Music on the Plaza

 Neenah's new Plaza is a summer gathering place. They are planning on have music and events all summer long. I decided I want to try Globe Coffee and check out the plaza. Every Sunday they are having concerts and the first one was going to be Listening Party. Who? I have no clue but the weather was nice and I was decided to go check them out.

We got there shortly after 11 which is when the music started. Danielle and I went to grab drinks from Globe Coffee from the outside window. Bad idea. It took forever to get waited on and there were only a few people in front of us. Then it took like 30 minutes to get our drinks. Finally someone said mine was inside. Lesson 1 learned: Order inside which I didn't even know was a thing.

I ordered an Italian cream soda but they forgot the cream. I don't think I was charged for it so no big deal. I am excited they have Italian Cream Sodas and Italian Sodas. Danielle had a Chai Latte.

Danielle snagged us some seats at one of the fire pit. We were in the back but that was great for people watching. Lesson 2 learned: Bring your own chair just in case. There is a lot of space but not a lot of seating. 

The music was good. I couldn't tell you what they sang but it wasn't too loud and was enjoyable. We spent about an hour downtown listening to music and people watching. The music went from 11-2. 

I would love to get back to another concert or two yet this summer. We shall see how the summer goes. I hear there are movies once a month on a Friday night. I might need to check that out. I also spied a pickle ball court. Hmmm. might need to check that out too. So much to do and so little time. 

6860. Make mojitos

 Danielle and I thought about doing mojitos for our day of dead party in October. It's kind of hard to make mojitos without rum. A few weeks ago, I got the brilliant idea of doing a summer kick of happy hour and having mojitos. Danielle readily agreed and we decided appetizers and mojitos on the Friday before Labor Day.

After a few Pinterest searches and conversations with people, I opted to make raspberry mojitos. I prepared the simple syrup before I left so all we had to do was add the other ingredients when I got to Danielle's.

How to Make Mojitos.. or attempt to at least

  1. Muddle frozen raspberries, mint leaves, and lime juice together. Okay so I didn't have a muddler so we used a spoon. Works the same. We didn't have enough mint leaves so we tore them..

2. Add tonic, rum, and simple syrup. Mix. If using a pitcher make sure you put the lid on so you can filter out the mint leaves or use a straw.

The mojitos were good but just need to use a straw or a strain out the mint leaves. They look pretty but don't taste real good.

Besides mojitos, Janis brought a crostini bar which was amazing. She brought 4 different types of dips/spreads along with veggies, cheese, and sauces to put on the toast. Using the bean dip, apple sauce, and pistachios, you could get a crostini that tasted like apple pie. Now I don't care for bean dip or pistachios but that was a great combination.

I made Cuban Sandwich wanna-bes on a stick. Instead of using ham, I used chicken to accommodate dietary needs and either gouda or cheddar jack instead of Swiss since we aren't big swiss fans. They went over very well. 

It was a very low key relaxing evening after a busy couple of weeks for everyone. It was a gorgeous evening to sit outside and catch up with a tasty drink and yummy niblets. I have a feeling this will become an annual thing. Now just to perfect that mojito recipe.

Book Signing: Ben Lancour

 I love meeting authors. Okay, I prefer to hide in the back and not actually talk to them when they sign my book but whatever. I've seen and met R.L. Stine, Debbie Macomber, Christina Baker Klein, Patricia Polacco, Mary Kubica, and many local authors. Usually it is at an schedule author event through a book festival, library, or bookstore. I never expected to meet one at a baseball game.

As Heather and I walked into the T-Rats game, there was an author with his book. Ben Lacour, a gym teacher in Green Bay, was promoting his book Henry and the Gym Monster. A bit unusual but not completely odd. Gym class and baseball both involve physical activities. It makes sense.

Henry and the Gym Monster is a picture book about Harry who doesn't listen or follow directions and blames it on an invisible monster who continues to grow with every bad choice Harry makes. Harry has to figure out how to make the monster shrink. It is an adorable picture book about making the right choice.

I did not buy the book but Heather did. I read it though. Ben Lancour explained the book and why he wanted to write a gym class book to us. He also signed Heather's book.  

The ballpark is not where I would expect to find an author but I'm glad I had the opportunity to discover this book. You never know where you are going to find a new author or book. 

Random Roadside Attraction -- The Hula Hoop Tree

 On our way to SoLu Winery, Stacy and I passed this tree. It had hoops hanging from the branches. I told Stacy I needed to go back and get a picture of that tree. It was too random not to. 

After we enjoyed the winery, Stacy drove back down County Road F towards Hwy 28. I spotted the tree and Stacy turned around so I could get out and get a picture of the tree. Since I'm directionally challenged, the tree is on the right hand side of Hwy F as you head towards the winery from Hwy 28.

There is no parking or anything. We just pulled off to the side of the road. I hopped out of the car and snapped a few pictures. 

I personally liked the random hula hoop crossing sign. I didn't think of trying to hula hoop. The road was busy and I didn't want Stacy waiting too long on the side of the road. Besides who would take a picture of me.

This Hula Hoop Tree doesn't even make the list of Roadside Attractions in Wisconsin on Roadside America otherwise it would probably have been on the bucket list.

I love finding random roadside attractions. This has to be a new favorite. Who knows what I will find on my next adventure.

5189. Go to SoLu Winery in Cascade

A friend on Facebook liked an event at SoLu Estates Winery and Meadery -- a wagon ride wine tasting through the vineyards. That sounded like fun and it corresponded with Stacy and mine trip to Sheboygan. Stacy was game for this and we planned our day around being in Cascade for a 1:30 wine tasting.

SoLu in located outside of Cascade in the rolling hills of the Kettle Moraine. It's a family owned winery that has been around has been since 2016. It is also part hunting club.

For $15, we got a vineyard tour on a wagon with three stops for wine. For an additional $20 you could add a charcuterie board. We opted to skip the charcuterie board since we wanted lunch before 1:30. Craig was our tour guide and he was amazing. 

Due to the recent rain and a last minute hunt on the hunting grounds, our tour was forced to a take a different route. It was still fun. At each stop, we got very generous pours of the wine. Nothing was overly impressive. The only issue was we really didn't know what we were tasting. The first one was a dry rose wine. The second one was more sweet. The last one was a dry red. I was not a fan of the red. 

Our wagon mates did opt for the charcuterie board and there was plenty for all of us. This is what is left after we snacked on it. It was a great idea and very tasty. They just need to offer a small version. 

As part of our wine tasting tour, we got a glass of wine after tasting. I opted for the apple wine and Stacy went with the ice wine. The apple was a tart green apple that hit at the end. It was okay.. nothing I would buy.  

Every weekend in late spring, summer, and fall, SoLu has live music. While we sipped our wine, we listened to the music. It's a great concept. Offer Live Music, a food truck, and alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages along with cornhole and people will come. The music was good. I kind of wish we had more time to enjoy it.

Although I'm not a huge fan of the wines, I would go back under the right circumstances.  I think my cousins would like this place. SoLu definitely has a good thing going and I hope they keep it going. It may be out in the country but that is part of the charm. It is definitely worth the drive to check out especially on the weekend.

A Morning in Sheboygan

 Last December Stacy and I decided we needed to spend another day in Sheboygan so we could visit Indian Mound Park. It was too cold and windy when we were in Sheboygan in December. It is not worth either us for driving to Sheboygan just to go to a park -- not with the price of gas. So we decided to make a day of it. In usual Amy fashion, I checked the bucket list and figured out how what we could all fit in the time we had. 

Our goal was to see the Marvel exhibit at the Sheboygan County Historical Museum. I planned our route leaving from Meijer and ending up at the museum. We had about 2 hours or so for some Sheboygan Adventures.

Stop #1 -- James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden (Bucket List #5170)

James Tellen created sculptures at his summer home from 1942-1957 out of concrete. He created over 30 historic, religious and mythic figures in the woods all out of concrete and similar materials. The sculpture garden is a bit hard to find. It has a small parking lot that you will miss if you're not looking for it.

There is a path in the woods that allows you to view his artwork. As Stacy said, this is even weirder than the creepy pyramid. At least the Concrete Park in Phillips was interesting. This stuff was bizarre. I am still not sure of the man on the door on the volcano.

Some of it was actually interesting. I did like the mythic creatures better than the religious ones.

The saints made sense.

Some mother nature got the better of and they lay in ruins.

You can wander the path past the sculptures but after a bit you are crossing fallen trees and guessing where the path was. Since we had more adventures to go on, we turned around and headed to the next stop.

If you like creepy and bizarre, this definitely worth checking out. If not check out the other Kohler Art Museums in town.

Stop #2 -- Indian Mounds Park (Bucket List #5183)

This was our main reason for going to Sheboygan. We actually past this on way to Sculpture Garden. Again it has a small parking lot. This is exactly what it sounds like. Indian Effigy mounds in a park. 34 mounds were discovered in 1927. By 1958 only 18 remained and in 1960 the land became a park with 16 restored mounds. 

The is a well signed path to follow to view the mounds. Each mound has a sign that tells you what animal the mound is supposed to be. Like usual I was not able to really identify the shape of the mound with or without the sign. The signs were definitely useful.

This is definitely worth checking out when in Sheboygan. The nature trail is great for a quick morning hike.

Stop #3 -- Lottie Cooper Shipwreck  (Bucket List #5173)

Little did I know there was an actual shipwreck in Sheboygan.. not in a museum, not in the water but in a park and you can walk through it. A definite must see and a quick one too.

In April 1894, the Lottie Cooper set anchor to ride out a storm in Lake Michigan near Sheboygan. They never made it and by the next day the ship sank. 5 of 6 crew were rescued though. When constructing the harbor in 1992, the remains of the Lottie Cooper were found and a large portion of her was brought ashore to be put on public display. Unless it is properly preserved, Mother Nature will get the best of her again.

The Lottie Cooper is interesting to see. It is an old wooden schooner. I've seen shipwrecks on the Lake Michigan but this is the first time I was able to get up close and personal with it. 

This is a quick 5 minute detour while headed to other Sheboygan adventures or the beach as the beach is literally right there.

We assessed our time and had to adjust our plans. We grabbed a quick lunch while figuring out our next stop. We had to be in Cascade by 1:20 for a wine tasting so it didn't leave much time for the museum. Since we saw the museum in December and the exhibit was not the artist I thought it was, we opted to skip the museum. With a little time to spare, I made one request on our way to the winery. 

Stop #4 -- Acuity Flagpole (Bucket List #5172)

I wanted to see the World's Largest Free-Flying American Flag. I've driven by it enough. I didn't realize that you could actually go up to it but you can.

On the grounds of Acuity Insurance Headquarters, the World's Largest Free-Flying American Flag is visible from the highway. It is tucked away in the back corner of the grounds where you can drive up and actually see it. 

The World's Largest Free-Flying American Flag is 70 by 140 feet and the flag pole is 400 feet tall. That's quite large. Around the base is a Veteran's Memorial that lists the names of Sheboygan County residents killed in active duty going back to the Civil War. 

After a few pictures it was back in the car so we could go wine tasting. If we didn't have the wine tasting schedule, we probably would have explored Sheboygan some more.

Since there is more on Sheboygan to do list, I will probably need to make another trip or two. Andrea already said I need to come down and go to some art museum. Maybe next time I will spend an afternoon in Sheboygan. What will be on my next Sheboygan adventure? Stay tuned.

6679. See a hand bell choir performance

 When I asked my friend, Kris what she had planned for May 20th, she was like hand bell concert. Wanna come? After confirming my plans for the day, I said I would come. 

Kris is part of the Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble and they were just beginning their spring concert series. May 20th was the first concert. It was at St. John's Lutheran Church in Glendale. Tickets were $15/adult and could be bought online or in person. Because of the payment methods involved with buying online, I opted to get them at the door. Kris said there would be plenty available.

A handbell ensemble consists of a group of musicians that ring hand bells of various sizes along with hand chimes. The bells range from tiny to large. Each bell makes an unique note and each ringer usually has a 3-4 different bells they play during a song. They usually ring two bells but depending on the size it can as few as 1 or as many as 4. 

The concert consisted of 13 songs and an intermission. The music was fascinating. I really enjoyed watching the members as they would get their whole bodies involved sometimes. After intermission they stood in the side aisles and performed a song. It was really cool.

I was amazed to see that it was just bells they rang. Sometimes they struck the bell with mallets similar to a timpani. 

Sometimes they rolled a dowel across the rim.

The hand chimes were interesting to watch as well as they came in various sizes. Kris told me after the show they had even bigger ones they didn't use. 

Sometimes they would use a bell and a chime at the same time. It was almost like organized chaos. 

I really enjoyed the concert and glad I made time to go down and see Kris perform. They do have a few more shows coming up yet this spring including one at the Washington House in Two Rivers on June 4th. If you get a chance go check the out. It is a different kind of sound and you'll be amazed what a few bells can do.

672. Plant a flower garden

 The more things I cross of the original bucket list, the harder it is to try to complete at least 5 items off each year. Last year I decided I wanted to plant tulips and confirmed that planting tulips would fall under the category of planting a flower garden. Heather said she would help me out with this endeavor.

We originally were going to plant my tulips in May or June. However after a Google search, it turns out you should plant tulips in fall when it gets around 50 degrees. So we waited until September. Heather and I made plans to hike the Ice Age Trail and plant tulips. We did hike the part of the Ice Age Trail but I forgot to remind Heather to bring her gardening tools so we couldn't plant tulips. Why would I own gardening tools? I like in an apartment and have minimal space and a black thumb. We set a new date in October and I reminded Heather to bring a shovel.

The hubby and I already bought tulips -- red ones. I wanted pink or yellow but red was what they had in the size bag we wanted. The bag came with directions. It was pretty simple.

Dig a hole several inches deep. 

Drop the a tulip bulb or two in the hole. Cover with dirt and water.

Then wait until spring to see if you have tulips. I was slightly worried we planted them upside down or they weren't grow because we didn't water them. I missed that direction. Oops.

We had a cold, wet spring and it took forever for the tulips and daffodils to break through the soil. I wasn't too worried about not seeing tulips in April when my daffodils weren't coming up yet either.

Slowly but surely I started to see tulip sprouts. We planted some by the daffodils and the front door and a couple by the tree by the garage. 

The bunnies found the ones by the daffodils tasty and ate them right down to the ground as they came up. All we have are some tulip leaves currently. I think they ate them stem with the buds. Next year I will need to get some dog hair or rabbit spray to keep them alive

The ones by the garage did not get eaten and slowly started to grow. We finally had a warm week of weather and yesterday I saw that they were going to open any time. 

At 9:15.. still tightly closed.

At 12:00.. just starting to open

At 2:30.. we have tulips.

I can now say I planted a flower garden. It was not hard work. Tulips and daffodils are pretty self-sufficient. I just let them be and the daffodils always come back every year so hopefully the tulips will too.

Will I try anything beyond tulips. Nope. I have to set a reminder on my phone to water the perennials every year so they don't die. Anything I actually have to take care is probably not going to survive. If I was rich I'd have peonies, hydrangeas, and roses taken care of by a gardener but for now I am I happy with tulips and daffodils.