The Little Red Shack

The little red shack is coming along nicely. The ice shack was painted while we were away in Appleton, and Chris attached the door this morning during the few hours of precious sunshine.

Chris also found a small propane heater on sale at Fleet Farm. The heater will work nicely.

I think I was taking too many pictures as Chris snarled at me as to why was I taking soooooo many pictures?

The fishermen were out this morning in the cold air....something must have been bitting.


The snow was still hanging around despite some earlier sun today. I'm guessing we received three inches of snow yesterday. Rain heads back in tonight, so hopefully the rain will clear away the snow.

Went for a long walk this afternoon and enjoyed the quietness and the still air. Seemed so strange to have no wind or breeze blowing. Felt good to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.

Sloppy Mess

Maybe we should just skip Halloween and go right to Christmas! Driving home from my library conference was interesting, or should I say a little nerve-racking. Halfway home, the rain turned to sloppy wet snow. It accumulated very quickly.

Along the way we passed cars that spun out and went off the highway. I was so glad bike man was driving because wet heavy snow terrifies me. We finally made it home.....home sweet home.

I Finally Met Terese Allen After All These Years!

In 1981, Harva Hachten, authored "The Flavor of Wisconsin." Back in the day, this was a great cookbook that talked about the social life and customs of Wisconsin cookery. Well, my long-time favorite author, Terese Allen, was asked to revise this cookbook......so, she did just that (Harva Hachten died shortly after her book was published in 1981). Terese did a great job with the new edition which was just released, and today, I finally got the chance to see the cookbook and meet Ms. Allen. All I can say is, what a nice down to earth person.

What makes this special, is that Terese Allen started out at my favorite bakery/cafe called, The Ovens of Brittany, in Madison Wisconsin in the 1980's. If you have followed my blog long enough, you know that I have a fascination with bakeries and the most famous, Morning Bun! Terese Allen was taught how to make Morning Buns, but since she worked in the cafe section of the Ovens of Brittany, she never really had to master the art of making these special European treats, but she certainly watched the bakers make them everyday . After talking briefly with her this morning, she told me where to find Morning Buns made closely to the Ovens of Brittany technique. If you don't know my fascination with Morning Buns, go back to last years post and read about what a Morning Bun really is.

I bought the newest edition of the "Flavor of Wisconsin" by Terese Allen and asked her to sign my book. What a special treat. Meeting Ms. Allen and attending her speaker session was the highlight of my library conference. The heritage of Wisconsin cooking has always interest me greatly, so I was in seventh heaven this morning.

Highlights From WLA

Highlight from today's Wisconsin Library Association Conference in Appleton, WI. Took in a full day of sessions, library vendors, and lots of java to stay awake! Tomorrow will be the same.

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Talked to "k" today about creating her own blog. I explained the process of going on to blogger.com to create your own blog....I hope she gives it a try. I'm still resisting Twitter or Facebook. My blog takes up enough of my time for now.

I'm Off to the Fox Valley!

After going to library conferences for the last nine years, I've learned something....you will always pay inflated prices for hotel rooms at the conference centers, unless you choose to stay off site. What a rip-off! So I decided to stay off-site this year.

I booked a three night night stay at a Comfort Inn instead of the Radisson Paper Mill Conference Center and saved lots of money. In fact, I was able to get a room/suite at Comfort Inn & Suites and still come out cheaper than the conference center. There's the king size bed, the kitchenette, and a large bathroom with a jacuzzi bathtub, and it still comes out a lot less expensive than staying right there at the conference site. Heck, I could have a big party in this room!!! Why do these conferences soak you for tons of money?

The Wisconsin Library Association Conference starts tomorrow in Appleton, WI. I'm most excited about seeing and hopefully meeting Teresa Allen, author of "Oven's of Brittney Cookbook." That cookbook was the first cookbook I bought when I was 20 yrs old. When I lived in Madison, WI years ago, I loved to visit the Ovens of Brittney bakery. This was the bakery that introduced me to Morning Buns! Teresa Allen has authored several books on Wisconsin bakeries and cafes, so I will be in seventh heaven to sit in on her workshop.

Felt Like a Monday

Yesterday's sunshine was very welcomed. Today was back to work in a cold building with no heat (50 degrees)! My fear is that the furnace will not be functional for weeks to come. Yup...life in a small town.

Full spinning class tonight.....it was all about hill climbs! Everyone ended class in a sweat. Mission accomplished!

Southern Breeze

Simply a gorgeous day, especially after our recent cold snap. The sun felt warm, the breeze had energy and air was crisp.

Our son , and his girlfriend, spend the day working on his ice shack. As you can see the sides are almost up. If the building proceeds as planned, the ice shack will leave tonight via the trailer. Chris will park it at his workplace and continue to do the finishing touches.

Took off on the mountain bike and went for a one hour ride this afternoon. Riding out was nice and fast, but coming back was work. The southern breeze was a killer on the whole body. It still felt good however to get out and exercise the lungs.