So I am a patient based skills examiner on the clinic floor at Marquette. And what is a patient based skills exam? Only one of the most important things burgeoning pre-doctoral student dentists will ever do to prove themselves competent to operate independently on patients (that’s also known as…being a doctor!). In other words, a student must perform several procedures from start to finish on a patient under my supervision with NO help from me and with me GRADING each step of the procedure. And NO ONE can graduate without passing ALL of their patient based skills exams. Just a little bit of pressure on students. But it’s also a CRAP load of responsibility and pressure on ME! I must always remind myself of the procedure, each step of the procedure, each grading criteria for each step of the procedure, the rules for the testing of that procedure, etc. Do I study the rules and criteria for each exam I administer? You bet I do. Do I refer back to the rules and criteria for the procedure during the examination? Also, you bet I do! As an analogy, a pilot who has flown an airplane hundreds of times will ALWAYS go through the written start up and take off procedure on EVERY flight just so NOTHING is missed. That’s how seriously I take these exams. Why? These aren’t blind examinations. I know each and every student that I test. These are students that I have helped nurture from DAY ONE of dental school. I deeply want to see each and every student succeed and I care deeply for each my students. But I also have a responsibility to objectively administer the exam, protect the patient, protect the public and future patients, protect the profession, protect the interests of the State Dental Examining Board, protect the University, etc. I need to give my students praise only as I am allowed during the exam and I am also obligated to give students bad news should the need arise. Giving bad news is HARD and SUCKS but I HAVE to do so when needed (I try my very best to deliver bad news in as caring a way as possible and I hope it comes across that way…a great amount of teaching can arise from things that don’t go as planned).
So, when students are taking a patient based skills exam and are completely stressed out just know that…I AM TOO!!!😱
Today I visited the Oak Creek indoor winter farmers market. And you know what? I really enjoy farmers markets. No, I don’t go to farmers markets looking for bargains (though there are usually a few bargains to be had). For me, it’s all about the excitement and sites and sounds and textures and aromas…it fills all my senses in remarkable ways that few things can. Even just picking up a beautiful piece of fruit or veggie and gazing into its’ color and shape and feel gets me thinking about the journey it took to grow and mature through days and nights and storms and sun and cold and hot…and probably even a hungry and mischievous rabbit or two (yeah, my garden gets hammered every year by a cute little thumper or two…they’re just too cute for me to get totally mad at them though).
What’s more about farmers markets, and for me is probably the most important part, is all the incredible people who sell their produce and products at farmers markets. Hey, aren’t they farmers? Well, many of them are farmers. But more and more farmers markets (especially indoor winter farmers markets) are including makers and producers of incredible and unique products. Cookies and scones and bread mixes and salsas and hot sauces and meats and peanut butter and skin care products, etc. And all these products are NOT items that were previously purchased only to be resold at a farmers market. Oh no. These are products made by the vendors themselves. Small business artisans and innovators that have pride in their products and are ever so willing to enthusiastically talk with you about their incredible products. And it’s just so incredible to purchase something unique and full of so much cool that can only come from the personal touch of someone’s hopes and dreams wrapped into that product.
And let’s not forget about our incredible local farmers and everything that flows from their labors of love. The pride that those folks have in the successes that they bring to the market. Their hard work and nurturing translates into incredible taste and nourishment that helps sustain us in ways that grocery store produce just seem to lack. And I love talking with farmers. Talking about the growing season. Talking about the subtle differences between two different types of apples. Mushrooms that I had no idea existed and advice from the farmer as to the best mushroom for a newbie to cook (and how to cook it easily and with success). Eggs from a farm where the farmer has named each of the hens and can even show videos of the hens out enjoying their lives around their free range home.
I know that farming is hard work. And not many people can do that kind of work. And more and more we’re losing people who do that kind of work. But luckily there always continue to be new dreamers and hard workers who wish to keep a small craft community of farmers and producers moving into the future.
And this whole thing reminds me of trends in my dental profession. In days past, every dentist was a small business artisan. Each of those dentists had incredible pride in the things their two hands could do to help care for people and give people a better quality of life. All too often these days dentistry is falling to big money corporate giants. Yeah, dentistry is crazy expensive to keep the doors open and the lights on. But I can’t help but lament the diluting of the heart and soul of dentistry. Yes, corporate dentists provide top notch dental care. But that extra spark and pride and motivation that can only come from pride in ownership is gone. And I don’t believe we’re in a better place because of it.
So, I will continue to hope that we can keep a few dreamers and hard workers in dentistry who can continue to fight the good fight and bring a totally unique and cool pride-in-ownership craft experience to this world just like all the dreamer and hard worker farmers/producers that continue to bring their cool products to market every week.
And that’s probably enough for Saturday December 9th, 2023. Stay safe, stay healthy, keep the Faith, and please help your neighbors. We’re all in this together. We can go the distance. Don’t stop believing. Namaste.
Historic Range Lights at the Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin
Mornin’ All,
Happy almost Friday, Happy almost End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!
Last weekend’s Milwaukee Happy Note was huge. This weekend? Even BIGGER! There’s close to FIFTY events in this weekend’s Happy Note!! So…for ease, convenience, and clarity I’m trying something different with this weekend’s Happy Note: I’m breaking it into two parts. The first part will focus on all new stuff while the second part will be devoted to awesome things continuing from last weekend. And why am I having to do this? Cuz Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of December 8th, 9th, and 10th):
New and Cool???
-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “Handel’s Messiah” (Alleluia…or is it Hallelujah 🤷♂️?).
-Wehr Nature Center presents “Family Owl Prowl” and “Wehr Birders” (are the birders gonna prowl for owls too? Last time I checked owls are birds…just sayin’ 🤷♂️).
-Black Arts MKE presents “Black Nativity By Langston Hughes” in the Wilson Theater at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.
-Marquette Golden Eagles Men’s Basketball is at home against Notre Dame (don’t mess with anyone wearing…shamrocks 🤷♂️?).
-Milwaukee Ballet debuts “The Nutcracker” with performances through December 26th (don’t forget to bring along some almonds and walnuts or whatever happens to be your favorite nut…let’s get crackin’).
-“Hmong New Year” at State Fair Park.
-Bel Canto Chorus presents “Christmas in the Basilica” (better than Christmas with a basilisk 🐍).
-“European Village Alive!” at the Milwaukee Public Museum (a very nice departure from the Museum’s exhibits that are…mostly dead…but cool!).
-Milwaukee Wave is at home against the Monterrey Flash (anyone named Gordon?).
-Milwaukee Recreation presents “Winter Wonder Woods” at Hawthorn Glen.
-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Illuminated Hike” (if it’s during the day is it illuminated by default 🤷♂️?).
-Racine Theatre Guild presents “The Little Mermaid”.
-Urban Ecology Center presents “Family Night Hike” (illuminated hike?) and “Yoga with Parisa”.
-Indoor “Winter Farmers Market” in Oak Creek (what about all the Spring, Summer, and Fall farmers 🤷♂️?).
Continuing…Yet Still Cool???
-Milwaukee Repertory Theater continues performances of “A Christmas Carol” through December 24th, “Dial M For Murder” through December 17th, and “Nuncrackers” through January 7th.
-Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville continues 2023’s “Holiday Light Show”through December 30th.
-Boerner Botanical Gardens continues “Winter Wonders” Holiday lights through December 31st.
-Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison continues 2023’s “Holiday Express Model Train & Flower Show” through December 31st.
-Sunset Playhouse continues “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” through December 17th.
-Oak Creek continues “Light the Square” at Drexel Town Square through December 31st.
-“Holidays on the Hop” continues on…The Hop (🤷♂️)…and at Hop stations all over Downtown.
-First Stage (Theater) continues performances of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” through December 24th.
-Old World Wisconsin in Eagle continues “Home for the Holidays” every weekend through December 17th.
-“Enchant” continues at The Rock Snow Park in Franklin.
-Waukesha Civic Theatre continues performances of “A Christmas Story The Musical” through December 17th.
-“Festive Friday Eves” continues at the Cedar Creek Settlement in Cedarburg through December 22nd.
-“Holidays in the Village” continues in Wauwatosa through December 17th.
-Lake Country Playhouse continues performances of “A Christmas Carol” through December 10th.
-Cheer District with Milwaukee’s official Holiday tree continues at the Deer District.
-Milwaukee’s Holiday Lights Festival continues in Cathedral Square, Pere Marquette Park, and Zeidler Union Square.
-Lakeside Players of Kenosha continues performances of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” through December 16th.
-“Illuminated Country Christmas” continues at the Ingleside in Pewaukee.
-Milwaukee Domes continues “Holiday Show: A Holiday Snow Globe” through January 7th. Great indoor walking! Great gift shop too (proceeds benefit the Domes)!!
-Skylight Music Theatre continues performances of “School of Rock” through December 30th.
-MKE Downtown continues “Ornament Trail” along Wisconsin Avenue and Water Street through January 6th.
-Milwaukee County Zoo continues “Wild Lights” through December 31st. Plus, the Zoo continually presents…lots of COOL animals and awesome indoor/outdoor walks! Great coffee too!!
-Milwaukee Public Museum continues “Deck the Streets and Village” with awesome period Holiday decorations through January 22nd and continually presents outstanding educational strolls (great indoor walking!) throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Blue Whales”) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory!
-Next Act Theatre continues performances of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” through December 17th.
-“Christmas Carnival of Lights” continues at Jellystone Park in Caledonia through January 1st.
-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olsen Planetarium continues “Colorful Nebulas” (I still think it’s nebulae).
-Apple Orchard? Brightonwoods Orchard near Burlington extended their season through December 17th.
-A Dare? I dare you to do one thing from this list!
-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.
Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊
Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.
Doc
PS: The Milwaukee Happy Note will be taking a wellness break from December 11th through January 14th and will return the weekend of January 19th, 20th, and 21st.
PPS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.
Union Station in Chicago (Yeah, OK, this is the MILWAUKEE Happy Note…but a relaxing Amtrak trip from Milwaukee to Chicago is always fun AND easy AND cheap!)
Mornin’ All,
Happy almost Friday, Happy almost End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!😃
Wow! BIG weekend ahead in Milwaukee! Sure, the weather might be feeling a little bit cold. But this town is only heating up with tons of awesome! And, sure, a whole lot of our awesome has moved indoors (and you can’t shake a stick without hitting “A Christmas Carol” this weekend…but don’t hit a Christmas caroler, OK?). But that doesn’t mean we’ve abandoned the out-of-doors. There’s a ton of outdoor stuff this weekend and some of it you can even enjoy from the comfort of…your heated car! So crank up the heater in your beater and let’s get this weekend rolling down the road even sweeter!
Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd):
-Milwaukee County Zoo debuts “Wild Lights” with awesome nighttime light shows through December 31st. AND there’s “Family Free Day” this weekend! Plus, the Zoo continually presents…lots of COOL animals and awesome indoor/outdoor walks! Great coffee too!!
-Milwaukee Repertory Theater debuts “A Christmas Carol” with performances through December 24th AND continues performances of “Dial M For Murder” (through December 17th) and “Nuncrackers” (through January 7th).
-Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville debuts 2023’s “Holiday Light Show” with amazing nighttime Holiday lights through December 30th.
-Marquette Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball is at home against the Penn State Nittany Lions (not quite sure what a Nittany is 🤷♂️).
-“Santa Cycle Rampage” starting at Wisconsin Bike Fed’s office. Dressing like the big guy in red and white is HIGHLY encouraged.
-Oak Creek debuts “Light the Square” at Drexel Town Square with awesome nighttime Holiday lights through December 31st.
-Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison debuts 2023’s “Holiday Express Model Train & Flower Show” with beautiful indoor floral displays and BIG garden size model trains (G Scale…yes, I’m a model train geek) through December 31st.
-Historic Downtown Greendale presents “A Dickens of a Village” Holiday celebration (is a dickens better than a helluva 🤷♂️?).
-“Christmas in the Ward” in the Third Ward’s Catalano Square. Awesome stuff happening includes tree lighting, fireworks, and “Light the Hoan (Bridge) Holiday Show”.
-“West Allis Tree Lighting Ceremony” at Downtown West Allis’s City Hall.
-“West Allis Christmas Parade” in Downtown West Allis.
-“Christkindlmarkt” at the West Allis Farmers Market (wow…big stuff in West Allis this weekend!).
-“Christkindlmarkt” in Sister Bay in Door County (Door County Doc? Yeah, cuz I love Door County!😃).
-“Christmas in the Village” in Ephraim in Door County (there you go with more of that craazzzy Door County stuff Doc!).
-“Wisconsin Vintage Fest” at Fiserv Forum (new weekend for old stuff?).
-“Happy Holiday Art Crawl” in Downtown Waukesha (walk if you wish).
-“Mistletoe Market Craft and Art Fair” at the Waukesha County Expo Center (there’s probably gonna be a whole lot of kissin’ goin’ on there 🤷♂️?).
-“Waukesha Christmas Parade” in Downtown Waukesha (wow…big stuff in Waukesha this weekend as well!).
-“Holidays on the Hop” on…The Hop (🤷♂️)…and at Hop stations all over Downtown Milwaukee (hop on…or off).
-“Milwaukee Krampusnacht” in Downtown Milwaukee’s Brewery District (oooh, scary…yet fun…unless you’ve been naughty!).
-Old World Wisconsin in Eagle debuts “Home for the Holidays” and runs every weekend through December 17th. Go and have your picture taken with Krampus (though this won’t be a Krampusnacht…maybe a Krampustag cuz it’s during the day 🤷♂️?).
-Boerner Botanical Gardens continues “Winter Wonders” Holiday lights through December 31st AND presents “Holiday Gift Fair” (this weekend only).
-Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the Atlanta Hawks.
-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” (hmm, not much in keeping with the season 🤷♂️) AND “Holiday Jazz with Dee Alexander” (well that’s more like it!).
-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Grand Rapids Griffins (Griffindor!)
-Sunset Playhouse debuts “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” with performances through December 17th.
-Wehr Nature Center presents “Wehr Naturally: Woodland Gnomes” (create your very own Woodland Gnomes), “Wehr Birders”, “Guided Forest Bathing”…and awesome hikes IN the Metro area!
-First Stage (Theater) continues performances of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” through December 24th.
-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Growing Green Cooking Series: Winter Squash”…and awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area (and a river’s edge 🤷♂️).
-Waukesha Civic Theatre debuts “A Christmas Story The Musical” with performances through December 17th.
-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Nature Ornaments”, “Raptor Saturday”, “I Spy: Hibernation”, “Word With a Bird”, and “Ash Ornament Art”…and awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area and along our beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline!
-Lakeside Players of Kenosha debuts “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with performances through December 16th.
-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olsen Planetarium presents “Colorful Nebulas” (umm…wouldn’t that be nebulae 🤷♂️? Maybe I’m just being nebulous 🤷♂️?).
-Falls Patio Players presents “A Christmas Carol” this weekend only.
-Lake Country Playhouse continues performances of “A Christmas Carol” through December 10th.
-Skylight Music Theatre continues performances of “School of Rock” through December 30th.
-Next Act Theatre continues performances of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” through December 17th.
-Milwaukee Domes continues “Holiday Show: A Holiday Snow Globe” through January 7th. Great indoor walking! Great gift shop too (proceeds benefit the Domes)!!
-“Enchant” continues at The Rock Snow Park in Franklin (STUDENT DENTISTS…PLEASE DON’T FALL AND BREAK A WRIST AT THE ICE SKATING RINK 😱!!!).
-“Festive Friday Eves” continues at the Cedar Creek Settlement in Cedarburg through December 22nd.
“Holidays in the Village” continues in Wauwatosa through December 17th.
-Cheer District illuminated trees including Milwaukee’s official Holiday tree continues at the Deer District.
-Milwaukee’s Holiday Lights Festival continues in Cathedral Square, Pere Marquette Park, and Zeidler Union Square.
-MKE Downtown continues “Ornament Trail” along Wisconsin Avenue and Water Street through January 6th.
-“Illuminated Country Christmas” continues at the Ingleside in Pewaukee.
-Milwaukee Public Museum continues “Deck the Streets and Village” with awesome period Holiday decorations through January 22nd and continually presents outstanding educational strolls (great indoor walking!) throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Blue Whales”) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory!
-Discovery World presents “Story Time with Santa”.
-“Christmas Carnival of Lights” continues at Jellystone Park in Caledonia through January 1st.
-Racine Zoo continually presents…awesome animals on a beautiful lakeshore! Great outdoor walking!! Lest I forget, go see the newborn BABY tamarins!!!
-Milwaukee Art Museum continues “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil), and “Story Time in the Galleries”. Lest we forget, there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits (and great indoor walking) for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence including, but not limited to, “Darrell Ellis: Regeneration” through January 14th, 2024, and “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader” through January 28th, 2024, and “50 Paintings” through June 23rd, 2024.
-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues “Love You To Death: Discontented Desire” (through December 23rd), “Capitalism and Extractivism in Latin America from the Colonial Era to Today” (through December 23rd), and “Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” (through May 12, 2024). It’s FREE!
-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents “Intro to Sound Healing Tools” (noise cancelling headphones 🤷♂️?).
-Farmers Market? How ‘bout the Christkindlmarkt at the West Allis Farmers Market? While you’re there how ‘bout checkin’ out West Allis’s tree lighting and Holiday parade?
-Apple Orchard? Brightonwoods Orchard near Burlington extended their season through December 17th. Lots of crazy cool apples!
-A Dare? I dare you to take ten minutes to do some deep breathing. I double dare you to do it twice (I’m not invoking the double or triple…”dog”…dares 😱)!
-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.
Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊
Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.
Doc
PS: The Milwaukee Happy Note will be taking a wellness break from December 11th through January 14th and will return the weekend of January 19th, 20th, and 21st.
PPS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.
Happy almost Friday, Happy almost End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!😃
Last weekend might have been a little slow around MKE. This weekend? Nope. Tons of stuff happening! Yes, we are skewing our activities a bit towards the indoors. But have we abandoned the out-of-doors? No way! We’re Milwaukeeans!! We live for cold damp winds howling off the Lake!!! Well…umm…maybe not?🤷♂️
Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of November 17th, 18th, and 19th):
-Milwaukee’s Official 2023 Holiday Tree Lighting at the Deer/Cheer District (and it’s FREE!).
-Milwaukee’s Holiday Lights Festival debuts in Cathedral Square, Pere Marquette Park, and Zeidler Union Square.
-“Holiday Folk Fair International” at State Fair Park in West Allis (bring along an appetite!).
-Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the Dallas Mavericks.
-Skylight Music Theatre debuts “School of Rock” with performances through December 30th.🎸🥁
-“Racine Cat Show & Adoption Event” at Festival Hall in Racine (keep me away from cat adoptions…Maui and Sulley do NOT want a new friend in the house!).
My boys!😊
-“Festive Friday Eves” kicks off at the Cedar Creek Settlement in Cedarburg and happens every Friday through December 22nd.
-Wisconsin Herd is at home against the Iowa Wolves and the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
-“Fall Fest at the Stables” at MKE Urban Stables (a block away from KK in Bayview). Looks like they’ll even have a donkey kissing booth!😘
-Marquette University Theatre wraps up its performances of “All in the Timing” (we’re running out of time to see it).
-Marquette Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball is at home against the Saint Peter’s Peacocks.
-“Tellabration 2023–A Night of Storytelling for Grown-Ups” at Mount Mary University’s Steimke Hall (presented by The Milwaukee Area Story Telling Guild).
-Milwaukee Chamber Theatre debuts “Liberace!” with performances through November 25th.
-“Merry Little Night Market” (kinda sort-of-a Christkindlemarkt) at Pilot Brewing in Milwaukee.
-UW Milwaukee Panthers Men’s Basketball is at home against the Luther College Norse (Danish or Norwegian Norse 🤷♂️?).
-Master Singers of Milwaukee presents “A Timeless Holiday” (timely 🤷♂️?).
-Milwaukee Art Museum debuts “50 Paintings” with showings through June 23rd, 2024, and continues “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil), and “Story Time in the Galleries”. Lest we forget, there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits (and great indoor walking) for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence including, but not limited to “Darrell Ellis: Regeneration” through January 14th, 2024, and “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader” through January 28th, 2024.🎨
-First Stage (Theater) debuts “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” with performances through December 24th.
-“Illuminated Walk Through Country Christmas” at the Ingleside in Pewaukee. Dogs are welcome! BTW, drive through lights at Ingleside starts up NEXT weekend (in time for Thanksgiving).
-Milwaukee Repertory Theater debuts “Dial M For Murder” with performances through December 17th AND continues performances of “Nuncrackers” with performances through January 7th.
-“Season to Sparkle Holiday Celebration” at Bayshore in Glendale.
-“Wisconsin Annual Blues Harmonica Festival 2023” in Hubertus (I’m shinin’ up my Hohner Marine Band!).
-Racine Theatre Guild presents “Matilda Jr” and “The Vagina Monologues” (I’m thinkin’ Matilda may be the better choice for kiddos and squeamish dudes 🤷♂️?).
-“Cream City Creatives Craft Fair” at Turner Hall Ballroom.
-Milwaukee Domes debuts “Holiday Show: A Holiday Snow Globe” with spectacular Holiday flower presentations through January 7th. And don’t miss “Wellness With Houseplants” (this weekend only). Great indoor walking! Great gift shop too (proceeds benefit the Domes)!!
-Sunset Playhouse presents “Seussical Kids”.
-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “Ruth Reinhardt Returns” with music from Cziner, Shostakovich, and Brahms (Symphony No. 4).
-Discovery World presents “Mermaid Echo Live”.
-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Chicago Wolves.
-MKE Downtown continues “Ornament Trail” along Wisconsin Avenue and Water Street through January 6th.
-Milwaukee County Zoo continually presents…lots of COOL animals and awesome indoor/outdoor walks! Great coffee too!! Wild Lights is on the horizon (debuts Dec 1st).
-Milwaukee Public Museum continues “Deck the Streets and Village” with awesome period Holiday decorations through January 22nd. “Native American Heritage Month” continues. And, lest we forget, the Museum continually presents outstanding educational strolls (great indoor walking!) throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Blue Whales–Return of the Giants”) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory! 🦋
-Racine Zoo continually presents…awesome animals on a beautiful lakeshore! Great outdoor walking!!
-“Christmas Carnival of Lights” at Jellystone Park in Caledonia continues through January 1st.🎄
-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues: “Love You To Death: Discontented Desire” through December 23rd; “Capitalism and Extractivism in Latin America from the Colonial Era to Today” through December 23rd; and “Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” through May 12, 2024 (and it’s FREE!).
-Marian Art Gallery at Mount Mary University wraps up Katie Hudnall’s “The Longest Distance Between Two Points”.
-Wehr Nature Center presents “Wehr Birders”…and awesome hikes IN the Metro area (where?)!
-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Handmade for the Holidays: A Gift-Making Gathering”…and awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area (and a river’s edge 🤷♂️).
-Urban Ecology Center presents “Turkey Trek” (…Star…Turkey Trek? Captain Gobble Wobble and First Officer Turkey Lurkey racing across the galaxy in the USS Poultry?).
-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Family Owl Prowl”, “Saturday Morning Bird Walk”, “Mammals Preparing for Winter”, “Morning Guided Forest Bathing”…and awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area!
-Lakeshore State Park is hosting the “7th Annual CAM & Red Sands Event” community grief walk. Plus…there’s always awesome hikes right in DOWNTOWN MKE on the lakefront (or is it the lakeshore 🤷♂️?).
-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olsen Planetarium presents “Rooftop Stargazing” and wraps up “Searching for Life” (did we find it 🤷♂️?).
-Farmers Market? How ‘bout West Allis before it’s gone until…May?
-Hike? Well, if you decide to hike this weekend either wear blaze orange or hike where the trails are closed to hunting (this is opening weekend for gun deer). A safe bet…Wehr Nature Center (where?)?
-A dare? I dare you to wake up on Saturday and/or Sunday and do nothing except just BE (and drink a caffeinated beverage?) for a full hour.
-Apple orchard? Last weekend for Brightonwoods. Try the Winter Banana variety (yes, that’s an actual apple and not a banana!).
See?!
-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.
Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊
Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.
Doc
PS: The Milwaukee Happy Note will be taking a little time off for turkey and tryptophan and will return the weekend of December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Happy Thanksgiving!🦃😊
PPS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.
Happy almost Friday, Happy almost End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!😃
Honestly, this will be a little bit of a slower weekend in Milwaukee. We are in that little trough between Fall/Halloween hubbub and Holiday crazy. And ya know what…I love it. Moving a little slower and a bit more deliberately is good for my soul. Slowing down helps me catch up on where I’ve been headed like a madman. And where have I been headed like a madman and why? I don’t know…and I don’t care (thanks for that line Jimmy Buffett). I guess in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter. There are a whole lot of things that do matter and my slowing things down brings those things back into wonderful focus. My hope is we can all take a little time to get back to our wonderful things that matter the most. Let’s take it slow this weekend and see where it leads?
Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of November 10th, 11th, and 12th):
-Milwaukee Domes presents…two open floral domes (Arid and Tropical) that will likely be crowd free while the show dome is being transformed into “Holiday Show: A Holiday Snow Globe” debuting on Nov 18th. Great indoor walking! Great gift shop too (and all sales help support the Domes)!!
-Marquette University Theatre debuts “All in the Timing” with performances through November 19th (just in time 🤷♂️?).
-MKE Downtown presents “Ornament Trail” along Wisconsin Avenue and Water Street through January 6th, 2024. Walk, bike, skip, hop, run, or jump down Wisconsin Avenue to see all the larger-than-life ornaments…it’s all good!
-Milwaukee County Zoo presents…lots of COOL animals and awesome indoor/outdoor walks! Great coffee too!! Wild Lights are on the horizon (December 1st debut).
-Milwaukee Public Museum debuts “Deck the Streets and Village” with awesome period Holiday decorations through January 22nd, 2024. “Native American Heritage Month” continues. And, lest we forget, the Museum continually presents outstanding educational strolls (great indoor walking!) throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Blue Whales–Return of the Giants”) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory (and coffee)! 🦋
-The Bindery Creative Laboratory presents “From Rags to…Books! Hardcover Binding with Reclaimed Cloth Covers” (it’s a two weekend class that sounds really COOL! Real book stuff!!).
-Sunset Playhouse presents “Alice in Wonderland” this weekend only.
-“re:Craft & Relic Holiday Market” at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex in Franklin (how long will it take for my crafts to become relics? Will Indiana Jones ever care about my crafty relics?).
-First Stage (Theater) wraps up its performances of “The Forgotten Girl”.
-Racine Zoo presents…awesome animals on a beautiful lakeshore! Great outdoor walking!! Also, Racine Zoo just received national accreditation and they are excited to share everything it took to receive that honor!!!
-Waukesha Civic Theatre wraps up its performances of “Men on Boats” (follow up performance: Men on Docks 🤷♂️?).
-“Vets Day 5K & 10K” (runs) benefiting Operation Finally Home at Veterans Park on our beautiful lakefront. There’s even a gourmet hot chocolate bar at the finish line!
-Milwaukee Repertory Theater continues performances of “Nuncrackers” with performances through January 7th, 2024.
-Racine Theatre Guild wraps up its performances of “Seasonal Allergies” (can I put my Claritin away?).
-Milwaukee Art Museum continues “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil), and “Story Time in the Galleries”. Lest we forget, there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits (and great indoor walking) for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence including, but not limited to “Darrell Ellis: Regeneration” through January 14th, 2024, and “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader” through January 28th, 2024.🎨
-Renaissance Theaterworks wraps up its performances of “Witch”.
-“Christmas Carnival of Lights” at Jellystone Park in Caledonia continues through January 1st, 2024.🎄
-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues: “Love You To Death: Discontented Desire” through December 23rd; “Capitalism and Extractivism in Latin America from the Colonial Era to Today” through December 23rd; and “Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” through May 12, 2024 (and it’s FREE!).
-Chicken Wire Empire (featuring one of Marquette Dental School’s very own) performs at the Miramar Theatre.
-Marian Art Gallery at Mount Mary University presents Katie Hudnall’s “The Longest Distance Between Two Points” through November 17th (and it’s free!).
-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents “Chanunpa Ceremony” (Lakota sacred smoke ceremony).
-Wehr Nature Center presents “Savor the Flavors of Fall”, “Wehr Birders”, “Guided Forest Bathing”, “Nature Wizards: Squirrel Tales”…and awesome hikes IN the Metro area (even a lakeside hike)!
-Riveredge Nature Center presents…awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area (and probably near a river’s edge 🤷♂️?).
-Retzer Nature Center presents…awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area!
-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Leaf Painting”, “Acrylic Painting Workshop”, “Word With a Bird”…and awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area (even a lakeshore…Lake Michigan lakeshore…hike)!
-Conservancy for Healing and Heritage presents…beautiful hikes IN the Metro area (even a lakeside hike)!
-Lapham Peak State Park presents…awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area!
-Forest Exploration Center in Wauwatosa presents…awesome hikes IN the Metro area!
-Lakeshore State Park presents…awesome hikes right in DOWNTOWN MKE on the lakefront (Lake Michigan lakefront…I mean lakeshore)!
-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olsen Planetarium continues “Searching for Life”.
-Farmers Market? How ‘bout the Oak Creek Winter Farmers Market at the Oak Creek Community Center (winter??)?
-Hike? How ‘bout ANY of the nature centers listed above?
-A dare? How ‘bout a hike at ANY of the nature centers listed above?
-Apple orchard? We’re running out of time for fresh apples around here. Broken record: how ‘bout Brightonwoods??? Only two more weeks until they close until August 2024.
-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.
Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊
Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.
Doc
PS: The Milwaukee Happy Note will be taking a little time off for turkey and tryptophan the weekend of November 24th, 25th, and 26th, and will return the weekend of December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
PPS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.
Happy almost Friday, Happy almost End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!😃
Summer to Fall to Winter…in a WEEK! I had to turn my AC back on last week and here we are with our first measurable snow. Wow! I’ve heard it said that if you don’t like Milwaukee’s weather just wait a few minutes and it’ll change. And change it has. Weather sure moves quickly in Milwaukee. And here we are into November. Clocks are falling back, leaves are falling down, and, honestly, we’re falling into one of my favorite times of the year.
Say what Doc? Doc, it’s cold and damp and dark and whatcha thinkin’? For me, the summer hustle is coming to an end and life starts to slow down just a little bit. I start looking inward a bit more. Looking inward not in a dark way, but in a relaxed and renewing kind of way. This time of year becomes a time to regroup and heal and reflect on everything that’s been. A time to dream about what’s ahead. A time to gather with folks to talk and share and pass the time in fellowship and community. A time to feel cozy and comfy in warm sweaters and socks and blankets and hats and scarves. A time for candlelight. And a time for…nuts like me to start laying out my ski wax plan and my perfect training plan for cross country ski season. Ha!
Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of November 3rd, 4th, and 5th):
-Milwaukee Domes wraps up “Fall Show: Earth–The Art of Nature” (“Holiday Show: A Holiday Snow Globe” is on the horizon!). Have I ever mentioned how much I love our Domes?😊
-Milwaukee Repertory Theater debuts “Nuncrackers” with performances through January 7th, 2024 (that’s nun, not nut).
-Lakeshore State Park presents…awesome hikes right in DOWNTOWN MKE on the lakefront (or is it the lakeshore 🤷♂️?).
-Wehr Nature Center presents “Wehr Birders”…and awesome hikes IN the Metro area (where?).
-Milwaukee County Zoo presents “Family Free Day”, “Zumba Fitness Party at the Zoo”…and lots of COOL animals!😊
-Milwaukee Public Museum presents “Native American Heritage Month”, and “Mystery at the Museum” (would you believe my Museum Mystery Team took 3rd place in “Mystery at the Museum” several years ago??? It was SOOOO much fun!). Lest we forget, the Museum continually presents outstanding educational strolls throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Blue Whales–Return of the Giants”) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory (or coffee)! 🦋
-Sunset Playhouse wraps up its performances of “Blithe Spirit”.
-Lakeside Players of Kenosha wraps up their performances of “Blithe Spirit” (that wraps a whole lot of spirit!).
-Discovery World presents “Milwaukee Maker Faire” (I wonder what the Makers make 🤷♂️?).
-First Stage (Theater) continues performances of “The Forgotten Girl” through November 12th (don’t forget her).
-Racine Zoo presents…awesome animals on a beautiful lakeshore (lakefront 🤷♂️?)! AND…in case you missed it ”Jack-O’-Lantern Nights” was extended through this weekend!!
-Waukesha Civic Theatre continues performances of “Men on Boats” through November 12th (how ‘bout kittens on boats?).
-Riveredge Nature Center presents…awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area (on the edge of a river 🤷♂️)!
-Racine Theatre Guild continues performances of “Seasonal Allergies” through November 12th (take some Kleenex…achoo!).
-Milwaukee Art Museum presents “Slow Art Saturday” and continues “Drop-In Art Making”, “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil), and “Story Time in the Galleries”. Lest we forget, there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence including, but not limited to “Darrell Ellis: Regeneration” through January 14th, 2024, and “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader” through January 28th, 2024.🎨
-“Southshore Terrace Kitchen”, benefiting Milwaukee County Parks, wraps up at Southshore Park on Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront (lakeshore 🤷♂️?). Farm to table. Gluten free options too (I am always on the hunt for an awesome gluten free burger)!!!😃
-Retzer Nature Center presents “Science Fest: Now You See It! Now You Don’t!”…and awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area!
-“Christmas Carnival of Lights” at Jellystone Park in Caledonia continues through January 1st, 2024.🎄
-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues: “Love You To Death: Discontented Desire” through December 23rd; “Capitalism and Extractivism in Latin America from the Colonial Era to Today” through December 23rd; and “Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” through May 12, 2024 (and it’s FREE!).
-Urban Ecology Center presents “On Belay–Outdoor Rock Climbing” (better not delay that belay!).
-Marquette University Rec Plex presents…LOG ROLLING! “Apple Cider Rolleo”!! Holy crap, it’s legit collegiate log rolling!!! How cool is that?!!!! That might be even cooler than collegiate curling!!!!!
-Milwaukee Opera Theatre presents “Night of the Living Opera” (I’m usually dead on arrival after opera…maybe this one will be lively 🤷♂️?).
-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olsen Planetarium presents “Searching for Life” (how ‘bout live patrons at a living opera…at night?).
-Marian Art Gallery at Mount Mary University continues Katie Hudnall’s “The Longest Distance Between Two Points” through November 17th (and it’s free!).
-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Xtreme Raptor Day”…and awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area (there’s even a trail on the lakefront…or is it the lakeshore 🤷♂️?).
-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Grand Rapids Griffins (Griffindor 🤷♂️?).
-Lapham Peak State Park presents…awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area!
-Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the New York Knicks (umm…in case you’re wondering (I’ve been wondering)…that’s short for the Knickerbockers: descendants of Dutch settlers in New York…I had no idea…I just looked it up…now I know…I’m so glad I now know!).
-Conservancy for Healing and Heritage presents…beautiful hikes IN the Metro area (there’s even a lakeside trail…or is it a lakeshore trail 🤷♂️?).
-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents “Drum Circle & Storytelling” (stories about drums…in a circle 🤷♂️?)
-Renaissance Theaterworks continues performances of “Witch” through November 12th.
-Forest Exploration Center in Wauwatosa presents…awesome hikes IN the Metro area!
-Farmers Market? West Allis is STILL going!
-Hike? How ‘bout Lion’s Den Gorge in Port Washington? It’s on the lakefront (lakeshore 🤷♂️?).
-Apple Orchard? How ‘bout Brightonwoods near Burlington (I was just there and it is SOOOOO worth the trip…I’ll probably go back this weekend!)?
-A dare? I dare you to road trip to Brightonwoods Orchard for some far-out crazy cool apple varieties that I guarantee you’ve NEVER seen or tasted before! Yum!! 😊
-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.
Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊
Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.
Doc
PS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.
Happy almost Friday, Happy almost End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!😃
Wow! What a week of summer weather!! Umm…the weather may not necessarily stay that great this weekend. But so what! Break out the wool hats and scarves and socks and sweaters (and possibly rain gear) and BE the Milwaukeeans we are…hearty souls that laugh at the weather! Ha!! And, I may not be an expert, but I think Milwaukee’s Fall Colors are PEAK this weekend!!! Gotta get out there before it’s gone!!!!🍂🍁
Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of October 27th, 28th, and 29th):
-Boerner Botanical Gardens wraps up “China Lights 2023” (bummer…but it’s been awesome!).
-Historic Downtown Greendale presents “Hallowings” (tons of carved pumpkins…adjacent to some awesome restaurants!).
-Milwaukee Repertory Theater wraps up its performances of “Parental Advisory” and “Country Sunshine: The Legendary Ladies of Nashville with Katie Deal”.
-Phantom Lake YMCA Camp in Mukwonago wraps up “The Hollows” Halloween experience. All proceeds benefit the YMCA’s mission and vision at Phantom Lake Camp.
-Milwaukee Domes presents “Dia de los Muertos (October 27th only) and continues “Fall Show: Earth–The Art of Nature” through November 5th (I Love Love Love our Domes!).
-Skylight Music Theatre wraps up its performances of “Candide” (a little Nystatin might help clear it out?).
-Lakeshore State Park presents “Hunter’s Moon Hike” (it’s on the… lakeshore).
-Badgerland Striders presents “Lakefront Discovery Run” 5K and 15K runs at Veterans Park (and it’s on the…lakefront🤷♂️).
-Milwaukee County Zoo presents…lots of COOL animals and beautiful Fall colors!🍁🍂🐻🦁🐮🐸🐒
-Milwaukee Public Museum presents “Halloween Hauntings” this weekend only. PLUS, this weekend is one of those extra cool Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon presentation weekends (Dark Side of the Moon in surround sound IMAX?? Oh YEAH!! “Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day…”). Lest we forget, the Museum continually presents outstanding educational strolls throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Into America’s Wild” narrated by Morgan Freeman) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory! 🦋
-Second Hand Purrs presents “Clothing Sale Saturday” and “Halloween Donation Drive”. All proceeds go to help Second Hand Purrs rescue and care for AWESOME KITTIES (Maui wholeheartedly APROVES)!!!
-Discovery World presents “Curiosity Cube” (I guess that’s better than a gelatinous cube 🤷♂️…watch Disney’s “Onward” to see a gelatinous cube in action).
-“Jack-O’-Lantern Jubilee” at Red Arrow Park.🎃
-Racine Zoo presents “Hallowine” AND “Boo at the Zoo”, and wraps up “Jack-O’-Lantern Nights” (oooh…BIG weekend for the Racine Zoo and proceeds from all this awesome helps care for AWESOME animals!).
-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (cuz I’m the Oogie Boogie Man…whoa oh, whoa oh).
-Milwaukee Ballet presents “Dracula”.🦇
-Milwaukee Art Museum continues “Drop-In Art Making”, “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil), and “Story Time in the Galleries”. Lest we forget, there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence including, but not limited to, “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader”.🎨
-Racine Theatre Guild debuts “Seasonal Allergies” with performances through November 12th (achoo!).
-“Southshore Terrace Kitchen”, benefiting Milwaukee County Parks, continues at Southshore Park on Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront through November 5th. Farm to table AND gluten free options too (gluten free burger for me 🍔)!!!😃
-Sunset Playhouse continues performances of “Blithe Spirit” through November 5th.
-Christmas Carnival of Lights” (yes, you read that right 🤷♂️) at Jellystone Park in Caledonia continues through January 1st, 2024 (please tell me we’re not gonna start Holiday Music right now as well…let’s at least get to Thanksgiving with normal music…like Dark Side of the Moon 🌒?!).🎄
-First Stage (Theater) wraps up its performances of “Dream, Quickie! Dream!”.
-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues: “Love You To Death: Discontented Desire” through December 23rd; “Capitalism and Extractivism in Latin America from the Colonial Era to Today” through December 23rd; and “Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” through May 12, 2024 (and it’s FREE!).
-Waukesha Civic Theatre debuts “Men on Boats” with performances through November 12th (how ‘bout cats on boats?).
-Waukesha Area Symphonic Band presents “Classic Favorites”.
-Marian Art Gallery at Mount Mary University presents Katie Hudnall’s “The Longest Distance Between Two Points” through November 17th (and it’s free!).
-Renaissance Theaterworks continues performances of “Witch” through November 12th.
-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Iowa Wild (wild…cats?).
-Lakeside Players of Kenosha debuts “Blithe Spirit” with performances through November 5th.
-Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks.
-Milky Way Drive-In Theater wraps up its scary season at The Rock in Franklin with more scary movies including Coco (NOT scary…totally ADORABLE), and Haunted Mansion (grim grinning ghosts…).👻
-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents “Full Moon Gong Bath & Sound Meditation”.🌕
-Wehr Nature Center presents “Flow Yoga”, “Family Full Moon Walk”, “Wehr Birders”, and “Guided Forest Bathing Walk” (can I give my gong a bath in the forest?).
-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Day for Dogs” (hey, what about cats?).
-Retzer Nature Center wraps up “Scarecrow Lane”.
-Urban Ecology Center presents “Caminata de los Recuerdos”.
-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents…lots of cool hikes!
-Lapham Peak State Park presents “Fright Hike” (at night…😱).
-Old World Wisconsin in Eagle presents “Wisconsin Beer Run”. 🍺🏃♂️
-UW Milwaukee Manfred Olsen Planetarium presents “Rooftop Stargazing” and “Searching for Life”.💫
-Farmers Market? West Allis is still going (getting late in the season…get there before it’s over!).
-Hike? How ‘bout Seven Bridges in Grant Park? Awesome Fall colors!
-A dare? I dare you to get lost in a used bookstore!
-Apple Orchard? How ‘bout Quednow’s Heirloom Apple Orchard for some truly funky and weird apple varieties?
-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.
Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊
Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.
Doc
PS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.
Happy (almost) Friday, Happy (almost) Weekend, and Happy (almost) End of the Week!😃
Beautiful colors dancing through every part of town. A symphony of colors playing for our wonderment. Our beautiful trees in all their resplendence crescendoing to an incredible finale. A fond farewell from our trees as they prepare for their winter slumber. And there’s no better way to honor their gift than to stand in their glory and take in their fleeting beauty. And as we take in that beauty perhaps we can take a moment to remember that there are a few tough things going in our world. There are sisters and brothers that are suffering and hoping for better days. I am so very humbled and lucky to be able to live and work and dream in such an incredible place as Milwaukee and I will do what I can to extend love and thoughts and prayers and wishes to my sisters and brothers who will be having a very difficult weekend.
Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of October 20th, 21st, and 22nd):
-Boerner Botanical Gardens continues “China Lights 2023” with awesome nighttime lantern magic through October 29th. PLUS, Boerner presents “Chinese Brush Painting” and “Autumn Garden Walks” (Autumn is out walking in the gardens again…I wonder what Autumn looks like?).
-Phantom Lake YMCA Camp in Mukwonago continues “The Hollows” Halloween spectacle with hauntingly awesome Halloween experiences (like thousands of carved pumpkins) through October 28th. All proceeds benefit the YMCA’s mission and vision at Phantom Lake Camp.
-Milwaukee Repertory Theater wraps up its performances of “Run Bambi Run” AND continues performances of “Parental Advisory” and “Country Sunshine: The Legendary Ladies of Nashville with Katie Deal” through October 29th.
-Sunset Playhouse debuts “Blithe Spirit” with performances through November 5th. PLUS, Sunset presents “David Seebach’s Illusions in the Night” this weekend only.
-Milwaukee Domes presents “Organic Chocolate Taste and Make Featuring Tabal Chocolate” (OH YEAH…and chocolate is gluten free!!!) AND continues “Fall Show: Earth–The Art of Nature” through November 5th.🌎
-Skylight Music Theatre continues performances of “Candide” through October 29th (not candida 🤷♂️).
-Northern Sky Theatre in Door County (yes Door County cuz I feel like I need to be there!) wraps up its indoor performances of “When Pigs Fly!” (I don’t have a flying pig emoji).
-Village of Hales Corners presents “Pumpkin Fest”. Get a free pre-cleaned pumpkin, carve it, and then enter it into the carving contest for prizes!!!🎃
-City of Oak Creek presents “Fall Festival” at Drexel Town Square (last Farmers Market as well 😕).
-First Stage (Theater) continues “Dream, Quickie! Dream!” with performances through October 29th.
-Milwaukee County Zoo presents “Boo at the Zoo” (I LOVE Boo at the Zoo!!!).👻🎃
-“Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival” at the Oriental Theater.
-Lake Country Playhouse wraps up its performances of “The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition”.
-“Fall Gallery Night MKE”…all over town! Milwaukee’s private art galleries are opening their doors wide (and free) for everyone to check out all the creative awesome that IS Milwaukee! 🎨
-Milwaukee Public Museum presents “Wisconsin Science Festival” AND “Science on Tap”. Lest we forget, the Museum continually presents outstanding educational strolls throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Into America’s Wild” narrated by Morgan Freeman) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory! 🦋
-Racine Zoo continues “Jack-O’-Lantern Nights” through October 29th (oooh, so scary…but is most likely cuter and happier than actually scary, and it all helps raise money for MANY varieties of animal chow/biscuits).
-Racine Theatre Guild presents “Spooktacular” (hmm, will it be spectacularly spooky?).
-Milwaukee Art Museum presents “Art: Forward Gala” and continues “Drop-In Art Making”, “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil), and “Story Time in the Galleries”. Lest we forget, there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence including, but not limited to, “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader”.🎨
“Women’s Convention 2023” at the Baird Center.
-Renaissance Theaterworks continues performances of “Witch” through November 12th.
-Dinosaur Discovery Museum in Kenosha presents “Ghost Hunting” (not busting…I ain’t afraid of no ghost).👻
-“Dog Days” at the Lynden Sculpture Garden.🐶
-“Southshore Terrace Kitchen”, benefiting Milwaukee County Parks, continues at Southshore Park on Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront through November 5th. Farm to table. Gluten free options too (I am always on the hunt for an awesome gluten free burger)!!!😃
-“Christmas Carnival of Lights” (yes, you read that right 🤷♂️) at Jellystone Park in Caledonia through January 1st, 2024.🎄?
-Forest Home Cemetery presents “Spirits of the Silent City” (umm…an after dark spooky immersive experience in a REAL cemetery…yep, I’ll crap my pants 💩).
-Milwaukee Astronomical Society presents “Night at the Observatory” (spooky observatory with scary planets and nebulae?).🪐
-“Wag Around the Ward Halloween Edition” at Catalano Square in the Historic Third Ward (yes, this IS a DOG thing…Maui just yawns in that general direction).🐶🦮
-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues: “Love You To Death: Discontented Desire” through December 23rd; “Capitalism and Extractivism in Latin America from the Colonial Era to Today” through December 23rd; and “Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” through May 12, 2024 (and it’s FREE).
-Marian Art Gallery at Mount Mary University presents Katie Hudnall’s “The Longest Distance Between Two Points” through November 17th (and it’s free!).
-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Texas Stars (home opener!!!).
-Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the Memphis Grizzlies (preseason).🦌🐻
-Milky Way Drive-In Theater continues at The Rock in Franklin with more scary movies including “Beetlejuice” and “Monsters University” (Mike Wazowski!!!).
-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Trails and Treats” and “Fall Foliage Paddle at Big Cedar Lake” (I’ve never used fallen foliage as a paddle…interesting 🤷♂️).
-Wehr Nature Center presents “Halloween Haunts”.👻
-Retzer Nature Center presents: “Sunset Meditation & Night Hike”; “Fall Girl Scout Night”; and “Fungus Foray–Mushroom Hike”; AND continues “Scarecrow Lane” with awesome decorated Fall hikes through October 31st.🍄
-Urban Ecology Center presents “Autumn Celebration” and “Story Time Saturday” (a story on Saturday about Autumn?).
-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Saturday Morning Bird Walk” (oooh, I wanna walk like a bird…duck walk? Duck walk with a guitar??), “Fall Watercolor Workshop”, and “Species Spooktacular”.
-Old World Wisconsin in Eagle wraps up “Halloween Legends & Lore” (I’ve heard it’s definitely not a bore).
-Forest Exploration Center in Wauwatosa presents “Autumn Colors Guided Hike”.🍁
-Farmers Market? Last weekend for the Oak Creek Famers Market (I hear there’s a Fall Festival in Oak Creek as well 🤷♂️).
-Hike? How ‘bout Bender Park and/or Lake Vista Park in Oak Creek?
-A dare? I dare you to go for a hike this weekend.
-Apple Orchard? How ‘bout Awe’s (it’s really close to Oak Creek). You can even pick your own apples at Awe’s.🍏🍎
-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.
Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊
Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.
Doc
PS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.
Happy (almost) Friday, Happy (almost) Weekend, and Happy (almost) End of the Week!😃
Friday the 13th. How appropriate for this time of year. Halloween is on the horizon, spooky movies abound, haunted houses are scaring the crap out of us…and we throw Friday the 13th into the mix. Per Disney’s Haunted Mansion: “creepy creeps with eerie eyes” and “weird glows gleam where spirits dwell”. But Disney reminds us that those creepy creeps only “pretend to terrorize”. Ah yes, the softer, cuter, gentler side of Halloween (perfect for Halloween wimps like me). Pumpkins and black cats (Maui says hi) and scarecrows and hot apple cider and pretty leaves and bonfires…and the occasional chills up and down my spine. Sounds like Hygge to me! And with heavy rain moving in for this weekend we just might have to crank up the indoor cozy Hygge. And you know what I say about that? Bring it!!😃
Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of October 13th, 14th, and 15th…Friday the 13th!!!).
-Boerner Botanical Gardens continues “China Lights 2023” with awesome nighttime lantern magic through October 29th.🏮
-Boerner Botanical Gardens also presents “Autumn Garden Walks” (wait, Autumn is walking through the Gardens? Ooh, I hope Autumn doesn’t Fall!).🍁
-Skylight Music Theatre debuts “Candide” with performances through October 29th (for all you dental folks…that’s Candide with an “e” and NOT Candida with an “a”).
-Florentine Opera presents “L’Elisir d’amore / Elixir of Love” this weekend only.
-“Harvest Festival” at the Milwaukee Public Market.
-Phantom Lake YMCA Camp in Mukwonago debuts “The Hollows” Halloween spectacle with haunted Halloween thrills (like thousands of carved pumpkins) through October 28th. All proceeds benefit the YMCA’s mission and vision at Phantom Lake Camp.🎃
-Milwaukee Domes continues “Fall Show: Earth–The Art of Nature” through November 5th (our incredible Domes NEED our support as their fate hangs in the balance…use ‘em or lose ‘em and I’d really rather NOT lose them!).🌎🎨
-Basse’s “Taste of Country Pumpkin Festival” in Colgate (I hear that 4 out of 5 dentists prefer Colgate…or is it Crest 🤔?).
-Sister Bay “Fall Fest” in Door County (this IS the big one!).
-Peninsula Players Theater in Door County (yes Door County cuz I feel like I need to be there) wraps up its performances of “Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery”.
-Northern Sky Theatre in Door County (yes Door County cuz I feel like everyone should be there!) continues its indoor performances of “When Pigs Fly!” through October 21st.
-Milwaukee Public Museum presents the “Annual Gala” benefiting the mission and the vision of the Museum. And don’t forget, the Museum continually presents outstanding educational strolls throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Into America’s Wild” narrated by Morgan Freeman) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory!🦋
-First Stage (Theater) continues “Dream, Quickie! Dream!” with performances through October 29th.
-Milwaukee Astronomical Society’s “Annular Solar Eclipse” viewing and open house benefiting the Astronomical Society’s Observatory.🪐
-Sunset Playhouse presents “The Sound of Her Music: Julie Andrews Tribute” this weekend only (the hills are alive…).
-Discovery World presents “Annular Solar Eclipse”, “Milwaukee Makers Market”, and “Kohl’s Design It! Lab Open”.
-Waukesha Civic Theatre wraps up its performances of “Natural Shocks”.
-“Jack-O’-Lantern Nights” continues at Racine Zoo and runs through October 29th (oooh, so scary…but is most likely cuter and happier than actually scary, and it all helps raise money for MANY varieties of animal chow/biscuits).
-Lake Country Playhouse debuts “The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition” with performances through October 22nd.
-“Dragon Days Fantasy Festival” in Lake Geneva (yes, this is a Dungeons and Dragons kind of thing).🐉
-Lakeside Players of Kenosha wraps up its performances of “Madagascar Jr”.
-Milwaukee Art Museum debuts “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader” featuring works by Rembrandt and runs through January 28th, 2024. This weekend’s other special event is “Taking a Ride: ‘Our Time Together’ Bus Tour”. Per usual, the Museum continues its “Drop-In Art Making”, “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil), and “Story Time in the Galleries”. And let’s not forget there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence.
-Milwaukee Repertory Theater continues “Parental Advisory” with performances through October 29th, “Run Bambi Run” with performances through October 22nd, and “Country Sunshine: The Legendary Ladies of Nashville with Katie Deal” through October 29th.
-“Southshore Terrace Kitchen”, benefiting Milwaukee County Parks, continues at Southshore Park on Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront.
-Bel Canto Chorus presents “Jazz Meets Bach” this weekend only (ahhh, Bach).
-Whitnall Park Beer Garden benefiting Milwaukee County Parks.
-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues: “Love You To Death: Discontented Desire” through December 23rd; “Capitalism and Extractivism in Latin America from the Colonial Era to Today” through December 23rd; and “Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” through May 12, 2024 (and it’s FREE).
-Renaissance Theaterworks continues “Witch” with performances through November 12th.
-Lakeshore State Park (near the Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee) presents “Fall Bird Hike and Identification” (ooh, I want to identify all the birds that are out hiking!).🦆
-Milky Way Drive-In Theater continues at The Rock in Franklin with more scary movies including “Hocus Pocus 2”, “Casper”, and “Friday the 13th” (“Friday the 13th” on Friday the 13th…🤔).
-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents “New Moon Gong Bath & Sound Meditation” (my gongs do need some cleaning).
-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Canoeing the Milwaukee River in Thiensville”, “Open Climb: Autumnal Views from the Canopy”, and “Growing Green Cooking Series: Apples” (green apples?).
-Wehr Nature Center presents “Wehr Birders” (where?).🦉
-Retzer Nature Center continues “Scarecrow Lane” with awesome decorated Fall hikes through October 31st.🎃
-Urban Ecology Center presents “Clothing Swap” (will there be private changing rooms?).
-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Ephemeral Nature–Ephemeral Art”, “Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing”, “Word With a Bird”, and “Photo Club” (photos of bird words?).
-Lapham Peak State Park presents “Friday the 13th Hike” AND “Focus Group: Fall Colors Photography Session with Art’s Camera Plus” (there certainly seems to be a Friday the 13th theme all over town?).💀👻☠️
-Old World Wisconsin in Eagle continues “Halloween Legends & Lore” with historic scary stuff through October 21st.
-Hike? How ‘bout Lakeshore State Park (while identifying birds that are out hiking 🤷♂️)?
-A dare? I dare you to read a few pages in a real paper book (TEXTBOOKS DON’T COUNT!!!).
-Apple Orchard? Why not stop by Basse’s for their “Pumpkin Festival” and pick up some apples while you’re there?
-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.
Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊
Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.
PS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.
Doc's Writing Refuge 