Not Gonna Lose Our Shot

This is, I swear, the most random thing in the world. I was all set to wear a pink shirt today for National Wear Pink Day or whatever, but spotted a t-shirt I hadn't worn in some 4 or 5 years. So I donned one of my Hamilton (the musical) t-shirts.

Then when I was turning into my neighborhood after a post-work gas run, I saw a familiar color!

I parked my HRV and after confirming my friend Cindy I randomly picked this shirt today, made sure to take a picture. I mean, what are the odds?!

We saw Hamilton together years ago but the odds of us choosing today to wear our shirts is crazy. I guess that means we're due to see it again. Or see some "Broadway" show in our area in the coming months. 

It's kind of freaky, but I'll take it as a sign. I'm checking out shows right now!

#NotThrowingAwayMyShot

Well That Was Fun

I could dub thee Sarcastic Sunday. Because some parts were not that fun.

Take church choir for example. There were 4 us. Not a fancy barbershop quartet. Just 2 men, 2 women. Not the strongest singers. Myself included in that. And our director sang with us to bring it up to 5. Yes, it was just the melody for On Eagle's Wings. But still. Cringe. 

But then it got fun. 

Ran up to Herrschners for some baby blanket yarn (bless them for Sunday hours) and worked on blanket #3 (boy them #2) while watching golf.

I love watching The Masters – especially on Augusta Sunday. And frankly, I want it to be a close competition. And today delivered big time. So many lead changes and people climbing the leaderboard. In the end Rory repeated for a back-to-back win, but he tried to blow it on the last hole – driving it into the woods!

I noticed his daughter Poppy is getting big. Yes, I do "know" some of the kids. I just wonder if they understand what the big deal is when Dad always wins things! You know?

And as the leaderboard was heating up, so too were the temperatures. The windows in the house and the screen door were letting in fresh air! Also, maybe something related to pollen. Not pollen yet, but I sneezed no less than 20 times this afternoon/evening. Grrr.

Did get out for a jaunt around the neighborhood after golf concluded. 

There was a hen party going on around the bend but since I just saw 5 out of 6 sisters the other day, I kept on walking. C'mon, that's funny, right?

Ok. Break time is over. Time to get back to hookin' something! Hope you had real FUN at some point today!

Spring Chickens and Other Random Commute Photos

 If you ever saw the Disney movie Up, you know that dogs can have a single train of thought until "Squirrel!" That is me. Of course, I've said previously that my "spirit animal" is an eagle or a fox. But now I'm thinking... squirrel. I offer my commute photos from the first part of this week as evidence...

Coming home from Stevens Point on Monday, I saw a plume of smoke and drove 10 miles out of my way to follow it. The old newspaper reporter in me never dies. Took this from the Prairie Chicken Viewing/Counting Area on County Trunk F (if you know, you know). But does anyone know what was going on south of there Monday? Gas prices are rising so I didn't go any further.

And here is what I am calling a spring chicken in the neighbor's yard. Mainly, since this was taken on that fake spring day Monday, I was attempting to coax it to make spring a little more permanent. Let the record reflect that that effort failed.

I was, however, successfully treated to a glorious sunrise. I will always tap the brakes for these!

PHOTO CREDIT: JIMMY AUSTIN

My photographic failure is that hubby captured a photo of this pale guy in our front yard and I've had my camera – with mega zoom lens – on the kitchen table all week to get a nice, crisp photo of him. And he (ooops, maybe SHE) hasn't reappeared since I've been at the ready. Multiple neighbors keep on seeing IT so hopefully IT will come back.

Also I assured Jim he'd get a photo credit.

So, yeah, there's a peak inside my hamster cage (or squirrel cage) of a brain! Enjoy your perfectly NORMAL selves for the second half of the week!

The Colors of Weekend

It's been a colorful weekend. But I'll be honest, I didn't like ALL of the colors. Like above. Yes I realize we often consider Labor Day weekend as the end of summer, but dang, I wish the leaves would pay attention to the real calendar! Not quite ready for fall, that's for sure.

Saturday was a very laid back day on Blue Jay Drive. Finally got a little bonding time with Mr. Deck Chair!

In the evening, I shot pictures of the last waterski show of the season. It got dark pretty quickly so i didn't have a ton of stellar shots. I love how they twist and turn off the jump and I never know which way is up, but they more often than not "stick the landing." 

Today we tried to hold onto summer green.

Since our golf scramble for Royals Football got rained out 2 weeks ago, we got together with the other half of our foursome and golfed 18 at Bullseye this afternoon. Always a fun time with Mark and Trisha.

Saw plenty of wildlife – well mainly deer – who were trying to distract us on this very uphill par 3.

You can barely see the green from down below but look where I landed! Bring on my birdie dance!! Nevermind that I had an 8 on the hole prior. No one can take away my legit, non-Mulligan birdie!

After our round, we caught dinner at Ida's. Always yummy.

Speaking of yummy... I was just thinking of yummy chocolate...

As in the color of our new neighbor's nose! Yup, don't tell my hubby, but I am in love with the new guy next door. Meet Moose! A mini Bernedoodle, but a BIG cutie!

Hope you had some color or at least a bright spot or two to your weekend. Yay for no alarms tomorrow! Happy Labor Day!

Yes Spring Chicken

Usually the phrase includes "no spring chicken" but I'm changing that to "yes spring chicken" after the sun finally came out today and the neighboring farm roosters and hens were scampering about and enjoying it!

Could this be the real sign of spring? Maybe. Here's a few other clues.

Suddenly the summer vibes of Yacht Rock Radio reappeared in my Sirius favorites.

And... our golf course where Jim and I have a couple's membership is opening TOMORROW!! I may head to the TriCity driving range at lunch. I mean I really need to test out my new club somewhere beyond our livingroom carpet!

Other signs of spring include the Twins home opener. Not a win, but they had a game. 

And the sun was bright enough at 6 p.m. for me to take a walk after work.

Don't worry. I haven't drunk the Mother Nature Kool-Aid. I know we're probably going to get screwed over, er disappointed, at least one more time. But let's go with it while it's here. Even for a day!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Austins. It was a very, very, very low-key day today since it was just Jim and I. After sleeping in, we opened out stockings (with our perfect goodies, of course), then had the rest of the day free.

I caught up on few Christmas movies while Jim visited his mother's grave and saw his dad. When I was feeling guilty about too much recliner time, I got outside for a walk around the neighborhood and captured a few more White Christmas photos...

It was pretty – especially when I had no place to drive! And I had just enough fresh air to relax while catching It's a Wonderful Life and Christmas Vacation.

Hope you had a lovely day with friends, family, or your favorite movie or book! Merry Christmas!

I Saw It!

A funny thing happened on the way to the farm... After getting home from volleyball tonight, I was heading over to the Pumpkin Shed – yes, in the dark – to take pictures of their lighted inflatable Halloween decorations since I had nothing good to blog about.

I saw a dark figure around the bend and sure enough it was good neighbor Mike. With a binoculars and a telescope. Basically, he just needed to point me to the two stars above the neighbor's tree then a little to the right and up and I saw the infamous A3 (Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)! Not really with the naked eye but with my phone camera. 

I texted hubby to come look through the binoculars at least since neither of us will be around in 80,000 years unless we're haunting this sacred piece of land on Bluejay Drive!

Got a few more pictures of that big ol' Hunters' Moon, too, on my short walk back home.

The photographer in me thought it might look more striking with some of the trees in yard as the foreground.

I could almost see ET riding his bicycle through the sky on this one! Love me some sky images!

Now I can quit talking about what I am missing and hopefully focus on what I DO see! 

Happy viewing, everyone!

How Life Measures Up

We are not campers or regular "celebrating on Memorial Day Weekend" people. But it does seem that more often than not, it rains. A lot. Today proved that. And it just kept inching up or measuring up by centimeters at least.

Jim went to early church in Rudolph to hear the Assumption Band play for Memorial Day afterwards. It was inside. I had to read today in my church – but that was inside, too, so it didn't matter.

Walking our temporary pet in the rain was a bit challenging, but Carter and Mamie worked wonders with him when he "had to go" later in the afternoon.

We attended a 90th birthday party for one of Jim's high school classmate's mom. I loved that they had an open mic to tell stories about the "birthday girl." What a great idea to do that while she's living instead of at a funeral! Hearing a few, you could definitely see how her life has measured up – and why she's still a firecracker at 90. Loved it!

We also went to a graduation party for one of our friends' sons who we've watched grow up before our eyes. Not just playing baseball but acting as a true leader at school, too. You are too cool for words, Nolan!

This is a random picture from in town. Water is rising everywhere. I hope you could enjoy your holiday weekend or, if not, can find some source of fun Monday!

Curse that First Round

I should immediately edit that to say "man or woman" learned to swear. If you were at TriCity from 4:15 to 6 p.m., that was me. Sorry if you had children with you!

But when the weather was this nice after our round, you know it was a great day to get that first, awful round in. 

I did a little bit of yard work after church until the next door neighbor spotted what he called a "very small" snake between our yards. That was enough for me to call it quits for the day and head to the safety of Mr. Deck Chair for a bit.

I swung over to the nearby book sale at the Kiwanis Club and found some things to inspire my sister Rachel. I also bought a few 50/50 raffle tickets and am so glad I answered that call from an unknown caller when we were about to tee off. I won!

Just enough to pay for my purchases plus the tickets. So basically a free day.

As for the golf part. Uff da. Definitely the first time in 8 months. We golfed with our friends Craig and Sara. And like me, Sara hadn't golfed much either. The guys have already started their league!

I'm thankful they put up with my pathetic performance but my impeccable use of some curse words.

Something's Fishy

No matter what Punxsutawney Phil says on February 2nd, we mostly give him the benefit of the doubt – and are especially supportive when he predicts an early spring. And he certainly did that this year. And we certainly got it.

Apparently the fine print indicates there's no guarantee that winter won't return AFTER that early spring. Doh!

So we awoke to the predicted 3-4 inches of overnight snow. 

Thankfully, the snowblower wasn't needed. Just some muscle work by the man of the house while the boy and I worked. 

I forgot we actually wanted the snow so we could get rid of this dead-ass ash tree pile in our front yard. Jim and neighbor Mike cut that down in the late fall.

Today, with the snow covering the dry ground, they commenced to turning the dead-ass ash pile into a pile of ash.

Was tempted to have s'mores for lunch...

But Carter and I saved room for fish at Kellner International while Jim worked his final Friday of the fish fry at St. Lawrence. Good stuff!

Now we're watching some hoops and while waiting for the super-late-for-old-people Badgers game.

Meanwhile, we should all apologize to Punxsutawney Phil. I mean whoever seeded these brackets did a fishy job too. I mean... Yale? What?

Let's go, Bucky (Phil's rodent cousin)!!

Veggie Tales

If you're like me and you have two black thumbs, you really appreciate people who not only grow all the garden goods of summer – but sell them, too!

Thankfully, we only have to walk less than half a block for access to fresh pickings. All summer long.

Here's my neighborhood public service announcement:

Produce season is upon us! Come check out the produce wagon and you will find: onions, red potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi. Peppers are just starting to be available. Gladiolus bouquets, too. We also have honey and jams and jellies! Self serve. Thank you to all those who stop out!

Just travel in the town of Grand Rapids to Deer Road and 70th Street and you'll find the delicious, super reasonably priced selection! 

You can tell them Jimmy and Robyn sent you. It won't get YOU a discount, but WE might end up getting a sweet deal on that corn later this summer!

Keep Your Friends Close...

There's some valid wisdom in the advice in keeping our friends close... but our enemies closer. When the neighborhood black panther strolled through our yard, I was prepared for a hissy fit.

Instead, Sylvester just stared it down as it pranced through the back yard and into the neighbor's yard. And for the first time, I heard our "85-year-old" meow: "Get off my lawn!"

True story!

Good thing her hearing and eyesight seem to be going, or she might have gone a little nuts. And that would've been the highlight of the evening. After work, hubby had golf league and I ran a bunch of stuff into Goodwill.

Then shopped, of course, and got three "new" books. I can never get ahead of my clutter! Maybe the new mantra should be: Keep your clutter close... and your donation center closer! 

Gonna have to work on that. Especially not having a hissy fit when I have to let go of something "I'm sure I'll need someday." Uff da.

I'm a work in progress. Thanks for your patience! And happy Hump Day. Thank the lord!

Lions, Panthers, and Bears, Oh My

So literally after learning about this bobcat seeking warmth in someone's grill – just over the county line – you kind of go on high alert for wild animals nearby. So do you question my freakout when I saw this dark figure exiting our front yard?

Is it a bear? I mean they have been sighted everywhere around here recently.

New angle and I see the tail. Or is it a black panther? They've been seen recently, too.

I'm guessing – hoping, really – that it's this "black panther" who was in our garage the other day. A neighborhood feline with a cute collar, but still looking suspicious, you know?

As for the wild Lions...

The Royals are on the road and I am watching online via Zaleski Sports. Where both me and my camera stay warm. As you can see, we're on the leading edge of the game. I'm going to have to finish watching before I say anything to jinx them. 

Be careful out there. And let's go, Royals!! 

Trick or Treat?

Even though we got zero trick-or-treaters here tonight, I do hope there are lots of zeroes after a Halloween treat that may or may not be headed our way.

I did say may OR may not.

To be honest, it's been so long since I purchased a lottery ticket, I still thought Powerball was only drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays. When did Mondays become a thing?

Thankfully my neighbor said something. I suppose if I win, I should give him a twenty, at least.

For now I'll distract myself by watching The Voice, tending to my patient (who improves daily), and finishing a Christmas book. 

Hey, I may not have millions in the bank (yet), but I rank pretty high at multi-tasking.

Happy Halloween! Here's hoping for more treats than tricks this year!

Monday Funday

It's completely past my bedtime already. But that means it was a Monday Funday for me! 

Finally got to golf with my neighbor Marigene. Last year by this time we had gone at least once a week. Our schedules just haven't aligned. Until today after work. Weather was perfect today. Sunny and mid-70s. We had a great time and we're totally smiling since we were there for fun.

Not to do silly things like keep score. Who does that?

After golf, I buzzed over the baseball stadium where all the Legion teams were playing tonight. Went back and forth between the 17U and 16U games since we had some Assumption boys playing at each. Was going to stay after for the 18U game – but had to get home to make a trifle good treat for work tomorrow! 

Now I gotta sleep fast. Hope Tuesday's fun, too. But Tuesday Funday doesn't rhyme, so I'll get back to you on that.

Sweat dreams!

Angels We Have Heard on High

Merry Christmas! You realize it's only the 2nd day of Christmas, right? We can keep saying this another 10 days at least! 

What I like about that has nothing to do with the potential to get 2 turtle doves or 5 golden rings. I liked that in church this morning we got to sing a lot of Christmas hymns. And it was perfectly legal. (By Lutheran standards, anyway.)

Of course, every time we sing about angels, it's both joyous and sad. I think about who I'm missing this holiday season and who my family's missing and who my friends are missing. We're all missing someone this Christmas. And some of those wounds in our hearts are pretty fresh.

This morning, probably around the time early church service folks were singing Angels We Have Heard on High, heaven gained another angel. Hubby lost his 96-year-old aunt. It was pretty much expected, but God waited until she could have her Christmas visitors yesterday – including Jim.

Then God wrapped her in His arms for a big hug. And then I'm sure she pushed Him out of the way to run to her Frank, who she's missed dearly since he died 4 years ago. I'm pretty sure this is why we hear angels from on high. They are rejoicing because they are free from pain and worry. And their hearts are whole again. 

Definitely worth singing sweetly about.

Heaven gained another angel today – one I don't know. What I do know is that thanks to an organ donor somewhere, a kidney became available and our ailing neighbor got the long-awaited call to head to Madison for a transplant. 

Thank you, God, for helping the spirit of our angels live on in others. 

By the way, the angel pictured was a gift from the Emily Klopotek Angel Foundation. Somebody (who I know is reading this and I love you) nominated me for being kind in such a way that I keep my sweet Emily's kind spirit alive. I'm humbled and blessed.

It's a perfect reminder that no small act of kindness goes unnoticed. Whether it's taking an elderly aunt grocery shopping or putting an orange dot sticker on your license or just opening the door for someone. Your small act can be a huge deal to others. 

I think that makes us all angels-in-training at least. 

Bless you this Christmas season. Sending hugs to those of you who need it.