More than 100% Heat

It was so hot and humid around here today that even the "feels like" temperature after 6 p.m. was 104 degrees. Insane!

Needless to say there wasn't a ton of time outdoors. I did get to a graduation party on a lake -– so that breeze was nice. Then had a photo shoot outside. That was supposed to be a few hours but they decided to take activities indoors because it was just THAT hot!

I did pop down to the Shermalot Water Ski how after that because I had to pick up some raffle ticket winnings. Oh not for me. For Mr. Austin, who hasn't gone to a show yet. But he bought a ticket from one of the skiiers at a fish fry this spring. Lucky!

While I was there, I did take a couple hundred photos of course. 

But am grateful to be home in the A/C. And hoping I sleep like a baby after all that heat and wind today.

Again, stay hydrated and be smart. Sunday will be even worse!

Happy Summer Solstice

For the longest day of sunshine, I certainly didn't spend much of it outside. Darn work!

Still, the way the forecast is looking, I might want to purposely stay indoors for the days after the solstice, too.

Looks like a majority of my family will have it even worse. Stay hydrated and be smart! 

I'm pretty sure I'll limit my post-solstice outdoor activities to a required photo shoot late Saturday and 9-hole round of golf on Sunday. Otherwise, I could hang out indoors and watch my Twins on TV – but after seeing the beat-down from the Brewers tonight, that's not top on my list either.

Happy Summer Solstice! Be careful out there!

Just Swingin' Around

I was fortunate after having meetings at work from 8 a.m. to noon, I was able to sneak on over to SentryWorld to see the final holes of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship.

When I headed over there, there were 4 golfers tied at 8-under. Then when I got there, one had jumped to 9-under and there were still 2 at 8-under. An intense finish!

Amelie Zalsman of St. Petersburg, Fla., who just finished her sophomore year of high school, captured the title and trophy with 9-under par after 54 holes. I told you these were pint-sized golfers!

Based on the early feedback, our team (marketing and SentryWorld) felt it was a success. So that's my win of the week.

Unlike my golf score at women's league tonight. But I honestly was just grateful to be swinging. My partner immediately recognized I was swinging differently and protecting my back (with good reason). But that didn't help my score.

I still was grateful to wake up this morning and feel that my rib was back in place and that each golf swing was only mildly uncomfortable and not at all painful. I count that as a win – despite my not worth mentioning final score. 

Still, I must mention I had one "spare-rib par dance" as I call it on a par-3. That'll carry me through to the next 9-hole adventure. 

I mean that AND those stretches, Doc!! I swear, I'm doing them!

Spare Ribs or Just Misplaced?

I was thinking a bit about Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden today. Why? Well, funny story, turns out my back pain this week is caused by a rib out of place!

Can that happen? Apparently so. 

I remember this happened to Carter many years ago and I thought his chiropractor was a quack. But I trust mine to the moon and back, so it must be true.

Had an appointment after work today. As soon as she touched that area on my back, I let out a yelp. And was reminded that no wonder that Shiatsu massage chair hurt so much. It was digging in right where that rib was out of joint. She did her best (and quite painful) ministering to push it back into place. I did not feel immediate relief but I should know come morning if that did the trick. Otherwise, it's another try on Friday.

What could cause this since there was no trauma?

Probably lots of things. But ... she almost hid behind her desk when she said, "It could be too much golf with no stretching."

The nerve!

Since most of our twisting in golf is one-directional, she said I need to do specific stretches for the "other direction" to help compensate and keep muscles loose. "Do these stretches and that's the only way I'm going to let you golf."

Yes, ma'am. Anything you say, ma'am. I have league tomorrow!

I'll keep my fingers (and apparently my ribs) crossed.

Tiny But Mighty

Hey, fellow golfers. If you ever want to be humbled about your game – and your capabilities – just watch 72 of the top girls junior golfers play. It's insane.

Part of my "day at the office" included attending some of the Rolex Junior Girls Championship at SentryWorld, where, in fact, these girls blew my mind. Tiny humans driving from the men's tees and hitting it further than (gasp!) my hubby.

It's an international field but there is one Wisconsin girl we are pulling for. Go, McKenna Nelson!

Canada's Aphrodite Deng is ranked No. 2 in the world on these Rolex standings. She did not conclude day one on top, but she's fun to watch.

After lunch, I brought our writer intern over with me to capture some colorful Flower Hole pictures and write a social post. 

We collaborated and got a good one. Well, duh, you know me the Mother Hen and me the pun-ster had an influence. But I enjoyed experiencing this with the next generation of writers.

Plus, what a great (and valid) excuse to get out of the office!

If you are interested in watching these tiny but mighty golfers the next 2 days, they tee off on holes 1 and 10 between 8-10 a.m. There's no admission fee. In fact, it's mostly parents and college scouts attending, so there's no issue with parking right at SentryWorld and seeing what "could have been" if you had started golfing in middle school!

Monday Sound Machine

If you count the times in the middle of the night I got up doing my Lamaze breathing for charlie horses in my leg and foot, then yes, this has been a full day of sound effects.

Of course my half-awake state solutions at 2 a.m. were trying to sleep on the recliner instead of the bed. Then laying at the end of the couch in case it would be better to elevate my legs. Nothing really worked. 

Was I surprised then that about lunch time I felt like my back had "gone out." Those of you with chronic back troubles know what I'm talking about. And figures, 2 days before my monthly chiro appointment!

I lay on the living room floor trying the foam roller and various stretches while saying to hubby, "I hate that this can happen these days with something as simple as sleeping wrong or reaching for the shampoo in the shower!" His response: "And you didn't even shower today."

Hey, it's work from home Monday. Why risk it?

So I spent the afternoon trying random stretches while working and trying to catch one deep breath that wasn't painful. And of course, stressing because I have a big week at work and I need to be mobile. Plus,  feeling bad that I couldn't help Jim prep the areas around our 3 doors and 2 windows that we're getting replaced tomorrow. I did some of that after work and that's when I found it by the closet next to the old deck door.

My Shiatsu Massage Seat Cushion that I "earned" for some work anniversary way back in my Iola days. 

If you're not familiar with Shiatsu Massage, let's just say it gives you a hardcore "rolling and kneading" massage. And if you're a mother, like I mentioned, Lamaze breathing techniques come in handy.

I gave it a good 5 minutes and had to take a breather. Uff da. Guess I'll be alternating between stretching and torture this evening. If you know, you know! Just hope things get loosened up enough for me to get out of bed in the morning and head to work. 

I send prayers to any of you, too, who deal with this all the time! Remember when we were young and nothing hurt? I don't remember either but I'm sure.... good times.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all you dads and father figures out there! Loved this banner hanging in church today – every good and perfect gift is from the Father. So true!

While I was missing my dad in heaven, I was fortunate to spend time with my father-in-law and the father of our three brown-eyed blessings.

Jim's sister hosted lunch so got to share a meal with Grandpa, Sherry and her clan (including our cutie-pie great-niece and great-nephew), plus Clay, Carter and Mamie. 

When the kids hit the road, we headed to couple's golf league. We were fortunate the close U.S. Open had a rain delay while were golfing, so when we got home we got to see the exciting conclusion.

Today's lesson: No matter how many bogeys you have on the front 9, don't give up! JJ Spaun ended pulling of heck of win at -1. Now I want to go outside and golf some more!

Just kidding. It's almost bedtime for this old lady. That was a fast weekend!

Hope all you dads got spoiled like you deserve! 💖

Fight Fate or Accept It?

I love that most of my Book Club reads are interesting, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Today we discussed our June book – Here One Moment.

I've read a few Liane Moriarty books and they always have so many interesting twists. We all enjoyed this one, too.

Let me set the stage: Imagine being on an airplane and some random woman – whose mother was a self-proclaimed psychic – walks down the aisle and stops at your row of seats and tells you exactly when and how you are going to die. That's how the book starts.

And no matter how it all ends – no spoiler alerts here – we realize that even if we can't 100% fight fate, we don't have to accept it either. We can take action to increase the odds that certain things don't have to happen. 

And in retrospect, realize we are living life to the fullest with no regrets. That's not always our mindset so I like when a book sort of kicks us in the backside to start thinking that way.

Of course that begs the question: Have any of YOU visited a psychic or medium? And what did you think about/act on based on what you heard? 

I've never been interested in that, but after this book, I'm more open-minded... and wondering. 

Friday the 13th Doesn't Have to be Unlucky

 

I'm not super-stitious. Just a little-stitious. Still, I'm always a bit wary about full moons and Friday the 13ths. 

When you think about it, a lot of hotels and buildings omit the 13th floor due to a superstition called triskaidekaphobia – the fear of the number 13. This aversion is rooted in historical and cultural beliefs that the number 13 is unlucky and, naturally, that can cause some anxiety and unease for some people. 

But as the Friendly Reminder above tells us, we don't have to focus on the negative part. I mean, 13 could be lucky.

Today, in fact, my sister Rachel – in a rehab facility after what was probably her 8th surgery following her near-fatal accident last year (this one to re-break and straighten her leg) – managed to walk 20 steps! What a lucky day. Well a little luck and a lot of grit and determination!

This evening, Jim and I got to eat dinner in Stevens Point with our old friend Toni, who we worked with at the newspaper years ago and at Krause Publications in Iola. It was great to catch up. How lucky we are to have long-lasting friendships!

Then when we got home, our boy called. They're coming up Sunday for Father's Day. Double lucky.

POSTIVE-ly lucky!

What the Fox?

When you work in Stevens Point and the craft store giant Herrschners has its annual warehouse sale, you've got lunch hour plans! Of all the yarn I could buy for a steal, this foxy latch-hook rug caught my eye. 

First of all, I didn't realize latch-hooking was still a thing. My sister Rachel did a lot of that while my twin and I were teens and we loved when we could help her. So fun. But... I don't need another new (or resurrected) hobby. So I passed.

Secondly, my foxy life has resurrected itself in multiple ways today.

The first instance... I was overseeing a video shoot at SentryWorld this morning and the LPGA Pro said, "You know, still my favorite picture was the one you took of the fox at the Senior Open."

I did admit that was my favorite, too, and that it started my "mild" fox obsession.

Then I had a fun evening at Foxy Ladies Golf League (I call it that because of my favorite head cover). And this picture was from last week since tonight we just dodged the rain – but still had a great time since we got to play with (or versus) my friends Sara and Michelle. Legit foxy ladies. 💚

Then I get home and hubby says he got a reminder on his phone of a picture he took in our front yard 7 years ago today. 

I mean.... what the fox?!

Guess we were destined to lead a life as Silver Fox and the Fire Fox. Don't tell hubby I said that. 💓

Pine Public Enemy No. 1

OK, this war against the yellow-green monster has escalated. Not only is my black car eligible for a different color on my registration, but now I have TWO pairs of shoes that need TLC.

First, even though my brand spankin' new golf shoes are water proof, they have a mesh body not leather, so they can't just be wiped clean.

Then today, after two photography site visits, my black denim-type boots (for lack of a better description) have a yellow sheen to them too. 

I can handle the car wash part. But I am calling out to you – my Household Hints from Heloise sisters – what's the best way to clean this off my precious footwear? 

I'm not a princess. I've rarely cared if my footwear shows a little wear and tear, but Pine Public Enemy No. 1 is a different monster. Thanks in advance for any advice!

The "Real" Golf League Begins

While I absolutely love the 9-hole course that hubby and I have a couples membership to, I forget sometimes that the confidence I've built in the past few weeks doesn't quite compare to the legit championship-level course at our workplace. That is, until I step up to the first tee box for work league. Then it all comes tumbling back to my mind!

Our work foursome – which has been the same for the last few seasons – quickly recognized that tonight's first round at SentryWorld should be treated as a "practice round." My inherent need to keep track of strokes and putts, however, won over. For me anyway.

The only time I was happy about that was on our par-5 5th hole when I actually sunk a par putt. I can't even credit the fact that a super-tall oak tree stood guard at this hole until it was struck by lighting last week and removed from the picture. I actually played a safe and well-placed layup that wouldn't have mattered. But it still seemed a little naked on the approach. My first legit, really enthusiastic par dance of the season!

Of course, we did have to wait for traffic across the fairway. We were debating whether we could all claim a birdie on the 2nd hole since geese are technically birds, right? That didn't fly. Literally.

Since our league tee time is 6 p.m. this year, we were slightly racing against the clock as the sun was dropping in the sky. But our challenging 9th hole with its rocky creek gave us no grace in that area.

Still... we had the best time getting back to it. And the days will only get longer so maybe we won't be able to "fake darkness" for our bad scores.

Either way, we're golfing at SentryWorld. It's a win in our minds!

How Sweet It Is!

How ironic that today when I was sharing photos with a friend about a candy shop in Gatlinburg, TN (from a trip 2 years ago) that it turns out to be National Candy Month.

According to my Robyn-pedia... you should get ready to satisfy your sweet tooth all month long because June is National Candy Month! "This delicious holiday was created in 1974 to celebrate the wide variety of candies available and the joy they bring to our lives. From chocolate bars to gummy bears, there's a candy for everyone's taste buds. Did you know that the first candy ever made was a form of honeycomb in ancient Egypt? And now, we have countless options and flavors to choose from. So go ahead and indulge in your favorite treats guilt-free this month!"

The Gummy Chandelier image up top is from a candy shop in Gatlinburg. They are about to head in that Smoky Mountains area and I told her there are plenty of things to see and do in Gatlinburg for a family with teenage kiddos. My candy shop photos from a store on the "main drag that I don't recall the name of" came to mind first.

The wall of ceiling-high candy dispensers caught my eye first! (Especially while I'm chewy on spicy jelly beans from Easter as I type this.)

Then there were the store's obviously sugar-laden breakfast cereals on display – that we never EVER would've been allowed to have in our childhood. I think Kellogg's Sugar Smacks and Corn Pops were the extent of that. Unless we could sneak a few chocolate chips to melt in our lumpy oatmeal!

On that note, don't judge my parenthood skills, but it just happens that Carter's fave cereal is Cinnamon Toast Crunch and his girlfriend's is Fruity Pebbles. Where did we go wrong?

I guess we all need that sugar rush.

Of course, as the maintainer of our team candy dish at work, I can tell you my peanut butter M&M's dispenser is the most popular. Followed by ... I'm not sure. Some love Snickers. Others love Hershey Toffee. And still another finds York Peppermint Patties to be the ultimate treat. 

So I buy them all and wait anxiously for my Yelp reviews.

And often think, "It's free. Don't complain to me if your favorite isn't there!"

But in the end realize we all need that little boost of sugar at some point in our day. 

Thankfully for you, I'm just so sweet by nature. 😁

Pollen and Pirouettes

What an exhausting weekend – between fighting off the evil yellow-green pollen showers, rain showers, dance recitals, grad parties, and golf. Last time I checked, I guess hubby and I survived it all.

For me, Saturday was focused on the Studio 48 recital first. The senior/graduate daughter of one of hubby's golf buddies was having her last recital. Thankfully they sneaked me into practice Friday night so I could capture some images (like the one above) close up and no heads in the way.

But yesterday was a bit of a free-for-all as I kept running into people I knew then looked at the program and realized I knew dancers in 23 of the 40 numbers. Good thing I had a lot of storage on my camera's smart card!

(P.S. When I got out of the recital, I had to head to the car wash since that yellowish-green pollen was clearly winning.)

Also, the whole recital was super entertaining – so I'm glad I could be there and capture some of it. And after sorting through it all and posting photos to about 1:30 a.m. today, you understand why I didn't blog last night.

Today was a busy afternoon as we had time to watch some golf and then play our couples' league. 

After the crack of thunder woke us up today, I headed up to Shippy Shoes where my golf partner said I could get some decent (aka expensive) waterproof golf shoes (that were super comfortable, of course). That worked. And they were my size. And I was pretty encouraged going into tonight's round.

First, the weather cleared up. Secondly, my new water-proof shoes were very comfortable. 

But then third, that darn green-yellowish pollen descended on us the whole round and I have new pine pollen issues to take care off. My poor new shoes! 

I'm just hoping that since they are waterproof, I can hose them down tomorrow, let them dry in the sun, and pretend this episode with Mother Nature never happened. Good luck to you trying to accomplish the same!

The Grace of Mulligans

 

Don't blame me. But it just happened that I was due for my church newsletter's column AND it was golf season. So here is what I wrote and thanks for bearing with me!

The Grace of Mulligans

Even though I’ve been golfing for 3 decades. I never learned how. 

No official lessons anyway. Just started golfing with guys and mimicked their “stand by the ball and swing hard” stance. 

If you’re a golfer, you know this doesn’t always get the best results. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to be a “double bogey” golfer. For those who don’t know golf, it means I’m OK, but not “good” or “bad.”

This spring I convinced a few other ladies at work to take some group lessons. When the instructor asked me what I wanted to get out of it, I frankly replied, “I need to re-learn 30 years of bad form.” No small task, right?

What I love about God is that anytime we ask Him for a do-over (a “mulligan” in golf), He grants it. 

No matter how long we’ve strayed down a certain path, He supports our desire to do something different. To learn better ways. 

But we do have to do some of the work. Be willing to learn.

There was a time in my young, wild, and free days where I likely made poor decisions and thought, “Sorry, God, I’ll do better next time.” (Haven’t we all?) But now I have endless gratitude His grace gives us in mulligans, even third chances, and more.

God does not give up on us. 

There are so many verses in the Bible that attest to this that I couldn’t pick one. Just know that if you are struggling to make the right decisions or feel like you’re a failure to people you love, God is here.

He won’t judge. He’ll give you a mulligan or a do-over. And provide the strength for you to succeed. 

Think of God as our caddie. He can guide us, but in the end, we still have to listen… and do the work. (Spoiler alert: He’s much more forgiving than the greens on most courses!)

Perfect Swinging Weather

After getting completely rained out with zero chance of golfing at SentryWorld league on Tuesday, it was a treat that today we were in the mostly sunny, high in the upper 70s mode for TriCity Women's golf league.

Or what I call Foxy Ladies League since I don't go anywhere without Mr. Fox!

My new partner for the season couldn't make it tonight so my "old" partner Marigene stepped in. We had a good time even though our opponents had a hyper-talented college team golfer in their twosome. We can't compete with that so we reminded ourselves this is a foxy and FUN league!

So we had our own fun. Something tells me that if I avoided that damn sand trap on hole 5 (just keep swinging) I could've broke into the 40s tonight. But my ball was in love with the beach tonight – on far too many holes – so my final score was not worth sharing.

So we'll just concentrate on the fact that it was a lovely night (with bug spray required) and good times with friends. 

Although I am by nature ultra competitive, it is far more enjoyable to live in the moment and not compare yourself to others. I've heard it said that "comparison is the thief of joy." Embrace your high golf score if you just spent 90 minutes or so with someone who's fun to be with! 

And remind me of that sentiment the next time I complain about a crappy score! 

Season Enders

 

I'll admit that as a sports photographer, I often get attached to certain groups of girls that are so amazing I never want them to graduate. And more than that, I don't want the seniors' last game to end with anything other than a state championship.

So today's sectional semi-final at Pacelli was tough to take.

It was definitely a pitcher's battle today. Just 3 innings and our lineup was completely struck out. Ouch. Our pitcher returned the favor but all it took was 2 solid hits (and one being a homerun) and our opponents scored 3 runs. 

Unfortunately, in the final inning, we finally had our first batter on base thanks to a walk. Then they double-played us to the final out and our girls were eliminated from their bid for state. Like I often say, "I'm not crying, you're crying!"

Though I was.

As a sports photographer (9 years after our kiddo graduated) I'm running out of Royals we have a connection to. Now, I'm not sure when I'll need to cry again. This amazing class of 2025 certainly set the bar high throughout everything.

Unlike basketball, we should have chanted "Thank you, seniors!" at the end of today's game. For you really have been the best!

Trifle Tuesday... Again?!

The truth about trifles is this... Since we work from home on Mondays and 95% of my creations are for work, it's almost always Trifle Tuesday!

Today was one of our new interns' birthdays and I decided to go with Oreo Cookies 'n' Cream vibe. Yum. (Inspired, of course, by Birthday Cake Oreos and Cookies 'n' Cream pudding.)

And, since I recently put a Trifle for Auction in a silent bidding war (ha) through school, I decided I should make a recent menu – well at least some examples – for the auction winner to get inspired to think of some flavor combos. I can't wait to see what I can do for them.

But for now, I might as well share some of my "fly by the seat of my pants" flavor combos and layering options in the past year or so...

Anyone hungry right now? Ha. These are just a few. But my friend that talked me into auctioning one off said I should put them in a cook book or at least let people know I occasionally do "Trifles for Hire."

Like I need one more "side hustle" in my life. But it's so fun for me to do. So now you know.  

P.S. I choose to keep my blog a TRIFLE light tonight since I'm disappointed our first night of SentryWorld golf league was a no-go due to rain and thunder and such. Like I alluded to yesterday, I can't trust Mother Nature for anything!