Sophie's Story

     Anyone who knows me at all knows that I truly dislike shopping for clothes. I like shopping for books, yarn, cat stuff, things for the house groceries and just about anything else. Buying clothes is so frustrating that on those rare occasions when I find something I really like, I try to buy several of them in different colours so I won't have to buy that item for a long time. The other thing I do is wear something until it almost falls apart.    My trusty black church skirt developed a small tear in the back. Thanks to Covid and being a woman of a certain age, my other skirts fit tighter than they used to. My beloved navy blue pea coat is starting to look worn. C has decreed that it is too worn and that I need a new coat.    I prefer skirts that hit below the knee, I was looking for a winter weight material and something that is in a classic style. I want something I can wear for many years. I'd like another pea coat, but was willing to get somet...

     As much as I like our trips to door County, I'm always happy to come home. Eventually I get tired of restaurant food and being unable to sleep well in the hotel bed. I have had enough soaks in the Jacuzzi tub and I want to be able to do my Scripture study in a comfortable seat as opposed to either sitting in the dark or sitting on the floor near the bathroom. (If I turn on the lights it wakes up C.) I also miss Willow.    We always make the trip back a part of our vacation. We have two cheese factories we stop at to restock our cheese supply. There is a tavern in DePere that has good hamburgers, we stop there for lunch. We bought some chocolate at another shop in DePere. We didn't take our usual stroll at a park near the Fox River due to the rain.    We got home earlier that usual. I was able to unpack all my stuff  and put it away. C had to return something to someone and picked up some Asian food for dinner. I got all my stuff ready for the...

      There are three state parks that we walk around while we are here in Door County. Peninsula State Park, Whitefish Dunes and Newport State Park. Of the three Whitefish Dunes is my favourite.    This is kind of strange because we haven't spent much time at Whitefish Dunes.  We spend most of our time walking the in the wooded areas of Peninsula State Park.    I love the trees in the forest. Unlike many women,the forest is my happy place. There is something about being around trees and the animals that live among them that soothes and grounds me.    When you add the water around the forest it's even better.     Whitefish Dunes has a beautiful beach of light coloured sand with the water of Lake Michigan covering it. To me it doesn't look like a beach in Wisconsin.  I can imagine sunbathers and swimmers flocking to that beach in the summer,  One yea...

        We are settled into our hotel after the drive to Door County. This is the twentieth trip we have made across Wisconsin to our favourite spot. This past week was hectic trying to get things done and get packed. As usual, I was scheduled to work most of the week which didn't leave me much time to pack or help with other chores. Friends were going to care for Willow so we had to move her litter box upstairs so they wouldn't have to go to the basement and make sure she had enough food and treats.     Eventually everything got done. C loaded the car and and we headed out. The new to us car we are driving does not have as much room as our old Jetta. C managed to get our suitcases in the trunk along with all the other things that we bring along. I gave Willow a kiss goodbye on her nose and we headed out.    It was misting as we drove east headed for the Wisconsin border. The sky was grey. It was just like our first trip. The rain continued t...

           Earlier this year I finished the 10 stitch blanket that I've been working on for a long time. It was a very relaxing project and I enjoyed working on it. Over the summer I haven't knit anything because of lack of time. Now it's fall and I have the itch to start knitting again. I also want a project to take to Door County with me.     I know that I said I wanted to knit a pair of socks, but I'm not sure now. I'd have to teach myself how to knit using a magic loop. I'm sure I could figure it out, but I'd  really like to do something easy and relaxing like that blanket was.     One project I was going to do is to crochet all the granny squares I have together to make a nice little blanket for Willow. It would be fun and relaxing, but it would be hard to take all those granny squares to Door County with me. The same is true for the sample blanket that I want to start. (although I could take a few smal...

     Last week I did something I haven't done in a very long time. I got a flu shot.    I know it is pretty ridiculous some for one who gives vaccines to avoid receiving what is thought of as a very common one, but I did. The reason has to do with a preservative which is used in multidose vials of flu vaccine.  I'm allergic to the preservative so I avoided getting flu shots and had to be very careful when giving one from a multidose vial. There are preservative free versions of the vaccine that have been around for awhile, but I was still nervous. I have strange allergies. A lot of the time I don't know I'm allergic to something until I encounter it. I've had instances where I've had allergic reactions to various types of makeup and perfumes where it is difficult to figure out just what I'm allergic to. (Which is why I don't wear make up anymore.) I worried that there would be something else in a flu vaccine that would trigger a reaction.    The r...

        When I got up today it was cloudy outside. I was pleased about that. It meant there was a good chance that it would rain. I know what the song says about rainy days and Mondays, but I wasn't down at all. In fact, I have been craving a day like this for a long time. A day where the weather forces me to stay inside and do some things that I have wanted to do.     C and I had planned to go to the Original Pancake House for breakfast. I had been there once and wanted to introduce him to it. When I was there the first time, they had Palmetto grits on the menu. I had never seen grits in a restaurant this far north. I wanted to try them.      We got there fairly early and were shown to a booth. The restaurant has an open spacious feel to it. We ordered our meal and it came much faster than we expected. We sampled the grits and found them to be perfectly cooked. We both enjoyed our meals.    The next thing we did was go to the big m...