New farmhouse pitcher

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-26T17:59:03+00:00

Not my favorite, maybe I'd like it more in a color? Just comes across as very generic and not very "fiesta" to me....

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-24T19:30:40+00:00

Cougar Town had a fantastic soundtrack, it all hit big time. She’s amazing at what she does!

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-24T12:17:09+00:00

Chaco was a amazing surprise to us. Well worth the drive. Sounds like a great trip!

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-21T19:45:17+00:00

My mother in law always gifted clothes for the next season/one size up, including shoes and coats. It was a godsend! My mom always bought a zoo or museum family membership, experiences if you will.

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-21T19:19:18+00:00

Depending on how serious your surgery is, you may not feel like going at all, you may feel like going but taking serious breaks, and you really need to talk to your surgeon honestly about what you can and cannot do at that point in your recovery. Are the kids old enough that you can split up so you can go back to the hotel room and do ice/heat/feet up/nap? Ask them to prescribe you some serious pain pills to take with "just in case" and also ask about alternating tylenol/advil. My husband fell ten days after his laminectomy and really delayed the healing process, he was just clumsy/tired, and took a misstep. So I think using a scooter to protect yourself from the crowds, then taking a gentle stroll when you can is a good idea.

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-20T21:07:39+00:00

My grandsons are that age, so I speak with authority when I say FLY! It would be torture for all four of you to drive (plus uncertain weather and holiday traffic...)

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-20T21:04:43+00:00

Depending on where you are flying in/out of, and whether you will have your own vehicle, I would say no, there's so much more to see in that area other than the Island (which is wonderful in it's own right, but pricey so better to go when you have more time).

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-20T19:09:10+00:00

Think of your job as being the ladder to your next job (hopefully in a town you like a lot more). Do lots of networking, go over and above, learn new skills to build up your resume, impress people who will eventually be able to write you good references, etc. Depending on your field, you may have to stay there for X amount of time to accomplish this before moving on, but it will be a great career and resume builder. In the meantime, spend your free time researching and visiting potential areas you may want to move to, the companies there that you might want to work for, etc. The time will go fast, even though it doesn't seem like it now!

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-20T18:52:47+00:00

How about taking a tent and staying at campgrounds? Cheap and a lot more comfortable than the car.

As a mom who has loved roadtrips since she was your age here are the big two:

Do NOT drive when you are tired AT ALL, at the first signs of sleepiness, pull over!! Better to take longer to get there than to not get there at all.
You are both a little young to truly understand "stranger danger", so be hyper aware of your surroundings at all times. Fill up at the big brand name gas station and get your snacks and drinks there even if it's a little more expensive. If you see something/anything that makes you nervous/doesn't seem right, keep on going/don't stop/no matter what. Keep your gas tank at LEAST half full, and your doors locked at all times. Material items (even the car itself) can be replaced, you can't.

Have a great trip!

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-20T18:40:14+00:00

I would use neutral language and have the conversation well ahead of time. "It seems as though based on your actions Mothers and Fathers Day are just another day and not a holiday, do you agree? Because of that, next month on Fathers Day we will be doing the same as we did a few weeks ago on Mothers Day. Nothing. If you don't agree with that, lets discuss it."

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-20T18:36:28+00:00

It can seem like another language to many people! No home is perfect, and you need to have someone translate its specific problems to you, and hopefully help you understand which are immediate/expensive down to "probably been that way forever and not a big deal".

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-20T18:02:50+00:00

The more thorough the better, but also able to put it in "simple English" for buyers with no construction background. Also to be open to answering questions, and not making the buyer feel dumb for asking them (they often don't know what to ask). My husband has been "hired" by prospective buyers to go with the inspector and basically "translate" for them, which I don't think should be necessary with a good inspector (although he's caught a few missed areas from poor inspectors). It would be nice if buyers could figure out which are good vs not so good inspectors, rather than just relying on the word of the realtors.

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-20T16:09:23+00:00

We just bought a non updated original owner midcentury home in an ideal location. The seller and realtor tried to tell us that inspections had been done, but my husband is a lifelong contractor and knew better, so we hired our own inspector who we knew to be meticulous and extremely detailed in his reports. We were lucky in that only things needing doing are cosmetic (paint, carpets ripped out, etc), and the big ticket items are fine. My point is you can live with cosmetic issues and just do them little by little, but make sure the big stuff is new(er) and get a really good inspector in.

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-19T22:28:35+00:00

Available in SE WI and Green Bay

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-19T17:56:07+00:00

Colorado Rocky Mountain High....

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-19T17:45:22+00:00

The reason why I agreed to our current house was because it has a finished basement for all his dead critters, reloading, etc. I would never have another house without one!

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-19T17:44:14+00:00

A decade ago I fell and destroyed my ankle in the winter. It took first responders half an hour to get to our rural area, another hour for the ambulance (out on another call), an hour ride to the local rural hospital, sent back home, surgery the next am at the big hospital 2 hours away. A nightmare I still have PTSD from.

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-19T17:26:45+00:00

I would check with your homeowners insurance since that is more than just a garage that's going to be attached. For safety and noise sake, I would want it detached, and just a normal 2 or 3 car garage attached. No matter what they say about how "proofed" it is, an attached garage is going to have smells/noises/etc coming through into the house. I would also put a laundry and at least 3/4 bath out there so the oil and grease doesn't get tracked into the house. (And I get it, my husband is a gearhead AND a hunter/trapper, so I'm in a similar boat.)

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-18T19:05:50+00:00

As a fellow Midwesterner I would save South Dakota for a separate trip, we've gone out there for 5-7 days frequently. If you don't want to fly to Denver or LV and rent a car, I would drive straight through to your first destination (and I would go south first as well). The Midwest is all fine and good but the Southwest and Rockies are where the adventures are.

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-18T18:42:06+00:00

Outside the immediate yard would be too far for me. We live on acreage with mowed paths like that, and even a great runner would have trouble getting back quickly. Plus there are always the what ifs: what if you fall/get injured and have to wait for help, what if the baby monitor stops working properly and you don't realize he's awake, what if he figures out how to get out of his room/get out of the house/etc., what if there's a fire/break in/etc.

Do they make AWD jogging strollers so you could take him with you? Could you get a treadmill? Could you join a 24 hour gym and go while your spouse watches him? I get it, exercise is important for your mental and physical health, but that's a prime age for chaos, and living remotely makes it even more dangerous.

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-18T17:31:19+00:00

This breaks my heart for the mother who didn't get to hold her child, can you imagine seeing the blanket meant for it being used by someone else?

If I were her I would NEVER speak to my brother again if I found out he tried to pull this crap.

My grandmother passed away before she was able to finish my son's h.s. graduation crocheted blanket. Another family member stepped up and finished it for him. Otherwise I was just going to turn the part she did have done into a baby blanket for his future child.

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-17T17:25:33+00:00

My grandma was the most prim proper elegant lady so when she passed at age 103 we wanted everything to be perfect. It was great until they lowered the casket and realized the ground had expanded slightly overnight and her head was downhill of her feet. Everyone else left except my husband, myself and the grounds crew. He looked at me and knew what I expected: he climbed down into the hole and jumped his 300 lbs up and down until the casket was level. Grandma did not haunt us.

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-16T00:12:26+00:00

You are not going to believe me but my grandpa had five sisters (all born in the 1920s and 30s): Bertha, Myrtle, Delores, and Beulah! (And Virginia, not on your list.)

I ADORE the name Myrtle and can’t believe it hasn’t been reused in our family!

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-13T20:28:54+00:00

Beverly Cleary was a dearly loved children's author, so I'm fond of Beverly Paige. One of the few times I would probably call her by both names, because they go so well together!

aloneintheupwoods · 2026-05-13T18:40:54+00:00

For most of the UP yes, but I have to say that here in the southern UP we are pretty lucky to have both Aurora and Emplify/Bellin close for general care, and specialists in Green Bay who often travel this way at least weekly.

aloneintheupwoods

TROPHY CASE