Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

This morning I sang with the choir at both of our church services. Hubby had his service last night so this morning and he our brother-in-law helped clean up some of the fallen branches (from that ice storm) in my father-in-law's backyard.

There's still so much wreckage everywhere around here!

This afternoon we drove down to Lake Wisconsin in the Lodi area to meet Carter and Mamie for a late lunch. It was a good halfway point for us both.

Food was great but how did they know from my simple order of chicken tenders that I am a Picky Eater?!? They are not wrong. But what?! Crazy. And the source of a good laugh amongst us all.

So great to deliver Easter "baskets" and visit with the kiddos! They had a positive time in Duluth despite the wicked weather. They're pretty excited about the possibilities so we, in turn, are excited for them! Just a nice lunch!

I don't think we've been in that exact area of Wisconsin before. It was a nice sunny drive with some pretty views, too.

And some unusual ones. Yup pelicans in Wisconsin! You can see the white cap wave there. It was quite windy out but for some reason they'd rather fly here than a beach in Florida?? That's where the phrase "bird brain" must come from!

Anyway, despite not having a full family gathering, it was a blessed Easter. Hope you all can say the same!

Easter Weekend

This makes me laugh every year. Predictable, juvenile humor. But I love it. And who doesn't need a good laugh these days?

Today there were a ton of egg hunts in the area. I did not participate in any of them. I did however check out a bake sale and RAFFLE BASKETS for the Best Christmas Ever program. Last time, I walked away with two winning baskets. Today, well, zero. Unless they're still making calls. LOL.

Other than that we had a lazy day. I finished the baby girl blanket and am starting the boy one now. 

And baseball was on TV. And basketball. My bracket blew up so I don't know if I care. I do like close games though!

Jim is singing in his church tonight and I have to sing at both Easter services in the morning. The Easter Bunny did not make up baskets for either one of us so that chocolate pictured above is all I'm going to get. Probably for the best.

A picture is calorie-free!

Enjoy your Easter weekend – hopefully with family, loved ones, or your own box of chocolate!

 

Spring Brake, Palm Sunday, Etc.

So I was thinking that when my church choir and I sang two songs on Palm Sunday that for sure I'd have an "in" to win the cross BINGO. Nope. There were two games that I was one away from BINGO and couldn't claim a payout in time.

Close does NOT count in BINGO. Still, so fun! Too bad there's only 2 Sundays left this "season."

When I got home and it was 64 degrees I quickly changed shoes and went for a walk. Dang the snowplow drivers did some damage to neighborhood yards when they could tell road from anything with 2 feet of snow.

Was fun to catch my friend Marigene on the circle and the a few miles in, though. So nice!

Went to the store later for trifle ingredients and was struck by the knowledge that we really never know of a spring pothole is half an inch deep or half a bucket deep! Uff da. Wow. Actually so grateful for the bucket at this grocery store because my Black Betty would not have handled that well!

Of course, spring brakes wouldn't be complete without something BREAK-ing. For me. That's my bracket. Dang Duke. 

As Forrest Gump would say, "That's all I've got to say about that." 😩

Forget all the madness. Enjoy spring the next 24 hours!

In the Blink of an Eye

Pardon any photos that might be too graphic. A year ago today my sister Rachel was on her way to Easter weekend services at church in Minnesota when an approaching car crossed the center line and hit her head-on. 

When fire department personnel and paramedics arrived, it took an hour for them to extract her and her passenger (friend Brian) with the hopes that at least one of them – hopefully both – would survive. Honestly, it was touch and go. The med flight from the accident scene to the Twin Cities included some emergency blood transfusions just to keep Rach alive.

Brian had a fractured pelvis and a shorter, but still painful, hospitalization and recovery. For my sister, there were literally months of time in the ICU at Regions Hospital where we all took turns visiting – and you, my prayer warriors, were with me on those journeys. Thank you!

Three months after the accident, Rachel could finally return home. But it was during that time that my mom had her own home accident and ended up in a nursing home, then hospital, then passed away. We waited until Rachel was able to attend a funeral – months later – and that's where that top photo is from. All of us together – and our wardrobes giving a nod to Mom's love of flowers.

Today, Rachel is not out of the woods. She's fighting an infection from some of her new internal hardware. And, once that's clear, needs to have major surgery on that left leg that didn't heal at the correct angle.

What I've learned from this is that we can never take even the tiniest of moment of our lives for granted. Never take your family, your friends, your job, your health, your home, the air you breathe for granted. Life can change in the blink of an eye!

I also learned that when I reach out to friends and family – even strangers, there is an army of prayer warriors just waiting to support us, whether they've met my sister or not.

We so appreciate all of you for not only praying during the immediate crisis, but continually asking "How is your sister?" It means the world to all of us. And God is definitely listening. 

In turn, I pray none of you have to go through anything remotely as stressful and painful as this. Treasure each minute of each day!

PB CSI

 

I'm pretty serious about my love for peanut butter and chocolate. So when I saw Reese's was presenting their Easter egg as a Football, I became quite suspicious of the imposter. And had to purchase one for investigative purposes only, of course.

Then, upon opening Evidence Exhibit PB, I discovered it looked exactly like an Easter egg – not exactly football shape. Especially with the lack of white icing piping you'd exact after seeing the package.

I'll admit it didn't taste too bad. But seemed to be missing a good volume of the peanut butter we experience at Easter time.

Still, if you're addicted, this could serve as a good hold-over for now.

PB Consumer Reports, over and out!

We Need Easter Miracles

If you asked me 48 hours ago what an Easter miracle looked like, I'd say it was a cross between a winning Powerball ticket and at least 3 peanut butter eggs all to myself.

I've since changed my outlook.

Yesterday I was feeling super blessed after a nice lunch with longtime friends Tom and Toni in Waupaca and a visit with Jim's Uncle Richard as long as we were in the neighborhood. But that feeling changed when later in the afternoon while I was inside the carwash at Kwik Trip I got a text that my sister Rachel was in a serious car accident.

In a nutshell, she was driving her Taurus at left in the picture and heading west to go to church when the eastbound vehicle crossed the center line and hit her head-on. It took emergency crews an hour to extricate her and then airlift her to the Twin Cities. She was in surgery for an estimated 8 hours. Needless to say, she's got a lot of trauma to her body. 

Broken bones in left arm, hip and leg plus some ribs, her sternum and a few vertebrae. Then there's the damage (not sure if major or minor) to spleen etc in abdominal area. It sounds horrific but it is indeed an Easter miracle that she's alive.

It was a long night and long day today awaiting updates. We hosted Jim's family for Easter dinner so that was a nice break, so to speak. I'll probably get over to the cities this week, depending on surgeries and Rachel's ability/permissibility to have visitors. There's 5 other sisters and brother all within an hour or so of the hospital. Plus our mom.

When I talked to Mom tonight she was understandably out of sorts. If you can believe that at 92 years old and having 8 kids, this is the first traumatic experience. Apparently God has been performing Easter miracles all along and we just didn't realize it or appreciate it.

Thank you, God! And happy Easter to all! Hope you all had miracles to celebrate.

P.S. If you're the praying type, Rachel could sure use a few. Thanks!

A Different Kind of Easter

Happy Easter! Or as Sylvester Cottontail says: Hoppy Easter!

Kind of a different Easter this year since we already celebrated yesterday. Jim went to his church last night and I sang with the choir at mine this morning. No special Easter basket deliveries – unless you count the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs and jelly beans I delivered to myself on Friday!

Instead our eggs looked like this...

Oh yes. With all the rain delays for The Masters, I was able to go to the driving range at TriCity with my friend Marigene while Jim golfed with some buddies. 

I figured I should be smart and warm up to the season. He's been swinging at an indoor simulator for the past month or so, so he was ready for real time golfing. Walking 9 holes with his new knees. All early reports indicate he did OK and his knees are feeling OK. Monday will be telling.

Meanwhile, we were getting Masters ready. Well Masters of the neighborhood anyway. We happened to be next to one of the Assumption golf players on the driving range and he was getting some coaching. I eavesdropped and actually found myself hitting some pretty sweet drives. Will I remember his advice when I step up to my first tee? I hope so. 

Head down. Slow down. Let the hips do the work.

When I got home I bonded with Mr. Deck Chair for a little bit before watching the final hours of The Masters – because I could! I mean, it was 69 degrees. Whoot!

I can't believe my family Up North only has patches of grass and we're here saying goodbye to our last little piles of white stuff. I feel bad for them, but the SKOL Man, Mr. Deck Chair and I love, love, love it! 

Of course, I got a little jealous when Carter called with Easter greetings tonight and it was 80 degrees out in the N.C. Wow. I'd say I need to get out there, but they're coming this way in a few weeks for a wedding he's standing up in. Don't tell Coach Austin, but I'm looking forward to that even more than baseball season starting this week!

For the record, I do thank the Easter Bunny for convincing Ol' Man Winter to take a leave of absence. Just keep hopping away, man.

Hope you had a blessed Easter with some-bunny special!

Pre-Easter Joys

It almost felt nice enough to be Easter today. I actually sat on Mr. Deck Chair for 5 minutes (or maybe less) hoping the spring by feel could live up to the spring by number. Just not quite there on Easter Saturday but it should be on Easter Sunday.

Still, we did our best to enjoy it.

We had our Austin family Easter over at Jim's sister's house. It was great to see Dad, our boy Clay and his girlfriend Becca, and Sherry and her family. But my nephew Colin's kiddos stole the show. 

I have an amazing track record of having super adorable great-nieces and great-nephews. So it should be no surprise that Miss Mya and Mister Eli lived up to that.

This is what happens when they hear the Easter Bunny likes pine cones. They gather them up and run them over to Grandma Sherry

Little Eli basically runs everywhere now. Never walks. Just runs and he is such a cute little replica of our nephew Colin. It's going to be so fun watching them both grow up.

I love this picture because they were both saying "Cheese!" like there's no tomorrow – but they'd only look at Mommy's phone/camera. Oh the joys of Easter!

Our actual Easter Sunday will be pretty low-key. But time with family will carry us through.

May you have a blessed and JOYous Easter!

Super Group-er of Friends

On this Good Friday we were solemn and sad during our afternoon church services, then uplifted by an evening with Good People.

Our friends who own TriCity Golf Course had a unique fish fry tonight featuring blacked pan-seared grouper. Uniquely delicious! So very yummy! A super grouper with what turned out to be a super group-er of friends. 

We met our friends Mark and Lisa there since we haven't taken time to get together with them in months and months. Then we pretty much knew people at every other table and had a nice evening catching up with all kinds of people. Good People on Good Friday.

What a nice start to the weekend. 

May you be blessed with the Good People in your life for the Easter holiday! Once we're past the sorrow of today, it's a great reason to celebrate! 

Holy Rollers

I suppose it's fitting I started Holy Week with church, followed by quality time with the Holy Rollers.

That's what the BINGO players are, right? All I know is the balls roll around in a magic machine. And my numbers are scarcely called. Still, my investment lasted way longer over 10 games than it would have at the slot machines at the casino.

With the same result.

At least this was a good cause – the senior class – and I could hang out with some fun people at Assumption!

The rest of the afternoon I worked on a photo scanning project. And tonight I worked on a fundraiser project. Designed a poster. Now I don't like it so I'll try a new concept tomorrow. 

For now, I need a break from screen time! Which also means I'm not looking at any forecasts for this week either! 

Be careful out there!

More Easter Blessings

It was a gorgeous day today! I have to thank God and Mother Nature for not gifting us with any snow while we slept.

Instead it was sunny – still cool in the 40s, but not as cool as our catcher on the softball team. Ha.

After a busy day, I did manage to catch the second half of the game versus Auburndale. The Lady Royals beat them 5-0 and I got to see all the runs, so that was a nice bonus. 

The game got done in time for me to race over to the baseball game. We were down 19-0 and had 2 outs and the bases loaded. I saw us score our one run before the game ended. So I guess that was sort of nice. But yeah, not a happy day for the boys.

We did have a happy evening, though. Carter and Mamie just got here. He survived his eventful travels to and from D.C. and will be heading back on Saturday for a week. At least the Easter bunny finally got to deliver his goodies to the "kids."

I'm still hoping the streak of no snow continues. That would be a great Easter week blessing. Thanks in advance, powers that be!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! Hope your status today was "blessed"! It was wonderful to celebrate in church in person today for the first Easter since 2019. Crazy to think about, isn't it?

Our choir sang at the beginning of both services today. Then I went home and got things going for Easter dinner. Apple-Snicker "salad" in the fridge, cheesy potatoes in the crockpot, and ham in the oven. Sounds like Easter to me! Our plan was to take it all over to my in-laws around 4 p.m.

I ran into a minor snag at 3 p.m. when I was taste-testing the ham and potatoes and was disappointed how bland they were. Then Jim tasted, and he said they were both good. I started to question if I could taste anything! Was it because my nose was a bit stuffed up? Or something else?

I was shoving all kinds of different foods in my mouth. 

Could taste the tart apples in the salad but not the Snickers. Easter candy didn't leave an impression either. We all know losing a sense of taste or smell could be a sign of COVID. That and fatigue. See yesterday's blog. Needless to say, we both were thinking it.

In the end, Jim ran the food into his parents, but didn't stay to eat with them – just as a precaution. And he picked up a home COVID test on the way home. Not at all how we planned Easter.

The good news is that I tested negative (it's probably just this congestion). And the great news is that He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Hope you had a blessed, worry-free Easter!!

Some Bunny Was Lazy

This is the extent of the work the Easter Bunny has to do around here this year. Carter is in Washington, D.C., for work and Mamie is back home. Hubby just happened to mention these Cadbury mini-eggs the other day. I had no idea he liked them so much. I mean the Easter Bunny probably knew. 

So after a morning photo shoot, I stopped by the grocery store to get some essentials for tomorrow's big dinner and they had some of these among their minimal Easter treat inventory. Sweet!

And yes, they are sweet as well. I put them on Jim's recliner and when he got home from his hair cut – and yes, a shave – he was happy to get a visit from the E.B. a day early. I had a few (or more) and yes, I see why he likes them.

That was about all I expended energy on today. I took a nap on the couch for some reason – totally unlike me – and passed on going to see a friend's band tonight. Gonna hit the hay and hope I am just tired because of dealing with Empty Easter Basket syndrome. 

Probably having scrambled Cadbury eggs for breakfast will re-energize me in the morning. Some bunny told me they're good for any meal!

Doing Good

May the darkest night end and may the sun shine on all of us today.

I'm fortunate enough to work for a company that allowed me a long lunch today to attend Good Friday service at my church. Plus, I kind of needed to be there since there were only 3 of us sopranos available to sing with the choir. 

It was a somber song but also was a positive one for us because it was the first time we (the choir) could sing in church since winter of early 2020. We're looking forward to Sunday when we can really express our joy as we sing "Christ is risen!"

Always a somber message on Good Friday but also a good reminder about how much God loves us – and if we look around, how many of our friends and family love us, too. Feeling very blessed!

Had to go back to work for the rest of the day but tonight Jim and I went out to eat to get a fish fry. For you locals, we tried the Junkyard Bar and Grill (formerly Octane), which came highly recommended. Place was full but we did get a table – and did have to wait an hour for our food. But it was very delicious!

We had similar waiting situations elsewhere last week at a different venue. Everyone's short-staffed these days so it's best we aren't short-tempered about it. Pretty sure there are more pressing things going on in the world right now than how quickly we get our deep-fried food!

As we witness God's love again this season, let's see if we can keep paying it forward. In patience and kindness to start. 

Wishing you blessings and joy this Easter weekend!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! I hope you could enjoy and appreciate the miracle of Easter that Christ has risen.  

Easter reminds me that things aren't always as they seem. 

Potato salad? Nope. Sliced apples in vanilla pudding for apple Snicker salad. Christ is dead? Nope. He has risen! 

And look who else rose today. Carter got on the road from Platteville before 7 a.m. to get here for 9:30 church with me. Of course, to get here on time for church with me would have meant a 6:30 departure to get here on time. But at least he was coming.

Didn't make it to in-person church but watched the livestream on TV together. So kind of the same.

He was here less than 8 hours but we made the most of it. A lot talking and catching up, some visiting around the neighborhood, then meal delivery to Grandpa and Grandma Austin in town (still social distancing). After that, we sat down to our own meal at home.

Yes, I made Easter dinner and yes, I did choose all the easy foods: mainly ham, crockpot cheesy potatoes, and that apple-Snicker salad. 

Happy to send plenty back with him. Also sent back a basket for his girlfriend, who spent Easter with her family. I'm proud of myself for not stealing too many of their peanut butter eggs while filling the baskets! (They'll never know!)

Since the weather was gorgeous again – at least 73 – I walked around the lake after Carter left. Felt like a real spring evening. Even heard the early peepers! 

All this fresh air this weekend has been amazing. I should feel springy and rejuvenated but instead am ready for bed, know I will sleep like a log, and don't even want to think about an alarm.

Hope you had a joyous Easter weekend as well!

Four, Three, Two, One...

The astrology version of numbers people sure like special dates that appear to mean something. Today's date 4-3-21 looks like a countdown.

In my mind, I hear "4... 3... 2.. 1... Earth below us. Drifting, falling. Floating weightless. Calling, calling home..."

If you know '80s music at all, you'll recognize Major Tom. Here's my 45 of it to refresh your memory. Kids, we used to play smaller records on the phonograph at 45 RPMs so we called them "45s." There's your history lesson for the day.

Meanwhile in Vegas, I saw news reports that it was a popular – and potentially lucky – day today to get married. And meanwhile back in Wisconsin, it was a popular day to do yard work! 

Yup. That's real. A super springy day where we had windows open to clean inside, then commence to working or relaxing outside.

I decided to work on this little area of the backyard. Not so little, really. Every time I tried to rake it or trim things off last summer, I was met with either ground bees and wasps or snakes. So, no. Nothing got today.

Today I crossed my fingers that neither species was hibernating and now waking in that landscaping area. I survived unscathed. Well, except for feeling it in my arm and back muscles. I figured I better just do this area and leave the rest to another day or weekend. 

So maybe it IS a lucky day. No bees. No snakes. And tonight, no loss in Milwaukee for my Twins. Good to even that series up. Now will see what Easter brings... 

Besides peanut butter eggs, that is. Happy Easter! If you get to enjoy some family time, then tomorrow's lucky, too, no matter what the date!

A Pretty Good Friday

After being physically closed for over a year, it was a blessing to reopen church today, on Good Friday. With real live people. 

Sure we still televised the service and streamed it online as we do every week, but today we had about 50 people in the pews to lend their voices, their presence, their prayers to the service. So nice!

Obviously, there's a still a pandemic going on. So we decided to open in baby steps. For now, parishioners must sign up ahead of time to be included in the maximum crowd size of 50 per service. I got to serve as "greeter" today. It usually involves welcoming everyone at the door and exchanging hand shakes and hugs. But today I greeted them with digital thermometer and, if they were fine, I checked them in on the list. 

The ushers then sat them in a socially distanced pattern in the pews. Everyone I welcomed today was 100 percent willing to follow any protocol – just happy to be there and worship in person, even for the most solemn service of the church year. 

In the quote above, it talks about painful things. For a lot of people, the situation of not being able to attend church in person wasn't exactly painless. It's a challenge to not see your church family in person, really feel God's presence, or experience the same tangible spirit and joy while worshiping, too.

That's why it's so good to be back! 

Our reopening really is perfectly timed to take place on a holiday the both reminds us of pain and how love heals that pain. 

Not convinced? Wait 'til Sunday. You'll know what I mean.

Bunny Duty

Since Peter Rabbit is in the doghouse – thanks to the slap situation above – I had to step in as Easter Bunny around.

Which is the same as other years, but I forget how exhausting it is. Hippity hopping is not for the faint of heart.

I had to get stuff for the "big meal," too. So I ran to one store to get a ham – went on sale today so had to get one while they still had him. Get to the checkout. I definitely didn't get the one on sale anyway. Dumb bunny.

Did get a few goodies for the baskets and went to another store to get the rest. I also got a few ingredients for Easter dinner and realized when I got to the car that I had everything for the cheesy potatoes... except the potatoes. That was the other reason I had to go tonight. Those southern cut hashbrowns go in a flash around holiday time. Every holiday.

So I make my third trip inside a store. Whew. Tired yet? I am.

Got home and made up the baskets now so that's done. But it's 8 p.m. and I haven't sat down. So I'm gonna squeeze in two episodes of The Crown since hubby's at his last golf night!

Note to self: Next year be the Energizer Bunny instead of the Easter Bunny!

 

Must Be a Full Moon

Nope, that is not an avocado or an egg. It's a little tree stump with some white stuff on there. What could it be ?

Bleepin' snow, of course. When it's a full moon, it's like Mother Nature is off her meds. And it isn't pretty.

Thankfully, even though it was crazy windy and only 36 degrees today, the sun was out so the snow all melted before, yes, the full moon rose. A big, super Palm Sunday moon!

Also pretty fitting to have a full moon during March Madness! Alabama just pushed their game into OT with last-second 3-pointer! Does this really matter for my busted bracket? No. But, unlike the unstable Mother Nature, this is the good kind of March Madness you don't want to miss.

G'night!

Tis the Season

I honestly had some legit grocery shopping to do after work today. I had to get a few things for a little baking on tap this weekend and a few essentials like deodorant – you'll thank me later. Luckily I took a picture of my list on the fridge, because I got easily distracted the minute I walked into the store.

Seriously. Already? I guess Valentine's Day is over so we move onto Easter but dang, just two days into Lent and I'm having a hard time remembering I was going to focus on making healthy choices. There are so many unhealthy choices in those 3 boxes! 

But oh, so yummy!

Why are the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs so much better than the regular peanut butter cups – miniature or otherwise – and those shaped like pumpkins and Christmas trees?! I do not know. But I do know I'm not alone on this. Here's a few funnies I'd bet most of you can identify with...

Super breakfast with lots of protein, if you ask me!

I'll give you a free pass if you have peanut allergies, of course.

You know it! I help the Easter bunny fill the baskets to ensure we have plenty of "leftovers."

And in this ongoing pandemic... 

That last one alone should give me a free pass. But I don't need one. Yet. Today, I resisted. No special treats of any kind. Even though I walked past the ice cream case a few times. Somehow resisted that, too. This doesn't sound like me at all. I should probably get tested for that virus that gives you Will Power.

Pretty sure it won't last in my system as long 40 days. Any time I've suffered a bout of Will Power before, it's usually been short-lived and always quite unsatisfactory. And in the end, all I can hear is the clock ticking...

Good luck this season! Be careful, avoid viruses, and have sweet, sweet dreams!