Life Detours

There's two seasons in Wisconsin – Blaze Orange and Orange Barrels. If you know, you know. 

Even though I'm facing a detour on my commute the next 7 months, I didn't realize we'd get simultaneous major detours in life. My family has had quite the orange barrel season the past month.

The good news is that my mom is out of the hospital. Yay! But she is going to the nursing home section of the same hospital. She's having a positive attitude, so that's good. It will be different to visit her where Dad was living in his last days. I hope that she's there much longer than Dad was.

The other good news is that my sister Rachel had some 8 hours in surgery today and she survived just fine. Hopefully, that means her left elbow and foot are fixed. The last of all those broken bones. Praise the Lord! 

I guess when we see how much work HAS to be done, we sometimes have to remember that we have to trust it will be done. Maybe not on the timeline we wish for, but it will be done. 

Thanks for all the prayers for my family. But we still need them. I can't imagine what it will be like when Rachel tries to take her first steps when both legs have injuries. Just like I can't imagine what Mom will go through the first time she wants to bake something or tend to all her African violets.

We'll need prayers for just a bit longer as we navigate these detours. Thank you!

Is This Really Happening?

I'm pretty sure today was the first day since my birthday that I admitted out loud that I'm 55. I was in a snarky mood at work – which happens sometimes – and I said, "I'm 55 now. I have no filter. Not that I had much of one before!"

And then, just like that, the world acknowledged I'm eligible for Senior Discounts. What the actual hell?

Seriously, I got home and bam! Walgreens has an email pointing out my advantages of shopping on Senior Day. Oh crap. I am so not embracing this yet!

Unless I get a good deal of course. I never had to pay attention before. I mean I apologize to my older sister for ever mocking her for living in a "Community of Friends Over 55." I mean, dang, I could live there now. Sorry, Rayna!

I might just have to do some research on this. I mean even Goodwill has Senior Day. They're my source for books when I'm too lazy or busy to stop at 10 garage sales on a weekend. I guess this could be a good thing – other than being old enough to be just about everyone's mother on my work team. Gah. Please believe I still have all, er most, of my faculties.

I'll just have to get past my ego and pay more attention to good deals!

Hello, Senior Citizen Discounts. Ouch!

Sunday Day of Rest (Mostly)

Wasn't too buzzy or busy of a Sunday. Had a nice relaxing day with my sister. Pretty much. I mean we went to church, then scouted a few senior photo shoot locations.

She was my designated senior (citizen, that is). Beautiful, right?

Since it was a gorgeous day – not too hot or muggy thanks to a breeze – we headed out to Anchor Bay to enjoy lunch by the river. Yummy food per usual and nice scenery!

And breezy! Did I mention that?

After lunch we relaxed around the house and the neighborhood – visiting the ones Rayna's met before – and it was after 6:30 p.m. when we both realized we forgot to do something very important during her visit.

Yup. Go to King Cone!! How that slipped our minds, I'll never know. But we got there before it closed and tried to resist eating it on the way home since Jim was bringing us supper. Spoiler alert: We didn't completely resist. But did enjoy some pizza for supper and had room for the rest of our dessert!

Priorities!

Rayna heads out tomorrow on her way to another sister's house in Minnesota for a few days. I'll still get to see her again in a few weeks before she heads back to Arizona. Was awesome having her here even though it seems like the weekend flew! 

Guess we'll have to visit her in the desert. Sometime when it's 10 degrees here and ice cream honestly is the last thing on my mind!

We're Golden

This cracked me up because I was feeling a bit old tonight. We went for a fish fry with our friends Mike and Cindy and, thankfully, got there late enough we were not part of the Early Bird Special.

Not that we don't mind saving money. Just tend to think of the Early Bird Special as the Senior Special. And even though all 4 of us are 50 and over, we like to think of ourselves as young. Age is all in our minds, right?

After a delicious meal at The Ridges, we headed home. Ironically, when Mike asked (jokingly, we know) if us "girls" wanted to go out dancing, we both said, "Uhm, no." We were ready to call it a night at 7:30! Because we wanted to sit in our warm, comfy chairs at home!

We have become the Golden Girls. Including a great sense of humor and style, ha!

Now we just have to convince our hubbies it's a good thing. I'm sure they already thing we're Golden. Or priceless. Or something!

Two-fer Tuesday

Just two quick notes today:

One: It took four pedometers and probably six batteries over the course of the summer, but I reached my goal for the Steps Challenge at work -- four days in advance! So no more talking about steps and faulty equipment, I promise.

Unless I win the Kindle Fire, of course.

Two: Just got the biggest chuckle today at the expense of my now 50-year-old hubby. We were going to pick up Carter from cross country practice but since we got to town a few minutes early, we swung into IGA so he could pick up some peas for his lunch tomorrow. (Yes, we have boring lunches at work.)

He comes out laughing to himself and here's why:

Look - he got a senior citizen discount!! And they didn't even card him! I realize it's only 13 cents, but every penny adds up, right?

When I look at it, the receipt is funny on so many levels. Just buy one item and it's PEAS? Not Budweiser or something exciting like my high-fiber cereal, but PEAS? Is he an old man who has to mash them to eat them or what?

OK, I won't pick on him any more. I actually am going to have to start using him for his discount. Five percent off can make a big difference on a nice juicy steak...

Or gallon of ice cream!