Remind me that I can’t complain!  No matter what happens, bad weather or not. 

  I always complain about the weather.  Too much snow in the winter.  The spring was too cold.  Summer was beyond WET. 

This autumn Monona has been graced with a long stretch of beautiful weather.  Perfect days that have seemed to be endless made up September and October.  We have been so gifted this season that I have come to expect views like this of the lagoon each morning– a mix of autumn colors, rising sun and misty fog from a slight frost. 

    It won’t be long.  I will bemoan a wet weekend or comment that it is so cold.  Who knew it would get cold in autumn in Wisconsin?  I KNOW I will complain about the snow as I shovel it, after the magic of the first one is gone.  That moment will come very quickly for me, I am afraid.  I will complain.  No matter what happens from this point on remind that I can’t complain because Mother Nature has given Monona a perfect autumn this year.

Dear Geese,

This is a bit late, but I just want to quick thank you for pooping on the bench on the west side of the lagoon in Winnequah Park last Tuesday.

Because you did this I was unable to sit on the bench and read. I had to keep walking and, as a result, I arrived near Nichols Road just as a friend was driving by.

She stopped, invited me into her car, and we drove to her house and had a nice chat on her porch.

Then her mom and sister arrived from out of town for a visit. I excused myself so they could go enjoy their time together, as I knew that they don’t often have opportunities to visit. But her mom and sister graciously invited me along and we went to Crema Cafe on Monona Drive.

I had never visited Crema Cafe before. Normally a sandwich-intensive cafe isn’t my thing because I can’t eat wheat or gluten, so I was going to just enjoy a glass bottle of cola. But her mother really wanted to treat me to lunch, which was very kind of her, so Crema Cafe served me egg salad on greens instead of on bread. Cool. And kudos to the staff for actually knowing what “gluten-free” means.

We sat outside and enjoyed the lake view. I was reminded of how enjoyable it is to meet the mothers of friends – seeing your friend in a daughter role helps you get to know her better.

As it turns out, that might have been the last 70-ish degree afteroon this fall, and that was a lovely way to spend it, instead of walking home from the lagoon and eating a boring lunch by myself and spending the afternoon working indoors on the computer.

So thanks for the goose poop! Enjoy your winter down south.

Kind Regards,

–Anita

It wasn’t until last Thursday that I walked around the perimeter of the lagoon at Winnequah Park for the first time. Even though I’ve lived only 2/10 of a mile or so from the lagoon for 11 years. And there’s even a rain garden back there I hadn’t noticed before.

I’ve only enjoyed the Healy Lane side of the lagoon all these years because, I dunno, I guess I thought the land on the other side of it belonged to the homeowners because it looks private and there isn’t signage or clear trail markings. Or I never saw anyone walking back there and never considered that was something one could do. Or I was too busy focusing on my children all these years so I simply never had time to think much about the lagoon (first blame the children, I always say ).

Now that all four kids are in school I can pay more attention to these matters. I greatly enjoy my new routine of walking on the other side of the lagoon because it’s like looking at a different body of water entirely. I also like the great blue herons and, dare I say it, the geese. Although the public bench on that side had an unfortunate preponderance of goose excrement on and around it today so I was unable to sit and read there. Next time I’ll have to bring cleaning solution with me.

All of which is to say that it’s always a treat to discover something new and special right in one’s community.

An e-mail reportedly went out from the school superintendent stating that the teachers are required to write letters of recommendation. That seems somehow right for the students. They should not be caught in the middle of a dispute.

In the midst of all this I did ponder what a letter of recommendation is. Back in the day,a million years ago when I went to school,a letter like that was earned. It was not expected. A letter like that might have been given by a teacher who had taken an interest in a student, or because a student had done something to rise above and beyond somehow. There are always students who rise above and beyond–students who deserve letters. But the question has become for me this: is it right to expect that a letter of recommendation be written? Should we be able to demand it be written? Is anyone entitled to a letter of recommendation just because it is always done, because colleges ask for them?

Having just gone through the college application ordeal last year with our oldest son, about to get on the horse again with our first school visit later this month for our oldest daughter, I have a bit of advice for students as they ask for letters of recommendation. Colleges don’t want a half-a-dozen letters. Pick one or two people to write a letter. Don’t expect a letter to be written for you. Be surprised when a teacher is willing to, glad to in many cases, write one–because it is deserved.

Best of luck to all students applying to college. Thanks to the teachers helping them along the way. A BIG thanks to the superintendent for stepping up to the plate–Monona’s Superman.