Tag: Wisconsin state fair

LOVE THROUGH A CORN DOG?

Last week, I had posted about being on vacation and attending our wonderful state fair. The Wisconsin State Fair brought many fun memories again this year. Great bands, great shows, wonderful food, but most importantly, time with family and friends.

I was lucky enough to have a few days with my lovely lady. We always get a coupon book that makes the whole experience a lot more affordable. One of the foods she enjoys eating during the fair is a corn dog. We were going to grab one a few times, but usually ended up too full by the time we got to the stand.

One day while I was wondering around by myself and missing her, I reached in my pocket and pulled out this corn dog coupon we were going to use. It made me think of how lucky I was to have such a wonderful partner to share things like the state fair with.

In life, there are reminders all around us of the special people in our lives. Reminders of things we should be grateful for. We often dismiss them as everyday objects. Perhaps they mean more to us after a person has passed away.

One of the secrets to an amazing life is to call your attention to these items while they are present. Spend some time pondering what they represent and the people you care about. It will increase the amount of love and gratitude in your life. That, in turn, will make your life more amazing!

MAKING LIVES BETTER THROUGH KINDNESS

A few posts ago I mentioned a little act of kindness i found hidden in the Wisconsin State Fair. Here we are again! This act was not hidden. Quite the contrary. It was smack in the center. An activity of a local bank.

When I saw the sign in the first photo, I had to see what it was all about. I was told to take a puzzle piece and write something kind I had done or was done to me. This is a great thing to make people stop and think about in the middle of the festival. Then, you take your puzzle piece and put it on its proper place on a bigger sign. When it was complete it looked like the second picture

Lastly, this whole thing was run by volunteers that were super friendly and helpful. They smiled and shared kindness of their own. To me, this was the perfect activity to conduct where a large group of people was gathered. Activities like this are what can help to bring people together.

A LITTLE GOOD MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE

I’ve been spending my yearly vacation at the Wisconsin State Fair. It is truly a fun time. Depending on who I am here with, we go see bands, a bird show, a magic show and of course go to eat. The prices range from acceptable to insane. At one of the more pricey venues I saw this little bit of kindness.

Although their prices were high at this stand, they did a little good by collecting the can tabs for Ronald McDonald house. A great charity! WIth all of the cans that were consumed, they could earn a lot for the charity. Not sure how many people knew of this, but it was nice it was there.

In an event where profit is often king, it was good to see some charity. This is like life. Just that little bit of good can go a long way! Can you think of a little action that you could take to bring kindness to the world?

IT IS THAT TIME AGAIN

Today starts our state fair. The yearly 11-day celebration of food, fun and agriculture. 30 years ago I sat in the center of this event I enjoy so much and had a revelation. If I enjoyed going to the state fair so much, why not go all 11 days? With the exception of your waistline, there is no harm to be found in doing so.

That was 1996. Fast forward 30 years and I’m still going everyday. It is still something that brings me great joy. When that ceases to be the case, I will stop. There are always different things to do depending on the people you go with. Some like to shop, some like animals, some food, some drinks. My mother and I always do the walks they have to explore art and agriculture.

In life, if there is something that brings you joy, go all out with it. Squeeze every last drop of joy out of it. As long as it does not harm you or others, why not enjoy as much of it as you can. Life is too short not to create memories and have fun. See you at the fair!

WHEN FUN GETS RAINED OUT. ⛈️

Around here we had major floods. In some places over a foot of rain fell in just a few hours. Rivers flooded and cars were submerged. My mother and I were at the Wisconsin State Fair when it was all happening. I shared more about that a few posts ago. As night turned into day, stories began to emerge. People’s basements were flooded. There was an apartment complex that had cars floating in 10 feet of water in their underground parking.

Above you can see pictures of the Wisconsin State Fair Park where my mother and I returned Monday. Still plenty of water 2 days later. All of this was not doom and gloom. On a bright note, nobody here died in the floods. Local businesses opened their doors offering people free coffee, wi-fi and a place to gather. One business even offered free box lunch to rescue workers and clean-up crews. Proving that the worst often brings out our best.

The Wisconsin State Fair did have to cancel its last day, which was set aside for a romantic ride on the Ferris wheel to celebrate my lady and I getting engaged as well as some yummy mini doughnuts. All of that will have to wait until next year. There are plenty of fun memories to create and lots of stories to recall from this crazy year.

I certainly send thoughts and prayers to all of those affected by the floods. Both businesses and individuals lost a lot and will need to lean on friends and family. As Mr. Rogers used to say, “In bad times, look for the helpers.” I would add, if you can’t find them, be one.

ARE YOU REALLY GRATEFUL?

This post is not at all what I thought it will be. Honestly, an example of what we will discuss here happened to me this evening! I’m getting ahead of myself. Have you ever stopped and thought about everything you have to be grateful for? Take one event that you enjoy and really break it down. I did this with the Wisconsin State Fair. My favorite event to attend all year.

When I started to think about it, there are thousands of people that contribute to putting on this event. There are of course the people who run the fair, including its new CEO, Shari Black. There are the owners of the stands that sell everything from food to inflatable hammocks. There are the employees that work those stands. There are the people who maintain the grounds. They recently repaved a good portion of the park. I will not get into all of the people in the paving industry, but you see where this is going. Let us not forget the VERY important people who keep the restrooms clean.

This was the general scope of this blog post until about 730 this evening. Then this happened – the heavens opened up and the rain fell. The crowds scrambled. The main act was canceled. This, you would assume would ruin one’s time at the fair. Not so. There was a million things to be thankful for.

Earlier in the day, one of our favorite grocery stores gave away free ponchos. My mother and I availed ourselves to them. This was at noon. 7 hours before the rain. As we walked through the fair and on the way home, we talked about how lucky we were. First the ponchos. Then the fact we enjoyed the whole day at the fair before this happened. We were able to purchase food to take home on the way out. Everyone seemed in a silly mood even though they were soaked.

You see, in any event they are a million things to be grateful for. Think of going to work. People paved roads for you. There are traffic lights to make sure the trip is safe. You either have a car or public transportation. Think of all the people involved in these industries. You have a restroom at work… with running water.

These things may not seem like a big deal. Take any one of them away and you will see that they are. Remember, whether a morning commute or a rainy night at the fair, there is always so much to be grateful for!

FIND A NEW PATH

This is a new path my mother and I discovered at one of our favorite places in the Wisconsin State Fair. It is called “Tom’s trail”. Although we have been through this section of the Fair countless times, we never saw this path.

The fun part about discovering a new path in a familiar place, is that it let’s you view it from an entirely different vantage point. Although this is a literal example, it can work metaphorical as well. Can you think of examples in your own life where a new path could help you look at things from a different point of view?

NOTHING CHANGES UNTIL EVERYTHING CHANGES.

To me, this conversation seems like one I have had a million times. Although, we only have discussed it on here briefly. My mom and I reflect on certain things and say how it seems like a lifetime ago. Now, with almost 11 years together, Margie and I find ourselves doing the same thing.

Have you ever done this? Think about a restaurant you used to go to, or people you got together with and it seems like it was in another lifetime. The reason I bring that up is this time of year brings to town one of my favorite things, The Wisconsin State Fair. This year it seems many of the staples that have been there for years, or even decades, are gone.

We all understand that things change and hopefully evolve. Still, this begs the question how can we hang on to those moments? As we sat watching a dog diving show, this thought was bouncing through my head.

The answer is to stay grateful for them. To appreciate every moment as they happen. Look around you. The people and places around you may not be there tomorrow. It is a sobering thought to be sure, but hopefully one that will motivate us to appreciate each other and live in the moment.

COME TOGETHER…🎵🎵

This is a picture I took at the Wisconsin State Fair. As you can see, there are lots of people gathered together in the name of fun. It would make sense that statistically they would differ in race, politics and religion. Probably in a host of other categories as well.

Later in the night, Margie and I hosted our weekly DJ show as well. Same story, only on a slightly smaller scale. Many different people there, but all gathered to have fun.

My question is this – If it works for a DJ show and for the great Wisconsin State Fair, why can’t it work for life in general? Can you imagine if we all were focused on how to gather and have as much fun in life as we could? People sharing their secrets for having fun on the morning commute or going to the dentist? Life would be amazing. Just a thought of what is possible.

WHAT REALLY MAKES A HAPPY MEMORY 😊

Above is a breakfast sandwich I enjoyed the other morning at my favorite place, The Wisconsin State Fair. It was delicious. Last year, my mother, Margie and I discovered it the first day we went. Shortly after that, I proposed to her. In reflection, we all recall the sandwich being quite delicious.

With that in mind, I was excited to bite into this one with the hollandaise sauce,ham, and cheese all in a delicious croissant. While it did satisfy my taste buds, it fell short of the year prior. No fault of the establishment. The ingredients were just as delicious.

What was missing? It was the company, the excitement of the day. Here I sat, all alone, trying to recreate that. Margie was baking and my mother was getting ready to help someone else.

What I learned was that it is the people and what you do with them is what makes memories and makes moments special. It not only adds flavor to a lonely breakfast sandwich, but it adds flavor to life as well. If you want to fill your life with happy memories, fill it with special people and loving times.