MEETING THE ED MITCHELL COUSINS – June 28

I felt so badly to get a call late afternoon Thursday from Aunt Dawn (Uncle Ed’s widow) whom I had arranged to meet up with on Friday when Rod and I headed north. I was supposed to call her to set up a time, before she left for her evening meeting and I forgot!! The tour around Racine was so fascinating and then all the company, etc. No excuse! My memory is going!!

Anyway, Rod and I went to her home in Menominee Falls, WI just past Milwaukee around 10:30, after saying thanks and goodbye to Larry for a lovely visit. She looks AMAZING for 77, or any age for that matter! Just as I remember her, slim and beautiful and warm and charming! We saw pictures and got the cousins straight, who were younger than the Mitchell cousins from Stevens Point whom I saw more frequently growing up. We were going to meet the oldest, Terry and his wife Marsha, then Kenny and his wife Mary, and Bob who was taking off work to meet us – all meeting up at Ruby Tuesdays for lunch. Their brother David lives across the state with his family and Wendy the youngest lives now in Florida with her 2 kids who are 18 and 19, and her 2 newly adopted 2 and 4 year old brother and sister. She had been acting as a foster parent to them in Colorado as parents had drug problems and a grandmother was raising the older boy. But when the girl came along, she balked at raising 2 and Wendy took them. Now, I guess, she’s formally adopted them. She must have a HUGE heart!! I’ve seen her on Facebook but didn’t know the story. I’d heard also from Terry recently as he is working on geneology of the Sommer’s, Mitchell’s, Rices’s etc. and had asked for information to complete it.

We had a wonderful time at lunch – they wanted to know where all the Rices were living and about their families so between Rod and I we caught them up. Terry and Rod talked a lot of union stuff as Terry had worked for 31 years at one plant and been laid off. They’d both been Union presidents so had a lot in common. The other two cousins work in accounting/finance like Uncle Ed had done. Dawn told us before lunch how she had moved with her sister and a friend (from Ontonogan) to Chicago to work and been introduced to Ed and married in 1957, I think she said. I remember going to Uncle Ted (his twin) and Grace’s wedding when I was young – first wedding I ever attended – but not theirs. She said they had a very small wedding in WI so not a lot of family attended. I just remember Uncle Ed was SOOO handsome and charming and always, it seemed, especially kind and attentive to me. He died in his 60s of bone cancer and Uncle Ted shortly after of esophageal cancer. I saw Ted in later years and attended his funeral. I thought that had been the last time I might have seen Aunt Dawn but she said she had been there when he was ill but had an already scheduled trip when he died so she WASN’t there. So it’s been maybe 30 years since I’d seen her.

We had a laugh as I had always told the story of Bud and I moving into our first house in Glen Ellyn, IL, to a neighborhood where everyone took care of their lawns on the weekend. We were waterskiers with that big blue boat in the driveway and paid little attention to our lawn. Until we felt so guilty – I once went out and just threw down some fertilizer and grass seed – it came up in stripes! A neighbor offered his spreader after that!! And we didn’t even have a lawn mower. I have a memory of stopping at Ed and Dawn’s and them giving us that green riding tractor that we had for years. She said they NEVER had a riding tractor – the boys used to complain about having to mow the lawn walking!! So some time I’ll have to find out where I got the story wrong!! Guess my memory is going!! J

After taking some photos in the parking lot, Rod and I headed north and cut off to go through Van Dyne, by Rod’s old house, and up through Oshkosh (the folk’s house on the Lake Winnebago is up for sale again!). Oshkosh still looks a bit run down – Oshkosh Truck has laid off a bunch of workers, with the wars winding down, and it affects the economony of lots of other businesses. We did a bit of shopping at Copp’s when we got to Neenah and got to Rod’s apartment to unload and relax. I took a little walk down to the nearby park just as the storm clouds were moving in. I did talk to Kelly on the phone who is tied up on Saturday with a family wedding in Appleton so maybe will see her on Sunday a.m. if they haven’t been out too late. We will meet up with Paul (my nephew) and meet his wife Stephanie and maybe her 2 boys, and see their new home on Sunday afternoon. Otherwise, I’m narrowing down our stops for our trip next week and making some reservations, leaving flexibility as we head out west.

We will pick up the rental car Monday at 8, then pack it and head off for Stevens Point, to see the other Mitchell family on our way to pick up Betty in St. Paul. Then we’re off!! 5000+ miles in July!!

VISIT TO RACINE, WI June 27

The flight was pretty uneventful except for being delayed before takeoff because of storms in Chicago and upon landing we sat on the runway for 10 minutes or so as we were earlier than anticipated and they had no room for us to park at the gate. O’Hare was way more crowded than Logan, probably because of the storm delays and people scrambling to adjust. After a pit stop I picked up my already circling baggage.

Larry, Rosemary’s brother, had told me, when I called to let him know I had landed, he had just left Racine as he had been following the flight online so he wouldn’t have to sit long if it was delayed. It was only perhaps a 15 minute wait outside Terminal 1 before he drove up. Fortunately I always have a book with me so I just sat in one of those bus stop cubicles and read till he pulled up in the Highlander. Unfortunately, for awhile I was standing outside leaning up against a large post and later Larry noticed I had black stains all over the back of my orange shirt. I’m still trying different spot removers to get them off but I think it will become a work shirt only! Fortunately, I had on black pants so nothing showed there.

As we drove through the countryside, Larry and I caught up since we’d seen each other 2 years ago at Jon’s wedding. I knew he had 5 kids so asked him to take me through each one so I could keep them straight. He told me about Dan and his family out in Virginia where he visits several times a year, it sounds like. Then there is Scott and his wife Lisa who adopted Libby from China – I think she’s now about 8. Todd and his family live in Whitewater, WI, and Stephen is graduating from high school Saturday so we’ll get out of Larry’s way by Friday. Then Laura and Ron live in Bartlett, IL with their 4 boys not far from O’Hare. This is the family that Larry does the RV trips with – they are leaving soon for Yellowstone this year. And Becky and “skinny ass” (Scott) – Larry insists that’s what he calls him! – live in Racine and Larry takes care of their youngest little boy who just turned 4. There are also 2 older girls. That afternoon Becky and Laura turned up at the house to say hello, bringing the 7 cousins with them who played inside and out. They were very friendly and welcoming!

We had stopped in Kenosha on our way from the airport for a decadent lunch (they don’t even give you PEANUTS any more on the plane!) of burgers and fries, so we just had cheese and these great multi-grain crackers that evening as we chatted and watched the BBC show “Coppers” that he had DVRed (is that a word?). It’s about New York city during the draft riots of 1864 and the corrupt underworld (similar to Gangs of New York movie) of immigrant Manhattan in that time period. Violent but interesting! It was confusing as this is Season 2 so I’ll have to find the DVD on Netflix or library of Season 1.

I was up at 5:30 or so as Larry was getting ready to go to his daily mass and then he takes communion to his 98 year old mother-in-law who still lives in her own home, on her own!! Amazing! After making egg salad out of the 2 remaining boiled eggs I had brought with me, I had a great sandwich of Canadian bacon and the egg and an apple I’d also brought.

Larry gave me a wonderfully thorough drivearound tour of Racine and its history. It’s so interesting to hear someone talk about a place they were born in and lived their entire life! So different from my experience of moving around. My checkered living went from Detroit, Grosse Ile, MI; Ames, Iowa; Dubuque, IA for 4 years; Europe for a year hitchhiking around; Oshkosh, WI for a year, Houston, TX for 3 years; Wilmington, DE; Glen Ellyn, IL for 6 mos.; Michigan City, IN; Chadds Ford, PA; Fairfield, CT; Newtown, CT (for maybe 20 yrs); Southbury, CT for 10 yrs; Yangzhou, PRC (China) for a year; and now Wellfleet, MA for 7 yrs. Whew!! I’m tired just thinking of all those moves!

Larry was able to show me the house where he was born, then grew up, talking about kids taking off in the morning to play in the fields, at each others’ houses, cutting through industrial area buildings, walking over a mile to school and back each day, and only coming home when the street lights came on. He remembers the plant that made tanks during WWII that would roll down a neighboring street during the middle of the night when they came out of the plant. He showed the Johnson Wax corporate headquarters, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and talked about the “family company” where if you got married, you had to quit your job!! Those were the 40s and 50s! We went by the house where his parents lived, where I spent the night prior to Tom and Rosemary’s wedding with her, laughing and bonding!! That, and a shower for Sandy, were the only 2 times I was ever in Racine and didn’t see any of the town, really, then. We drove by the church where they were married – going on 50 years ago! – that’s now looking closed up or certainly no longer a Catholic church.

I have never been in a town where I saw so many churches!! Larry said there were Slovak neighborhood with its own church (this is area where Judi lived – his deceased wife) and where her mom still lives; there was the Polish neighborhood and church where the Weisbrod’s (his family) lived; there was a Germany area; the Lithuanians in another; etc. There were maybe 3 black families before the war, but large numbers moved in from the south when the area industrialized and geared up for the war. American Motors (Ramblers, etc.) used to be made here. We drove down by Lake Michigan to see the parks and beaches along it and the downtown area. Very interesting as I love history!

Jackie Weisbrod, Bernie’s (a brother) widow, whom I had met and bonded with at Jon’s wedding, came over in the afternoon for a walk, visit and dinner. Rod came down and had brought steaks that Larry grilled and we all had a great time chatting! Jackie had just returned from cleaning out her brother Tom’s house in Baltimore. He had recently passed away from complications from diabetes so we had a long conversation about that disease. She had recently returned from a trip to Nepal and me South America so we chatted “travel.”

Speaking of which, I forgot to mention as I had gotten to Logan so early before my flight, I met Lynette, a recently retired nurse from Boston, who was flying with her 95 and 93 year old parents back to Eau Claire, WI, after their visit. We started chatting and she’d traveled all over the world with her husband, who had passed away. She LOVES to travel and NOT high end!! By the end of an hour, we had exchanged emails and talked about Australia next year perhaps together!! Weird those chance meetings! It’s what I love about travel; there are so many interesting people who have done fascinating things – and I want to meet them all!! So that may be my 2014 blog!!

I’d better end this! Stay tuned!

OFF TO THE MIDWEST! June 26th, 2013

So I'm sitting in Logan Airport on Weds. June 26th waiting for my flight to Chicago. Rod retired 2 weeks ago after 38 years at Neenah Foundry - amazing!! And he suggested this trip out west to see as many National Parks as we can. Gee, I'm not sure if he invited me or if I invited myself! Probably the latter! And then he ended up calling Betty, my college friend and frequent travel companion, to see if she wanted to go along. I thought she might have had enough of me after 6 weeks in South America in Feb. and March this year, but no, she decided to go. Hope they don't dump me out in Nebraska!!!

I will visit with Larry, Rosemary's brother in Racine, and maybe Jackie his sister-in-law (we all had fun at Jon's wedding a couple of years ago when Jackie and I shared a room. We both love travel and talked non-stop that weekend!). On Thursday Rod will drive down to pick me up and we will stop on Friday at Aunt Dawn Mitchell's in Menominee Falls, WI, on our way up to Neenah. I chatted yesterday with Dawn to see if she'd be available for a late breakfast/early lunch. She said her house is in confusion as her foundation is collapsing and she's meeting with all kinds of engineers and construction people to see how it can be fixed!! But she thought she'd be available. Cousin Terry or Kenny, can't remember which, also might be over and could join us. That would be fun to see them as it's been years!! I think I haven't seen Aunt Dawn since Uncle Ted's funeral years ago. She sounded great!

So we're off and it will be a 4 week adventure with a tentative plan - meeting up July 14th in Portland, OR, at Judy and Michelle's, when Kerry, Jay and the grandchildren are visiting for the weekend. Then we'll head up to San Juan Islands with J and M and then we'll go on up to Vancouver, BC. Hope I get to meet up with Premica and maybe Maureen whom I met in Athens last year. We had fun together for a couple of days!

So I'll end with new Chinese phrase I just learned - Yi lu ping an!  meaning may your path/journey be safe/smooth! Hopefully it will be!