Road Trip

This little gem stands about 5'7 and weighs a little over 50 pounds. It will be a great addition to Bob's pseudo flamingo family. For a mere $29, I was able to have it shipped to Grand Rapids. ... can't wait to see the look on his face when he opens the package.... chortle!



Nan and I took a road trip today to Door County today. The peninsula juts out between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. We ambled along at a leisurely pace, stopping whenever we saw something of interest.


In Maplewood, we stopped and took picture of this beautiful church. Mosaics like this one of the Blessed Virgin are found above the front doors of many of the churches. The picture does not show how the light make the different mosaics sparkle...trully beautiful.

We made it to the point (Gill's Rock) in time for a spectacular lunch overlooking Green Bay (see below). Of course, we had to support the local economy and buy some souvenoirs. :-)

Evidently, Nan finds it very amusing that I am incapable of staying within the speed limit. We would breeze from one town to another at 55 mph (equivalent of 70 mph for me) and then have to slow down to 25 mph through these little four-way stop towns. Even taking my foot off the gas completely did not reduce the speed to 25.....I think it's is a vast conspiracy!
Tomorrow we plan to visit a large antique mall and search for one of my Carnival bowls. :-)

Nan and I took a road trip today to visit Holy Hill, a basilica in Hubertus, Wisconsin.

It was by far one of the most beautiful churches I have ever visited!

The church was constructed at the top of a hill and can be seen for miles. The view from the church is spectacular....enjoy a few of the pictures from our trip!

This wooden cross was fashioned from white oak that grew on the property

and was erected in 1858.

This is a side altar and dedicated to St. Therese of Lisieux.


This stained glass window pictures the Holy Family.


All the columns were enhanced with these frescoes.

The majority show a small child's face.

A few others show a woman's face.

This mosaic was directly below the altar.

A view from across the main body of the church.

This window portrays the presentation of Jesus in the Temple.

This mosaic honors St. Teresa of Avila.

Stunning!

By far the most beauitful stained glass I have ever seen!

This Rose windows is above the choir loft and honor

the immaculate conception of Mary.

She is surrounded by twelve angels.

BEAUTIFUL!

Sacred Heart...this windows seemed to radiant a sense of peace.

We sat quietly in the church and I can't begin to describe the feelings I had....peace, tranqulity, beauty, and reverence.

Well worth the trip....

Trip To Chicago

Nan and I visited Chicago today and had a great time. The first pictures were taken from the Sears Tower. I'm a little embarassed to say that I almost started to giggle hysterically in the elevator on the way to the top. The poor Mennonite man standing next to me obviously thought I had a few screws loose! When we took the elevator back to the ground level, I forced myself not to drop to my knees and kiss it!

Nan peers down in an attempt to find the Water Tower. She was very patient with my remarks about 'insanity', 'roof rats' and structural problems. :-) I may look relaxed but the old knees were shaking and the heart was pounding.

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We made our way over to the Shedd Aquarium (walked 10 blocks)

and spent quite a bit of time at the center display. The fish were colorful and quite active.

We also saw a 4-d presentation of "Planet Earth - Shallow Seas". No one warned us that we would be showered by water, poked in the back, and lashed on the ankles! We were happy to make our escape from that theatre!

This trainer was working with the dolphins. In this picture, the dolphine was laying on it's back andyou can see two fins sticking out of the water.

We're pooped and will add more to the blog tomorrow!

Wisconsin Pictures

My trip to Nan's house was very eventful. The weather was awful....hard driving rain and wind. I picked up a rental in Milwaukee and started north to Nan's when the radio announced all people within the immediately north of Milwaukee were to take cover due to a tornado. Within minutes, I could see a 'rotating wall cloud' bearing down on the expressway.....I took shelter with about 20 other people under a viadoc (sp?) until it passed over. (That is an experience I never hope to repeat!)

Thursday night a long series of storms crossed over Wisconsin and the water continued to rise. While Nan and I were eating at New China Restaurant, a second tornado passed over Sheboygan. (argh!)

Evidently after I fell asleep eight more storms passed over the area....I was so tired that I slept through all of them. :-)



This is Seeker, Nan's cat. He loves to jump in my suitcase and roll around....must be trying to get rid of Toad or Cassie's scent.
This is Crosby. He was born last year and adopted into Nan's house. She had to take him to the vet at about 5 weeks old due to 'slits' in his throat. The vet believes the Peregrine falcon tried to pick him up and lost.
This is a little grey kitten from Ringo's litter. She is the least fearful of her four kittens.

Ringo is sitting inside the old dog pen and 3 of her 4 kittens are playing.

This is one of Poppy's kittens. She gave birth under the boat. So far we have seen three kittens with her. This little guy reminds me of my first cat, Fluffy.