Writing The Column

Writing The Column

It's that time again. I'm on a deadline for my quarterly column in Your Family magazine. I always panic and then miraculously come up with a topic at the last minute. I'm using this blog today as my warm-up. Between the total silence of my current study room at the library and my 24 ounces of Pumpkin Spice coffee I am hoping that I get something together soon. We can only hope.

This is nothing new. I can write a novel, four actually, but not under pressure. I wouldn't be a very good war reporter I guess, so you can strike that one from the list. By the time I started the story, overthought the topic and deleted it as many times as I do my column, the war would be over. So, there's that. My talent is limited.

I do not suffer from writer's block. Nope. I have a problem with performance anxiety. If I do it on my own time, I'm good to go. If I wait until the last minute I worry it's not good enough, the topic is stupid or my editor will fire me. I imagine him calling me into his office and shouting "THIS IS TOTAL CRAP. YOU ARE FIRED!" Then, they'll replace me with Gloria, The Greenhouse Goddess who will regale readers in the Verona area with tales about her Venus Flytrap.  

So, there's that. I guess there are worse things in life but if I want to actually get to the point where I pitch my silly Roseville novels to some agent working on commission for a second-rate publisher, I'd better hang onto this gig. In addition, maybe I should learn to stop writing run-on sentences.

I usually get my best ideas in the middle of the night. I wake up and write the whole blasted column for the next edition in my head. This is usually about three days after I submitted the last one to my editor. You know what they say about the best laid plans...well, it also works for columns too. Not once have I published any of those Pulitzer Prize winners, just saying.

So, here are the ideas I'm noodling now...you know the story about the Frenchman who wore the SAVE FERRIS t-shirt to the lighthouse? Yeah, I think that could work until I remember that the last time I wrote about the lighthouse trip was way back in April. Hmm..nope.

Then, I started on a good thread and had a column about how people are crazy. Stay with me here. I'd kind of like to encourage people to laugh at everyday events. For instance, our library has an auto buzzer lock that unlocks ONLY on the strike of 9AM. No yanking, screaming, pounding on the glass doors works. So, every time I volunteer I watch people race into the parking lot like they are going for the pits in the Indy 500, park, jump from their cars and run to the front door of the library and yank on the front door only to find it LOCKED. Hello...did they not see the ten of us on the sidewalk also waiting for 9AM to roll around? Idiots. Hmm. guess not. Ok, if I worked that story up a bit it might fly. But, after I produce a witty punchline, then what? I also can't call people idiots. My editor wouldn't like it and say that everyone will know what library I'm talking about and he'll be mad when he starts to get phone calls or letters to the editor about my column. That could also lead to my demise.

The only time anyone has ever complained about my column was over a pumpkin pie recipe. I don't remember what the entire deal was, but some lady wrote in and said I didn't state where the recipe came from. Listen, every can of pureed pumpkin has the same recipe. WHO CARES? Whatever. I personally gave Libby's the credit and she was satisfied. My editor just laughed. Meanwhile, he was dealing with fires, murders and his own weekly deadline so hey, I guess he does have a sense of humor. 

Every three months I tell myself I'm done as a writer. My creativity has dried up. I mean what are the chances of continuing to come up with ideas here? Probably much higher if I started outlining my topic before D Day aka-Deadline Day. But that will never happen. I have quilts to make, cupcakes to bake, shopping to do and frankly I'm not that detailed as a writer. Which, probably explains a few things right there. My husband has a blog. He has his pieces all scheduled out ready to auto-post until March of 2020! He's an overachiever. 

I've often thought about becoming a comedian. This would be in addition to my profitable writing career. I could stand on stage and tell people all kinds of funny stories. Yep, for about three nights. Then, I'd be out of ideas. So much for that. 

Although, with the right audience I could spin that SAVE FERRIS t-shirt story many different directions. 

It's just a thought...

Time to get back to staring at my empty Word Document...wish me luck. 

Rhonda 

Back To Normal Again

Back To Normal Again 

Sept 30 

We decided to come home from our vacation a day early. Our last stop which I didn't blog about was a bit disappointing. We were driving along on Thursday and thought hey, let's overnight it at Battle Creek, MI. Sounds like fun. There must be a museum we can walk around with vintage cereal displays and something about the Kellogg brothers. We recently watched a mini series about the two brothers on The History Channel and thought it would be interesting to stop in Battle Creek sometime and see what was still there from the old days. 

Not much. Our first stop was the Kellogg company. We parked in the visitor parking lot and made our way into the lobby. We walked up to the reception desk and asked about looking around at some of their displays that were precariously about twenty feet down a long marble hallway behind the reception desk. We knew they stopped doing real tours years ago, but could we just walk down and see those displays? We pointed, like the guy didn't have a clue they were behind him. 

"Sorry, folks. You need to have an appointment." 

"What? We can't just walk over there and look into the glass displays?" 

"No, I'm sorry. Do you know anyone who works here? Really, that's the only way I can let you through." 

I considered suggesting he call up my old buddy Tony The Tiger or my buddies Snap, Crackle and Pop but he was too young to find that humorous. I could tell. 

After that, with deflated enthusiasm we made our way to our hotel. It was an Executive Best Western, whatever that meant. So, we checked in and found our tiny tiled room. It was about as big as our guest room here in the condo but we made it work. 

Starving for excitement, we took off for the mall down the road a little later. We found Barnes and Noble without a problem but wow! The rest of the place was EMPTY. It is so sad for me when I see empty shopping malls. Makes you wonder how long before they are all torn down. 

The next morning, we decided we were too tired to do another day of just hanging out and wanted to get home and enjoy two days of pure relaxation-kind of a vacation from the vacation - before Dave went back to work today. 

It was a good decision. 

This am I ended up in urgent care with my silly foot. You know, from the first day at the lighthouse when it swelled up and hurt so bad I couldn't get it in any shoe? Well, I have had some severe pain since off and on. Yesterday, I drove to Target only two miles from our house and on the way home my foot was so painful I couldn't press on the brake or gas pedal without tears. I decided that was it. I needed to find out what was going on. 

After xrays and an appointment with a dr. who readily admitted to me she is not an expert in podiatry I was told she had no idea what was wrong and referred me to a specialist. That appointment is Nov 4. 

So, for the next two weeks I have to do some elevating, icing and taking it easy. I am not to drive but only around Verona, so I could easily pull over if I needed to in case my foot flares up like yesterday. As a person who likes to be on the move this will be a bit confining. But, I'll do it. Anything to figure this foot deal out. RRRR!!! But, what can I do but abide by the doctor's orders? 

That won't keep me from the three things I love to do-quilt, write and bake! So, I guess I'll live through the experience! 

Meanwhile, I'll keep you updated! 

The Quilter Cook 

Relaxing...Day 12

Relaxing...

Day 12

I went back and edited the previous few blogs so you are good to go if you want to reread them. I type very quickly and am notorious for skipping and repeating words. Some day maybe my fingers will catch up with my brain! 

Mr. Quilter Cook is off getting his photos and although I'm all packed and ready to head out, I am taking time to just RELAX. He can be kind of um...focused when it comes to accomplishing things on a list. So, he's in his zone when he has ten lighthouses and/or covered bridges to find and shoot in a day. He doesn't have ten this morning, but two in downtown Detriot (I hope he makes it back) and one bridge in the Greenfield Village here in Dearborn. 

I know many may be asking why in the world I'm not going to Greenfield Village. Well, remember way back to the first day at the lighthouse when I popped my hairline fractures in my foot from standing too long? Yep. Well, ever since I have only been able to wear my sandals for shoes. The Village is a total living history town which will require a lot of walking. I am not going to risk it if I can't even wear proper footwear. I really wanted to go, but alas not this time around. I also wanted to do the Henry Ford Museum and houses, but those are also off the table. 

Mr. Quilter Cook is hoping to sweet talk the officials into allowing him to snap a photo of their covered bridge and get out of there, but I think that's probably doubtful. It's pretty $$$ and meant to be an all day adventure, so it doesn't make sense to pay for me to go if I can't stay very long. Or walk. 

The good news is that I was able to get some great sleep last night! It feels good not to fumble around in the morning in a daze. It's a brand new day! Let's get going! 

But first, coffee...

So, once Mr. Quilter Cook returns we will be turning west on our journey back towards Wisconsin! 

 It sure seems like we've been gone a very long time! 

But, the blogging will continue so be sure to check in! 

The Quilter Cook 

I Need Sleep

I Need Sleep

Day 10 

Before I begin, let me apologize for some of my blogs not being edited before publishing. I have had spotty Internet since I left Madison and my goal is to just keep typing as long as I have a good signal. I'll go back and edit when I get a chance. So, bear with me. It's all good. I know I have some work to do. Thanks. 

We had a crazy day today! The car was packed and we were off by 7:30! Neither one of us have slept more than 4-5 hrs a night since we started this vacation so leaving early has not been a problem.   

 Our plan for the day was to circle the mitten of Michigan. Man, let me tell you. There's not much over there except a few small towns and a sprinkling of gas stations. I couldn't even find a coffee shop to buy some caffeine to go! It was nuts. I don't know how people live in such remote areas and survive. We once lived 25 miles from Walmart and let me tell you that was roughing it. Oh, plus there was NO JoAnn Fabrics either...so...just sayin...

Mr. Quilter Cook stopped at a few lighthouses that were way out in the water which meant the whole tripod experience and hiking out on a pier about a half mile away to capture the photos. My personal rule now is that if I hold up my cell phone and I can't see it even after I zoom in, forget it. Time to go back to my crossword puzzle. It's not worth my time. 

We also had a couple of fun experiences I'll share. One lighthouse. Port Sanilac Lighthouse just made my heart melt. It's the first one I've seen that's privately owned. There's a fence around it with a sign saying if you trespass on the property you are committing a federal offense, so I didn't try to challenge that warning. However, I did take some beautiful photos. I just thought how wonderful it would be to live in a sprawling Victorian with a tower attached to it next to the lake. Ahh...Well, I know for one thing I'd open it to the public a couple of Saturdays a month and on afternoons in the summertime. It's gorgeous. It's a shame to keep it all closed up.  

The government occasionally puts lighthouses up for auction that they want to sell. We actually looked into a couple a few months ago online. One looked kind of cool with a house, tower and some land. Then, we learned the land it sat on wasn't part of the deal. Ok, so let's figure that one out.  Hmm

Another one was in the middle of a lake. It had a house inside. And a rowboat. Well now, that sounded like too much fun for us. Can you imagine that? I say scratch that one off the list. 

The final jaunt of the day was the absolute best. We took a car ferry to Harsens Island, MI in search of some range lights and a tower. It was fun crossing the crystal blue Lake Huron and then cruising around in search of our lights. I took a couple of videos while we were there. I thought about how fun it would be living there also, but then we saw a guy dropping sandbags around his house foundation and thought....uh...nope. That would get old very fast. Plus, I don't like snakes. 

It was kind of cool being just shy of Canada. Too bad we didn't bring our passports along. We could've zipped over the bridge! However, Mr. Quilter Cook didn't share my enthusiasm. One time when our oldest son was 18 and Mr. Quilter Cook and his father were all on a trip here in Detroit, they ended up on the other side. They thought they'd just pop over and back. No big deal, right? Well, it wasn't a big deal until they wanted to COME BACK. They were held for questioning for some time before the officials could verify their identities. Oddly enough, Mr. Quilter Cook's mom and I were already IN Canada on our way to teach vacation bible school with LAMP missionaries. WE were smart enough to have OUR PASSPORTS with us. We sailed right on through both directions with no trouble. The guys were released...eventually. Mr. Quilter Cook and Matthew haven't been too hip on returning to Canada since. 

Tonight we are in a very nice Best Western outside of Detroit in Dearborn, MI. In the morning, Mr. Quilter Cook will take off to shoot photos of a covered bridge and two lighthouses in the area. I have decided to stay here at the hotel and just relax. I need a day to just take it easy. Later, we will make our way down to Niles, MI. He has an appointment to meet again with some people to shoot not a lighthouse, but another covered bridge in that area on Friday. 

I may blog in the am tomorrow but not sure. I am secretly thinking maybe I'll just watch tv and sip coffee in my pajamas and order room service! Shh...don't tell Mr. Quilter Cook...our little secret...

The Quilter Cook 

  

And Now...Back To Our Vacation Day 10

And Now...Back To Our Vacation

Day 10 

First of all, I hope if you are reading my blog tonight that you are safe if you are in Iowa. Doesn't look too good out there. Stay safe! 

Mr. Quilter Cook and I were up before dawn today and headed out before 8am from Mission Point Lighthouse. I stripped the Abe Lincoln twin beds and replaced our linens with those that covered the beds when we arrived. I wiped down the bathroom and did a quick clean of the kitchen. All this in preparation for the next Keepers that would be arriving only a few hours after our departure. 

It was strange to think that I felt a little sad to leave after all we had been through. I wanted to get going on our trip, but I wondered if ever we would return. Would we be Keepers? Probably not at Mission Point. But, we'd do it again IF everything was up front and clear about duties and expectations ahead of time. We will never us say we hated our experience. Yes, it was most certainly challenging at times, but in the end it was good. At times, very good to excellent!

Our first lighthouse today was in Tawas City, MI. It was majestic! There was a beautiful brick Keeper house with a huge tower attached to the side right on the bank of Lake Huron! Lovely. Unfortunately, it was closed as many are and will be on our trip, so I read the signs for history and info. They also have a residence Keeper program. I noticed right away there was nothing for about three miles in any direction. That truly would be very remote! 

The next was about thirty minutes south. I forgot the name and do not have the sheet we use for mapping the lights each day in the hotel room, but Mr. Quilter Cook was determined to get it photographed. It is not accessible by land and so he had to set up his tripod on a dead end road on the bank of Lake Huron and use his very long lens to capture it. Some of these lights are deserted like this and I'd move on down the list, but not him!  

The final stop was outside Frankenmuth, MI. Many months ago, Mr. Quilter Cook had to contact several people on the FRIENDS group to gain permission to get close to a very secluded lighthouse not open to the public. Apparently, it's now located on some corporate land and everyone else is considered to be trespassing unless accompanied by one of these FRIENDS of the project.

So, when we got to Frankenmuth, I was dropped off at Bronner's Christmas Store -awesome!- at 2:30pm and he went off to meet his contact for the lighthouse. We were to meet up again at 4:30pm, but he didn't show again until around 5pm. He not only had gained access to the property to photograph the lighthouse, but was let in and was able to climb two floors of the tower and see blueprints of the proposed revitalization plans! He was very excited. In addition, one of the photos he took will most certainly be on our living room lighthouse display wall very soon. 

We walked around downtown Frankenmuth, which I highly recommend to anyone traveling the area, and bought some fudge and toffee and then had dinner at Cracker Barrel and now are at our hotel. 

I can't tell you how glorious it is to sleep in a nice hotel again with a pool and hot tub. 

I mean, aren't we ON VACATION? 

But the best thing of all is that we have NOTHING TO DO except RELAX and TAKE A SWIM tonight! 

Off to Deerborn, MI area tomorrow! 

The Quilter Cook 

The Keepers Take A Day Off

The Keepers Take A Day Off 

Day 9

Conveniently enough, your day off is the day before you leave here. Oh well, we kind of are thinking of it as free lodging now after our busy week. 

We started our day at the gas station/convenience store/grocery store/deli for coffee. I already used up my whole bag of Biggby coffee from last week and thought hey, let's keep the other tightly sealed up in the Lock N Lock uncontaminated by various insects. 

Next, we took a leisurely drive down the peninsula to Traverse City, MI for breakfast at a place called The Flap Jack Shack. Honestly, I think The Jolly Pumpkin and this place used the same marketing firm when choosing a name for their restaurants! LOL  I am happy to say that the one time I had to cover my coffee cup over with my hand was not to keep the gnats out. It was my non-verbal way to tell the roaming coffee waitress that I just couldn't drink a fourth cup. I mean, it was only breakfast. I had to pace myself. 

We then made our way to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Just a heads up. It's a national park. You will pay through the nose to just drive through, which is what we thought we'd do...but my oh my were we in for a big surprise! It was absolutely spectacular! For those who are friends on my personal facebook, you've seen the photos and I'm sure agree with me. It's one of those scenic drive parks where you stop at the scenic overlooks. Basically is it a huge sand dune area. If you've been to the Indiana Dunes, this is BETTER! At one spot, we parked and hiked up a small hill and kept hearing this wind but didn't know where it was coming from and then when we reached the top of the boardwalk there were 50 mph winds! I couldn't hardly stand up straight. My time was limited. I snapped some shots and tiptoed back down the path in the rain that started blowing around. I took refuge in a pit toilet for shelter! Now, ANYONE who knows me is laughing their heads off. 

When I emerged, there came Dave down the hill with his camera in hand and we jumped in the KIA and got out of there. Soon enough, the winds calmed and all was well.For the first time in my life, I didn't even think twice of opening the door of a pit toilet and heading in! LOL

Later, we shopped in Glen Arbor, MI at Cherry Republic and had some lunch. It was so delicious! We also stopped in Cedar, MI and another small town that had a quilt shop. You may be shocked to hear it was my FIRST quilt shop stop the whole trip so far.

Finally, we made it back to Traverse City, MI and shopped at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Believe this or not, they revamped this gigantic old insane asylum into shops and condos. It's a little creepy to me but from the outside from what they've done looks remarkable. On the inside along the bottom floor they have made little unique shops. I didn't really get a great vibe from this place. There were photos of the old place, pictures of patients...I don't know. I couldn't work there. It really was weird to me. In addition, who would buy a condo at an old insane asylum? NOT ME, thanks. I wouldn't sleep a wink! Oh, so to top it off they give tours of old tunnels that are you guessed it...HAUNTED! Mr. Quilter Cook was all excited to sign up to go, too. But unfortunately, the tours are two hours long and the next one starts tomorrow at 10am. Too bad. Besides, I just didn't know how he was going to get all the way back to the lighthouse afterwards. I sure wasn't sticking around that long! NOPE. Not there. There's an eerie feeling about the place. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

By that time, it was time to get back home again. On the way, we visited a winery and had some dinner. Upon our return, we have packed our stuff as much as possible in the car and prepared for our departure at 8am.  We have a schedule to keep and 6 lighthouses to visit tomorrow!

Oh, I can't close tonight before reporting to my son Mark Mossner that I CLIMBED TO THE TOWER! (Please note, for clarification I DID NOT say I climbed INTO the tower), but I poked my head up inside. It still counts.

We also spent some time on the beach since we had it all to ourselves. We said goodbye to our little spot on Lake Michigan and the lighthouse. It's a bit sad and I really wanted to do something in appreciation for the week.

So, I grabbed my trusty straw broom and swept down the steps of the lighthouse, down to the beach and the boardwalk one last time.

We can't leave the place looking shabby now, can we?

This experience will not be forgotten. Which reminds me. I get to write our story in the OFFICIAL logbook of the lighthouse tonight.

It will be my honor.

The Quilter Cook

P.S. Stay with us on the vacation by checking the blog! We have many more adventures before we return to Madison on Saturday! 

The Last Full Day Part 2 Day 8

The Last Full Day Part 2 

Day 8

I'd be lying to all of you if I told you I wasn't kind of happy and relieved to be done with our gig here at the lighthouse. It's been fun, interesting and I have to say challenging. I met over 1500 people in less than a week and talked personally to around 1479. That's a lot of conversions! However, it's time to keep this vacation moving along. 

Tonight, I'm sitting here with Mr. Quilter Cook as we munch on supper. We are enjoying some Stouffer's pizza bread and might end with some Milk Duds for dessert. I have just enough food to get us to Tuesday morning when we leave what we are now calling our Passion Project. 

So, if you read my earlier blog from today and saw the volunteer hours equaling 120 for the week collectively, I thought I'd explain myself. Here's how it adds up: 

Each Morning beginning at around 7am - Before Opening

* sweeping walks, steps down to beach and to parking lot and around log cabin on property 

*weeding flower gardens, watering the million half-whiskey barrels full of plants

*digging junk out of cigarette pails filled with sand around property and beach

*cleaning the huge commercial rugs for lighthouse and sidewalk before opening, pulling them off the fence from overnight and before replacing them on sidewalks and in lighthouse, sweeping areas clean

*cleaning grounds in general and unlocking gates 

*performing general household chores to perfection inside lighthouse just in case manager had a meeting in living quarters - which ironically never seemed to transpire

*Clean tower windows inside and out and re-sweep and vacuum any sand that had accumulated overnight on the steps leading up to the tower. 

*Start videos throughout visitor areas
*Count down starting cash for register, set up SQUARE Point of Sale system for the day, sign in online with manager to prove you didn't run away during the night.
*sweep down gift shop and entrance and museum on first floor once again
* Do a quick dusting of items in shop
*Hang flag and open sign at EXACTLY 10am.

10am-5pm  Gift Shop Duties 

*greeting visitors: smiles, smiles, smiles! 

*sharing history of lighthouse

*policing who goes up to tower and that they have paid for the ticket

*working register/Square POS system

* keeping inventory full 

*fetching tshirts, sweatshirts and etc. from wherever they may be stored...including the Captain Hook cellar 

*answering phone, giving winery and dining suggestions 

*Saying "I'm sorry, I do not know the answer to your question. I'm a volunteer light keeper for the week from Madison." Then, going into the whole spiel about the Keeper program.
*Watch to make sure things are going ok on the beachfront and that no pop-up weddings or artist groups have decided they will be squatters for the day. No weddings with chairs or over 5 total people allowed on grounds and artists may paint of course, but not in groups of more than three at a time, due to space. (Honestly, there WAS a wedding. We have photos. It was a beautiful bride in vintage lace and a serviceman in full Coast Guard dress uniform. We let it go. Good grief.)

After Hours Duties 

*Closing all the gates at EXACTLY 5pm

*Sweeping entire lighthouse down by hand ( I don't mean a broom. It's a real hand brush) as instructed by manager. See Tuesday's blog for full detailed instructions.

*Vacuuming between all cracks of wooden floor planks to suck up the sand. Supposedly, you couldn't run the vacuum over the cracks. The manager insisted EACH crack be done individually. Well, we ran the vacuum over it and had the same results, so there you go.( *Edit note: We found it interesting that when we were gone on our day off and the mgr. took over...no after duties were performed at all and the cracks were FULL of sand.)

*Washing tower windows with Windex and a rag, then sweeping with hand brush and vacuuming the tower area down. 

*Sweep all the walks, steps and pathways to parking lot - to and from the 1/4 mile from lighthouse (!) and down to the beach-again (probably your 15th time of the day) I used this as an excuse to get out of the gift shop every 90 min or so and talk with people outside. But I did work up a few blisters to prove I did actual sweeping as well.
*Windex all interior windows throughout lighthouse - not just the gift shop. All of them.

*Lock the log cabin AFTER you wash the exterior windows of lighthouse and cabin. Then, sweep all the visitor areas around the cabin to parking lot.
*Check inside the six porta potties for....well...whatever. We didn't have to clean them so we decided we didn't need to look inside them either. That was an executive decision on our part. If cleaning those were part of the so-called duties--that was the line in the sand for us. But alas, it all worked out. The cleaning company came each morning early around 6 and took care of those. We had enough to do.

In our free time, we also did the following:

*Cut grapevine leaves crowding steps to the beach 

*Cut out all dead hosta shoots around property

So, I lied. I guess that it was about 141 hours we volunteered in the last week. 

Tomorrow, we start our vacation FROM our vacation in Traverse City, MI! WE ARE OFF FOR THE DAY and leaving by 9am to RELAX! 

Tuesday, there is a tour bus coming in at 9:30. The manager and a local volunteer will cover it. So, we were asked to please be out by 9am. 

They'll need our parking space.  

The Quilter Cook 

  

The Last Full Day Part 1 Day 8

The Last Full Day  Part 1 

Day 8

September 22. 2019

No blog last night! Nope. Mark and Jenna ( our youngest son and his wife) surprised us yesterday afternoon! I was waiting on customers and happened to look out onto the sidewalk and there they were! The gift shop was full of people and yelled out the window "There's Mark and Jenna Mossner!" Everyone kind of looked at me for a moment, then I said "Hey, they are our kids." Then, the murmur returned to normal. 

Unfortunately, the kids had to wait until we completed our light keeping chores after work before we could go anywhere for dinner. We had a huge day!347 visitors in 7 hours. Whew. That was A LOT of talking all day. The sand? Well, I probably don't have to dwell on the amount of sand we had to keep up on all day on the sidewalk and inside the lighthouse. Mr. Quilter Cook focused on the vacuuming and I did the close out on the register till and luckily we both were done around 6 pm so not too bad. We couldn't just leave it until later. Here, you do what you gotta do. 

We didn't eat at The Jolly Pumpkin restaurant either. By the time we got there, it was packed and the wait too long so we drove down into Traverse City. After Mark's scenic tour of the downtown and protesting from the peanut gallery in the backseat (aka Jenna and Mom) he drove until we found an Olive Garden. It was delightful! I have to say that Jenna's husband training is coming along very nicely.

This am we are both a bit ragged and tired and hoping that the rain that moved in overnight and now forecast to remain ALL DAY will keep some visitors away. Not that we don't want to see them, but to be honest it's the sand. LORD HAVE MERCY! I just don't want to imagine all that crunching  and sliding around with the wet sand all day on the historic wood plank floors. Not to mention the clean-up. Rrrr...but whatever. 

IT'S OUR LAST FULL DAY! We work in the shop 10-5, then OFF tomorrow and then will do a short stint on Tuesday for an hour or so again in the shop and adios. It's been fun, but time to move onto new adventures! After Tuesday, it was great! But we aren't planning to open a retail shop of our own and by the time we leave collectively we will have worked over 120 hours total. Add that to the $200 fee we PAID for the joy of it all and yeah...we've done our job here.

This am we are quickly driving the  7 miles to the gas station/convenience store/deli/restaurant corner to pick up some stuff for lunch and supper. We decided we are doing our move out work tonight- you guessed it--CLEANIING so it's done for Tuesday. Also, with the storms we probably won't want to go anywhere for dinner. 

Tune in tonight! 

The Quilter Cook  

A Bump In The Night

A Bump In The Night 

AM-Day 8

September 21, 2019

It was a dark and non-stormy night at the lighthouse...when all of a sudden CRASH! BOOM! 

We both sat up straight in bed. It was around 2am, so this woke us from a sound sleep. We both sat there a moment and tried to identify what just happened.

You can probably guess the first thing that went through MY mind...

"Well, here we go...it was a good non-ghostly run until..." I started. 

"Oh, good grief. It's not a ghost." Mr. Quilter Cook tends to be a little snarky upon waking first thing. 

" Didn't you say you had orbs in your photos earlier today?" I decided that it was 2am and there was no better time to get to the bottom of the matter. 

"Yes, but...forget it." He rolled over and went back to sleep like most rational people would do.

But not me. I waited for more paranormal activity. Would I suddenly feel cold, would I see an old light keeper before me? Would orbs begin swirling in front of me in the dark? Hmm...I waited...I waited...nothing. 

The next thing I knew, I was waking up.

 It was 6:15 am. I rolled out of my Abe Lincoln bed and walked into the kitchen to make coffee. Getting up out of those beds are more fun than getting in.Especially when you are half asleep and caffeine deprived.

"I found your ghost. The rack we switched in the gift shop fell down. Sorry to disappoint you." Mr. Quilter Cook was quite proud of his finding. Again, a rational explanation can be found. Naturally, he was up before me to investigate and explain this all calmly and without emotion. Uh huh. He  could have just as easily popped that shelf off himself and produced the so-called evidence.

Upstairs, we have a museum display about one of the light keepers who committed suicide. He jumped off some steam ship and drown himself out in Lake Michigan. It's my guess he also got tired of all the vacuuming after hours and tossed in the towel.

Could it be he doesn't like the new display? Hmmm....I'll keep you posted. 

Have a great day! 

I'll blog tonight! 

The Quilter Cook 

Rhonda and the Sausage King of Chicago PM Day 7

Rhonda and The Sausage King of Chicago

PM- Day 7

September 20,2019 

So, a guy walks into a lighthouse....

Yeah, it started out just like that. Except he was walking up the sidewalk when we spotted him. Mr. Quilter Cook noticed him first and said "Look! A Ferris Bueller tshirt!"

 SAVE FERRIS was across the front. Really, it was TOO EASY, folks. TOO EASY....

*For those of you who are wondering to what I'm referring, please consider checking out the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off from the library.  It's an iconic movie flick from the 80's where a kid does everything in his power to make the most of a day skipped from school. Watch it, then reread the blog.

Ok, so I can hear the rest of you calling out to me in Mr. Lorensax's voice from the movie "FERRIS? FERRIS BUELLER?" Let's get on with my story. 

So, the guy with the tshirt and his wife (?) came strolling up the sidewalk, opens the door and walks into the lighthouse. They wander around a bit looking at displays talking quietly among themselves. When they enter the gift shop, Mr. Quilter Cook nudges me and says don't say it...don't say it. I couldn't resist. It was killing me. Killing me! 

"Please sign our register. It's not everyday we get THE SAUSAGE KING OF  CHICAGO visiting the lighthouse!" I was very excited. Mr. Quilter Cook was very excited-or excited to shut me up, I'm not 

sure. 

It was then, the guy in the tshirt looks at me like a deer in headlights! "WHAT?" he asked. He was obviously CLUELESS! 

"You know, like in the movie? FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF? The Sausage King of Chicago?" 

He just didn't get it. Then, with a strong FRENCH accent, he asks "Who is this Ferris Booler?"

OMG. REALLY? You're wearing THAT TSHIRT and have to ask? (No, I didn't say that out loud.)

So, he signed his name. Yep, from FRANCE. He said he didn't know this Ferris. Was he a sick man? 

Honestly people...I just didn't know WHERE to begin...LOL 

About an hour later I was sweeping sand around outside on the walk trying to look busy and ran across a fun group of people FROM CHICAGO! I told them the story and they about died laughing! 

One guy said that he'd have offered money on the spot for that tshirt! 

******

We have only two more full days here. Sat and Sun. So far, we have had people from Italy, England, South Africa, Australia, Germany, Canada and France besides all the folks from the good 'ole USA. 

I wonder who will walk through our doors tomorrow?  We shall see! 

Think I'm going to read a bit. Ha! Read! Imagine that. 

Lights Out- 

The Quilter Cook  

Happy Birthday, Mr. Quilter Cook! AM- Day 7

Happy Birthday, Mr. Quilter Cook! 

AM-Day 7

September 20,2019

This morning Mr. Quilter Cook is off on his first bike ride of the trip! He's restless waiting for the sun to come up over the horizon so he can take off. We are on eastern time zone here so the sun takes it's lazy time to get things moving for the morning shift. He plans to ride a couple hours, but be back by 9am-because as you know...we have light keeper duties around here before we open. 

On my facebook page, The Quilter Cook Friends and Family Page, I have posted pictures of the many many gardens I tend to each morning. I suspect that the previous Keepers didn't do this, as my first go around to dehead petunias and etc. was very extensive. But, now I have them all under control and thankfully it rained last night so I do not have to do the water bucket brigade today. For this, I am very thankful. * If you are not a member of my page above, just type it into the bar on facebook to join. I don't add everyone to my personal facebook page under my full name unless I do indeed know you by name. But on the Quilter Cook Page, we're all friends.

 I don't think I told you too much yet about our Keeper Quarters. Imagine an Air B&B or a cabin you might rent for a week at a modest resort and that would be it. I think I posted some pics, but I will check. In the meantime, let me share a little about our sleeping quarters. 

In the bedroom of the Keeper Quarters we have two twin beds which I am sure is to make sure it works for everyone who comes to stay. Well, I have to say they are very nice and comfy but I am telling you someone must have bought them from Abe Lincoln Overstock.com. Mr. Quilter Cook and I are both around 5'8 and standing next to them, the top of the mattress goes up to my waist! It's crazy trying to get into bed. I have to do kind of a sideways lop and grab the edge of the mattress on the opposite side and roll up onto it. It's pretty hilarious! We have had quite a few laughs over this. Now, we are of average height. How in the world someone of smaller stature would get in and out is beyond us! Maybe there is a little set of mini steps somewhere? We have no idea. 

They do offer a sleep bed option which doubles as the sofa. Yeah...I wouldn't recommend that at all. It's not even level or comfy to sit on. I wouldn't want to endure the back pain from it the next day!

Still fighting the Michigan fruit flies (aka GNATS) today. For the first time, they greeted us in our bathroom instead of the kitchen. Hmm. We suspect they are just coming through the screens. They are so tiny it would not be hard for them at all. I ended up putting my coffee beans in the freezer because they were sitting all over my tightly sealed bag yesterday just waiting for their chance to indulge. I am guessing I have ingested more of these critters than I care to know about by this time. 

Mr. Quilter Cook found a live fly (a real black kind) under a leaf of his lettuce in his salad at lunch yesterday just hanging out. Gross. 

As I may have mentioned before...I'm not a camper or a glamper. This is roughing it for me. 

I'm a quilter, baker, writer gal. That's it. Plus, I wasn't made for hard labor. That's for sure.

Ok, time to get moving for Day 4 of our adventure at the lighthouse! 

The Quilter Cook 

Thank You for Your Service Evening Day 6

Thank You for Your Service 

Day 6 

September 19, 2019 

We were told on Tuesday that regardless on how many people are lined up on the boardwalk outside the gate, we are not to open until exactly 10am. Usually, by 9am there are people milling about the property, trying to look in windows from a distance with camera lens or they are out there jiggling the gate which is obviously locked trying to get in. I guess we are lighthouse celebrities this week! LOL

This morning, there were not too many in line compared to yesterday. In fact, by 10:15 am on Wed we had over $100 in sales already. Today, it kind of trickled along until about 10:30 and so we thought maybe it would be a slower day. Nope! We had over 350 visitors in 7 hrs. Holy Moly! They just kept coming! It was a little nutsy, but fun nonetheless. 

One of the couples that came in during one of our slower times in late afternoon stood out for both myself and Mr. Quilter Cook. They walked in and we did our usual spiel about the lighthouse. They came over to the register and wrote their names in the guest book and requested two tickets to the tower for $4 each. Immediately, Mr. Quilter Cook noticed his IRAQ VETERAN cap and said "No charge." The man looked confused. We said no charge for military-active and vets and their families. He just stood there amazed. He then gave us a $5 for his wife. "Nope. She's free also." They both just were so surprised it was kind of neat to see their expressions. 

Then the man said "You know, I retired during the IRAQ war, but I was in Vietnam. When I came home we were spit on. Nobody cared about what we had done. Nobody. You just don't know how it touches me that there are still folks out there who respect the military service. You just don't know." I thought for a moment he might cry, but he didn't. 

The couple then went up to the tower and came back down and put a generous donation in our box next to the register. " Thank you, once again. Your kindness will not be forgotten." They both shook our hands and waved goodbye and walked out the door. 

There was something in that act of kindness on behalf of this lighthouse association that I think will return to this lighthouse tenfold. I can't say when or what or where...but I have a feeling about it. I probably will never even know when or if something transpires, but it was nice to feel like today we made someone's life better than it was when they walked in. That's all the pay a volunteer ever needs.

Other happenings: A big schooner sailed by today. It was beautiful sailing along the horizon. I saw it again tonight when I went out for a bit after supper and stopped by a nearby convenience store to try to find a birthday cake for the husband. No such luck, but the schooner was worth it. It was anchored in a harbor nearby. How neat. The masts were fully open and it was quite majestic!

I also discovered a REAL general store. It looks like it came right out of the 1930's inside and out. I can't wait to take Mr. Quilter Cook there tomorrow night when we get done. He'll love it. It's in full operation and everything. There's a huge wooden barrel full of root beer with a spigot. The gal there was filling a jug for someone. It was awesome! 

So far, we've met all kinds of people from here in the USA, but also folks from England, Italy, Germany ( a lot from there) and South Africa! Yep, South Africa! 

Mr. Quilter Cook and I have realized we only have three more full days and we are done. On Monday, we are off for the whole day and we leave by noon on Tuesday, so that doesn't really count. 10am-noon flies by. We will be swarmed with people the first two hours if we even have to do anything. When we arrived the keepers were leaving as we arrived before 11. We have six lighthouses of our own on the list to see that day, so an early departure would be appreciated. 

Well, that's it from here. BTW, I'm getting absolutely NO cross stitch or reading done. I can't believe it. I thought I'd have nothing but time on my hands. Boy, was I wrong about that!! LOL

Lights Out--

The Quilter Cook 

Sunrise....Sunset Morning Day 6

Sunrise...Sunset 

Day 6 

September 19,2019 

Good Morning from Old Mission, Michigan! I am unsure whether people say "Top of the mitten to 'ya!" here, but they should. It would make a great magnet for our gift shop. Believe it or not, they are the biggest sellers. Postcards are next followed by t-shirts. Usually the ones on display are too small and we have to go down into the creepy basement to dig larger sizes out of a box. ewww...

It's been warm and sunny since we arrived. The gift shop has a window that opens onto the view of the beach and water. Yesterday I couldn't wait to go wading, but couldn't because we had to go to dinner. Usually, by the time we are done with our duties we are pretty tired. It was enough to sit with a warm mug of coffee on the steps of the lighthouse at sunset. 

My children will laugh when they read that we finally have figured out how to turn on the tv. There was some issue with the multi faceted controllers when we arrived and on Tuesday night we were too tired to care to figure it out. But, last night Mr. Quilter Cook had gone long enough without his sports channels and before I knew it we had cable! It's amazing how that happens sometimes. 

Oh, so going back to the first paragraph where I mentioned that it was warm. Before we came, we were warned about how COLD it was going to be up here. So, I ran out and bought flannel sheets, packed the warmer Fall clothes. I'd like to personally thank all my friends for their advice, however it has been in the mid 80's since we arrived! Every night we do a load of laundry to wash our ONE SET of summer clothes so we can wear them the next. I have two lighthouse tshirts I am rotating with the ONE pair of summer crop pants. I have switched from tennis shoes to my sandals also. They are the only shoes I can wear by mid afternoon when my wonky foot swells up. But whatever. It's fine. I am thankful we have a nice washer and dryer on the main floor of our keeper quarters that we can use. 

I think as some point someone will need to explain the difference between fruit flies and gnats. What you have here Michigan people are GNATS. I don't know why you think otherwise. They are pesky little stinkers who love my coffee and I'd just like to say that I'd love to take a sip before they do one of these mornings! Just one day before we leave would be nice. Yes, I know the tricks to trapping them but they are just going to be here, regardless.

So, anyhoo if anyone out there wants to drive over here this weekend let us know! However, we work both days and with after duties not done until around 6 ish. We are off on Monday though-ALL DAY! Traverse City is the destination. There are some used book stores I'd to see and some Biggby Coffee stores that need my business. Any visitors who come this weekend will get to go to the Jolly Pumpkin for dinner! 

Time to fish out the gnats from my morning coffee and get moving. I have jobs to do before we open!

I'll blog tonight! 

The Quilter Cook 

What A Difference A Day Makes! Evening Day 5

What A Difference A Day Makes! 

Evening Day 5

September 18, 2019

So, 24 hours after I wrote the snarky blog last night I'm feeling great! We had a fabulous day! I got up and decided today was going to be a new day and that's exactly what it was. 

We opened the lighthouse at 10am on the dot, put out the flag and hung the OPEN sign and we were in business. Within 10 minutes we had close to 40 visitors. Our count today was in the 300's total and boy, were we busy. All day. 

So far we have had visitors from the U.S. of course, but also from Italy, Germany and South Africa. It's very cool when these international couples come in. They look all around and read everything on the museum displays. Next, they can't wait to climb to the tower! Whereas, the Americans in the crowd tend to poke around a bit and then hem and haw about spending the $4 to take the trip upstairs. 

I have a confession to make and that is that I have yet to go all the way up to the tower. Surprise, surprise! It's only 37 steps to the top but there's a glitch. You have two very steep flights of steps made to specifications of the 1800's, then the last few steps are ladder-like where you pull yourself up through a hole in the floor to reach the tower. Now, do you think that's happening with me? Uh, that would be a no. My legs start shaking just short of the second floor already. That's where I hit the END button. Yes, I DID sign on the line saying I was physically able to go to the top. If I  had to in a crisis, I probably would. But Mr. Quilter Cook is willing and spry. He can do it. 

Speaking of Mr. Quilter Cook, he's getting pretty good at cleaning windows! In the morning, he has to go up to the tower and wipe all the glass windows clean, and do it again at noon and at night after closing. Then he goes over to the log cabin on the property and cleans those on the outside. So, hey there you go. I have a husband who does windows. How cool is that? It only took almost 35 years!

While he's doing that, I'm working on my own assistant light keeper duties. I have pre-blisters on the palms of my hands from sweeping sand off the floors and down the steps to the beach. I went out four times today and swept. I can't complain. I talked to a lot of folks while I was out there. The thing is that the steps to the beach are built into a sand dune. Hmm...let's do the math there. Whatever. It's an excuse to get out of the lighthouse every couple of hours and I look busy while I chat. 

I'm not crazy about the after work duties whatsoever, but they are necessary.Tonight we got all that silly vacuum work done in about 45 minutes.I never particularly cared to vacuum and this is kind of a personal trial of patience for me. I do it, but I secretly am hoping the vacuum breaks every night and can't be repaired until after we are gone. I would rather sweep.

 Later, we went out for dinner at a restaurant nearby called The Jolly Pumpkin. With a name like that, you just have to go! It was fun. Later we took a drive along the water. So beautiful. The scenery is just gorgeous around here. Wineries, roadside fruit and veggie stands and orchard stands line every road. It doesn't get prettier than this, folks. We are here until Tuesday high noon. Stay in Traverse City (Howard Johnson's was awesome! ) and let us know when you are coming. We are done with our duties around 6 pm each evening. We'll give you the nickel lighthouse tour and we can all go to dinner afterwards.

We hope that the trainer doesn't come by tomorrow. We did just fine on our own today and would like to continue our routine. We brought in $1300 in 7 hours in the gift shop in cash purchases. I don't know what the credit card total was since it was on the Square. The trainer monitors it from her office throughout the day. But it was a lot.Plus, the till came out even on the first count. Ha!  

I have to say that talking to people is the best part of the job. Every conversation is like meeting a new friend. We are busy from 10-5 straight through and that keeps the day moving along.

At sunset, I wish I'd had my phone camera with me. When we returned from dinner, Mr. Quilter Cook put on his swim trunks and walked down to the beach with his camera and took pictures of the lighthouse by standing waist-deep in the water! He also took photos of me sitting with my coffee on the steps of the lighthouse at Sunset.

The Lord has most certainly had a hand in bringing us here.

He knew I'd be tested, but gave me the strength to work through it to see His reward in the end.

This experience I will take with me the rest of my life...

Lights Out--

The Quilter Cook 

A Morning Note Day 5

A Morning Note 

Day 5

By around 10pm my feet calmed down and I could walk across the room again. Holy moly. I can get a bit snarky when I'm in pain like last night so let's hope we can keep that to a minimum the next five days. 

The bottom line is that I am not a follower type. I'm not a snob or think I know everything before I start here at the lighthouse, but really. Come on. 

Ok, so new day and new attitude. The trainer returns before opening this morning at 10am. There's a contractor meeting here in the keeper quarters at 10:30 to discuss some renovation project they have going. I have seen the proposed picture. Looks good. If I ever find my phone again I'll take a picture of what they currently have. There's a strange set-up for the basement. It kind of looks like Captain Hook designed it to hold his captives before making them walk the plank. 

So, here we go. Mr. Quilter Cook and I will be happy when we are off on our own to run the lighthouse. I'll let you know how it goes tonight. So, stay tuned. 

We have no tv or cell phone signal so don't bother trying to text or call. WIFI is it. So I have nothing to do but read, cross stitch and blog in the evenings. Ok, after the closing duties. LOL. So, I'll be back to blog frequently.

Oh, by the way, thanks for allowing me to vent last night. Light keeping isn't for whimps. This may toughen me up. 

The Quilter Cook

This morning I have light keeper wife duties...yes, I know. but we're playing along here remember?
On the list:
REsweep the front walks, boardwalks, picnic areas and clean up and wipe down all picnic tables.
Clean out the cigarette butt can down on beach if anything except the butts are inside. (Ok...let's think that over for a moment...)
Shake outside rugs (there are 3 gigantic commercial ones) and bring back inside and lay out on sidewalk as the day before.

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

Morning Duties: (From the days when Mission Point Lighthouse was in operation)

Light keeper Only: ( After evening and before opening. He's also been up carrying oil up and down the steep steps to lamp in tower and on watch all night )
Walk property and inspect area for trash
Unlock gates at appropriate time.

Light keeper's Assistant (Yeah, the WIFE after she makes breakfast, cleans the house, gets the kids organized after also being up in the night carrying hot oil up to the lamp in the tower....)

Morning Gardening Chores '
Feed chickens or other animals allowed on property
Prepare lighthouse by sweeping, dusting and other duties as assigned for visitors

Assist as needed with light keeper chores as directed.

**********

Directed? I have an issue with that one. Mr. Quilter Cook knows better than to even have a facial expression over that last one.

Until tonight! Enjoy your day!

We're Keepers! Day 4

We're Keepers! 

Day 4

September 17, 2019

It's been quite the day here at Mission Point Lighthouse! 

Our day started back in Traverse City. We got up late, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at our very nice hotel and then packed up and drove to Meijer for our last minute supplies. Oh, I guess I should mention that we stopped at Biggby Coffee first. I filled my big thermal cup and bought a half pound of ground coffee, because you know...I was there already. Never mind I have about a pound and a half of coffee already ground in my supply box. 

Early in the morning I had made a list of what we needed to buy at the last minute to bring up. It went something like this...bread, milk, eggs, butter...you know the drill. Mr. Quilter Cook asked me how much I thought it might cost and did I think he needed some more cash? Hmm.. Well, I had thought maybe about $30, you know, give or take. I had already packed a ton of stuff already. 

We both had a plan when we walked through the doors and each took a cart and we were off. We met up about 20 minutes later and let me tell you I could see that we had surpassed the $30 by a longshot. 

Oh well, I guess we aren't driving back into town for as many meals as we thought during the next week! 

It was around 11:30 when we arrived at the lighthouse. Ginger, our trainer said to go ahead and unpack the car and settle in. Afterwards, we reported to the gift shop, which is through a magic door from our living quarters. Speaking of, we have a living room, bedroom, bathroom with a washer/dryer, dining room and kitchen. Not bad. Not great, but not bad either. 

So, from 11:30-5pm, we basically stood in the same spot on the floor watching her do transactions on a Square point of sale ipad. Yes, standing. No sitting, no break. If there is something I cannot tolerate is WATCHING someone do something telling me to punch this or that button and assuming as I WATCH them I know what they are doing. Really, it about made me crazy. Truth be told, it was that whole "first day on the job" jitters that was getting to me I suppose. 

 I thought I would die from arthritic pain before the day was over. We took charge now and then and when she had her hour lunch break.She offered us no break the entire day. 

 I am writing this tonight from a pain scale of about 8 with swollen and painful joints and feet (the swelling popped two former hairline fractures in one of my feet-so I'm not really happy right now).

I understand that this gal does this job herself all day at times but it's totally a different experience for volunteers not used to standing like this. Training should have consisted of some kind of movement, walking around, sitting at the table while some other volunteer she called came and covered the gift shop. You don't expect people to just stand there like that. It was totally stupid in my opinion. I started wondering how fast I could repack the car a few times. Mr. Quilter Cook saw my frustration and gave me the "cool your jets, she'll be out of our hair tomorrow..." look more than once or twice.

At 5pm, we locked the gates around the lighthouse and beach and the fun began. Yes, we checked the tower for people first. After counting down and balancing the till we performed real light keeper duties. They included:

1)  Securing all outside buildings for the night. 

2)  Walking the grounds and picking up trash. 

3) Sweeping the tower from sand and rounding it into a pile and then vacuuming it up. 

4) Sweeping with a hand brush all the sand from the other two stairwells on each step. This was done by brushing  it into the wall on each step and forming a pile. Then, with the vacuum sucking up each of those little piles of sand one step at a time. 

5) Sweeping all rooms in visitor areas with straw broom. Then gathering that sand into a pile on the floor and sucking that up with...you guessed it -the vacuum again.  

6) Finally, then vacuuming up between each wooden plank along the floors in each room. Sand gathers quickly from people walking from the beach and into the lighthouse so there is A LOT OF SAND in those crevices!  

7)Then we washed the big windows up in the tower with Windex and a rag.
8) Finally, we had to sweep all the steps, boardwalk and property that people walk on all the way from the lighthouse to the beach, and pick up and hang all of our rugs outside along the wooden fence that surrounds the property as we went along. Our trainer said that if the sand makes the steps unusable, we'll need to go the garage and get the snow shovel and shovel it off to clear it.
(I'm thinking we find a toddler with a shovel and a plastic bucket and let them go to town! But, hey that's just me.) 

By then, it was 6:30pm. I was so exhausted I was asking myself why in the world WE PAID FOR THIS AS A VACATION?? Who out there thought we were crazy and didn't tell me? lol  

Thank goodness we planned supper here tonight. I dug out an old cookie sheet from the kitchen cupboard and turned it upside down and used it as a pan for our frozen pizza. No pizza cutter either. So, I used a paring knife to cut pieces and I'm happy to report I didn't need the first aid kit pulled out of the supply box. 

After dinner, we went out the beach. It took me some time, but I did it. My foot will no longer fit in my shoe, so that could be an issue for tomorrow. I'm praying the swelling goes down overnight and my foot stops throbbing. I just finally told myself to suck it up. You are on a beach! GET OUT THERE! And, so I did.

I'm sure tomorrow will be better. Our trainer is coming back for opening at 10am. I'm excited. The second she leaves, I'm pulling out a bar stool from the living quarters and sitting on that while we work. If she has an issue, oh well. I can't stand for 7 hours. That's it. 

The curious thing here is that standing for that amount of time is NOT in the job description and I have a real issue with that as a former professional volunteer coordinator. According to federal regulations you must list ALL duties in detail that you require for both paid and non-paid employees/volunteers for a non-profit and expectations and any physical requirements for the job. Period. 

However, please readers....take tonight's blog from a standpoint of my pain and exhaustion. I have every reason to believe that this will turn out just fine. I'll be better in the morning. 

So, no worries. It's all good... or it will be. I'm not a quitter. Ok, I've had my moments but this will not be one of them.  

Lights out at the lighthouse! (That's for darn sure! I'm pooped!) 

The Quilter Cook xoxoxo

We Made It To Traverse City! Day 3

 September 16, 2019

We Made It To Traverse City!

Day 3

Truth be told it’s only 48 miles from our last night’s hotel to where we are tonight in Traverse City. However, we decided that it would be more fun to take the 267 mile detour instead of using that rational reasoning that the straightest distance between two points is a straight line. Or, in our case taking a left hand turn on the highway in Mackinaw City and driving directly here.

I will say I was impressed with the lighthouse offerings that Mr. Quilter Cook had planned for the day. There was only one of those metal range lights on tower legs to deal with, although it was a 40 mile detour of it’s own. Luckily, it was located in a municipal parking lot which just happened to have a Dairy Queen on the corner. Problem solved. No crossword puzzle or book reading for me—I hopped out and bought myself a cherry-dipped vanilla cone. Ah, one of my personal treats which I cannot and do not allow myself m very often.

Tonight I really have to get going on memorizing the packet on the history of Mission Point Lighthouse. I’ve read it many times but didn’t memorize any dates and names. I’ll come up with a short and long story and read the expression on the faces of our guests to determine interest levels before chatting away.

At one of the lighthouses today I spoke with a lady volunteering in the gift shop. She’s been there for three years and gave us some sound advice for the upcoming week.

1)      Try to act amused when you hear the question “Where’s the elevator?” for the millionth time. I am used to that. With a name like Rhonda, try to guess how many times idiots have walked up to me and starting singing in my face the song "Help Me Rhonda". Uh, yeah. Not amusing. 

2)      Advise tourists to wear stable shoes and not flip-flops when going up and down the tower. Although we expect this time of year our main visitors will be retired folks, it's still worth keeping an eye out for carelessness. 

3)      Try to count heads so at the end of the day you know how many are still up in the tower so you don’t  lock anyone up there. Why is it that I see me doing this? Then, in the middle of the night I start hearing voices yelling off in the distance….”help me…” “get me out of here”…and thinking it’s just the ghost of a dead light keeper I roll back over and go to sleep? Hmm…I’d better put Mr. Quilter Cook in charge of counting the guests for good measure.

4)      She also advised that we keep close watch of the operation hours. Open at exactly 10 am, regardless of lines and gnashing of teeth and put the closed sign in the window at exactly 5pm, warning guests that the last trip to the tower will begin at 4:45pm or we could potentially be there until 8pm.

It all sounds like great advice. We will see what works for us.

Tonight, we’re both a little antsy about tomorrow. I am thinking of heading to the hot tub and balancing my history packet in front of me while I make mental notes. Hey, I see people do this all the time in Madison at my health club. I haven’t seen anything drop into the steamy water yet.

Of course, there is always a first time. So, just in case I’ll keep Mr. Quilter Cook’s copy dry back in the room. You just never know…

*So, for a bit of housekeeping on my website. Until today I was unaware that a warning about my site being restricted has been popping up on some of your screens when you click on my link. Who knew? Mr. Quilter Cook will get that straightened out tonight so you can feel good about passing my link onto your friends. So, no worries that Homeland Security is coming after you. It’s a glitch on my end we can easily fix.

Also, please ignore small editing issues. I am usually typing this late at night and we are off and running before 6 am. When I have a chance, I’ll go back and edit. Thanks.

Ok, I really need to get started on my homework…or go to dinner. I like that idea much better!

I won’t say lights out tonight. I may have an all-nighter ahead of me yet. But then again, how much really could have happened there in 50 years? Well, there was one light keeper who jumped off the side of a ship and drown himself after a vacation so he wouldn't have to go back to the lighthouse ever again. He was depressed and lonely living there alone. (Ya think? Geesh) 

Wish me luck!

Tomorrow we are off to our lighthouse!!!!

The Quilter Cook

P.S. If you are a facebook friend of mine you can see all the pictures of today’s lighthouses that we visited. Just type my name in the facebook searchbox.

Mackinaw City-Day 2

Mackinaw City 

Day 2

September 15, 2019

Forget the old adage about a cat on a hot tin roof...instead, imagine a nervous Packer fan trying to make his way from Oconto, WI to Mackinaw City, MI before the Packer/Vikings game at 1pm! Geesh. What a morning. Delays, detours and road construction did not stop us. Even a long line at the Mackinac Bridge did not hold us down! We pulled into the first parking space we found and practically ran into the Dixie Saloon in Mackinaw City at 12:38pm! Mr. Quilter Cook made his way through the tourists to the bartender and immediately inquired on what tv they would be viewing the game. He was breathless. The bartender was not that excited. Her only reply was "Oh, you are going to be THAT guy today." Thus began an interesting afternoon.

After a quick lunch and an early touchdown by the Packers it was time for my exit. We were right on the corner where all the good shops are located so off I went. I left Mr. Quilter Cook safely in the hands of other Packer fans who had wandered in and also alongside a father/son Viking pair. 

So, I shopped and later ended up stopping in at the Great Lakes Lighthouse Association gift shop. Well, who do you think I ran into but another Keeper Couple? What are the chances? They were from Appleton, WI and were just finishing up a whole summer of light keeping experiences, most recently at Rock Island Lighthouse. They also did some work over on Plum Island but it was limited. They gave me advice and assured me that my supplies would be sufficient, although the gig they just finished was MUCH more rustic at Rock Island. They had to take a ferry to the island and then had to pack their supplies on the back of 3-wheelers which someone else drove to the lighthouse while they hiked in on the rustic 2 mile trail through the woods. That's the only way in or out. PLUS, they slept on the floor of the lighthouse in sleeping bags and ate protein bars and basic hiking food for two weeks. Yeah, that's NOT EVER HAPPENING for us. They endured leaky roofs, no roofs, cracked windows, broken steps and wildlife. WILDLIFE. They asked if we had ever dealt with BEARS? 

Oh, Lord. Now besides dead light keeper ghosts wandering around at night I have to worry about BEARS? Ok, the thought hit me once or twice earlier on. I distinctly remember that I ignored it and continued tossing tuna into the supply box. 

So, I shared this info with Mr. Quilter Cook after the Packers had won their game 21-16 so he was in a good mood. "Well, we've watched Duel Survivor and Naked and Afraid enough times. We'll figure it out." He's not worried. 

I once gave an Oscar Meyer wiener whistle to a friend in VA who had bears roaming his yard. I wonder if he still has it? I might need it for these light keeping gigs to fend off the bears now. If you are reading this, we may need to discuss this idea. DOES IT WORK? Inquiring minds want to know.  Mr. Quilter Cook could care less, so make that a singular mind who is interested. 

Today I learned a couple of things: 1) Cell service is not reliable in the UP. So, if you need to call me, forget it. I'll never get your message. I'm on vacation. Msg me if you need me or just wait till we return. 2) Never drink 24 ounces of hot coffee when you leave Oconto, WI going north on 41 to Escanaba, MI. ROOKIE MISTAKE! However, for those wondering...I made it. Just in time and a quick stop at the first gas station we came to once we hit town saved my dignity. 

So, tonight I finished my first vacation read - The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. AWESOME!!! 5 stars! My fellow Handmaid's Tale fans will LOVE IT! 

Now I am forced to memorize the history of the Mission Point Lighthouse for my tours I have to give. I'll be studying in the car on the way to Traverse City, MI in the morning. 

Naturally, Mr. Goody Two Shoes has his spiel all memorized and ready to go. He loves to remind me. about it too. Every chance he gets. 

*A.G. -from IU Health Volunteer Services...if you are reading this, it's a whole lot like learning the power point presentation all over again for new hospital volunteers! LOL 

Tonight we are resting in our hotel room in Mackinaw City, MI -LAKESIDE. We have our own deck onto the beach and have the window cracked just enough to hear the gentle lapping of the water . We also are enjoying a FABULOUS view of both Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island  all light up like Christmas trees off in the distance. 

I may not sleep. I want to lay in the dark and just listen to that wonderful water all night long...

So, until tomorrow....

Lights Out. Sleep Tight. 

The Quilter Cook 

* In less than 48 hours we will be at the LIGHTHOUSE!!! 

  

And We're Off! Day 1

And We're Off! 

Day 

September 14, 2019                  

We were able to head out of Verona at around 7am. Milwaukee Brewer fans will understand when I report that we took a Kwik Trip To The Mound on the way out of town for hot beverages, since everything we had on hand had been either poured out, tossed out or packed up for the trip. 

We drove about an hour north and stopped for a real breakfast at Walker's Coffee Shop in Beaver Dam. Let me tell you, every quilter worth her fabric stash knows her way around that town because of Nancy's Notions. But now, since the retail shop has closed you have another reason to keep going there. Listen, This restaurant is a kickback to the 60's the minute you walk through the door. They have the old Formica horseshoe counter set-up in the middle of the dining room with a waitress working the inside well. Naturally, as expected there were kids spinning in the seats next to moms and dads around the counter, too!  The rest of the place is filled with booths and tables like any family restaurant. But, what makes this place unique are the great selections. The food is yummy and the prices are very family friendly. So, stop by next time you are in town. It's right off US 151 across from McDonald's. You'll be glad you did. And that's my small town-eat local plug for today.

Since we don't have to be at the lighthouse until Tuesday, today was spent traveling and documenting lighthouses for ourselves as tourists. We scoured out six more today in Kewaunee, Algoma, Bailey's Harbor and Sturgeon Bay areas in WI . It was rather exhausting and by 5 pm I was DONE, but now we have a few more to check off our list. 

I should explain a small detail about what I consider a lighthouse and what Mr. Quilter Cook considers a lighthouse. My qualifications include genuine cottages and towers where families lived and there's history to be told. Mr. Quilter Cook will take pictures of anything resembling a tower like structure that is labeled as a lighthouse or range light in a book or brochure. I tend to get a bit agitated sometimes when I find we have to drive forty miles out of our way to see a rusty empty shell of a tower stuck in the mud next to a lake. Really, it about drives me crazy. But, that's how it goes. I deal with it by doing crossword puzzles or I sit in the KIA and read in the car while he takes photos.My passive aggressive quiet attitude says it all. I mean really, why get out? 

Today was fine, but a bit low on scenic entertainment. It was what I like to call A Shower of Towers Day. However, I did especially enjoy the one in Kewaunee. It's way out in the water connected only by a long pier. Light keepers and families really lived out there in the water and were basically stranded in the lighthouse itself for months at a time. I can't imagine the winters. You couldn't go outside. You'd have the windows boarded all up from the weather on the outside. No contact with your family. Living on meager supplies. What if there was a fire or you froze the door shut with you outside and slipped on the ice on the walk around and slipped over the railing? Lord have mercy! You'd fall onto the ice and into Lake Michigan! You'd have no chance. You'd be frozen on the ice and frozen in the snow and not discovered until Spring-IF you were discovered at all.

Now, give me a lighthouse in the water and I can make up a story to go with it...that's the kind of thing that I like about these lighthouses. There's always a story to tell.

Tonight, we are in our hotel in Oconto, WI, north of Green Bay. The Packers play the Vikings tomorrow afternoon at 1pm Central time. The hotel is about an hour north of Green Bay and is packed with fans on both sides. We met a kid about 12 or 13 dressed in Packer garb at the front desk who had just come from Lambeau Field after having a personal tour with Antonio Freeman. Yep. He was pretty excited and was looking forward to getting up and heading back for the game tomorrow afternoon. You know what they say....train up a child...

Mr. Quilter Cook and I will no doubt be up early in the morning too, but for a different reason. We have to get to Mackinaw City, MI by 1pm Eastern Time, so he can find a bar with the game on. It's our next overnight destination. No lighthouses tomorrow. Just the game in the afternoon and I will confess that I will NOT be watching the game, but shopping instead. We stayed a week there in 2017 and visited Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City extensively. It was fabulous! I love the area. Who doesn't? But this time around we are just there overnight, so no ferry trips or Grand Hotel tour. We have a room at hotel on the water. I'm crossing my fingers our room is lakeside! If not, hey I can walk down to the shore anyway.  Oh, in case you think I'm spelling Mackinaw City incorrectly --I am not. The city and the island are spelled differently. Look up why they are spelled differently. It's a fun factoid to put under your hat!

So, I'll close for now. I'm going to get back to one of my vacation reads while Mr. Quilter Cook writes his own blog and watches the Milwaukee Brewer game on tv. 

Lights Out....The Quilter Cook