My Week that Was - December 6

9" fell over 11/29-11/30/25 dwm

We had our first winter storm as November came to a close. Some forecasts were calling for up to 15 inches between Saturday morning at 3 and Sunday morning at 6. 

We didn't get that much, but Madison set a record with more than 9-inches on Saturday. Here in Verona we got 9, and I'd say we got at least 10 inches of snow.

It snowed all day Saturday, and the intensity of the snow increased throughout the day, by late afternoon we were getting 3/4-of an inch per hour.

I'm curious to see how this winter goes. Last year it seemed that every time we received a decent amount of snow (4 inches or more), it would melt before the next measurable snow. While it's a bit early for this snow to last until Christmas, it would make the season more festive.

The snow falling on the Badgers final football game of the year at the University of Minnesota was only festive for the Gophers. The Badgers kept it close but couldn't get it done, as Wisconsin turned the ball over three times. For Bucky, it's time to watch the more competitive Badger squads playing volleyball, women's and men's hockey, and men's basketball.

Outside our window. 11/30/25 dwm

 Monday felt more like a day in January or February than the first day of December. The positive way to look at it is that it won't get a lot colder, and ten inches of snow from the weekend should stick around a while.

 Since it's December I decided to pull out the Christmas decorations that made the move from the old office to the new. The small silver tree is decked out with enough lights to be seen from long distance and about half-a-dozen ornaments to provide a touch of color (photo below).

 It's been on display for a week, but without an office window, unless you're in the office you won't see it!

 There's a system of polar vortexes that will make their way across the United States over the next couple of weeks. The polar vortex brings colder than usual temperatures with short respites when it gets as warm as the low-30s. That's not typical December weather even in Wisconsin!

The office tree. 12/1/2025 dwm

Thursday afternoon Oakwood celebrated the coming of Christmas with a "Hanging of the Greens," program that included Christmas carols and readings from scripture. It's been a few years since I was able to attend, it was nice to be there again.

After a few days reviewing and editing our year-end letter, we finally had a version that should be in the mail and resident mailboxes early next week.

Friday I spent most of the day on the phone, thanking donors for their generosity throughout the year and wishing them the best for the holidays. 

After work, we had dinner at Texas Roadhouse then took in a movie, Wicked for Good. It's part two of the movie based on the popular musical. It's been in theaters for nearly three weeks and still had nearly half of the seats occupied for the first showing of the evening.

It felt like a fast week. That's good when you're busy. A lot was accomplished which should make the next three weeks feel like a race to the finish line.

Thanks for reading, it will be interesting to see what the new week brings.