Hi! I live in NW WI and this is my first winter in 13 years not to be in a subtropical zone...brrr. It's true, lol, my long johns need long johns.

I like WI though, living in the very rural area I do. This last fall was the first time I'd ever seen the trees change colors up close and personal, and it was stunningly beautiful and literally moved me to tears.

I don't miss the traffic and noise pollution of living in the city, at all.

Anyone else in NW WI, and particularly Rusk Co?

littleredhen,

I think we all can't wait for summer. Good grief, I hear we're supposed to have another week of subzero weather. I'm not sure if it's true, but it is WI so likely it is true. Lol, I've seriously been daydreaming of gardening green things the past two weeks. I close my eyes and imagine the sun beating down on my noggin'!

Ladysmith is about eight miles from me and is a much bigger town with a population of nearly 4,000 (woo-hoo!) which is far more than here in Bruce with less than 800. There are actually grocery stores in Ladysmith you don't have to take out a loan to buy groceries. Our market here in town is so expensive the first day I moved here and did some shopping I was stunned at the prices. Really, I thought it should be illegal to charge that much for food.

As far as the driving goes, I hate to admit it but I haven't had to drive yet. I've gotten rides to and from work because my car has needed fixing. A warranted alternator wasn't working properly and is being replaced. It's supposed to be fixed and ready today I think though, so I'll be seein' what it's like to drive in this mess. Fortunately, the car has front wheel drive and I'm told this is a helpful plus when driving in snow. Lol, we'll see. Even though nothing does well on the ice I'm going to have to see about getting a four wheel drive before next winter.

So are you moving to Ladysmith anytime soon? Hmmm, I'm not sure where Thorp is, I'll have to look it up on the map, but if you're ever around Bruce email me before and maybe we can meet up for breakfast or lunch, if you'd like. I know so few people in the state and it'd be nice to make some new friends.

Gypsy,
That at sounds like a good idea.
Where are you from? I was born & raised in Maryland.
I read your "I wish " thread, I also dream of a restaurant, you seem like a very interesting person.
Thorp is 30 miles east of Chippewa Falls on 29. I work in Chippewa Falls.

Okay, yeah, Chippewa Falls is charming. At least what I've seen of it is. I found Thorp on the map, maybe after the roads are a little more hospitable we can meet somewhere in between for lunch. Although there's a further distance for you to go than for me there's nice little cafe in Bloomer that has decent food and serves all kinds of .... PIES! I think it's called Main Street Cafe, have you heard of it?

I was a cook for many, many years when I was younger, and then when I lived in FL I had an in-home dining service as a personal chef. I did gourmet multi-course dinner and cocktail parties for the wealthy. It was a way to be my own boss as a chef, but without having the financial overhead of a storefront business. I've not yet had the finances to open a place of my own, and I wouldn't do so without the kind of financial backup that would carry the place through the first years.

They really are very expensive to open, and the failure rate is phenonmenal. 95% of restaurants fail within the first year or two. I'm not daunted by the later, but the money part is something to contend with. I know that if I ever open a place the quality of the food wouldn't be its undoing...location might be, but not the food itself. There are restaurants going bankrupt and closing left and right in my area...but location isn't really their problem, their menus are. You can't go anywhere around here and get a kicky meal. All the menus are pretty much the same... I don't get that, at all.

I won a number of cooking contests when I was younger and have a real creative flair for putting a meal and plate together that never fails to please. I pretty much know my wines and which foods they're best served with. I used to hostess fine German and Austrian wine tasting parties when I live in San Francisco years ago.

As far as where I'm from... I'm from a galaxy far, far away!

My father was in the service so I've lived in numerous places. The most unusual was in the Philippines when I was a young girl. Most of the other years were in CA. I went to Jr. High and High School in Poway, CA just north of San Diego. Then, after I had my son at 21 I moved north to the Sierra foothills for a spell, and then just north of San Francisco where I lived for 12 years. I then moved to FL where I was for 13 years until the end of June last summer.

And now I'm here, in Bruce, with 756 other people who only have so much interest in outsiders. Good grief! What? Do I look like I might chew someone's head off if they so much as say hi to me?

Oh well, I like WI and I'm staying. I'll eventually meet some people who don't completely and totally have small town attitudes... at least that is my hope.

This is one of our worst winters....question how come sometimes this thread is here and other times it's not

Hi pkh! *waving*

By questioning why this thread is here and then not here, are you actually referring to my "My long johns need long johns" thread? I'm confused because whenever I log on, daily, I see it here. Maybe you're referring to something else?

We've got a bit of a warm-up coming this weekend, though... woo-hoo!

I still say a few months of cold and snow are better than six solid months of FL hellacious heat... that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Waves back...no I meant the whole Wisconsin forum somedays I log on and and it's nowhere to be found.

*Hisses and scampers away*

Hello from North Eastern Wisconsin!

(Outagamie County)

Yep, record setting winter here, especially if we get snow this coming Monday/Tuesday.

This is my third winter back, after spending 10 years in Florida. While I was born and raised here, living in Florida ruined winter for me.. LoL

Okay, pkh. I wasn't sure what you meant.

Jace, FL winters are THE ONLY reason to live in FL. They are wonderful...perfect for kayaking and kite flying, two of some of my favorite outdoors things to do.





Cute, even if toothy ...I bet you want to be a badger when you grow up, huh?

Hi Gypsy,
I have been pretty busy this week, test driving cars & working overtime, next week more mandatory OT. I made a deal on a car today & hopefully will be driving it Monday before the next storm hits. I would like to meet you for lunch sometime, maybe in March things will settle down for me. I have heard of the cafe in Bloomer, Kwick Trip in Chippewa sells thier pies, so far I have resisted temptation. I would like to check out the cafe. I have been very disapointed in the local offerings also. I can't believe they serve stuff like tuna cassarole & people actually go out for that!

Hi ya back!

So, my roommates have informed me that Bloomer is a ways for you to go and that Cornell would be split the difference of travelin', but unless you care about the travelin' the cafe in Bloomer is good.

Wow, a new car, eh? Very cool. I got mine back and it's still having issues... I'm going to issue it some new issues if it don't straighten up and drive right. BAH!


lol, or I could be grateful that I don't have to drive in the snow and kwap yet. Yeah, that's it. I'll give it until the snow melts before I get ornery with it.

Give me a yell when your OT is over and you'd like to meet up. I'll be looking forward to making a new friend...