Congrats Lynn!!!

Lynn (andy's aunt) was diagnosed with breast cancer in late feburary/early march of this year. she has undergone 20-some weeks of chemo, surgery, and 5 weeks of radiation. on friday, she finished her last radiation treatment.

Lynn you are amazing!!
We love you!

Operation Front Door: Update #5

Complete!
Well, at least operational. we've still got some trim work to do ... and i need to peel off some green tape. :)

check out the happy couple! (can you believe it's still snowing?!?! this is andy's fault you know.)



we've sent erik home, cleaned up, and freed the kitties!


it's still snowing ....
(erik made it home safe and sound.)

Operation Front Door: Update #4

well, the boys are on the 3rd trip to lowes for the day. i've turned on music something other than andy's 3 christmas albums (ahhhhh, that's nice). the fire is still burning.

outside temp: 37 degrees

inside temp: 68.3 degrees

a few snowflakes stuck to andy's car while i was out on the last lowes run.

the kitties are hudldling for warm in our bedroom, where they have been trapped all stinking day. they have actually been really chill. amazing.

oakley has been hanging out by herself in this kitty bed everytime i've gone back to check on them.

i've destroyed the kitchen again creating a gigantic pot of lentil soup and some yummy smelling pumpkin (read butternut squash) spice bread.

andy's been working on the hardware. i guess that's a good sign that the end is near. they left for lowes muttering router bits, screws ... i dunno exactly what they are up to. but there hasn't been much swearing, so i assume things are going pretty well. :)

Operation Front Door: Update #3

The moment of truth! Test Fit. IT FITS!

andy is proud that he has mastered his tape measure skills.

toasty fire in the fire place.

Operation Front Door: Update #2

the boys got some plastic sheeting up over the front door opening. i got a fire going in the fireplace, and the house is actually pretty warm out here in the kitchen/living room area now.

erik did something fancy with concrete to make a base for the new door to sit on.

the boys having a pizza break for lunch while the concrete dries.

P.S. andy's prediction -- snow -- yes, we are having snow flurries this afternoon. can you believe it?

Operation Front Door: Update #1

the boys have been fed.
the kitchen is mostly cleaned up.
the boys are on their first trip to lowes.
my toes are cold.
i might have to actually put on shoes, instead of my standard fuzzy socks and birks.

Operation Front Door: Predictions

weeks and weeks ago .... when it was looking like we might actually get the new door installed before christmas .... andy predicted, "you know, whatever day we schedule to install the door, it's going to snow .... ".

well, it's not snowing, there's not a foot of snow on the ground ...


but it IS the coldest day we've had so far this winter. thank you cold arctic blast from the north ... i love being bundled from head to toe in my kitchen.

andy's friend erik was over here bright and early ... they have finally gotten started. i promised them breakfast of waffles .... so i better get started. a photo first .... more updates later ....

it's cold in here!

someone (me) is lazy about turning up the heat in the house -- go put on a sweatshirt!

the kitties snuggle for warmth.

yoga second impressions

so, i gave yoga a second chance. this time entering the room with the attitude that i was going to stretch, relax, and let go, rather than going to exercise.

i was a total wreck trying the half moon pose with my little block. my sense of balance was greatly challenged ... anyone who has followed me down the trail on a mountain bike will have no problem believing this.

so i suck. i'm challenged. yoga is now interesting to me.

andy says, "you are so predictable."

me and grandpa

a couple pictures from my recent trip to "the motherland" as andy calls it.

Indiana, that would be.

mom and i spent an afternoon hanging out with grandpa and helping him put together this ridiculously difficult puzzle.

being ornery and giving folks you love a hard time runs in the family. no question really where i inherited that from.

i remember when i was maybe 5 or 6, my grandpa had dentures. he thought it would be funny to pop his teeth out at me. it scared the crap out of me. he was laughing, i was crying. i remember running and hiding in the shed where the riding mower was stored. i think my mom came and got me; and grandpa apologized, probably calling me honey.

yoga first impressions

after much encouragement from lots of different folks .... i finally tried my first yoga class last night. my doc has been suggesting it as a way to relax and let go of stress. i've always thought it sounds kind of boring, and not active enough to really be considered exercise.

i finally stepped out of my little box and went to a class last night. can't say all my pre-conceived notions were shattered. i didn't break a sweat (can it be exercise if you're not sweating?) i did feel pretty mellow & relaxed and my muscles were all stretched and noodley. today i'm feeling some arm and back muscles, but i think those have more to do with getting back in the pool for a swim on monday, or the yard of bark mulch i moved yesterday afternoon for my real exercise.

i'll give it a few more tries. it's just not very competitive; i haven't figured out how to win. :)

... on life and health ...

"When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied." ~Herophilus 300 BC

feel like i have been living this simple quote for the last year. fighting my way back to good health ...