Fri 31 Dec

New Years' Eve! My Fitbit alarm didn't go off this morning so Bob didn't get up til 7:00, me right after. Had to get up in the middle of the night and take Sudafed as breathing was becoming labored. I got most of my deep sleep early on before the difficulty set in, so I'm not too badly rested even though I was pretty restless for a large part of the middle section of the night. I'm skipping Yoga today, staying home to do laundry and hopefully start recuperating from the cold. I'm pretty sure it's just a cold, but you never know with the new Omicron variant. I might decide to get tested. Food: 8:00 am 5 small butterhorns (the last of them), 102 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 30 Jan

Bob made our morning coffee with the new Chemex setup that was our Christmas gift from Michael and Taylor. It's very good. We need to perfect our morning routine so we can both have hot coffee at breakfast since it doesn't have a keep-warm ability. It worked well today, but sometimes Bob is down and ready for his coffee sooner than I am, and I don't think I'd like cold coffee. Adjustments will be made as we need. Food: 7:45 am 4 butterhorns, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 29 Dec

Well, Laura's not coming. She backed out when the snow started falling early yesterday afternoon even though, as predicted, it's snowy and clear this morning and I'm sure everything has been plowed. She is concerned about the spread of Omicron even though all of us have been vaccinated and boosted and there would only be five of us including her. I expect she was glad of an excuse. At least we knew before we shopped for stocking stuffers so we didn't bother with hers. Food: 7:55 am 4 butterhorns, 106 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 28 Dec

Let my kouign amann sit for a week before eating it, and even the microwave doesn't really revive it, but it's still tasty even when it's a bit dried out. Been enjoying the butterhorns while they're fresh, but time to eat this up. It was the last of David's pastries since I gave the remainder to Bob while I ate butterhorns, so now we'll need to break into the Costco breakfast treats waiting in the garage fridge. I'll be lucky to stretch my blackberries through next week. Food: 7:50 am Kouign amann, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 27 Dec

I feel like today begins the real run-up to Christmas since we're celebrating with the kids on Wednesday. I need to plan a menu and make sure I have the foodstuffs, check what we have for gifts and stocking stuffers and last-minute shop for any additions. Now it begins. Food: 7:55 am 4 small butterhorns, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 26 Dec

Christmas has come and gone, but not really, since we're celebrating with our nuclear family on Wednesday. The actual days were pretty uneventful except for brunch and church. It was probably the first time I cantored for Christmas services at church by myself. Amy Formella was the substitute accompanist because Sandy Weyers has Co-Vid, and Amy doesn't play regularly so I was in charge of organizing things. All went well and Christmas was duly celebrated. Back to Mass today for Holy Family Sunday. Food: 8:05 am 3 butterhorns, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Christmas Day

Christmas morning. Yesterday did not feel like Christmas Eve once brunch was over. Did laundry and proceeded much like an ordinary day. Will be cantoring at church this morning, so didn't attend Christmas Eve services as usual either. Looking forward to having the kids all here on Wednesday for a meal and gifts. Food: 7:45 am 3 butterhorns, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 24 Dec

Christmas Eve, and Hartmans will be here for brunch in a couple of hours. Baked the butterhorns last night, though I forgot to chop nuts for the top so they are just frosted this year. Having some for my breakfast this morning while they're fresh. Asked David why the milk is scalded in the baking process; he explained that it kills a protein in the milk that interferes with rising, resulting in a finer-textured dough. I knew he would know! He said that originally they didn't really understand why they did it, but it was figured out later. It does result in a nice, fine dough. Food: 8:00 am 3 small butterhorns, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 23 Dec

Got cookie dough prepared but no cookies baked yesterday. Did plan menu for brunch and shop for ingredients. Kathy isn't available to walk this morning, so I plan to make butterhorn dough soon to bake this evening after Bootstrap. Can't wait to see the Yule Log when David delivers it this evening! Food: 8:00 am Gibassier, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 22 Dec

No more goofing off today; must start Christmas preparations in earnest. Need to get the brunch menu finalized and shop for any needed ingredients. Need to make cookie dough and perhaps chocolate peanut clusters. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 21 Dec

Kurt & Barb might stop in today or tomorrow; they're coming to Point to view the new curling facility. We got the fridge cleaned out yesterday evening and it was a pleasure to open the fridge door this morning and see a semblance of organization. Much got tossed, but that happens when you don't keep it cleaned out regularly. There were things in back I had completely forgotten about. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate pecan snail, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 20 Dec

The last week running up to Christmas which will disappear before our very eyes. I want to try to clean out the refrigerator today since Bob hasn't touched it in a long time and it's way overpacked. I need some fridge room for holiday cooking and baking, so it has to be done. Food: 7:55 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 19 Dec

Got a little panicky in the night when I got up to go to the bathroom and realized my Fitbit was no longer on my wrist. Patted all over the bed and couldn't find it. Didn't want to turn on the lights and rouse Bob with my searches. Fortunately, I pulled the top quilt back and jostled it enough that the little green light flashed. It had apparently come off when I tossed the top quilt back in the night. Nice trip to Madison to finish up some shopping yesterday. Dropped Catherine's painting off with Laura who looked thoroughly exhausted. She had tweeted that she had gotten her booster that day, so it may have been a factor in addition to a tough lifting day. Food: 7:55 am Apricot danish, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 18 Dec

Had a really nice evening with Bill and Paddy yesterday. So glad it was just a foursome and not a big party that would have made us uncomfortable. Had a CW Scotch Ale and a generous sip of Paddy's "family whiskey" Tullamore Dew, a bit more alcohol than I would have needed but not so much that I felt ill. Bill made his delicious shrimp scampi, homemade herb bread, salad, and his bourbon chocolate pecan pie. They had bought a box of Frango mints in Christmas decorations that I had never seen, and Paddy insisted we take the rest of the box home with us! David was at the market with a full complement of danish, and I ordered a Yule log from him that he will deliver on Thursday afternoon around 5 pm. I can hardly wait to see it! Food: 9:40 am Blueberry almond danish, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 17 Dec

Did not sleep well last night, from middle of night onward at least. Wasn't overly restless or ruminating on anything, just couldn't release my brain to sleep. Finally took ibuprofen around 3:30 and may have dozed off a bit afterward, but not significantly. Now I'm tired today. Food: 7:50 am Half Costco lemon raspberry muffin, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 16 Dec

Extremely windy night last night, with some windiness remaining. Some thunderstorms and rain as well last night, but mostly wind. Kathy will touch base to let me know if she wants to brave the weather this morning to walk. Don't know if any rain has frozen into icy sidewalks. Food: 7:50 am Half Costco lemon raspberry muffin, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 15 Dec

Ended my sleep with a stressful dream, so not feeling altogether pleasant upon waking. Got some errands completed yesterday evening and topped it off with dinner at El Mezcal. Unfortunately my scale noticed. Food: 7:45 am Half Costco lemon raspberry muffin, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 14 Dec

Was initially disappointed to see that my computer had automatically updated last night, because when Bob's updated, it lost the ability to support his photo screensaver/desktop. I thought I was doomed to no photo slideshows while I run indoors until Apple fixed the problem. However, when the update screen finished, it opened to my photo slideshow and my desktop picture was still in place. Hopefully that's a good sign. Food: 8:00 am Half Costco lemon raspberry muffin, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 13 Dec

Can't believe Christmas is coming so quickly, though of course, it always does. It's nice that as you get older, it seems I don't have as much compulsion to make a perfect holiday celebration. I guess I realize now how quickly it is over and it doesn't seem worth the stress to over-prepare. I still am enjoying the tree, and I want to make my sugar cookies for sure. We have some gifts ready, and I'll probably cook the duck on the rotisserie if it's just Bob and I for Christmas Day dinner. Laura has suggested that she might drive up for the day one day between Christmas and New Year's if Michael and Taylor are going to be around, so we'll plan a dinner/celebration when that's scheduled, but they'll have input into the meal and plans. Food: 7:50 am Costco cinnamon bread, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 12 Dec

Today's the day to put up the Christmas tree after church. Packers don't play til evening so they won't be a distraction. Time to get it done. Nice tromp through the snow at Schmeeckle yesterday, but it was exhausting! Food: 8:00 am Costco cinnamon loaf, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 11 Dec

Decided not to walk to the Farmer's Market this morning. There's about 7 inches total of snow down after the last couple of days, and my guess is that David will have decided early this week not to bake and attempt the markets in the face of the prediction of a major winter storm. Sigh. Food: 8:00 am Small piece Costco cinnamon loaf, 1 pc string cheese, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 10 Dec

Big snow isn't expected to start til this afternoon, so no good excuse not to go to Yoga this morning. Laundry should fill out the day. Food: 7:50 am Costco cinnamon roll, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 9 Dec

Forgot to watch the Holy Day mass at 6:30 but remembered it as I was getting ready for bed after 9, so came downstairs and watched Fr. Tom online and managed to stay awake. Glad I did. Planning a walk with Kathy today that may be abbreviated if she still is feeling fatigued. She got the cold that we had and is still in the last stages, plus she had a long day yesterday supporting her MIL at the doctor. Didn't snack at all yesterday (which was a bit stressful), but the scale did head back downward a little so I'll try to keep it up for awhile. Food: 7:50 am Costco cinnamon roll, 105 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 8 Dec

8° this morning, but at least no wind. I guess I can motivate to go out to the gym for Pump. Monday was so cold and windy, I couldn't quite face going out for Pilates. My scale is upwardly trending, so I really need to exercise and cut back on food. I have done Jessica Smith routines the last couple of days in addition to getting my steps, but I need to be a bit more serious. Food: 7:55 am Costco cinnamon roll, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 7 Dec

Coldest night so far last night. Fell asleep with the electric mattress pad on full and woke up too warm, so I turned it off. In the wee hours, I woke up chilled and had to turn it back on and adjust it to a level that was warm enough without overheating me. Getting a massage this morning which should feel really good. Feeling a little sore in the upper back area, so a massage will be welcome. Food: 7:55 am Costco cinnamon roll, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 6 Dec

Very nice trip to Door Co for the long weekend. Got Renard's string cheese, Valmy meat spread and many other goodies. The Christkindlmarkt was delightful, just the right size and the food there was outstanding. I had expected just brats and pretzels, but they had a selection of actual meals. We ate the one offered by Your Guest Chef out of the Fox Valley: Austrian stew over kasespaetzle, red cabbage, and sachertorte cupcakes. There were huge chunks of meat in the stew - I had one chunk that must have been at least 3 oz just by itself! Food: 7:55 am White Gull Inn cinnamon roll, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 3 Dec

Heading up to Door Co for the weekend for the first annual Christkindlmarkt in Sister Bay and some nice relaxation. Maybe there will be less folks so we can breakfast at the White Gull. And I can pick up Renard's string cheese on the return trip! Food: 7:55 am Costco cinnamon butter pound cake, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 2 Dec

No walk with Kathy this morning as she has come down with "the cold". At least I'm pretty sure I didn't give it to her as I haven't walked with her for several weeks, I believe since before I got it. Gives me more time to do the laundry this morning before Bootstrap. Food: 7:50 am Costco cinnamon butter loaf, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 1 Dec

Excellent "Thanksgiving" celebration with Michael and Taylor yesterday evening. Taylor made a delicious ragout with vegan sausage, homemade tomato sauce and chicken stock, that she simmered all afternoon. We shared the Diamond bottle of wine from TJs and good conversation. Nice evening. Planning to go to Body Pump today for the first time since my injury. Food: 7:50 am Almond kringle, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 30 Nov

Having Thanksgiving with the kids tonight. Taylor is doing the cooking - non-traditional, and all I have to make is cranberry pudding pie. I have a little over 100 pages left to finish the new Outlander book, and then it needs to be returned to the library today. Food: 7:55 am Almond kringle, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 29 Nov

Forgot to watch the Packers yesterday, but they won anyway. Will have to watch the highlight reel to catch up. Got further in the Outlander book, but it's still unlikely I can finish it by tomorrow. Maybe if I read really a lot today and early tomorrow and don't return it until the afternoon, it's possible, though I doubt it. Food: 8:00 am Almond kringle, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 28 Nov

First Sunday of Advent. Got to spend real time with Laura yesterday, though Bob was the one who spent close time with her fixing things on her house while I stayed on her couch and got some reading done on the new Gabaldon book. We shared sushi lunch and pizza supper with her and got to get better acquainted with her cats. Also squeezed in a TJs run before she was done lifting so we got some of their winter coffees, some more peppermint meringues, and an explanation of why the large meringues were absent (supply chain, labor shortages) but assurances that they will return. Bought several bottles of wine there, including a Diamond cabernet sauvignon that should be something special. Food: 7:55 am Almond kringle, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 27 Nov

Planning to drive down to Madison today to help Laura with getting her house fixed up for sale. Will walk to the Farmer's Market first. David wasn't at the market, so we resorted to the Costco cinnnamon butter loaf which is still just fine. Was able to get eggs and carrots, so the trip was not in vain. Food: 8:55 am Costco cinnamon butter loaf, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 26 Nov

Delicious kouign amann from Patisserie 46, the last of their wonderful pastries for now. Going to try to do lots of laundry and make turkey soup today. Probably not going to yoga, just stay home and spend time with Bob. Also I need to read a lot as I have to return the new Gabaldon book on Tuesday, though he did say if I bring it back with another dollar, I can keep it another week if I haven't finished it. I'm only about 25% of the way through, if that, at this point in time and we're going to Madison to help Laura with her house tomorrow. Food: 8:00 am Kouign amann, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just watched some great dance numbers from Chicago! on the Macy's parade. Will start prep soon for the turkey dinner for just Bob and me today. Going to Laura's on Saturday to help with home repairs in prep for selling her adorable house which has become too much for her; she'll look for a condo closer to campus. Food: 8:10 am Chocolate almond croissant, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 24 Nov

French patisserie for breaksfast, warmer temps on forecast for today (only), and a haircut this afternoon. Food: 7:50 am Brioche cinnamon roll, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 23 Nov

Had a really good sleep last night; didn't wake even once to pee. And without medication for breathing. Nothing on the schedule today, except maybe an Aldi run this evening to get celery for the stuffing. Food: 8:10 am Bear claw, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 22 Nov

Had a really nice little trip to Mpls/St Paul. On Thurs, we stayed at an older Best Western, very well kept-up, on the west end of 494. We lunched at the Finnish Bistro, shopped at the little store next door where I chatted with a woman who was also a Baking Show afficionado. She told us about a couple of excellent French patisseries in the cities and gave us addresses. We went to IKEA after lunch, wandered through the store, and bought 3 dining room chairs to replace the bench. Couldn't get the same stain, so we had to go with black; we'll alternate chairs on each side. New chair cushions, too, that are a better match for the flooring. We also found a new flannel duvet cover for the bed. Hit Costco near the hotel on the way back before checking in. Had just enough time to do Duo before leaving for our reservations at Broder's. Thought we had left enough time, but heavy traffic on the Crosstown made us a couple of minutes late - not a problem. Had a wonderful meal there with wine from the Ercole region (we toasted Pat D'Ercole!), delicious spinach ricotta gnocchi with excellent sauce and vegetables for me and pasta for Bob. Had a wonderful panna cotta with pomegranate and toasted orange peel shreds to finish off. Had a lovely time with Kurt and Barb on Sat/Sun. Barb made delicious oatmeal and a great fruit salad for our breakfast. Took a long walk around the new development on the old Ford grounds to see the progress since our last visit. Took another long walk afterward downtown to check out the new project in the old Dayton's space and look at how downtown had radically changed to a more residential area with lots of apartments, mostly inhabited by the younger people. Had a great lunch at a food court-type building and got tons of steps for the day. Watched Kurt and Barb curl on Fri night and watched some of the curling Olympic trials competitions at their house. After Lumen Christi on Saturday (more walking!), we went to a Mexican restaurant, Casa Maria, with Kurt and Barb for dinner. Sunday Barb made us multigrain blueberry pancakes. Barb and I took a neighborhood walk before we left. We did a quick stop-in at Woodbury Costco to pick up dishes that were out of stock at the other Costco as well as toilet paper. Food: 8:00 am Pulla cinnamon roll, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 18 Nov

Michael stopped over yesterday evening and we were able to have a nice visit. I sent home some freshly made cranberry chutney and the kitchen twine. He actually came to borrow some garlic, so he took home a few cloves since I didn't have even a full head left. Heading out to Mpls today; staying at a Best Western by the Costco west of 494 tonight and with Kurt and Barb Fri and Sat nights. Reservations for dinner at Broder's Pasta Bar tonight. Will watch Kurt & Barb curl tomorrow. Food: 7:00 am Chocolate croissant, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 17 Nov

Another night where Fitbit says I slept much better than I felt that I did. Apparently I get quite a lot of deep sleep in right away, then even if I'm very restless (as I was) in the middle, it still works out to a decent sleep. It's probably true, because I don't feel ill-rested in spite of the restlessness. The 12-hour Sudafed keeps me breathing freely in spite of changing positions frequently. Food: 8:00 am Kouign amann, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 16 Nov

Losing track of days somehow this week. Someone rang the doorbell around 3 pm yesterday and I panicked and thought it was already Wednesday and Trevor was bringing my soup. It was just a solicitation for a home improvement company. Shoulder continues to improve, and almost no residual soreness at the injection site on the left shoulder. Cold is still there, but gradually getting better. Food: 7:50 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 15 Nov

It appears that neither of us have had any major reactions to the booster vaccine beyond some soreness at the injection site. Bob had a bout of diarrhea yesterday afternoon, but that happens to him periodically so it's hard to know if he just ate too many mangos. We stayed home yesterday except for church and had a very quiet afternoon, so there weren't too many demands on our energy. Food: 7:50 am Apricot danish, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 14 Nov

It's a winter wonderland! We probably got at least 3 inches of snow last night with some light flakes still drifting down. The first snowfall of the winter is always so pretty. My shoulder was sore at the injection site last night before bed and got a little worse in the night. I took ibuprofen because the other shoulder was sore as well, and this morning I'm feeling pretty good. T'would be nice if that was the worst of the effects from the booster. Food: 7:50 am Cheese danish, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 13 Nov

Leone is 101 today! Plan to pick up a birthday balloon soon and drop it off with her little gifts. We also both get our Pfizer booster shots today. No other weekend plans in case we get reactions to the shots. Food: 9:15 am Blueberry almond danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 12 Nov

Took Sudafed 12-hour last night and slept ever so much better! Now I feel it starting to get to the runny stage, which is good because it's progressing toward the end. I'll be ready to be done as soon as it is. On a good note, my arm is considerably better at 6 weeks out. Food: 8:00 am Honey bear, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 11 Nov

I'm choosing to skip my walk with Kathy today as there's a large rainy weather system over our area with rain expected at 85% or better probability all morning. My cold is worse and I don't think it would do me any good to be walking in the rain. Temps aren't bad, up around 50°, but it still doesn't sound like a good prospect. Food: 7:45 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 10 Nov

Cold is a little worse, maybe at the peak from which it might descend. Must say that it isn't nearly as bad a cold as past years, just a little drainage. I really can't complain. Food: 7:55 am Kouign amann, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 9 Nov

Massage today; should be good for my arm. It's a bit sore last night and today, but I held a full plank in Pilates yesterday a couple of times so it was well-used. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 8 Nov

Nice drive to Madison after church yesterday. Was very pleased to get two new beautiful colors of merino shirts at Costco as well as some merino blend socks. Had to wait an eternity for lunch at La Brioche as the sushi place was apparently not open on Sundays. Lunch was good, but we waited 25 min for a table and probably at least that long for our food to be served. We didn't have time for the full circle bluff hike at Devil's Lake, so we did the Tumbled Rocks trail out and back so we wouldn't run out of light. We stopped at Cimaroli's on the way home since it wasn't far out of the way, and I thoroughly enjoyed a brandy old fashioned, flank steak, perfectly cooked acorn squash, and a grasshopper. In contrast to lunch, we got a table immediately and had our food at Cimaroli's almost immediately on the tails of the old fashioned being served. Food: 7:55 am Apricot danish, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 7 Nov

New toilet is in place but Bob still needs to make some adjustments. It worked for me so I am okay with it. Hoping to drive down to Madison after 8 am cantoring to do a quick Costco run, then hike at Devil's Lake. Food: 6:25 am Cheese danish, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 6 Nov

First winter market at the Boys/Girls Club. We get a few extra steps because you have to walk around the building to the back entrance past the Rec Center. David promised eclairs next week now that they are indoors and more climate controlled, as well as cooler temps for transport to his other markets. Bob plands to install the new toilet and bidet seat in the upstairs bathroom today. We'll see how smoothly that goes. Food: 9:10 am Pumpkin danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 5 Nov

Busy day today with laundry plus a bone density scan and mammogram and remembering to pick up Hmong sampler dinner from Farmshed. Sleep was a little disturbed due to Bob's snoring with his nasal congestion. He was going strong a little after 2 when I woke up, so I couldn't fall back to sleep for the noise. Didn't want to disturb him as he needs the sleep to get over his cold; took him about 45 min to rouse himself to turn over and stop the noise. My legs were restless and achy so I had to do ibuprofen to settle back down for the remainder of the night. Food: 7:55 am Trig's caramel roll, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 4 Nov

Bob is already playing Animal Crossing as the new release apparently dropped a day early. I have seriously let him know that I do not want any information from him on what new things he discovers; we'll see how that goes. I may check it out when I get back from my walk with Kathy. Food: 7:50 am Trig's caramel roll, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 3 Nov

Today's the day to buy an Aldi wine advent calendar (to supplement the Costco wine advent calendar we already bought!) When I was a kid, Advent was a time to give up something to prepare yourself for Christmas. Now with the onset of every type of Advent calendar, it has evolved into a time to treat yourself every day in preparation to gorge on Christmas. Hmmm. Something has been lost in translation. Food: 8:00 am Pumpkin muffin, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 2 Nov

The weather has definitely taken a turn toward November. Morning temps are 30° today, due to be even colder to come. Daytime highs are lucky to reach 50° and possibly not even 40° soon. Time to bring out the warmer clothes and hunker down a bit. Food: 7:55 am Cranberry orange fritter, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 1 Nov

Had 129 kids for Trick or Treat yesterday. Slowed down considerably by 7:15, so we kind of gave up and shut things down. I got tired of hopping up and down throughout my dinner and my back was starting to protest the jumping up all the time, so I asked Bob to finish off. He hung around for about 10 min with no takers, so we shut it down. Food: 8:00 am Frosted coconut bismarck, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Halloween

Had a very nice day yesterday. Drove up to Timm's Hill, had crab paninis at Hill of Beans, had a lovely hike, and stopped at Trig's in Tomahawk to pick up bakery for the remainder of the week. This morning, I'm having a cinnamon roll from Hill of Beans. Food: 8:00 am Cinnamon roll, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 30 Oct

No David at the Market this morning. Have to make do with the last of the Costco pumpkin muffins and maybe buy some Trig's caramel rolls and other goodies. Food: 9:00 am Costco pumpkin muffin, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 29 Oct

Over-used my arm at Bootstrap again and was quite sore afterward. Needed both doses of ibuprofen last night to sleep and used some ibuprofen gel on the arm this morning. Progress continues, but slowly. Yoga and laundry today. Food: 7:50 am Honey bear, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 26 Oct

Cool, clear morning, temps at 30°, sunshine. Feeling a little fuzzy-brained this morning for some reason; hopefully it will clear soon. Food: 8:15 am Apricot danish, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 25 Oct

Chilly morning at 39°; fireplace feels good. Got in some hiking both days this weekend: Ice Age Aniwa on Saturday and Hartman's Creek on Sunday. Good to make use of the possible hiking weather while we still have it. Food: 7:55 am Pumpkin danish, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 24 Oct

Slept hard and deep last night. Took ibuprofen before bed mostly because my legs were sore from hiking at Ice Age Trail. It was a nice hike; it's always good to get out in the woods as much as possible now to store up memories for the long winter. Food: 8:00 am Blueberry almond danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 23 Oct

Michael texted Bob to remind us that tomorrow is their first wedding anniversary. Sad to say we probably wouldn't have remembered. It's on the calendar now for this year and next year. Food: 9:15 am Cherry danish, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 22 Oct

Chilly morning today, temps at 30°. Feels October-y. Planning to go to Yoga at 10:15. Arm continues to improve. Food: 8:00 am Costcto pumpkin muffin, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 21 Oct

Rainy morning, no walk with Kathy today as she has a friend visiting. Normal Bootstrap afternoon scheduled. Food: 7:55 am Costco pumpkin muffin, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 20 Oct

Warmer this morning than the last couple of days, though the day should be similar temps. Rain coming in the afternoon. Better try to get out and walk in the morning. Food: 7:55 am Morning bun, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 19 Oct

Slept really well last night so feeling quite rested this morning. Arm seems to be functioning better and better, no ill effects from taking Pilates yesterday. Maybe I'll try some resistance band exercises today to work on increasing strength and stamina. Food: 7:55 am Costco pumpkin muffin, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 18 Oct

Thinking about the possibility of trying Pilates this morning. We'll see how I feel close to 10 am, but I've booked it just in case. I'll just tell Robyn about my injury and intent to modify whenever necessary. It'll be awhile before I can return to Pump until I can lift any amount of weight at full range, but Pilates and Yoga may be okay. Food: 8:10 am Costco pumpkin streusel muffin, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 17 Oct

Very nice but very full day yesterday. Walked to Farmer's Market, drove to Madison where we lunched with Laura, did TJs and Costco, and drove home to walk 6 miles at the Moon Walk. I was restless in sleep the first half of the night, but settled toward the second half so I'm sufficiently rested this morning. Cantor at 10:30 today, a much more reasonable hour. Food: 8:10 am Morning bun, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 16 Oct

Walk to the Farmer's Market this morning. Got eggs and fish, but no David. Too windy/chilly to walk on to the RBG mural; we'll save that for another day. We'll eat breakfast and head out to Madison, dropping off the Costco jackets at church so we don't have to carry them tomorrow. We'll have lunch with Laura, do Costco and TJs, and try to get back by 5:30 to do the Moon Walk this evening. Food: 8:45 am Piggly Wiggly chocolate croissant, 80 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 15 Oct

Definitely getting cooler outdoors now, with a morning temp now of 41°. Bedroom got down to 64° by morning, making it more of a challenge to get out of bed as I was resting comfortably. Food: 8:00 am Costco butter cinnamon loaf, 78 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 14 Oct

Today would be my ex's 70th birthday; weird that I remembered. Chilly enough this morning to try out my new "birthday" flannel shirt from Vermont Flannel. I love it! Food: 8:05 am Chocolate croissant, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 13 Oct

Dentist appointments this afternoon at 3, rescheduled from a couple of months ago when we somehow didn't have them on the calendar and weren't prepared to go at the last minute. Trevor will make a point of getting my soup delivered before I have to leave. Food: 8:00 am Kouign amann, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 12 Oct

Arm's a bit sorer last night, probably because I didn't do any daytime ibuprofen at all. Took a dose this morning along with some CBD cream, and I get a massage at 10:30 this morning. Looking forward to feeling pretty good again afterward. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate pecan swirl, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 11 Oct

Arm is continuing to be more and more useful and less and less painful, though still a ways to go. Restful day today, but then something on the schedule every day for the remainder of the week. Food: 8:05 am Apricot danish, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 10 Oct

Haven't gotten up this early (5:30) for awhile, but I have to cantor at 8:00 am Mass today. Fitbit says I slept poorly, but it didn't seem that bad to me. Food: 6:35 am Caramel apple danish, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 9 Oct

Damp, foggy morning but not uncomfortable. Good to get our pastries and a morning walk. Food: 8:55 am Raspberry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 8 Oct

Wow, the year iswaning fast! Arm's a bit sorer this morning, overused it yesterday. Got laundry to do today, so that should be interesting. Food: 7:55 am Caramel pecan roll, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 7 Oct

Slept pretty well and shoulder seems a bit better again, though I overused it a bit drying my hair so it's temporarily sore. We'll see how I hold up to a full day of Bootstrap. Food: 8:05 am Caramel pecan roll, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 6 Oct

Shoulder is a bit worse this morning, and I took so much ibuprofen yesterday that I feel I need to wait til afternoon for another dose. I did slather up with CBD cream this morning though. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate croissant, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 5 Oct

Shoulder continues to slowly improve; I could move the arm higher this morning in bed than previously and I'm using both hands for more and more tasks. Still needing to take ibuprofen pretty regularly or I notice the soreness creeping back in. Food: 8:00 am Caramel pecan roll, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 4 Oct

Things continue to improve with my arm/shoulder. Had a lovely long visit with Michael yesterday afternoon. Got to watch a whole Packer game and they won. And the weekend in Door County was wonderful! What a lucky gal I am! Food: 8:05 am Caramel pecan roll, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Fri Oct 1

October is here! Still quite a warm day today, in fact I'm back to shorts. Arm is a little better today. Will not skimp on ibuprofen again soon. Too early to wean off. Food: 8:05 am Costco butter cinnamon loaf, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 30 Sept

Arm is a little downhill today. Should have taken ibuprofen yesterday afternoon but didn't. Arm got really tired by evening. Will definitely take a dose before Bootstrap today. Food: 7:50 am Costco butter cinnamon loaf, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 29 Sept

Continuing to see improvement in the shoulder/arm every day. Massage from Mary felt wonderful and she gave me good insights as well. Am returning in two weeks for another dose. Food: 8:10 am 2 cider donuts, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 28 Sept

Arm/shoulder continues to improve, but still a ways to go. Shower went better this morning. I don't take ibuprofen or anythimg at bedtime til I wake up feeling soreness. That didn't happen til after 5:00 but I needed CBD cream as well. Food: 8:05 am 2 cider donuts, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Mon Sept 27

Opted out of a shower this morning as I'm just home today and my hair still feels pretty clean. The rest of the grooming routine and getting dressed takes enough energy as it is. Also reminding myself to squat when I bend down for things. I had been bending from the waist because I was so focused on my arm/shoulder that I was actually making it more difficult. Food: 7:50 am Chocolate knot, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 26 Sept

All in all, it was a good trip to the North Shore, Color was close to peak, thoygh not as intense as last year. The cottage at MacArthur's was small and simple, but met all our needs. We had a couple of days of amazing weather, and when it rained, it was at convenient times to hunker down at the cabin. Down side was that I took a tumble hitting my foot on some uneven sidewalk returning from downtown and blanded mostly on my right shoulder which has left me with some temporary incapacities. Showering this morning was an exhausting activity. Yesterday I didn't even attempt it. Food: 8:35 am Chocolate knot, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 19 Sept

Here we go! Off to the North Shore for leaf-peeping and hiking and a week of relaxation. Looking forward to a new cottage to try, hoping it will be fun and pleasant. So delighted that my Decatholon merino hiking gloves and new shirt arrived ahead of schedule so I can take them with me on the trip. And when we return, I'll have pumpkin spice coffee to look forward to! Food: 6:35 am Cherry danish, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 18 Sept

Lovely autumnal morning to walk to the Market. Cole told us that the winter market will be at the Boys and Girls Club on Michigan Ave this year so we can walk there also when weather permits. Food: 9:00 am Mixed berry Antwerp square, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 17 Sept

Bob continues to catch mice most every night. God only knows how many of them we have in the house. I was proud of myself for managing to fix the buckle on my favorite belt bag yesterday. I found a replacement buckle at Fleet Farm and managed to attach it, hopefully securely. Food: 7:55 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 16 Sept

More sunshine and pleasant temps today - lovely entry into fall. Still no walk with Kathy as she is playing it safe at home, but she tests again tomorrow and expects it will be negative. Food: 7:55 am Kouign amann, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 15 Sept

Looks like a lovely sunny day today. Unfortunately the fairly large bugs decided it was a good day to shelter in my bathroom. Disturbed a large centipede when I moved my scale to use it and found a large hornet on the inside of the screen in the window. Food: 8:05 am Caramel apple danish, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 14 Sept

Quite a bit of rain in the night, good since I haven't been conscientious about watering the plants outside. Now I can forget about it again for awhile. Food: 7:45 am Apricot danish, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 13 Sept

Brisk, cool morning with sunshine. Potential hiking days Tues, Wed or Thurs. Didn't get out to Hartman's Creek yesterday, mostly due to a misunderstanding. Bob didn't seem interested when I initially mentioned it so I left him to his own devices, not realizing that he had packed his gear and then noticed I was doing Duo so said nothing. By the time we straightened it out, it was really a bit late so we tried a walk to the back of Schmeeckle which we aborted part way due to a few rain drops that didn't increase after all. Food: 8:00 am Cheese danish, 105 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 12 Sept

Walk for Hope went very well yesterday, and it was a beautiful end-of-summer day. We had grilled German brats (which seem pretty indistinguishable from hot dogs, if you ask me), potato salad, and corn-on-the-cob for dinner. Summer marches on! Food: 7:50 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 11 Sept

Beautiful morning to walk to the Farmer's Market and load up on pastries for the week. David was there, not having slept since he got up at 7 am yesterday. He wasn't too chatty, understandably so. Food: 7:55 am Mixed berry Antwerp square, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 10 Sept

Beautiful, sunny, cool temps weather continues. We are so blessed. Should be able to hang my laundry on the line today. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 9 Sept

No walk with Kathy today; she's staying in because John tested positive for Co-Vid. He's just mildly ill at this point, and we pray that the vaccine helps to keep it that way. Kathy tested negative, but is sleeping in a separate room and will probably get re-tested soon to make sure. Got my new Allbirds yesterday in a deep red that I absolutely love. Also got my new iPad and watched an episode of GBBS with exceptional quality and no glitches. Also it's the same size as the old Fire so it fits perfectly into the old case! Food: 7:55 am Kouign amann, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 8 Sept

Weird dreams last night of driving off a steep cliff and being aware during the fall (never took it to the end). Also more dreams about Simon and Bess, very sad. It will be good to see how the authors resolve the difficulties of getting them together happily. I can only see the obstacles at this point. Food: 8:00 am Caramel apple danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 7 Sept

Need to make real progress in my new Bess book as I didn't sleep well most of last night trying to figure out how Bess and Simon could make it work with their relationship. Amazing how caught up I can find myself in the lives of fictional characters that I have come to care about. Had a wonderful hike yesterday finally discovering Timm's Hill west of Tomahawk. Unfortunately the good restaurant near the park is only open Wed-Sun and yesterday was a Monday so they were closed. We found a bar and grill in Tomahawk with outdoor tables where we had a good dinner at the end of the hike, sustaining ourselves with granola bars and trail mix for "lunch". Food: 7:45 am Apricot danish, 108 g blackberries (starting to mold), coffee

Mon 6 Sept

Had a wonderful weekend in Minneapolis and a great birthday. Kurt and Barb took us to a fun place, the Sample House, for dinner. Had a really good burger and excellent fries w/parmesan. Let Bob eat some, but had to tell him to stop 3 times because he thought he could eat them all. Got birthday texts from both of my children! Michael's was at bedtime because his phone was dead all day and he was out on the lake with Taylor's family. Laura's came on the drive to Mpls and was very pleasant. It was great to get back to the Fair this year. It was quite uncrowded when we got there around 9 am. No line at the crepe place! They didn't have asparagus this year, but we had mushroom and Swiss crepes that were equally delicious. I had Island Coleslaw w/teriyaki chicken at lunch which was a bed of three huge scoops of coleslaw with little pieces of chicken and sauce laid across the middle. I tried mightily and shared some with Bob, but I just couldn't eat that much coleslaw, even though it was very good with mandarin oranges and pea pods mixed in. Nitro ice cream with hot fudge was dessert. The only other food we indulged in was the bucket of Sweet Martha's cookies to bring home. We got all fresh cookies in ours, so I indulged in probably half a dozen before I put them aside, but I might have eaten a few more in the car on the way home. We stopped at Costco on the way out of town to get glucosamine and chocolate cupcakes for my birthday. Fell into bed just past 8:30 last night from exhaustion from walking around the fair. Close to 20,000 steps on the day after a similar count the day before from a walk with Kurt and Barb and a walk to church. Didn't get up this morning til about 7:15 am. Feeling more normal today. Food: 8:10 am Cherry danish, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 3 Sept

One last day to be 65. It's been quite a good year in most ways, culminated by this excellent vacation trip to Maine and Vermont. To the best of my knowledge, our whole family has managed to avoid contracting Co-Vid and they have all been extremely sensible in their prevention efforts. I thank God for watching over us and keeping us safe. Food: 7:50 am 2 slices Costco butter cinnamon loaf, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 2 Sept

Busy day today. Walk with Kathy, meeting for Walk for Hope, early extra Bootstrap shift plus normal shift. I'll likely be tired by the end of this day. Food: 7:45 am 2 slices Costco butter cinnamon loaf, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 1 Sept

Finished my very satisfying Wrexford and Sloane book last night. Ready to launch into the new Bess Crawford book today! Enjoying being back home and cooking and eating more normally. Had a good massage from Mary yesterday, back to Pump today. Food: 7:55 am Costco cinnamon loaf (2 slices), 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 31 Aug

Gotta walk to the library again today to renew my library card. Who knew it expires? The librarian told me it needs to renew every 4 years, but I don't ever remember having to renew it before. All I need to do is show them my ID and it should be done for another 4 years, so it's not really that much of a bother. If I regularly carried my ID, I could have taken care of it when I picked up my book yesterday. Food: 7:55 am 2 slices Costco butter cinnamon pound cake, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 30 Aug

Back home from a wonderful vacation! Safe and reasonably comfortable travels in our little Prius C with good gas mileage thrown in the bargain. Sufficient room for all our stuff and enough for a Costco run on the return trip. All the Hotwire hotels were satisfactory, a cut above what cheap hotels used to be. Had a really good oatmeal/eggs/sausage/pancakes breakfast at Tru in Elkhart, IN where I had my first exposure to a countertop machine that made the pancakes to order on a little conveyor belt. The breakfast bar attendant said people have been videoing the machine ever since they got it. Lots of good hikes in Acadia and in Vermont, but this will go on record as the sweatiest vacation ever! Temperatures weren't too high til it reached 90° the last couple of days in Vermont, but the humidity must have been in the upper 90s most every day. As soon as you reached even a slight uphill or challenging hiking surface, you'd start sweating and never stop. I would spend all day with my underneath layer soggy with sweat. The merino shirt kept it from irritating my skin, but I could feel it was wet if I touched it, and my cotton underwear never dried out all day. Food: 7:55 am Cinnamon roll, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 14 Aug

Today's the day! We head out on a road trip for the first time in a long time. I think we are quite well-prepared, but I'll find out what I've forgotten as we go. Since we'll be stateside in pretty well settled areas the whole time, it shouldn't be too difficult to replace any forgotten items.

Fri 13 Aug

Sunny, temps of 58°, humidity is still 89% but supposed to fall and remain lower over the next few days. Feels wonderful at the moment. Today is the day to finish laundry, start putting things into the car, deliver John's raffle prize to Michelle, two gym classes - busy day. Food: 7:55 am Honey bear, 75 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 12 Aug

Humidity is slightly lower this morning at 85%, and it's gone down a couple of points since I first looked. Doesn't feel as oppressive. Nice. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate croissant, 77 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 11 Aug

Once again we start the day with very high humidity, 96% today. It will be nice when that drops back into tolerable ranges. Making slow, steady progress on trip prep, but could stand to kick it up a notch today. Food: 7:50 am Cheese danish, 77 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 10 Aug

High humidity again today, at least I think 99% is pretty high. Hope it decreases some through the day. I plan to wash my merino today and hopefully finish cleaning out the car. Food: 8:15 am Chocolate pecan pinwheel, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 9 Aug

Michael and Taylor came over for dinner last night and brought a faux Olive Garder Tuscano soup that was quite delicious. I cut up the orangedew melon and mixed with some of the organic blueberries and mint. Bob is helping Michael put in the bathroom floor so it seemed good to eat together when they were ready to break. I had originally suggested getting Ski's brats, but Taylor had already started the soup. Food: 7:50 am Blueberry coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 8 Aug

Rain. Much rain. We drove to Madison yesterday through a couple of real downpours and quite a bit of regular rain. It held off while we were moving around outside. We were able to eat outdoors at Daisy Cafe with Laura because they had umbrellas over the tables and we were under a fairly large tree. Had a nice visit and picked up a few things from the stores. Food: 8:00 am Kouign amann, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 7 Aug

Made it to the Farmer's Market and back without getting rained on, but it felt close. Got a full complement of pastries for the week. After breakfast, we'll drive down to Madison for lunch with Laura and restocking what we need for the week. Don't think we need much for travel, but it doesn't hurt to look. Food: 8:40 am Antwerp square mixed berry, 62 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 6 Aug

Having a "don' wannna wake up!" day today. Doesn't happen often fortunately cos' it's hard to shake. Temp is 67° but humidity is at 94% at the moment, not good. Food: 7:55 am Honey bear, 70 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 5 Aug

Hazy and 66° this morning. We are getting residual smoke from Canadian wildfires, messing with the air quality. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 4 Aug

Had a really nice dinner at El Mexcal on the patio after hiking Schmeeckle last night. Margaritas and enchiladas rancheras. Yum! Got my toiletries for the trip sorted and went through all the bags at the end of the upstairs hall to get rid of things that were mostly used up or too old and sort the items into bags by category for later use. Food: 7:55 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 3 Aug

Weather has been remaining less hot and somewhat less humid. Walks were just in the neighborhood or to the library yesterday as Bob didn't feel like going to Schmeeckle yesterday evening and I already had my daily quota. We did go to Target to get a couple of travel items. I stopped at TJ Maxx after Pilates and found a really nice little organizer to use in the car. It is actually designed to go in a larger purse to keep items that may only be needed daytime or evening so the purse can be used at both times without carrying excess items, but it will work well to separate and hold a number of small items that may be useful in the car. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 2 Aug

Sunny and 58°, feels like a pleasant day. Yesterday was delightful, but both Bob and I were really tired. Might have been a reaction to the longer hike, partially in the rain, on Saturday. Who knows? We just did a Schmeeckle hike instead of something more intense since we both lacked energy. Food: 8:00 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 1 Aug

Wow, August already! Added the travel directions to the trip itinerary yesterday and looked at some activity options with Bob. Ordered a waterproof topo map of trails in Acadia which should arrive on Tuesday. Getting more excited now that it is approaching. Had a good hike at the Ice Age segment near Aniwa, but got caught in a substantial rain (with thunder and distant lightning) in about the last quarter of the hike so we were quite wet. Haven't done that for awhile, and since it wasn't cold, it wasn't a problem. Food: 8:05 am Caramel chocolate pecan roll, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 31 Jul

Humidity's back up to 83% which would explain why we got sweaty walking home from the Farmer's Market. Might still be okay to hike in the woods this afternoon if the temperature stays reasonable. It's 66° at 8:45 am and I don't think it's supposed to get out of the 70s today. Saw Emma selling pastries at the market today; nice to chat with her. Food: 8:45 am Antwerp square, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 30 Jul

Happy Birthday, Mama! She would have been 105 today. Lovely sunny day, 60°, humidity feels reasonable. Nice. Food: 7:50 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 29 Jul

Fortunately the big thunderstorms missed us to the north last night; we only got the very edge with some rain and wind. I could watch a constant light show to the north through the bedroom window before falling asleep. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 28 Jul

Had a sort of dream about having to leave my phone with a bunch of others and then identify it. It got me thinking to how easy my passcode would be for someone to guess and to decide I needed to change it, so I promptly did so this morning. Now I have to hope I can remember the new one as it's not tied to any date or event. I have my physical this morning, so no breakfast til after labs. If labs go quickly, there may be enough time to run home and eat, but it's not likely til after the physical. Food: 9:20 am Blueberry danish, 68 g blackberries

Tues 27 Jul

Thunderstorms and lots of rain in the night, continuing on into this morning. Temps a little cooler for now. Won't need to water plants for awhile again. Food: 8:00 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 26 Jul

Summer is sliding away, just three weeks til we leave on vacation. When we get back, a week til the Fair, and then summer is for all intents and purposes, over. Right now, it's still steeped in warm weather so it's hard to feel it starting to move to the end, but you know it's coming. Food: 7:55 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 25 Jul

Had a lovely time in Madison yesterday. A very nice lunch with Laura, behaving as if nothing was ever any different and she hadn't gone several months ignoring my emails and texts. We said nothing about it and had a good time. I need to let it go. Bob and I had a really nice dinner at Lombardino's before heading home, with Aperol spritzes. I had a delicious ricotta gnocchi with asparagus and pecorino romano cream sauce, and Bob had an asparagus/mushroom pizza, half of which he brought home. Food: 8:00 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 24 Jul

Looking forward to having lunch with the daughter today for the first contact since before Christmas. Learned the real name of the berry danish today: Antwerp squares. David has mentioned it before, but it never stuck in my brain. Going to try to remember it now. Food: 8:50 am Antwerp square, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 23 Jul

Warmer and definitely more humid this morning, with the promise of weather like this for awhile now. When I met with my old work friends, they mentioned that I was the one who liked to be hot; I had to update them that I now sweat like other people so I no longer seek the sun and maximum warmth. I even succumb to occasionally using the A/C! Food: 7:50 am Panera coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 22 Jul

Turned into a sunny, beautiful day yesterday as the morning clouds disappeared. Was a great afternoon for Linda's party on the deck, but because it was so sunny, we all wore sun hats for the first hour or so. Great visiting with Linda, Bill, Elaine, Deb, Lisa, and Jennifer. So nice that we keep this tradition up yet. Food: 7:55 am Panera coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 21 Jul

Kind of a dreary day outside this morning, a little cooler at 59° and feels a little less humid. Hope the weather is okay for Linda's party this evening. Looking forward to seeing old friends. Food: 8:00 am Panera coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 20 Jul

Feeling pretty humid today even though the temps aren't bad at 68°. Going to try to get the vacation itinerary set up today if I can motivate, and possibly even look into the fair and Applefest. Having gotten out of the travel mode last year, it's harder than I would have expected to resume my usual planning. Food: 7:50 am Panera coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 19 Jul

Had a very nice time in Escanaba/Pictured Rocks. A little adventure on Saturday when I took us the wrong direction out of Escanaba and it took about an hour to realize it, so we got a long drive in before getting to Pictured Rocks. We still had time for a very nice hike through a wooded portion with occasional overlooks. We were blessed with beautiful sunny weather, pleasant temps, and a breeze from the lake that kept the bugs off of us. We had a fun supper club dinner on Friday night and casual pasties on Saturday, and good breakfasts at the Swedish Pantry both mornings. The only downside was that after a lovely hike along Piers Gorge in Norway, MI, Bob wasn't hungry yet even though it was already 12:30 Central time, so we didn't stop for lunch. By the time we did, it was 2:30 pm to get sandwiches at a grocery store in Rhinelander. It had been over 7 hours since breakfast and I was beyond thinking clearly and not in a good place. I had eaten a cucumber, some blueberries, and a slice of cheese in the car as I felt myself sinking into the not-so-good place, but it was too little, too late. I revived after the sandwich and chocolate milk, but it was a quiet and not particularly pleasant drive home. Food: 8:00 am Panera cinnamon coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 16 Jul

Heading up to Escanaba today, and Pictured Rocks for hiking tomorrow. Looks to be a beautiful weekend, sunny and low 80s. Should be fun. Food: 8:00 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 15 Jul

Lots of rain yesterday, some wind, a tad thunder in the distance, but the storms did not pan out as bad as threatened. Looks like a nice comfortable morning for a walk with Kathy today, temps at 64°. Gotta sneak laundry in between the walk and Bootstrap as we're heading up to Escanaba after lunch tomorrow. Food: 7:45 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 14 Jul

Happy Bastille Day! Power to the people! Nice out now, 70° and some sun, but storms expected this afternoon. Food: 8:00 am Blueberry cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 13 Jul

Finally planning Michael's belated birthday dinner celebration tonight. I have to research how to grill whole tilapia. Will also try to make a blueberry crumble or some such fresh blueberry dessert, and he can also have chocolate cake if he wishes. Food: 7:45 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 12 Jul

Michael and Taylor will finally come over tomorrow for his celebratory birthday dinner! We bought some whole tilapia to grill which should be fun if I can cook them properly. Food: 7:50 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 11 Jul

Very nice day in Madison yesterday, pleasant temps, a little sunshine between the clouds. Had a delicious sushi lunch, then hit Costco, TJs, and Woodman's for things we wanted. Safe driving, good day. Food: 7:55 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 10 Jul

Lovely morning for a walk to the Farmer's Market, and a good selection of pastries. They surely are tasty. Food: 8:40 am Berry pastry, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 9 Jul

My monitor is flickering in the background this morning - disconcerting. Another sunny, pleasant day, with hopefully a nice weekend in store. Food: 7:50 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 8 Jul

Sun is shining again this morning, temps still cool at 57°. Should be a lovely morning for a walk with Kathy. Will be nice to just do a regular shift at Bootstrap this week. Food: 7:50 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 7 Jul

Considerably cooler this morning - 56°. The rain last night brought temps down for a few days to more tolerable levels. Might see more rain today. Food: 7:50 am Kouign amann, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 6 Jul

Couldn't believe how much I sweated last night on our hike at Rib. My merino t-shirt was soaked in a huge area around the armpits and even the back was wet. Doing a wash of merino today as I can't stand the thought of all that sweat evaporated and remaining in the fabric even if it doesn't stink. Also I had a massage yesterday, so there will be residue of massage oil inside. Food: 8:10 am Chocolate pecan pinwheel, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 5 Jul

Bob is home today for the legal holiday, but the gym is open as usual and I have a massage scheduled this afternoon so I have a fairly normal Monday. Glad he has a day to relax though. Food: 7:50 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 4 Jul

Happy Independence Day. Mary chose a song for church this morning that has absolutely beautiful lyrics. It is to the tune of Finlandia, which I find somewhat amusing for American Independence Day since it was written by Sibelius as an anthem for Finland, but the words talk about loving our country and its beauty while acknowledging that other countries are also beautiful and asking the Lord to bless us all. Food: 7:50 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 3 Jul

Independence weekend is here. We don't feel like displaying a flag because it has become more a symbol of the right-wing extremists than a symbol of a united country that it should be. Nice walk to the Farmer's Market, relatively cool yet. Full complement of pastries for the week, plus trout and a carton of local black raspberries. Food: 8:55 am Berry pastry, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 2 Jul

Heading into a hot Fourth of July weekend with no real plans except to cantor and Bob to usher at Mass Sunday. I want to get to the Farmer's Market on Saturday to get pastries (hopefully), and we are committed to water Michael's plants and care for the cats. Maybe we'll go somewhere to hike on Saturday if it's not too oppressive. Food: 8:00 am 1 c Quaker Oat Squares (stale), 1/2 c soy milk, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 1 Jul

In for a long day at Bootstrap today, going in at 10:30 after my walk with Kathy. Morning shift has been short-handed lately, so several of us are going in for all or part of the morning to help the one person on the regular schedule this week. Food: 7:55 am Morning bun, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 30 Jun

Sunshine and summery out today, temps already at 68°. I wonder if we'll have pump outside this morning? Food: 7:50 am Cinnamon roll, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 29 Jun

Looking forward to my "free" day today, though the weather looks wet so I'll have to get exercise indoors. Didn't eat enough good food for lunch yesterday, so got very tired after walking Schmeeckle in the evening. Was grateful that Bob suggested getting Rocky's as I needed food and didn't have much energy to cook. Food: 8:10 am Morning bun, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 28 Jun

Took a nice walk out to Mead Wildlife Sanctuary yesterday afternoon. Saw several birds, a couple of large leopard frogs, some critter in the water wrestling with a catch (might have been a large muskrat?) Enjoyed our leftovers from Biaggi's for dinner. Discovered that scraping off the excess cinnamon sugar from the bottom of the Clasen's morning bun is making it much less sickeningly sweet. Food: 8:05 am Morning bun, 106 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 27 Jun

Rain. Started lightly yesterday morning en route to the Market and doesn't seem to have stopped very long since. We needed moisture for the crops, but if it doesn't stop soon, they'll drown! Actually, the sky does look a tad lighter now, so maybe it's finally done. Food: 8:10 am Morning bun, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 26 Jun

Walked to the Farmer's Market in the rain today, with umbrellas and raincoat. David wasn't there so we bought some cinnamon rolls from the Mielke's. Got a couple of dozen eggs as we go through them much faster hard boiled, especially in the warm weather. Food: 8:50 am Cinnamon roll, 101 g blackberries, coffee Exercise: 7:50-8:40 am Walk to Farmer's Market in the rain

Fri 25 Jun

Can't get the new Kindle to turn on because I unplugged the charger without ejecting the icon from the computer first. It said I should eject it if I wanted to use it while continuing to charge with the USB, but I thought it had charged long enough so I didn't think it was necessary. Obviously, I erred. Now I'll have to search to figure out how to get it to turn on. Damn. Food: 8:00 am 2 Bill Knapp dunkers, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 24 Jun

Started raining quite hard as I was finishing up my shower this morning with rumble-bumbles in the distance. Not too likely that I'll walk with Kathy this morning, even though it's stopped for now. Forecast looks bleak. Food: 8:00 am 2 chocolate dunkers, 101 g strawberries (fresh-picked by Joann), coffee

Wed 23 Jun

Sunny and 60° this morning, supposed to get gradually warmer for the remainder of the week. Had a nice hike at Rib last night while it was still a bit cooler followed by dinner at the Dane. We had the lower beer garder area to ourselves. Food: 8:00 am 1/2 cinnamon twist, 1 chocolate dunker, 105 g blackberries, hard boiled egg, coffee

Tues 22 Jun

Back to sunshine today, still only 55° though. The cooler temperatures are a bit of a relief from what we had pre-vacation so no complaints. It is scheduled to get somewhat warmer in the days to come, but we could do without the more extreme heat. Food: 7:55 am 1/2 chocolate chip danish, 101 g blackberries, hard boiled egg, coffee

Mon 21 Jun

Yesterday was solstice so we're on the downside of the light equation already. Skies are grey today and temps are 56° at this time of day, so quite a bit cooler than before we went up north. Food: 8:00 am 1/2 lingonberry danish, hard boiled egg, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 20 Jun

Had a really wonderful week at the North Shore with pretty perfect weather, nice hikes including some new ones, overall a great time. Safe travels made it all the better. Travis and Joanna Slattery's two twin sons were baptized this morning at Mass, so we got to catch up with all the Hofer/Slattery gang after Mass at the social. Food: 8:20 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 13 Jun

It's here! We are finally leaving for our week at the North Shore today! Looking forward to the cooler temperatures so that we really feel like hiking. It's been just too hot here this past week to walk for any distance comfortably. I was so tired last night that I didn't have the energy to do my last minute organizing, so I'll have to do it this morning before we can leave. Food: 7:55 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 12 Jun

Last warm day at home before leaving for the North Shore. Will stock up on pastries for our breakfasts in the cabin, need to pack and prepare for our week away. It was nice and cool when we started out to walk to the Farmer's Market, but by the time we walked home, it was getting pretty sweaty again. Thermometer only says 72° now, but sure felt warmer. I missed my lunch date with Heather on Thursday, likely because I was so tired after my walk with Kathy that I wasn't really thinking very clearly. Food: 8:35 am Berry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 11 Jun

The heat continues, with possible thunderstorms this evening. I believe there were some thunderstorms last night, though not real close. I saw lightning flashes in the distance and heard thunder. These hot streaks don't usually end without a light show. Food: 7:50 am Strawberry croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 10 Jun

Had a nice meal at El Mezcal and a much-desired margarita after talking about them at my hair appointment with Sue and Cherie. Our waiter called himself "Nacho" and did a little banter with us in Spanish which was fun. Food: 7:45 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 9 Jun

The heat and somewhat the humidity has definitely been turned up. I was embarrassed at my massage yesterday because skin from my back was exfoliating and flaking off under Mary's fingers. I think she was a little grossed out. It was only on my back in the area covered by my merino shirt, so I wonder if it was a reaction to sweating in merino. She also said the eucalyptus oil may have been a mild exfoliant, but it didn't occur on my legs and has never happened before when it wasn't hot. Weird. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 8 Jun

Massage this afternoon, followed by car service. Will try to make quinoa salad this morning. Things to fill a normally free Tuesday. Food: 7:55 am Almond croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 7 Jun

Heading into a hot week at home in preparation for a cooler week next week at the North Shore. We'll appreciate the change in temperatures after being sweaty this week. Last night we just had ground meat sandwiches and cantaloupe for dinner - couldn't manage anything heavier. I really didn't feel too well most of the day after having slept very poorly. Hopefully I have learned not to keep consuming caffeine steadily all day. Food: 7:45 am Kouign amann, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 6 Jun

Hopefully I have learned that I cannot consume things containing caffeine all day and still hope to sleep at night. It certainly didn't work for me yesterday. I expect the coffee ice cream loaded with chocolate-covered coffee beans after the hike did the final damage. Fitbit gave me a sleep score of 59 which was probably pretty accurate. Food: 6:55 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 5 Jun

Weather has definitely taken a turn for the warm. Bob felt the need to turn on the A/C yesterday. I walked Schmeeckle alone last evening as he was too tired from work. Nice to walk to the Farmer's Market in the breeze and partial shade. Food: 9:00 am Berry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 4 Jun

Heading into a very warm weekend. Expect we'll have pump outside this morning. We would have on Wed, but Nicole wasn't in the groove yet, but she plans to do so today. Since it's already 70°, I don't mind today. Food: 7:55 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 3 Jun

Kathy is heading to visit Eddie in Chicago this morning, so I'll be walking alone today. Sent a resignation email to Michelle yesterday, though I will stay on through the walk if I'm needed. Haven't yet had a response. Feels like summer is really underway with the warmer weather and more things to do. Food: 7:50 am Blueberry almond danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 2 Jun

Married 37 years today, though we've been celebrating since Sunday. Had a very nice getaway to Door County, staying for the first time at the Liberty Lodge in Sister Bay. It is owned by the Nueske family and the staff was extremely gracious. They left a lovely molded Door Co chocolate bar on our bed as an anniversary gift and even replaced the coffee maker in our room for the second day as I had mentioned I couldn't get the previous one to work. We had two lovely celebration dinners, one at LURE and one at CHOP. We took a wonderful guided hike at the Ridges Sanctuary and saw many, many wildflowers. The second day, we hiked at the Mink River Estuary on a tip from Joe in the breakfast room at the Liberty Lodge. It is near the entrance to Newport State Park, and we continued our wildflower appreciation weekend. Stocked up on numerous Piggly Wiggly scones and two containers of meat spread from Valmy. A very successful two-night getaway. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 29 May

Heading up to Liberty Lodge for a couple of nights today - yay!!! Hoping for temps in the low 60s with at least some sun. Dinner at LURE tonight and at CHOP tomorrow for an early anniversary celebration. Hoping to pick up some more good scones from Piggly Wiggly and some meat spread from the Valmy store. Also hoping to get in a couple of good hikes. Food: 7:50 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 29 May

Sunshine, cool temps at this point, but I believe it's supposed to start warming up again. I will be the reader at church this evening at the Noel Hangar; a new experience in many ways. Beautiful walk to the market. Couldn't quite limit myself to five pastries each; had to have a snail as well. Food: 8:50 am Berry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 28 May

Almost the end of the fifth month of 2021 already. We have hit the point in the pandemic when numbers are down and masks are no longer required in most places if you have been vaccinated. A fairly high percentage of people in our country have been vaccinated, but now we're down to the resistors so it may not climb significantly higher. Unfortunately, other countries haven't had as ready access to vaccines so there numbers remain low. Hopefully that situation will right itself soon. Food: 7:55 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 27 May

The week goes on... Had a nice cooler weather hike at Rib last night followed by dinner at Rib. Walking this morning with Kathy, Bootstrap this afternoon. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 26 May

A bit cooler this morning, 61°. Don't expect to do Pump outdoors because it rained quite a bit last night and the grass is likely still wet. Food: 8:00 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 25 May

Temps are at 70°, skies are overcast but don't look like imminent rain. We'll see how the day pans out. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 24 May

Temp only at 54° this morning, and feels quite damp after nighttime rain. Weather is really all over the place of late. I'm happy because Bob agreed yesterday to go to Liberty Lodge for a couple of days Sunday-Tuesday to celebrate our anniversary. We have reservations on Monday evening at CHOP for dinner. Should be quite a pleasant jaunt. Food: 7:55 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 23 May

Looks like we may be in for another fairly rainy week. It's not raining now so I'll have to check the radar to see if it's safe to walk to Pacelli for church. Food: 8:00 am Orange peel nutmeg danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 22 May

Not raining for a change today, some clouds but a little blue sky in between. Supposed to get quite warm later on. Food: 9:05 am Mixed berry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 21 May

Still somewhat grey outside, 67°. We needed rain, but I tire of it easily. Food: 7:45 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 20 May

A humid morning, 66° but sticky-feeling. May be a warm walk with Kathy. At least it's not raining and doesn't look particularly threatening. Food: 7:50 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 19 May

Rain came as promised last night, and it's still grey, cloudy, and drizzly this morning. I doubt she'll do Body Pump outdoors today, even though it's already 62°. I'll switch out of the flannel sheets this week. Food: 7:45 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 18 May

Had a nice hike at Rib in beautiful, albeit warm, weather yesterday followed by a good burger at the Dane. Had to eat indoors as the patio had a 45-min wait, but we were in one of the large booths in the bar area with plenty of open space around us. Food: 7:55 am Kouign amann, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 17 May

Sunny morning, start of a warm week with possible rain/thunderstorms coming later in the week. Might go hike at Rib today before the rainy days. Hiked at an Ice Age segment in Hartman Creek yesterday. Food: 7:55 am Blueberry almond danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 16 May

Found a "new" supper club near Coloma last night when Cimarolis was way too crowded and Two Lakes had no openings for several hours. It was called Crystal's Wood Lake Supper Club and was a very typical example of the Wisconsin supper club. I had scallops and Bob had walleye almondine and we had brandy old-fashioneds because, why not? We had a nice hike before at Roche-a-Cri. Food: 8:05 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 15 May

Temps are fairly mild this morning, but there's a brisk wind at times, clouds, and a little spitting rain. Made it to the Farmer's Market and back without getting wet. Saw Mick in his car and he stopped to chat a bit as we were returning home. He said Leone continues to do well. Food: 8:05 am Berry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 14 May

Sunshine, almost 50°. A few clouds. Should be another lovely day. Food: 7:45 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 13 May

More lovely sunshine and 51° this morning with promise of 60s and even low 70s to come. No walk with Kathy this morning, so I'll have to motivate to go out by myself instead, and I want to try to wash the sheets and maybe towels this morning as well. Bob thinks he might get some time off tomorrow so we could take advantage of this lovely weather to hike somewhere, making it a good idea to minimize the laundry tomorrow or even postpone what's left to Saturday. Food: 8:10 am Apple cinnamon danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 12 May

Was a half hour late for my massage yesterday because I put the time into my phone incorrectly. Mary was able to squeeze me in, but I made her day pretty rushed. Michael stopped over in the morning with belated Mother's Day gifts! Some homemade apple granola tart and two huge danishes from Bake Superior! Made me feel much better to be remembered. Food: 7:55 am Cherry pear danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 11 May

Very nice sunshine out there today, 41° at this time. Massage this afternoon, possibly a walk this morning to Schmeeckle if I can muster the motivation. Happy that the scale has returned to its previous area from the truly upsetting post-Door Co level. Would be so good if I could keep it falling down below 150. Food: 7:55 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 10 May

Seems partly sunny, temps currently at 41°. May be able to walk outside today if it doesn't rain. Food: 7:50 am Pear danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 9 May

Had a Happy Mothers Day text from Michael first thing this morning, along with wishes from Bob. Day looks sunny and bright, temps at 43°. I have to do Eucharistic minister at the Pacelli Mass, handling distribution to the floor seats. Food: 8:00 am Kouign amann, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 8 May

Lovely walk to the Farmer's Market, cool but completely sunny and no wind. David had kouign amann as promised, but pear danish instead of pear tarts. The young girl was manning the stand today. Might be an excellent day for an afternoon hike, probably at the Ice Age trail to look for open trilliums. Food: 8:45 am Berry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 7 May

Watched a ZOOM presentation on Spring Ephemerals at the North Shore last night. Fun to see all the spring critters, flowers, etc. and learn their names, even if we couldn't remember half of the names afterwards. Nice that the Folk School offers these presentations for free. Food: 7:55 am Almond bear claw, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 6 May

Somewhat distressed by a substantial jump on the scale after this last little trip. Shall need to tone down the indulgences considerable to nip this in the bud. I have hope that often a post-travel jump comes down again quickly to pre-travel levels, especially when the jaunt was only a few days such as this one, but it was a wake-up call. Food: 7:55 am Half-piece of White Gull Inn coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 5 May

What a lovely trip to Door Co this was! We got out hiking every day in spite of much rain in the forecast for Sun/Mon. We hiked at Peninsula (two long trails), Newport (Europe Bay loop), Whitefish Dunes, and a few smaller venues as well. We had daily breakfast at the White Gull Inn and felt safe with their masking/distancing precautions, got a pizza from Wild Tomato (where we waited outdoors to take it back to the hotel since they weren't careful with masking or distancing indoors), dinner at Mojo Rosa's and late lunch/dinner at Al Johnson's and lunch at the Cookery, all with good precautions. The hotel was again very nice, and I enjoyed the newly-remodeled Piggly Wiggly in Sister Bay.

Sun 2 May

A mild morning in the mid-sixties to send us on our way to Door County for a few days. It's only supposed to be in the low fifties there, and probable rain tonight and tomorrow, but we should be able to hike on Tuesday and Wednesday after breakfast. We had a beautiful hike at the Ice Age Trail at Aniwa yesterday, a bit rushed to get back just in time for evening church, but flowers everywhere! If we can't hike much tomorrow, we made up for it. We hopefully can get a few short walks in on the way today. Food: 8:05 am Lemon-filled donut, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 1 May

David isn't planning to be at the market today, so not sure if we'll walk down after breakfast, but no need to go before. Church at Pacelli at 5 pm today. It's supposed to get quite warm today, almost 50° already. Food: 7:50 am Almond kringle, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 30 Apr

Gotta get to packing after laundry is done today. Started a food list, but haven't really begun to think too much about what clothes to take or other items. Not in the groove of packing like I used to be. Food: 7:55 am Almond kringle, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 29 Apr

Gotta rush through breakfast as I fell back deeply asleep til 7:15 this morning. Should be mild for the walk; it's already almost 50°! Food: 8:10 am Cherry cheese coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 28 Apr

Got a thunderstorm with quite a bit of rain last night. Not sure what's in store for today. Hope it's clear enough to walk downtown for my hair appointment. Food: 7:55 am Cherry cheese coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 27 Apr

A free Tuesday, a grey Tuesday. Bob basically lost almost $200 yesterday in that he lost his Fitbit out of his pocket and immediately replaced it. Not a good day. Food: 7:50 am Cherry cheese coffee cake, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 26 Apr

Another chilly morning at 37° with residue of snow on the garage roof. I think the freezing nights might be coming to an end sometime soon, at least temporarily. The herbs and hanging plant live on the dining room table overnight for now. Food: 8:00 am Blueberry turnover, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 25 Apr

The month wanes again, and next week we'll be heading out for Door County for a few days. I get to plan what to take for clothes, food, and other things this week which puts a little "excitement" of something different into the week. Food: 8:00 am Blueberry turnover, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 24 Apr

No idea what I feel like doing this weekend. Not yet sure what the weather is planning to do either. No David at the market today so we need to do other things for breakfast this week. The people who sell outside the old Family Video are going to be back today, so maybe we'll take a walk that way and get some homemade coffee cake. Food: 8:35 am Costco cinnamon roll, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 23 Apr

The weather did turn toward warmer yesterday afternoon as promised, and this morning it's already 46°. We left our plants outside overnight as it's not supposed to freeze again til Saturday evening. Hope to take advantage of warmer temps and possibly some sunshine over the weekend. Food: 7:50 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 22 Apr

Laura (Hobbes) turns 36 today! Happy Birthday, daughter! I hope this is a better year for her. Weather is supposed to take a turn for the warmer today, though this morning it's only 29° so my walk with Kathy will likely be chilly. Food: 7:50 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 21 Apr

Today the existing ban on American travel in Canada expires, so we get to find out if they intend to extend or somehow modify it. Will affect our summer travel plans, if summer travel is possible. Chilly morning at 32°, a little blue sky among the clouds. Food: 7:55 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 20 Apr

Sunshine this morning even though it's only 33°. Had a really fun evening with Michael and Taylor yesterday, enjoying pistachio-crusted salmon and Costco chocolate cake. Cooked wild rice in the Instant Pot with a can of chicken broth; turned out very well and I would do that again. Was plenty for four people. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 19 Apr

Enjoyed a beautiful weekend and got in hiking three days in a row! Now we're apparently due for a few days of grey skies and cool temps, necessitating bringing in the outdoor plants we bought to spend the nights indoors. Since it's still mid-April, that's not really unusual. I was pleased to buy most of the herbs for my herb garden at Trader Joe's, so I hope they remain healthy until I can get them planted. Food: 8:00 am Pear danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 18 Apr

What a nice weekend this has been so far. A beautiful hike at Rib followed by a salmon sandwich on the sunny Dane patio on Friday evening. Good pastries from David followed by a sunny trip to Madison, lunch on the patio at La Brioche, good shopping at Costco and TJs (including buying a chocolate cake!). Takeout pad thai picked up on the way home. Very nice weekend. Food: 7:50 am Berry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 17 Apr

David made his ginormous caramel sticky buns today! He also made his stottie bread again, but this time he put black olives in so I didn't buy any, but I did ask him not to put olives in next time. Nice sunshine today. Food: 8:40 am Caramel brioche bun, orange, coffee

Fri 16 Apr

Sunny again this morning but still chilly. That may be the pattern for a few days yet. No imminent return to the balmier temps we enjoyed for awhile. 50s and partly cloudy isn't bad for April for highs, and the cool mornings do warm up eventually. Food: 7:50 am Honey bear, 71 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 15 Apr

Beautiful sunshine to wake up to this morning. Temp is just under 40°. Should be a lovely day to walk with Kathy, even if it's somewhat cool. So much nicer than waking up to the snow on the rooftops and grass yesterday, even though it was gone fairly quickly. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate croissant, 74 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 14 Apr

Not exactly pleased to see snow on the ground and the rooftops when I woke up today. Not very much, and it'll probably be gone by midday, but still not something we needed to see. Oh, well. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate pecan snail, 75 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 13 Apr

Somewhat chillier weather in store for a bit, including a possible night below freezing. Shouldn't be so cold as to damage new blossoms and leaves (hopefully) and it shouldn't be more than one night. Massage felt great yesterday; scheduled for another one the week after Door Co. Still need to contact Patrick about possible restart of individual Pilates. Sent him a text right now so I don't keep forgetting. Food: 7:55 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 12 Apr

Still looking pretty grey out there, and still hearing rain on and off through the night. But I get a massage at 3 today so life is good! Food: 7:55 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 11 Apr

Rainy grey day today. Good thing we got in a nice hike at the Ice Age trail yesterday as I'm not sure it will clear up enough to get out much today. It would be nice if it would stop so we could walk to church. Starting next week, Mass will be at Pacelli which is a bit too far to walk to make sure of getting there on time so today is our last opportunity to walk. Food: 7:50 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 10 Apr

Not raining this morning, but only in the 40s and grey sky. David moved his booth to the first one you see upon entering the indoor market today. Got a full supply of yummy pastries. Food: 8:45 am Berry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 9 Apr

Rained on and off yesterday and looks to continue today, at least the skies are quite grey. Temps remain quite mild. Bob was able to restore the photo show screensaver after the system update on my computer. Noticed that my gym classes disappeared from the calendar, though haven't noticed anything else yet missing. Weird. Food: 7:55 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 8 Apr

Forty years ago was our first date! Glad we're still together! It's not raining so I should be able to walk with Kathy this morning. Michael is scheduled for his first vaccine shot on Saturday. I will have my two weeks in after the second shot tomorrow so will be "fully vaccinated". Food: 7:50 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 7 Apr

Had a very nice Easter dinner with Michael and Taylor here last night: ham, cheesey potatoes, bean casserole, Taylor's broccoli salad. They were too full for dessert but I had a piece of the Costco Easter cake later with Animal Crossing. Wouldn't be surprised if Nicole does Body Pump outdoors today with all this mild weather. She's a big fan of exercising outside. Food: 7:55 am Almond croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 6 Apr

Temps are still very mild, but skies are cloudy today, possible rain and thunderstorms. Had a great hike at Rib last night and the first meal out at a restaurant for a while as the Dane was serving at the outdoor tables and it was warm enough to be mostly comfortable. They also brought back their salmon club sandwich on the specials menu. Great evening! Food: 7:50 am Chocolate eclair, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 5 Apr

At least one more beautiful warm day in this streak, and only a slightly cooler streak to come. It got up to 78° at one point yesterday afternoon. I think today may get into the 70s a bit as well. Hopefully I'll have more energy to get out and walk; I was pretty tired yesterday. Bob took two long naps so I wasn't the only one affected. Might have just been due to the change in the weather. Food: 7:50 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 4 Apr

Happy Easter! A lovely Easter weekend, weather-wise, and our first Sunday back at live church. And I get to cantor with Kat in the choir loft! Food: 8:15 am Chocolate eclair, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 3 Apr

Weather is warming up, got a week's worth of pastries from David, and Easter is upon us! Life is good. (And I had a good poop this morning that was needful.) Eating the krema kova fresh this morning for the first time. It's much better that way! Food: 8:40 am Krema kova, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 2 Apr

Just figured out today that Laura's birthday will always fall on the same day of the week as April Fool's Day since it's exactly three weeks later. Never noticed that before. Weather should be on a warming trend now, at least through the next several days. We should see 60s on the weekend. I can deal. Food: 7:55 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 1 Apr

Happy April Fools Day! Maybe Kathy will play an April Fools' joke on me when we walk. Can't seem to think of any myself. Food: 7:50 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 31 Mar

Gonna be chilly today, out of sync with the rest of the week. Just paid the Costco VISA at almost the last minute so that won't be late. Was really nice yesterday to have a totally unscheduled day; it's been awhile. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate pecan snail, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 30 Mar

I seem to have missed blogging yesterday again; not sure how that happened. Had a decent day; saw Michael and Taylor several times and got Easter dinner plans on the calendar. They will also stop in in the evening of Easter Sunday to share the Costco Easter egg cake and wine. Food: 7:55 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 28 Mar

I seem to be getting by with just a little malaise from the second shot, perhaps a little reduced appetite. Feeling fortunate. I didn't worry about getting my 12,000 steps yesterday, in fact got less than 7,000. Probably wouldn't have done that well if we hadn't gone shopping to Costco and Trader Joe's. Walked a little more slowly but was able to get everything done. Had sushi lunch on the East side; it was all I could do to finish but that lasted me the rest of the day. Just had a Costco cinnamon roll and a glass of orange juice after we got home. Food: 8:00 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee 1:10 pm 2 scrambled eggs, Costco cinnamon roll

Sat 27 Mar

So far, so good on lack of side effects other than a very minor stiffness of the shoulder where the shot was given. Holding out hope that we can go to Madison and not be hampered by illness. Also hoping for a good poop before we leave as I have matter inside that is making movement difficult. Food: 8:50 am Berry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 26 Mar

I get my second and final dose of the vaccine today, and I admit I'm a little nervous. John Hartman had the Pfizer as well and got pretty sick after his second shot with chills, headache, etc. I know it doesn't happen to everyone; I've probably got about a 50/50 chance, but it's enough to make me a little nervous. Still, even if I knew for sure I'd get whomped, I'd still want to get the immunity. Food: 7:55 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 25 Mar

Somehow I forgot to do an entry yesterday morning. Odd. I guess I was thinking about the weird pin that was sent to me from some scamming operation from China and got distracted. Not raining this morning apparently, so shouldn't be a deterrant to walking with Kathy. Food: 7:50 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 23 Mar

Doing an extra shift at Bootstrap this afternoon. I expect it will make the week seem to pass more quickly, but we'll see. Again the outside temps are already near 50°, though it's cloudy and there may be rain. Food: 8:00 am Apple pecan tart, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 22 Mar

Supposed to be some rain over the next few days, hopefully not continuously. Looks bright enough now, and temps are almost 50° already. Got some nice hiking in this weekend between Steinhaugen and Hartman Creek, and had Wheel House pizza after yesterday's hike, though we took it home to avoid eating in their unmasked, crowded venue. Don't know that we'll go back there to eat in person, even after the pandemic wanes, due to their lack of care. Bob said people gave him dirty looks for wearing his mask when he went inside to pick up the pizza. That annoys me no end. The upcoming Easter holiday has me thinking about Bernard's dessert spread at his annual Easter buffet. I miss it. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate eclair, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 21 Mar

Yesterday was spring equinox, so it's officially spring now. Felt like it yesterday with the beautiful sunshine, though a bit windy. Would probably have been a great day to fly a kite. Too bad Bob has to work over at Michael/Taylor's on the bathroom today. I'll have to find a place to hike by myself. Food: 7:50 am Krema kova, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 20 Mar

Bob gets his one-and-done vaccine today, and if he doesn't feel poorly, maybe we will go somewhere to hike this afternoon as the forecast is for 55° and sunny. Food: 8:40 am Cherry danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 19 Mar

Another sunny day. Got over 24,000 steps yesterday for the first time in quite a while. Walked with Kathy in the morning and Heather after work. Nice opportunities to chat and catch up. Food: 7:50 am Morning bun, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 18 Mar

Past the March holidays of Bob's birthday and St. Patrick's Day, and on to finish the month with hopes of spring and avoiding big blizzards. Sun is shining today and temps are at 35° now. Hoping for a nice walk with Kathy. Food: 8:00 am Pigs ear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 17 Mar

Happy St Patrick's Day! Was surprised that it's snowing this morning as I don't remember seeing it in the forecast. Had a lovely birthday evening supper here last night with Michael and Taylor. She made peppered steak bites with bleu cheese compound butter, fried potatoes w/onions and mushrooms, and a homemade chop salad. I made the old traditional creme de menthe cake from years back. Learned that Taylor isn't crazy about mint. Food: 8:10 am Lemon maple brioche, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 16 Mar

Bob is 65 today! Eligible for the Co-Vid vaccine, as Laura pointed out in her birthday text. Medicare which came at the first of the month and has already helped with his prescription drug costs. And now we are both senior citizens. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 15 Mar

The Ides of March are upon us. Might get a wee bit of snow tonight to welcome Bob's birthday tomorrow. Food: 7:55 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 14 Mar

Looks like sunshine out there after the DST switch, hopefully another nice day. Maybe I'll go walk at Mead today while Bob continues to work at M/T's. Food: 8:05 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 13 Mar

This is the week we would often have been at a resort in Mexico, getting ready to celebrate Bob's birthday. Instead, we're having a pretty nice spring here in Wisconsin. Learned today that David also keeps bees. I suspect it's his own honey somewhere in the honey bears. Going to be a gorgeous day today! Food: 8:40 am Cherry danish, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 12 Mar

Didn't sleep very well last night, and broke down to try Michael's tincture. It helped a bit, but being leery, I used such a tiny amount that it wore off in about 3.5 hours. Next time I will be less afraid of it and willing to try a more reasonable dose. Yes, this pig's ear puff pastry is particularly excellent. I shall have to remember to let David know that I concur with his opinion. Food: 8:00 am Pig's ear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 11 Mar

Cloudy and windy this morning, with gusts a-blowing. Will be a blustery walk today. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 10 Mar

Rain today, supposedly for most of the day. Warm enough temps that it should do some damage to the remaining snow. Won't be enough to eliminate it, but should take it down a significant notch. Probably not a great day for outdoor walks, though. Food: 8:00 am Pear tart, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 9 Mar

A little overcast but already in the 40s and expected to be one of the warmest of the mild days we've been having. Nice day to have nothing scheduled. Food: 8:00 am Creme horn, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 8 Mar

International Women's Day today. Having David's lemon tart this morning - mmmmm! Looks to be another lovely mild week with at least some sun. Got in good walks on the weekend at Rib and at Schmeeckle. Will hold off on repeating Rib til the slush has more opportunity to melt as it was insecure footing. The poles gave us the ability to stay vertical, but my arms ached that night from keeping tension in them the entire walk. Food: 8:05 am Lemon tart, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 7 Mar

Had a really enjoyable day yesterday, with a successful Farmer's Market including a visit with David himself where I learned that all-purpose flour is a blend of about 70/30 strong flour/cake flour. David had experimented with a new blend of flours for his puff pastry this week and was well-pleased. Have not yet tried the pig's ear to check it out, but Bob had his and declared it delicious. We hiked at Rib in the sunny afternoon, and though the slush was slippery, we avoided any falls and enjoyed being out in the sunshine. In the evening, we each had a full beer of a new Central Waters offering, Brewhouse Coffee Stout. I made a good leek soup, we had an oven-warmed multigrain bread, and watched On Golden Pond. A very pleasant day. Food: 8:05 am Eclair, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 6 Mar

Beautiful sunny day, temp has moved into the low thirties since we went to the Farmer's Market for David's delicious goodies. Starting the laundry which I put off from yesterday, but maybe we'll sneak a hike in somewhere to take advantage of the lovely day. Food: 8:45 am Creme horn, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 5 Mar

I get my first vaccine today! I'd feel even better if I could get out a good poop. It's been a couple of days since a decent one and I'm feeling it badly. Hoping today will clear things out a bit. Food: 7:50 am Honey bear, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 4 Mar

Walking with Kathy this morning, temp at 23° at the moment with nice sunshine as has been abundant this week. Ate the Farmshed soup yesterday since Joyce Kirsch had sent some homemade corn cake which seemed like a good fit with chicken soup. Will have to do leftovers or be creative after Bootstrap today. Food: 7:55 am Chocolate croissant, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 3 Mar

Sunshine is again nice to see, and the temp is already 31. The next several days should be quite nice. I didn't get outside as much as expected beyond a walk to the library yesterday as the wind still seemed a bit chilly, but I hope to overcome any squeamishness today. Food: 7:55 am Pear tart, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 2 Mar

So happy that I'm scheduled to receive my vaccines! First one this Friday and final dose on Mar 26. I will be so happy to complete the series, and even happier when Bob is also able to do so. Weather is sunny and should be highs in the 40s or better for the foreseeable future. Life is good. Food: 8:00 am Cheese danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 1 Mar

Not great sleep last night, but okay. Teetered on the edge of a down day, likely because of the extremely grey skies all day. Forecasts are for warmer temps in the near future, highs in the forties or better for the next several days after thirties today. Some sunshine today which I believe is expected to continue awhile as well. Food: 7:50 am Apricot danish, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 28 Feb

Was very nice to travel to Madison yesterday, even if we couldn't visit Laura. Had sunny weather all day, comfortably warm to eat in the car. Got to Costco, Woodmans, Star Liquor, and TJs, and had Osteria Papavero Restaurant Week in the car (which unfortunately leaves something to be desired over the actual experience). Food: 8:05 am Eclair w/coffee creme, 101 g blackberries, coffee