Rise to Meet It

I love this shirt worn by a Royals softball alum who happens to be daughter of the coach and just finished her freshman year of college playing for UW-Green Bay. Miss Ava was our star pitcher and knew how to thrive under pressure to get our team to state – and a state title. Love that she is in the Assumption dugout now, influencing this younger team.

Last night was the sectional final between our Lady Royals and the Hillsboro Tigers. I wasn't planning to drive down to the "neutral site" at New Lisbon High School, but then I remembered how the season started. 

With freshman coming in and making up half the roster, it was a tough beginning. There's a big difference playing at a high school level when you're up against seasoned players. The team had to work very hard to earn some successes. Many successes. But they did. They rose to meet the challenge.

They've come so far since that first game of the season. But being one game away from going to state? How did they do it?

Last night I was reminded how. Just like how we should do things in real life, they were cheering each other on, expressing their pride in each other, and being supportive rather than disparaging when "learning moments" occurred. 

The end result of true team work?

A 10-0 blowout and trip to state next weekend! 

Don't ever underestimate where hard work, dedication, and compassion can get you. Be confident. And rise to meet it.

Memorial Daze

This has been a crazy week – and it's only Wednesday. Monday – a holiday – was a bit of a blur as we went to Golden Sands to watch our nephew Colin race. And the feature got rained out.

Looking at these clouds, it was obvious something was headed to the track. But they got 30 laps in for the Trickle 99 before the heavens opened up and we all bailed.

Not sure if they'll reschedule that particular race so we can pretend Colin won, right?

Memorial Day was also kind of tough because it was the 11-year anniversary of my dad's death – and it was Memorial Day that year, too! My twin sister Raylene shared this picture of Dad entertaining her while Mom fixed something on my dress on baptism day. Now that they're both in heaven together, I sure hope they aren't worried about us twinsies!

Tuesday was the return to the office after several days. I love, love my team and co-workers but it's not always emotionally stable to receive their love in return. (Thankfully the lovely gift from my writing team was delivered on Saturday!)

I got this adorable purple "pocket hug" – which I'm going to have to rely on my hooker friends to figure out how to crochet and teach me! Such a sweet sentiment.

Speaking of purple, my Mad Town Girls (as I call them) sent me a care package through inter-office mail from our Madison office with every purple candy they could find. So sweet. Literally!

Then unrelated to any sorrow, it just happens that I finally won the Survivor pool in our department! This wonderful hand-crafted trophy plu$ $ome ca$h!

My friend Nancy wasn't thrilled to hand it over. But hey, give it 365 days and things may change! (P.S. I have yet to watch an episode!)

Last night I was disappointed that my golf outing at SentryWorld in Stevens Point was rained out. But it wasn't raining at Robinson Park in Wisconsin Rapids, so I got to see this home-run celebration as our Lady Royals softball team moves unto the sectional final Thursday!

The only bummer was that our "temporary pet" for the weekend had to return home last night. The good news is that his human momma had a successful surgery so now he can cheer her up while she recovers and conquers her next challenges.

Today ushered in a few more expressions of sympathy from work friends, but also this good news...

My sister Rachel is moving from the Surgical Care Unit to the Physical Rehabilitation area of Regions Hospital! I can't comprehend how long the past 2 months have been for her as she's gotten to this point, but she'll definitely need your prayers for strength as she tackles this serious uphill climb to return strength to all her limbs and move forward.

Thanks so much for all of you who have been praying for both my mom and sister. The power of prayer has carried our family so far. I'll admit I'm pretty weak without it. Thank you!

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!

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! 

"I fold."

Mom played her last hand of cards this week. And typical of her sneaky but skillful approach to any game, she left on a winning streak. 

Those of us R kids (and grandkids) who could, visited her one last time in the past few days to say our goodbyes. I raced up there yesterday to do the same and she'd taken her last breath before I got home to Rapids last night. 

May she rest in peace – with no worries about struggling for breath. And definitely no worries that her kids are going to do something to embarrass her. Ha. That threat will guarantee good behavior for at least 2 generations!

We will plan a celebration of life at some point down the road when my sister Rachel (who still needs prayers) can leave the hospital and attend. 

In the meantime, hug your parents if you got 'em! She had a full life at 92 years, but for this baby of the family, it doesn't feel like it's enough. Emotionally, I can't wrap my head around the words to express my sorrow right now. But I can tell you this...

My creativity. My cleverness. My courage. My compassion. My competitiveness. I owe it all to this beautiful person! I miss you already, Mom! 💔 Do me a favor and let Dad win the first hand up there -- he's been waiting 11 years! 💔

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! 

Roller Coaster Weekend

Not to sound like old hat, but I'd prefer a boring weekend with nothing to do and no place to go over a roller coaster of a ride through ups and downs and loops of emotions.

Saturday morning dawned sunny and warm – and about to get hot. 

My only mission was getting hanging flower baskets. I always wait until later in May, hoping to miss the risk of freezing temperatures.

I was not the only one with this line of thinking. Apparently hundreds of people – at one store alone – thought it was National Spend Too Much Money on Hanging Flower Baskets Day. I was happy with my purcha$e$. 😀 Got home, hung them up, mowed around the house, clipped the long grass close to the curb and front landscaping area, then took a shower. 

That was an "up" the roller coaster part.

Then it went "down." My twin called me and let me know that Mom had gone from the nursing home to the ER and had pneumonia. But it did not look good. Like "maybe you better drive up and see her" type of not good. 😟

Nothing like trying to make a 4-hour trip in less than 4 hours when there's road construction and detours! Two promising signs on my drive: 

These clouds were opening up like God was saying "I got you" when it comes to prayers for my mother, sister, and close friend with scary health issues. 

Then, as I was scanning channels, some song named LeRoy came on and I figured Dad was guiding my drive and watching over Mom, too!

Got there just before visiting hours ended to see Mom and see that thankfully their emergency administrations of oxygen and whatnot (not to diminish it, I just don't know) were helping her. She was able to communicate again. And though she had a tough cough, I was there when the tele-doctor was visiting her. 

When he asked her about what she thought might be bringing on her bouts of nausea, she answered, "I know one thing it's NOT. I'm not pregnant." The doctor got a good chuckle from that and said, "Marlys, if you're still making jokes, you're doing just fine."

That's my mom! 😀

After that, I called hubby to update him and learned that we got hail twice in the evening and the future state of my new flower$ was que$tionable. 😟

I slept at my sister Nell's place nearby and was able to get back to the hospital before 9 a.m. She just finished breakfast and was very tired. I offered her a chance to nap or play cards and she responded, "I think you know what I'd rather do." So I retrieved her cards from her nursing home room.

And she proceeded to kick my butt. (I'm embarrassed to show the score!) There's a fine line between luck and skill, but I haven't determined what that is yet. Her nurse said Mom has basically played cards against every nurse on every shift and even taught a few how to play. She's definitely not ready to give in and miss her play time!

On my way out of town, I had a quick lunch with my sister RoAnn, her son Travis and his family.

My great-niece is pretty much the cutest lunch date I could have! 😀

I managed to find a route home with minimal construction – thankfully! And was still an hour from home when Jim called me asking if I got a text. I said my phone dinged but I was waiting to stop at a gas station to check them.

Turns out I won the Assumption grand raffle of $5,000! Well that's something to end this roller coaster ride with! 😀 Before today: "I never win anything!" Now: "I might not beat Mom at cards but I can win something!" Based on all my "medical trips" to see family, I'll count this is gas money for now.

And maybe hail-damaged flower replacement. We'll see. 

Thanks for all your continued prayers. Let's all have a normal, even-keel week, shall we?

Game Under Repair

When you have 80 degrees and sun on a Friday, you pretty much are required to go golfing after work. My partner Marigene and I also figured we should get a round in before our Ladies League starts on Thursday.

There's lots going on at TriCity this year. I laughed out loud at the first GROUND UNDER REPAIR sign placed in front of a mound of dirt. Ground under repair? You don't say.

They are in the process of creating a lake. Thanks to no water on the course YET, I did not lose a ball all day. That's at least one victory.

Otherwise, we just counted it as a day at the "beach." Sun and fun. And so many things we'll want to "repair" in our games in the coming weeks. Frankly, we don't take it seriously. We'll still TRY to improve of course – that usually comes with more rounds – but if it's a week day and neither one of us are working... who cares?

Hope you find many opportunities to enjoy this gorgeous summer-like weather! According to the forecast, I'll be spending way too much money on hanging flower baskets this weekend. 😀

Common Lilac Law

We have a weakness in our house for the smell of lilacs. Maybe it's because we've spent 2 decades trying to get our plant to produce. In the meantime, I have to ask, is it illegal to steal lilac blooms from your neighbors if the blooms are facing your property?

I'm gonna say no.

It's just so nice to have that smell in our house. And I swear I didn't completely kill the plant to get it. 

From Hopa Trees to rhubarb and lilacs in between, I hate that some of the spring blooms have such a short lifecycle. All we can do is take pictures or eat it – on a deadline.

I actually looked in Wal-Mart last night for lilac-scented anything. They just had lavender. Which is not the same at all! So I'll have to settle for a life of crime as the blossom thief!

Don't judge me. Just visit and enjoy that lovely scent in my kitchen. And ignore the plants near the driveway that have been hacked to death!

Bleeding Hearts

 

It's appropriate that my bleeding hearts plants bloom in May – the month my dad died 11 years ago. But this year it applies to even more stresses on our hearts as we continue to pray for my sister and mom. 

As I said some time ago (6 weeks seems like a year!), it's been two steps forward and one step back for these two. After a promising weekend, they both had setbacks to start their week. So prayer warriors, please pray for those doctors to have the knowledge and skill set to make them better. And of course, pray that they'll have strength. It's hard to have that after so many uphill battles!

Not that we need any more bleeding hearts in our lives, but we also found out today that two of our friends have cancer. I'll never understand why God allows this to happen, but I will still pray to Him to give them strength to fight this battle! 

As much as I dislike these stressors on our hearts, I know that the power of prayer works. (I mean, my sister is alive, after all.) And that I'm grateful for my somewhat sketchy version of "health" today. Never take that for granted!

Thanks for reading and praying and being a part of my bleeding heart! 

Why Can't People Be Nice?

After my lovely Mother's Day yesterday, it wasn't long before my world (cyberworld that is) came crumbling down. 

I got a message through Facebook from a friend I saw a few days ago that he wanted my phone number. Not unusual amongst us photographers. Then he asked what my email was for my Facebook account. Again, not unusual since he was going to share photos with me.

But is wasn't him. And it was too late when I figured it out.

Sh*t! Doesn't cover my feelings or response.

So I spent the late hours of last night and the early hours of today trying to gain control of my Facebook (and related social) accounts. While trying to work my normal full-time job. It was awful!

The worst part was knowing that people were thinking I needed help, wanted their phone number, or wanted to buy the dozens of things I had for sale. I felt so bad that they were exposed. While also realizing that my fake hacked friend had done the same to me.

Why can't people just be nice?!

I sure hope this is resolved so I can relax and just watch The Voice tonight. But, I think this might be a bit. In the meantime, if you get any weird message from me, ask how I know you and definitely ask which sports teams I cheer for! 

If you know, you know. And hopefully that's enough to protect you!

Mother's Day Treats

A summer day like this is a treat any day, but on Mother's Day it feels like maybe Mother Nature was catering to us moms who love sunshine and warmth! 

Of course, Mother's Day is always special because hubby makes me homemade Eggs Benedict for breakfast.

A delightful meal at Cafe el James with country fresh egg a la Trevor (our neighbor). Perfect!

Since we didn't have any offspring visiting, Jim also treated me to golf at Northern Bay. It's located in Adams County and going to be the next big thing until Sand Valley stole the spotlight. We've played there a few times but it's been a few years.

Their claim to fame is several "replica" holes closely mimicking famous golf courses. 

Some were a bit of a stretch, if you ask me.

But the Sawgrass island green was definitely one I recognized.

And just like the pros do (sometimes), both our drives took a swim! Still, it was fun.

Only downside was lots of mosquitoes, high winds, and like the top weather picture mentions – poor air quality. My eyes were so full of sand and pollen that they were itchy and bloodshot by the time our round was done. The price we pay for fun, I guess. 

All that fresh air – and my first 18-hole round of the season – and I'm sure to sleep good tonight. Thank goodness it's cloudy so I won't be tempted to view the remains of the Northern Lights.

Hope all you mothers had a wonderful day and were spoiled like you deserve!

Lights, Memories, and Bears, Oh My

The past two days felt more like a very long weekend with all the activities going on between here, Up North and back again.

First of all, even though I left by 8:30 a.m. Friday, it was a long haul going up to Grantsburg. For you future travels, it's almost all one lane going north on I-94 from Osseo to Bloomer (via Hwy 53). In the picture above we were pretty much at a standstill the last few miles on I-94 before I could exit onto 53. 

Guess Friday is a travel day even if it's not summer. Of course, those weren't my only delays.

Saw at least 5 deer – hey, they even cross roads in daylight! And, for the first time in my life, a black bear crossed the road in front of me. I was so startled that between slamming on my brakes and trying to grab my phone for a picture, I only caught this...

His quick scamper into the woods. Unreal! I mean most of my siblings who live in the Northwoods have seen a black bear – even Carter did vacationing up there as a child – but not me. Wow.

The only other delay was one of my own choosing – stopping to visit Dad. Unfortunately, the only flowers nearby were dandelions. 

Still, it was nice to visit with him and see my childhood church! 

I also stopped to see Mom at the nursing home before going to her apartment so I could give her her Mother's Day gift and visit a bit one on one. She's been having good days and not-so-good days. But she wants to get better and get her strength back!

The main purpose of my visit was to help go through her apartment with my siblings and decide what we wanted, what others might want, and what we could donate as we clean out her place by the end of the month. Friday afternoon was spent with a handful of my sisters as we cleaned out things and organized them into piles we could all look at today to see what we wanted to keep for ourselves.

Four of us had dinner at T-Dawg's in Grantsburg and Renell, who I was staying with, had some work training. 

I was enjoying the pretty sunset view from her apartment and considered it a good day. 

But it wasn't long after she got home that Jim texted me a picture of the Northern Lights from the Rapids area. My mind has been in so many places this week that I didn't realize this was a big thing that pretty much everyone in the contiguous United States could see.

So we got in the car and headed north of town to Phantom Lake in the Crex Meadows area. And dozens of other cars full of people had the same idea.

It was really strange. To the naked eye, we couldn't really see the colors, just some wisps of "clouds" in the sky. But then when we took pictures with our phones, we could see the brilliant colors everyone else was capturing. Pretty amazing.

And pretty cool seeing them by a lake where we could capture the color reflecting on the water. First time since childhood I've really got to see them. It was awesome!

This morning, the 7 of us (with Rachel there in spirit) were sorting through things at 10 a.m.

I wasn't expecting that Mom had all our baby shoes ready for us to take home. Yes, I guess my tiny shoes are antiques.

And yes, Mom wanted evidence that we were all alive and not fighting each other over anything. We survived it fine and really didn't had any reason for fisticuffs. 

By mid-afternoon, after I had two boxes of stuff "I don't need" but took anyway, I stopped by to see Mom one more time and hit the road.

I took a different route back. But turns out Highway 53 from Spooner to Rice Lake was just one lane so that wasn't a quicker route home. And, if you can believe it, I saw another black bear cross the road in front of me between Neillsville and Pittsville. It was far enough down the road, I didn't have to slam on my brakes but too far for me to get a picture. Just unreal to experience 2 bear crossings in 2 days.

And tonight, I could experience the special lights 2 out of 2 days. At least some of my unexpected surprises were good. And the others, thank goodness, didn't cause any damage to my car! 

Thanks, God, for the beauty and the safety!