Golfing Fore Fun and Funds

Well the brief fall-like weather definitely moved on and the muggy heat wave moved in. Just in time for 18 holes of golf! Today was the annual fundraiser for the Assumption football team at Bullseye Country Club.

We golfed with our friends Sean and Michelle. And definitely had a blast even though we battled the heat and some very tricky putts!

After a tough front 9 where we came out even, we rallied pretty well and went 3 under on the back 9. Not enough to win the mixed category. But we were there for the fun anyway. (I hope.)

After melting, we got to go inside the A/C and enjoy a delicious taco bar. I seriously need the recipe for the spicy chicken! So yummy. They also announced raffle winners. Hubby scored big, getting a mosquito spray package and an El Mezcal basket with a gift card, chips, salsa, and beverages of all varieties. Winner winner!

A bunch of us went from there out to Anchor Bay to hear our friend sing in the Out of Hand band. Great music. A ton of people we knew. But so muggy hot. We did last there a good 2 hours, though. 

Now we're home and gonna have to flip a coin to see who gets the cold shower first! Thank goodness that after the cool night's sleep last night we thought ahead to turn the A/C before we left this morning! 

Stay safe out there and hydrate!!

TGIFF (Thank God It's Football Friday)? Maybe

I'm not quite ready to think of the fall sports season starting. I mean... where the heck did summer go? But tonight was the season (and home) opener for our Assumption Royals. With only 2 seniors playing and a whopping 10 freshman on the roster, we came away with a resounding victory of 69-0 over Necedah.

Still.... If the famed announcer is asking if I'm ready for some football? The answer is... not quite yet.

I'm still in summer mode! Had a great time golfing with girlfriends last night at TriCity. You know... a summer hobby.

And today, Sylvester enjoyed some time in the sun with the A/C off (me too) and a  real live breeze coming through the screen.

She also sat on the swing with me after work and it just happened that the neighbor was walking his dogs. When she heard him calling their names, she looked at me and said, "Are dogs really that stupid?" Of course she has a mind of her own because she's, well, Princess Poops-A-Lot or Pukes-A-Lot. No matter the title, she let the dogs pass by and didn't hiss.

And in the end, whether we were ready or not... it was football season. And a good start at that! 

Color Me Happy

Since the Wisconsin State Open was happening at SentryWorld this week, I thought I'd pop over there at lunch and check out the action. Definitely very low-key compared to the recent U.S. Senior Open. But still, I was glad I stopped by the Flower Hole. 

Since the typical 33,000 flowers bloom in August, they looked even more spectacular because an extra 20,000 blooms were planted to make the late June TV camera angles look as beautiful as our typical August. As a result, a lot more blooms and it was bloomin' beautiful!!

Tried to take an artsy shot of the PGA Wisconsin Open flag with the flowers, but the wind made it backwards from where I stood.

Rather than walk extra steps, of course, I relied on PhotoShop to flip the picture so you could read the flag!

I especially liked the Vikings section of the Flower Hole. These purple and yellow blooms look so good together. Probably better than any seasonal forecasts for the NFL!!

After work, I continued my appreciation of color during my senior photo shoot of a girl I've known since she was cute and little. And now remains adorable.

We planned out quite a route to hit all the right spots with all the right outfits. Since the color gods were smiling on me, we hit our final stop at just the right time for a little sunset color. 

My sweet girl Lyds is gorgeous inside and out. And I cannot wait to start going through these pictures!

Don't forget to stop and smile the flowers – or at least take a colorful picture of them!

What the Hic?

I'm not sure what happened. I had a normal day of work followed by a family photo shoot. Nothing was out of the ordinary until hubby arrives home and I can't stop hiccuping. 

Thankfully it didn't happen during an important lunch meeting today or even the photo session. Who knows what they would think? But since it came on when Jim was home, I asked him for any possible cure.

He said: "Don't talk for 2 weeks."

Oh ha. Funny guy. 

So I am trying not to speak (which everyone will appreciate) but also concentrate on some photos, listening to an audio book, and reciting what state capitals I know. I know. That's a bit extreme. 

But guess what? Not only does that distraction technique work, but confirms there's a lot I have forgotten since the 4th-grade geography bee at Oak Hill Elementary. Gosh darn Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Most others, I'm happy to say I new and would make Mr. Larson proud.

Other distractions tonight included worrying about volatile weather situations on both coasts – the heat where Casey is in Portland and the flash flood warnings in Raleigh where Carter is. Thank you, Lord, for keeping us all safe tonight.

And thanks for the hiccups that distracted me from worrying.

Well Praise Be!

Even though today's rain made it pretty stinkin' cold for mid-August AND forced me to postpone a photo shoot, I KNOW we needed it.

Just so crazy that I had long sleeves on all day since the mercury barely rose out of the 50s, but...

our oldest kiddos out in Portland are dealing with record heat! I told them to stay cool like the cool kids they are!

We really did need the rain. I selfishly just need it not to rain two days this week. Wednesday for rain and Saturday for golf other than that. Soak up the earth, Mother Nature. Whatever the farmers want, grant their wishes. 

Be careful – and grateful – out there!

Checking Out Books

We had a bit of a different Book Club this month. Besides discussing the current read, we also did a Bunco type book exchange. We each drew numbers and we could grab the gift bag or steal from someone else. We were pretty much too nice to steal, but it was fun. 

Each of us paired a book with some type of gift in the $20 range. Book bags included no books I've read before: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen, Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs, Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, and Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (accompanied by honey and a Bee Kind t-shirt).

I got some free coffee with my gift – Before the Coffee Gets Cold – and I'm looking forward to reading about people getting to go back in time – only until their coffee gets cold.

I gave away my retro copy of Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I definitely read that at least one a decade. Ha. For my related gift, since the book takes place in the Civil war, I made a blue and gray reading blanket. 

Basically whipped that together Friday night and yesterday. I had something else in mind and that fell through so this was my last-minute idea and the recipient was appreciative. 

The exchange was a fun idea and the best part is that we'll all share our new books with each other so we can all enjoy the new stories. Now I just have to finish my current book and get started on these new ones. Cold evenings like tonight – yup, gonna get down to 57 so the mattress pad is back on – make it easier to snuggle under a blankie and read, though.

Hope you have some some fun new adventures heading your way this week, too!

Wild Things in the 'Hood

Today was a free day. As in no definite plans but a few things we wanted to do. First off was a pre-wedding shopping for Casey's wedding. The dad and step-mom of the groom have to look good after all – without stealing the spotlight off of Em, of course. So we found ourselves in Point and Wausau. And I just thought these clouds looked wild and cool on the way home. Feel free to continue scrolling if you don't agree.

The next wild thing was a family of 3 deer. Only the young buck with emerging horns dared to stare me down in my car. Glad the momma and fawn crossed to safety before I got close!

Then there was the mail I got. Allegedly from my famous fox I photographed during the U.S. Senior Open. But...

I recognized my momma's handwriting. Sly as a fox, she is! And obviously you know where I get my clever tongue from!

The other wildlife today was freaking bees. Again! This time, hubby spotted them in the back patio, building a pretty large home on the patio chairs we obviously haven't used this summer. Maybe I should've been spending more time out there but after last summer's snake-a-palooza, I have refrained from setting foot back there. So another trip to Ace Hardware for the good stuff... and the brave next-door neighbor sprayed it to oblivion this evening.

I was busy watching the fun and wild excitement of the Shermalot Water Ski Show Team exhibition. I'll have to sort through pictures and share later. Due to those cool clouds I mentioned earlier, it got dark pretty quick. I'm sure I got a few good shots before the gorgeous sunset.

Hope you're enjoy the beauty – and wild things – this weekend!