We all can use more Friends

About four years ago, my daughter Val dragged me into an artist’s co-op. I know, I don’t consider myself an artist, but the term was used pretty loosely. Like any other organization, we needed to raise funds, but more importantly, we needed to find people who wanted to be involved, warm bodies to volunteer their time and efforts, to spread the word, to share their knowledge and talents. When we started planning our first event, the organizers called it a friend-raiser.

I googled “friend-raiser” and found a wide array of events. Many of these were another avenue to solicit donations, substituting the word “friend” for “fund” to lull people into a false sense of security for their wallets. I am sure that attendees quickly saw through that guise, or hopefully realized this was the purpose before they even arrived.

To my totally uneducated mind in the realm of nonprofit organization, my definition of a friend-raiser is simply what it says. During this one day out of the year, we don’t want your money. Instead we want your brilliant mind, your strong back, your quick wit, your technical savvy. We want whatever it is you can bring to the table to help our nonprofit reach its goals. We also would love you to bring all your friends who do have money, so we can get their contact information for when we do have a fund-raiser.

And that, dear followers, is what our nonprofit organization, Tumaini Volunteers, hopes to achieve on Sunday June 1 when we host our first “friend-raiser”. Come learn about our mission and vision, spend time getting to know us, enjoy some good food and drink, see the Kenyan arts and crafts which have made the long journey to central Wisconsin. And don’t forget to bring one or two of your own friends so that they can become our friends.

See you at Sunnyvale Park in Wausau, Wisconsin, on June 1 any time between noon and four. 

Warming Up to Summer

As you may or may not have heard, last Saturday we had a surprise birthday party for my mother-in-law.  I suppose I could tell you stories, but I will just show you instead. 

My sweet daughter came up early in the morning and made a beautiful vege tray. Can you tell she works in a upper-scale restaurant. At times like this I can also tell she is her father's daughter. Some day I will drag out and scan some pictures of his food-art. 

 When she had finished the vege tray, she labeled the hummus and was working on a sign for her crab dip when I shot this picture.

 The hubby started up the grills early and got to work on our burgers, brats and wieners. The grand-puppy was waiting patiently for a hand-out.

 

 "Who me?" the grand-puppy asked. "I would never sneak food off the grill."

 The hubby and I with his mom, our guest of honor.

 Until someone said, "stand up straight, Himey." And I discovered something way more interesting on the other wall.

 "No, I really don't know anyone in this room and maybe if I close my eyes they will all go away."

Now that we are on the cusp of summer, and  will soon tire of the family get-togethers, don't forget to have some good reading on hand. From now until the end of June, for every book of mine which is sold I will donate $8 to Tumaini Volunteers. "A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven" and "The Christmas Story in 40 Days" are both available on Amazon.com, through the publisher Life Sentence Publishing or shoot me an email and I can send you a signed copy. 

Color My World - a photo challenge

This month's photo challenge topic was: colorful. I knew that I would use pictures I had already taken, because color always catches my eye. I carry my Nikon Coolpix camera with me everywhere I go now, and I continually embarrass my family by taking pictures of anything I see. 

All of these pictures were taken a few summers ago in Wausau, Wisconsin, a city just down the road from where I live. My daughter lives there now, so I visit close to once a week. 

The first picture is of a bench inside a Mexican restaurant. Most of the Mexican restaurants I have been to have vibrant colors and designs. I would love to have this kind of color inside my house. 

 This antique bike is outside of a shop called Evolutions in Design. I posted pictures from there once before. I love how the yellow bike sticks out amongst the rusty and dusty objects and little potted plants.

 Every year Wausau hosts Chalk Fest in July. Artists of all calibers chalk their work on the sidewalks throughout a downtown park. All the time and effort they put into their art, for it to be washed away during the next rain. Such a shame, but maybe that is part of what art is - a fleeting moment in time.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures. When I first downloaded them onto my computer, I did a little work to bring out the color, to crop, or whatever. I didn't do any further editing for this photo challenge. 

Extremes

I've been wanting to post these pictures for a while, and now I am speechless (write-less?). The first one was taken on January 7 of this year just after I pulled into the parking lot at work at seven in the morning. The second one was taken on April 10, somewhere in Missouri as we were heading home from vacation. I think we had one day this spring where the temperature reached almost 70. Today was supposed to but I think that it was only the humidity.

All I know is that I hope that very soon I can see this temperature on my car thermometer on a regular basis.

Another Detour

This is how my world turns. On the way home from vacation last month, we stopped at the Holy Ghost Grotto in Dickeyville (seeSunday’s post). When I got home and started putting together all my notes from our vacation, I did some research into the Dickeyville Grotto. My internet search led me to another grotto which had been inspired by the one I had just visited.

The Paul and Matilda Wegner Grotto, just outside of Cataract, Wisconsin, lies a short drive north of Sparta. I have been through Sparta as many times as I have driven past Dickeyville. I always thought I was one to stop and smell the roses, but apparently, I also like to just keep driving. I went to college in La Crosse for one year back in the early eighties, so I drove past Sparta every couple weeks, never knowing what a great find there was just off the beaten path.

But back in the early eighties, the discoveries on Paul’s and Matilda’s property might not have been common knowledge. Here is their story.

They emigrated from Germany in 1885 and settled first in La Crosse, then later bought the land near Cataract. They farmed there until 1916 when they moved to Bangor, leaving one of their sons to run the farm. When they retired in 1927, they spent their summers on the old farmstead and took up a hobby – creating these works of art.

After Paul and Matilda both passed away,

little more was done with the plot of land. It remained in the family until the Kohler Foundation purchased it in 1986 and restored it. The following year, the Kohler Foundation gifted the park to Monroe County to be enjoyed by anyone willing to take a detour from their travels and to inspire the likes of others like me!

What do you want in your backyard?

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:5-6 New Living Translation

I never finished blogging about my trip home from vacation. Last time I posted, I wrote about being at my brother-in-law’s house in Iowa. That’s a five and a half hour drive home for me. Of course, I had to make at least one stop.

I have been to Iowa many times, and have been to Platteville, Wisconsin, even more times, because my son went to college there. Just down the road from Platteville is the little town of Dickeyville. (What a cute name for a village.)

All of the times I have driven past this burg on the freeway and never stopped in, I cannot believe it. Because Dickeyville is home to the Holy Ghost Grotto.

 It is not a place easily described. Now, of course, I want to build a grotto in my backyard, unbeknownst to my husband (until he reads this). Oh, I think all the concrete and stonework, marbles and glass are fascinating, but I also want to build someplace where I can go off by myself in quiet prayer and reflection. My ultimate goal would be to build my own chapel in my woods, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. 

Also, a reminder. Now through the end of June, for every book of mine which is purchased I will donate $8 to Tumaini Volunteers. "A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven" and "The Christmas Story in 40 Days" are both available on Amazon.com, from the publisher, or shoot me an email (chrisloehmer@gmail.com) and I will mail you a signed copy. 

Spring Growth

Happy May Day! Does anyone celebrate that anymore? Back in the day, I remember there being a May pole and lots of ribbons and frolicking. Flowers too.

But today, I bet, will pass as any other day. And here in the Northwoods, it will pass as another cold, damp day. We are all still hoping for Spring. At least my snow is almost all gone.

With the coming change of seasons, I have a deal to share with you all. For the months of May and June, I will donate $8 to Tumaini Volunteers for each of my books which is sold. These will include books I sell myself, books sold through Amazon or books ordered through my publisher.

I have my first book, "A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven", on sale for $15 and "The Christmas Story in 40 Days" for $12. If you aren't aware of the world of publishing, I had to pay up front half that price for each book. Which means that an $8 donation for each one means I am losing money.

If you go online, you will see that both books are for sale for even less on Amazon.com and through Life Sentence Publishing. Also, one side note. This is for paperback books only and not ebooks for your Kindle or other device.

If you already have my books, maybe you would like to purchase additional ones now to share with others. With summer almost here, everyone needs another book to read on vacation. 

So why am I doing this? Because Tumaini Volunteers is a great cause and is trying to grow. The best way I know how to make any organization grow is by spreading the word. And spreading the word about my books helps me out in the long run too.

What do you get out of this if you buy either (or both) of these books at this time? First off you get a book (or books!) which you hopefully enjoy reading and sharing with others. Second you get the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping the new nonprofit organization, Tumaini Volunteers, to grow.

Please read more about Tumaini on our website or on Facebook. 

I will let you know in July how this all went. And I promise to post my usual stuff between now and then. Thank you for your support.