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After one week in the city by the inland sea.

Maria and I made such a strong connection with Milwaukee that it is always like coming home when I visit. Last year I came back from Louisiana to attend my yearly Packer Game with my friend John Brownson. After our successful defeat of the Seahawks, I migrated south to Milwaukee to attend the Milwaukee Film Festival.

In slightly repetitious occurrence, (This year we beat Detroit, and I didn't have to fly in from Louisiana) I attended the Milwaukee Film Festival.

I used the occasion to not only see some great films but to reconnect with old friends. If I missed you, please know that I tried and you've moved to the top of the list for my next trip.

This year we are living in Appleton, Wisconsin. And for all of my friends, I didn't see let me answer the most asked question I got from the folks I did run into. My wife is very happy in her position as Executive Director of The Paper Discovery Center. A PS: to that answer, she's utterly giddy with her two new grandbabies, Violet and Reigan.

I did see some fantastic films and almost positive I missed a bunch of them. The two the moved me a great deal were Sweet Bean and 5 Nights in Maine. Sweet Bean is a film with three threads woven into an intricate pattern. The woes of the young high school girl is a typical coming of age story. The challenges of the older women about being relevant in a world that dismisses you as useless and used up. And finally the man who works sweet goods stand to pay off debt is a classic redemption tale. This is a Japnese film that has good production values and appropriate subtitle translations. The acting is great, and the script pulls you into the story at a decent pace

5 Nights in Maine is a film that shows us that very often we don't understand other people very well until we meet them. In this case, a man loses his wife due to a car accident. He is so grief-stricken at first that he is unable to make funeral arrangements without the help of his sister. As he recovers, he is confronted with the fact that he has not spoken to his mother in law, who he has never met. He decides he will take his wife's cremated remains to his mother-in-law in Maine.

This film stars David Oyelowo, (Selma) Dianne Wiest, (Life in Pieces, Sisters) and Rosie Perez, (Pitch Perfect). The first glance at the trailer gave me the impression that mother-in-law and son-in-law didn't get along because she is a bigot and he is black. I was wrong.

His visit slowly but surely that the relationship between the deceased daughter and the mother was not as the husband was led to believe. As the veils that shrouded reality are drawn off they both begin to understand that no matter what the discovery they have made they both united in their grief.

I need to thank my two hostess's Whitney Gould and Michele Mooney. Not only did they shelter me and fed me fantastic food, but the conversation was worth the trip even if I hadn't seen one film.

It still bothers me that I missed some people. I am making a list, and I will touch base with them face to face before this year ends.

So from the majestic heights Camp Jeff looking down on the shores of Lake Maria, I am The Poppa bidding you Adios.

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