Pre-Spring?!

we got this catalog in the mail just after christmas -- what the hell kind of season is "PreSpring"? at that point i decided it described the total blah of cold and rain and snow and general ick that plagued us after the holidays until spring actually began.

well, i think this week really begins "PreSpring" - and i present the following photo evidence from my garden as proof that spring really is just around the corner....


dafadills! poking their little green heads out of the dirt!


first blooms on the first rhodie!

iris! just one of my many gigantic fields of iris, streching after a long winter's nap.

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.