Heaven and Earth

When I was in high school music class, we learned about singing in rounds. You know, like Row, row, row your boat and Make new friends but keep the old. 

We were introduced to a variety of multicultural rounds, one being a Jewish round, typically sung by children: David melech Yisrael, chai chai vekayam. It is a simple song consisting of only five words. 

The Hebrew translation to English remains simple as well:

            David David (is) king of Israel,
            David David (is) king of Israel
            David (is) king of Israel living and existing.
            Alive, living and existing
            David (is) king of Israel
            Alive, living and existing - king of Israel. 

Another was a German folk song sung in a two-part round. Himmel und erde. Roughly translated, it means something like: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the music will never die. 

            All things shall perish from under the sky
            Music alone shall live, music alone shall live
            Music alone shall live, never to die.

These little songs stayed in my head until they were drowned out by Wake Up, Little Susie and Love Me Tender. I am very fickle when it comes to music. Basically I love all genres. (That excludes rap which is noise, not music.)

Summertime came and with it, our annual family vacation which consisted of an 8-hour car trip to visit Grandpa and Grandma on their farm in South Dakota.  For Dad it meant solo driving, for Mom it meant previous days of packing for eight. For six squirmy children - not me, of course - it meant a very long car ride crowded in the back of our Rambler station wagon. When boredom set in and the bickering started among my little sisters - all four of them - I decided to teach them these two little songs so we could sing them together in rounds.  

To my surprise, they were not only cooperative but enjoyed the singing and learned the songs quickly. The time in the Rambler passed in a much more pleasant manner.

Fast forward to 1994 as we planned our parents' 50th wedding anniversary dinner. We decided as part of the program, we'd bring back the memory of those long summer trips by singing the two little rounds. We laughed at the recollection of it, Mom and Dad loved it, and we've talked about it since. 

I don't think we will ever get those little folk songs out of our heads. Their memories serve us well.

Arizona beauty

Last winter, shortly after I retired, my husband and I enjoyed a month-long stay in Tucson. This was a generous retirement gift from our friends, the Pipers, who spend winters there.
It was their way of introducing us to the beauty of Arizona.

We spent the month in the Piper's casita, an adobe guesthouse, situated in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains.


We explored the wonders of the desert and learned a bit about the many varieties of cacti growing there. We hiked at Catalina State Park, Saguaro National Park, and the Arizona-Sonora Desert museum and botanical garden. We marveled at the majesty of it all.

The sunsets were indescribable. Our granddaughter, Heidi, captured this photo outside our casita.


She and husband, Chris, drove from their home in Las Vegas to spend a weekend with us. Heidi is an excellent photographer, evidenced by these photos:




Nearby was a wonderful Farmer's Market held every weekend at St. Philip's Plaza. We tried some interesting foods that were new to us: Jack in the Bean soup and Mill Creek Mexican lime olive oil.

We took a day trip to Tubac, about an hour south of Tucson. Tubac is an "artsy" community with many interesting shops and artisans at work. Lunch at the Old Tubac Inn is highly recommended if you visit. Their Center for the Arts was fabulous.

Being a former member of the U.S. Air Force, we had to visit the Pima Air and Space Museum with 80 acres of aviation history. George loved walking around the large field of old planes. (Me? I toured the gift shop, bought a book, The Fighter Pilot's Wife, sat on a wonderful stone bench outside in the sun and read.)

Our month went by too fast, and we were sad to be leaving the amazing beauty, and warmth of the sun, of Arizona.

But, while there, in our new retirement life, we vowed to return. Maybe even invest in a winter home there.

To be continued...

A wilderness experience

My husband and I took a brief, two-day trip to the North Shore and Boundary Waters. What, for me, used to be a trip taken quite often, camping and hiking, it was one that George and I had not taken for several years.

What brought us there was a gift certificate to a Bed and Breakfast of our choice, given as a Christmas gift by daughter, Bonnie. We looked in the directory that accompanied the certificate for participating B&Bs. Since we had traveled to southern Minnesota the past few years, we decided to head north this time.

There, nestled deep in the woods on the Gunflint Trail, 30 miles from Grand Marais, was Poplar Creek, the B&B of our choice.

Furnished in north woods style, it was a wonderful overnight get-away from any hustle-bustle, and, indeed, civilization itself, it seemed. It was cool, and felt almost crisp. After our recent hot, humid days, this was a welcome change.

We awoke from a restful sleep to see bluejays at the bird feeder, and were greeted by the tantalizing aroma of coffee and bacon. Our innkeepers, Ted and Barbara, had prepared a wonderful breakfast for us.

We were joined by two other guests, a young couple originally from India and now residing in London. Aside from wonderful accommodations and scrumptious food, we love B&Bs for the people we meet and the interesting breakfast conversation.

On our way home, we stopped at Temperance River, one of my favorite spots. I love its ruggedness.


Although I have hiked these trails in the past, climbing up and over rocks and stone steps, this time my arthritic knees would permit no such thing.


My husband, however, sprinted up and back down as I patiently waited at the bottom.


Our next stop was Tettegouche State Park, where we walked a bit and enjoyed a picnic lunch: smoked fish, cheese, crackers, peanut butter and a cookie.


After being away for only two days, we commented that just to get in the car and drive away somewhere, if only for a brief time, can feel like a week's vacation. Relaxation, refreshment, fun and adventure come easily away from home.


Don't wait. Take advantage of the little retreats around you. Drive away for a bit, even for a day. Eat a picnic lunch. Walk a trail. Explore a new town or area, even one closeby.

I guarantee: you will return renewed and refreshed.