Looking Forward

As much as I'd like to think this is white sand on some beach during spring break week, it's definitely not.  It's also definitely not a good sign for spring sports when you can write out the countdown in snow.

Now granted, it did melt off the deck by the time baseball practice started this afternoon. However, it was at it again on my way home from dinner tonight. Just go away, Old Man Winter!

Still, we'll look forward to the start of athletic activity next week. And control what we can control, right?

Had a nice dinner with some girlfriends that I think of as my old Assumption parent / campfire gang. We needed a night out. We needed a distraction from the whirlwind of life that swirls around us and sucks our energy. Especially the heavy stuff like having a child fighting cancer or on the positive side, getting ready for a child's wedding. 

We keep looking forward and hope for the best. No, not just hope. We pray for the best – or the strength to cope if it's not the best. Prayers hold amazing power.

So do hugs from girlfriends. 

Then don't necessarily melt away the snow, but they can melt away some of our fear and heartache. Feeling so blessed!

Land of Confusion

We never know what we're going to wake up to these days. But I feel bad for those first robins of spring who were all over the place this weekend and now are wondering where that fresh food is. 

My twin sister Up North took this picture out her office window today. I feel your pain and confusion, robin. This Robyn wants spring here, too. But this Robyn knows we've seen all sorts of snow in March and April. And tonight there could be 3-6 inches dropping here. Or maybe east or maybe north. It keeps switching.

All I know is I just got home from choir practice and it was raining – but above freezing. Yay for that fraction of spring weather.

And hubby is the midst of his fantasy baseball draft, so he's definitely thinking spring.

Maybe if we all think it and believe it, it will happen. Or just pretend we believe but go about our winter business like baking cakes and making chili in the crockpot. They both went very well together, in case you were wondering.

I'd prefer grilling out and sitting in Mr. Deck chair to eat, in case you were wondering that, too. 

Patience, little robins and Robyns.

Roar of the Lion

I'm hearing what may be the month of March going out like a lion. Or it's thunder and that also sounds like March is roaring to an end. Either way, March had not equated to spring.

March showers don't count because this rain is mixed with ice. Yay. And then tomorrow we'll get a little break before up to 5 inches of snow drops on north-central Wisconsin. So since it feels like winter, I did what I do in winter.

I baked. My famous butterscotchy goodness Hornet's Next Cake. Famous in my Magic Blue Pan circle anyway. 

Carter asked what I was baking it for – because I usually bake for some pot luck or something so we don't eat the whole thing. Well, let's consider it a pot luck in our office building! Don't you wish you worked here?

Also, here's the recipe if you want to know how easy it is. I think it got its name because of how it looks when it's baking. Especially when topped pecans. Looks like a swarm of hornets. And it smells soooooo good when it's baking, you gain 2 pounds before it's out of the oven.

Hornet's Nest Cake

• Mix: 1 package butterscotch pudding and 2 cups milk
• Stir in: 1 yellow cake mix. (Stir about 50 times. It'll be a bit lumpy.)
• Layer the pudding cake mixture on bottom of greased pan.
• Top with: 1 package butterscotch chips and 1 cup chopped pecans (or peanuts)
• Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

We may or may not be holding office hours on Bluejay Drive tomorrow. Follow your nose.

Monday Multi-tasking

I figured I'd get a start on finding items and pricing them for our friends' garage sale. Only because the kids were doing that and I felt guilty for wanting to watch TV or something. So I started with my easiest item: Books.

My buy-sell cycle is buying the books (mostly at garage sales or Goodwill in the off-season), then reading them, then putting them in the "done" pile and sell them at this garage sale. I guess I got a little out of practice because the piles (which you shouldn't have anyway) on the top of the book shelf were mixed up.

I priced a box full and thought I should check if there were any by my side of the bed that I had read. Turns out I'm still reading a few.

All 4 of these at once, it appears. My version of "book Quordle"?? Anyone else do this?

I mean they all have book marks and I know they were good reads at the start. Just must have gotten distracted maybe? Because I sometimes have a busy schedule. I mean do often times read a book while listening to a different-titled audio book. But that happens more when I'm commuting. However, I am listening to one now in addition to these – though my main focus is Still Alice right now.

I told the kids I should probably read more this week so I can sell them.

I may or may not have been handed a roll of masking tape and a Sharpee to start tagging.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (and Anyone Else)

This is what my Sunday of rest looked like. Sans the dog, of course. But yea, I finally had an empty day on the calendar and 3/4 of us slept in today.

Jim got up early, went to church, then headed to Green Bay to celebrate a birthday of an old college friend. I slept through church – I mean the time it was going on, not literally in the back pew. Then I didn't do much of anything else. Carter and Mamie didn't either.

We did get out of the house to deliver card tables to Carter's old babysitter for her upcoming garage sale. Mark you calendar for April 7-10. Follow the signs on 80th Street between Church and Mill avenues. If we manage to get some items together this week, it will be a small fraction to what will be there at this annual multi-multi-family sale!

It was a nice visit, too! Dropped the kids off and got groceries. Then turned on NCAA hoops and watched the clock strike midnight on the St. Peters' Cinderella story. Darn. My bracket was busted after Day 2 so I just was cheering for an underdog. Meanwhile, Jim as 3 teams in the Final Four. I never pretended to know even a teeny tiny percentage about sports compared to him!

Tonight, we might catch part of the Oscars. But I don't think I saw anything nominated. And if I'm going to keep my day of rest going, maybe should got to bed early. With a good book. Always better than the movie, if you ask me. (Sorry, not sorry, Oscar.)

Hope you had a relaxing day – or were busy doing what you love1

Forever Young at Heart

We went up north and back today so we could celebrate Mom's birthday. One of her cousins recently came across the photo on the left – that's my mom in 1st grade! Never have seen any photos of her that young so that was neat. The middle photo is Mom as a teen or young 20s. That one I used on her party invitation. And the one on the right is from today.

She makes 90 look good, doesn't she?

And 90 was the magic number today as there we 90 family members at the party. Relatives on both her side and my dad's side – plus her kids and our crews. Very nice time. A few photos...

Mom with her grandkids – just missing Matthew and Timothy today!

And Mom with her grands and great-grands. Was excited to meet my new grand-niece Millie today too. She's peeking out from the lower left.

And then there's us 8 R's. Yup, Rayna flew home from Arizona so we could all do this for Mom. 

And her twinsies. I guess even at 50+, we're still her babies! I'll take it!

Here she is with her cake – decorated by one of my cousins' granddaughters. Amazing job. Definitely made it a complete family affair.

Except for the Elvis sighting...

It doesn't take much encouragement for anyone in my family to get goofy and have some fun. Again, feeling blessed I inherited that sense of spirit! Age is definitely only a number. She'll forever be young at heart.

And thanks to my family and many cousins who came today. It really made for a special day for a special lady.

Four Score and 10 Years Ago

Four score (that's 20 years each) and 10 years ago, my mom came into this world. If you don't know Gettysburg Address type math, that's 90 years! She was born on Good Friday in 1932 so she was special from the get-go.

Tomorrow we'll go Up North to celebrate with her and lots of family. The picture above is from her cake we had in Arizona. It took her 3 tries to get those 9 candles blown out. Apparently claims that us Hedberg ladies are full of hot air have been debunked. Thanks, Mom.

I really can't image what life was like as a child of the Great Depression. But of course the Internet has factoids to help us make a comparison from then to now...

List of 1932 news events and fun facts:

• US unemployment reaches 24% with many living in cars and shanty towns.
• Amelia Earhart completes the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean by a woman.
• The Bonus Army marches on Washington D.C.
• Charles Lindbergh son is kidnapped.
• BBC first TV Programming
• The big movies included Shanghai Express, The Sign of the Cross and The Kid From Spain
• US life expectancy: Males: 61.0 years, Females: 63.5 years

Cost of Living 1932

• Average cost of new house: $6,510.
• Average wages per year: $1,650.
• Average monthly rent: $18 per month.
• Cost of a gallon of gas: 10 cents.
• A loaf of bread: 7 cents.
• A pound of hamburger meat: 10 cents.
• Sugar 25-pound sack: $1.25.
• New car average price: $610.

Wow, huh? That price of gas almost makes me want to go back in time. But when you see the unemployment rate and know that people were living in the cars and struggling in many ways, then I'd prefer to stay put. Not that I have any connections to a time machine!

I guess it made Mom a stronger person. Also explains why she kept everything and reused everything possible. We are a wasteful society these days. Everything is disposable. Except the extra "stuff" a lot of us hang onto. You know... we children of the children of the Depression, and all that.

I'm thrilled the life expectancy has extended quite a bit since then, too. Males went from 61 years to 78 years and females went from 63.5 years to 82.2 years. Whoa, my 90-year-old mother is beating the odds. Hope that's hereditary. 

Happy 9 decades, Mom!

Preaching to the Choir

It was fitting that during our Lenten service tonight our pastor closed her sermon with Psalm 150:

Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
Praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
Praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.

Because all of us who've been on a hiatus from choir (thanks, coronavirus) still have breath. And we want to sing. And tonight we could.

Had our first choir practice in two years. I've defected from Alto Land into Soprano Land. I honestly can't get as low as our altos and as high as our super sopranos, but I'll settle in nicely somewhere in between. And I'm OK with that.

And it was great to see the "gang" again. And have 7 new members. Wow. Inching up to 20 now. We're just going to do Good Friday and Easter for now, but I'm excited. Dusted of the old Casio keyboard and we'll see who I can annoy in the house first.

Hey, I'm praising the Lord. There's no need to do it quietly. Or in tune right away.

Free Car Wash

It hasn't stopped raining since this morning. And it probably won't when I'm sleeping either.

It did not make for a fun drive to Stevens Point this evening to have dinners with some work friends. But on the way home I remembered that I really needed a car wash anyway with the salt built up. So yay me and any of us who were out and about today. 

Free car wash!

It was also nice to see some friends in real life rather than through video chats. Just like old times. Real old times – like 747 days. Well, since the actual office anyway. Talking and laughing feels good. That and a side of good Mexican food.

I recommend it. 

 

You Know What to Do

I was marginally disappointed that we had a lot of clouds and on-and-off rain showers here today – and the temps dropped down to mid-40s. I mean I still got steps at lunchtime. Just got a little wet.

Then I see this graphic tonight and think, "What? I was cold and Carter was in the 70s zone? No fair!"

Just goes to show you that even though we're in the same state, we are not in the same state of mind or experiencing the same state of affairs. 

Sort of like life. 

You don't know what people – even friends or loved ones – are going through unless they specifically tell you. A lot of times, though, you might ask how things are and they say, "OK." Instead of "My dog died last month and I still miss him" or "I'm worried about my aging parents" or "My kid is getting bullied and I can't help her" or "I'm still scared about getting COVID."

Instead, a lot of times it's just easier to say, "I'm fine."

Are they? We truly don't know, do we? But we know what to do, right?

Be kind. Just be kind. 

And maybe carry an umbrella.

Spring Madness

Turns out it's not bad when the groundhog is right and spring arrives right on schedule. Now hopefully it will stay. 

Was a pretty laid-back first day of spring. Went to church and then Jim went golfing (indoors) while I had a date with Mr. Zamboni.

What? During the spring? Yes, when it's the weekend of the Wisconsin Rapids Figure Skating Club show! This year's theme was "Rocking through the Jungle" so that was fun.

I had planned to go take pictures of 3 girls. Then I ran into 3 more moms I knew, plus an aunt and a godmother. So I ended up taking a lot of pictures. Which is super challenging when it's dark and not everyone is in the spotlight when you need them to be and so on. 

Still shared a couple hundred anyway, ha.

Also took advantage of the spring weather to take a walk before I dealt with the pictures. And watched the Badgers. Uff da. That wasn't pretty. Their March Madness has turned to sadness.

Does that mean no one is watching anymore basketball? Hahaha. That's silly talk. Mad, really. 

Good luck with your brackets if any of you are hanging in there!

Vic-Tory Valentines

Neither rain nor sleet nor snow – or all 3 – was going to prevent us from celebrating Valentine's Day. Well my gift to hubby anyway. I got tickets to Vic Ferrari's Symphony on the Rocks concert because our friend Kat is the lead female vocalist.

And she used to sing with Jim in swing choir. 

Yup, a longtime friend that I've gotten the privilege to know over the years, too! 

After enjoying fish fries at the nearby Great Dane Brew Pub, the stage was set for a fun night. 

I got tickets in the front row of the balcony so we could see everything – because to see violins, cellos, and brass accompanying a rock 'n' roll band. Very, very cool!

And Kat is so cool and so talented! Those boots, though! Wow. The whole band is talented. This is their 35th and final year together so I'd encourage you to see them if you can this summer.

Afterward the classmates got to catch up a few minutes before more adoring fans whisked her away for a photo of her in her boots. They definitely wanted those. What a rock star.

On the way home – while snowing and raining – we were listing to the very close Badgers game on the radio. Got home with 3 minutes and 13 seconds left of the game! 

Just in time to see them win and move on in the NCAA tourney. Victory!

By then, it was too late for this old lady to blog. Got up at 8 a.m. today so I could go to book club. Great that all 6 of us were there today! Then after lunch, I went to a bridal shower for my friend Brenda's future-in-law. Nice time! And before you ask, of course I won one of the games. Yup, even at bridal showers I'm competitive!

This afternoon, since it was actually sunny and in the upper 40s and the snow we woke up to was melted, I took a walk/run and got to meet a few of the new neighbors.

There's so cute! And they actually came up to me – not at all like that princess in this house.

Though she might pay attention to me tonight. There's only so much college basketball a girl can take!

Going Green

I found this cartoon hilarious this morning. I almost ALMOST always wear green on St. Paddy's Day – even though I'm 100% Scandi-hoovian. But today I forgot. Didn't cross my mind when I wasn't "going" to work. Until I noticed it on our daily morning video meeting. Ooops.

Had to change my line of thinking and just consider myself lucky there was plenty of coffee to go around today. I still am sleeping like crap – post clock change. But this little leprechaun sees an early bedtime tonight.

No sense waiting up to see if a pot of gold arrives. Or heaven forbid, experience any luck on my stinkin' bracket! I mean I always make random, uninformed picks, but really UConn and Iowa? You're killing me. 

I apparently don't have the luck of the Irish or the luck of growing up in Luck, Wisconsin. What I do have is a comfy bed and heated mattress pad calling my name.

Lucky me!

Current State of Things

 I figured for my future self (and scrapbooks) I should provide a current state of affairs these days.

Russia has invaded Ukraine and the world is shaken up. And gases prices are, too. Up and up.

For my historical archives: On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia began a military invasion of Ukraine, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict that had begun in 2014. It is the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II. 

So that's on record. 

Now the fun stuff ...

Less than a week from calendar-official spring and we have a melting season going on in the Midwest. I don't mind it at all.

And neither does Sylvester. If it's warm enough for us to open a window, it's warm enough for her to sunbathe a bit. But she didn't last long. Still doesn't compare (yet) to the warmth of her heated bathroom floor. Yes, hers. She spends more time in there than Jim and I combined – for the last 20 years we've lived here!

Also happening now...

Flowers are blooming... somewhere, not here. But they have them at grocery stores and floral shops. And if you have a nice friend, they'll drop them by as a surprise. Because we have awesome friends. No matter the season or occasion or non-occasion. Thank you!

The other flowers on my mind are these lovely mint roses. I watched my mom make mints as a child, then she taught me how, and now I am making them for my mom's 90th birthday party. So I have some spring pastel ones – yellow and pink above, and lavender and white below. 

See how I wisely kept the purple and yellow ones in separate pans? No need to start a family ruckus before the wonder-SKOL day.

Also, my current state of things includes me marking Day 741 out of the office. Don't have definitive word on when we're going back this spring or whenever. But when we do, you can bet that will be on the calendar.

In Jim's handwriting.

C'mon, you know he and Sylvester will miss me. At least one of them will enjoy fewer interruptions to nap time. This is where I let you guess which one.

In the meantime... Don't forget to fill out your bracket! 

Sneak Peek of Spring

If you look closely, you can see Spring trying to insert herself everywhere. With above-freezing temps for the third day in a row, snow is melting. And causing puddles. Which cause...

Interesting reflections to passersby. Sort of a sneak peek at next season. I see blue skies and clouds lit up a bit from that beautiful sunshine! The same sun that burned off the morning fog and lifted the mercury to some spring-like numbers.

Our weather friends say it was 48 degrees in Wisconsin Rapids at 2 p.m. I believe it. I was able to take 2 walks today with 2 different friends and it was so nice to smell fresh air and visit without teeth chattering! As a bonus, I got well over 10,000 steps today for the first time in... a long minute. Yay! 

Hubby is also getting spring fever. The pitchers and catchers reported this week – for high school baseball where they don't have to negotiate salaries. So next week will be full-team practices for Coach Austin and Company. He'll be busy but it'll still be my "off season" for a few more weeks.

And we can't dare assume this spring weather will continue for an April 5th opening day. We can hope, but we won't assume. And in the meantime, we'll take advantage of every drop of spring-like sunshine that comes our way. 

Find that spring in your step and enjoy!

Logging Some Miles

Lest you think I'm the only with a busy travel life these days, our baby boy has been up and down and across the country (sort of) in the past few weeks.

Three weeks ago, Carter and his girlfriend drove south to Alabama to stay with her dad a few weeks. How quickly he learned that working remotely has its perks when you want to escape Wisconsin winters. So they enjoyed a nice visit and the laptop didn't melt in the sun.

This past weekend, though, was a whirlwind. On Friday, they drove the 907 miles north to Potosi, Wis., where Mamie's brother lives. Got there in the wee hours of the morning. Then on Saturday, Carter drove from there the 192 miles over to Chicago, where a college roommate lives. He parked his car there and his buddy drove him to the airport to fly out to Washington, D.C., for work. Definitely a whirlwind because he just texted 2 minutes ago that he landed back in Chicago already.

So how is adulting going?

He says pretty awesome!

First, working in Selma, Alabama, was a neat experience because their last Sunday there was the Selma Jubilee to celebrate the civil rights movement and historic walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge there.

So yeah, he was hanging out with Vice President that Sunday...

And somewhere in the crowd was also such notables as the Rev. Jesse Jackson and members of Martin Luther King's family.

One weekend with the VP and the next weekend in DC. Quite the presidential traveler! 

Carter said the work trip was cool because he finally got to meet many of his co-workers in person. Plus folks from Asia and Africa. He is in the study abroad industry, after all. He said he met a guy from Kenya and it turns out he was an exchange student a few years back at nearby Wausau. That was his small world moment! 

He had to do some presentations, which went fine, and now he is set continue adulting – with confidence. Proud of him and excited that he's taking advantage of opportunities along the road trip of life.

Glad we've both been bitten by the travel bug! 

Looking for the Hour

It was a good thing I was able to spring 6 out of the 7 clocks forward before bed last night. We were both up plenty early to get to our churches on time. I never get up that early on a Sunday without an alarm.

So now it's 8:23 p.m. and that 7th clock is still a mystery to change. And my body is ready to grab a new book and go to bed. And my brain is agreeing.

Didn't feel like I really last an hour since I got plenty done today – church, workout, overdue weekend chores, watched the snow melt since it was 40 degrees, grocery shopping, two episodes of Sweet Magnolias, and 5 other random things crossed off my to-do list.

But I'm still going to blame Daylight Saving Time! Good thing my first few evenings of the week are free enough for early bedtimes. Well, I'm gonna find that lost hour somewhere. I'll take it a few minutes at a time if I have to.

G'night!

Silver Linings

It was a tough day. I mean we had a nice, sunny (but zero degrees) drive back to Green Bay. But those sun beams weren't shining on our Lady Royals today. Spoiler alert: They lost to Randolph in the state championship game.

It's always a tough low after riding the high of emotion after winning yesterday to get to the final. But they fought hard against a very skillful, undefeated team. Plenty of height and strength. We just weren't a match for them. 

On the plus side, they still get a shiny object to bring home! Was hoping for the gold ball, but I do wear mostly silver jewelry. Either way, we're one of the 2 top D5 teams in the state. That's better than 119 teams! Hang your heads high, girls!! So much to be proud of. 

It's been a fun season. I kind of don't want it to end. But now I don't have a reason to pick up my camera for 24 days. My hands and shoulders will probably appreciate that.

P.S. Yep, I know I was on TV today. I know I accidentally walked in front of the camera. My mother called me before I was out of the gym. But not to scold me. She just said it was nice to see me!

One Down...

It's been a busy two days as the Royal Nation sent the girls hoops team off with a pep rally yesterday and today were there to cheer them on for their Division 5 state semi-final game against undefeated Chippewa Falls McDonell.

First, it was exciting that the state tournament was back at the Resch Center in Green Bay. Last year, due to the lovely pandemic, they had all 5 girls divisions playing at different locations so our girls won the state championship in La Crosse. 

As defending state champions, they still had to work hard to get back to the Final Four arena. And they did. And did it well! With a whole lotta new talent to strengthen the team. It's been a pleasure to watch them work hard as a team – without egos and ball hogs – just sharing and passing and supporting each other on the way to each victory. What a treat!

Jim and I took the day off so we could go over there and watch the game this morning. My friend and amazing photographer Jo Ann and I were both privileged to get photo passes so we could shoot the action and emotion. These girls deserve pictures from all angles.

And there certainly was emotion.

It took awhile for the Lady Royals to hit their groove. But we were able to catch up and have a lead at halftime. We managed to string several shots together in the second half that gave us a 10 or 12-point lead at one point. But the Macks came back and kept it within 3 points for many, many, too many minutes.

With a minute to go, we were down by 1 point. Then a girl who actually cried after our sectional win because she was disappointed in her performance sunk a layup to put Assumption up by 1! I hope that erased those negative memories! She's always aggressive and amazing to me!

The last minute of the game was the longest EVER. With some missed shots by McDonell in the last 15 seconds, our Lady Royals held on to win 36-35 and will advance the championship game tomorrow at 11:05 a.m. against Randolph – another undefeated team. 

We drove home right after the game since Jim is chief dishwasher for his church's fish fry during Lent and had to report for duty! We'll head back to Green Bay tomorrow morning to see if our girls bring home a gold ball or a silver one. Either way, it's a victory to be one of the two best teams in the state this year. 

Still, I'm kinda partial to gold, myself.

Let's go, Royals! So proud to be a fan.

Howling and Prowling

As we drove through Sedona last week, we had our fun identifying shapes in the rocks. Make that, shapes we THOUGHT we saw in the rocks. So look closely above at the coyote howling at the moon. Then tell if you can see a coyote in this picture...

How about now when we drove further down the road and it was more in shadows?

How about now?

Or maybe now??

If you can't see the coyote there, I can tell you where else to look – our back yard. 

Yup. Our next-door neighbor saw one prowling around and walking from our yard into his the other night. I guess it's mating season so the male coyotes are kind of aggressive now. Don't know if it's pure coincidence that a bone was found in the ditch. Somewhere there's a three-legged deer I think.

So watch your little dogs and other fur babies that you have outside all the time or just for walks. I know I'm not taking any chances. I'm gonna WOLF down a lot more ice cream so they don't stand a chance trying to drag me away.

Be careful out there.

It's Our Day, Ladies

Did you know it's International Women's Day? There's so many made-up holidays these days, but I think this is legit since it's International and it's all over the internet. 

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year's theme is breaking the bias...

Imagine a gender equal world.

A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Together we can forge women's equality.

Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.

Very cool message. And it applies to so many levels. We're not just talking about women in the workplace or women of different races. 

Breaking the bias for me means... not accepting the old city council guys calling me "sweetheart" just because I was a young, female newspaper reporter... means dreaming bigger dreams than being a housewife just because my mother was... means recognizing and praising Mom for her courage to work outside the home for the first time in her late 40s... means just because I can't cook doesn't make me less of a wife or mother... means just because I am 50+ doesn't mean I can't bring fresh ideas or talent to the table... means I've earned every single wrinkle and scar – above and below the surface – and I should not be shamed.

Means we all deserve to love and be loved... and we deserve to love ourselves.

Because we're pretty darn amazing, aren't we? 

Shout out to the strong women in my life. From my mother and biological sisters to all you "sisters" out there who inspire me, love me, teach me, support me, listen to me and, my favorite, incircle me in your arms. Love you and thank you!

#BreakTheBias

Support Your Lady Royals

Pretty much cheating on blog "writing" and putting this public service announcement here – for Royals fans, that is!

So stop at the school tomorrow and Wednesday to get your tickets and show your Royal Pride! See you in Green Bay!

The Return

Today was a return to... everything (almost) day.

I was so tired last night I did not set an alarm. But I woke up at 8:58 a.m. and managed to shower, curl my hair, and drive 15 minutes to church – and got there on time for 9:30 a.m. service. Yup, I can be speedy when I want to (in the shower not on the roads, of course). It felt good to get 8-plus hours of sleep again and return to church in person again since I've been out of town quite a few weekends.

After church, I edited and uploaded the photos for the Lady Royals' return to state. This is one of my faves... 

Running to the student section to show them and share the Sectional Championship trophy!

Today also marked the return to that elusive activity called exercising. Uff da. My face was redder than any sunburn I got last week and not nearly as enjoyable. But I suppose worth it.

This evening was our return to watching season 4 of Ozark, too. Jim and I done with the first half (wow) and now will wait with the rest of you for the second half this summer or whenever.

Not to think fun thoughts so I don't have nightmares about it during my 8 full hours of sleep! I look forward to returning to that!

A Bit of a Whirlwind

When you're blessed with a rainbow on your way to the airport, you know you're going to have a safe trip home. Thank God.

It wasn't so much our flight from Phoenix to Minneapolis that had Mom and I worried. It was our hopes to beat the impending ice storm in Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

We sort of have had a Mom relay to get her up to Grantsburg. I gave her to brother Ron via curbside pickup at the airport Then he gave her to sister RoAnn who met him in North Branch, Minn., and she got her the rest of the way north and home. All while I was driving in icy rain headed east, but lucked out after Eau Claire and Osseo with dry weather and decent roads.

Got home at 2 a.m. and woke up early enough to go to a funeral visitation for my friend's mom. Then hit the road with hubby to get up to Wausau for the sectional final game. The Lady Royals are going to state for the second year in a row!! Whoo-hoo! 

Didn't have time to linger as we had dinner plans in Rozelville at the Buck-A-Neer Supper Club with one of Jim's college roommates. Very nice visit with Big Guy and his wife. Drove home in rain and fog. Lots of fog. Glad Jim drove. I didn't need another stressful drive after last night! And we may get anything from a thunderstorm to hail and twisters tonight. Who knows?

Got home safely and I'm exhausted. I need to get through pictures from today but also need sleep! No wonder people say they need a vacation after a vacation just to rest. Pretty sure I'll be following the Sunday is a day of rest rule tomorrow.

I might have time to dig up some vacation highlights, too!

Be safe out there!

Half-Baked Plans

With temps in mid-80s today, I wisely worked just a half day and proceeded to the pool to get half-baked. 

Good plan. And ...

I succeeded. You think? It should be a pleasant desert bronze when I wake up!

But had to take advantage of last full day here. That also meant going to Vito's, where Mom discovered the best pizza of her life 2 weeks ago and I had to see if she was correct.

And it was pretty darn good. Also good. Well great actually, was the coconut shrimp Rayna and I shared as an appetizer. A superb last supper, so to speak. 

We also had one last game of 3 to 13. Mom and I graciously let our hostess win, of course!

As a bonus, I got to watch our Lady Royals win their sectional semi-final via the internet. It will be so nice to see them play in person on Saturday. 

In the meantime, I still have 20 hours in this beautiful place. Half-baked or full.

Yep. Another splash of desert delight to cap off our night.