Ladies Day

Usually it's when the cat's away, the mice play. Today it was when Daddy's away, the girls play.

The females in this house are heat seekers and sun worshippers. So when Jim got picked up at 7:30 a.m. to go golfing, the A/C was turned off and the front door was open by 7:32 a.m. My Sylvester approval rating was off the charts. Bring in the warmth and fresh air. Mommy's in charge!

I'm a real rebel.

It actually only got to about 75 degrees I think. So we really didn't NEED the air on. I did turn it back on tonight, though, since Jim golfed 36 holes today and might be hot when he gets home.

I sneaked out for 9 holes, too, with my Friday night golf partner Marigene. We're making a habit of it. And we don't mind!

Tonight we did a two-person scramble so I could teach her how scrambles work. Note our par dance above. We're competing (that's a strong and inaccurate word) in a scramble with two other ladies next Friday night at Tri-City. I can tell you what I know for sure. We won't be good but we will be having a good time!

That's all that matters on Ladies Day. Right, Sylvester?

Almost My Happy Place

When I got a text from a Brewers fan that the Twins were on some random cable station this evening, I didn't even care that if it wasn't in high-definition (first world problems, I know), I just wanted to see my team!

Found the station and I was in my happy place.  Well almost. Obviously,  I'd rather be at Target Field cheering them on in person. But actually getting to see them was a treat.

Loved the big heads in the stands. I've posed by the Mauer and Molitor ones before – in person. I found the "virtual fans" in the stands a bit disturbing. So strange.  Do they feed in crowd sounds to the stadium or just to the television viewers, I wonder? 2020 just keeps getting weirder!

I also wasn't a fan of the Cleveland strikeout machine. Dang. But Shane Bieber was setting a record for most strikeouts in first two starts. So I guess it wasn't that we were just swinging because stunk. See how quickly I say "we"? It's like I've been watching my boys all season!

Too bad we lost 2-0. But we've still won twice as many games as we lost. Hope I can say that after another 60 games.

It's gonna be strange. But I'll take it while it lasts. Play ball!

#wintwins #twinsterritory

Find Joy in the Little Things

It's Quarantine Day 141 so now we've passed on that "40" number and can continue on with life. Today,  I concentrated on finding joy in the little things. Yes, I had to work, but it's still a reasonable feat.

My work-related joy was that I got to see some co-workers I haven't seen since March 4 as we toured a building we have to write and produce marketing video for. See those ladder stairs up the third floor? Guess who's deathly afraid of heights but still climbed them without passing out?

This girl! And doesn't mine King Cone mask go great with a hard hat? It's like I take my hard ice cream very seriously!!

After the tour, I stopped at a co-worker's house on the way back to Rapids. She's been growing cut flowers this summer and I ordered a "curbside pickup" of a small bouquet (see top photo) to give to my friend Cindy for her birthday today. Aren't they pretty?

Then my final joy, besides getting 10,000 steps today, was this find at Wal-Mart...

Oh yes I did buy it! Too soon for the season? Yes. Too soon for my favorite flavor? No.

Plus, it will help me find joy in the mornings to come!

Sun Streaks

Every time I see sun streaks breaking through the clouds, I always think God's sending us a message. Today it might have something to do with the number 40.

Did you know 40 is mentioned 146 times in Scripture? According to my sources, the number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation.

For example, during Moses' life he lived 40 years in Egypt and 40  years in the desert before God selected him to lead his people out of slavery. Elijah went 40 days without food or water at Mount Horeb. Jesus was tempted by the devil not just three times, but many times during the 40 days and nights he fasted just before his ministry began. (By the way, that's why Lent is 40 days.)

I think it's fitting that today is Post-Washington Quarantine Day 140. Yup, that's right. The period of testing, trial or probation continues!

What I know right now: We have 172 positive tests for COVID-19 in Wood County. We had 42 cases on my birthday a month ago. Hubby and I only go indoors to the store (masked) and we only see people in outside venues.

I have to work from home for another month at least. Heck, let's say at least 40 days, right?

But we still have our health! Maybe today's message from the clouds is just that. Be grateful for what you have today. You never know what storm clouds are rolling in.

Nine Months

So 9 months ago today, this little girl entered our lives. Now that is her official 9-month birthday, I can share a few photos I took of our great-niece Mya... with special thanks to our friends at the farm!

 She really wanted to grab and eat those pink flowers that matched her jumper!

No soap in the eye – I added bubbles via PhotoShop.

Giggles.

With Mommy!

I got blues and I can get away with anything!

Of course, at the end, she started laughing and talking! She loves to stand so that helps. She's also a good crawler – made for speed like her daddy the race car driver. I suspect the next time we see her she'll be pretty close to walking.

They grow so fast. But I can tell she's just going to get more adorable by the day! Lucky us!

Munk-eying Around

This little guy with the full cheeks photo-bombed my senior photo shoot this morning. As soon as I saw those chubby cheeks, I thought, I bet that's what I looked like yesterday trying some variety of cake at each graduation party. Today, I was too busy to indulge in that kind of stuff.

Had a portrait session as soon as the rains cleared this morning. Was super muggy out but thankfully it stayed cloudy. That makes for better pictures. Since I was down in the Nekoosa area, I headed to the Shermalot Water Ski Team car wash fundraiser after pictures were done. Then it seemed like I had some chores on my "to do" list... and I realized just now I never got around to them today!

I did get around to getting a round in, though. At the last minute, son #2 was unable to golf with Dad, so I filled in as second choice. Other fighting off gnats and gators, hubby and I had nice time out at Homestead.

It seems we got done in like an hour and 15 minutes or something crazy. Got my 10,000 steps and good sweat.

We rewarded ourselves with a good farm-to-table feast. The neighbor's farm to our table. That's the best way to make it work.

Did pork chops in the air fryer and had garden-fresh beans and baby red potatoes. To be honest, it does taste better than cupcakes or cookies. Except for the frosting at that one party. Sigh.

Capped off the day with a phone call from Mr College. Always love to hear his voice. And hear that things are good.

It was a fun day chipmunk-eying around and spoiling ourselves – or maybe just myself.

Juggling a Few Things

Been juggling a busy schedule in the last 24 hours so I skipped on the old blog last night as I was approaching turning into a pumpkin at midnight. And no, the young man on the unicycle wasn't juggling anything, but I do identify with the skill of balancing!

Last evening was the postponed graduation ceremony for the Royals class of 2020. Like everything else this year, it was an unusual event. A socially distanced crowd of graduates and only their parents attended the combined mass and ceremony at one of the churches. Only a handful of faculty and the photographer...

Hey look, that's me! Was just glad they at least held a celebration of some sort for this senior class who got short-changed out of quite a bit this spring!

Today, hubby and I had a full docket. I had a senior photo shoot this morning. You can't top a photo shoot with a unicycle for fun! Pretty cool, actually. Well, the temps were crazy warm and humid (90+), but his made skills on one wheel were crazy cool.

This morning, Jim and I also did a virtual Capital City 5K walk in support of organ donation. We usually do this on the last Saturday of July in Madison to remember Jim's cousin Ben, who died and donated several organs. We missed seeing the cousins but we (and all participants) did it from home and posted photos. Jim and I did our walks separately since he did his before I got home from picture-taking, but we donned out team shirts and shared a picture!

After cold showers, we attended a few graduation parties. All outdoors with "sanitation stations" set up. So we spent the afternoon dropping off cards, visiting, eating excellent cake, and staying hydrated.

It's refreshing to be home in the air-conditioning!! And relax. I can juggle that task.

Pint-Sized Pick-Me-Up

The perfect prescription for a break from all the negative news lately is a little pint-sized pick-me-up. Not the alcohol variety, either. A great-niece works perfectly!

Was blessed to spend a little time after work today with Miss Mya, who will be 9 months old next week already. Uncle Jimmy and I haven't gotten to spend time with her since the stupid virus and quarantine and yada yada hit. So it was nice to actually see her instead of just pictures.

And nice to take some more, too!

Yup, she's pretty adorable and loves to laugh when her mommy makes farm animal noises from her favorite book. Really cute. And just what I needed.

Maybe what we all needed. Thank you, our little ray of sunshine!!

Circle of Life

Thanks to my subscription to Disney-Plus, I have been reminded again about the circle of life. Thank you, Mufasaa and Simba!

Today I had another reminder. Don't tell hubby, but I met the new neighbor and he's a cutie! Don't you think?

During my lunchtime lap around the 'hood, I stopped to chat with the hard-working farm lady around the corner and met this two-day-old sweetie. New life on the farm is always exciting – at least for us pseudo-city folk. The farmer doesn't "ooh" and "awww" over the new calf like we do. Not in front of us, anyway.

Today, that new life took on a new meaning at the 150-year-old farm. Not long after I left there today, there were ambulances and emergency personnel called there. The farm lady's mother – I'll call her the farm matriarch – had passed away. Her health had been declining recently. Not COVID-19 related at all. She was 93. And I bet she worked harder in her life than a lot of us combined.

She can rest now and she's at peace.

And hopefully the cute new guy flirting with the neighbors will bring some smiles.

Last At Bats

Thanks to COVID-19 the class of 2020 ballplayers never got their last high school at bats this spring. It was a bummer all around, from the kids and coaches to the parents and fans.

Tonight, the Assumption Royal softball and baseball players got their senior sendoff as part of graduation week (also delayed 2 months). It was a small gathering of the seniors, their parents and coaches, and some extra family members for the two girls signing on to play sports at the collegiate level – one softball and the other basketball. Pretty much squeezing in all their spring sports-related activity into one 20-minute event between rain showers.

Glad they could at least do that. As just a fan with a camera (usually), this made me miss time at the ballpark even more.

Guess I'll count down to the Twins baseball opener on Friday. Can't attend that either! Stupid virus.

Congrats, class of 2020 and good luck!

The Helpless Helper

As a woman, I was pleased that when Mr. College watched the Bob the Builder show nearly two decades ago, there was a strong female character on the show. Wendy knew her stuff. Even sometimes when Bob didn't. They were a great team!

Not that I'm a wanna-be Wendy, but I did make the second hardware store trip in three days this evening. Like Wendy in this preschool book, I was just trying to help out!

Hubby has some banners he needs to hang for an event tomorrow. I knew he needed zip ties, so I looked for them at Wal-Mart yesterday. No luck. I offered to go to Ace Hardware after supper tonight since I wanted to grab some Watkins hand soap there that we use. Side note: They have a lot of cool, non-hardware stuff at our Ace!

So I went, donned my mask and started to look around. They have pretty complete lists of items on their signs at the end of each aisle. So I headed down on the right side. I almost asked a guy in a red shirt where they might be, but it turned out it was just a Badgers shirt – not an Ace red apron – so I kept moving.

Just like at Home Depot, when you wear a mask, it masks your confusion, so there were no red apron rescues. I got to the end, and simply came back on the other side, reading every item on every aisle sign. Finally, when I got back to the guy in red and his younger companion, I said, "I don't want to be the helpless female, but where would I find zip ties?"

I kid you not. The younger guy reaches 4 inches from me (on a center aisle display) and says: "You mean like these?"

And old guy quickly adds: "They're actually cable ties."

OK. Wendy would've known this. I was more upset that I was THAT close to not having a blond moment. So close.

I guess we'll need to add zip ties vs cable ties to the other Midwest arguments like soda vs pop, bubbler vs drinking fountain, crick vs creek, and barbecues vs sloppy joes!

As a bonus, I did find something at Ace that I was looking for at Home Depot Saturday. So when I need more, I can channel my inner Wendy and march straight to aisle 23 and get it!

Can we do it? Yes, we can!

Roommate Failure

Well the girls' weekend drew to a close and according to the other female in the house, I failed as a good roommate. Just couldn't scratch her itches the way hubby can. Go figure. But I am supposed to be grateful she collapsed on the floor and let me try.

Oh well, she's all happy now.

Jim was home this morning before I got done walking around the lake. So since I couldn't surprise him with any home improvement projects done, I didn't do much of anything today. Got some reading done. Went grocery shopping...

And my face mask must have short-circuited my brain because this is how I celebrated National Ice Cream Day. A "healthy" choice?? I failed at that, too.

What I did succeed at was having a nice long phone call with my mom. Always good to chit-chat about anything and everything and nothing of consequence. Just knowing she is staying healthy in all this is my main concern. I also always have to share at least one good pun with her...

I thought this would be a failure since she doesn't like "fowl language" of any sort. But she laughed so winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Sorry chickens. But I have to celebrate my successes. Squawk at somebody else!

Slo-Mo Saturday

Definitely was not in the mind set to get much done today. Very much a slow-motion Saturday.

Got a few things done in the house before going to a grad party for one of my "nieces" from church. Didn't stay too long since I had projects hanging over my head.

Stopped at Home Depot on the way home. Ran into a girlfriend and we were both looking for some DIY stuff. We determined that when we wear masks, the guys and gals in the orange aprons can't see the confusion on our faces. We both struck out getting exactly what we wanted anyway.

Feeling determined to tackle the back yard a bit, I headed out there and literally ran the weed whacker all of 15 seconds when I felt a sharp pain on the back of my right ankle. I thought maybe I got cut by the whacker cord. Nope. Just a really angry ground bee or yellow jackets. Serious ouch!! Dang it. Why can't they go away?!

So that forced me back inside in a hurry. Not a bad idea when it's 93 degrees out. So I did a few things indoors and then headed to the lake.

To shoot a waterski show, that is. The Shermalot Ski Team is back to performing free shows on Lake Arrowhead on Saturday evenings. They'd asked months before this COVID business started if I could photograph them. I know a few kids (and grownups) on the team, so that was fun to watch.

I definitely got some good pictures – including this guy who I took senior pictures of last summer – but I have hundreds and hundreds more to go through. Since I'm still in slo-mo Saturday, those are just going to have to wait until morning.

Once again, kitty is way ahead of me on getting our girls weekend slumber party started! G'night!

Girls Weekend

Since hubby's having a guys' weekend at a cabin with some high school classmates, I'm having a girls weekend. With the cat. And well, anyone else who wants to social distance with me.

Started the weekend with my kind of happy hour – golf! Spontaneous plans about 3 p.m. that led to a 5:20 p.m. tee time at Tri-City for my neighbor Marigene and me.

Par dance after success on the second hole – a par 4. Yay!

Second par dance (yes, TWO in nine holes!) came at the par 3 8th hole. Pretty happy about that.

And this is right before our hole in one! Well our attempts. No luck. We both bogeyed the par 3. Still... it's TGIF and we're golfing!!  Plus we rounded out our outing with King Cone. The birthday gift certificates from Jim are the gift that keeps on giving!

After sunset tonight I headed a bit further out in the country to get away from light pollution. Had camera equipment in hopes of seeing the comet  known as C/2020 NEOWISE. This weekend, about an hour after sunset, Comet Neowise will appear near the northwestern horizon. I wanted to take pictures but my camera did not cooperate. Thankfully, some friendly star-gazers at my spot had binoculars and a telescope with them so I got to see it! Very cool! And you can see it with the naked eye after that once you know the basic coordinates. (I probably should use the word "naked" while hubby's out of town.)

Anyway, worth seeing it since it won’t appear again in our solar system for another 6,800 years.

I'm gonna start the slumber party now. Sylvester's way ahead of me! G'nite.

Not Getting My Kicks on 66

A week ago, when the temp was 90+ and the humidity was 100+ percent, it seems like a good idea to schedule Book Club in the park. But that was a week ago.

Today, it was actually chilly by summer standards. So 5 of us met at Red Sands Beach picnic shelter, each wearing long pants and sweatshirt or jacket. Mother Nature is off her meds again!

It may surprise you, but I pay little attention to weather in the summer unless I'm planning a photo shoot or golf or kayaking outing. It's not like winter when I need to know if it's going to take longer to get to work in the morning. (I mean usual winters when I haven't had the privilege to work from home.) So I just figured today would be nice. Between rain and cool temps, not so much.

We did have a good discussion about the book Nothing to See Here (very interesting). And it was great to see people (albeit 6 feet away) and catch up.

It's an unfortunate sign of the times is that much or our catching up revolved around the coronavirus. Three of us have someone close to us who tested positive in the past week. Wisconsin is setting daily records of new cases. In Wood County, we're now up to 117 cases, with 8 new ones today (which include a family friend).

It's an unpredictable world, folks. Hug your loved ones (in your household only) every day and tell the others (from a safe distance) that you love them! It'll warm your heart and theirs.

And maybe even the temperature. I'm game to try.

Coyote Ugly, Very Ugly

Even though my running shoes haven't seen many miles in 2020, Wile E. Coyote was still lurking around Blue Jay Drive at the crack of dawn. Either looking for Road Runner or possible just a good meal.

Because he looked hangry and he looked mangy. Our next-door neighbor Cindy managed to shoot him. With her cell phone, that is.

He's scoping things out in her yard – with the farm just behind those trees at the top of the photo.

And here he is trotting toward our yard. This was all around 6:30 a.m. Hubby was actually out walking at this time but was down the road and missed it all. Thankfully. Because Wile E. might have been desperate enough to take out a Road Walker today if he didn't see Road Runner.

And if you think it possibly could be a stray dog, it's not. I Googled "mangy coyotes" and the pictures look just like this guy...

Trust me, you don't want to see any more of those! So watch yourselves out there. Between Murder Hornets, Bubonic Squirrels, and Mangy Coyotes, you never know what is around the corner (or your neighborhood) in 2020. And face masks can't protect you from any of those!

Remember, I vowed never to ask "What's next?" this year. And I'm not gonna now. Be safe, everyone.

Put Through the Wringer

Serious massage therapy is like paying someone to beat you within an inch of your life – then put you through the wringer. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Bless my girl with the magic hands for forcing me to remember my Lamaze breathing as she pinpointed those muscles and ligaments who got themselves out of order when I wasn't looking! It may take another day to recover, but I think I'm back to normal. You know, the Robyn version of normal.

And thanks to rain tomorrow eve, book club Wednesday eve, and an ice cream meeting on Thursday, I don't have to worry I'll be tempted to do something silly like golf or kayak or wave wildly at mosquitoes. My back is safe from me.

For now.

And for the record, I'll never again say it sucks to get old. Based on the year 2020, every aching and non-aching day is a blessing!

Over The Hills

Not saying that our foursome today was over the hill – though we're getting there – but the course was crazy, crazy hilly. Like they discourage people from walking 18 holes (or even 9). It's too much. Take the cart. Trust me, we each got 10,000 steps anyway!

It was a gorgeous day to get together with our friends Scott and Sandy. We try to meet up once or twice a summer and pick different courses. This time is was Autumn Ridge over in Valders, Wis., almost to Manitowoc. Had to look on a map, believe me.

Perfect summer day. Plenty of clouds and pleasant temp in the high 70s/low 80s. Very nice.

But the hills, though! See on this hole above where the cart path disappears? A lot of holes were like that where you had to hit over some ravine of some sort – usually filled with vegetation that eats golf balls and doesn't spit them up. I will say I lost 3 new balls today, but thanks to searching for them, gained 11 "used" ones! Ha.

Here's the final hole. I had to take the picture off their website so you could see the "steps" up the hill. Always fun to finish with a par 5 and card a 9. It was so hard!! Swinging hard to "help" the ball up the hill did my aching back and hips no favors. So yes, I have water running right now for my epsom salt bath. I know. I am OVER the hill!

100 percent worth it though to spend the day with friends. Hopefully next time we can actually hug each other hello and goodbye. Weird not sharing carts boys/girls but staying with our households. We took one selfie and made sure we didn't breathe on each other! These are different times, that's for sure.

Reminds us to never take friendships for granted. Especially friends who put up with my struggling golf game – and hubby's great golf game, which meant they had to pay for dinner. Now that's a good day.