Oh Sweet Hump Day

Today was another reminder that we somehow managed to work 5 days in a row most of last year – and now it feels like a challenge.

For me, a "5 days in a row" work week hasn't happened since before Thanksgiving. So I'm already caving to mild exhaustion this week. Who made up this rule of 5 days in a row anyway?

Luckily there has been plenty to keep me awake – er, mind occupied – at work so I can be productive. And tonight I had our monthly Girls Night Out to look forward to and carry me through Hump Day.

There was 8 of us who met at Gordie's (formerly Layla's, Goose's, etc on the west side of Rapids). Our food was amazing and we were there catching up for at least 2 hours. That's how you jump into Hump Day and gain momentum to finish out the week!

Hope all of you are adjusting back to your reality after the holidays. Don't judge yourself. It does take a minute!

Red Sky in Morn, Creativity Re-Born

As much as I hate leaving the house in the dark this time of year, I appreciate that I occasionally get a beautiful sunrise on the way to work. Today was not exception. The sky was on fire! Glad I finally had a red light so I could stop and capture it! 

Ignore all the street lights. I took it as a sign we should all be fired up for work today!

And although the day was long (who comes up with these 5-day work weeks anyway?), I was actually energized by the time I got home. 

Partly because I had an itch to be creative. Our Pacelli-Assumption etc Co-op team is have a "Stick it to Cancer" fundraiser at our game Saturday night. 

Since lucky me won a basket a few weeks ago, I figured I'd pay that one forward and make one up myself. So... time to plug that special Cricut in again!

I think the hockey moms and dads will appreciate these coffee mugs I made. Just have to find a few more things for the basket in the next few evenings.

This definitely put me in the creative mood. And thinking about my upcoming scrapbooking weekend. Yes, Camp Crop-A-Lot is at the end of February, but still, a girl has to plan ahead. I'm so far behind I now have to try to remember life 7 years ago! So glad I have several weeks to figure that out.

But if you're a sports mom (or dad) and want a mug with your sport (hockey or whatever), let me know. I'm in the creative zone!

Making Tracks

If you are entering the new year wondering what tracks you left behind in 2024 and what tracks you might leave in 2025, I get it. And a recent walk in a typical Wisconsin winter's day showed me a thing or two.

First of all, as in usual life, there are a lot of turkeys out there! Somehow they survive Thanksgiving and then just wander around like free birds and no care in the world. I just hope they don't intersect with my windshield.

Winter is also a sign that some bunny we care about is out there and about. Love the fact they just hop along no matter what the world is throwing at us human types.

Then there are dog prints. We love our neighbor dogs so much we're just glad to see footprints in the snow (versus random piles in our yard, that is).

And finally, my favorite tracks... well that's my new tires after 78k plus miles on my original ones! I'm stopping better on our Wisconsin winter roads AND not shaking from a mis-alignment. 

No matter what my original New Year's resolution, I think I'll make these memorable tracks all year!

Close Only Counts...

As I learned many, many years ago, "close" only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Definitely NOT in BINGO.  In other words, even though I was only 3 dobber spots away on 2 cards, it didn't win me cover-all BINGO today. On the plus side, no one won the grand prize so the jackpot will go up for the next session in 2 weeks.

As far as football luck... at least father-in-law Johnny (a Bears fan) is smiling. 

As for us Sunday night Vikings fans... 

I'm watching and am crossing my fingers... but in the end, we know we're still in the playoffs so we'll just see what happens. 

Most fans in the North Central should just be thrilled we have 3 teams with 11+ wins. Crazy!

Hope that no matter what happens,  we can all go into the new week with a positive attitude!

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Had two days of busy photography sessions that were quite a roller coaster of emotions.

Last evening, our undefeated Lady Royals played a tough game against the equally strong Pacelli team. We ended up losing in OT! Heart-breaking. But it's good to play a tough team so we can keep working on our skill-building.

Today I spent the day with my friend and former co-worker Colleen, whose daughter is a freshman at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School and on their gymnastics. I think I first met Elsa when she was in kindergarten or 1st grade. To see her take first in the All-Around Competition today was a treat!

I've always been an Olympics gymnastics junkie, but seeing it in person at a high school level was pretty fun, too.

Now that I'm done with my pictures, I have 2 days of golf to catch up on. 

I know I made the social media cut yesterday. We'll see what else is happening. On a day when we just got into the double digits, I need some warm Hawaiian golf in my life.

Bundle up and be careful out there!

Teeing Off the New Year

This morning was a bit of a rude awakening back into the land of the working. Had to get up to an unheard off alarm AND warm up my car before heading into work. 

And most of the day was spent reminding myself that today was Thursday and tomorrow is already a work-from-home Friday. 

Then there was the start of our company-sponsored golf tournament on Maui. 

I'm not bragging up any self-importance about this tournament, but I did put a lot of hours into writing content (social and otherwise) ahead of time. And now, many of my co-workers are on island and I am sort of "on call" in case they need something written from the Central Time Zone.

As usual, I'm a bit bummed about that. But I usually get a special gift or two from our team, so it somewhat balances out. Not completely, obviously, but since hubby and I have vacationed in that area in the recent past, at least I know what the experience is like!

And now, since the broadcast is on Hawaiian time, I better get to my recliner and oversee things. Or just watch enviable golf in a gorgeous location!

Hope you have time to tune into The Sentry sometime in the coming days!

I May or May Not Resolve...

Since I wrote the column for our January church newsletter, I figured I'd share it here since it definitely has a New Year's theme to it.

I Resolve…

Happy New Year! Did you make your resolutions yet? Without fail, when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, people find themselves committing to becoming better people. In reality, there’s no difference between December 31 and January 1. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight. But society has decided this is the time to make a change.

Common New Year’s resolutions are commitments to quit bad habits, to manage money more wisely, and to spend more time with family. By far, the most common New Year’s resolution (and usually mine) is to lose weight. Fitness centers are packed every January! 

These are all good goals to set. However, 1 Timothy 4:8 instructs us to keep exercise in perspective: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 

In other words, perhaps we should try faith-based resolutions this year – like praying more, reading the Bible every day, or attending church more regularly. Just keep in mind these New Year’s resolutions can fail just as often as the non-spiritual resolutions. 

Why? Because there’s no actual power in declaring a New Year’s resolution. Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation and dedication. 

You might not want to hear this, but that means we still have to do the legwork. We still have to maintain our commitment – even on the tough days. 

The good news, as Philippians 4:13 tells us, is we “can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Maybe if God is the center of our New Year’s resolution, it has a better chance for success. We still must do the work and remain steadfast. But if we rely on God’s strength and guidance to help us, we have a better shot at making it last past the month of January. 

Let’s do it! We all deserve a happy, healthy, and faithful 2025!