Squirrel Sighting

You might think this is an unusual blog entry, especially if you are from Wisconsin or Minnesota where these little guys seem to run in packs…

Yesterday I saw a squirrel in the garden. I stopped and actually backtracked to look at it because I’ve never seen one in Switzerland. Two years and not a single squirrel. Then I went out on the balcony with my camera to take his picture but he had scampered off already. Back in Minnesota I would never have taken out the camera for a squirrel, maybe a deer, but not a squirrel. Then I thought I might be over-reacting a bit but when I told my friend, Ayelet, I got a similar response. She got all excited, too. Her response went something like, ‘A squirrel! I love squirrels. Where did you see it? I’ve never seen one in Switzerland.’ I’m hoping for a rabbit sighting next. Not many of them hopping around Switzerland either.

I wonder what Matt’s response is going to be to this entry. I have a feeling it will go something like this, ‘I think Sandra might have too much free time on her hands if she’s going around trying to take pictures of squirrels.’

Home Alone

Millie and I are home alone for the next nine days. Matt left for the US on Thursday so he could attend Jeff and Marla’s wedding. Millie understands what it means when the suitcase comes out. She was not happy to see it. I think she wanted to go with Matt because she climbed into it and laid down, covering all of his clean clothes in dog hair. I hope he packed a lint brush.

Blue Sky

Grandma Klenz passed away on the 5th of September. She put up a tough fight against cancer for the past year and a half. I flew home for the funeral, which was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am so glad I could be with my family as we remembered Grandma and celebrated her life. I have so many memories of her that I will always cherish.

Since I was little, I remember Grandma calling out, ‘blue sky,’ when the weather cleared up at the lake in Eagle River. After announcing this, she would then encourage us to get outside. Growing up I sometimes thought she secretly worked for the local tourist office because at times her ‘blue sky’ was just a tiny speck in an otherwise completely gray sky. Which then made me think that maybe she said this just to get us out of her hair (and house) for a while. Grandmas are entitled to a little quiet time just like everyone else and sometimes that time was hard to come by with 10+ family members in the house on cold or rainy days. But now, what I really think, is that this comment was her way of celebrating the little things in life. I think the blue sky brought her joy, even if it was only a little speck some days. On the day of the burial, there was a beautiful blue sky as we said our good-byes to her.

Round-Abouts

It took me several months to get up the nerve to drive in Switzerland and then a few more months after that before I felt comfortable with it. Round-abouts were the biggest adjustment for me, especially the ones with two lanes.

Round-abouts are making their way to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which I discovered when Mom and I were out running errands while I was home in the US. It sounds like the people of Oshkosh are finding them challenging as well. Mom said one round-about had 22 accidents in one month! Mom is very cautious in them since she saw a car go straight through the round-about – up onto the bricks in the middle and back down them. But Dad’s even more cautious. He admitted to driving six miles out of his way to avoid a round-about.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

I’ve been feeling a bit homesick this past week. I love this time of year in Minnesota with fall just around the corner and a new school year getting underway. It also means time for the state fair, also commonly referred to as the ‘Great Minnesota Get-Together.’ Attending the fair was an annual event for me. I have many fond memories of time spent there with good friends. Some of my favorites include: searching for a pronto pup stand immediately upon entering the fair gates (a pronto pup is similar to but not quite a corn dog), watching the talent show while sharing a huge bucket of Sweet Martha’s Cookies with friends, going down the big green and yellow slide, watching sheep contests while drinking wine with my friend, Allison (we’re nothing but classy, I know), going to see the fattest pig and riding on Ye Old Mill with my friend, Shannon, and realizing it’s a total make-out ride – sitting in a boat, riding around in circles in the dark. Good times!

So, if any of you Minnesotans are out there reading this, can you do me a huge favor and eat some fair food for me? I miss all the deep-fried, crazy food combinations all served on a stick. I wonder what the Swiss would say if they saw deep-fried bacon cheddar mashed potatoes on a stick or a deep-fried twinkie on a stick.