Yesterday's weather was wild. Gusts of 50 mph knocked down two light posts on Cathedral Square in Downtown Milwaukee, and in my Riverwest backyard, tossed my glass-topped patio table on its side. The glass shattered, the umbrella snapped off and blew into my neighbor's yard, and the four chairs that had been neatly arranged around the table were scattered around my backyard.

The patio set was only a few years old, came from Target and cost about $300. My homeowner's insurance has a $500 deductible. What an inconvenient truth.

On the bright side, I have plenty of time to save up for a new one, since Wisconsinites spend little time on patios from November until May.