Today's the Day!

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn."  

Predicted temp of 54F. Partly sunny. 0% chance of snow.

We hereby proclaim this the first spring day.

We will get out in it and look for signs of the season while we try to build stamina for upcoming long walks on the Cornish Coast. 

It has been a long, weird, winter. Many distractions resulted in lack of focus.  

There was alot of almost literal naval gazing. 

But really, absolutely nothing to complain about. Our pipes didn't freeze, the slippery sidewalks didn't take us down, our cars faithfully served us with a minimum of deserved crankiness, cabin fever did not reach levels that led to calling the cops, an attorney, or even Dr. Phil.

We came out of the deep freeze with a new roof, a rehabbed kitchen and bath, and tuned up innards. 

Trips are planned. Kids are doing well. Elders are hanging in there. 

And around the neighborhood....houses are selling, which means old neighbors can move on to the next exciting thing and new neighbors are arriving to start the adventure that is home-ownership.

Soon,  we expect to see new babies who have been quickly shuffled through the frigid temps from house to car finally available for some leisurely goo-gooing in the great out of doors. The neighborhood toddlers have surely been learning some new words and tricks since we saw them last fall. We hope to see some of them out splashing in the big puddles in the alley today. One of the truest signs of spring!

So, today is the day! The birds are announcing it loudly enough to hear through closed, 

and still storm-windowed windows.

Here we go!

First Day of Spring (Not to be Mistaken for the First Spring Day)

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another.    

- Henry Van Dyke (Looking out our window we see what you mean Mr. Van Dyke.)

In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.    

- Mark Twain ( Maybe in Missouri Mark, but that is a low-ball estimate for Wisconsin. )

Winter lingered so long in the lap of Spring that it occasioned a great deal of talk.    

- Bill Nye (You said it, Science Guy. Please give us something else to talk about in the grocery line.)

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.   

- Hal (not Al) Borland (Thank you for the reminder.)

Aw Shucks, Target

Gee, you're awesome too.

We always thought we were your favorite. Don't worry, we won't tell the other kids. 

Oops, looks like you already did. It wasn't really necessary to use a mass mailing to tell everyone. Hurt feelings you know. 

A personal note to tell us would have been fine, but hey, thanks for the huge shout out.

We always knew you saw in us what others failed to.

Oh how you do go on. Stop now. Really.

Happier Hour

It's a Wisconsin thing. The Old Fashioned. 

We are happy to announce that the quintessential cocktail  has now been bottled for your convenience.  This is really good news for those of us who keep a pathetically under-stocked liquor cabinet. 

We came late to the Wisconsin supper club scene, but quickly learned that if you want to blend in you better be ordering beer or an Old Fashioned on fish fry or prime rib special night. And if  you go with the OF it would be well to decide before you are asked whether you want it sweet or sour.

We suspect that many OF aficionados in our age group learned how to expertly make one back in the 60's or 70's when it was still okay for a kid to bartend the parents' cocktail party. Or they just picked it up from hanging out in bars, which is still okay for minors in Wisconsin, and observing the ritual of creating the OF.

We have always let the professionals mix our drinks and now they have made it even easier for us. 

Pick up a six pack and a jar of maraschino cherries and just like that it's a party with Arty's.

Doctor (Laura's) Orders

A full cup of coffee, a comfy chair, a bit of time with no distractions, and a reliable internet connection are the only things prescribed for a session of
Happy Therapy with Amy.


So much color after so many months of so much white might have you reaching for your shades as you browse the eye-popping images in 
Amy Butler's color and design-saturated online magazine, Blossom.  

View as needed. No limit on refills.

Like a Room Without a Roof

Does the world seem like a happier place these days?

It should be.

This incredibly uplifting video has been seen more than 100 million times. That's a lot of happiness shared.

We are responsible for at least a dozen of those viewings.





It just might be the way we start every day from now on. Or at least until spring arrives and we have the sky for a roof again.

And then, if you catch us clapping in the garden don't be surprised.

"Here come bad news talking this and that,
Well, give me all you got, and don't hold back,
Well, I should probably warn you I'll be just fine,
No offense to you, don't waste your time."

No Ifs, Ands, or Buts

This tidy, little colon is standing in for a really disgusting piece of anatomy that goes by the same name.

We present this image today to draw your attention to a topic for which we have recently become the unofficial poster child. 

That topic is colorectal cancer screening.

If you are over 50 years old it is  time to have a colonoscopy.

If you have a family history of colon cancer it is time to ask your doctor when you should have a colonoscopy.

If you  have a personal history of polyps and were told to have a recheck it is time to have a colonoscopy.

Colon cancer is very preventable. 

As is ending up with a semi-colon.

Colons are gross. 

We have spared you the graphic images, but if we hear that you haven't taken this message as seriously as we should have, look out! 

We will spill some guts across this space to illustrate our point.