Point Made

 It's a busy week in The City By the Inland Sea. Doctor's appointments, our free film from Milwaukee Film, Brewers vs. Cubs, lunch at Libby Montana's to celebrate my friends Janet and John Brownson's 42 wedding anniversary, attending a major meeting of Common Ground in our fight for tenants of public housing and preparing for our trip to Spring Green for the American Players Theater.  (I got tired just typing that agenda.) There is little let-up next week as I will be starting the Immunization phase of my treatments, and we begin the theater season in Milwaukee. For some reason, this is a time of the year when I'm writing Happy Birthday emails to many friends and family. However, when you consider their conception date is sometime in the dead of winter, it does make sense. I'm spending a lot of time keeping myself relevant in the eyes of some public services. Because of COVID and my volunteering with the All Saints Hunger Booksale, I haven't used my library ...

 Health Report: My oncologist tells me we are going to start immunotherapy on September 6th. We are waiting for this procedure because of the continued action of the radiation treatments despite having completed the round of treatments. That is also why we are not doing evaluative scans (CT, MRI, PET). They would be unreliable and probably unreadable because of the radiation activity. However, I can have a camera inserted into my penis for evaluative observation and possible mass removal. I can't tell you how excited I am about that procedure. There are two things to celebrate. My stamina and cognitive functions are noticeably better. I can even keep the characters straight in my favorite Brit Box dramas. The Doctor tells me not to expect any side effects from the immunotherapy except for diarrhea. ( I'm aware I might be oversharing here. ) On The Easel: Bench by the Birch Tree Pastel 12 x 16 If you saw the photo Jeanne took of me sketching, this is the scene I was working on. ...

 Jeanne and I took a tour with the SWAN, affiliated with The Riverkeepers. We boarded a lengthy pontoon boat and began an exciting trip through the harbor and the three rivers that flow into it. We listened to the Riverkeepers' representative, who gave us too much information to absorb, but certainly conveyed the need for all of us to support revitalizing our water resources. Many of you remember my days as a historic tour guide on the Vista King, run by The Milwaukee Boat Company. The last time I was on the rivers or in the harbor was when I returned to Milwaukee in 2019. I must admit that while my tour relied on the historical influence of these waterways, I needed to be more educated on the present-day issues we face.  Most of the problems are from past abuse by industry, runoff from upstream farms, and unregulated dumping of wastewater by smaller communities. The headline grabbers are the chemicals lying in the riverbeds. Many of these areas have been identified and are in...

 For those of us who labor in the belly of the beast, The All Saints Hunger Booksale starts in late June and concludes in early August. This over thirty-year-old tradition started with a challenge from a pastor to his congregation to do something for the less fortunate. As it has ever since, the group accepts donations, sorts, prices, and displays them. The group of volunteers assembles in the basement of the church Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. I started volunteering two years ago at the invitation of my friend Michelle Mooney. I found that the skills I acquired working at the bookstore and my lifelong love of reading made me useful with this gang. I was hampered a little this year because of radiation treatments, but I was a full-timer for most of the trip. We are on a route toward another record year and will contribute to Milwaukee's various food assistance programs, something north of twenty-five thousand dollars. Silly Aside About The Booksale : Jeanne ad I...

 My Fourth Year Living In Milwaukee 2.0 When my marriage was beyond repair, I had a decision to make. Where would I live? I could count on some of my friends and relatives if I stayed in Appleton. But the way things were lining up, that prospect seemed slim. I visualized a lot of embarrassing accidental encounters with people who no longer wanted anything to do with me. A few friends from Milwaukee saw my dilemma on Facebook and encouraged me to move back to The City By The Inland Sea. I'm happy that I did. Many of my friends in Milwaukee rallied around me and helped me build a life worth living.  COVID allowed me to expand on my creative life while I remained in limited contact with my friends. I've lost some friends, Harry Mosely, Bill Sell, and a kindly neighbor. But it gave me a chance to celebrate their lives with their other friends and relatives, which I may not have been able to do otherwise. This coming August 15th will mark my fourth anniversary. From My Sketch Book:...