Commute and Construction Do Not Mix

There's more than one reason I haven't missed being in the office for the past month. But I was reminded today of a few more as I see the only "light" at the end of the tunnel is a fluorescent one when we return to the office next week!

Today I had a special occasion to return to Stevens Point as the mentor for our summer intern. The interns compete in a special challenge each summer – ideas they come up with as a team that could streamline or grow business at our company. So today's presentations were at SentryWorld – since our headquarters building across the street is under construction.

As I headed out after lunch, hubby asked: "Do you remember the way?"

Ha. But he had no idea how that would shape the day. While I did get to SentryWorld easily. Afterward, the state patrol had the entrance to I-39 south closed. An accident, I assume. So I went north, back to the next exit and realized traffic was backed up some 3 miles at least. Oof.

I figured I would just go south on one of the main streets and connect with Highway 10 since I had errands there. But that street was closed quickly for construction and it took me a minimum of 3 detours to get to the all-important Target store. Ugh. I realize I have forgotten my way around Stevens Point!

But I did find a few of the items I was seeking at 4 stores I haven't seen in 4 weeks. So glad they're still in business! I am so influential, you know!

The only other challenge I faced was showering, putting on my face AND curling my hair! Oh, and wearing grown-up clothes instead of shorts and your favorite t-shirts. I'm gonna have to step up my t-shirt game for the next 4 home-office days!

Just a Little Corny

Two things that go together in summertime – besides salt and my watermelon – are corn on the cob and dental flossers! If you know, you know!

Growing up out in the country, we had maybe a third-acre garden that felt like the size of three football fields when we had to weed it. But we had fresh corn on the cob, green beans, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, you name it. Very helpful with a family of 8 kids!

I was talking at lunch with 2 girlfriends the other day and wondered wasn't it weird to have Mom say "We're having corn on the cob for supper," and that was it. Our meal. We didn't grill up steaks to go with it.

We just picked it and shucked it and boiled it up for dinner. I think this picture is more like prepping Mom for her canning phase. We were not preparing to have 4-8 cobs per person for supper. Ha. 

But Mom would wield that electric knife and can bags and bags of fresh sweet corn that still tasted good in the winter! (Side note: The 3 siblings on the left of the picture all had braces at some point so she also did that cob-clearing for many meals over the years! Even the best dental flossers are no match for braces!)

And while we were talking about corn on the cob – because that's what you do at lunch when you're over 50 – my friend said she had some really good honey-dipped corn recently. I could not grasp the concept. Do they dip the cobs in honey?

No. I'm sure you can but it seems they can "engineer" the corn to have that extra sweet taste like it really was dipped in honey.

So then I was on a farmers market mission! We do buy good sweet corn from the neighborhood farm but I wanted to see what the honey hype was about.

Saturday I scored a half-dozen cobs (let's not be greedy until we taste test it) at the farmers market downtown. I shucked it yesterday and tonight after my much-needed chiropractor appointment, I cooked up a cob. (If you don't want to grill or boil, you can microwave for 4 minutes. I also learned that at lunch. LOL.)

Then I cooked up a second cob!

So sweet and good. Just a different summer treat that also doubles as a VEGETABLE!

Look at me, Mom. I had corn on the cob for supper and was completely satisfied! Miss you. Again.

It's Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature!

Some of us of a certain age recall a TV commercial for Chiffon Soft Stick Margarine in the late 1970s – one of the memorable ads with "Mother Nature" uttering her famous line, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!" 

This was back in the day when you had no choice but to watch the commercials. So we all new the popular ad slogans whether it was "Madge, you're soaking in it" to "Please don't squeeze the Charmin!" And we all were intimidated by Mother Nature.

Let's just say I forgot about her power.

I've been staging a silent protest. Obviously, a fruitless one. I decided that if she doesn't do her job of giving us rain FOR 23 DAYS IN A ROW then I don't need to do my "job" (ha) of blogging.

I surrender! This is our crispy crackly yard! She wins. Dang. 

We have finally gotten a teeny tiny bit of precipitation. In fact, Friday night when I was getting steps around the neighborhood, it started sprinkling and I kept walking. It was refreshing! Also I hadn't showered in 2 days so you know... two birds, one stone.

Today in church when we heard the familiar 5 loaves and 2 fish story, I thought maybe that's a sign for a miracle. The Weather Channel does not agree. And when I went out to try to resurrect my flowers – time of death was called last week – a snake slithered under the deck. So now I have to deal with satan AND Mother Nature! 

Our couples golf league finale tonight didn't lean the way of miracles either! Still fun though! And the grass was green! 

These days that's winning.

Golf, Forrest, Golf!

I am 100% sure Forrest Gump did not engage in golf or anything we would welcome as some sort of entertainment today. But since this was my t-shirt of the day before golf league, I figured I better share it!

OMG! It was forever ago that a I bought that t-shirt and we had our vacation in Fort Lauderdale. Not sure what to even compare it to. But I feel good that we all were smiling then and were smiling again this weekend.

It was fun to eat (and buy a t-shirt) from the Bubba Gump restaurant. That was when I also learned that "Jenny and me are like peas and carrots." I heard it in the movie. But it was definitely reinforced in the restaurant. 

Thanks, Bubba Gump, and thanks to our friends Mike and Christine for making this hot trip happen!

Stretching Our Boundaries

Remember in 1988 when Tom Hanks wished to be "BIG"? Turns out you don't even need a magical Zoltar machine to make your wish come true!

If you time it right as the sun lowers in the sky, you can stretch your 5-foot-2-inch frame to 6 feet easily. And look at those long legs going on for miles!! 

Sorry, Zoltar and fake fortune-tellers, but you've been replaced by nature.

Also, once again, I am completely admitting to being a dork. We just happen to be in the midst of a "steps challenge" at work so I am out and about much more than my usual lazy ass is used to. So I start noticing weird things like shadows. And which cows at the neighboring farm acknowledge me when I say "good morning."

You know, the important things!

It's interesting that when my sister Rayna headed out from here yesterday she was going to enjoy an overnight stay in Wisconsin Dells, less than an hour from here. On the way there she visited Roche Cri State Park down the road, which we haven't done in ages. And this morning enjoyed a boat tour of the Upper Dells. I really want to do that!

Sometimes we get so stuck in our routines, we forget to stretch our boundaries – even just a little – and take advantage of some pretty cool things close to home! Also, some dorky things. But a lot are pretty neat! 

Go forth – and stretch your boundaries!

Salute! Let's Get into Hee-Haw Mode!

It probably goes without saying that our sheltered "screen time" growing up included The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, Lawrence Welk, and Hee-Haw. Not that there's anything wrong with that, right?

Even though my twin Raylene and I were NOT identical, we put on mop heads and trucker hats and pretended to be the Hager Twins on Hee-Haw many Saturdays.

Fast forward 40 some years and suddenly I'm about to perform in a Hee-Haw revival show!

I think I've mentioned a few times that hubby has long-time connections with some friends in Rudolph – just north of Rapids by about 15 minutes. This amazing family that he performs with the church "guitar choir" are descendants, I guess, of parents that presented the first Hee-Haw type variety show some 40-plus years ago.

Now we both are somehow a part of it.

Here are the details of our upcoming "variety show" for lack of a better description! Lots of songs. Lots of corny jokes. And plenty of throw backs to the Hee-Haw show. 

Since Jim and I are both "cast members," let us know if you want tickets!

We're proud to be a part of the new Yee-Haw production!

Special Night at the Club

When it's your turn to host book club AND it's your birthday month, you can do whatever you want. And tonight our friend Cindy went all out.

First, we normally just meet at a coffee shop or restaurant and the host (book picker for the month) asks questions and leads discussion. This time, though, Cindy had us over to her house (right across the street from me) and we had two special returning members. My friend Christine, who founded the club with me some 13 years ago, is back in town.

And my sister Rayna drove 225 miles from Up North just to be here for it. The book was that moving for her!

Our book was This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page. It tells the story of a young grieving wife whose husband arranged for her to receive a book a month for a year. Books he picked and accompanied with a letter revealing their meaning and why he felt she'd enjoy them, etc.

As someone who's lost her husband, Rayna connected with the main character, and didn't want to miss our discussion. That was awesome to have her there!

But it wasn't all sadness tonight. Far from it. Cindy fed us great food and she had all kinds of games – including BINGO, where we all were allowed to win once, then pick a wrapped/surprise book. I got Slow Dance and Rayna got Dreamland.

By the smiles you can see we all liked our winnings! So thoughtful and fun. Really sets the bar high for us other hostesses in the future! My book was last month so I'm off the hook for a bit.

By the way, my t-shirt of the day has the word "peace" in several different languages of countries where Carter's work company has foreign exchange students. He gave me that this weekend. Pretty cool. Did you know in Norway, "fred" means "peace"? Now you know.

Fred to you all – and be sure to keep sharing those great reads out there!