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| Aw. Welcome to our new home circa 1969! |
George and I have been married for 50 years. Mostly blissful, as it said on our 50th wedding anniversary party cake.
For
46 of those years we lived in the Chicago suburban home we purchased
when we wed. Then we decided to move to Winona MN to be near our
youngest son, his wife and our grandgirlies.
This after receiving several versions of The Talk in which we learned
from our children that we were now The Aging Parents and should
probably might wanna
ought to (various verbiage delivered by serious faces of Good Grown Men
who dearly love their parents) live nearer one of them than continue the possibility someone would have to make a frantic Minnesota-to-Illinois or New Mexico-to-Illinois trip. You know, in case of an elderly emergency.
After
much gnashing of teeth and a surprise decision--especially to us--we
purchased a condo right along the Mississippi River here in Winona.
The
surprise part was choosing a condo.
We’d spent months looking for a
small single-floor home with a little yard and at least 1.5 bathrooms on
the main floor—not in the basement where that half-bath often seemed to
have been added as an afterthought, which kept us from buying several
places we otherwise liked. After all, we’re old and getting older (yes, we know) and no
longer want stairs, especially to get to a toilet in a hurry. When arriving home (in our elderly
waning state of life, and WE KNOW!) inevitably both of us have to
pee. Before the move, I was in need of
a knee replacement and George already sported two new ones. Visions of the need for a Life Alert danced in our heads. So yup, two bathrooms on the same floor. Period.
At the end of
yet another exhausting and fruitless house hunting marathon, as a lark
we stopped to look at said condo only because we saw an advertisement that at an open house they were serving free champagne and refreshments. Why wouldn’t we?! After one
glass of champagne plus a river view, we were all in. That free
champagne turned out to cost us plenty, but in the best of ways. To loon
country we moved—and I mean that as pertains to the state bird, not as
it applies to our most colorful friends or precious family here in MN. Mostly. XO
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| Patio from bedroom taken at original showing |
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| From kitchen and living room first winter |
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| Back of condo looking out at the river. |
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| How we HAPPILY got from there to here |
Thus
began my true love affair with the river. Before the move, for more than 25 years we’d been
visiting Winona regularly, and sure, we enjoyed
the river. But after the alluring gent greets you every waking morning
with the assurance that no matter what is happening in your life or the
world, at least one thing remains the same: the river keeps rolling
along, I was owned. I began to digest that visual assurance as Goodness.
Now I relate to it as a Necessary Goodness. I need the river. Should we leave town for a few days, I miss that steadfastness and beauty. I long to gaze upon the Big Muddy. Feel the ahhhhhh vibrate through my veins after we return home and I first view him flowing ‘round the bend.
Much
of our lives changed with that move. We (as in George) no longer
possessed a yard to maintain. That transition from yard to no yard was difficult for him. He still
enjoyed digging in the dirt. Planting a garden. Weeding and mowing. He
even professed to the thrill of the sound of our snow blower. And I know
he enjoyed helping a neighbor occasionally shovel out. No matter the
season, he’d stop to crack a beer or two with the back-yard
“fence” folks. Thus, that little home we were seeking where he
would/could at least still do his usual, even at 76 years of age, was
priority.
As for me, for decades I'd been ready for a change. Born and raised in Illinois, the actual state never thrilled me. The idea of moving to the beauties of MN and being near family beckoned: watching soccer games, swimming meets, dance recitals, musical performances... A chance to reseason those bleacher buns. I couldn't wait to get a loon on my license plate and become a Vikings fan. (I hear you, Bears folks. It's not like I disowned Da Bears, but they were no longer my people. Plus I look good in purple.) Who wouldn't want to live in a town with the slogan "Surprisingly weird, incredibly entertaining."
How
quickly the river reorganizes your thoughts and desires. At the condo,
no matter the weather (snow, grass-producing rain and sun, ice …)
nothing much matters since those tasks were no longer on our plates and
for the most part the urge to do them slipped away with the freedom we gained.
We
lived just outside of the city limits in Illinois, so almost every
chore and errand involved an automobile. In Winona (population
about the same as our suburban town in Illinois), the CEC Theatre, a
drug store, a lovely co-op filled with super groceries and yum foods,
and several restaurants and bars—did I mention several bars?—and a
plethora of quaint shops were not only within walking distance, but a
couple blocks. We even selected a dentist just down the street. All this is the good news in case a day arrives when we can no longer drive.
When I was still book touring and speaking, yes, it was pretty nice
to be near O’Hare Airport. We’re now at least 2.5 hours away from MSP
but that’s okay since … well … work travel has all blissfully come to a halt. Plus we’re only about twenty minutes from LaCrosse Regional Airport in WI which connects to several hubs with security and parking, traffic and sanity much easier to navigate.
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| From our patio |
And of course
there is the river.
We live at the foot of the bridge and can hop on
State Route 43, travel a minute and be in Wisconsin. We have a walking path
along the shore, visible from every room. The beach right across from
our condo patio--the beach where they set off the spectacular annual
fireworks display that arcs out over the water, sparkles in the river’s
eyes. And Levee Park where all types of festivities take place (pre COVID-19),
including a farmer’s market (still on), craft shows (still on) , Big Muddy Brew 'n Cue … Even the
annual Steamboat Days beer tent is only a block off the river and thus from us. The
Budweiser horses have slept practically next to the Ol’ Man and therefore we old folk.
Although
I had written a Traveling Laugh that summed up what we love
about living where we now do, as my heart began to unravel and sort the many wonders and
comforts our condo provides here along the river, especially during the sequestering pandemic, it dawned on me I’d
rather take my time , unfold, expound, delve into the corners,
educate... Write a series about life where so much interest and eye candy collides. I want to introduce you to
personal nuances and tidbits. Present a separate column each on the train
spur outside our deck; the bridge reconstruction; the mesmerization
of tow boats; what it feels like to live where the river runs West to
East through town; the beauty and entertainment of bunnies and hummingbirds, ground hogs
and chipmunks, swans, pelicans and soaring eagles. And endless fascinating people passing by. All visible from our condo.
Am
I traveling all over the place at this point in my life? No. But when I
do go away, the river is where I return and it sure puts on the miles. Drops of Mississippi headwaters
travel 2,348 of them through ten states from mouth to the Gulf of Mexico.
So there you go. Mini Mississippi Traveling Laugh Series, here you come. Next week we shall convene.
