Cheers, Ladies!

I don't always appreciate all the random, sort of made-up holidays these days. I mean except National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. That's a pretty good one. And today's International Women's Day is pretty good, too.

Just an opportunity to recognize all the amazing women in my life!

Shout out to my mom for somehow doing most of the "raising" of us 8 kids while my dad was out on the road. I don't know how or if she kept her sanity. And I'm definitely not judging her one way or the other.

I'm thankful for the female teachers in high school and college that supported my dreams of becoming a writer and proving women can succeed in a male-dominated profession. We're talking newspapers, people. I'm THAT old.

I'm super grateful for the friends who get me for who I am. I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not. I don't have to impress. Just be. And have a good time, of course.

Love my sisters in real life and sister friends who like to be goofy and laugh and basically be non-filtered. Good belly laughs cure all ills as far as I'm concerned.

I am blessed to have had some amazing female co-workers over the years who've proven to be a source of inspiration and support and, most importantly, of friendship.

Then there's my church ladies, my book club, my golf friends, all my nieces and cousins, the incredible women who've claimed the hearts of our three brown-eyed bandits. and the amazing mothers of all those athletes I capture behind the lens.

Wow, there are so many of you Wonder Women out there! Thanks for being a part of my life. And touching my heart. I appreciate you today and every day!

A Trifle Bit of Madness

Trifle Tuesday has become a thing. And I can't stop it. I mean it just so happened our department was having a potluck today. And it was a Tuesday. So it's like state law that a trifle be made!

Because we're dorks, we celebrated our new work digs. I mean we exchanged places with the creative types on the other side of the room basically. But still, we officially are sitting in new spots so why not celebrate?

Knowing I am not (I don't think) making a trifle for next Tuesday, I went with my favorite tasty bit of green for St. Paddy's month. My March Mint Madness trifle. Which, by the way, coincides nicely with Girl Scout Cookie season, too.

So the layers this time around, if you want to try this at home...

Bottom is mint-chocolate brownies with some chopped up Andes Mints on top. Then comes a thin layer of my leftover Dirt Cake mixture followed by a layer of crushed Thin Mints (or Keebler brand or generic). The next colorful layer is white chocolate pudding with a hint of mint extract and green food coloring.

Repeat.

Top layer is Cool Whip and shaved Andes Mints.

And oh, was it as good as it sounds and looks!

I even had a teeny bit left over because there was so much food and so many tasty dessert-type treats. I don't mind leftovers. Usually there's barely enough left for me to lick the bowl clean. Now hubby can have some if he so choses.

And if he doesn't act quickly enough, I will be happy to join the Clean Bowl Club. 

March brings out a bit of madness in all of us.

I say: Choose your MADNESS.

Be careful out there!

The Lion's Share

I think March came in like a lion and is holding firm to that. Even though it "felt" like a mild weekend, we woke up to a few inches of straight up slush. Heavy, heavy slush.

Part of me thinks that what's going through Coach Austin's mind right here is "One week til baseball practice... One week til baseball practice..." Part of me is also pretty sure that each of those sentence begin with something akin to "Gosh darn it! One week til baseball practice."

Or something like that. And I can't blame it. It's the same rerun we watch every spring as the spring sports season approaches.

At least today's precip didn't hang around on the road surfaces anyway. I mean the only place I had to go after working from home was the chiropractor. Yup, I'm still a work in progress. A little better each day but I still need to visit her again on Friday. And as good fortune would have it, my monthly deep-tissue massage is tomorrow after work. Ouch and yay!

Tonight I took it easy and watched the new season of The Voice. I am officially old because I didn't know who one of the coaches is. Now I know he was from One Direction but I might not have even gotten that in multiple choice. Still, it's one of the few shows I watch so I'll just suffer through looking at his cute face and hearing his adorable Irish accent!

The things we're willing to do in the off-season.

Be careful out there!

How Sundays Differ

Another day with no plans. What is happening?? Well we had church and I had choir so that was per usual. Then a friend from work stopped by and picked up those bunkbeds! Only took a month to give them away. 

This stage of the Empty Nest Shuffle is now complete!

Then I did my Saturday choirs – actually a week and a day late since I was gone last weekend – and thought maybe I should start tackling the clutter in my office (aka Oh My God Room). There were things on our night stands and on the headboard shelves that we moved off when we got our new bed.

And by "things," I mean books...

This is now fact. I mean I have been picking some up here and there at Goodwill, etc. Didn't realize I have plenty to read now. But I am right in the middle of "The Measure" for Book Club, so that pile will just sit there. I mean I did relocate the pile to the basement. So I guess it's more like another shuffle versus decluttering.

I know, I know. The shuffle only is effective if something is shuffled out the door. For the record, there ARE some already-read books in a box now that we'll price for our friend's garage sale in April. Teeny tiny progress.

Meanwhile, the source of our empty nest had quite a different Sunday.

Carter and Mamie have been down in Selma, Alabama, the last few weeks visiting her dad. So by happenstance, for the second year in a row they were there for the observance of Bloody Sunday – the day a civil rights march turned deadly there in 1965.

Last year, they heard VP Harris speak and today they got to see and hear...

Yup. They got to see the current president. That's pretty cool no matter what your political beliefs are. Obviously, he had to zoom in quite a bit, but Carter was excited about the whole experience. 

Can you pick him out in the crowd from this borrowed news photo? Uhm, yeah. I couldn't either.

But I think this is them. Based on his photos from where he was standing! A bit of a crowd, yes. And pretty neat. (P.S. Carter just corrected me. He was even with the third building – the white one with the black awning. So dang, we've got a sweet zoom on our smartphones.)

My Sunday seems boring by comparison, but maybe my book will be good. Gotta start making progress on that pile! Have a good week, everyone. And...

Based on this lovely photo... Be careful out there!

Off-Season Signs

After last night's Assumption boys' loss to the top-ranked Wausau Newman team last night, it's not officially the off-season for all Royal sports. And this photographer.

We got the game late since our fish fries at Bullshead Tavern on the way took forever. But we didn't miss the drama or the excitement that made the second half seem like a potential Cinderella story. Our boys fought hard but just couldn't close that final gap. Dang. 

Stopped out afterward and got home after Cinderella's coach would've turned into a pumpkin! So tired. Ha.

With not playoff games today for boys or girls, our schedule opened up. And my high school bestie just happened to text wanting to come up from Madison to meet for lunch. She had an important yarn delivery for me. We'll use any excuse! So Jim and I met Julie and Mark in Plover at O'so Brewery. They have one of their walls painted with that phrase above. Right away we knew we were in the right place!

That's us in a nutshell! So good to catch up with them. I feel like I haven't seen Julie in a year but that can't be right, can it? Sometimes it works out better to be spontaneous! And meeting up in the same town where I introduced her to King Cone doesn't hurt either.

It's March Mint Madness there if you haven't gotten around to visiting since they opened a few weeks ago. 

Of course we had to stop because Sylvester loves mint-chocolate ice cream! Well she loves licking the container. If I leave any for her, that is. 

King Cone is king and the females in this house are definitely his princesses!

The rest of the day was pretty laid back. Posted the last sports pictures I'll have for a month. A sure sign of the off-season will be free time for me. Jim will resume coaching baseball and be busy with that in another 10 days so we'll just enjoy a bit open-agenda down time.

That's a good sign to me, too!

Tough Battle

I knew our Lady Royals were in for a tough battle tonight. For our sectional bracket, we're ranked number 1 and Edgar's ranked number 2.

We traveled up to Marshfield High School since sectional games are played at neutral sites that are large enough to hold two small towns.

Edgar leaped ahead from the tip-off and it was quite a bit into the second half until Assumption caught up. It was super close 'til the end and Edgar ended up winning by only 2 stinkin' points!

What a heart-breaker!

I'm not ready for this amazing team to hang up their uniforms. Thank you, seniors, for 4 exciting years.

P.S. I'm counting down to softball now!

A Bit Maddening

I may or may not have been part of a mad scientist's experiment today. I mean it kind of felt like it. But in the end, I was better for it.

After work I returned to the chiropractor since my back is still out of whack from that fall on the ice last week. The pain is sporadic. I strung together a few good days, then last night and today were awful. Glad I had the appointment already set "just in case."

So she massaged and manipulated and then said I need more work and asked if I'd ever had electrotherapy. That's what she said, but what I heard was "electro shock therapy." And what I pictured was some combination of Young Frankenstein and grade school science experiment.

They did hook my up to 4 electrode wires that sent electric currents to my lower back, and "treated" me for 12 minutes. If you haven't had it done, it feels like the tingly sensation when your foot falls asleep or when you hit your funny bone. It's strange and I still wondered if I was being brainwashed in some fashion.

I guess if it convinced me my back felt a little better after it, then yes, my brain was altered. 

The relief isn't long-standing but better than nothing. After sharing my experience at choir practice tonight, it seems everyone knows what electrotherapy is and said I could even do it at home! Not the science experiment above, but getting my own little TENS therapy kit they call it.

With that I had a fleeting memory of using a friend's kit like 10 years ago. But something must have erased that memory until today! Anyway, by the time we were through singing our first song of the night, I'd ordered my own on Amazon and it'll be here Friday. 

Right after I have my next appointment with the mad scientists. I can't wait. When it comes to relieving pain, I'll pretty much try anything, I'm that much of a wimp. And not afraid to admit it.

I'm vowing to pay more attention the rest of this winter though. Yes, it's March today but it's still here. And based on today's commute to work, there's still some ice out there – so be careful on foot or on wheels!