Non-Hunter's Widow Weekend

Today marks the beginning of gun-deer season in Wisconsin. And what I love about that is even though my hubby doesn't hunt, I can still participate in all the "hunters' widow" fun. I can. They don't check I.D.s for that sort of thing!

So I managed to get to a few holiday open houses, the indoor farmers' market, and the Best Christmas Ever fundraiser out at Wildhorse Saloon (called something else now). That's where they no only had various vendors but also raffle baskets – some top tier ones for special prices and a few dozen others. For once, I just put tickets in for baskets I wanted to win instead of thinking about winning baskets to pay it forward at my sister's benefit.

So I was extremely thrill-i-fied (to use a WICKED type word) at the end of the day to get a phone call that I won one of the bigger items – an 18-hole round of golf for 4 at Bullseye Country Club! Definitely worth the day's investments!

Yes, I'll take my non-hunting hubby. Don't worry.

The other win for the day was that we got to go out to dinner with our friend and former co-worker Toni (we're talking since Carter was a toddler). Her husband had to work at the last minute so it was just the three of us. But we enjoyed good food at Chili's in Plover – and much-needed catching up conversation. 

We swore this spring over lunch that we'd get together more often. If you find yourself saying that, make it happen. Time goes so fast. You don't want to regret not seeing someone. So glad we had some time together before we all enter the busy holiday season. 

P.S. I did actually get a little holiday shopping done today. I wouldn't be a card-carrying fake hunter's widow it I hadn't. 

Deer Crossing

No matter where I am going, I have to drive – at least a little bit – on Deer Road. And, not surprisingly, I do see my share of deer.

The other morning on the way to work, I happened to glance left just in time to see a buck standing by the side of the road. Just standing there, thankfully, and not giving chase to some doe across the road.

When I got to work, I saw a news story that data shows this week is the peak for vehicles striking deer in Wisconsin. And when you drive on Deer Road, your chances double, I would think.

I imagine deer are scrambling to either find a mate or find a hiding place before the men, women and children in blaze orange start prancing about. Who knows? They may have traveled from Minnesota to escape that current scene there.

Either way, now that I have a commute again, I best be on my guard. You should, too. They don't all cross at the Deer Crossing signs – despite what some people think.

Be careful out there, "deer" friends!

Piling Up

Although we didn't think we'd get any of the white stuff, the local deer hunters got their prayers answered. Just enough snow overnight to easily see, shoot and track their prey on opening day.

And while the snow isn't exactly piling up, my list of things to do this weekend sure is.

Was busy working on a freelance project last night knowing I would have to work at my "real" job today. I still went to book club at 9 a.m. since I had to start the day off with coffee anyway. But I had to cancel my lunch and shopping date in Madison with my high school bestie. I shouldn't say cancel. We postponed for now.

These things happen once in a great while. Seriously, I have been fortunate that I have only had to work one or two weekends at my new job (well 18 months now) and never taken my work home. But a big project came up and has to be done before Thanksgiving. The cool thing about being in the office by yourself is that you can blast Christmas music and no one is around to be offended or roll their eyes that I was doing it before Turkey Day.

Got home at 6:30 p.m. and since I was in a Christmas mood, I did some more baking for the cookie bake. Tried something new and I kinda don't know what I am doing. But it's a two-step process so tomorrow I will see how the mystery items turned out.

Since I have so much to do, I multi-tasked, of course. Watched a Hallmark Christmas movie between taking treats out of the oven. Trust me. No energy for anything other than that. Definitely do not need to be on the computer for another minute today. Though I do have things to do and my sister reminded me that Christmas cards will go out soon. I have not given that one thought! I'll just throw that on the growing "to do" pile.

Think I need an 8-hour nap first.

Hope it was a successful day for those of you hunting for deer and those hunting for bargains – and for those poor friends and relatives of mine who actually had to shovel. All I needed was just a dusting to jump start my holiday spirit.

I'm good now. Thanks.

I Like Big Bucks and I Cannot Lie...

If you don't break out singing Baby Got Back, then you missed a heckuva good time at dance clubs in the early '90s. (And it has nothing to do with today's blog, other than my typical play on words.)

Was a super foggy morning in central Wisconsin today. On my commute, I almost snagged quite the stag.

This dude was standing in someone's front yard, probably counting on the fog cover to disguise him. Took me a few seconds to see him. I couldn't grab my phone out of my purse fast enough to snap a good photo. I was just grateful he stopped at the Deer Crossing sign and crossed the road after my vehicle had gone by.

I don't know a thing about deer hunting, but I am pretty sure there are a lotta hunters out there who would love a shot at this guy. This close encounter was at Griffith Avenue and 48th Street, one of the busier intersections in the town of Grand Rapids. Not exactly ideal hunting grounds with houses on 3 of the 4 corners there!

But onto the real big bucks I like...

Did you now tonight's Powerball jackpot is some $293 million? That's some big bucks!

I mentioned it at work and a group of us in our department decided to go in on some tickets. Might as well. Even with the $185 million cash payout, we'd each get around $5.5 million after taxes. That's just my rough estimate. Not that I've given this much thought.

Right.

I know God will never let me win a jackpot that large. Almost $300 million? No way. But I think he has faith I could responsibly handle $5.5 million. So I have a better chance going in on a group buy.

Right.

The reality is that I have a better chance getting that 10-pointer (without a gun) than winning anything. But you can't win if you don't play. I'm sure you'll be one of the first to know if my LIKE for big bucks turns into LOVE.

Deer-ly Beloved

We aren't the only ones who dislike the end of Daylight Saving Time. Our cars don't either. And, well, the deer probably aren't smart enough to realize they shouldn't like it.

I know the mighty hunters in the Midwest are excited to see deer as the gun-deer hunting season gets under way. Not me. I am not a mighty hunter. Just a mighty driver.

With good brakes, I might add.

Tonight after work, I got home and changed quickly into my kickboxing gear. Was leaving the house at 5:15 p.m. so obviously it was almost dark – that hard to see transition period after dusk. And what to my wondering eyes should appear... in our front yard was 2 or 3 deer. Sorry, folks. Our one-acre lot is not ideal hunting land.

I was not a mile down the road when I had to slam on my brakes for another deer ready to cross my path and/or meet its untimely demise. Thankfully my sharp intake of breath and possibly audible squeak scared it back into the ditch and the woods.

Meanwhile, the contents of my purse and my gym bag are on the floor in front of the passenger seat and a CD sitting in the back seat is now under the driver's seat. Thank goodness I wasn't transporting anything heavy or sharp or dangerous or even fragile.

Perhaps I better take that "Buckle Up" message to a new level. Much like an airplane, the contents of the car may shift en route.

As daylight hours continue to dwindle, be safe out there, my fellow drivers.

As for you suicidal deer.... Headlights bad. Blaze orange bad. Beyond that, you're on your own.

'Tis the Seasons

There's so many seasons going on right now.

As Carter and I headed south and back home today, I was reminded that it was still deer hunting season. It also is Christmas tree hunting season.

Not sure if it is indicative of the deer hunting season, but I saw more trees being trailered than deer today. I hope you or your hunter found success (including tree hunting). It's definitely feeling and looking like Christmas around here!

We got home just in time for me to switch into Advent season.

This evening we had an Advent by Candlelight event for the ladies of the church. Several women "hosted" tables, decorating them and serving up dessert. Yummy,  yummy dessert!

My friend and "half" sister Chris invited me to sit at her table to enjoy the music, devotion and fellowship. Doesn't her table look pretty? The picture doesn't do it justice but it turned out funky cool on my camera phone. A very enjoyable evening.

Got home just in time to switch to Hallmark season. Oh wait, I already switched into that weeks ago. Did watch one movie I had DVR'd last night. Could watch another since I don't have to get up early for work tomorrow.

I should probably get to bed early, though, so I can wake up and have my first piece of Advent chocolate!

'Tis the season!

Da Hunting Trip

Since I had most of the day off, I thought I'd don some blaze orange and go hunting. Don't worry. I was just "hunting" for beautiful scenery. And the only thing I was shooting was pictures with my new phone.

Let's just say I am pretty pleased with the camera capabilities on my Samsung Alpha. Not too shabby.

And I even spotted a Deer, too! No, I am not robbing a bank or a deer camp. Got halfway through the walk and my face was frozen so I had to pull the hat down! At least the sun popped out a few times.

Here's a few images from the neighborhood...

Our halls aren't decked yet, but we do have a beautiful 4-foot wreath up. If you want a gorgeous wreath or Christmas tree, check out our friends' tree lot – Arndt's Trees – at the corner of 8th and Griffith! Great people. They must be, they put up with babysittting Carter for 6 years!

Our snowy front yard. Much more driveway has to be snowblowed this year to make room for Carter's car. That means he should help, right?

Close-up shots are not too shabby!

My favorite barn around the bend. Can photograph that in all seasons!

It does sit askew. I always wonder what holds it up. Must be the hay bales inside!

 Crooked on the ends, too!

Footprints in the snow. Mostly like their cats!

Some side buildings that look just as shabby, but I love them!

Another zoom opportunity. Sweet!

Usually see deer in this field but I suppose they are undercover right now.

A little artsy.

Final stretch. I wonder if we ever got more than a foot of snow if we would just have to snowblow our way to the main road. The plows did finally go through after 2 p.m.

Back in the hood after a successful hunting trip!

On The Hunt

This may have been the first year ever that we were not awakened to the sounds of gun shots on the opening day of deer hunting season. Was it too foggy? Or were hunters smart enough not to shoot so close to a residential area for a change? That would be good.

Irregardless, hubby and I were both up at 7:30 (ugh) because we had our own hunting to do. Definitely no deer in our cross hairs, though.

Jim drove up to Eau Claire to take son number one Christmas shopping. It's our tradition that dad takes the big boys out so they can pick what they want and open what they want on Christmas morning – and perhaps be surprised if they forget what they picked out.

So I was actually not a "hunter's widow" today, I was a "shopper's widow." Now that was quite the opposite.

Though I did do some shopping. First I had to HUNT for the perfect recipe or treat idea to finish up my cookie exchange selection. Once I had an idea, I hit Wal-Mart with a million others and got what I needed for those treats PLUS the fixings for a Thanksgiving Day dinner. We are hosting Jim's family so I needed the turkey, pumpkin pie ingredients, etc. Figured I'd better not wait until the last minute or I'd get squat.

After creating my treats and assembling 11 plates with a dozen cookies/treats each, I sealed them up until next weekend when we gather at my twin's Up North and exchange the goods.

Then I was on the hunt for entertainment. That was already lined up! My friends Christine and Cindy and I went to see the Hunger Games sequel (part 3 actually) Mockingjay: Part 1. The three of us had read all three books before the first movie came out a few years ago. We really enjoyed the movie today! And now only have to wait 361 days until Part 2 – the sequel to the sequel to the sequel – comes to the big screen.

Now I am on the hunt for a couch and a Christmas movie. May have to get in line. Jim's watching college football and flipping channels and Carter has two buddies over and they are allegedly working on a homework video project. Would they mind if I had a Hallmark movie on in the background?

Or am I looking to get shot?

Best wear some blaze orange.

Cookie Monster

The opening day of the Wisconsin gun-deer season is the perfect day to stay inside. That and the fact the temperatures were in the single digits. God bless the hunters, but I prefer to gather my food in the warmth of my home!

I had one simple mission today: Make the last of my cookies for the upcoming family Cookie Bake / Exchange and get the plates of treats in order.

Mission accomplished.

While I did not reveal the other treats I made for the participants, I have to share this one. I made Monster Cookies for the first time.

Now Monster Cookies get their name for several reasons: One, people often make them monster-sized (which I chose not to do since they would have to bake longer and I'd be concerned they'd burn on the edges and be raw in the middle). Two, the amount of ingredients for the allegedly "standard' batch is monstrous. And three, there's a monster amount of tasty flavor in them!

You know I love to bake, but this recipe created quite a challenge. I found the two biggest mixing bowls I had and used one for dry ingredients and the other for the soft stuff -- like, for example, the pound of butter, 3 pounds of peanut butter and dozen eggs this recipe called for. When I mixed the dry ingredients -- which included 4 cups white sugar, 2 pounds brown sugar and 18 cups of oatmeal -- it didn't take long to fill up one of the mixing bowls. And I hadn't even added the pound of chocolate chips and Christmas-colored M&M's.

If both monstrous bowls were full, how was I to marry the two?

I called my girlfriend who gave me the recipe and she suggested a pot like our big soup stock pot. Not big enough. I ended up taking out the Nesco roaster pan and mixing it all up in that. That worked smoothly. And 17 1/2 dozen cookies later, I had more than enough for the Cookie Bake, a handful of neighbors and any holiday-related potluck in the foreseeable future.

Needless to say, nothing else got done today. I didn't even squeeze in a Hallmark Christmas movie! Thought I did DVR about 5 of them.

Guess I'll have to enjoy one of them tomorrow with milk and Monster Cookies -- to recover from a certain football game that is bound to get ugly. I don't think our Purple People Eaters are big enough monsters.

But I hope I'm wrong.

The Week in Brief

Just a few things...

Slip Slidin' Away: The overnight drizzle left a lot of icy slush on the roads. I'm very thankful for surviving my first slippery solo flight to work today. And especially grateful that my car slid to a stop just in time so I really didn't have to choose between tagging the car ahead of me or the group of school children in the cross walk. Whew! This is going to be one, long winter!

Waiting Game: In the category of "Get a life"... No offense to "gamers" out there, but last night on my way home from work I stopped at Best Buy and saw a handful of guys -- I'd say early 20s -- sitting outside the entrance in lawn chairs. When I asked in the store what they were waiting for, an associate told me the midnight release of the new XBox gaming system. I checked my phone. 5:21 p.m. 32 degrees. More than six hours to go. Would they even be able to use their frozen fingers to play later? I guess I just don't get it.

Da Tirty Pointer: I realize that some people who prefer real-life challenges are pretty excited about the deer-hunting season getting here tomorrow. I'm not one of them, but do wish good luck to all you mighty hunters and pray for your safety. It's supposed to be about 18 degrees in these parts with a low of 6. Me and my heated mattress pad will be thinking of you!

Strung Out: Ready to deck your halls? When you dig out your Christmas decorations, don't curse over those burned out strings of lights. Instead, donate them to Carter's German Club. They recycle them somewhere special for cash to help fund their trip. We'll be happy to pick up your dysfunctional lights and get those darn things out of your way so you can enjoy your merry and bright holidays!

(By the way, our Advent calendars are sold out. Thank you for your support. If you want to receive news alerts of Carter's current fundraisers, just let me know. Ha. There's always something!)

  

Not Enough Hours

Most of us at one time (or multiple times) or another have felt there are not enough hours in the day. Usually it's not because we're enjoying the day so much we want it to last longer. Mostly, it's because we have so much to do and not enough time.

I just couldn't get enough things ticked off my list of Things to Do today!

Went to 8 o'clock church, then stayed between services to video people sharing their "hero of faith" stories. Then Carter and I headed to ShopKo to get him some pants. He was in desperate need of some more khakis for school. After wasting too much time there, had to swing by DQ since that closes tonight for the season.

By the time I got home, I realized I better get my grocery list together for our meals, Thanksgiving and cookie bake stuff. Plus, I needed to buy a few wallpaper-stripping supplies. So off to Wal-Mart I went and wasted more of my day.

Then when I got home, I quickly put stuff away and had to sneak in a run since it was a 50-degree day again. I was wearing blaze orange but only went 2 miles where I knew it was too residential for hunting. Had to be safe.

Got home and started laundry, supper and cookies. I swear the first time I sat down since this morning was 7 p.m. And I still didn't get to my "Saturday chores" or actually strip any wallpaper. Now that I sat down, I don't know if I can get up.

Hubby said he could give me more hours in the day if I wanted it. He'll just set his alarm for 4 a.m. and kick me out of bed. Hmmm. I think I'll accept my unproductive day and try to tackle some more tomorrow!

Orange Friday

While many people (maybe me) are already getting excited for Black Friday and all of its Spend To Save possibilities, in Wisconsin, that excitement is surpassed by the preceding Friday -- that's Orange Friday for those unfamiliar with the annual gun-deer hunt!

And it's TODAY.

My hubby does not hunt. And I do not come from a family who hunted. But as someone traveling a hundred miles a day on a country road or two, I fully support their efforts!

Funny thing is, we see so many deer on our commute, I am always stumped when I hear how challenging hunting is. But now I get it. All week we've seen dozens of deer eating in the fields by the road on our way home. Tonight, not a single one. Zip. Zilch. Zero.

They are onto us.

I guess if they start seeing blaze orange in stores and hear about Hunter's Widow events, they know something is up. And they scatter.

I do hope that you hunters have a safe and successful 9 days. And please do your part to keep the roads clear!!

Deer don't pay attention to "Deer Crossing" signs anymore than we do. I tell you, though, when we were in New England, they take that very seriously. Among the "Moose Crossing" signs were a few strongly advising drivers to pay attention in order to save their lives.

I guess banging into this big fella would smart a bit!

 

This is our friend we saw along the Ausable River in upstate New York on the last full day of our trip.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we were continually warned to be on the lookout. And as the passenger, I kept my camera handy and kept looking!

On that particular day, we were taking pictures of the river and learned of a moose upriver. So we drove up and stopped with all the other motorists to take pictures. He seems far away. But he really wasn't once we moved up the road a bit.

See? He's just across the stream!!

 

...Eating his lunch!

When I zoomed in closer, I see he's got a battle wound... maybe from a hunter (they have a gun season like we do for deer), maybe from a car or maybe from Rocky or Bullwinkle.

Either way, if I saw something this big when I was out hunting, I'd probably just shoot it. With a camera, that is. And move on.

To see what's at the next crossing.

Wild Side

Here I thought my nephew the cowboy was a little crazy after "roping in" 14 gators in 2 days. But I was reminded today you don't have to travel to faraway Louisiana to experience the wildlife.

My sister Romey and her husband Rick are always seeing black bears in or near their yard -- and have photographed a few in their 40-acre woods with some magic night-vision camera. Even when Carter has stayed there during his "Up North Vacations" he used to take, he would see one or two bears.

Last night, Rick's nephew on his side of the family, shot a big black bear on their land. A big, big black bear. A big, stinkin' huge black bear! I don't know much about hunting bear, but I always assumed a 300-pound bear is big. This one was twice that and more. 653 pounds! Shot dead not that far, really, from where we were having a campfire just a few weekends ago. Uff da. Who needs all this excitement?

My heart stopped the way it was when we came over a hill on our way home from Iola and hubby had to slam on the brakes in a "leave tire tracks in the road" kind of way to avoid killing 8 big ol' turkeys crossing the road. If you haven't heard already, hitting a turkey is like having someone throw a bowling ball at your car or windshield. Not good. Thankfully, hubby has cat-like reflexes and stopped in time.

I'm glad the only wildlife around here are the hornets and bees trying to get in the house and away from the cold. (Low of 43 tonight.) I don't mean to brag, but I am a pretty good hunter, too. I managed to kill 2 long-legged wasps with the fly swatter -- using my lefthand, mind you -- while talking on the phone. Yes. I am that good.

Since I bagged my limit, I let hubby chase the third one around the kitchen tonight.

Yup, wild times in the not-so-North Woods. Yee-haw.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

We all have our hobbies or special interests. You know mine include writing, scrapbooking, golfing (trying), running (trying) and eating ice cream (succeeding). It's amazing how different each person's is -- even people in your own family.

Take my nephew Zach, for instance. He's a cowboy at heart -- and professionally. He is a horse trainer and farrier and does some sort of roping and sorting competition that earns him world titles and belt buckles as big as a Thanksgiving turkey platter.

At one time, he also served as a "guide for hire" taking rich folks on their big hunting excursions out West. This week, the tables are turned and he is the hunter, learning from a special group of guides known to most cable television viewers as the SWAMP PEOPLE. Not kidding. Somehow through his vast connections, he got flown down to Louisiana on a private jet and went huntin' gators with the Swamp People today.

Want to see how he did?

Zach (the handsome cowboy at left) said it took a "10-minute fight" to haul in this 10-foot gator. "What a rush," he said.

Uhm, to each his own, I guess. I wouldn't be caught dead trying that! Actually, if I did try it, I would be caught AND dead. Uff da. That kid has officially topped the Redneck Scale.

And I couldn't love him more. Just hope he comes back in one piece!

My sister Rayna and brother-in-law Paul just returned from a 2-week vacation in Alaska, which included a week on a cruise and a week on land, doing such daring things as riding some sort of tram on cables up one of the tallest mountains. Uhm, heck no. That sounds too dangerous for this fear-of-heights woman. I almost need to take an anxiety pill thinking about it!

Glad they could cross that adventure off their bucket list, though. Sounds like a great time in a beautiful part of America.

I am looking forward to our own adventure out East in a few weeks. I think the most daring thing will be crossing Lake Champlain on an hour-long ferry ride, hoping no hurricanes are messing up the weather then. Of course, some would say spending 7 days in a car with your spouse is pretty scary in its own right.

That's us... living on the edge!

What do YOU do for heart-stopping fun??

Happy Hunting

Today is opening day of the Wisconsin gun-deer season. Usually we are awakened by the sound of gunshots -- like we're living in the ghetto -- but today, nothing. I don't know if that's because we had a fan on low to create some white noise or if hunters weren't seeing anything in the drizzle.

I still woke up way too early for going to bed at 1 a.m. Good thing I did not have to be that productive today. And I wasn't.

Got a few chores and errands done. Spent probably too much time making a creative treat for our upcoming Cookie Bake. But in the end, it was worth it. I even took pictures but now I can't post them until after the exchange or it won't be a surprise!

I have another surprise under my blaze-orange hat, too! Call it my successful hunt... I have been thinking of ideas for a gift for my twin sister for Christmas. I had a few ideas but then something just fell into my lap and I could not pass it up. So now I am very excited and can't wait to surprise her. Again, I'll have to wait until after our family gift exchange in mid-December to share.

So what can I tell you?

Well, I got off my butt and got out for walk/run again. This time I alternated more frequently. I walked for a song in my mp3 player, then ran for a song, then walked for one and so on. My hip was uncomfortable but not so painful it forced me to stop or anything. So I'll just keep it slow and gradual, exercising patience more than anything else!

I did see a 6-point buck cross the road in front of me when I was just about back to Deer Road. Imagine that, a deer by Deer Road. Hmm... do hunters just think it's too obvious??

Good luck to you hunters searching for the big buck and you other "hunters" searching to spend a few bucks!

Happy Hunting

Thank you, deer hunters, for waiting until after 7 a.m. this year to fire your first shots near our house. I should say, not necessarily close to our house but within ear-shot.

At first I thought hubby's snoring woke me up, but then I heard 2 more shots and was reminded it's opening day of gun-deer hunting in Wisconsin.

Hubby doesn't hunt so we felt it best to stay inside in our nice warm bed -- considering the temps didn't get out of the 20s until mid-morning. B-r-r-r. Glad I wasn't in a tree stand anywhere. I do appreciate the hunters that are out there thinning the herd, though, so I don't have to do it with my car!

Since I had good reason to stay indoors, I turned into Martha Stewart on Red Bull.

Got the last of my Christmas cookies baked and my plates set up, bagged and labeled for my family cookie exchange next weekend. It's all set to go. In advance of a Packer-Viking party tomorrow, I made a pan of The Best Cranberry Bars Ever and the frosting recipe that goes with those, plus some dip, plus a yummy mandarin orange jello salad. (I'm thinking I'm more prepared for tomorrow's game then perhaps some of the players!)

After my Martha stint, I did do some "hunting."

Went over to my Scrap Sister Jenny's house and hunted through her Cricut cartridges to see which ones I should put on my Christmas list. This is definitely a case of putting the cart before the horse -- or in this instance, the cart-ridge before the Cricut. I am just assuming (and you know where that gets us) that I will snag one of these on Black Friday. There's no turning back now.

While I was gone, hubby put on his "Martha" hat, too, and we had homemade beef soup for supper. Yum! He's the best!

Tonight Carter and I kicked it old school and watched a movie on the VCR. I can't tell you when I last operated one of those! I see how I have enjoyed skipping through the previews without having to labor through "fastforward." But something put us in the mood to watch Monsters Inc. and we only have that on VHS. Glad we watched it. Those Pixar movies rock!

Now it's bedtime and I told Carter he better brush his teeth or a monster will jump out of his closet! For some reason all I got was an eye-roll.

I swear he used to think I was funny ... back in the days before DVD players were invented, I bet.

A Successful Hunt

For the first time in years, we were not awakened at dawn by the sound of gunshots on opening day of deer hunting. A quick glance out the window told us why. It was pretty foggy out there until after 8 at least. Once the fog burned off, we were in business. And when I say we, I mean Carter and I went hunting, too.

Just not for deer.

We garbed ourselves in bright red (the better to see you with) and headed to Mad Town. Our mission was to hunt down some decent bargains and get some Christmas shopping done. But first, the more important reason for going...

My best friend from grade school and on lives on the south side of Madison. Yes, she's less than 2 hours away but no, we just don't make time in our busy lives to see each other very often. We were emailing a few weeks ago and, not for the first time, talked about how ridiculous that is. So we checked our calendars and circled Nov. 21. No pertinent obligations. And perfect travel weather, too. (We got lucky there.)

We met at the mall and drove over the TGI Friday's for a long lunch of visiting and looking through scrapbooks and catching up. We agreed it was good for the soul and something we should be doing much more often going forward. Why not once every few months? It's only 90 minutes, after all, from my driveway to the mall parking lot. There is no excuse. Plus, I miss her! It was like old times (not that we're old or anything).

After lunch, Julie headed home and Carter and I hit the mall. We spent several hours there and managed to get a few people crossed off our gift list. I even got a few things for Carter, too, and he didn't even know it. Yep, I wasn't even wearing blaze orange and I still had a successful hunt.

Now if I could just figure out what to buy hubby. If Mad Town didn't have it (whatever it is), who will? Yes, I am hunting for hints, clues, ideas. And yes, I'll wear blaze orange if I have, too...

Target practice

If you've ever played darts, gone hunting or even golfed for that matter, you know it takes some serious concentration sometimes to hit the target. You must clear your mind. Walk through the mechanics of reaching the goal in your head. Focus, focus, focus on the target. Then throw, shoot, swing. Bulls eye! (Sometimes.)

We took Carter to the archery range down the road this morning. The club that owns it is sponsoring a youth league for the next two months so kids like Carter, who have never even touched a bow, can experiment and see if that's their thing. For 2 bucks, you can use their equipment, shoot for 2 hours (if you are up for that) and you are rewarded with a soda when you're done.

A gentleman who knew what he was doing helped Carter get set up with a bow that was appropriate for his size, gave him 5 arrows and a quick tutorial on how to hold the bow, shoot it and the proper etiquette for the shooting range.

He probably shot those 10-15 times tops. He hit the target somewhere each time but 3 maybe. After a girl from his class started shooting next to him, he even had one land in the bulls eye circle. Must have been trying to impress someone! He did have a good time so we will likely take advantage of this for the next several weeks when we can.

The archery experience got me thinking about goals and resolutions. If we didn't set them, how would we know what to aim for? We need a bulls eye. We can't go anywhere unless we know the destination, right?

I have already shared that I will garner my POWER this year with some positive alterations to my daily activities. In order to get into shape, I am making a concerted effort to exercise, drink water and eat proper portions. There is a number, too, on my scale that I would like to reach before I turn 40 this summer. I WILL make some significant progress by the first mini-goal set (in ink!) on my calendar, where it now says on March 17: Leave for Spring Break in Texas!

So I got extremely brave today and had Jim take a photo of me in my two-piece swimsuit. This will be my "before" picture. My motivator. He asked if I was going to put this on my blog and I said, "Hell no!"

... I guess it depends on how the "after" picture looks. That's my bulls eye. I am clearing my mind, focusing, taking aim and ready to fire!

Dodging bullets

We're just about to embark on deer hunting season here in Wisconsin, when blaze orange is fashionable whether you're a hunter, a "hunter's widow" or just don't want to get shot while you're outside.

I come from a long line of non-hunters but I know a thing or two about dodging bullets. You've all heard the expression before. When someone has a near-miss, a catastrophe avoided, we say we "dodged a bullet."

I had a health scare recently. And yes, I'll use the word scare. It starts out as a concern. Then there are some tests. Then, while you wait a week for the results, your mind conjures up all sorts of possibilities and it becomes a full-blown scare. What if it's this? What if it's that?

I wish I could be one of those "glass half full" types, but I'm not. Not consistently at least. I was concerned. I was scared. My imagination ran wild. This morning, though, my doctor informed me my tests were clear. That part is a relief. Of course, this means I still have symptoms searching for a cause. I do have some options to consider and trust me, I'm calm about this. I dodged what I consider the big bullet. It will be OK.

What did I learn from this? The unknown is pretty stinkin' scary, isn't it? It really tests our faith. I can't honestly believe that for one minute I am in control of much of anything in my life. There's a higher power who handles that and I have to believe He won't throw anything my way I can't handle.

Yes, I did dodge a bullet. So what am I going to do about it? Show my gratitude by taking care of my body in ways I can control. I finally said goodbye to my desk for an hour today and went running at lunch. I also returned to Weight Watchers and faced the music there.

It's a start. You can still dodge bullets with baby steps. Just be sure to throw on some blaze orange!