 I found a few of these little, purple flowers in the grass.

The trees are turning color.

Is your week off to a great start? Mine is! The massage therapy for the blocked lymph nodes is helping, my injured toe is better (I can walk now), and the tomatoes are ripening. I'll be back in a day or 2. Have a wonderful autumn week!!!