Building a Mist-ery

Last night was so weird. As I exited work, I could see crazy dark clouds to the north – heading south quickly. As it turned out, two neighbor friends had come up to Stevens Point to meet me for a little experiment.

We got to be treated while taking very serious participation in a "test run" of a new upscale restaurant experience. (Hey, hubby and I know our share of restaurant owners and managers! And he had golf league. His loss.) So here we are indoors and we missed the whole storm, which did end up reaching Rapids and sort of flattening my flowers – and also took down walls of the new Pizza Ranch under construction. Gasp!

The important thing is that my friends have adventurous appetites so, following their lead, I tried new things, too. For the good of the experiment.

The super delicious salad I had was just the beginning with its blueberries and toasted almonds with... kohlrabi (first time trying – new fan), white balsamic vinaigrette (this typically ranch girl is a new fan of this, too), and... goat cheese.

What the heck have I been missing for... ever? OMG. It's so good and light and creamy and wow.

To defend my lack of adventure with the goat cheese... Who among you siblings and Hedberg cousins recall when we'd visit Grandma in her apartment, she would not let us have one of those pecan cups she always made "not until you have some goat cheese."

I don't even know if we ever had to eat it. But my mind saw it as disgusting punishment. 

Oh, Grandma Minnie. Sorry I disappointed you. It's good stuff!

The rest of the dinner – off the charts. When we stepped outside it was sunny. So who knew while we were indulging that things were twisting and turning and down pouring?

The weird thing was that because the asphalt was so hot during the day with nearly 90 degrees again, the cool rain created a weird, fog-like mist to drive through on the way home to Wisconsin Rapids. Some of it was pretty thick. But we all made it home.

Today my foggy mist was my brain and body working together to remember how to golf.

First night of Ladies' League at TriCity. My friend Molly and I were shaking off the rust but had a blast because, well, what's better than golfing with a friend? It's the one thing I am not competitive in because I know my limited skill set. And I don't want pressure. Just fun.

I saved our scorecard so we can see where we go from here. We can only go up... while our score goes down, that is.

I just re-read this all and realize... there's Robyn... typical 24-hour span of life... so much. And I didn't even mention I got to King Cone for the first time in 2026 as a welcome-our-intern social after work! 

#livingthedream #ifyousayso

That Damn C Word

 

So... fricking cancer claimed the life of one of our favorite coworkers when we were at the newspaper. Granted, we exited in 2003 but we – at a minimum – have exchanged Christmas cards ever since.

I think what both Jim and I remember is that Diane always had a smile on her face. Even when we had last-minute changes of where ads had to be placed, etc. for the day's newspaper edition.

In a weird coincidence of the way-back time machine, I was in Lamaze class with Diane's son and daughter-in-law, who delivered their boy about a week or so before Carter. Diane watched them both on a few occasions over their toddler years and that's why we occasionally her called her "Grandma Diane."

Ugh.

I sometimes think during funeral times that it stinks how many people we know. But then have to pause and remember... they were pretty amazing people, how lucky were we that we got to spend part of our lives with them?

Just something to ponder.

In the End, I Think of Grandma

As far as days off go, it wasn't that exciting. It was more like a "let's put things in our new cabinets" ... bookended by funerals.

Our morning funeral was for the mother of a classmate of hubby's and the grandmother of a co-worker of mine. The final song was "How Great Thou Art," which always reminds me of Grandma Minnie (above) and her funeral  – the first time I saw my dad cry. So, I always cry when I sing it!

The second sad event of the day was a visitation for Jim's sister's father-in-law Tom Reffner. That was quite a big crowd – including several former well-known racing buddies. Our thoughts are with my sister-in-law, hubby, and son Colin – our nephew who was inspired to race thanks to Grandpa Tom.

A lot of emotion today. Wasn't expecting to re-live moments with Grandma Minnie and my dad. Hope they're enjoying some more uplifting music – a polka maybe? – in heaven together!

As always, I urge you to hug the loved ones you have near!

Grandma and Grand-Paw

Got to watch the visiting grand-pup today! Rey Rae is a sweetie. She pretty much calls the couch her home base but ventures off once in awhile – like every time she hears a sound from either of us. Anywhere in the house.

Casey was running errands all afternoon so I took advantage of the nice day and took Rey for a walk.

Still enough snow on the sides of the roads for goofy dogs like our girl to find. But where the snow had melted, it revealed a lot of dog poop. So much dog poop.

Her conversations with Grandma sounded something like this: "Rey. No, Rey. Reyyyy. No. Ladies don't eat poop!"

When we got home Sylvester – who had sequestered herself in hubby's closet – thought the coast was clear and ventured out. She just stopped in the hall and hissed. Rey just stared back. It was like a Princess Showdown on Blue Jay Drive. Or just a staring contest! This happened a few times with Sylvester going back to her castle to wait it out.

I'm not sure she likes us anymore.

I don't know if Rey does either. Even though grandparents are supposed to spoiled their grand kids and grand pets, she was not getting anywhere begging Cheeto's off Jim!

And it didn't help I was baking March Monster Madness cookies. The house smelled good and no one was giving treats! What kind of place is this?!

She survived, though. And it was fun. They'll head back to the Cities tomorrow – with fresh-baked treats for Casey anyway.

Pre-Easter :: The Northern Tour

We had family Easter Round One today with the Northern Tour to Mom's ... and back. If I counted correctly, there were 22 of us who made it – 7 kids and the rest a mix of grand- and great-grandkids. My niece Beth brought the Easter Bunny, aka pineapple. Cute, huh? And yummy.

We had birthday cake and ice cream for dessert! I was good and only had what was left on Carter's plate. But that doesn't mean I followed Weight Watchers in the slightest when it came to Peanut Butter eggs!

We had a shortage of children this year. Technically, Carter (under 18) and my twin's granddaughter Hanna (2 1/2) were the only kids. My niece Ashley had fun hiding, er throwing, candy around the yard for the kids.

Since it drizzled rain all day, it was a very quick hunt! Not even full yard boundaries this year. And only about one or two treats each ... unless a Peanut Butter egg magically landed in your hands or lap courtesy a kind niece or nephew!

There was mix of visiting and some game playing. The guys claimed this game was too complicated for girls. Probably. Plus, it looked like whatever it was, it required way too much thinking!

Got a nice picture of the cousin class of 2016. My great-nephew Anthony just finished classes and will graduate high school in June. Carter still has 2 months and 2 days. They look like nice young men, not boys, now!

Had to be sure I got a photo of the birthday girl and her youngest grandson. He's a great grandson, just not a great-grandson. You know what I mean.

I suppose you're wondering if she is smiling because she got her new mailbox in. Well, funny story...

My brothers-in-law Rick and Steve were on the ball and fixing it in the rain while we were eating. I guess there was a bit of a disconnect. The old mailbox had been bungee corded to the board on top of the post because the board had rotted and couldn't hold the mailbox in place. So they put a new board on and got the mailbox secure.

Turns out Mom had a brand new mailbox she wanted in place of the old one. It sat in a box on the deck but the mailbox fixer uppers didn't know it. So now the "story" is that the screws they had "wouldn't work" on the new mailbox so this old box on new board is a temporary fix. In the meantime, one of the fixer guys is going to make sure the new mailbox gets prettied up in some way before they install. Then, she'll be really happy.

To secure their place as the sons-in-law of the year, those two also replaced the toilet seat at Mom's. This was all before lunch. Wow. I wonder if they make house calls to other moms in the family. I'm sure I could find a project or two.

I'd even pay with peanut butter eggs... just this once.

Spring Training

I can't figure out if Mother Nature is training us how to welcome change in the weather – or how to cope with her mood swings. Either way, we still don't know what's going on in central Wisconsin.

It didn't start snowing – if you call it that – until midafternoon. They, as in the weather dudes, are still insisting we are right in that line to get at least a foot of snow. Apparently, it's going to happen while we're sleeping so we can have a nice spring surprise sprung on us when we awaken.

I joked with Carter that they already called off school. He's probably bummed it's spring break because they won't get a snow day out of this!

When I got home from work, Coach Austin had left the ESPN Classic station on so I could catch the end of Twins vs Cardinals World Series game from 1987.

Just in time to see Hrbek hit the crucial home run in Game 6. Whoo-hoo! Now I am in the mood for baseball season... and in the mood to wave my Homer Hanky. Will have to wait for Royals (Assumption, not KC) and Twins spring training to wrap up first.

Speaking of spring training, I think my mother is finally training us to give her what she wants. While she is the queen of snail mail, she is not the queen of subtle. I just giggled out loud when I read the note today that I am sure was mailed to all able-bodied sons-in-law and grandsons in advance of the birthday-Easter gathering Up North this weekend! I hope I don't wait until I'm 84 to finally tell people what I want. God bless her.

Hopefully whatever this spring-winter thing is will not hamper anyone's travel plans. I believe after the storm passes, we will have temps in the 40s so there will be nothing to stop the manual labor from hitting the road Saturday morning. 

Unless Mother Nature has another surprise up her sleeve. Let's not give her any ideas.

Senior Moment :: "The Last Time..."

Thanks to Rapids not having any sort of decent sporting goods store, I got to spend an evening with my boy as we searched for spikes for his cross country shoes.

I'll take whatever time I can get!

We ended up going to MC Sports in Plover first. They didn't have spikes there but they did have information you Rapids folks may be interested to know. They are opening a store in the former Staples building next year so it will be 3 times as big as the one in Plover. Too bad it's happening when my son will no longer need athletic equipment!

From there, we trekked up the highway to Dunham's Sports in Stevens Point. We got lucky there. As we were walking out, I was remarking that I was glad we found them so we didn't have go to Appleton or something. Carter said, "You realize this is the last time we have to buy spikes. It's the last time we'll have to buy lots of things..."

No, no, no. We aren't having this conversation!

Later, when we luckily got to stop at King Cone before it closed, he says, "I will really feel bad if I have a lactose-intolerant kid someday who couldn't go get ice cream with his grandma."

Oh my gosh. Stop. Let's not jump from last cross country season to empty nest to grandparenthood all in one night.

Thankfully, I had some of that yummy Carrot Cake Ice Cream to help me cope. At this rate, I'll be the one putting on the Freshman 15 before my little boy even gets a college acceptance letter!

Give Us Our Daily Fresh-Baked Bread

The smell of fresh-baked bread is so pleasing to the senses that Realtors often have one of those "bread machines" going when showing a house so the prospective buyers have positive thoughts about the home.

In my house, if I bake bread – well, I only do banana bread and Amish Friendship Bread and those types – the first loaf out of the oven is gone before the others even cool.

There's just something about fresh-baked bread. It fills your senses, your tummy and your soul. (So unfortunate carbs are getting such a bad rap these days!)

When we say the Lord's Prayer and ask for our "daily bread," we are just seeking enough to fill our soul for the day. Not asking for more than we need. Not looking ahead too far down the unknown path. Just willing to live with what God gives us.

That day.

My Grandma Hedberg had a painting similar to the one above hanging on her wall. After all these years, I remember that. It was by her table so I knew the man was saying grace. I wasn't old enough to know the message was that he was thanking God for his daily bread. His daily dose of blessings.

We were reminded of it today in church when we had our worship service in a park in town, followed by a potluck. The pastor was talking about being spiritually hungry. Unlike our immediate satisfaction with warm bread, we may not even know we are spiritually hungry – or spiritually lacking. Sort of like the Footprints poem. When things are going well, we don't think of God as much as when we are challenged or hurting or needy.

I try not to take my blessings for granted. I do thank God every night in my prayers but I still get pinged with reminders the other 23-plus hours of the day. And is isn't just my stomach growling.

It's seeing loved ones struggle. It's feeling physical or emotional distress. It's suffering pain of loss.

But when we get a whiff of that fresh-baked bread, we remember the slice has two sides. We also have the joy of waking up to sunshine. It is spending one-on-one time worshiping and having lunch with my son. It is spending the afternoon with my hubby, watching him paint on the deck while I sit in Mr. Deck Chair. It is cleaning another closet and filling two more bags to take to Goodwill. It is writing a letter to a special person in prison who is working with God to turn his life around.

It is all that in one day.

Did you count your daily blessings today?

Presidential Sweet

Thank you, Mount Rushmore, for memories of a warm summer day (without windchill). And thank you, presidents, for a Monday off from work. Sweet!!

For those keeping score at home, the next time I have a holiday I will get to spend it with Mr. Deck Chair. Memorial Day seems like a long way off...

It was a nice "extra" day to the weekend and I took advantage of it. Got my Cardio Kickbox class in this morning, then stopped at the scrapbook store to get "just a few" pieces of paper I need for the weekend. After a shower, I got all of our tax stuff in order for the tax man, then spent an hour or so with my BFF, who always gets Federal Holidays off!

Tonight I got the last of my camp stuff together (except for my clothes and bedding, etc), so that feels good. I also got some last minute posters and labels done for the Empty Bowls event next weekend. Just whipped through my "To Do" list!

I did take some time for fun. Watched the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special from last night and got some good laughs out of that.

Then I called my mom to see how she's acclimating to winter now that's she been back from Texas for a week. She's not a fan. She said Valentine's Day was the coldest it's been since she was around 10 or 12 years old. Uff da. On a positive note, she is liking her brand-new push-button phone! She still has the two rotary ones on the wall so when a call comes in, all 3 ring. At least we know she won't miss a call because she can't hear it!

It was good to talk to her and, as always, she loved talking to "grown-up" Carter. "I hope you don't mind I gave him some advice," she said. Basically, she told him to make good decisions because the results follow you everywhere.

I think some presidents could have heeded that advice. Still got a holiday out of it, though!

On, Wiscon-Son!

I bet you thought you'd see some more beautiful scenery from Colorado today. Nope, instead you get to see my favorite sight in Wisconsin – or should I say, Wiscon-SON?

In case you were wondering if we left a 16-year-old boy home alone to fend for himself or perhaps with a large group of friends, we didn't. Carter slept at Grandpa and Grandma Austin's and made daily trips home to get the mail and feed the sad cat.

Poor Carter. Just trying to do his duties and ended up dealing with Miss Separation Anxiety. She missed "her man" so much, she just couldn't stop herself from pooping, peeing and puking on the carpet in the basement. No surprise she has hardly left Daddy's side since our return last night.

Carter missed us, too, as much as a teenager could. But at least he didn't get sick over it! I handled the separation pretty well myself. Of course, I didn't have much down time to think about it. (Just the part where he is coming with us the next time we go.)

Tonight Jim had to bowl again (as a quite regular substitute) so I met Carter at Applebee's and we had a dinner date to catch up. He was impressed with the photos and would love to go out there... and beat my mountain run time, naturally. Where does this kid get his competitiveness??

This week is homecoming week so he has been busy with special activities and practicing for the marching band halftime show at Saturday's game. Not much else new at school, other than the school pictures arriving. Yay!

It's always a good sign when he likes the picture as much as his biased mother. It's already "scrapbook approved"!

Ahh, it's good to be back home in Wiscon-Son!

How Great

Do you ever have a song that immediately triggers a memory?

Sometimes it's a good one. Like a lot of '80s songs (Don't judge me). Some from those rare positive moments of high school and a lot from college, too. (How can I hear "Love Shack" and not think of dancing in Carly's on 3rd Street?)


Other times the songs bring up sad times. Like those reminding me of special moments with boyfriends turned ex-es turned jerks. Or those hymns calling to mind loved ones who have passed.

This afternoon, I got out of work early to attend the funeral for a friend's dad. He was about same age as my dad and, since the hospice workers can make a pretty accurate prediction of death, was able to say goodbye to his loved ones in time.

There were a handful of hymns played over the sound system during the funeral service. When How Great Thou Art came on, I couldn't hold back the tears. Nothing to do with today's funeral necessarily but memories of my Grandma Hedberg's instead.

Every single time I hear it or sing it, I get a lump in my throat and think of that day, the only time I've seen my dad cry. And a hard day for her dozens of grandchildren not ready to say goodbye.

Today, we also heard Amazing Grace, another of my favorites. It also makes me think of her.

The woman sitting next to me had told me beforehand that she has only attended three funerals in her life and she absolutely hates going to them. With my hubby's wise words echoing in my head, I told her, "It's not about US. It's about being here for them –  the family, friends and grievers."

Showing them we are here for them until their soul is ready to sing again.

No matter how long it takes.

Your Sunday Best

Sometimes, when you wear your "Sunday best" it turns out to be the best Sunday.

I had to read at 8 o'clock church today and thought I'd grab a summery dress. That's when I remembered my "new" dress. When I was up helping my mom de-clutter and downsize, I ran across a pretty yellow and gray paisley dress. I said, "Mom, this looks vintage but this stuff is back in style. Can I have it?"

That's when she said it was actually her mother's dress. Wow. "Oh that would make my heart so happy if you can wear it!" So today, coincidentally the same day as our Johnson Reunion up north, I wore Grandma Johnson's dress to church!

 

I felt very special. And it set the tone for a good rest of the day.

After church, I was able to watch the end of the British Open. Three of my favorite cuties finished up top: Rory, Ricky and Sergio. After that ended, I took a 3-mile walk and simultaneously got some sunshine. (Since Carter had a friend over, I was not needed at home.)

After my walk, I worked a bit on a freelance project and then planned to do house work, too, but I suddenly had a golf date!

Had the privilege of golfing with the "A" Team (aka Austin clan) tonight: hubby, father-in-law and sister-in-law. Pleasant weather and company. My golf score was not pleasant but I had no expectations since this was only my second time out this year. You read that correctly, only my second time golfing in 2014. I know. Where are my priorities?

On the way home, hubby treated me to a quick bite at Taco John's and then we walked across the street for a small ice cream treat at Dairy Queen. Did you know today is National Ice Cream Day? I had no idea. Again. Where are my priorities?

Good thing hubby's got my back! And he may literally have to have it tomorrow when I feel each and every glorious swing from this evening!

But worth it. Rest on Sundays is overrated.

Duck Hunting

We're starting our countdown. With just 8 days before hubby and I head East, we are trying to get all of our ducks in a row. The problem is, we're not sure which ducks we need to worry about and which ones we still need to hunt down.

I'm starting to make lists as I think of things for our Vermont trip AND my sister weekend trip that comes right on the tail of that. I'm feeling like my parents -- OK, I gotta get my prescriptions refilled, etc. But you know, if you don't write it down, it's not going to be remembered by either of us!

Over the weekend, Jim talked to his cousins that he met the last time he was out there. They are more like his parents' age, not ours, but a really nice couple we've kept in touch with since his last trip 5 years ago. Jim's talked to them a few times in the last month since we booked the trip and last night they told us we can stay at a bed and breakfast 3 doors down from them. Cool. I am staring to get excited.

It shouldn't be hard, but, there are just enough things going on with Carter during our absence that I am feeling bummed about missing. Mainly homecoming... He is dressing up and going and I am missing out on the first major "dress up" -- not quite formal. Sigh. I am "employing" several people to photograph various parts of his weekend for me -- between marching band at the game and the dinner and dance. Just won't be the same, but I appreciate their understanding of a mother and scrapbooker's heart.

It's just more ducks to get in a row.

I fear Grandma and Grandpa Austin are going to get a rude awakening about life as a taxi service. Not only getting Carter where he needs to be, but not forgetting there is another long-haired sibling to tend to. Carter better not forget to feed Sylvester before heading to school each morning!

So many details, details, details. Good thing we got those passports months ago. One duck in line. Many more to go.

Quack!

Norse Force

With our upcoming Vermont/NY/Canada trip on the brain, I am catching some family tree fever -- even though our autumn excursion is all about hubby's family.

This weekend when I was staying with my sister Romey, I had her dig out her photo album from her trip with our Grandma Minnie back in 1980 -- less than a month before Grandma turned 90 and 8 months before she passed. Flipping through it brought back so many memories of a special grandmother who died when I was only 12.

While I was scanning in some family tree type photos (yes, tombstones), I couldn't resist scanning and sharing this photo of Grandma looking so sharp with her smart traveling hat! And such a big smile! Love this picture!

In fact, that smile is on her face in just about every photo from that trip. She was in her glory, speaking her slightly rusty Norwegian with long-lost cousins who I wish I had been smart enough to ask about at the time. Even though Grandma was born in the States, I think I always assumed she was born in Norway since she could sing songs to us and say prayers in Norwegian. Am I doing anything to carry on that tradition?

Not much besides saying, "Uff da".

I do hope at some point I'll be able to use names of people they visited to piece together some of the puzzles of our family tree. Who knew "cousin" was such a vague word? A cousin how -- father's side or mother's side? And who are their parents?

Yup, these are the clues that were not left behind. Good thing I like a challenge!

May the Norse Force be with me!

Girl Power

In the Lutheran church, we celebrated All Saints Day today. Part of the tradition is lighting candles for loved ones who passed away in the last year or "saints" who may have died years ago but hold a special place in our heart.

Without fail, I tear up when we're singing Amazing Grace or How Great Thou Art -- and my grandmothers and two special aunts come to mind. No offense to my grandfathers or uncles. It's just that these women and their strength influenced me.

Grandma Minnie (on my dad's side) died when I was in junior high. I was old enough to remember and old enough to have gotten to know her over the years. She had lived on her own for most of my lifetime since my grandpa died when I was a toddler. She weathered so many storms in her 90 years. I admired her independence and her perseverance.

My Grandma Florence (on my mom's side) passed away 16 years ago when I was well into my adulthood. Flossie, as she was called, was so young at heart. I always thought, "When I am a grandma, I want to be like her!" She was still bowling regularly well into her 70s -- and walking downtown to the bowling alley to do it. Plus getting on a football pool now and then. And winning. I hope I've inherited her luck!

My Aunt Betty (my dad's sister) was my godmother. She was a hardworking farm wife and incredible cook. She had a wonderful sense of humor and seemed so full of love all the time. She even "adopted" one of our puppies -- the sister to my dog Boomer -- so we were always looking for an excuse to go visit. "Did you get enough to eat?" No one left their house on an empty stomach either. Very caring.

Aunt Virginia (my mom's sister) was one of a kind. It was obvious that she and my mom were not just sisters, they were best friends. I can recall every day during the summer when we were off of school, those "girls" would be on the phone or at each other's houses for coffee and something sweet -- either Gena's homemade banana cake or my mom's chocolate wacky cake or, in a pinch, something from the bakery. They were the best at silly songs and unique costumes.

From all of them, I have inherited special gifts that give me "girl power." I am a hard worker. I have overcome much adversity and become stronger because of it. My running shoes can attest to the fact I am trying to stay active in my old age. I absolutely love entertaining, creating songs and skits, and making people laugh. I also love baking, eating, drinking coffee and spending time with my sisters.

I feel blessed that I got something from each of them that shapes who I am today. "Being a saint" is not on my bucket list, that's for sure. But I can make a darn good impression using my inner power and my higher power.

Some day it might be worth lighting a candle over.

Words of Encouragement

Two notes of note this week:

Vigilance

Carter brought home a little card from Sunday School yesterday about focusing on "Vigilance" this third week of Lent.

It read: "This week I will make plans to discard possessions that are not useful or beautiful. Too many possessions weigh us down and prevent us from noticing God's presence, from attending to God's voice presenting us with possibilities. It is difficult to change direction and follow a new path if we are burdened with more than we need. Seasoned travelers travel light. A cluttered home creates a cluttered mind and heart. It's time to begin spring cleaning!"

Wow, is that packed with a dozen messages for Robyn Austin! Good thing it doesn't say we need to act on this advice and accomplish it all in one week.

I did start by gathering up some "extra" arts and crafts supplies to donate to Carter's school for a giveaway. I went so far as to add a note that urged them to contact me if they didn't get enough items. I'd be happy to donate more.

That's such a teeny, tiny start but as one of my sisters pointed out this week, sometimes we gotta start out with baby steps and maybe that's all we can do for awhile. I could waste time saying, "It's overwhelming! I don't know where to start!" -- then get nowhere.

The important thing is to start. Somewhere! Take baby steps. Be vigilant!

Spellbound

Carter got some mail today. It was a card and note from my mom wishing him good luck at his next spelling competition. She had good intentions (mailing it last week) but unfortunately it arrived 2 days after the contest. Trust me, though, it was worth the wait.

In it Grandma (who could be called "Grammar" with her perfect language arts skills) gave Carter some words of encouragement, then ended it by writing (in her perfect penmanship), "I wuz allways good in Speling and I stil am tooday."

That's my mom and her sneaky, clever humor. Carter thought it was pretty darn funny. I said, "Now you know where I get my sense of humor!"

I also know it probably took her longer to figure out how to misspell the words than it did to write the whole note. Gotta luv her!

Wisconsin Whistlestop Tour

We sort of felt like political candidates zipping through (and past) dozens of towns and cities in Wisconsin today on our way to and from Luck to visit my parents. Of course, the only "whistle stops" were the places that had restrooms and fuel when we needed them!

We don't often do the trip up and back in the same day -- that's 8 hours round trip -- but this is when we could squeeze it in so we just did it. My dad turned 81 last week and we couldn't get up there for his birthday. When I realized I hadn't seen my parents since my birthday extravaganza, I figured a visit was way past due.

As my dad pointed out, it is nice to have a one-on-one visit so we can actually visit. Typically, our family gatherings bring in about 20-35 people. I usually go home and comment on the fact I didn't even get to talk to my parents, or this sibling or that sibling. It was nice.

We were pleased to see they were both in good health and in good spirits. They are still high on getting published in the newspaper. I brought with some of my recently published columns for their "reading pleasure," too.

As a bonus, I got to see my twin sister, who I haven't seen since our big 4-0. She's holding up well for her age (tee, hee). We had to put our heads together for our top-secret entertainment for the upcoming Wild Women's Weekend. That's all I can say about that since I have sisters who read this.

We headed back home when it was still light out and pulled in the driveway around 9. The nice thing was that we got to set the clocks back like it was just a 3-hour drive! Right. Still feels like bedtime to me! I don't know how the real candidates do it.

Day Planner

8 a.m. - Mimicking "Monday Night Football" theme song, Mom says, "Are you ready for some football?" Carter sings, "Yes, some Saturday football!"

9 a.m. - Hit the road to Auburndale, swinging by Jim's sister's house on the way.

10:45 a.m. - Opening kickoff for the Rapids Raptors! Raptors score first! Yay! But then Auburndale answers with a whole lotta points. The final: 29-6. Carter did get on some tackles and did get stepped on a little but he had a great time. And knows they will be working pretty hard in practice next week!

1 p.m. - Visit Jim's Uncle Frank in Marshfield. Uncle Frank turns 77 next week and is spending some time alone while his wife visits her grandkids in Alaska. He's a good guy and always has a positive attitude despite major setbacks in his life (like have a leg amputated after a "routine" knee replacement went awry). It was great to see him.

2 p.m. - Tasty "World Buffet" lunch at the mall there (we're still full) and shopping at Steve & Barry's. The store is closing so everything was on sale for $8.98 or less. Carter got some jeans (I had hoped he'd wear shorts all through September but that ain't happening), Daddy got some shirts and Mommy got some clothes for work. Everybody wins.

3:30 p.m. - Stopped by the cemetery in Halder to visit Grandma Austin's grave and see a new bench erected there in memory of Jim's grandpa and grandma.

4 p.m. - Swung by Aunt Elaine's close to Mosinee to deliver a picture of her with Colin from the racetrack the week before. She wasn't home but Jim visited briefly with his cousin there.

4:30 p.m. - Made it the hospital in Wausau to see Jim's dad. He's doing well and is supposed to come home from the hospital tomorrow, barring any problems. I don't do well in hospitals (squeamish me) so I was glad he was sitting up and not connected to a bunch of machines like earlier in the week. I think the nurses have been spoiling him (that Austin charm, ya know), so he's doing pretty good.

7 p.m. - Arrived home. Carter showered and I got some Sunday School stuff together for the first day tomorrow. Jim walked over to the neighbor's and is probably sipping on something cold. I'm just glad to be sitting down and not going anywhere for awhile. And we wonder how time flies!

8 p.m. - Blog is done. I'm going to go turn on my electric blanket!

It's Mother's day

Like a good child, I called my mom tonight to wish her a happy birthday. Of course, at this late hour, I think I was likely the last one to call but you know what they say about saving the best for last, right?

Actually I had Carter dial up. Mom answers and he says: “Hey, birthday girl! Or should I say birthday grandma?” Just like Daddy, he sure can charm with the best of them.

We’ll be seeing my folks and my entire family this coming weekend for our annual Easter Egg Hunt, to celebrate Mom’s birthday (and Angie’s and Liana’s, too), party because my niece Beth is home ... and show off my Texas tan.

So I asked Mom what she wanted for her birthday. My mother is always predictable about this question. I knew she’d say, “A clean house and good kids.” And she did not fail me. I, however, declined to offer cleaning their house but I’m sure I’ll be on my best behavior. (Does that count as half a gift?)

Buying gifts for people in their 70s is pretty tough. They certainly have (or should have) everything they need. And my mom even said that. I asked, “How about something you want, not need? Anything for gardening? Maybe a favorite restaurant?” She said they sure like dining out when they can – especially those 2-for-1 deals at casinos. Though she admitted tonight that “You know, you end up putting your savings into the machines anyway.” Oh really? I’m so glad she has figured this out by age 76. (Yes, I am the sarcastic daughter.)

To her credit, she probably figured it years ago but just continues to test the theory. Heck, when I’m 76 I hope I can have just as much fun, throwing caution to the wind, and have everything I need, including a clean house and kids!

This week in Carterland

I've said before that when I have a crazy and somewhat stressful week, I just need to recall a few Carterisms and it brings a smile to my face. Hopefully, it will do the same for you.

Just the facts: Carter was so excited to bring home his new library book, Every Minute on Earth (Fun Facts that Happen Every 60 Seconds). "Did you know a car traveling 60 mph travels one mile in one minute?" Yup, we know that one. "Did you know 10 adult elephants can produce one pound of poop per minute?" Now that's the kind of facts 4th-grade boys live for!

Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs: OK, here's some logic that's hard to argue with. Carter was acting all cranky (grumpy even) for much of the day so Daddy finally asks him, "If you were one of the 7 dwarfs, which one would you be?" Without missing a beat, Carter responds, "The third one." It makes so little sense, we both just had to laugh.

Mr. Popular: When I called my parents the other day, I had Carter dial so he could talk to Grandpa and Grandma first. After 20 minutes -- and after he'd talked to both of my parents and two of my sisters who were visiting them -- he hands me the phone. There was no one there. They'd already hung up. Now I know where I stand!

Humor me: Carter said if I needed a good joke to tell my friends at work this week, I should try this one: "Why did the math book go to the psychiatrist? ... Because he had problems."

Never a dull moment in Carterland!