H.A. Larson's Blog, page 35

Coffee Talk: Walking, Productivity, and May

I'm not sure if it's because I really missed walking and hiking over Winter, or whether I have started to enjoy walking and hiking more, but I've really been putting in the miles. I've been walking an average of four miles a day, plus one decent hike every weekend, and it's almost becoming an obsession. This week was the first week ever (EVER) that I managed to walk back and forth from work the entire week. Seriously. You would think that after two years of walking to work in decent weather that I would have made it at least a few full weeks, but you would be wrong.

On top of that, after I ate my lunch at work yesterday, I noticed I still had 30 minutes so I went out and walked around campus for an extra mile. Now today, I'm going to walk three miles for the American Heart Association's Heart Walk. My boss's boss has a team and I signed up. I figured it would be a great way for me to get a walk in while helping a good cause. Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I'm taking the kids out for a day-trip adventure which will probably include hiking.

The result of all this walking is that I'm getting stronger and faster. This will surely serve me well for my hike up Black Elk Peak next month.


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I honestly didn't think I would get any writing done this month, but I've found myself writing all the things. I finished my short story "The Scream" for my email subscribers, I picked away at the House of Vermilion, and I'm still working on one of the other books I have out there. I seem to have jumped the final hurdle of the writing slump I had found myself in for a long time. I know I've said it before, but I think I just needed a break from it all for awhile. Now, I've been pleasantly filled with the creative drive that got me writing in the first place.

Overall, I've been a lot more active and productive, which I think getting in better shape has helped out with a greatly. In the past few weeks, I've gotten rid of a lot of junk; I cleaned out my garage; I got my front and back yards put together and looking nice; I switched out my Fall/Winter decor for my Spring/Summer decor; and I started a container garden.


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May has been one of the busiest months of my life. I've had so many commitments and engagements, and it's only half over! The first weekend I had a convention and meetings. This weekend I have the Heart Walk, meetings, and Mother's Day with my kids. Next week The Teen graduates high school - I'm still in shock about it, honestly. I'll be hosting my entire family for the party on Saturday and the ceremony on Sunday.

The following weekend, Memorial Day weekend, I'll spend five days working an event that the organization I've been heavily involved in is putting on. The event will bring to fruition over a year's worth of hard, dedicated work that I, and the rest of the team, have diligently and tirelessly been engaged in. I'm nervous and excited about it, but I'm also looking forward to it being over so I can have a chance to step back and rest for awhile. I'm taking a month off from meetings, I'm working on my books, and I'm taking a vacation. I'll be ready.


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Have a great weekend. Get out there and enjoy it!

-H.A.

Recipe of the Week: The Perfect Muffins

I've recently discovered freeze-dried fruit. I don't know why I never paid much attention to them in the past because they're really handy. I purchased some freeze-dried blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries off of Amazon, and I'm loving them! I've been using them in my oatmeal (regular and overnight) and for snacking. One weekend morning, I decided I was in the mood for muffins. I have a standard vegan muffin recipe I use that is perfect for add-ins, and I think I've found my perfect combo. Delectably brown on the outside and soft & delicious on the inside, these muffins are great for breakfast, snacking, a picnic, or for trail food. Read on for how I made them.


Fresh out of the oven.



A close-up of the inside. Mmmmm.


The Perfect Muffins
Ingredients:
1.5 c whole wheat white flour*1/2 c sugar**1/2 t salt1 T baking powder1 t coriander1 T chia seeds1 T ground flaxseed1/4 c freeze-dried blueberries1/4 c freeze-dried raspberries, crushed up lightly with fingers1 c plant-based milk***1/2 c preferred oil****1 t vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Grease muffin tins or coat with cooking spray. For large muffins, this makes six, and for smaller muffins, this makes twelve.3. In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, coriander, chia, flaxseed, and the freeze-dried berries. Mix until everything is incorporated.4. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla, and stir lightly, just until incorporated.5. Fill muffin tins halfway for twelve muffins, or to the rim for six muffins.6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes:
*I like baking with whole wheat white flour, but you can use any flour you'd like.**If you want to reduce the carb count on this recipe you can substitute 3 T of stevia or erythritol for the sugar.***I use unsweetened, plain almond milk.****I use canola oil for this recipe.
 If you make twelve muffins, they will not be very tall which is a good size for something that's not your main eats. In other words, if you just want a little snack or something to go with your main meal, make twelve. If you want to eat these as say, breakfast, then make six for a more sizable muffin.

Working on my Bucket List

Black Elk Peak, South Dakota

When I was in junior high, my Dad took me on a two-week Summer road trip to South Dakota. We had a ton of fun, going to Mount Rushmore, Reptile Gardens, Devil's Tower (which is across the border into Wyoming), Cosmos Mystery Area, and a bunch of other places. However, what really stands out about that trip is our day at Black Elk Peak. It was renamed in 2016, but for many years it was known as Harney Peak. My Dad wanted to hike to the top, and about halfway there I thought I was going to die. It was hard and I whined almost the entire way. I can remember my Dad saying numerous times that it was, "Just a little bit farther." After a while, I realized he was lying, but I still love him anyway. Haha!

Black Elk Peak, at 7242 feet, is the highest point between the Rocky Mountains and the Pyrenees Mountains in Europe. My Dad has been back there a few times, and one of those times he brought me back a sticker that said, "I Climbed Harney Peak". I chuckled but my Dad reminded me that I deserved it because I did climb it after all, even if I did whine the entire time.

On our upcoming family vacation in June, we're going to spend a couple of days in Rapid City, SD, which is a short drive from Black Elk Peak. Since I've been progressing nicely on my road to health, I've decided that I want to take The Teen with me on a hike up to the top of it. This time without the whining...okay, I might whine a little. I might take my husband and Nature Girl too, but we'll see. Nature Girl would have a hard time with it and my husband has asthma, so they will more than likely stay behind.

As I get older, I realize that it's time to start working on my Bucket List and climbing Black Elk Peak is on that list. While I have plenty of other goals on my Bucket List, this one is the closest and easiest one to accomplish. It will be the second thing on my list, behind traveling to Europe, that I've been able to accomplish, and, until then, I'll be training. I've been walking around 4 - 4.5 miles on the weekdays and taking at least one 5-mile challenging hike on the weekends. In fact, last weekend I climbed My Nemesis as part of a larger hike, and I only needed to take one quick and one longer break on the way up. I'll be ready next month to climb Black Elk Peak, and I'll be sure to keep you posted.

What's the most challenging hike you've ever taken?

The Places I've Been

While I've mostly traveled around the United States (16 states and counting!), I have been fortunate enough to travel to a few other countries. Since I live in the United States, I have been to our neighbors to the North and to the South: Canada and Mexico. Otherwise, as far as getting outside of North America, I've been to Europe by way of Ireland. Now, it's not many countries outside of my own, and my experience with Canada and Mexico was pretty brief, but I'm thankful all the same that I've been to three other countries.
Traveling to other countries is an enlightening and an enriching experience. Getting to experience other cultures is a great way to expand your viewpoints and knowledge. I've learned a lot of neat things in my travels, and I can't wait to expand upon that more.

Rainy River, ON, Canada town hall.*
My first experience visiting another country happened in the 1980s when I went with my Dad to Rainy River, Ontario, Canada. My great uncle Carl lived in Nevis, MN, which is about a 2.5 - 3.0-hour drive from the Canadian border, and we'd spend a week or two at his home every summer. My Dad and my Uncle were both avid fishermen, which they did every visit, so the trip to Canada was strictly for sport. I was just a kid at the time, probably no older than Nature Girl is now, but I was keen on going. I hated going fishing when I was a kid (not that I'm fond of it now to be perfectly honest) but I wanted to go to Canada. I was bored, admittedly, but I got my first visit out of the United States and I was happy.

A street in Rainy River, Ontario, Canada.*
Rainy River is a podunk town with not a lot going on, but I grew up in a podunk town with not a lot going on, so that was all right. My memories of Canada included buying a wooden souvenir trinket box at the Bait/Gift Shop and sitting in my great uncle's fishing boat while bored out of my skull. Still, that view of the Canadian wilderness from the most serene, dark-blue lake I've ever seen while a loon called from somewhere in the distance still lingers in my mind.

Matamoras, Tamaulipas, Mexico.**
My second chance to travel outside of the United States was when I was about 25- or 26-years-old. I was single, in college, and having a good time visiting my Mom in Texas over the Christmas holidays. We decided to spend a weekend in South Padre Island over the New Year's holiday.

Garcia's Shop/Restaurant/Pharmacy in Matamoras, Tamaulipas, Mexico.**
South Padre is a short drive from Brownsville, TX, a border town that sits directly across from Matamoras, Tamaulipas, MX. We crossed the border on foot and window-shopped along streets until we took a cab to Garcia's. Garcia's is a one-stop shop that is a gift shop, pharmacy, and restaurant all at the same time. We went in and shopped, then popped over to their restaurant for lunch. We had drinks and delicious food - I had a plate of nachos which were simple but delicious. Chips that had melted mozzarella on them served with pickled jalapenos & carrots on the side was my lunch, and it was served by a waiter in black tie and a suit with a towel over his arm!

I remember what struck me the most about the trip was the mob of kids, who swarmed us as we walked the shops, begging for money and the pregnant moms with babies in their arms doing the same thing right inside the border. Poverty loomed all around us.

Picture of the Atlantic from The Burren, Western Coast of Ireland, County Galway.+
While my other two forays outside of the United States were with my parents, my other trip out of the country (thus far) was with my best friend, Keith. We flew to Ireland in November of 2014, where we spent a week exploring Dublin, Limerick, and Galway. I had the time of my life and I recall that trip with great fondness.

View of Greenland from an airplane.++
Bonus country! Okay, so while I never actually went to Greenland, we did fly over it on our way to Ireland. I saw it with my own eyes out of the airplane window, so, I kinda claim Greenland as being a place I've "been to". 
Where have you been? Where do you want to go? Let me know in the comments!




*Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia
**Pictures courtesy of Pinterest.
+Personal photo.++Picture courtesy of the Boston Globe.

Healthy Life Update

It's been awhile since my last health update, so I figure it's time for another. When I last updated you, it was right after the holidays, and I can tell you that since then, I've come to the conclusion that I'm a creature of habit...bad habits.
You've been a witness to my health updates over the years, and, consequently, the yo-yo-ing and the ups and downs I've had. While I can say that I've had relative success - via losing a large chunk of weight - I've struggled not to gain back weight. I've regained and re-lost 10 - 20 pounds more than a few times since my initial big loss and it's more than a little frustrating.
In order to combat this, I've tried different things:
1. Veganism, which initially helped me lose the aforementioned large chunk of weight, but once I got acclimated to eating a plant-based diet, it was easy to start eating unhealthily vegan.
2. I've counted my calories religiously for months and making a point of getting regular exercise.
3. I tried incorporating healthy snacks into my diet to combat crap.
4. I've tried resisting the junk food my co-workers bring in constantly.
5. I've even tried a plant-based Keto diet, which helped me lose the weight I gained (again!) over Winter plus a few more pounds.
While I've had some success with all of these things, nothing tends to stick overall. It's easy to tweak your calories when you're counting them constantly, it's hard to get exercise when you're down in the dumps & it's Winter (same goes for snacks and junk food), and I really missed carbs on the keto diet.
What I realized is that I have an addiction to food and that the only way I can successfully lose weight - and keep it off - is to break the addiction. I quit smoking 4.5 years ago, and I thought, "If I can break that addiction, I can surely break the other." So, I stopped counting calories, I went back to eating carbs, although I try and keep my overall carb count down and eat more healthy foods, and I started getting some kind of exercise again. Most importantly, I'm learning to break my food addiction. I eat just what I need when I need to eat it. I've stopped snacking (except for occasionally) and eat lighter meals.
So, what's the end result of all this, then? I'm down 85 pounds since I started this entire journey and am the thinnest I've been in years! While I'm excited about my progress, I'm quick to remind myself that I have a long way to go. Breaking my food addiction was hard at first, but it gets easier every day and I'm proud of the success I've had thus far. 
What have been your struggles? What have been your accomplishments? Let me know in the comments.

Steppin' in to Spring

Ever-so-thankfully, Spring is here. The season (finally) arrived with gusto towards the end of last week and has been beautiful outside ever since. I was more than ready for Spring - as I'm sure you are already aware - so I have been taking full advantage of it by hiking out in my favorite spots and walking to work.

It began this last Thursday. When I got off work that day, the sun was shining and the temperature was around 58 degrees F. None of my family was interested in going hiking with me and, truthfully, I was perfectly fine with that.


The rebuilt Meditation Shelter at Schramm S.P.
I headed out to Schramm State Park. They only have a couple of trails, the longest being roughly three miles by the time you get back to your car, so it's an easy, as well as beautiful, hike. There was only one other car when I got there but I never saw another soul. I essentially had the place to myself! It was so quiet and peaceful that I could have stayed for much longer - if I had had the time.

A pile of firewood in one of the lean-to's.





My favorite part of hiking in Schramm is ending right here at the old fish hatchery ponds. It's always a lovely sight, no matter what time of year.



Friday I walked to work and back for the first time since December and it felt great. Saturday, my folks came for a visit, and my Dad wanted to go to Fontanelle Forest, so that's exactly what we did. There's a long boardwalk trail there which is great when you want to get outside on warmer, snowy days. You can take various trails in the forest, as well, which you access right off the boardwalk. So, we walked for a bit on the boardwalk and then hit the trails down the hills and towards the Missouri River.

Almost to the valley. You can see the Missouri River in the background.


The Missouri River.


You have to cross train tracks to get to the banks of the River, and we were afforded a close-up view of a train that passed by as we were heading back to the valley.

The Teen gives Nature Girl a ride.


Some white crocus' growing right off the trail.




Fontanelle also has a neat Nature Center that houses a variety of animals. This little turtle's name is Emmet.

I don't know what kind of fish this is.

A snake warms itself under a heat lamp.



The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, nicknamed "The Bob".
I get, not only my love of hiking from my Dad, but, my love of amateur photography as well. After hiking for a couple of miles at Fontanelle, my Dad wanted to take river pictures somewhere else, so I took him down to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge a.k.a The Bob. You can read more about The Bob here.


The Bob is a suspension, pedestrian bridge that goes over the Missouri River, connecting Nebraska and Iowa.


Where the two states meet, a line is marked on the bridge. It's a popular place to snap photographs.

A view of downtown Omaha from The Bob.


Sunday rolled around and half of my household was tired from the day before, but the Teen and I were both ready to get outside again. He went off with his friends to hike Neale Woods, while I made my way back to Old Town Conservation Area. If you recall, I went there back in early March, but it was too cold to stay. I vowed then to come back when the weather was nicer, which Sunday definitely was. It was a sunny 70 degrees F, so off I went for another solo hike.



It was gorgeous and warm. The Sun poked through some of the most brilliant clouds I've ever seen. I walked the same path we did last time, except this time I went all the way around.


I downloaded the park map from the website, and all the trails are color-coded. Every intersection in the trails had colored arrows marked on a pole that match the color-coded trail map. For instance, if you wanted to take the "blue" trail you just followed the blue arrows at the intersections. It was super-easy to check the arrows against the map to decide which trails you wanted to take. A genius idea in my book.


After I took that full circular trail, I drove to the other parking area - where we hadn't been before - and walked on a couple of other trails through the park. I got to see this hidden pond.
As you can see, I've wasted no time getting out to walk and hike. Between the hiking and the walking to work, I've clocked in 21 miles, so far, over the past five days. I'm gearing up for a major hiking goal in June so I'm getting all the hiking/walking in I can. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into nature and that it inspires you to do the same.

Modern Love Omaha

May marks the third year that I've eaten an exclusively plant-based diet. In those three years, Omaha has come a long way when it comes to food options for vegans. While we have excellent vegan options at many restaurants now, there's only one restaurant in town that serves vegan food exclusively: Modern Love. While I've always loved food, I never became a foodie until a) I moved to the city, and b) I switched over to a vegan diet. 
I was so used to the traditional Midwestern foods I had eaten my whole life that it was the same kinds of food I kept eating well into adulthood. Moving to a city exposed me to a whole new world of foods, particularly ethnic foods. I had never had Thai, Spanish, Middle-Eastern, or Indian food until I came to the city. Then, when I switched to a plant-based diet, I had to learn to cook all over again. In the process, I became a foodie. Finding Modern Love has been a great place for me to expand my palate and proliferate my love of good food. I've only had one dish there that I wasn't fond of, while everything else has been incredible.
Modern Love is the creation of Isa Moskowitz. Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, she was the host of the former cable show Post Punk Kitchen, author of 10 vegan cookbooks - I own the 10th Anniversary edition of her first one, Vegan with a Vengeance - columnist, and, now, restauranteur. Modern Love opened in Omaha in 2014, while a second location was opened in her native Brooklyn in 2016.



(First off, let me apologize for this photo and many of the others. I have become a better photographer over these last three years.) January 2015, was my first visit to Modern Love, and it was a few months before I made the full switch to veganism. I had the Orange-Hibiscus Soda (fun fact: this was before they got a liquor license and people would bring in their own bottles of wine). My main course was the Tempeh Bibimbap with seared brussel sprouts and housemade kimchi, which was perfectly cooked, and for dessert, I got the coconut cream pie with coconut whipped cream. It melted in your mouth with the flakiest crust ever. 




I didn't return until January of 2016 when my husband and I went for our 10th Anniversary. We started off with the house Red Pepper Hummus with crudite, which I get almost every time now as it's the best hummus I've ever had, and the crudites are lightly seared tri-color peppers, carrots, and radishes. MMM mmm. This time around I had the Applewood-Smoked Tofu on homemade focaccia, potato salad, and greens with a tomato viniagrette. That smoked tofu was heaven sandwiched between two flavorful pillows. I wasn't as fond of the potato salad because I prefer mine fairly plain, but it was still tasty, and the vinaigrette made that whole salad. After that experience, I tried making smoked tofu myself with great success. I scored some ciabatta rolls and a bottle of muffaletta salad at Aldi around that time and made bomb sandwiches with the tofu.




Not wanting to wait as long the next time, I went again in February of 2016. I ordered the Mac 'n Shews - a wonderful mac 'n cheese made with cashew cheese - that was served with Pecan-Encrusted Tofu, bbq cauliflower, and dressed greens. Not shown: Cashew Rangoon with Spicy Apricot dipping sauce. This meal was delicious, homey but swanky, and again I copied the dish, only this time with the cauli. My favorite item this evening, however, was the Cashew Rangoon. It tasted so much like the real deal that I wondered if I was getting tricked.



This particular trip was special because Isa was in the house. She stopped by our table to refill our water, so I complimented her food and asked for an autograph which she happily obliged me with. It's the perfect book marker for my copy of Vegan with a Vengeance . 




My last visit was on our 12th Anniversary, on January 13, 2018. I ordered the Wild Mushroom Schnitzel with mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, and lightly grilled broccolini. I don't think I've ever tasted anything as divine as this meal. Not shown, Five Spice Cauliflower Wings and the Pear & Apricot Bread Pudding (made to order) with homemade vanilla ice cream and coconut whipped cream. We ate everything, and I was so sick afterward that I could barely enjoy Vis Major's charming atmosphere and brews. The bartender took pity on me, giving me bitters mixed with club soda, and it helped. I've never eaten SO MUCH FOOD at one sitting, and I will never do that again! Well, with food this amazing, there are no guarantees!

The only dish I had that I wasn't a big fan of was the Tofysh Sandwich. I never did take any photos of that trip, and not because I didn't like it. I was with friends and was making a conscious effort not to be on my phone.

Modern Love's menu rotates to offer what is in-season. You can find their website here or their Brooklyn location one here. You don't have to be a vegan to enjoy their food...most people who go there aren't. You just have to love inspired, delicious, and beautifully-plated food.

Moving on from the Past

Do you ever think about something that happened in the past? Do you get lost in a moment in time that you can never get back? I know I have, and there are plenty of other people who have as well. Most of the time, these things are nothing more than memories we can look back on, a recollection of the past. Sometimes though, we can get stuck in the past and keep reliving it constantly. Whether they're good or bad memories, being stuck in the past can be a real burden.

I had a friend once who constantly talked about her life growing up. She never talked about anything in the present or her plans for the future, just a constant litany of tales from the past. At first, it was interesting to hear her stories, but after a few years of hearing the same stories over and over again, it got old and tiresome. It was obvious to me, then, that she was living in a period of time that was long over. While I never begrudged her - or anyone else - for her good memories, there comes a point when one needs to quit focusing on the past and concentrate on the present and the future.

Now, I can't talk about this issue without putting myself in the hot seat. I often think about the past too but from a different perspective. For me, I look at my past as a series of missed opportunities and bad decisions. Because of this, I lament the time I feel I've lost to the past and often wish I could go back in time and do things differently.

While my foray into the past looks different than my former friend's, it's just as unproductive. There is nothing to be gained from either of our reflections and honestly just holds us back. What I mean is that instead of smiling at a good memory or learning from past mistakes, we live squarely in a period of time that is over and one that cannot be changed. What's done is done and it's time to move on.

I've done a lot better about living and being in my present, but I still struggle at times - especially when times are tough - to not get caught up in what has already passed. It is during these times that I have to remind myself to not dwell in the past and to focus on the future. Oftentimes, that's usually the catalyst I need to bring myself back to the present. It's the future that I need to focus on anyway, more so than my past. The future is where I can make better decisions and take advantage of all my opportunities.

I need to also stay focused on the here and now as well. I mean, the present is happening as we speak, right? The present is the bridge between the past and the future, but it's also the future we've caught up with. When I think about it, I'm already well on my way to changing how I lived in the past and my future looks pretty bright from where I'm standing.

I will live today in the present. How about you?

What's Going on, Spring?

What Spring should look like right now, but woefully doesn't.
Spring officially began - in the Northern Hemisphere - on March 20, the Spring Equinox. Typically, at least where I live, that means the temperatures start to warm up, the trees start to bud, it starts to rain frequently, and you might (might!) get one more snowstorm before April arrives. It also means you can start wearing lighter jackets and short-sleeved shirts. 
This Spring, however, has proven to be...shall I say, drunk? Yes, that's right. Go home Spring, you are drunk! Spring has heralded some of the aforementioned kind of days but has also peppered those days with straight-up Winter weather. It's confusing, and not just for us, the birds are also wondering what the hell is going on. Just look at this forecast for the month.


Make up your mind, Spring.
Today is April 14th, but you'd never be able to tell by looking outside. As you can see from the above photo, we had warm 70-degree weather on Wednesday, Thursday, and yesterday (the photo shows 69 degrees, but it actually got up to 71 degrees). Now, look at today. See that 37 degrees with snowflakes coming out of the clouds? That's right, while it's raining right now, we're in the middle of a snow storm watch, with 80% chance of snow. I'm in Eastern Nebraska, but out in Western Nebraska, they started getting the white stuff yesterday. So while we were wearing shorts and sandals yesterday (no lie), out West they were definitely not.


Winter, you scoundrel.
See this picture? You'd think this was taken during Winter (ahem), but alas, it was taken in Western Nebraska this morning by a Facebook friend. This morning! And, it's heading our way. Ugh, I'm so over Winter.


What Spring is supposed to look like.
This photo, I took last week on the 5th. As you can see from the weather calendar above, it was 58 degrees that day and partly cloudy. The kids and I took advantage of the warm spring day to take a hike out at Hitchcock Nature Center, and it was beautiful! The last three days I wore my summer work clothes and shorts at home. 
Glancing at the weather calendar, it seems we should finally start seeing decent days by the end of the month, but it's just taking a frustratingly long time. Come back, Spring, we miss you! I promise never to complain about Winter not arriving ever again.

What's Going on Spring?

What Spring should look like right now, but woefully doesn't.
Spring officially began - in the Northern Hemisphere - on March 20, the Spring Equinox. Typically, at least where I live, that means the temperatures start to warm up, the trees start to bud, it starts to rain frequently, and you might (might!) get one more snowstorm before April arrives. It also means you can start wearing lighter jackets and short-sleeved shirts. 
This Spring, however, has proven to be...shall I say, drunk? Yes, that's right. Go home Spring, you are drunk! Spring has heralded some of the aforementioned kind of days but has also peppered those days with straight-up Winter weather. It's confusing, and not just for us, the birds are also wondering what the hell is going on. Just look at this forecast for the month.


Make up your mind, Spring.
Today is April 14th, but you'd never be able to tell by looking outside. As you can see from the above photo, we had warm 70-degree weather on Wednesday, Thursday, and yesterday (the photo shows 69 degrees, but it actually got up to 71 degrees). Now, look at today. See that 37 degrees with snowflakes coming out of the clouds? That's right, while it's raining right now, we're in the middle of a snow storm watch, with 80% chance of snow. I'm in Eastern Nebraska, but out in Western Nebraska, they started getting the white stuff yesterday. So while we were wearing shorts and sandals yesterday (no lie), out West they were definitely not.


Winter, you scoundrel.
See this picture? You'd think this was taken during Winter (ahem), but alas, it was taken in Western Nebraska this morning by a Facebook friend. This morning! And, it's heading our way. Ugh, I'm so over Winter.


What Spring is supposed to look like.
This photo, I took last week on the 5th. As you can see from the weather calendar above, it was 58 degrees that day and partly cloudy. The kids and I took advantage of the warm spring day to take a hike out at Hitchcock Nature Center, and it was beautiful! The last three days I wore my summer work clothes and shorts at home. 
Glancing at the weather calendar, it seems we should finally start seeing decent days by the end of the month, but it's just taking a frustratingly long time. Come back, Spring, we miss you! I promise never to complain about Winter not arriving ever again.