BFF

Another 6-10” of snow is currently weaving yet one more intricate blanket over central Wisconsin. Its pristine beauty is turning our world into a winter wonderland but it’s heaviness is suffocating. I read an article recently about embracing the winter months as a time to create a comfortable cocoon and hibernate, but we’re not bugs and bears for Pete’s sake. We’re people!

Poor Mike is snow blowing for the second time this morning.

I feel stuck without anything really new to say. I’m quite frankly sick of myself and sick of social media…trying to paint the best picture, be positive, make myself look better than I really am, trying to get people to like me. Blah, blah, blah!

Honestly life still feels full of a crap-ton of lemons:

Work hasn’t picked up. No matter how many pep talks I give or receive, I doubt my decision to return to hair.
The second job I hoped for, was meant for someone else.
We still don’t have health insurance. (The affordable care act isn’t really affordable unless you don’t want to afford anything else.) Consequently, I worry about every ache, pain, and sniffle Mike gets.
I’m bored, lonely, and adrift.

Wait! … Here’s some Late Breaking News!

Literally, in the midst of this rant, my always encouraging, positive friend Barb has messaged me out of the blue asking when my next post was coming. Thank you, thank you Barb! Your message is just the refreshment I need in this exact moment. Thank you God for the gentle cuff across the head.

Here’s the reality. Despite focusing on the lemons (and the avalanche of snow-fall), I been drinking some pretty sweet lemonade. In the last several weeks:

I’ve seen new places
- I recently visited two restaurants I’ve always wanted to try. Both have been in business for over 40 years. One was a hit and one was a miss, but I was so excited and glad to have experienced both.
I’ve made new friends
- I spent five days in Arizona with my BFF and her parents. I didn’t know her parents well before this trip and now feel like I have two new friends.
- Through the salon, I’ve connected with some of Mike’s friends and co-workers. I’m not just thankful for their business, but the opportunity to better get to know the wonderful people Mike works and hangs out with.
I’ve developed new hobbies
- My at-home yoga practice is flourishing. I’ve completed Yoga with Adriene’s 30 day challenge, am working through her February calendar, and have been trying new vinyasas from the Yoga Journal.
- I joined a corn-hole / bag toss league with Mike. It’s given us the opportunity to spend time together, a reason to get out of the house, and encourages this introvert to socialize with Mike and his friends.
I’ve completed some stuff
- Two books
- A baby quilt top
- A set of cloth napkins
I’ve started a new tradition
- I’ve just sent out a stack of Valentines (the old-fashioned way) to my whole family. Going forward instead of bludgeoning everyone with a little more joy at Christmas, I’ll spread the love while the winter blues are at their peak.

So I’m canceling the pity party and apologize for wallowing. It’s crazy how easy it is to forget all the good when faced with a little bad. I have a warm house, plenty of food, a loving family, good friends, and a God who loves and has always cared for me.

If you’re drowning in lemons, I pray that there is peace and comfort waiting for you right around the corner. Remember God is good, he is faithful, and you are loved.

If life is currently treating you well, please share the goodness. We all need the reminder that snow melts, spring comes, and lemons can always be made into lemonade.

Happy Valentines Day!

Each week I spend a few days working in Madison. While there, I room with my BFF Denise in a little condo downtown. Two small-town girls living the hip, career girl, city life–something neither of us experienced before, being young wives and mothers.

Now before you envision a Sex and the City Carrie Bradshaw type of experience, we are both a little bit older and wiser than the young worldly women on the show. Life at the “Girls’ Pad” (a.k.a the GP) is a bit more subdued and conservative; however, it’s still pretty awesome.

First of all, it’s all girls. Just Denise and I and her two kitties (both girls of course). No guys to leave the toilet seat up, share the remote control with, or to give “advice.”

We can watch chick flicks, discuss romance novels, and gossip about work without reprimand. We don’t have to look pretty or shave our legs. And we can have wine, cheese, and olives for dinner whenever we want!

Second, it’s downtown. We can literally walk to the capital square, the Overture Center, down State St., and any number of restaurants depending on our taste and mood.

Ranked by National Geographic Travel as one of the best small cities in the US, Madison is a little bit urban and a little bit small town.

The neighborhood around the GP bustles with the vitality of youth and college life yet is still rife with cultural influences due to its proximity to the capital square and Overture Center. Even if you’re not a sports fan, it’s impossible to not get caught up in the thrill of a Badger game whether the throngs of fans are making their way to Camp Randall or the Kohl Center.

Jump in the car and within 30 minutes you can get from one side of the city to the other for shopping or a great meal. Then of course, there are lakes Mendota and Monona, the UW Arboretum, Olbrich Gardends, bike trails, walking trails…SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME….!

I’m especially anxious to explore the square and visit Fromagination, a lovely artisan cheese shop I’ve yet had the opportunity to visit. I’m dying to go in and check out what cheeses they may have to enhance a rapturously girly dinner. Or revisit Cento, an elegant Italian Restorante with friendly staff, yummy food, and delicious wine.

A couple of days a week isn’t nearly enough to do all the things we want to do. I guess we just have to tackle one adventure at a time. These girls about town aren’t about to waste a moment.

Lip Balm & Lemonade

Lemonade in the Winter

Girls About Town