A Few More Requests, My Prayer Warriors

First of all, I thank all of my friends and family who have prayed on demand when I've asked for it. Secondly, I send super hugs to all of you who follow up later – even months later – to see how the situation is going.

I love you for that – and so does my family!

It's been almost 11 months since my sister Rachel was in a life-threatening, almost life-taking car accident. After 3 months in a trauma center then several months of rehab, we were encouraged with her progress. I mean she took several steps at Christmas unaided by a walker or cane.

But sometimes your body takes a minute to reveal what's happening internally.

She now faces a minimum of 3 more surgeries – starting with one tomorrow – and I don't know how her mind and body can handle it. I'm asking for prayers for physical, mental, and emotional strength for her. 

And frankly, please God, make these the last medical efforts to help her whole-y heal! I don't think I'd have the physical or mental power to endure what she has. That's why she's awesome. And I'm just the praying sister.

Thanks for your past and future support!

We Got This, Right?

I attended a funeral visitation tonight for a friend who lost her dad just 4 days after my mom died. We both declared that 2025 was definitely going to be OUR year! Unless the powers that be could grant us a great second half of 2024. We'll take it!

For now: We got this!

We think. And we hope. 

By sheer coincidence, we had a motivational speaker at work today who basically gave us a pep talk on resiliency and agility that we can apply at work and our personal lives.

He was quite the entertaining and engaging speaker. So glad my company invests in resources like this to help us with our work-life balance. If you ever get the chance to hear Paul Wesselmann, do it. You won't regret it!

He considers himself The Ripples Guy – sharing inspirational messages that turn ripples of possibility into waves of opportunity.

I needed to hear this today. I won't regurgitate his whole presentation, but I will share what I learned about the graphic above. The premise is that to get through any major change or challenge, we go through 3 stages: Survive, revive, and thrive. But they don't necessarily occur in that order – and we may be going through all 3 at once. Depends.

CURIOUS MINDS

Part of our resilience is pausing to see how our brain is adjusting to things. Ask yourself: "What am I thinking?" and "What am I feeling?"

If you put a label to a positive feeling, it can last longer. If you apply a label to a negative feeling, it means you're actually acknowledging it and it could shrink. But in the meantime, we must acknowledge that even though we can't control our immediate reaction to something, we can control our response. That requires a second to step back and ask those questions above and figure out what response would be helpful to the situation.

OPEN HEARTS

The lesson here is that we send generosity, kindness, and compassions to ourselves. Then extend that to others: First, your friends or family who need it, then people you know but might not be as close to, and then finally, everyone. 

Not gonna lie, it's not an easy step.

CALM SPIRITS

When he talked about calming yourself, he suggested taking deep breaths – thinking HERE when you inhale and thinking NOW when you exhale. This calms you and helps you stay centered in the here and now. 

Pretty much anyone who deals with the whirlwind of daily stress – whether in the workplace or home – can identify with the need to center. Find it and figure out how to return to it and stay there in order to thrive.

NUTURE HEALTH

This can involve physical, mental, and spiritual health. The survival part is basically triage. We assess the situation. We all know life is tumultuous. What's working? What isn't working?

The revival step prompts us to figure out what we need to do. What needs to change? What doesn't?

The thrive part means we finally remember that being HEALTHY is not just about "not being sick." It's saying no. It's positive choices. It's letting go. 

It's not easy if you're wired like me!

Anyway, just wanted to share because I needed this message today. Needed to know that even when life deals you a crappy hand, there's still a way you can find to make it work without folding. 

We need to accept that every version of ourselves deserves to be loved. Deserves grace. We got this!

When We Say Goodbye

It's graduation weekend for Assumption. I had previously committed to shooting photos of the ceremony and I thought it would prove to be a good distraction.

The thing was, every time they sang a song about goodbyes, they were thinking of their classmates. Their parents were thinking of them leaving the nest. And I was thinking about my mom.

An emotional evening. But I was glad to get pictures of everyone. Today we had a few graduation parties and I had the honor of "hosting" a therapy dog (therapy for me anyway) for the next couple of days.

Buddy has already made himself at home and damn if he hasn't already trained me to pet him. Continuously. Little does he know, I just need to connect with something that loves my attention and isn't leaving me any time soon.

God bless all you parents about to experience an empty nest! It definitely takes awhile to adjust. But if you don't mind hair on your furniture, I have some great options in mind!

Congrats, class of 2024! Do good things! 

And Then What?

What a week! Oh wait, it's only Tuesday! Well thanks to the current wicked weather, they rescheduled some sports to yesterday afternoon and evening.

So thanks to that, I shot pictures of the Lady Royals 18-0 regional round 2 victory over Alma Center. And shot some of our boys Senior Night and final regular season game of the baseball season. They won, huge!

I was editing lots of pictures last night and didn't get the time to blog. And tonight, well, it could go anywhere if I blog too soon.

Major severe weather warnings here and there – not the least of which is high winds, maybe hail, maybe a twister. Also, I'm dealing with the uncertainty of Mom's health.

Got a call today that she's really, really struggling. I'm not surprised after seeing her this weekend, Bacterial pneumonia when you have COPD is not a good combo. And now, despite the oxygen, she just can't catch her breath and be the mom who kicked my butt in cards just a little over 48 hours ago.

So I left work at noon and came home. In case I received news that turned me into an emotional mess. No news of that sort yet, but I'm still an emotional mess.

And now severe weather is surrounding us and I'm cocky like that's nothing compared to what we've been dealing with. Still, at the first major flash of lighting or a power outage, I'll take cover. I'm cocky but also practical. 

Be safe tonight! 

Just Girls Cruising Through the Change

Ohmigosh. I think my cheeks still hurt 24 hours later after smiling and laughing for 2 hours straight during the musical "Menopause 2: Cruising through the Change." Hilarious!

Every month, a group of us "girls" get together somewhere in the Wisconsin Rapids area for dinner. Usually a group of 6 to 8. A few months ago, one of the ladies suggested going to the "Menopause 2" musical at the Grand Theater in Wausau. 

The funny part was that I was meeting a girlfriend on the way up to Wausau and while I got a tour of the private jets in her hanger, I just pretended I was flying like a millionaire does. Sorry if you fell for that. I mean I have flown a corporate jet for work – but not Girls' Night Out. Yet. 

Got to see my friend Katie – a coworker and our kiddos graduated together!

This is my friend Jenny looking up at our reflection at the garage door at The Garage.

Before the show, I was wondering (and bit scared) by how much I would identify with during the show.

Turns out.. a LOT! It was well done and so hilarious. We could not stop smiling and laughing. They took a lot of popular tunes and changed the lyrics a bit. Like this one was called Stayin' Awake to the tune of the Bee Gees Stayin' Alive:

Well you can tell by the way I slump my walk,
I am a tired a girl, no strength to talk;
In the mirror, my eyes so red, I've been up all night, sittin in my bed.
Well it's not alright, not ok and you can look the other way
My husband tries to understand, it's just no concept for a man,

Whether you're a sister or whether you're a mother, your stayin awake, stayin awake,
see the sunrise breakin and you're up cooking bacon and you're stayin awake, stayin awake
ah ah ah ah staying awake,staying awake
ah ah ah ah staying awake...
I'm staying awake

So yes, it was 100% a girls night out. And if you are somewhere between 45 and 65 and can see the show, we all highly recommend it! Accept the change!

The Latest Buzz

Finally broke in Mr. Deck Chair today. But apparently, I wasn't the only one enjoying the summer-like 70s. I call these guys "long-legged a**holes" because they are! They usually sting for no reason. And I'm glad today they buzzed off when I yelled, "I hate you!"

Who knew?

It seriously was a nice day. A little breezy but mostly sunny and high in the low to mid-70s. You know what that means. Skip watching The Masters on TV and go do some swinging yourself!

My golf partner Marigene and I headed to TriCity to hit some balls. Wisely figuring out how to swing again – after a 6-month hiatus – instead of tackling 9 holes. Plus, they were swamped anyway.

Just glad we could start prepping for golf, er Fox Season again! 🏌🏌

I did not do any traveling to visit any family members in the hospital. Rachel needed a day of rest with no visitors. And my other person needing prayers had a healthy amount of visitors. They're both strong women! I hope I inherit that at some point!

Tomorrow looks like another gorgeous day. Hope those long-legged jerks stay away so I can have some overdue bonding time with Mr. Deck Chair.

Get outside and enjoy it!

P.S. Don't look at the 7-day forecast. 😦

But... Did You Die?

So, I did a thing yesterday. I was finally well enough (read: could breathe without coughing) to join the lunchtime fitness class I signed up for in the fitness center at work.

I could say it was challenging because I missed the first two weeks. But in reality, it was challenging because I missed the first two ... forevers. Mercy! I am so out of shape!

The class is called Reps and Sets. As in using weights, etc, and repeating. I guess that's what a "set" is? All I know is 80 squats, 40 lunges, 30 chest presses, and 24 hours later... OUCH! It was by sheer coincidence that I had my monthly chiropractor appointment today. Oh, I love her! She brought out the big vibrating massage thing and hit every muscle in my lower back and glute. Ouch but good!

Of course, that wasn't the worst part of the 30-minute workout. That came when we had to do sit-ups. Just normal sit-ups, except nothing to anchor our feet, just using those core muscles to get up and down. Guess who couldn't do one? 

This girl! The one without core muscles! 

I just laid back on my mat trying to hold back the shameful tears stinging my eyes. Full disclosure: I didn't die in my workout – but I might have cried. At least after pouring out my soul and hopelessness over my meno-induced weight gain and out-of-shapeness, my fitness instructor gave me a hug. A sweaty one, but I needed it.

She also is meeting with me next week to see if we can work out a plan to reverse my misfortune. I could casually say, "I'll try anything!" But if I had that type of commitment, I wouldn't be in my current predicament. 

And unfortunately, I've learned the post-workout pain doesn't really take effect until the SECOND day. If I don't blog tomorrow, it's because I can't lift my arms enough to reach the keyboard!

Be careful out there. And don't judge yourself by what you can and cannot do. Applaud yourself for trying!

Let's Keep Advancing the Calendar

It's hard to blog regularly when all I have to talk about is waking up to sub-zero temperatures and this stinking lingering head cold and cough. 

This is why I'm convinced January by far is the longest month. We've got the cold, the snow, the illness, the darkness, the cold (oh, I said that).

For the record, I have accomplished the following things so far:

• Haven't missed a day of work despite struggling a bit.
• Correctly wrote 2024 on the one check I've written.
• Am getting through books (audio and physical) at a great opening year pace!

Definitely haven't kept up a daily blog or a daily adherence to healthy habits. Just keep advancing the calendar page tomorrow and eventually it will all right itself. I say, anyway.

In the meantime, be careful in the cold and do your best to stay healthy. And maybe throw in a positive attitude for good measure!

(Disclaimer: That last part not required if you live in the Dakotas, Minnesota, or Wisconsin!)

Frozen Fun

With a wakeup call below zero, it was so hard to get out of bed! But I managed to bundle up and head to Stevens Point, where is was probably one degree colder.

My challenge actually came after work when I headed to the Pacelli-Assumption-etc Co-op team play hockey. I definitely warmed up my car several minutes before leaving the parking garage. Thank goodness for covered parking even though there was no snow this time!

Even though it was senior night, it was a small crowd due to the sub-freezing temperatures, I'm sure!

I still managed to bond with Mr. Zamboni between periods 1 and 2. But after 2, I left. My lovely cold for the past several days couldn't tolerate the cold air. We were tied 1-1 when I left. But have since found out we lost 3-1.  Now I'm really glad I could be there for the beginning parts.

And glad me and my health are surviving this Polar Vortex so far. Good luck to you, too!

You're So Vein

So last week when I had my annual physical that I fasted for, they informed me the Blood Sucker (aka Lab Lady) called in and wasn't available so I'd have to postpone to this week.

Fastforward to this morning. I had 9 a.m. labs which meant 90 minutes of work with no breakfast or more importantly, no caffeine. But I arrived at the clinic desk all cheerful and saying "I'm here for my finger prick." 

The receptionist is like: "We don't do finger pricks here."

So I sit down and wait and run through my history of trying to be a good citizen and donate blood – but fainting every time. Two minutes of that thinking in the waiting room is enough to pump up my anxiety.

Then, it didn't help she couldn't find a vein! She tied the tourniquet thingy to my right arm and tapped. Then transferred it to my left arm and tapped. Tried to poke a vein with no luck so went back to my right arm. After two pokes (I say that like it didn't hurt), she said I was bleeding a lot but not in a way she could draw a blood sample.

I replied: "I think I need to lay down."

So they put me in an exam room with an institutional lying down surface and she was able to draw blood out of my old lady-vein showing hand! What?!

I was just glad it was done and they gave me a minute to recover. I think it would've been OK if I hadn't had 12+ hours without food or drink. That's just my inner voice saying: "Not your fault – you're still a rockstar."

Afterward, I only had to ride the escalator up to my office and then grab my Secret Santa "coffee's on my today" gift and ride up one more level for caffeine and semi-healthy nourishment.

I'm grateful the clinic peeps were understanding and extra grateful I didn't faint. But if I get screening results that say I have high cholesterol or something, I'll let them know they can draw blood in a year!

Am I too "vein"?

It's Gratitude Month

I feel so behind. I realized today that it's November, which I always observe as Gratitude Month. As this lovely illustration shows, some days I need a crap-ton of coffee to get that gratitude train a-chuggin'.

Today I am grateful for health. That even though my heart is hurting, I am physically OK. Even though hubby is recovering from surgery, he's going to be OK. And hopefully more mobile.

We just have to look at all the people we're praying for and we know we're grateful that for this moment in time, we don't carry their health burdens. We don't have cancer or a child with cancer, we don't have diabetes, we don't suffer from dementia or osteoporosis, we don't have COVID (long or short), we don't have crippling diseases like MS or even fibromyalgia. We aren't recovering from a miscarriage, heart attack, stroke, or rare infection.

We're just plugging along and thanking God that for today, we've got it pretty good in that department. We also know, from very recent experience, that it could all change in the blink of an eye.

So thank you, Lord, for our health. Today.

#gratitudemonth

Mr. Independent

Big day today. I returned to the office and my patient was left unsupervised for the day! And, drum roll, please...

He's officially graduated from the walker to the cane! That's huge. Trust me, just a few days ago, that seemed like an insurmountable feat. But he did it and each day the mobility meter goes up and the pain level goes down. Incrementally, but still, progress in the right direction – considering it hasn't been a week yet.

A good reminder that when we're down – whether physically, emotionally or spiritually – we gotta keep working through the pain. One tiny step at a time if we need to. Just keep moving. God will get us where we need to be eventually.

Be patient, patient. 

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes! Fingers crossed for more forward progress. For all of us.

I See What You Did There

I've been treated to gorgeous sunrises this week on my commute to work. Just a reminder that God is busy with his paint brush and wants us to enjoy His gift of beauty. I see what You did there, God!

Also a reminder that He is right there. Right HERE. He is with us! Even on those rainy mornings. But especially evident on the stunningly beautiful ones.

I hope you take time to enjoy the sunrise and sunsets this week. See God and feel Him. Especially for those who could use bigger arms of comfort than your fellow humans can provide. I'm thinking of family and friends who are grieving right now. And many with health concerns, too, for themselves or a loved one. 

We don't know what the future will hold. But we do know the sun (or son) will rise in the morning. It might be hidden behind clouds, but it will be there. For all of us.

Take care of yourselves and each other. Sending the biggest hugs I can to those of you who need one today! Bless you.

Pre-Summer Status Update

 Just a little status update on things...

So here we are on the first Monday in June and I need to include the current state of affairs for my future self to see. Yup, gas in Wisconsin Rapids is $4.89 a gallon. 

Which wouldn't be the worst thing if my "Days out of office" number could keep rising. But it's only going to get to 830.

Because the other tally going on a different calendar is the countdown to my return to office. Eight stinkin' days. Next week at this time, I'll be going to bed early so I remember how to get up to an early alarm again. 

And gas prices are rising just in time for my half-hour commute. And a pound of hamburger is nearly $6 – just in time for summer grilling season. Good stuff. 

At least we have our health. Which, after having the dreaded virus, we don't take for granted either.

Be careful out there!

Social Hour

Mental health awareness has definitely jumped back into the spotlight after yesterday shooting at an elementary school in Texas. It's too distressing to talk about those events right now. Not going to have a sad, depressing blog. Basically, if you're a parent, a teacher, or in law enforcement, I feel for you. And if you feel alone, depressed, or desperate, please get help. There are healthy ways out of that dark place.

I like this graphic shared by our Wood County Health Department today. I agree 100% that connecting with people boosts your mood. Why do you think we were all so down during the first part of COVID when we were all under house arrest? We need people.

We need to be social.

So tonight I took the perfect medicine for curing these depressing 24 hours where it has rained continually and the news feed has been continually tragic. Got together for dinner in Stevens Point with 9 co-workers. One of them is moving away so we needed a sendoff since he'll be gone before we return to the office next month. He'll still work with us, just really remotely now. 

So we spent nearly 3 hours just chatting and eating and laughing and not thinking about the sad news of the day. It was refreshing. And fun. And the perfect distraction.

Oh, and good for my mental health.

I highly recommend little social hours here and there. You deserve them. And you need them! 

Sometimes they even come with hugs. 

New Year = New Possibilities

Since I wrote the January column for our church newsletter, I figured I'd share it here since, you know, it kind of has to do with New Year's!

New Year = New Possibilities

There’s something refreshing – especially in the midst of a global pandemic – about turning the calendar page to a new year. The simple action simultaneously closes the door on another challenging year (for many) while opening the door to hope and possibilities.

If you were naïve like me and thought 2020 was unique and that 2021 would be completely different, you know where I’m coming from. Can we realistically have hope in 2022? I’m going to go out on a limb and say yes, I think we can. And I’ll tell you why.

First of all, if you’re reading this, you’re still here! Pretty sure I took my health for granted one too many times back in the pre-pandemic days. Now each day that I breathe easy, can taste and smell, and have energy, I’m especially grateful. 

My prayers go out to those of you who’ve either suffered through COVID or watched someone you love experience it or worse, die from it. I don’t think it’s going to go away completely during this next calendar year or maybe ever, but I have hopes that the more the smarter-than-me people know, the more they can figure out a way we can all live with it.

Another reason I have better expectations for 2022 is that life is still going on. With “normal” things. On my new calendar, I already have 3 weddings and 2 due dates marked. Friends and family are still embracing love and life. Shouldn’t we do the same? 

I’ve also discovered another way to see the possibilities in the new year: Don’t set New Year’s resolutions!

Hey, if you don’t set them, you can’t break them. Can’t suck the joy out of your life by trying to follow them. Can’t be disappointed in your lack of dedication to achieve them.

Sounds like the easy way out. And it sort of is. I just know that I’ve probably had the same “lose weight” resolution on my list for 30 straight New Year’s. I think it’s time I change my mindset to, “Learn to love and accept myself the way God does – while  taking care of my body to the best of my ability.”

Why yes, it is sad that it can take so long to figure out what’s important in life. Maybe a once-in-a-century pandemic had something to do with it. I for one am thankful it opened my eyes to better see the blessings in my life.

May this new year do the same for you. Each square on your calendar brings new possibilities – and new opportunities to thank God for our blessings. 

Bring it on, 2022. We got this!

Saying So Long to 2021

Probably fitting that on the last day of a somewhat poopy year, we lose a favorite icon. Betty White died, just shy of her 100th birthday. And she was feisty and funny to the end. Amazing.

She's had some good quotes over time and I like this one pictured. It epitomizes why my blog is called On the Light Side. Find the humor and the light side of things and it will get you through the dark or just plain dreary times.

Like 2021. For many, anyway.

It was definitely an interesting 365 days. Some challenges, of course. And weird "new normal" things I'm not quite ready to accept as normal just yet. Working from home, for one. Is it ironic in a peculiar way or simply scary way that today marks the 666th day at home? Not even kidding. Uff da. 

Let's focus on some positives instead! Had an amazing trip to Alaska this year plus fun weekends with sisters and friends. Jim and I had a great time at the Ryder Cup and golfed together a few times, too. Mostly, we had our own golf buddies and that was fine.

Somehow, knock on wood, we stayed healthy. Our kids did, too. At least as far as avoiding the big virus. Hoping that continues in 2022.

The one thing we really appreciated in 2021 over 2020 was finally getting to see people again – and actually hug them! It took 'til July but we finally had the first gathering of my family since December of 2019. That seems so unbelievable. Will never take that freedom to socialize for granted again.

We did lose some people in our lives this year – on both sides of our family – and there were a few close calls, too, but thankfully the power of prayer worked in those instances. We also welcomed some new life into our family – again, on both sides (one great-nephew and one great-niece). How exciting that life and love prevail!

We also managed to stay up until midnight two nights this year. Just kidding. It's 11:06 p.m. and I don't think I'll make it. We did have a fun evening gathering after 4 p.m. church in Rudolph with other members of the guitar choir. Lots of food, laughter, and singing to serenade the old year out of existence and ring in the new year. 

Happy New Year!

Northern Lights-ish

The Northern Lights in central Wisconsin – courtesy of Kwik Trip. Yup, in the high 40s today so Black Betty II needed a shower. Big time.

I had to wait until tonight after the boys basketball game because there were long lines at every wash at lunchtime when I went to get my booster shot (yay) and on the way to the game. 9 p.m. – no line and still way above freezing.

It's been established I'm a dork and get exited about the weird things. Now, I just have to clean the interior while it's still "nice" out. Then I'll really be happy.

I'm also in a good mood because the boys beat Phillips – both JV and Varsity. By a lot. And because so far, knock on wood, I'm feeling OK after my Moderna vaccine booster.

My left arm hurts a lot so I took two ibuprofen PM and will nod off shortly. But hopefully I don't get the chills and all that crap that I had after the second dose. Either way, glad I did it.

And now I have to do some seriously praying for some loved ones with legitimate health issues right now. I'll never take the phrase "At least I've still got my health" for granted again.

Hugs to those of you who could use one right now. Count to 10 because I'm sending a good, long one!

Age is Just a Number

You know what golf strokes and birthdays have in common, right? You'll be happier if you don't count them.

As it happens, my golf score is right around my age. Which you don't need to know. Just know I'm typically between 50-55. And of course, 50 is OLD – if you believe everything you've been hearing on golf media outlets the last few days.

I'm glad 50-years-young Phil Mickelson came through and showed them all at the PGA Championship that age is just a number. And 50 is not a big one. Or an old one. Show Lefty some respect!

I couldn't help but snap some pictures on the last hole when the crowd when wild and followed Phil down the fairway. What pandemic? Apparently social distancing was so last season. I felt nervous for both Phil and Brooks Koepka, who had to make their way through the crowd to get to the green. 

Activate claustrophobia and anxiety now!

It was a crazy sight! But an exciting major to watch (most of them are) – especially on a rainy afternoon.

I did get my walk in before the rain and golf started. I walked over the cemetery to visit my girl Miss Emily. That's a 4-mile round trip so it's good for my health and my soul.

I was encouraged to see that someone had visited and left a rose. I assured Em that flowers may fade, but our love for her never will. She's my reminder to count my blessings while they're here – and be grateful to be here.

Probably shouldn't have said age is just a number. Because it's heartbreaking when it's a low number that will never get bigger. Emily should be completing her junior year of college right now. And she never got to start.

I talked a few weeks ago about May being Mental Health Awareness Month. I urge you to do what keeps your sanity intact, what keeps you calm and relaxed – whether that's sitting in a recliner watching golf for 4 hours or taking a walk or visiting friends or family. 

If that doesn't work, ask for help. 

See that crowd of supporters around a golfer they don't even personally know? Well we have support networks, too, that are larger than we realize. They just need to know you need them. It's tough carrying around regrets that you weren't there for someone, but worse regretting that you needed help and didn't ask.

Let's be human for each other. nami.org

Going Green in May

Kudos to NAMI Portage-Wood Counties for bringing attention to mental health by hanging green ribbons around Lake Wazeecha – and I'm sure other locales – for May's Mental Health Month.

This is what NAMI is and what it does...

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization. It was started in 1979 in Madison, Wisconsin by two mothers who were looking for help with their sons. NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness for people whose lives are affected by mental illness. The NAMI Wisconsin mission is to improve the quality of life and promote recovery for people with a mental health condition.

NAMI Portage-Wood Counties offers support groups for families or individuals. They are holding some special events during May, but regularly offer classes and events that are free to the public. These are funded through memberships, donations, fundraising, and grants. Check out the NAMI Portage-Wood Counties Facebook page or their website (https://namiportagewoodcounties.org/) to learn more.

Remember, as these ribbons and painted rocks remind us...

Life is tough, but so are you! Reach out for help when you need it. And if you're not sure if you do, then it's probably time.

You are not alone. 

#MentalHealthMonth #NAMIportagewood #greenribbons