If You Were Here

Jen Lancaster is the author of the humorous book If You Were Here. Mia and Mac live in Chicago in an apartment owned by a local, rich, celebrity influencer who is mentally unstable. Eager to get away from her they buy a house that was once in a movie. Mia and Mac move in with their two dogs and two cats. The house has problems. The floors are not strong due to termites. During renovations, toilets fall through the floor into the room below. So many things go wrong. Mia and Mac keep loosing their general contractors because their former landlord's family will punish any contractor who works for them. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook on my road trip.

 

Gilded Mountain

 Gilded Mountain is an historical fiction novel written by Kate Manning. Based on true events in the 1900's in a mining town called Moonstone in Colorado, the character of Sylvie Pelletier is told. Sylvie is the eldest daughter of a miner and his wife. The marble mining company is unscrupulous. Miners are charged for their food and housing. They work long hours in unsafe conditions. After 9 months with no pay, the miners organize a strike. The mining company brings in Pinkerton thugs to quash the strike. Sylvie goes to work writing articles for a female newspaper owner in Moonstone. Naturally the marble mining company does not appreciate being held accountable for their actions in the press. I enjoyed this story about gutsy women in Colorado standing up for their rights. 

Newfields

Today I spent my time at the Newfields Art Museum here in Indianapolis. On the fourth floor there was an immersive Van Gogh experience. I was in a big room with Van Gogh artwork projected onto the walls and the floor. The show was about an hour long before it repeated.

I used to have a poster of Van Gogh's iris picture.

Vincent had so much talent. Before he died he had sold only 2 pictures.

Unfortunately his mental health problems were so bad he shot himself in the chest at age 37.

Georgia O'Keefe had a picture there too.

I could walk into this bedroom of his.

While other artists thought sunflowers were common and coarse, Vincent loved their beauty. I love sunflowers too.

 

Indianapolis

Today I drove from Gurnee, Illinois to Indianapolis, Indiana. I got to town early so I had time for a nature hike. This time I was smart and took a picture of the map.

The temperature was 54 degrees and I had a nice walk at the sculpture garden/nature center. Lots of robins and sparrows were hanging out. I saw a couple squirrels and one chipmunk.

This sculpture was titled "Bones."

This is the left hand.

Here is my view standing between the legs and looking at the pelvis.

I was curious how these rings were suspended in the air. Turns out each ring is attached to three wires.

I liked this sculpture.

 

Dude! Where Is My Car?

I spent a nice day in Gurnee, Illinois. The temperature got up to 57 degrees and the wind was gusty. I walked the Oak Openings Nature Preserve for an hour before I got lost. I wasn't lost. The location of my car was unknown to me. I ended up walking for another hour and a half before I found it. I was going to take a picture of the trail map by my car. Next time I will.

I also went to the Grayslake Heritage Museum where they had this horse drawn hearse. I am sad to say this museum is the worst museum I have ever visited.

 

Driftless Area

I really enjoy the driftless area here in Wisconsin. This area was never covered with ice during the last ice age so the hills are steep and the river valleys are steep. Forests top the ridges. The area is very attractive. This is a picture of the House On The Rock which is not open on Mondays and Tuesdays.

This is a picture of Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's home, office, and school. This was designated a UNESCO world heritage site.

 

End Of The Duluth Chapter

 When I moved into my apartment in Duluth in early March of 2020 I flattened the boxes and stored them in the basement. Starting in November I brought those boxes back up and filled them again. Many of the boxes had contents written on them so I tried to fill them with what was marked. That didn't always work out. Last Tuesday I hired the movers to come in and move most of the stuff except my clothes and food. Yesterday I removed everything, vacuumed, scrubbed, swept and polished. The apartment is cleaner now than when I moved in. Now my stuff is in storage. The things I really need are in my car and I am on a road trip of undetermined length. As I drove through La Crosse, Wisconsin this afternoon I got a phone call from a man in my international folk dance class. He said Duluth got 2 inches of snow today. That made me smile. Right now I  am at the Don Q Motel in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. I came down to visit the house on the rock. Poor planning on my part, the house on the rock is closed today and tomorrow. Also, the house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in closed until April. I might have to stay another day here in Dodgeville. In any case, I am done with Duluth. My move there didn't go as expected. Due to the pandemic it took longer to make friends and join clubs. I eventually got a social life that was satisfying. Duluth is a beautiful town but I just can't take the winters anymore.