Oakwood Resort is a Great Getaway at Lake Wawasee

Oakwood Resort on Indiana's Lake Wawasee is a great option for people looking for a getaway from Fort Wayne, South Bend, or the Chicago area. This is a large facility right on the water, with restaurants, banquet and meeting facilities, and a day spa. We stayed in one of 80 private hotel rooms, ours overlooking the water. Oakwood also reports having eight cabins and ten vacation homes to rent, so there are lots of space options.

Lake Wawasee itself has an interesting history. The glacial lake is the largest wholly contained in Indiana, with about 3000 acres of surface area. Fed by springs and watershed, it also happens to be a very healthy and clear lake, with reported clear viewing down 15 feet in good conditions. The average clear viewing depth of other Midwestern lakes is 2 - 6 feet.

It's a great lake for sailing and fishing, and appears to support a rich social life for humans. Eli Lilly and Al Capone had places here, as do many other well-off folks from Indianapolis and the Chicago area. Popular lakeside real estate can be expensive, so as one would expect there are million-dollar homes set close together along the lake. Here is a place you might want to book a pontoon or other passenger boat cruise, take a beverage along and let a guide inform you about all the different well-known properties. This can be very relaxing and entertaining.

Oakwood itself is comfortable, although I found the beds to be too soft. Maybe hotels need to go with Sleep Number beds or something similar, in which a patron can make their bed firmer or softer. Lots of hotels have chosen this option in recent years. It was quiet enough - strangely almost too quiet the weekend we were there. We found the evening meals at the restaurant called The Pier to be good. In a remote location such as this, where there are few grocery stores and everything has to be delivered in, sometimes evening menu selections will sell out. Or they will be out of selections from the wine list. I suppose it helps to prepare to be flexible.

I can't recommend the buffet breakfast, however. It seemed as though masses of food had been prepared and laid out, in anticipation of large numbers of people. But there the food sat, the crowds didn't come, so the hash browns had become cardboard-ish and the eggs dry and rubbery. The staff was really nice, though. Maybe it was just an off morning for a usually-lovely breakfast service.

Oakwood has a small salon and spa, called J Three. We were on the receiving end of a couple of massages there, and were happy with the results. We also especially loved the salt-based hand scrub that was placed in lovely bowls next to the bathroom sinks in the resort. I had never tried this. After one washes one's hands, one takes a scoopful of this salt and rubs and massages into the hands. It smells wonderful, but moreover, it wonderfully refines and polishes the hands. Salt is also antifungal and antibacterial used in this way. I'm going to buy some over a website to give as gifts.

Our experience at Oakwood was pleasurable, and I would go back. Wawasee used to be called Lake Turkey, but at some point the name reverted to this Miami native American name, which one source I read said referred to a chief with a flat belly. I adore wild turkeys, but I do think the ancient name is much more charming.

Parents - what are you doing to help protect your kids online?

Ok, you parents out there. It's time we had a serious conversation about what your kids are doing for fun. And I'm not talking about riding carnival rides, such as the one I photographed here at the DeKalb County Free Fall Fair midway set up in downtown Auburn, IN.

No, I'm talking about something much more dangerous: what your children are possibly doing on the Internet. It's the Wild West out there. Anything goes. Sad to say children are exposed to many things, potentially disturbing things; violence, pornography, hate and bullying coming at them over their phones, iPods, iPads, Nintendos, Kindles, tablets, laptops - all those things YOU bought for them, placed in their hands, said "here, this is for you.". And YOU continue to pay for their high speed wireless connection, their data plans, their monthly cell phone bill, etc.

Yet, do you really have any idea what those children are doing with those devices you have paid for? How naive are you? You need to have, if this doesn't happen already, a regular dialog with your children about what it is they post on the Internet, and what is appropriate. Because I am sure many of these kids don't realize the lifelong implications of what they are doing when just trying to have some fun.

Be so bold as to ask to see your children's content. Who's paying the bill, anyway? If it's such a big secret, why? Because this isn't like having a conversation, or writing in your diary at home. This is OUT THERE. Every photo you post of yourself, every time you say something unflattering about someone else, everytime you mention wild partying, it is stuck OUT THERE. You can't really delete it. Someone can, and believe me does, take a screen shot of what you or your kids put out there. The kids think only their friends see this stuff and it's kind of anonymous, underground. I can tell you, it is not.

Here's a big problem. Potential employers, as a regular part of the job, will do Internet searches on their candidates. And they find this stuff, your First Amendment freedom of speech foul language, your racy photos of yourself. And you are judged by this to be a loose cannon. And you or that young person is not hired. Or worse - you or your child are preyed upon in some way.

Yes, the Internet is a wonderful tool that can help us all in many ways. But we are all in our infancy with this. So I recommend absolutely putting strict time limits on how much time is spent with these devices. Monitoring choices of sites, useage, purpose, and regular conversations about same, however uncomfortable or resistive the kids are about it - because the kids think they are in charge. They think the adults are intimidated by this technology or are too dumb to find their way around. Come on, grown ups, change is a big part of life. We do constantly need to know how to do some new things and get familiar with new tools. You can do it!

I absolutely recommend for parents to use a search engine and search their children's names over the Internet to see what pops up. Or, type into your search engine the kid's name and also the social media outlet, such as Twitter or Instagram or whatever the hot new one is. Or, your child's friends name, boyfriend, girlfriend if there is some reason you have concerns. It's out there, and I really don't think you want to be the last person to know. I've seen some stuff by seemingly innocent young children you would not believe. They are kids, they are experimenting, but some of them are also leading double lives. They will grow up, but this stuff will not disappear. Don't be afraid to check. It's your job. And then do something about it. Sometimes you can catch children doing something right, and reward them for that, with words or otherwise. But when you catch them doing something that could hurt themselves or others or is disrespectful or unworthy of them, there is nothing wrong with calling that out. To be continued -

It is Slalom tournament season in Indiana

The USA Waterski Association sanctions series of tournaments all across the country. There are so many ways to surf, board, show ski, race, and play, it certainly demonstrates our love of the water. In a typical tournament here in Indiana, the ones we attended consist of slalom, trick and jump ski events.

Around the area near Syracuse, Indiana, there are many lakes, big and small. One mini lake named Cindonway Shores hosts ski tournaments regularly. Dotted with a few houses and surrounded by farm fields, Cindonway seems like a charming slice of Hoosier life.

Sure, skiers win awards for their performances in the different events. There are a range of categories, from age to ability, so a skier is pitted against skiers like themselves. After local tournaments, skiers can move on to state, regional and national competitions.

But what I'm thinking about today, is the social aspect of these get-togethers is great sometimes. Participants camp out on shore, set up shade tents, and unpack their picnic supplies. They watch each other ski, be they athletes from kids to teens to adults to seniors, and cheer each other on.

It's good-spririted competition, one person at a time. In between sets kids play frisbee, tennis, and run around and jump on trampolines. Thoughtful skiers and family members help organize, judge and run events.

On this July Saturday, a pregnant mom who couldn't ski helped out by baking pans of lasagna (along with the other chefs in the lakeside household kitchen). They served up a great meal for all, and folks walked down to their screened-in porch, served themselves from the spread and sat together to eat at picnic tables. It doesn't get much better than that.

The Indiana State Tournament will be held in Indianapolis this year, and the Midwest Regional competition will be in Wilmington, Illinois, near Chicago. Indiana has produced some great skiers over the years, including current world record holder Nate Smith, ladies such as Marla Lott and Prissy Edwards, and many others. All those lakes, so little time - summer is over in a flash. Ski on, ski hard, or go home.

Loving World Cup Soccer

There has been quite a buzz this summer about the FIFA World Cup Soccer matches held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Huge crowds from all over the world turned out in cities and towns to watch the televised games. I went with my family to Parkview Field in downtown Fort Wayne to watch the United States versus Belgium on the stadium's Jumbotron. The U. S. lost in overtime, and yes, soccer usually is rather low-scoring. But I have loved watching it.

There're lots of haters out there, actually saying that soccer is boring, just a bunch of men running around and batting a ball around a big field. They somehow think that white ball is just bouncing around haphazardly. I'm kind of amazed people actually think that.

I have loved watching the few games I have been able to see. The players are amazingly athletic. The cultural and ethnic differences between counties is wonderful to watch. I really enjoyed the final game between Germany and Argentina. Even hearing the differences in the two countries' national anthems was fun. The German anthem is Teutonic, classical. The Argentine started slowly, solemnly, and then eventually broke into something upbeat and cheerful, such as a salsa or samba or whichever beat it was. The people in the stands held up flags, shirts, towels or whatever cloth they had and danced and sang along.

I was routing for the South Americans, and it was an exciting game. But the Germans scored with a sweet chest-drop-to-foot goal, and Argentina never came back. The Germans really are incredibly strong as well. Bastian Schweinsteiger was hit more times and had medics called for him on the field than anyone I have ever seen. Blood was pouring out of this guy's face, they'd patch him and he played on. Yeah futbol, bigger than football.

Not only did the U. S. have its disappointments. Former World Cup victors England, Spain and Italy all were done after the first round. And the World Cup in Brazil had its bizarre moments as well, such as when Uruguay's Luis Suarez bit the shoulder of an Italian defender. Considering Suarez has been suspended for doing this in Europe twice before, I'm wondering why this is still ok. But hey, I did not make the rules.

So all you soccer haters out there: please stop harshing my mellow. Soccer speaks all languages and crosses all barriers. It was fun to walk into a Mexican restaurant in Phoenix and see a random game playing, with all the patrons laborers watching the game while having lunch and getting out of the heat. The game was on Univision and not broadcast in English, but that did not matter. Everyone watched it, and when the announcer gave out the classic, excited, extended, " GooooooooooaaLL.." we all knew what happened. Get over yourself, U. S. and American football. This is bigger than you. Now, we need to see the next step - this kind of accolade world-wide over women's soccer too.

Poem for Matt

The image is of Monument Valley, Utah - this is a glorious desert scene in the southwestern United States. The poem I have written below refers to a different arid place: Phoenix, Arizona. From the poem, the native people called the Hohokam were also referred to by early Navaho and Hopi Indians as "the ones who had gone before."

I wrote the poem June 28, 2014. Since then, many people have read it or passed it on, sharing it in some way. Since these words have meant something to them, I feel I need to share it with you here.

Poem for Matt

I will see you in the place where the Hohokam dug irrigation canals out of the desert.

You will appear to me as a saguaro one day, an ocotillo the next.

You will crush the creasote for me, so that its perfume rises.

You will circle the sky above me as a desert eagle, showing me the way.

You will warn me of danger, rattling your tail and slithering away.

When you see us all missing you, you will bathe our tears with healing monsoon rains.

When you become weary of our human foilibles, you will send the haboob to slow us down.

You will continue to change the people who knew you.

You will play like the wind, kicking cans down the road, hiding eyeglasses.

You will get your mother to wear a cowboy hat that came out of a dumpster.

You will remind people of what they missed, but not fill them with regret. They will learn to seize the moment.

You will rise out of your father's laugh, and live again in his sweet memories. You will remind us again what love is.

You will help another young lifeguard save a life. You will rip my heart out and replace it with a bigger one.

I will see you again. We will run and swim together in endless dreams.

I will see you again. We will hold hands and fly together into the sun.

-SLG

The Glorious Gap Between Spring and Summer

I work outside. I can't read the iPad screen to write in the bright sunlight.

Lilacs and lily-of-the-valley scents waft up higher than the humid air and sweat bees. The air is quite still behind the earthen wall next to me. Here the bridge noise is muffled and hidden from view.

Flat boats putter up the river current. I like it when they move slowly by. Bass boats make their laps around the reservoir banks. Men toss their lined rods, loosing lures in tree branches.

When I write in longhand, I don't have to worry about typing. Oh, sure, typing is good too. Alas, the days of pen and paper. But I digress:

Little fox squirrel chases bigger grey squirrel. He's always feisty, always defending his territory.

The goldfinch; yellow, black, so cheerfully colored, he and his mate flit among the new light green growth of the Douglas Fir. Insects or tree bits - I don't know what he and she find there, other than these snacks and a grand view of the river.

Last night's brush burning, I mean wiener roast, was surreptitious, contraband. Secret. No open burning allowed. Still, here between the creek and the street is no-man's land: no street crews come by to pick up the piles of brush here. So burn it we did, the fire drawing neighborhood children like moths to flames. They howled and tossed branch after branch of downed wood onto the pile.

Grown-ups cracked jokes about fines, threatening calls to the fire marshall. Big tough guys in little spandex tights and helmets joined the rubber-neckers out for their evening bike rides. Heavenly father, please let your Grace descend upon us for burning if it bothers people with allergies. Amen.

Korean restaurant is a change of pace

I realized it's been four years since I wrote about Seoul Garden, and maybe that long since I had eaten there. I had found the Korean food very good before, even if the ambiance of the restaurant seems neglected and could use some attention. It is very low rent; yet, it has some reviews and clippings posted and so has a special Asian character.

Pictured above is the wonderful Dolsot bibimbap, which is beef, rice, egg, and vegetables cooked and served in a stoneware pot. There are lots of nice greens under the egg, including sprouts and cabbage. This is just simply delicious. Asian, clean healthy comfort food is even greater here with the crispy, crusty cooked rice bottom on the stoneware bowl. It's up to you to mix it all up yourself.

The dishes here are served with about five traditional side dishes. I'm not a big fan of kimchi or Korean thick noodle dishes; I preferred their soy green beans and crab Rangoon. I also like the fried seaweed, but I don't know if the way it's prepared is fattening.

It was lunchtime, and the entree I had cost $10-12. Try the daily specials for a cheaper price and to experiment with a new taste if you're brave.

Soup comes with the meal: I had the hot & sour, which was spicy and lip-smacking good, so they say. The proprietress has limited English, so try pictures or use your smartphone if you have specific questions. I'm glad to see this little ethnic place going strong with consistent food. Seoul Garden is still at 1820 Coliseum in Fort Wayne.

Bittersweet, Michigan for a 'close to the Fort' ski day trip

Bittersweet, as a term, describes mixed feelings sometimes. The bitter mixed with the sweet. That's how I feel when I drive the two-and-one-half hours north of Fort Wayne to Otswgo, MI to ski at the small snow ski resort named Bittersweet.

With 350 feet of vertical height, the mini-mountain makes the most of a small space. Skiers and snowboarders can choose between regular runs or a terrain park. One can ride to the top of the hill on the aptly named Sweet Express quad chair. There are also seven standard chairlifts, two tow ropes and two wonder carpets. The last are conveyor belts skiers can stand on (good for beginners) to ride up the hill.

With the advent of snowboarding, Bittersweet has kept up with the times and added a terrain park in recent years. It includes a kids' park, with some smaller jumps. There are three learner jumps 5-10 feet high each. There are also some features including one called the mailbox, the propane tank, etc. - you get the idea.

In the main terrain park, there's more fun stuff - toys called the elbow rail, the skinny rail, the quarter-pipe, and more. The main park starts with a 30-foot-high jump that leads directly onto a second 40-foot-square jump. Even if the terrain park is not your style, Bittersweet is so compact a person can easily watch people doing tricks in the terrain park as the observer rides the chair lift up to the other part of the hill.

Skiers may be disappointed if they are expecting Sault Saint Marie or Boyne, Michigan size and quality snow and facilities. But for that, a party has to drive several hours further north. If you want a quicker day trip and a shorter warm-up or tune-up of your ski chops, you can try Bittersweet on for size. There is a decent cafeteria, picnic area, bar and pro shop. Rentals are $25 for skis or a board, and $10 for a helmet. If you ski at all, consider investing in your own equipment.

Lift tickets are $32 Monday - Friday and $41 Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Take I-69 north and head towards Battlecreek and Kalamazoo. Michigan towns have such wonderful names.

Thankfully, it is Spring Now. But, Before the Ice Left:

The river has cleaned up in the last twenty years. Nature works and thrives.

The bald eagle fishes at the edge of the ice. He appears to eat the dead fish that were perhaps killed by the hard freeze and long winter.

The diving ducks are there - buffleheads, goldeneyes, mergansers, and more. A miscellaneous duck group. A social network.

They bob as yachts together, moving out and around to fish as a fleet, feeding, resting. Floating, bobbing they are.

I imagine the underwater ice edge, the cliff I cannot see.

Fish with cover, peeking out (do fish peek?) into open river water - long had the river been frozen.

I feel lucky to see the lovely ducks. So happy to be, king of the world they are.

Tax time - for them no accountants, no tax man.

Working man is jealous of free ducks. Another reason to shoot them. They are such lovely boats, paddling.

Then - oh, my heart - they dive: first leaping briefly up, diving down under, then swimming and preying underwater. They can stay down a long time, and when they come up, one often sees a fish in a duck's beak for a moment while the bird takes a breath first perhaps, and then swallows the fish whole.

Cirque D'Or stays grounded at the Embassy Theatre

Ah, poor Fort Wayne, Indiana. It's pretty sad when the media advertisements for a traveling show contain the wrong pronunciation of a French word. For the recent Cirque D'Or show at the Embassy Theatre, the announcer calls it Cirque (Day-or or De-or). He's using two syllables for D'Or, when anyone with a semester of French could tell him it's "door". One syllable. Oh well, no wonder the French get so impatient with Americans.

I did my research, and found that Cirque D'Or is actually a Chinese acrobatic group, one also known as the Golden Dragons. Since D'Or means "of gold" in French, one sees the connection. With the dramatic, well-deserved success of the Canadian Cirque du Soleil troup, Cirque D'Or as a name may draw a wider audience than would Golden Dragons.

Cirque D'Or did a fine job. I do think audience members were disappointed if they were expecting a different show. For example, press photos used to promote the show featured aerialists suspended from fabrics swinging high in the air. Video commercials also had performers swinging and suspended. The Fort Wayne performance featured no aerial or trapeze acts such as this. Maybe at other stops on their tour they do have aerial performances. Maybe there is something about the Embassy venue which doesn't allow for that stage set-up. But I heard patrons say they were disappointed, they were expecting what was promoted, and ticket prices for the show ranged $23 - 63.

I liked the show, however, and was glad I went. The young children with us really liked it as well. It's a good family show. Their are acrobats who make human pyramids, who can balance others on their heads (head to head), athletes who can run, jump and fly through high hoops. It was very entertaining.

Perhaps my favorite act was a parasol juggling routine. Two young women lay on benches tossing and spinning multiple big, awkward parasols with their feet. They stacked them, they balanced them, and the painted, twirling parasols were beautiful to see.

What I learned after reading more on the Internet is the troup is based in Hebei, China - an area where performers are trained since childhood in these traditional arts. The young man on stage who stacked six chairs at their full height and then did a handstand on the top may have been an 18-year-old. An article from 2008 discussing the Golden Dragons' appearance in Ann Arbor I found online gave me the history I wanted. According to Roger LeLeivre writing for MLine, acrobats in Cirque D'Or come from farm families who practiced this art 2500 years ago.

While ancient farmers in this area of China were waiting for their fields to dry before spring planting, they played around tossing, catching, twirling and juggling plates, cups, saucers, tables and chairs. At spring festivals that were held before a season of hard summer farming began, families and individuals would perform for each other, showing off tricks they had diligently practiced. This art has been carried on over the generations and continues today.

It's fun to see the capabilities of a disciplined gymnast, flipping, doing hand springs, balancing beautifully with a partner. Lovely, graceful hands, stunning costumes, attractive people. If I had a complaint, it would be that there was almost no set design - no lovely backdrops, no artwork or scenery, only the props used as tricks, whether that was juggling large pottery or loose yo-yos and cords, tables, chairs, bowling pins, etc.

It was not Cirque du Soleil with its fabulous choreography, technical support and visionary artistry. But Golden Dragons or Cirque D'Or is great in its own way, and just needs a little more interpretation and translation to the American audience. I was impressed the performers went out to the lobby at the end of the show to meet the audience members. A meet-and-greet is a nice touch when there is a cultural divide or a language problem, especially for the young folks. It's always fun to just be at the beautiful, old Embassy. I'll be going back there again soon.

A leprechaun in the grocery store

I saw a leprechaun in the Amish grocery store today. I walked up and there he stood, hiding in plain sight. He wasn't dressed up in leprechaun finery; he wore a grey stocking cap and a plain blue suit, but a real leprechaun he was, a little old one.

He looked back at me square in the eye, and his blue eyes twinkled. It seems even leprechauns have to shop for groceries.

He didn't buy much, but he did pause and look, lingering near the breads and cakes. There I was in my green polo shirt, fingerless knitted gloves, crocheted hat, and green shamrock pin, buying a load of groceries. I had planned to buy green sugar cookies, but decided instead to spoil my family and make homemade red velvet cake. I thought the contrast would be so beautiful and fitting with all the Irish green everywhere one looked.

I couldn't catch my leprechaun in the store. I wanted to fall in behind him in the check-out lane, even if just to spy on him more, but he slipped around me past the frozen foods and disappeared. I headed my cart to the check-out station, pulled out my reusable bags and stacked my items on the conveyor belt.

Grapes, bananas, yogurt, eighty dollars worth of stuff. At this point I'm in front of the cart. When I was almost done, the leprechaun popped up behind me, bent down to the lower cart rack I couldn't reach and placed my last item, a bottle of laundry detergent, on the belt for me.

I would have reached out and caught him then, but the grocery cart came between the two of us. He looked at me without fear - he knew I couldn't catch him. I also think he liked red velvet cake, and somehow magically knew I was going to make it. He didn't seem to care I knew he was a leprechaun.

The room faded away when I looked at him. His beard was grey, not red, and he seemed a little too old to spin about. He could tell I was the only human in the room who knew who and what he was. I tried to concentrate. The sounds of children playing outside brought me back to reality as their voices and cries faded in and out. Cheerfully, the old leprechaun used his power over me and my awe of him to make me hold my tongue. Then he whisked his way around me out to the parking lot, through the cars and around the horses, and simply disappeared.

Baker Street is Top Notch in the Fort

Obviously the photo above is NOT of Baker Street, the excellent restaurant in Fort Wayne on North Clinton, near the Northcrest shopping area. But I can't look at any more photos of snow, and it was one bitter, windy day when I went to Baker Street last week. So here's a photo of some lovely sheep and lambs in Oregon, and you can make whatever connection here you wish.

There have been several different restaurants in this location, which is in a convenient spot on the north end of town. I do believe Baker Street is the best of the businesses that have been here. Staff make a lot of effort, the service is good and servers are well trained. They like to talk about the wines, the food and how it is prepared. One feels as though he or she is valued and is given a lot of attention.

And the food is really good. In addition to the regular menu, special features change regularly or with a seasonal variety. At this time there was a tuna steak served with tempura green beans. They also had Prince Edward Island Mussels (I had forgotten and had to look it up - the island is along the Canadian Atlantic seaboard). This dish includes big dark mussels and is served with garlic toast points.

We often order the sashimi tuna from the appetizer menu. It's sesame crusted and is served medium rare, with wasabi, ginger, and a cucumber salad for $14. Although the soup specials are often really good, I tried the $6 French onion soup and found it to be too salty and heavy. Why does every chef do that? I do like the Chop Chop salad ($8); it really is chopped like crazy, and features different lettuces, tomatoes, red onions, eggs, bacon, white cheddar, and a toasted garlic crostini. This one is a meal in itself.

The simple wedge salad ($7) is a pretty chunk of crunchy iceberg and some other stuff, topped off with croutons and a buttermilk blue cheese dressing. My friends like Baker Street's Greek and spinach salads as well.

For an entree, you can't go wrong with their Asian glazed salmon for $23 - I prefer it over the blackened ahi tuna. Baker Street is known for their steaks - they have a great variety of cuts but this is a fancy place, not cheap, so be ready for most steaks to be $29 - $39. A few items go over those prices: I would like to try the lobster-crowned filet with asparagus and wild mushrooms. $44 for that might be a lot in Fort Wayne, but try eating in Chicago or New York sometime and it won't seem quite as bad. Still, I haven't splurged - maybe sometime. And yes, they do offer lamb chops.

What's fun about the Baker Street menu is its "Dress it Up" and "Dress it Down" categories. Don't want fancy? Order a Cuban sandwich on a pressed ciabatta for $12. A fork & knife Reuben with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and house-made Thousand Island dressing is $14. I liked the buffalo chicken sandwich: for $10 you get a hand-breaded breast with bacon, Swiss cheese, and buffalo sauce on a bun. It's carefully prepared and not as fatty as it sounds. The flavor is as you would expect - mouth-watering and spicy.

I haven't begun to describe the wines or other drink offerings, but there are great choices here. And desserts: I recommend the Kiss Goodnight - a chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. One of these days I'll have to get the Flamin Donuts: table-side flambé with rum and cognac, and mocha ice cream on the side. Baker Street is quite good. The chef and management really try hard. I may not want to stand and take a photo of the place in the blowing snow and wind, but I'll head inside any time and enjoy a cosy, elegant meal.

Honey Badgers and the Countess of Grantham: What I love about PBS

The snow pack is melting in the rain, and the streets are flooded. Oddly, there is lightning and thunder, which seems strange after all the recent snowstorms.

Winter has been a time to find indoor activities, and we have enjoyed watching the Sochi Winter Olympics. As good entertainment as that is, I dragged myself away last night and changed the channel to the NATURE episode on PBS. We receive PBS for free, as well as CBS, NBC (the Olympics) and other popular channels with a digital broadcast signal.

Last night, this NATURE show was all about one of my favorite animals, the honey badger. This African carnivore is actually in the weasel family, the narrator told viewers. I've blogged before about the honey badger; I photographed the one above at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. This was a new special about them, and a pair were filmed up close living at a wildlife rehabilitation center. Other wild ones congregated around a refuge dump. The two caged ones, Hammy and Stauffel tore through locks and bee hives, made ladders to escape their pens and attacked other animals when they escaped. I'm just coming to realize how intelligent they are, and am fascinated by this discovery that they can problem solve and make tools.

But back to PBS. This was one great show worth seeing. Public television has so many great shows. One of my very favorites is Downton Abbey, which I have watched for several years now. I was very into Gosford Park, the 2001 movie also written by Julian Fellowes and filmed as a predecessor to Downton Abbey.

This is season 4 for Downton Abbey, and many viewers are just getting on the bandwagon. A couple of years ago, the show was sublime; Sybil was still alive, Maggie Smith was killing it as the Dowager Countess and the story lines were fast and new. This year has been a little scattered. I'm disappointed with the way Bates, Anna and the rapist's storyline has played out. Having the guy come back in the house somehow seemed far-fetched and disjointed.

Will Mary wrestle any more pigs? Will she quit pining over Matthew and say 'yes' to one of her suitors? Downton Abbey's season finale is this Sunday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m., so hopefully some questions will be cleared up. I can't wait. I will be watching next year, season five -

PBS has so many good shows. It's an impressive list: the Nightly Business Report and other news broadcasts, Nova, Frontline, Independent Lens, Austin City Limits.

Great Performances and other Masterpiece Theater classics besides Downton Abbey. Cooking shows, travel shows, Equitreking (horse-back travel) and children's shows. Science, history, art and culture. It's not great being stuck indoors in bad February weather. But if one has to be shut-in, an hour or two of PBS this winter just might make it not quite so bad.

Dallas Buyers Club heats up a Snowy Winter

I see the sea of white that is snow, taller than people where the snowplows have piled it. It's been a snowy winter of 2014, and we've had many days of zero degrees, even the negative teens. That's right; -16 or -13 degrees Fahrenheit: record cold for Indiana.

For Monday is predicted the beginning of a few days of thawing weather. Yet, here we are on Valentine's Day with a whopping 12 to 18 inches of accumulated snow on the ground in this area. So it’s a pretty, white Valentine's Day (Dr. Zhavago?) with snow-drifted spaces and shiny clear icicles hanging down.

This is a good time, mid-February, to catch up on movies nominated for the Academy Awards. One of the great films of 2013 is the Dallas Buyers Club. This filmed was directed by Jean-Marc Vallee from a screenplay written by Craig Borten and Melissa Wallack. It's set in Texas in 1985, and is based on the story of Ron Woodroof, a working man who is discovered to be HIV-positive. It's a smart movie, covers a lot of current and important themes, and also "feels good" - there's the idea that somehow the human spirit can triumph in even very adverse circumstances.

If that wasn't enough, the movie is electrified with performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. The film has already won awards at the 2014 Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Leto is amazing as Rayon, a transgender person in the film. The actor lost 30 pounds for the role and looked convincingly female: beautiful costumes, hair and makeup, is topped off with inspired acting.

McConaughey became a shell of his previous self in his preparation for this role as an electrician rodeo cowboy who somehow contracted HIV. Whether it was through sex with a prostitute IV drug user, his own drug use or possibly in some other way - that remains unclear.

Once diagnosed, the former macho man experiences discrimination, homophobia, shunning, and feels forced to go to drastic measures to try and save his life. This movie draws you in to begin to understand the complexities of the the drug trials and drug cocktail experiments that have finally allowed AIDS and HIV+ patients to live (or live longer) with their afflictions.

Lead character Ron bribed a hospital worker to provide him with the AIDS drug AZT because he was only eligible for a trial of the drug, which gave him a 50/50 chance of getting a useless placebo. But on AZT he only became more ill, his condition under the powerful drug worsened and exacerbated by alcoholism and cocaine abuse. Then after being unable to get AZT, Ron visits an ex-patriate American doctor in Mexico who is running an unusual medical clinic. Ron learns about unconventional and alternative medication regimens and strategies that also rebuild his immune system. Among other medicines he takes vitamins and peptide T, a protein not approved by the US FDA.

After some time in Mexico on this new drug and vitamin regimen, Ron returned to the USA smuggling the unapproved drugs and eventually established the Dallas Buyers Club to help other HIV+ people obtain these miracle drugs. All the while he was having to fight convention, challenge the FDA and also buck the medical establishment.

This story also does something else - it portrays the change of heart of a homophobic person. Gradually, little by little, empathy arises, fear subsides, humanity rules out. Whether the real Ron was homophobic or just more defensive, you see Karma come back around in this movie. As Ron learns to master his universe, if only for a time, it makes those of us watching feel that we can do anything too.

Love, be it collegial or romantic, straight or gay, familial or brotherly - love conquers all. So Happy Valentine's Day to you.

When Will I See You Again

I hadn't seen it in probably 20 years, but something made me want to see an old, inspiring movie. Dead Poets Society is a movie directed by Peter Weir, released in 1989. It starred Robin Williams as the engaging English professor at a Vermont boys' prep school. He challenges his young students to "seize the day," (carpe diem) and make the most out of their short and precious lives. Filmed at the beautiful St. Andrew's School in Middleton, Delaware, Dead Poets Society features an excellent performance by Williams and cast, and champions the power of poetry in way that is always fresh after all these years.

Convention versus unconformity is an important theme of this movie, as is the quest for romantic and collegial love. It also is a "think outside the box" smart movie, and a heartwarmer.

Sometimes it may come off as overly dramatic, but 'O captain, my captain,' will never have the same meaning once you have seen this movie. So, below is a new poem in honor of the poetry writers out there - to you. From the backs of envelopes I transcribe.

When will I see you again

There it is standing in front of us, like a bridge

I feel it again

Walking the dog through the acorns and almond trees

At night, the butterfly and dragonfly lights powered by solar batteries are so memorable. They glow in front of the hill, sweeter than even the twinkling lights of the town below.

The longing I have.

I re-read the same love poem every day because of how it makes me feel.

Although read slowly, to myself, it is a poem to be read aloud, savored and flavored.

It's written in the voice of someone waiting anxiously to see his love again.

His passion for her, I want for me.

You still have me

With one sweet kiss

One rushed embrace

A warm heartbeat in my ear, my head turned into your chest.


That's it - my poem for the day. Enjoy it, and sleep well tonight.

January Snows and Bitter Cold - introspection

January brings changes. Northeastern Indiana has had record cold temperatures and snowfalls. 29.6" of snow will break January records, and as of today we are almost there. Schools have also had record cancellation rates, and in my area this is the eighth day they have been out, making us all wonder how they will catch up and get everything done. Also, how long in June will they now be in session?

We are slightly immobilized. We think twice about getting in the car to go to the grocery store or anywhere. Wind chills make it nearly impossible for kids to play outside. One risks frostbite just going out to clear a driveway.

Yet we plod forward cheerfully as good Midwesterners, going out to work, to the YMCA, to the grocery store. Some things are different in this new year. It's time to change things up, make plans, simplify.

Some changes for the new year:

Exercising differently. Think about trying more outdoor exercise, like skiing and walking. But concentrate on different muscle movements than one has always done. So if someone has always run, she should switch to something else like swimming or dancing.

Pick up a new (or old) hobby. I have been playing the guitar again. I need more calluses on my fingers, but an old hobby such as this comes back fairly quickly. Music is great in stuck-indoors weather. I can entertain myself or lead a sing-along.

Get the kids to work on their science fair projects and experiments. This is easier said than done.

Cook like crazy. Bake a whole chicken and then later, make chicken soup from the carcass. Make an old-fashioned meat loaf. Splurge on hot chocolate.

Get out that new board game someone got for Christmas and has forgotten. Learn the rules and play it. Or play dominos - runaway Mexican Train has been popular the last few years.

Start organizing a tax file. Put bank statements, receipts, earnings forms and other documents together in a folder.

Write a letter to a penpal. If you don't have a penpal, write a letter to someone who might write you back.

Reattach buttons, repair holes and do other clothing repairs.

Draw, knit, crochet, make crafts, do craft kits such as shrinky-dinks. Order supplies online to be delivered if getting out is a problem.

Library branches are closed today - all kinds of offices and businesses, because of the cold. The high snowfalls drift and blow over the county roads, making travel dangerous and somewhat frightening. Yet it's beautiful also -