Where does time go...

A lot has happened since I first posted in this blog twelve years ago. Moving from Michigan to California was probably the best thing to happen. Moving to California was probably the worst thing to happen. 

It all began one evening in November 2014 during our nightly happy hour in Ann Arbor. We began talking about Doug’s retirement at the end of the year. Perhaps it was the martinis, or just wishful thinking, but we suddenly tossed about the idea of moving to California. I was already retired, and we enjoyed trips west to visit my daughter and her family in Marin. In a serendipitous moment we looked at each other and instantly knew we were moving! First call was to my daughter, saying I had something to tell her. OMG you’re moving to California she exclaimed followed by tears as she would finally have family nearby.

My husband and I both tend to be rather industrious, so we instantly began the process of cleaning out spaces, packing boxes, putting the condo and cottage in Upper Michigan on the market, and searching for an area that we could afford…possibly Sonoma County. Within three short furiously-paced months we accomplished what we set out to do, crated our dog Bentley and settled onboard a flight to San Francisco. 

After conferring with family and friends who had moved to Sonoma a few months prior, we decided on Santa Rosa. Despite a high demand rental market, we were able to secure a spacious condo that we found online. After moving into our new place in February, we attended a Valentine’s Day event at a nearby winery that we had read about when looking into the area. What a lovely feeling to sip wine, wear a sundress and bask in the warmth of 70+ degree weather after departing Michigan where temps were in the teens! 

All was bliss. What could possibly go wrong…

Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose

I recently attended a lecture series – The USA Goes Green – sponsored by the University of Michigan’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Speakers covered initiatives ranging from national (solar power, switch to more energy efficient LED light bulbs, use of recycled construction materials, etc.) to local (single stream recyclables, harnessing of gases emitted by landfill sites and collection stations)…all intended to help sustain resources for future generations.

I am reminded of a very dear lady who lived in a small town in Pennsylvania. Back in the 1950s this lady was a pioneer in recycling. She composted leftover peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, and yard clippings which was then used to enrich the soil for planting gardens, shrubbery and flowers. Tin cans were cleaned, flattened and offered to scrap collectors. Used paper products and containers were burned in an outdoor fireplace. Milk was purchased in refillable glass bottles from local dairies.

Then, it didn’t make much sense to me that energy was spent on such an undertaking… when there were garbage trucks to haul it all away. Five decades later it makes more sense than ever!

Western Grandeur

Doug and I recently returned from a trip out west where we flew into Salt Lake City, then rented a car to drive our scenic route through Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. After a couple hours drive to Idaho Falls, we spent the night in a hotel room overlooking the Snake River. The nearby Sandpiper Restaurant provided the evening fare in a cozy, fireplace lit patio overlooking the river.

Feeling refreshed, we drove northeast to Montana the next morning to spend a couple days with my friend Margaret. Similar to Ann Arbor in appeal…the town of Bozeman is a real gem of the west. Main street boasts a variety of colorful restaurants (many of which serve bison), shops, a retro Theater – The Ellen, and an Eagles Club!

After a couple days, we drove to Billings for a dinner engagement with my son-in-law’s brother. Fortunately plans weren’t ruined by a tornado that severely damaged the Rimrock Arena in Billings the day before we arrived.

The most thrilling (as in Wild Mouse amusement ride) drive of our trip occurred after we left Billings (80 degree temp) and headed to Yellowstone Park. We decided to take the Beartooth Pass, with an elevation of ~11,000 feet. As we drove up the wonderfully scenic mountainside, temperatures dropped to 32 degrees and it began to snow…just as we entered the stretch of switchbacks. It was so scary that I couldn’t look over the drop-off, but instead worked on a Sudoku puzzle. Eventually the highway curved downward and we could breathe again. Whew!

On the drive through Yellowstone and Grand Teton Parks we enjoyed a non-stop panorama…with snow-capped mountains, herds of bison, and crystal-clear lakes. We could only imagine the challenges faced by wagon trains forging through Wyoming many years ago.

We saved the best for last – a visit with Doug’s daughter Priscilla, her husband Chris, and their children Noah, Sammy, Sophie, and Nicolas. It was great fun to play games with the kids, enjoy a soak at Lava Hot Springs, see Toy Story 3 in 3-D, and try to keep up with the kids in a round of miniature golf!

Sadly, it was time to return to the Salt Lake City airport and an evening flight home. But we hope to return again next year…

Final Travel Plans

We hoped to end our European visit here in Bulle…but business dictates that we return to Biberach, Germany this afternoon so Doug can complete his training there. We’re advised of a driving route that involves crossing Lake Constance on a ferry, which should shorten the trip to ~4 not 8 hours that we spent driving here. After Doug finishes work Friday, we’ll need to drive back to Switzerland and spend the night in a hotel at Zurich airport, where we’ll catch our flight home Saturday morning.

Sarah (1998-2010)

Last night we unexpectedly lost our beloved pet, Sarah. After we picked her up at the kennel after returning from our trip, she was slow to return to her normal behavior. As the week progressed, we thought that she had been traumatized by the boarding experience. She refused to lie down. She wouldn’t eat…even though we tried giving her various foods other than her prescribed diet. She sat in the same spot for hours. Fortunately Doug and I both took her to the vet, as we found out that her condition was far worse than we imagined. In fact it was extremely dire. An x-ray showed that her breathing capacity was limited to one small strip, and the rest of her lungs were filled with either fluid or a tumor. The chief surgeon carefully performed a tap, and test results showed abnormal cells in the fluid…indicating either cancer or FIP. Both conditions are fatal. Based on her labored breathing and system breakdown, we made the extremely difficult decision to euthanize her. She was brought back into the room so we could give her our final pets and look once more at her sweet little face with the pale gold eyes. Sarah was always here for me – my little buddy and companion. I’m overwhelmed by sadness…

An American (me) in Bulle

While shopping in Bulle, I happened to wander into a shop that had some interesting jewelry pieces on display. As I was browsing, the shop keeper asked me in English, not French, where I was from. After he found out that I was from Michigan in the U.S., he relayed that he and his family had moved to Switzerland a couple years ago from Los Angeles, where he still owns a jewelry store. His wife is Swiss, and they decided to move to Bulle and raise their 9-year old son there. Okay…so far so good. But he proceeded to go on a rant, saying that his home in L.A. still hasn’t sold, that there will be a mass rebellion in the States, that the country will go under because of our 12 trillion$ national debt, that the schools are horrible…on and on. Finally, I said that with his views Bulle is exactly where he should live! But I, on the other hand, wouldn’t want to live anywhere in the world other than in the United States. He then backed off and mumbled something about wanting to return to the U.S. some day, but for now he’ll stay there. Hey…if you don’t love it, leave it!!

Travel Plans

We hoped to end our European visit here in Bulle…but business dictates that we return to Biberach, Germany this afternoon so Doug can complete his training there. We’re advised of a driving route that involves crossing Lake Constance on a ferry (hopefully we can avoid Bob and JuJu’s experience…), which should shorten the trip to ~4 not 8 hours that we spent driving here. After Doug finishes work Friday, we’ll need to drive back to Switzerland and spend the night in a hotel at Zurich airport, where we’ll catch our flight home Saturday morning.