~ wander.essence ~

michigan’s upper peninsula to mackinac island

wanderessence1025 April 6, 2022

We explored Michigan as the last part of our Great Lakes Road Trip in May-June of 2021. Our explorations included Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. This video covers the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (see map below).

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac. It is bounded primarily by Lake Superior to the north and flanked by Lake Huron and Lake Michigan along much of its south. Residents are nicknamed Yoopers (derived from “UP-ers”) and have a strong regional identity, enhanced by the perception that the rest of the state neglects them.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is all about Pictured Rocks, huge ships going at a snail’s pace through the Soo Locks, lighthouses, “yoopers,” waterfalls, shipwrecks, Lake Superior, and pasties.

We visited the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba and the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse in Marquette, watched The Sand Lot on a big screen at the Delft Bistro, and explored Miners Castle, Miners Beach, Sable Falls, and the Au Sable Lighthouse Trail (accompanied by black flies and mosquitoes aplenty) at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We went on a 2-hour sunset cruise with Pictured Rocks Cruises after eating pasties at Muldoon’s Pasties. We found “Yoosta be a Yooper” bumper stickers in Munising. We visited waterfalls in Munising and Tahquamenon (rhymes with Phenomenon) Falls State Park, the Edmund Fitzgerald and other shipwrecks at Whitefish Point’s Shipwreck Museum and a ship moving glacially through the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie. We enjoyed a leisurely bicycle ride around Mackinac Island and crossed the Straits of Mackinac on the 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge, known as the “Mighty Mac.”

Our top eight experiences in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were:

8) Crossing the Mackinac Bridge
7) Escanaba
6) Marquette
5) Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Locks
4) Whitefish Point and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
3) Tahquamenon Falls State Park
2) Bicycling all over Mackinac Island
1) Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising: Pictured Rocks Cruises, Miners Beach, Miners Falls & pasties!

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Thank you for watching!

a wisconsin road trip: of apostle islands & cheeseheads

wanderessence1025 March 23, 2022

We explored Wisconsin as part of our Great Lakes Road Trip in May-June of 2021. Our explorations included Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Wisconsin is all about scenic Rt. 13, the charming town of Bayfield, the murals of Ashland, lakes, freshwater fishing, boating, sandstone formations, maritime history, dairy cows, cheese & cheese curds, beer, bratwurst and fish boils. It is about walks along the Mississippi and the Milwaukee Rivers and Lake Superior. It is about the University of Wisconsin in Madison, locks and dams, charming villages, grottoes and smoked fish.

We cruised through Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on a cold and blustery day, searched for waterfalls at Copper Falls State Park, climbed inside of a giant sturgeon at the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, stopped for a beer flight at Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls, and paid our respects to veterans at the High Ground on Memorial Day, topped off by an old-fashioned Chinese meal at Shaw Lee in Wisconsin Rapids. We strolled through Witches Gulch and watched a dog jump over an abyss at Stand Rock in Wisconsin Dells. We climbed the steep boulder-strewn trail at Devil’s Lake State Park to the Devil’s Doorway. We enjoyed a Bodega Bowl in the shadow of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, and wandered around the stunning University of Wisconsin campus. We meandered down State Street and enjoyed dumplings at Chen’s Noodles & Dumplings. We munched on cheese curds and beer at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. We wandered through the “Streets of Old Milwaukee” and the European Village and learned about Nelson Mandela at the Milwaukee Public Museum. We glimpsed all-things-beer including Miller Brewing and the Pabst Mansion, then met “the Fonz” on the Riverwalk. We explored the Public Market and the Historic Third Ward. We learned about maritime history in Sturgeon Bay and walked along limestone bedrock fronting Lake Michigan at Cave Point County Park. We witnessed a conflagration and ate whitefish at a fish boil at Pelletier’s in Fish Creek. We soaked up a stunning sunset at Sunset Beach at Fish Creek. And finally, we donned cheeseheads and did the “Lambeau Leap” at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Our top ten experiences in Wisconsin were:
10) Green Bay – Lambeau Field
9) Dickeyville Grotto
8) Hayward Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum
7) Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls
6) Wisconsin Dells
5) Devil’s Lake State Park: The Balanced Rock Trail
4) Milwaukee : Milwaukee Public Museum, Riverwalk, the Historic Third Ward & the Milwaukee Public Market
3) Madison: University of Wisconsin, State Street, & the Wisconsin State Capitol
2) Apostle Island National Lakeshore: Apostle Islands Cruises (The Grand Tour)
1) Door County: Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, Fish Creek & Pelletier’s Nightly Fish Boil, & Cave Point County Park

Our Wisconsin route

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minnesota {points north}

wanderessence1025 March 9, 2022

We explored Minnesota as part of our Great Lakes Road Trip in May-June of 2021. Our explorations included Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Northern Minnesota is all about Lake Superior and the shipping, mining, lumber and fur trading industries. It is about voyageurs and outdoorsmen: canoe paddlers, campers and traders. It is about 12,000 lakes, pictographs at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), aerial lift bridges, the charming Stillwater on the St. Croix River, and ruins of a 130-year-old sandstone quarry along the Kettle River. It is about Frank Lloyd Wright gas stations, railroad museums, and famous football players such as Bronko Nagurski. It is about Dorothy Molter, aka the Root Beer Lady.

In Duluth, we watched the James R. Barker, the first 1000-foot class vessel constructed entirely on the Great Lakes in 1976, pass through the Aerial Lift Bridge, which spans the Duluth Ship Canal. The 1,000-ton central span rises 138 feet like an elevator to let ships enter the harbor. We saw a huge collection of rolling stock at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. And returning to Duluth after our exploration of the North Shore, we enjoyed a seaplane ride over the largest and busiest port on the Great Lakes, with views of the Aerial Lift Bridge and the surrounding metro area. To top it all off, we had dinner at Bridgeman’s, a mid-century modern diner complete with a Friday night fish fry and a raspberry hot fudge wonder.

Here are my top ten favorite experiences of northern Minnesota:

10) hiking the Quarry Loop Trail at Banning State Park
9) Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
8) dinner at the iconic Bridgeman’s in Duluth
7) Stillwater, the charming self-proclaimed “Birthplace of Minnesota”
6) Voyageur’s National Park and the Arrowhead Lodge
5) Palisade Head on the North Shore
4) Tettegouche State Park
3) Duluth and the Aerial Lift Bridge: watching the huge cargo ships go through the bridge
2) Canoeing on Hegman Lake in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)
1) Seaplane tour of Duluth with Beaver Air

our complete Minnesota road trip

road trip through northern Minnesota (detail)

If you’d like to subscribe to my YouTube channel, you can find it here: Cathy Dutchak YouTube Channel.

Thank you for watching! 🙂

minnesota {points south}

wanderessence1025 February 23, 2022

We explored Minnesota as part of our Great Lakes Road Trip in May-June of 2021. Our explorations included Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Southern Minnesota was all about marine art, the birthplace of waterskiing, and the world’s largest 16-foot-tall work boot. It was about SPAM, the Jolly Green Giant, horizontal landscapes of endless farmland, Blue Mounds, Pipestone quarries and the Indian pipes made from them, Sioux quartzite, and invisible petroglyphs. It was a land of German towns, waterfalls, and the Mississippi River. It was also about reconciliation in Mankato and a bank robbery by the notorious James-Younger gang in Northfield.

In Minneapolis, we strolled through sculpture gardens, across old stone bridges, and under signs for Gold Medal Flour and Pillsbury’s Best Flour. We cruised through the University of Minnesota, bicycled around lakes in Minneapolis, and sang to musical murals. We browsed the Minnesota History Museum and learned about iron ore, lumber, the collapse of Interstate 35 in 2007, Minnesota blizzards & tornadoes, and Sinclair Lewis. We paid our respects to George Floyd, Prince and Bob Dylan, peeked into the On Being studio, and met Charlie Brown and the gang in St. Paul.

Here are my top ten favorites of southern Minnesota (The Twin Cities & south):

10) George Floyd Square in Minneapolis
9) Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona
8) Pipestone National Monument
7) The charming town of Northfield and the Northfield Historical Society Museum
6) The SPAM Museum in Austin
5) Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
4) Blue Mounds State Park near Luverne
3) Bikeride around Minneapolis lakes
2) Minnesota History Museum in St. Paul
1) Murals of Minneapolis (especially Prince, Bob Dylan & the Music Wall)

Here’s the map of our route in 2021. I’ll cover the northern part of Minnesota in another video.

Our Minnesota Road Trip

Minnesota {points south}

Thank you for watching! 🙂

arizona {points south}

wanderessence1025 February 9, 2022

In November of 2020, as part of our Canyon & Cactus Road Trip, I: crossed into Arizona and fell in love with chartreuse leaves in Oak Canyon on the way to Sedona; drove south to Montezuma Castle National Monument and Montezuma Well; hiked the Eagles Nest Loop at Red Rock State Park in Sedona; sat quietly under Buddhist prayer flags at Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park in Sedona, turned the prayer wheel, and walked 3x clockwise offering lots of prayers; got a wonderful 90-minute hot stone massage at Namti Spa; spent Election Day nearly getting struck by lightning at Tuzigoot National Monument; spent a day in Phoenix at the Phoenix Art Museum and the Heard Museum; visited Casa Grande Ruins National Monument; met a huge variety of cacti at Desert Botanical Garden and wandered through Old Town Scottsdale; hiked through Saguaro National Park (West and East); avoided rattlesnakes on a climb to see petrogylphs by the Hohokam people at the Signal Hill Trail; wandered through the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, finding javelinas and more cacti: hedgehog, barrel, staghorn, teddy bear cholla, catclaw, dwarf organ pipe cactus, Woolly Jacket prickly pear, Cowboy Whiskers Prickly Pear and ocotillo. Followed a van in Tucson with a bumper sticker: “BIDEN 2020: He won’t inject you with bleach.” Went to Tumacácori National Historical Park and Tubac, where I bought some colorful cactus and coyote yard ornaments; lit a candle for our country and my children at Mission San Xavier del Bac; gobbled down Indian fry bread at Cafe Santa Rosa in Tucson; wandered through the charming but scruffy town of Bisbee, a former copper mining town; missed the shootout at the OK Corral in Tombstone; took a fabulous (but freezing) hike at the sky island of Chiricahua National Monument; got a flat tire driving on a dirt road to Fort Bowie, but didn’t even visit there after all that.

Here are my top ten favorites in southern Arizona, with a couple of odds & ends thrown in:

11) Odds & Ends: Old Town Scottsdale, ASU Gammage Auditorium in Phoenix, Casa Ruins National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park, & Bisbee
10) Pipe Spring National Monument (northern Arizona)
9) Montezuma Castle & Montezuma Well
8) Tombstone
7) Tuzigoot National Monument
6) Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson
5) Phoenix: (a) Phoenix Art Museum, (b) Heard Museum, (c) Desert Botanical Garden
4) City of Tucson & Saguaro National Park West & East
3) Tubac & Mission San Xavier del Bac
2) Sedona, Red Rock State Park, & Amitabha Stupa
1) Chiricahua National Monument

Here’s the map of our route in 2020. The red shows our route in 2018. Pipestone National Monument is in the north central part of the state, where we dipped down from Utah for a short visit and then returned to Utah.

Arizona: Brown route = 2020; Red route = 2018

Thank you for watching! 🙂

utah: points southwest

wanderessence1025 January 26, 2022

As part of our “Canyon & Cactus Road Trip” in October-November of 2020, we spent two weeks exploring the National and State Parks in southwest Utah. This “video/slideshow” encapsulates our two week trip through this fabulous state.

In southwest Utah, we: met with our son and his girlfriend in Green River. Hiked the narrow slot canyon, Little Wild Horse Canyon, in the San Rafael Swell. Wandered amidst goblin-shaped rock formations at Goblin Valley State Park after picnicking at a red picnic table. Hiked throughout Capitol Reef National Park and learned about the Mormon community and the orchards there. Stopped for astounding scenic overlooks at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Strolled among towering sandstone chimneys at Kodachrome Basin State Park. Encountered more bulbous columns called hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park on the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Trail. Celebrated my 65th birthday, officially becoming a senior citizen in Bryce. Climbed ever upward in snow and 4°F temps to Cedar Breaks National Monument, where my fingers nearly froze off in just a few minutes of being outdoors. Hiked the Scout Lookout Trail at Zion National Park, where Ariana was the only one of us to make it to the top of Angel’s Landing. Hiked the Kayenta Trail and the Emerald Pool Trails at Zion, where we had fabulous views of the Virgin River. Decked myself out in neoprene socks, water shoes and waterproof pants to hike and wade up the Narrows at Zion. Observed changes in plant species from wildflowers and willows on the canyon floor to cacti and pinyon pines at higher elevations. Enjoyed a fabulous bacon-wrapped meatloaf Napoleon at Switchback Grille in Springdale, and said our goodbyes to Alex and Ariana as they headed back to Denver the next morning. Squeezed in a couple more hikes in Zion and then drove to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Enjoyed an excellent belated birthday dinner in St. George at the Painted Pony Restaurant. Hiked the Petrified Dunes Trail at Snow Canyon State Park.

Our top 10 sights to see in southwest Utah were (in descending order):

10) Cedar Breaks National Monument & Cedar City
9) Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
8) Dixie National Forest & Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
7) Goblin Valley State Park
6) Snow Canyon State Park
5) Kodachrome Basin State Park
4) Capitol Reef National Park
3) Little Wild Horse Canyon in San Rafael Swell
2) Bryce Canyon National Park
1) Zion National Park & Springdale

We explored southeast Utah in 2018; I’ll make another video about that trip later.

Below is the map showing our route through southwest Utah.

Brown route = 2020, red route = 2018

Our 2020 route through southeast Utah

Thank you for watching! 🙂

Travel

three days in chicago

wanderessence1025 January 17, 2022

Chicago is a city: of soaring and gleaming architecture, of towering views, of Lake Michigan shoreline, of Crown Fountain, of the mirrored “Bean,” of serpentine bridges, of The Chicago Theatre in “Everyone’s Neighborhood,” of Marina City’s corncobs, of pizza, Italian food and hatch chili, of art from Gauguin to Calder to El Greco, of temples of worship, of colorful murals and diverse neighborhoods, of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway, of rusted figures walking in a crowd through Grant Park, of the University of Chicago, of the old Pullman factory with its integrated town and amenities, of the Chicago Cubs, and of the impossibly turquoise Chicago River.

Our top 10 sights to see in Chicago were:

10) Riverwalk
9) Bahá’i Temple House of Worship
8) Pullman National Monument
7) Ukrainian Village
6) Pilsen murals
5) Agora in Grant Park
4) The Art Institute
3) Chicago 360
2) A lakefront bicycle ride
1) Chicago River Boat Architecture Tour

This “video/slideshow” encapsulates our three day trip in August of 2020.

********

This is my first ever “video.” Hopefully I can improve over time as I’m able to figure out more special features of iMovie and, especially, as I’m able to incorporate more actual video into the slideshows.

Thank you for watching! 🙂

happy belated new year: looking ahead to twenty twenty-two

wanderessence1025 January 7, 2022

Happy belated New Year! I’ve enjoyed having my year off from blogging but I’m ready to open it up again for 2022. I didn’t accomplish anything I set out to do; instead I focused on restoring my health and trying to make the most of life while struggling through another year of pandemic.

I don’t intend to write much this year. Instead, I want to experiment with making videos of some of my travels, focusing on travels since the pandemic began and maybe some of my past travels. If I’m able to travel any this year, I’ll try to make some for those travels as well.

There’s one big caveat. I’ve never made a video before; I’ll have to learn as I go along. Since I don’t actually have much video footage, they’ll be mostly slideshow videos (with photos only) set to music. I’ll try to take more videos while traveling in the future. The only writing I’ll do is a list of my “Top 10” for a destination, and maybe a paragraph of highlights. That will be the extent of it.

Mostly, I just want to have fun and challenge myself to learn something new.

Here are some pages from my 2022 bullet journal where I plot out my year as I’d like it to be. Who knows if any of it will happen, especially with the pandemic still tearing its way through the world. We can always hope.

my overall goals

Word of the year, as yet unknown, & some goals

my travel dreams for 2022

January cover page

my reading goals

Happy New Year! I wish all of you good health and much happiness in 2022.

twenty twenty-one: from insurrection to omicron, with a great lakes road trip & a jaunt to croatia

wanderessence1025 January 3, 2022

Twenty twenty-one was: A year of insurrections, the inauguration of a new president, and the impeachment of an ex-president, sadly without a conviction. A year of justices, injustices and utter lack of justice. A year of glimmers of hope that we were emerging from our pandemic due to availability of a vaccine and a booster, thwarted by two Greek letter variants: Delta and Omicron, and by people who either refused to do their part for the common good or were unable to access the vaccine. A year of continued attempts to heal my laryngopharyngeal reflux including some unpleasant tests and a partial laproscopic fundoplication. A partial year of working on the mind-body connection with The Cure for Chronic Pain and Curable. A year of a molar implant and a crown. A year of walking outdoors and yoga practice. A year of a “Great Lakes Road Trip” through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan; a two-week trip to Croatia; and a long weekend in Boston. A year of our eldest son coming home to live with us and returning to college in data science. A year of my daughter making prepared meals for a market, a long-time dream of hers. A year of our youngest son continuing to live in Nicaragua. A year of flags commemorating those dead from Covid, a lavender farm, and “Les Colombes” (The Doves) at the Cathedral. A year of continuing to wear a mask everywhere and to keep the requisite social distance. A year off from blogging, a much-needed break, but still not accomplishing much. A year of favorite movies: The Dig, Nomadland, Minari, Summer of Soul, Mama Weed, Stillwater, Coda, Belfast, King Richard, and Don’t Look Up. A year of favorite books: A Reckoning by May Sarton, The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna, The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose. Read 57/52 books for the year (My Year in Books: 2021). A year in which the word of the year was vaccine, or “vax.”

My year in books

January was: A month of three “I”s: insurrection, impeachment and inauguration on three consecutive Wednesdays. A month of dark energy, white supremacy, hatred, violence – all an inflection point in U.S. history, outcome as yet unknown. A month of fires in the fireplace and games of Scrabble, Ticket to Ride and Yahtzee. A month where snow fell on the last day after a two-year snow drought. A month of walks in the neighborhood, around Reston lakes, in Eakin Park, and along the Glade Trail. A month where Poonam tripped on tree roots and couldn’t get up. A month of coconut water, chocolate, hot cocoa and hot water with honey. A month of lobster rolls, chili dogs, and Vietnamese food. A month of haircuts, hair straightening, and pedicures. A month of Adam breaking up with Anna and getting baptized in the name of Jesus in Nicaragua. A month of Luxor and The Dig. A month of Sarah beginning to create dishes to sell in Shields Market and working more at Soul ‘n Vinegar. A month of the Wolf Moon and bitter winds and sunshine. A month of hiking boots, umbrellas and warm woolly sweaters. A month dreaming about Minnesota, and reading Educated and The Coast of Good Intentions. A month of frantic tweeting, doomscrolling, celebrating Trump getting suspended from Twitter, and getting myself suspended temporarily from Facebook. A month of dreams about caravans of actors in a lost world after a “Georgian flu” pandemic. A month of signing up and waiting not-too-patiently for the ever-elusive COVID vaccine. A month of new coronavirus mutations from Spain, U.K., South Africa and Brazil. A month of Bernie memes with woolen mittens. A month of normalcy restored in our government.

Insurrection

Impeachment

“Unity is the path.”

February was: A month of snow mixed with rain and ice, a month of messy whiteness, slippery paths and bitter cold. A month of drab landscapes, naked brittle trees, biting winds, misery and gloom. A month, too, of hope, with the Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Darina’s birthday, Mike’s birthday, and getting the first shot of the Pfizer COVID vaccine. A month when the groundhog saw his shadow, foretelling six more weeks of winter. A month of winter storms and a deep freeze in Texas with millions losing power and water, while Senator Ted Cruz took off for Cancún and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) went to Texas and raised millions of $$ for suffering Texans. A month of reading about Wisconsin: thousands of small lakes, Great Lakes, cheese curds, fish fries, fish boils, hiking, biking and canoeing. A month of getting exposed to COVID, but NOT getting infected (I always wear a mask indoors). A month of movies including Sophie Scholl, where the heroine was loaded like a torpedo into a guillotine; Hemingway and Gellhorn, where writers immersed themselves in the Spanish Civil War; of Two for the Road, The Song of Sparrows and Nomadland, which reminded me of Adam and his “van life.” A month of Yahtzee and Ticket to Ride and fires in the fireplace and sushi from Ariake and chili rellenos from Anita’s Mexican. A month of Sarah getting exposed to COVID at Joe’s (but testing negative) and enjoying creating meals for Shields Market. A month when Adam moved to Managua and drank too much over Anna, with whom “things are complicated.” A month of chili dogs and Pad Thai for Lunar New Year. A month of Republican senators failing to hold Trump accountable for inciting insurrection on January 6, by acquitting him in a “mock” trial. A month of French toast with brioche, triple sec and blood orange for Shrove Tuesday. A month when I met virtually with a new gastroenterologist, Dr. Emil Valle, who ordered some unpleasant tests. A month of a physical, an eye exam and visits to my dentist and oral surgeon. A month of slogs through the muddy trails at Mason Neck State Park (the Bay View Trail), where we talked by phone to Alex, saw Belmont Bay and crossed boardwalks over freshwater marshes. A month of walking on the Woodmarsh Trail at Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, where we saw migrating tundra swans in the Great Marsh off the Potomac River on a rare 50 degree day for Mike’s 67^th birthday. A month under the Snow Moon. A month where we finished Normal People and Crash Landing on You. A month where I had my first Zoom chat with Darina and a Zoom chat with my friend Jayne in Jersey. A month utterly absorbed in Station Eleven, and also enjoying Vinegar Hill and Cruising Paradise. A month of finishing 5 books, making my total for the year 12/52. A month of the U.S. hitting and surpassing 500,000 COVID deaths.

Amanda Gorman’s words

walking in the snow

Senate acquits Trump again

500,000 covid deaths

Mike’s 67th birthday

Mike at Mason Neck State Park

Mason Neck State Park

March was: A month of lengthening days, greening grasses and leaves, rain, sunshine, wind, warmth and cold. A month of daffodils, forsythia, crab apples, weeping cherries, grape hyacinths, & cherry blossoms. A month under the Worm Moon. A month of a successful molar implant & crown (#30). A month of fires in the fireplace and games of Scrabble where I chalked up one victory. A month where I endured a horribly uncomfortable Esophageal Function Test and a 24-Hour Ambulatory pH and Impedance test. A month where the Democrats passed a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. A month of getting my second COVID vaccine (Pfizer) and Sarah getting both of hers. A month during which March 11 marked one year since COVID was declared a pandemic. A month commemorating Japan’s tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster of 10 years ago. A month of outdoor dining at Kalypso and Ariake. A month of walks around Burke Lake and too many other walks to count, several with Poonam. A month of an ultrasound on my thyroid, which was normal. A month of searching for and buying bedroom furniture after 32 years of marriage. A month of take-out from Cafesano & East Wind Vietnamese. A month of mass shootings: Asians in Atlanta and grocery shoppers in Boulder. A month where we finally finished Mad Men and watched the Turkish movie One -> Way to Tomorrow (Yarina tek bilet). A month exploring with Lewis & Clark in Undaunted Courage, learning about the Balkans in Café Europa, traipsing through Vietnam with Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried, and climbing trees in The Overstory. A month of finishing 8 books, making my total for the year 20/52.

a walk on the CCT

me wearing the miserable 24-hour-Ambulatory Ph & Impedance test

flowers on my walks

Burke Lake

me at Lake Anne

Mike at Lake Anne

blossoms

April was: A month of Riverbend Park bluebells, cherry blossoms, redbuds, dogwoods and turtles. A month under the Pink Moon. A month when our son in Nicaragua wrote a ranting text revealing he’s hopelessly mired in conspiracy theories and drinking again. A month when he went silent after we sent him a harsh and brutally honest message. A month of celebrating Easter with a take-out Thai meal on our screened porch with Barbara. A month when my son Alex came from Denver for a month-long visit and finally made the decision to go back to school in data science. A month of dining: inside at Artie’s (twice), Seasons 52, and Maru Korean Cuisine & Sushi; in a parklet at Los Cuates in Old Town Alexandria; on decks at Little Nickel & Stella’s Market in Richmond with Sarah; and under a parking lot awning at Vienna Inn. A month of day trips: to Old Town Alexandria for an art walk with Mike and to Historic Annapolis with Poonam. A month of an overnight visit with Sarah in Richmond for her 37^th birthday. A month of take-out from food trucks at Oakton Swim & Racquet Club. A month of a CAT scan on my sinuses, which showed a mucous retention cyst in my right maxillary sinus and a nasal septum deviation, all of which are considered minor. A month of more doctor visits and a new medication regimen to deal with my LPR. A month when Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd, the first police officer to be convicted of murder in forever. A month beginning a revitalization of our front lawn under the direction of Betty’s Azalea Ranch. A month where we finished watching Schitt’s Creek, Not Safe for Work, and Unorthodox. A month mired in Wisconsin’s & Michigan’s rigid Catholicism with Midnight Champagne, Read This and Tell Me What It Says, and Pears on a Willow Tree. A month of living in besieged Sarajevo in The Cellist of Sarajevo. A month of finishing 6 books, making my total for the year 26/52.

Meadowlark Garden

Mike at Artie’s

bluebells at Riverbend

Great Falls

bluebells at Riverbend

Old Town Alexandria

Annapolis

spring flowers

daffodils

the James River in Richmond

a walk under the bridge in Richmond

the James River in Richmond

Mike and Alex at Maru Korean Cuisine & Sushi

May was a month of: farmer’s markets and a first time return to the movie theater to see what turned out to be a private screening of Together Together. Dining: inside at East Wind, take-out from Anita’s for Cinco de Mayo & Lebanese Taverna for a family gathering, a Mother’s Day brunch at Clarity with Alex & Mike. Wrapping up watching The Mess You Leave Behind and Behind Her Eyes. Finishing only one book, Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, bringing my total to 27/52 books for the year. Exploring Minnesota and Wisconsin on our Great Lakes Road Trip. Indiana Dunes, grottoes, and the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. Smoked salmon and trout, walleye tacos, cheese curds, chicken & wild rice soup, and cherry pies. Marine art, the birthplace of waterskiing, and a 16-foot-tall work boot. The SPAM Museum, flat endless farmland, Jolly Green Giant statues, Blue Mounds, Pipestone quarries, and invisible petroglyphs. German towns, waterfalls, reconciliation in Mankato, a bank robbery in Northfield. Strolling through sculpture gardens and across old stone bridges, driving through the University of Minnesota, bicycling around lakes in Minneapolis, and singing to musical murals. Browsing the Minnesota History Museum and learning about iron ore, lumber, the collapse of Interstate 35 in 2007, Minnesota weather, and Sinclair Lewis. Paying our respects to George Floyd, Prince and Bob Dylan, peeking into the On Being studio, and meeting Charlie Brown and the gang in St. Paul. Being charmed in Stillwater. Watching huge freighters go through the Duluth canal under the Aerial Lift Bridge. Railroads and rolling stock in Duluth. Hiking the Blind Ash Bay trail in Voyageurs National Park, having dinner at the Arrowhead Lodge, learning about Koochiching County and Bronko Nagurski in International Falls, and canoeing in search of pictographs on Hegman Lake in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Climbing up Palisade Head for sweeping views of Lake Superior, hiking the High Falls Trail at Tettegouche State Park, admiring the Split Rock Lighthouse, and stopping briefly at Gooseberry Falls State Park. Friday night fish fries and ice cream at Bridgeman’s after a seaplane flight over Duluth. Driving along Rt. 13 in Wisconsin, exploring Bayfield and Ashland, and cruising through Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on a cold and blustery day. Exploring waterfalls at Copper Falls State Park, climbing inside of a giant sturgeon at the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, stopping for a beer flight at Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls, and stopping to pay our respects to veterans at the Highground, topped off by an old-fashioned Chinese meal at Shaw Lee in Wisconsin Rapids.

City of Fairfax

me in Fairfax

Fairfax, VA

pansies in Fairfax

Alex and me at Clarity for Mother’s Day

Indiana Dunes National Park

Dickeyville Grotto in Wisconsin

Wyalusing State Park, WI

Valley Fish & Cheese in Prairie du Chien, WI

View from Granddad Bluff overlooking LaCrosse, WI

LaCrosse, Wi

Red Wing, Minnesota

Rochester, MN

Spam Museum, Austin, MN

Blue Mounds State Park, MN

Pipestone National Monument, MN

Jeffers Petroglyphs

Minneopa State Park & Falls, MN

Northfield, MN

Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Spoonbridge and Cherry at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

Mike biking around Lake Harriet

Minneapolis, MN

George Floyd Square, Minneapolis, MN

Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul, MN

Minnesota History Museum

Bob Dylan mural in Minneapolis

Stillwater, MN

Duluth, MN

Voyageur’s National Park, MN

Arrowhead Lodge near Voyageurs NP

Voyageur statue near Rainy Lake Visitor Center

birch tree in Voyageurs

Smoking Bear in International Falls, MN

Canadian border at International Falls, MN

Mike canoeing in Boundary Waters, MN

pictrographs at Boundary Waters

me portaging at Boundary Waters

Mike portaging

Palisade Head, MN

Tettegouche State Park

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

flying Beaver Air in Duluth

aerial view of Duluth from the seaplane

Minnesota PolarSteps

Port Wing, Wisconsin

Cornucopia, WI

Bayfield, WI

Ashland, Wisconsin

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Copper Falls State Park

Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, WI

me at Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co in Chippewa Falls, WI

Mike at Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co in Chippewa Falls, WI

June was a month of: Exploring Wisconsin & Michigan on our Great Lakes Road Trip. Walking through Witches Gulch and watching a dog jump over an abyss to Stand Rock in Wisconsin Dells. Climbing the steep trail at Devil’s Lake State Park to the Devil’s Doorway. Enjoying a Bodega Bowl in the shadow of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, and wandering around the beautiful University of Wisconsin campus. Strolling State Street and enjoying dumplings at Chen’s Noodles & Dumplings. Cheese curds and beer at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. Walking through the “Streets of Old Milwaukee” and the European Village and learning about Nelson Mandela at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Glimpsing all-things-beer including Miller Brewing and the Pabst Mansion, then meeting “the Fonz” on the Riverwalk. Exploring the Public Market and the Historic Third Ward. Learning about maritime history in Sturgeon Bay and walking along limestone bedrock fronting Lake Michigan at Cave Point County Park. A conflagration and whitefish at a fish boil at Pelletier’s in Fish Creek. A stunning sunset at Sunset Beach at Fish Creek. Wearing cheeseheads and doing the “Lambeau Leap” at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Visiting the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba and the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse in Marquette, Michigan. Watching The Sand Lot on a big screen at the Delft Bistro. Exploring Miners Castle, Miners Beach, Sable Falls, and the Au Sable Lighthouse Trail (accompanied by black flies and mosquitoes aplenty) at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. A 2-hour sunset cruise with Pictured Rocks Cruises after eating pasties at Muldoon’s Pasties. “Yoosta be a Yooper” in Munising, MI. Waterfalls in Munising and Tahquamenon Falls State Park, the Edmund Fitzgerald and other shipwrecks at Whitefish Point’s Shipwreck Museum and a ship moving glacially through the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie. Bicycling around Mackinac Island and then driving through the Tunnel of Trees to Petoskey. Enjoying thatch houses at Charlevoix, walking the Cottonwood Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and having a lovely dinner at The Cove in Leland, with views of weathered shanties on the Fishtown dock. Driving by Jim Harrison’s old home — writer’s cottage and all. Driving through cherry orchards and wineries up the slim Mission Peninsula, where we found another lighthouse. Coming face-to-face with the DeVos evangelical mission in Holland. Having a bad experience with our Airbnb in Detroit, which turned out to be in a derelict neighborhood, and losing most of our money. Wandering through Ann Arbor and watching In the Heights at the Michigan Theatre. Learning about the history of cars and American innovation at The Henry Ford in Dearborn. Learning about an obscure battle in the War of 1812 at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park. Visiting the Johnstown Flood National Memorial and learning about over 2,000 people who died in that horrible flood of 1889. Paying my respects to the 9/11 heroes of Flight 93 at the Flight 93 National Memorial. Having new landscaping installed in our front yard and new bedroom furniture delivered. Enjoying food from the Jambalaya Brothers Food Truck and welcoming Alex back home to live while he goes back to NOVA. A cookout for Father’s Day with Barb and Alex. Beginning my immunotherapy for allergies. Dinner at Barcelona Wine Bar. “Les Colombes” (The Doves) at Washington National Cathedral and a mediocre lunch at Cactus Cantina. Our first Uber Eats at La Ong Thai Bistro. Wrapping up watching Masterpiece Theater’s Us, Bless This Mess, and The Mindy Project. Finishing only one book, A Relative Stranger: Stories by Charles Baxter, bringing my total to 28/52 books for the year.

Stand Rock, Wisconsin Dells

Witches Gulch, Wisconsin Dells

Wisconsin Dells

Devils Lake State Park, WI

me at Devils Lake State Park

me at Lucille in Madison, WI

Lucille in Madison, WI

the Majestic in Madison, WI

Madison, WI

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee Public Museum

Miller Brewing in Milwaukee

Pabst Mansion, Milwaukee

Milwaukee Public Market

The Fonz at Riverwalk, Milwaukee

Riverwalk, Milwaukee

me at dinner at Beans & Barley, Milwaukee

view from the Door County Maritime Museum, WI

Cave Point County Park, WI

Pelletier’s Fish Boil

Fish Creek, WI

Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

home of the Packers, Green Bay

PolarSteps through Wisconsin

House of Ludington in Escanaba, MI

Marquette Harbor Lighthouse, Michigan

watching The Sandlot at the Delft Bistro in Marquette, MI

Mike at Miners Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Me at Miners Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Miners Falls

hike to Miners Falls

Log Slide Overlook at Pictured Rocks

pasties in Munising, MI

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Wagner Falls, Munising

Tahquamenon Falls State Park, MI

Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, MI

Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Mackinac Island, MI

riding bikes on Mackinac Island, MI

Mike at Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island, MI

Tunnel of Trees, MI

me at Mim’s Mediterranean Grill, Petoskey, MI

Mim’s Mediterranean Grill, Petoskey, MI

Charlevoix, MI

South Pierhead Lighthouse, Charlevoix, MI

Charlevoix, MI

Mike at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

bookstore in Leland on the Leelanau Peninsula, MI

Fishtown, MI

Mission Point Lighthouse at the Old Mission Peninsula, MI

Old Mission Peninsula

Tri-Cities Historical Museum, Holland, MI

Holland, MI

beach at Holland, MI

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids, MI

Michigan State Capitol, Lansing, MI

Ann Arbor, MI

University of Michigan stadium

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI

The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI

Michigan Polar Steps

Flight 93 National Memorial, Stoystown, PA

Washington National Cathedral

me at Washington National Cathedral

“Les Colombes” (The Doves) at Washington National Cathedral

July was a month of: Allergy shots, haircuts, a massage, a pneumonia shot, pedicures in purple at Orchid Nails, and yoga & karma meditation at Beloved Yoga (& one yoga session at Holy Comforter). Pleasant afternoons here & there and at Blooming Hill Lavender Farm. Lunch at Kalypso and a couple of walks with Jayne when she visited from California. Solo weekend time when Mike took his annual trip to Ohio with his high school buddies. First shot of the Moderna vaccine for Alex. Losing to Alex & Mike at Ticket to Ride. Enjoying food out at Enatye, Artie’s, Tsunami Sushi, Season 52, and Maru Korean Cuisine & Sushi with Alex to celebrate an “A” in his public speaking class. Enjoying Food Truck Fridays at Roaming Coyote & Empanadas de Mendoza. Jiving to Summer of Soul with Mike and enjoying Mama Weed followed by dinner at Yama Chen’s on my own; watching Stillwater with Mike at Cinema Arts. Being probed by videostroboscopy with Dr. Steven Bielamowicz at George Washington University Hospital with his determination that sinus problems were NOT the primary cause of my LPR. Starting to feel better with my LPR. Finishing Hemingway. Wrapping up five books, my favorites being Virgil Wander, Siam, Evicted, and Girl at War, bringing my total to 33/52 books for the year.

Blooming Hill Lavender Farm

Lake Anne, Reston

Jayne and me at Lake Anne

Tsunami Sushi

August was a month of: Continuing allergy shots. Visiting Sarah in Richmond & dinner at Bacchus. Playing Exploding Kittens with Alex. Watching a family of deaf fishermen and their hearing (& singing) daughter in Coda at Cinema Arts. Enjoying a meal at Istanbul Blue with Alex to celebrate finishing his summer semester with two “A”s. Eating a low carb / high protein diet to shrink my liver in preparation for a laproscopic partial fundoplication. Having the surgery & staying overnight in Reston Hospital. Basking in sunflowers at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. Seeing Dr. Whittington and finding my teeth are super sensitive to cold due to gum recession. Visiting the orthopedic doctor due to pain in my right hip and pins & needles in my right thigh; starting a round of steroids. A liquid diet for two weeks after the surgery. Dropping 7.8 pounds due to the surgery and diet restrictions. Enjoying a royal blue pedicure at Orchid Nails. Getting my flu shot. Streaming movies: Land, Supernova, Pray Away, and The Mauritanian. Walking with Poonam to see her new house under construction and getting drenched during the walk home. Watching & waiting as Jayne’s house in South Lake Tahoe was threatened by the Caldor Fire. Finishing The Kominsky Method. Watching the six-episode The White Lotus. Finishing up three books, my favorites being The Lager Queen of Minnesota, Lullaby Road, and The Sun Collective, bringing my total to 36/52 books for the year.

the James River in Richmond, VA

Van Gogh Immersive Experience in D.C.

September was a month of: Haircuts and hair straightening. Two acupuncture treatments, one of which helped and the second of which caused some kind of damage. Watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train and Do the Right Thing with Alex for his film class. Meals at Woodlands, Seasons 52, East Wind Vietnamese, and Eerkins Uyghur Cuisine, topped off with ice cream from Woody’s. Barbara’s birthday celebration on our deck with Thai food; dim sum at Mama Chang with Alex & Louisa. A walk with Poonam at Eakin Park. A surprisingly spot-on speech by George W. Bush about 9/11 and the threat posed by extremists in the U.S. today. Visiting the National Mall to see the flags commemorating those who have died of COVID in the U.S. (681,520 as of that day). Booking Croatia hotel and AirBnbs. My first massage at Srila Thai Massage. Patrick’s death in Offspring. Finishing The Chair. Finishing six books, my favorites being The Light in the Ruins, The Hired Man, and The First Rule of Swimming, bringing my total to 42/52 books for the year. Flying off on Lufthansa across the Atlantic to Frankfurt, Germany and onward to Zagreb, Croatia.

the National Mall COVID flags

October was a month of: Walking among the disheveled and forlorn populace of Zagreb, Croatia, & eating pizza and fluffy pillows of warm bread with beer and rakija. Taking a funicular to the Upper Town and visiting the Museum of Broken Relationships with its sad tales and detritus of heartbreak. Chatting with the waiter at the Bulldog Café about divisive matters of the world. Walking around the Green Horseshoe and finding actors rehearsing an opera on the portico of the Croatian National Theatre. Driving to the Eastern Riviera in Opatija and promenading down the Lungomare to meet a woman surrounded by seagulls. Enjoying the vineyard views of Istria from the hill town of Motovun. Enjoying harbor views and seafood at Gostionica “La Gondola” in Rovinj. Walking through the Old Town and to the Church of St. Euphenia after checking out the rock-carved “beaches.” Bicycling on a trail leading to a rocky beach, where we swam under the shade of cypresses and Aleppo pines. Visiting the Roman amphitheater and strolling through Pula. Being serenaded by waterfalls as we traipsed through Plitvice National Park in the pouring rain on boardwalks lined with tropical plants and marsh grasses growing out of limestone. Driving through tunnels and over the mountains to Zadar, where we listened to the Sea Organ and watched the “Greeting to the Sun,” a light show powered by the sun’s energy. Enjoying a fabulous dinner of John Dory fillet at Restaurant Bruschetta in Zadar and then strolling along the Riva. Climbing up to St. Michael’s Fortress in Šibenik and enjoying a waterfront lunch. Wandering around the beaches of Primošten. Arriving in Split to cold and blustery weather and stopping for a warm-up with pear brandy at Semafor. Braving a miserable rainy and cold day in Split visiting Diocletian’s Palace, and then visiting it again the next day when the sun came out. Visiting the Venetian bell tower at noon and getting an earful of clanging bells. Driving to the Marjan Peninsula and visiting Kašjuni Beach and then driving to Trogir and strolling the waterfront promenade. Eating one of our best meals of avocado & shrimp salad and stuffed green peppers with mashed potatoes at Semafor. Taking the ferry to Hvar and renting a quad where we zoomed through tunnels and mountain roads over the Island, with an enjoyable stop at a hidden winery in Jelsa. Taking a ferry to the Pelješac Peninsula and enjoying oysters at Mali Ston. Braving the hair-raising cliff drive into Dubrovnik. Strolling around Dubrovnik and stopping in at Buža I, where concrete stairs led to a beach. Eating grilled calamari at Konoba Jezuite while bundled in a pink blanket against the frigid bura. Taking our COVID tests with (luckily) negative results. Walking around the Dubrovnik City Walls and up to the Fort of St. Lawrence, where we had a birds’-eye view of the City Walls. Eating Bosnian meatballs at the Taj Mahal. Taking the cable car to Mount Srd, where we had a great view of all of Dubrovnik. Climbing to Park Gradac for views and then eating our final meal at Restaurant Jezuite. Returning home to Virginia. Getting our COVID booster shots. Enjoying dinner with Karen and Michael for my 66^th birthday at Barcelona. Celebrating more of my birthday with Barb, Alex and Mike at home. Working on the course The Cure for Chronic Pain, getting a Thai massage, and voting early for Terry McAuliffe for Virginia’s governor. Losing my car key while walking on the CCT. Going to Holy Comforter and eating at Anita’s. Driving in the Virginia countryside and enjoying Halloween decorations and fall colors on Halloween day. Streaming In the Land of Blood and Honey at home. Finishing the final season of Atypical. Finishing three books, my favorite being The Stone Fields: Love and Death in the Balkans, bringing my total to 45/52 books for the year.

me in Zagreb

Croatian National Theatre, Zagreb

Zagreb, Croatia

Opatija, Croatia

Motovun, Croatia

St. Stephen’s in Motovun

mural in Motovun

view from Motovun in Istria, Croatia

Motovun

me at the “beach” in Rovinj

Mike at the beach in Rovinj

Mike and his bike in Rovinj

Amphitheater in Pula

laundry in Rovinj

Plitvice National Park

St. Donatus Church in Zadar

me in Zadar

“Greeting to the Sun” in Zadar

Mike at “Greeting to the Sun” in Zadar

Zadar, Croatia

sunset in Zadar, Croatia

dinner at Bruschetta in Zadar

St. Michael’s Fortress in Šibenik

Mike at St. Michael’s Fortress

garden of St. Lawrence’s Monastery in Šibenik

Primošten

Diocletian’s Palace in Split (in the rain)

Entry vestibule to Diocletian’s Palace

me rubbing Bishop Gregory of Nin’s toe for good luck

Diocletian’s Palace

view of Split from the Bell Tower

Cathedral of St. Domnius in Split

me at Cathedral of St. Domnius in Split

The Bell Tower in Split

Trogir, Croatia

Cathedral of St. Lawrence in Trogir

Milna on Hvar Island

view from Hvar

Hvar

Cathedral of St. Stephen in Hvar

me at Buža I in Dubrovnik

me at konoba Jezuite in Dubrovnik

Jesuit steps in Dubrovnik made famous by Game of Thrones

Dubrovnik from outside the walls

City Walls of Dubrovnik

view from the City Walls

City Walls, Dubrovnik

King’s Landing from Game of Thrones?

view of Dubrovnik’s City Walls from Fort of St. Lawrence

a little beach area in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik from Mt. Srd

Game of Thrones

view of Fort of St. Lawrence and City Walls from Park Gradac

Karen, me, Mike, and Michael on my 66th birthday at barcelona

Skeletons at Lake Anne Center

Halloween decorations in Round Hill, VA

November was a month of: Virginians electing a fascist governor (Glenn Youngkin). Visiting my dad and feeling saddened by his decline. Sitting with Sarah at the Joe’s Inn bar talking to a Vietnamese guy named Khanh. Attempting healing through Beloved Yoga sessions, yoga with Ann Gillespie, The Cure for Chronic Pain, visionboards, Curable, and massages at Srila Thai Massage. Enjoying meals at Seasons 52, Aracosia McLean (with Alex to celebrate midterms), Fin’s Sushi, Seoul-Boston, Curry Mantra, & Maru Korean Cuisine. Taking a long weekend trip to Boston where we walked the Freedom Trail, admired harvest doors in Beacon Hill, fought chaotic rain to get to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and strolled through Cambridge. Day-tripping to Luckett’s and enjoying sandwiches at Puccio’s New York Deli in Leesburg, accompanied by anger at the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, who murdered two people and shot three in “self-defense.” Enjoying Van Morrison’s songs in Belfast at Cinema Arts. A jury finding white supremacist rally organizers liable for Charlottesville violence in 2017 and awarding $25 million to plaintiffs. A Georgia jury finding three White men guilty of murdering Black Ahmaud Arbery in 2020 in what amounted to a modern-day lynching. Celebrating a lovely Thanksgiving with Barbara and Alex, playing Codenames and Ticket to Ride. Finding out about the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID in South Africa and bracing for more of COVID just when we thought we were coming out of it. Finishing four books, my favorites being A Reckoning and Claire Marvel, bringing my total to 49/52 books for the year.

Fall trees in Virginia

Boston Public Garden

Boston Irish Famine Memorial

Old State House and Boston Massacre Site

Faneuil Hall

Paul Revere

Copp’s Hill Burying Ground

Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill, Boston

Acorn Street in Beacon Hill

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Ray and Maria Stata Center at MIT

MIT campus

Central Square in Cambridge

Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters

the CCT trail in Oakton, VA

December was a month of: Continued yoga practice, JournalSpeak, Curable, and a massage. Video chats with our son in Nicaragua for his 29^th birthday and for Christmas. Decorating the Christmas tree with Alex, accompanied by egg nog & Christmas carols. Enjoying meals at Cafesano, Taco Bamba, Sweetwater, & Sweet Ginger. Meeting my friend Leah from California at Pearl Dive for lunch and bottomless mimosas after two years of not seeing each other. Strolling through the Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Gardens with Alex and Louisa. Doing the hilarious “Amazing Race,” a kind of couples scavenger hunt through Vienna, arranged by our church, and losing. Driving around with Mike, Sarah and Alex on Christmas Eve with bourbon-spiked hot apple cider, critiquing or applauding Christmas decorations and singing “Feliz Navidad” at the tops of our lungs. Celebrating a lovely Christmas with Barbara, Alex, and Sarah. Playing games of Chinese Checkers and Trekking the World. Finishing TV series including Homeland, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Married. Streaming movies at home: The Courier, King Richard, and Don’t Look Up. Finishing eight books, my favorites being Happy All the Time and Moth Smoke, bringing my total to 57/52 books for the year.

Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA

Leah and me at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

our Christmas tree

our foyer

me with Mike

Mike, Sarah & Bagel, Alex and me

Here are some of my previous years’ recap posts. I now wish I had one for every year of my life, as they serve as great reminders of my adventures, joys and tribulations in years past!

twenty-twenty: the year of coronavirus
twenty-nineteen
twenty-eighteen
twenty-seventeen
twenty-sixteen
Sadly, I didn’t do one in 2015.
twenty-fourteen
twenty-thirteen
weekly photo challenge: my 2012 in pictures

twenty-twenty: the year of coronavirus

wanderessence1025 December 14, 2020

In twenty-twenty, I: Went about my business oblivious to the calamities that would befall us in the year ahead. Was frustrated and angered by my youngest son’s refusal to finish a massage therapy course he’d committed to and we’d paid for. Suffered a sprained ankle in the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. Watched helplessly as COVID-19 descended upon us, causing my daughter to lose two of her jobs and my son to escape to Nicaragua. Got sick with a continually mis-diagnosed throat problem in early March. Later found out I had laryngopharyngeal reflux and had a STRETTA procedure to tighten my wide-open lower esophageal sphincter, with little relief. Watched as COVID ran rampant through America under an utter lack of leadership from our criminal-in-chief who continually called it a “hoax,” causing it to expand exponentially throughout society. Watched as racial inequities were exposed during the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests. Was aghast at the white supremacy attitudes that were emboldened by our racist wanna-be-president. Took a lot of walks outdoors. Learned to wear a mask everywhere and keep the requisite “social distance.” Cancelled our planned trip to Chicago in May, but then went by car in late August, wearing a mask everywhere. Fell in love with Chicago and the amazing architecture and vibes there. Went on a month-long “Canyon & Cactus Road Trip” through southwest Utah and southern Arizona, again wearing masks everywhere. Wrapped up my blog as of December 14 for at least the next year.

In January, I: Had my annual chili dog at the Vienna Inn, Laotian noodles at Sen Khao, dragon rolls, and Beyond Burgers. Meditated 10 minutes a day. Walked, did Pilates and lifted weights regularly. Played Czech Games Codenames with the family when my daughter came for a late holiday visit. Woke up to snow one morning, and watched it melt away by afternoon. Visited my father in Yorktown, stopping for fresh oysters in Tappahannock. Saw the Wolf Moon, the first full moon of the year. Failed miserably at drinking 4 containers of water a day. Got reprimanded by my dental hygienist for not using a Waterpik. Researched Trinidad & Tobago and decided not to go this year. Saw the fabulous movie Just Mercy and another called Honeyland about Macedonian wild beekeepers in the Balkans. Read 5 books out of my goal of 60 for the year, with the best being Flight & Other Stories by José Skinner and the queen of water by Laura Resau. Did my first art journal spread. Found cute little birdhouses at a craft store. Went to Masala Art for lunch, walked around the waterfront, and saw the play A Thousand Splendid Suns at Arena Stage Theater. Felt angry and disgusted with Republicans for not voting to hear witnesses in the impeachment trial for Trump. Started a beginning level Spanish class, and realized quickly how little I remember from four years in high school.

chili dog at the Vienna Inn

January snow day

a snow-clad tree

our neighborhood in snow

Laotian noodles at Sen Khao

miniature bird houses

the suburban girl goes to the city

Mike going to the city

Mike at D.C. waterfront in front of a S’MORES trailer

In February, I: Was incensed when our son decided not to complete his Massage Therapy school, which would have required him only to show up for 20 days and give a maximum of four massages each day; this poor decision would leave him just as unprepared to go out into the world as he was when we allowed him to move back in last May. Felt utterly disrespected for our attempts to help him by spending thousands of dollars for the course and letting him live for free in our house. Met our friends Karen and Michael for dinner at Red Kimono and much-needed drinks at Jimmy’s. Went into a period of depression and got derailed on all my February plans and goals. Visited The Sackler and the Freer Galleries in Washington and had dinner at Circa at Clarendon after. Attended a series of talks at Church of the Holy Comforter on “Practical Spirituality” about different ways to approach prayer during Lent. Saw the movies Portrait of a Lady on Fire and And Then We Danced, both of which were good but too long. Went to Baltimore for the weekend and visited the Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Museum, where I toppled after missing the bottom step on a marble staircase, spraining my left ankle. Met my roommate from nursing school at Watertable in Baltimore, after 44 years of not seeing her, and found a lot in common. Foolishly walked 6 miles to the American Visionary Art Museum and around Federal Hill and the Inner Harbor with my sprained ankle. Visited the doctor when I returned home from the weekend away, and ended up having to wear a tall walking boot for at least two weeks. Attended my Spanish classes and studied regularly. Did Pilates, walked and lifted weights until I sprained my ankle. Read 6 books (bringing my total to 11) out of my goal of 60 for the year, with the best being Archipelago by Monique Roffey and The Writer’s Field Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Michael Noll. Started reading about Chicago and booked our plane tickets for May 13-18.

Age Old Cities: A Virtual Journey from Palmyra to Mosul at the Sackler Gallery

Sackler Gallery

Country Scenes and Mount Fuji by Hokusai at the Sackler

Hokusai at the Sackler

Freer Gallery

me at Circa

Flatbread at Circa

Baltiimore Museum of Art

Georgia O’Keefe at the Baltiimore Museum of Art

Matisse at the Baltiimore Museum of Art

Walters Art Museum

The Saint Francis Missal at the Walters Art Museum

Walters Art Museum

Adam and Eve at the Walters Art Museum – the last thing I saw before my fall

American Visionary Art Museum

Cross Street Market in Federal Hill, Baltimore

wall mural in Federal Hill, Baltimore

Federal Hill, Baltimore

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

Barnes and Noble at the Inner Harbor

National Katyń Memorial in Baltimore

Fort McHenry, where the “Star Spangled Banner” was born

me with my walking boot

In March, I: Celebrated Mike’s 66th birthday at home with his sister and our youngest son, eating takeout Thai and playing Codenames. Got the first of a two-part series of the Shringrix vaccine. Voted for Joe Biden in the Democratic Primary. Continued going to Spanish classes until the coronavirus hit and all classes were cancelled. Felt a chest cold coming on, with some trouble breathing on March 5. Went to a Saturday evening service at Church of the Holy Comforter, with a wine social after. Reconnected with people at Holy Comforter who we hadn’t seen in over 15 years. Listened as our son told us he saw all signs pointing to the apocalypse; he wanted to find a like-minded community in Bali or Portugal. Found out our son’s Vipassana retreat, due to begin March 18, was cancelled because of the coronavirus. Got in a huge fight with our son. Went to a Contemplative Prayer meeting and meditated on the word “Love.” Was able to take off my walking boot after two weeks due to improvement in my sprained ankle. Called my older son in Denver to wish him a happy 29th birthday on the 10th. Saw the movies The Assistant and Hope Gap, both of which I enjoyed. Had our last dinner out, Italian, at Alta Strada. Helplessly watched as the coronavirus started closing down the economy and the stock market started crashing, entering Bear Market territory, on 3/11. Hunkered down in our home, and Mike started working from home on the 12th. Was informed by our son that he was going to Costa Rica on the 15th to join a community as he thought all signs were evident for a collapse of the U.S. Took our son to BWI and he flew out, arriving in Costa Rica at 8:00 a.m. the 16th. Was upset to find Soul n’ Vinegar shut down, leaving our daughter out of one of her jobs. Stocked up on groceries, toilet paper, wine, liquor and beer for the long haul on 3/17. Walked with Poonam from my Spanish class at Riverbend Park, keeping 6 feet of distance between us. Read 6 books (bringing my total to 17) out of my goal of 60 for the year, with the best being Golden Child by Claire Adam, Clock Dance by Anne Tyler, and In the Loyal Mountains by Rick Bass. Watched helplessly as coronavirus cases in the U.S. continued to skyrocket, surpassing China and Italy on 3/27 with 85,996 confirmed cases as of 3/27. Felt pleased yet sad that Governor Ralph Northam ordered Virginians to stay at home until June 10. Was shocked to find that the U.S. had 164,610 cases and 3,073 deaths by 3/31. Still felt congestion and some trouble breathing on 3/31, but my doctor said since I didn’t have a fever or cough, it was probably just allergies. Felt angry that our government hadn’t done more to prepare for this.

a walk around Lake Anne

Mike and I prepare to go out to a movie and dinner before “stay at home” advice

me at Alta Strada – our last dinner out before isolating

gnocchi at Alta Strada

a walk around Meadowlark Gardens on 3/16

Mike’s bikeride 3/20

mulch ready to spread

“Look for the Helpers”

Words of hope

spring arrives in a ghost town

In April, I: Felt depressed that the coronavirus showed no signs of abating and we had no idea how long it would last. Hunkered down in our house under “stay-in-place” orders. Cancelled our trip to Chicago for mid-May. Did a challenge with my daughter to write a short story using six words: chaise lounge, nostalgia, grapefruit juice, yellow raincoat, monopoly, and fountain pen. Did 10 days of meditations with Davidj online. Heard from our son in Costa Rica who was regretting his decision to go there. Played “Hey Robot” using Alexa on an online Zoom call with two of my adult children. Learned in the meditations that the way to make uncertainty finite instead of infinite is to assign a start moment and an ending moment to the period of uncertainty; breathe it into your heart and breathe it out. Watched our church services for Palm Sunday and Easter on YouTube. Was depressed by news that jobless claims hit 6.6 million. Felt miserable for the second month with constant congestion and throat-clearing. Made cauliflower kuku, enjoyed cherry blossoms, and was inundated with rain. Got take-out dinners from Anita’s Mexican, Enatye Ethiopian, the Vienna Inn, and East Wind Vietnamese. Had a family Zoom meeting with everyone on Easter Sunday. Continued and finished taking Spanish level 100 classes on Zoom. Saw my doctor virtually; she prescribed an antibiotic that did nothing, and then Prednisone, which did nothing. Had a happy hour by FaceTime with my sister Steph and my brother Rob. Wished my daughter Sarah a happy 36th birthday by phone because she was busy all day with friends. Found out our son had moved to Nicaragua and planned to stay there indefinitely. Read 5 books (bringing my total to 22) out of my goal of 60 for the year, with the best being Night at the Fiestas by Kirsten Valdez Quade and The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré. Was shocked to see U.S. COVID-19 cases skyrocket to 1,040,488, and deaths rise to 60,945; Virginia cases were 14,961 and deaths 522.

cherry blossoms

me along the gravel trail

skunk cabbage

redbud

Japanese maple

more cherry blossoms

woodsy path

azaleas

stream in the woods

buds in Vienna

Stay Strong America!

white fluffiness

pretty dangles

red azaleas

red and white azaleas

In May, I: Continued our lockdown due to coronavirus. Did a project for 31 days of taking a different walk every day, drawing a map, and writing down some thoughts for each day. Took prednisone for my constant congestion, with no effect. Encountered families out flying kites, playing Frisbee, bicycling and decidedly NOT practicing social distancing on many of my walks. Tried to get Mexican take-out at Anita’s for Cinco de Mayo but they were totally overwhelmed and we never got our meal. Watched a little bird repeatedly hurl himself against our front storm door. Got take-out dinners at Adyar Ananda, Vienna Inn, East Wind Vietnamese, Anita’s, Enatye Ethiopian, and Cafesano. Marveled at the Flower Moon. Watched church services for Holy Comforter on Zoom. Was sick for the entire months of March (since 3/5), April, and May, with no diagnosis or relief in sight. Went to INOVA Medical Center for evaluation, where I tested negative for COVID-19, as well as a negative chest x-ray and EKG. Continued to be (mis)diagnosed with allergies and started taking XYZAL and Flonase. Took another round of antibiotics that did nothing. Listened to “On Being” podcast interviews with Ocean Vuong, Brother David Steindl-Rast, and, lastly, Devendra Banhart, with a discussion about the book When Things Fall Apart; I realized that things do fall apart, so this pandemic will fall apart too. Celebrated Mother’s day with a Zoom call with my daughter and oldest son, and later on FaceTime with my youngest son in Nicaragua. Continued taking my Spanish classes on Zoom: Buenos días! Walked the labyrinth at Holy Comforter serenaded by a cacophony of lawnmowers and weed whackers. Became increasingly outraged about police killing unarmed black men, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, about our country’s criminal and idiotic lack of leadership, and about all the conspiracy theories swirling around. Listened to Marc Maron’s WTF podcast about the death of his girlfriend, filmmaker Lynn Shelton, then watched one of her movies: Your Sister’s Sister. Felt thrilled that Twitter is finally putting fact checks on the liar Trump’s tweets. Finished six books during the month (bringing my total for the year to 28/60), my favorites being My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Saw an allergist who tested 20 allergens and I found I have allergies to cat dander (I’ve always known this), grass and dust mites. Started a steroid nasal spray. Saw an ENT specialist by Zoom who didn’t agree allergies were the cause of my problems and told me not to take the nasal spray. Instead scheduled a nasal endoscopy for June 8, and told me to try Prilosec for acid reflux (!). Was shocked to see U.S. COVID-19 cases skyrocket to 1,770,384, and deaths rise to 103,775; Virginia cases were 43,611 and deaths 1,370. Worldwide cases at the end of May were 6,082,549, and 369,544 people had died so far.

Lake Audubon

Lake Thoreau

Lake Newport

Hunters Woods Elementary School

May 24

pretty in lavender

May 26

flowers around Lake Anne

irises at Meadowlark

May 29

irises at Meadowlark

gazebo at Meadowlark Gardens

peony

peony bud

In June, I: Got my hair straightened and cut, finally. Felt furious watching Trump’s political stunt where he unleashed unidentified “soldiers” to tear gas peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square so he could have a “photo op” holding up a Bible, which I would bet he’s never opened in his life. Celebrated the multi-racial make up of the protests, the statements of support from many businesses and even the NFL (although I’d say it’s too little too late), and the peaceful response of many police forces, who knelt with protestors or marched with them. Ventured out to our first outdoor restaurant since lockdown, the Lebanese Taverna, where sadly the menu was much reduced and was missing many of my favorite dishes. Imbibed in wine in the vineyards of Philip Carter Winery of Virginia. Had a nasal endoscopy where the ENT found liquid bubbling up from above my voice box, and handed over a diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux. Worked on changing my diet, cutting out acidic or fatty foods like citrus and tomatoes, eliminating caffeine and alcohol. Celebrated my sister’s 62nd birthday with a happy hour by Zoom with my siblings. Returned to the allergist, who found I have allergies to mold, dust mites, grass, and only a moderate degree to tree pollen. Changed some of my bedding to allergen-impermeable covers, an expensive proposition. Bought fresh veggies at the farmer’s market for the first time; everyone was required to wear masks and keep socially distanced from vendors and other shoppers. Went to another outdoor dinner at Kalypso’s at Lake Anne. Continued my Spanish classes by Zoom through the month. Had a massage by a young man who told me all about his holistic coaching dreams. Drove into D.C. to see the new Black Lives Matter Plaza. Stood at the spot, in front of the historic St. John’s Church, where Trump posed with the Bible after attacking protestors with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas; we took turns holding the book by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Leadership in Turbulent Times, to express our belief that we need leadership during these turbulent times, and the leader we have is incapable of leading. Watched the movie 13th, about how race, justice and mass incarceration intersect in the U.S., as I attempted to educate myself on #blacklivesmatter and racism in America. Watched the 2014 movie Selma, which chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. Listened to a 6-episode NPR podcast, White Lies, about the murder of Jim Reeb, a white Unitarian Minister who came to Selma after the attacks to join in the movement and was beaten and murdered by four white men who were angry over Civil Rights activists who were “invading” their town and supporting the cause of black people. Felt angry and appalled that Trump held a COVID rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday, June 20; felt happy that though he’d touted over a million people requesting tickets, only over 6,000 showed up (still too many). Ate at East Wind Vietnamese restaurant, our first indoor restaurant experience since March 14. Got plants for our screened-in porch, so our outdoor space is now more inviting. Continued the Prilosec for 28 days, then started Nexium for 14 days, with slight improvement in my reflux symptoms. Took my first bike ride in over 10 years and made it to 9.12 miles; by the time I finished, my butt was killing me and I was stiff from being in that biking position for an hour! Heard from our son in Nicaragua, and he seemed to have fallen in love with surfing. Worked minimally on my project for the month of doing a watercolor a day. Finished 3 books during the month (bringing my total for the year to 31/60), my favorites being Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr and News of the World by Paulette Jiles. Was infuriated that our leadership has succeeded in “Making America Great Again,” as we have the highest number of COVID cases in the world, 2,483,463 as of June 28, 2020, and the highest number of deaths at 125,033; the U.S. has 25% of worldwide cases and deaths, despite having only 4.2% of the population. Felt slightly relieved that in Virginia, we are doing better than much of the country, with 60,570 cases and 1,700 deaths; our Democrat governor has imposed restrictions and has made rules about mask-wearing inside public places.

meze at Lebanese Taverna

Philip Carter Winery

Black Lives Matter Plaza

me at St. John’s

signs capture the sentiment

Enough is Enough

Black Lives Matter Plaza

Andrew Jackson statue

signs capture the sentiment

the fenced-in White House

St. John’s Episcopal Church

Vote out racism

a mural in D.C.

Lake Newport

Spokes bicycle shop

palm trees inspired by Mystique Artist -Geethu

inspired by Viviana Gonzalez

Juneteenth

In July, I: Went to the gym for the first time since lockdown. Continued to deal with my laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), feeling slightly better some days, and worse others. Began immediately to cut out tomatoes, alcohol, coffee, onions, and many other high acid foods. Finally went out for indoor dining at Woodlands Pure Vegetarian Indian Cuisine, Enatye Ethiopian Restaurant, and Artie’s. Got takeout at Yoko Sushi because they weren’t yet open for indoor dining. Went indoors for dinner to Seasons 52. Wore a mask every time I went indoors in a public place. Ventured out for my first pedicure. Went on a mural walk, which I wrote about here: a mural walk in washington on a hot july day. Started going to Club Pilates again and went on a bikeride at least once a week, usually around 10-11 miles. Listened to the excellent Crooked Media podcast called This Land, hosted by Rebecca Nagle, which told all about events leading up to the Supreme Court’s decision that much of eastern Oklahoma is an Indian reservation. Walked around Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Went to Richmond with my husband to visit our daughter, Sarah, who I hadn’t seen since January. Went to Monument Avenue to see what was left of the four Confederate statues, and the Robert E. Lee statue, which is slated to be removed unless a case before the court decides against its removal. Got take-out and enjoyed a picnic outdoors at Maymont Park, and went to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to see the exhibit: Treasures of Ancient Egypt: Sunken Cities. Finished 4 books during the month (bringing my total for the year to 35/60), my favorite being Scorpionfish by Natalie Bakopoulos. Was infuriated that our leadership had succeeded in “Making America Great Again,” as we had the highest number of COVID cases in the world, 4,502,500 as of July 31, 2020, and the highest number of deaths at 152,431. Felt slightly relieved that in Virginia, we were doing better than much of the country, with 88,904 cases and 2,141 deaths.

bicycling on the W&OD in Vienna, VA

hydrangeas in Reston

Mike at Enatye Ethiopian

me at Artie’s

The Torch mural in D.C.

Marvin Gaye mural in D.C.

D.C. murals

lavender pretties

the Korean Garden at Meadowlark

lotus at Meadowlark

ex-Confederate statue in Richmond, VA

General Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond

Egypt exhibit at the VMFA

July flowers

Mike at Seasons 52

me at Seasons 52

In August, I: Continued the 28-day maintenance diet from the book The Acid Watcher Diet: A 28-Day Reflux Prevention and Healing Program, by Dr. Jonathan Aviv. Continued to try medications to help with my LPR, to no avail. Started dining in at restaurants, going early and on weeknights to avoid any crowding: P.F. Chang, Artie’s, Jaleo, and Istanbul Blue. Got drenched as Tropical Storm Isaias moved into the area. Lifted weights and rode the exercise bike at Oak Marr and continued Pilates and my 10-mile bike rides once a week. Went to the National Museum of Women in the Arts to see “Graciela Itrubide’s Mexico” and the regular collection. Had an Upper Endoscopy where I found that my lower esophageal sphincter is totally open, causing my reflux problem. Had an Upper GI x-ray with barium and found that my GI system is sluggish, that my esophagus is not working properly. Went to the dentist for a regular checkup and found that my #30 molar had cracked in half (probably exacerbated by the Upper Endoscopy where they put a hard mouth guard in during the procedure). Walked with my friend Poonam and had coffee afterward, socially distanced. Had my #30 molar extracted and was directed to return in three months to start the implant. Saw the GI doctor for a STRETTA consultation, and found that after I do that procedure, which should help toughen the muscle around my lower esophageal sphincter, I will likely have to have another treatment to help the function of my esophagus. Drove to Macedonia, Ohio, halfway to Chicago, where we hiked in Cuyahoga Valley National Park the next morning. Spent four days in Chicago, the Windy City. Went on a public art walk and an architecture walk in the Loop, seeing “The Bean” and Crown Fountain, which wasn’t operating because of coronavirus. Flipped off Trump Tower along the Chicago River. Enjoyed the Impressionist paintings at the Art Institute. Saw great views of Chicago at 360° Chicago. Took a bike ride along the Lakeshore. Strolled around the 9-sided Bahá’i Temple of Worship in Wilmette. Walked among the headless and armless iron sculptures, called Agora, at Grant Park. Learned all about company towns and labor strikes at Pullman National Monument. Was serenaded by bagpipes at University of Chicago’s Rockefeller Chapel as the university welcomed the Class of 2024. Saw a number of Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses, including Robie House and Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. Enjoyed colorful street murals at Pilsen. Visited Ukrainian Village and had potato pancakes and vodka at Tryzub Ukrainian Kitchen. Went to Boystown and Wrigleyville, where we admired the classic Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. Enjoyed the amazing Chicago River Boat Architecture Tour and learned all about the famous architecture along the Chicago River. Drove back the long haul of 12+ hours in one day to get back home again. Finished 3 books during the month (bringing my total for the year to 38/60), my favorite being Taft by Ann Patchett. Felt our leadership was hopeless as we had the highest number of COVID cases in the world, over 6,000,000 as of August 31, 2020, and the highest number of deaths at 183,474. Felt only marginally relieved that in Virginia, we were holding steady, with 120,594 cases and 2,580 deaths.

Juchiteca con cerveza (Juchiteca with Beer), Juchitán, 1984

Peregrinación, (Procession), Chalma, 1984

To Kiss the Spirits: Now This Is What It Is Really Like, 1993 by Hollis Sigler

Pregnant Nana, 1993 by Niki de Saint-Phalle

Medusa, from the series “Ricas y famosas,” 1999 by Daniela Rossell

Raft Expedition, 2001 by Justine Kurland

Black Lives Matter at Jaleo

Brandywine Falls at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Ledges Trail at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Crown Fountain at Millennium Park

Cloud Gate, aka “The Bean” at Millennium Park

Jay Prtizker Pavilion at Millennium Park

Chicago Theatre

Chicago River

Picasso’s unnamed sculpture

painting at the Art Institute

American Gothic at the Art Institute

Georgia O’Keeffe at the Art Institute

El Greco at the Art Institute

modern wing of the Art Institute

The Art Institute

me on our bikeride

marina along the lakefront

view of the city from the lakefront

Chicago River

mural in Chicago

our humble Airbnb in West Town

view of Chicago from 360 Chicago

360 Chicago

Chicago Water Tower

Bahá’i Temple of Worship

me at the Bahá’i Temple of Worship

Bahá’i Temple of Worship

Mike at Bahá’i Temple of Worship

pizza at Coalfire

Agora

murals in Chicago

Rockefeller Chapel at University of Chicago

Robie House by Frank Lloyd Wright

quad at University of Chicago

Pullman National Monument

mural in Pilsen

Pilsen

mural in Pilsen

Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home

Oak Park

Ukrainian Village

mural in Ukrainian Village

Tryzub Ukrainian Kitchen

potato latkes

Boystown

Wrigley Field

Chicago River Boat Architecture Tour

Chicago Riverwalk

In September, I: Continued walking around the Reston Lakes and in my neighborhood and doing Pilates once a week. Dined outdoors at Kalypso at Lake Anne. Got my flu shot. Had a belated birthday celebration with Barbara, my sister-in-law by having a take-out Thai dinner on our screened porch. Dined in at Ariake Japanese restaurant. Had a COVID test in preparation for my STRETTA procedure, which came back negative. Had the procedure at Fair Oaks Hospital on the 17th, where the doctor applied heat to toughen up my lower esophagus. Went on a liquid diet for two days and a very soft diet for the next two weeks. Missed my father’s 90th birthday because I was recovering from my procedure and I didn’t want to gather with 24 people I didn’t know. Went to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington to pay our respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on the 18th. Stopped by the new Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, with its stainless steel tapestry depicting the Pointe du Hoc promontory of France’s Normandy Coastline during peacetime by Tomas Osinski; it is a symbol of the peace Eisenhower won during World War II and maintained as President. Stood in line at the Fairfax County Government Center for 1 hour and 40 minutes to cast my early vote for an all blue ticket, especially for Joe Biden for President. Found out our youngest son had an accident on a motorbike in Nicaragua and displaced his collarbone. Purposely avoided the first debate between Trump and Biden, which Jake Tapper called “a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck.” Finished 5 books during the month (bringing my total for the year to 43/60), my favorite being The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai and Migratory Animals by Mary Helen Specht. Continued to be infuriated by Trump on his non-COVID response, as we had the highest number of cases in the world, over 7,219,800 as of September 30, 2020, and the highest number of deaths at 205,859. Felt slightly relieved that in Virginia, we were holding fairly steady, with 147,516 cases and 3,187 deaths.

Me at Kalypso

Mike at Kalypso

me with Mike at Lake Anne

sushi at Ariake

ramen at Ariake

sailboats at Lake Anne

sailboat regatta at Lake Anne

butterfly at Lake Anne

walk around Lake Anne

a friendly visitor at our window

RIP Ruth Bader Ginsburg

U.S. Supreme Court

RIP Ruth Bader Ginsburg

U.S. Supreme Court

RIP Ruth Bader Ginsburg

U.S. Supreme Court

RIP Ruth Bader Ginsburg

U.S. Supreme Court

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

me wearing mask at Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

flowers in Reston

In October, I: Graduated from a very soft diet to a “soft diet.” Doubted that Trump really got coronavirus when he “tested positive” and was later taken to Walter Reed Hospital. Watched in horror as he continued to call the virus a “hoax” after he “got it.” Visited my father for a belated 90th birthday with Mike and Sarah. Went to dinner at Artie’s and Seasons 52. Broke in stiff new hiking boots on local walks. Took a leisurely photo stroll around Meadowlark Gardens. Had a follow-up exam after my STRETTA procedure, but was disappointed I wasn’t seeing much improvement. Took off for a three-day drive across country to Denver, Colorado on what would be my month-long “Canyon & Cactus Road Trip.” Visited the Denver Botanic Gardens, where I wandered through a “Ghost Forest” and encountered skeletons on rafts and inner tubes. Went on a hike at Chautauqua Park and shopped in the cute, but deserted, town of Boulder. Was the oldest person by far at Happy Camper Pizza, a Denver eatery, where I went with my son and his girlfriend. Visited the Denver Art Museum, marveled over the gold dome of the Colorado State Capitol, and wandered through the Clyfford Still Museum. Encountered the Big Blue Bear and the Mayan Theatre. Visited with some bison at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge and then, after picking Mike up at the airport, dragged him back there with me. Drove with Mike to Green River, Utah where we met up with Alex and Ariana. Hiked the narrow slot canyon, Little Wild Horse Canyon, in the San Rafael Swell. Wandered amidst goblin-shaped rock formations at Goblin Valley State Park after picnicking at a red picnic table. Hiked throughout Capitol Reef National Park and learned about the Mormon community and the orchards there. Stopped for astounding scenic overlooks at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Strolled among towering sandstone chimneys at Kodachrome Basin State Park. Encountered more bulbous columns called hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park on the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Trail. Turned 65, officially becoming a senior citizen in Bryce, Utah. Climbed ever upward in snow and 4°F temps to Cedar Breaks National Monument, where my fingers nearly froze off in just a few minutes of being outdoors. Hiked the Scout Lookout Trail at Zion National Park, where Ariana was the only one of us to make it to the top of Angel’s Landing. Hiked the Emerald Pool Trails at Zion. Decked myself out in neoprene socks, water shoes and waterproof pants to hike and wade up the Narrows at Zion. Enjoyed a fabulous bacon-wrapped meatloaf Napoleon at Switchback Grille in Springdale, UT, and said our goodbyes to Alex and Ariana as they headed back to Denver the next morning. Squeezed in a couple more hikes in Zion and then drove to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Learned about the Mormons and other parties vying for scarce water at Pipe Spring National Monument. Enjoyed an excellent belated birthday dinner in St. George at the Painted Pony Restaurant. Hiked the Petrified Dunes Trail at Snow Canyon State Park. Did the Fire Wave Hike at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Stayed Halloween night in Las Vegas, Nevada so that Mike could catch an early flight back home the next morning. Finished 3 books during the month (bringing my total for the year to 46/60), my favorites being Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler and The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber.

Mike at Artie’s

Me at Artie’s

ghosts in the trees in Reston

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

“Ghost Forest” at Denver Botanic Gardens

“So Proud of My Children” by Nicholas Kadzungura at Denver Botanic Gardeens

Denver Botanic Gardens

skeleton at Denver Botanic Gardens

Ariana and Alex at Happy Camper Pizza in Denver

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge

Ariana, Alex and Mike at Little Wild Horse Canyon in the San Rafael Swell

Little Wild Horse Canyon in the San Rafael Swell

Goblin Valley State Park

Capitol Reef National Park

Alex at Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

me at Chimney Rock at Capitol Reef National Park

Alex & Ariana at Chimney Rock at Capitol Reef National Park

Chimney Rock at Capitol Reef National Park

Torrey Trading Post

Aspens in Dixie National Forest

Grand Escalante National Monument

Juniper berries

Grand Escalante National Monument

picnic on the way to Kodachrome Basin State Park

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Ariana at Kodachrome Basin State Park

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Natural Bridge at Bryce Canyon National Park

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Zion National Park

Virgin River at Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Mike at Zion National Park

Angels Landing viewpoint – Zion National Park

Zion National Park

me at Zion National Park

Middle Emerald Pool at Zion National Park

Virgin River at Zion National Park

Mike going into the Narrows

me in the Narrows

the Narrows at Zion National Park

the Narrows at Zion National Park (photo by Ariana Sites)

the Narrows at Zion National Park

me, Alex and Ariana at Switchback Grille

Zion National Park

Mike and me at Zion National Park

our Airbnb in Sprindale, UT

Airbnb in Springdale, UT

me at Oscar’s Cafe in Springdale with mask

me at Oscar’s Cafe in Springdale without mask

Zion National Park

Trading Post outside of Zion

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Pipe Spring National Monument

St. George, UT

skeletons in St. George, UT

Brigham Young Home, St. George, UT

Mike at Snow Canyon State Park

Snow Canyon State Park

me at Snow Canyon State Park

Snow Canyon State Park

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Mike at Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

me at Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

In November, I: Said goodbye to Mike as he flew home from Las Vegas. Crossed into Arizona and fell in love with chartreuse leaves in Oak Canyon on the way to Sedona. Passed way too many Trump/Pence signs on the way to Montezuma Castle National Monument and Montezuma Well. Hiked the Eagles Nest Loop at Red Rock State Park in Sedona. Sat quietly under Buddhist prayer flags at Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park in Sedona, turned the prayer wheel, and walked 3x clockwise offering lots of prayers. Got a wonderful 90-minute hot stone massage at Namti Spa. Spent Election Day nearly getting struck by lightning at Tuzigoot National Monument. Drove through Jerome and Prescott, where I was utterly turned off by a large group of Trumpers at the Courthouse. Spent a day in Phoenix at the Phoenix Art Museum and the Heard Museum. Visited Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Met a huge variety of cacti at Desert Botanical Garden and wandered through Old Town Scottsdale. Visited Saguaro National Park (West and East). Avoided rattlesnakes on a climb to see petrogylphs by the Hohokam people at the Signal Hill Trail. Wandered through the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, finding javelinas and more cacti: hedgehog, barrel, staghorn, teddy bear cholla, catclaw, dwarf organ pipe cactus, Woolly Jacket prickly pear, Cowboy Whiskers Prickly Pear and ocotillo. Followed a van in Tucson with a bumper sticker: “BIDEN 2020: He won’t inject you with bleach.” Found out Biden won the election and was elated! Went to Tumacácori National Historical Park and Tubac, where I bought some colorful cactus and coyote yard ornaments. Lit a candle for our country and my children at Mission San Xavier del Bac. Gobbled down Indian fry bread at Cafe Santa Rosa in Tucson. Wandered through the charming but scruffy town of Bisbee, a former copper mining town. Missed the shootout at the OK Corral in Tombstone. Took a fabulous hike at the sky island of Chiricahua National Monument. Got a flat tire driving on a dirt road to Fort Bowie, but didn’t even visit there after all that. Drove along the Mission Trail in El Paso, Texas. Stopped in Abilene, TX to see Frontier Texas! and the Grace Museum. Stopped at William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home, Hot Springs National Park, and Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas. Returned home from my Canyon & Cactus Road Trip on November 14, after having driven 6,907.8 miles. Celebrated Mike’s and my 32nd anniversary at Artie’s. Had a quiet Thanksgiving with just the two of us, but enjoyed a Zoom family call with everyone. Finished 1 book during the month (bringing my total for the year to 47/60) and realized I would never make my goal of reading 60 books. Watched helplessly as we once again saw the highest number of cases in the world, over 13,447,300 as of November 30, 2020, and the highest number of deaths at 266,758. Also felt dismayed that in Virginia, our cases were growing, with 235,942 cases and 4,058 deaths.

Montezuma Castle National Monument, AZ

Montezuma Well, AZ

Red Rock State Park, Sedona, AZ

Amitabha Stupa, Sedona, AZ

Tuzigoot National Monument, AZ

Phoenix Art Museum, AZ

Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, AZ

Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ

Saguaro National Park West, Tucson, AZ

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ

Tubac, AZ

Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, AZ

Saguaro National Park East, Tucson, AZ

Bisbee, AZ

Tombstone, AZ

Chiricahua National Monument, AZ

Ysleta Mission in El Paso, TX

Frontier Texas! in Abilene, TX

Grace Museum, Abilene, TX

Paramount Theatre, Abilene, TX

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Magnolia gas station near Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, Little Rock, Arkansas

Mike’s Thanksgiving mask-turkey

me on Thanksgiving Day

In December, I: Had the first stage of an implant done on my #30 tooth. Was restricted to another soft-food diet for several days. Went on an Embassy Row Walking Tour in D.C. on a rare +60°F Sunday. Fell short of my reading goal of 60 books by only reading 48 as of December 14. Got a Blue Spruce Christmas tree and decorated it. Felt hopeless to have hit 16,258,573 COVID cases as of December 14, 2020, and the highest number of deaths at 299,193. Also felt dismayed that in Virginia, our cases were growing to 281,909 cases and 4,411 deaths. Felt hopeful that as of Monday, the 14th, COVID vaccines were being shipped out all over the country. Felt relief that the Electoral College on Monday, December 14 officially made Joe Biden the 46th president of the United States.

implant of #30 tooth

Embassy of Cameroon, D.C.

Royal Netherlands Embassy

The President Woodrow Wilson House

Embassy Row walk

Embassy of Japan

Embassy Row walk

Islamic Center

Embassy of the Republic of South Africa

Nelson Mandela

Turkish Embassy

British Embassy

statue of Winston Churchill

J. Khalil Gibran Memorial

U.S. Naval Observatory / V.P. Pence’s temporary house, soon to be VP Kamala Harris’

former Iranian Embassy

Embassy of Bolivia

Embassy of Brazil

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Clinton’s D.C. home

Embassy of Guyana

Kalorama neighborhood

French Ambassador’s home

Kalorama neighborhood

me on D.C.’s version of the Spanish Steps

Spanish Steps of D.C.

Kalorama neighborhood

our blue spruce Christmas tree

Lady Liberty keeps on shining

LOVE!

************

Overall, we barely survived our fourth year of the Trump Presidency and a horrific year under the coronavirus pandemic. Luckily, we voted the grifter out in the 2020 election, although he has refused to concede and has continued to claim the election was rigged in Biden’s favor (with no evidence). He continues to rile up his supporters, along with the Republicans’ complicity, and cause civil unrest in a relentless attack on our democracy. I continue to be disgusted by him and his sycophants, brainwashed as they all are. I call them all out for being traitors and trying to overthrow our democracy.

I had a great time on the few adventures I was able to have, including a trip to Baltimore and Chicago, as well as my “Canyon & Cactus Road Trip” to Utah and Arizona. I continued my forays into journaling, drawing and watercolor, but that fell by the wayside as I went full force trying to close out my blog by writing about all my 2019 travels by mid-December.

I plan to take the next year (or more) off from blogging, as I’ve done it now for 10 years and want to try something different, although I don’t know what. This will be my last blog post, unless I decide later to take up blogging again.

Overall, it was one of the worst years ever, with many setbacks (physical and emotional challenges) along the way. There were a few bright spots in the scant journeys we took, but overall, between the struggling economy; the relentless attacks on democracy; the political divide on such a simple thing as mask-wearing; the pervasive pandemic, my children’s struggles, and my own health issues, it was a thumbs-down year! Overall, I was grudgingly grateful for all the lessons learned, even the tough ones.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic 2021. It’s got to be better than twenty-twenty, right?

**********

Here are some of my previous years’ recap posts. I now wish I had one for every year of my life, as they serve as great reminders of my adventures, joys and tribulations in years past!

twenty-nineteen
twenty-eighteen
twenty-seventeen
twenty-sixteen
Sadly, I didn’t do one in 2015. 😦
twenty-fourteen
twenty-thirteen
weekly photo challenge: my 2012 in pictures

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