Christmas times a comin', Christmas times a comin',,,

Despite it looking more like spring outside -- Christmas will be here in a few short days. I can not believe how quickly it has come. And how utterly unprepared I am. Although I have my tree up, there are still many things on my to-do list. We are sticking around the area this year (which makes it so fewer things have to get done in a timely fashion) and looking forward to celebrating with the K and L families!

Outside of Christmas preparations, I have been thinking about going on vacation these last couple days! Pete surprised me with a trip to the Dominican Republic (for Christmas)~ he gave me the tickets yesterday! I was shocked/surprised/happy! This is the 3rd Christmas gift he's given me since we have been married so I really was not expecting it!* I am looking forward to having time together, sand, sun, and relaxing for a week before starting the craziness that is med school! :)

I am also starting to get anxious about going ~ quite a bit of things to arrange before going: digging the warm weather clothes/shoes out of storage, getting anti-malarials (according to the CDC, the resort areas of the DR have high number of mosquitos that carry malaria), sunblock/aloe, bug spray, among other things... It should be a good escape for a few days! For those that have been ~ any advice?

*We don't usually exchange gifts. It works out just fine for the two of us...  Things we buy for each other do not make it to Christmas, we are not experts in each other's interests/hobbies, and we buy things as we need them rather than for a specific day.

What happened to fall?

This morning started out like any other, a cup of coffee with breakfast, a walk with Hondo, check the mail. However, somewhere in the midst of our morning tour around the block... I realized that the leaves were gone, the skies are grey (ominous for snow or other precipitation), and there is frost on my car windshield. What happened to the bright sunny days of fall made even more golden by light filtering through yellow leaves, crispness in the air, hay rides and apple cider?

One of the benefits to living in an area where seasons change, is the ability to watch in the spring as the land again comes to life -- trees growing buds first then leaves, little buds of flowers and other plants coming out of the earth; spring makes way for summer, and summer gives way to fall and with it crunchy warm-colored (tans, oranges, yellows, reds) leaves, fresh apples, and the slow retirement of plants and animals. And now, it seems fall is making room for winter's white blankets of frost and snow, glistening icicles, and little red berries that remain on the holly plants. 

And while I am starting to get anxious for winter's first snowfall -- the one where the world looks white, clean and pristine -- if only temporarily... I am missing the lovely golden days of fall. 

It feels crisp in the air

Yesterday, we headed over to Pete's mom and dad's for a Labor day picnic ~ it was fun to see family, and get out of the house for the afternoon! :)

But, you could not deny the slight crispness to the air... especially in light of the past many days where it has felt like summer. It is starting to feel like fall. A great time of year -- trips to the cider mill for cider and doughnuts, sweatshirt and flannel weather, some yard work (slitting and stacking wood, raking leaves), and a good time of year to be in school. I get excited by the change in seasons! :)

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Update on the Hondo: he is pretty much back to normal. His stitches are out, and days that he is not wearing the cone (we take it off him, then he starts to scratch at the eye... so the cone gets put back on) -- he looks pretty much like he used to (well, except the one eye is stitched shut so it looks like he's perpetually winking).  He's gotten pretty good at figuring out that he has to turn his head to "eyeball" things, however when he runs into one of us on his left side... he will shriek, because he did not see us. His head is no longer tilty -- I think his eardrum must be healed, and the ear infection seems to be getting better (he will go to the vet this week to confirm). He has resumed all of his usual activities -- going on walks, playing tug-o-war with one of us, going up/down stairs... back to normal, and he seems happy! :)

Pete has taken to teasing the dog -- giving him treats on his left side, and then moving them when Hondo turns his head... and then putting them where he can see them. Hondo just plays along, happy to get something other than his dog food to eat (he is on a diet).

Have a good day!

I think I must have spring fever. You know that antsy feeling that seems to come when the seasons change and nicer weather appears? It seems to have come a bit late this year, perhaps owing to how busy I was with schoolwork last semester... I stopped noting the passing of days (only time until the next test). But, I do have it now. So, I am trying to find little activities to fill my time. Like going for more walks (Hondo likes that one), or cleaning up the apartment (its much cleaner than it has been at any other time than when we moved in), or re-arranging and thinning things... I guess my cupboards like that one.

In other news or what-have-you...
I have now completed 2 semesters and 1 week of a third semester of medical school. About a year ago, I had received my acceptance and was nervous/anxious/excited to start... worried that my seven year break in formal education would be too long. I will say this, returning to school was an adjustment in and of itself... but I think the life experience between my years of schooling has enriched my education. There have been many things I have learned in med school which I have been able to relate to things that I had seen/learned/experienced between undergrad and starting med school. It really has been fun to go back to school and learn, I am grateful to have had the experience and looking forward to starting next school year.

Between Spring semester and my current semester, I had a week break which I used to go to Minnesota. It was so fun to go home and spend time with family there. I was kept quite busy each day, and it was fun to see everyone there! While I was there I went to a cousin's wedding, services in the cities, out for appetizers; to Menahga to visit my Grandma (and thank you to the aunts, uncles, and cousins who also came and visited with my mom, dad, and me!); and was able to spend time at each of my sister's and sister-in-law's homes, as well as at my mom & dad's. It was nice to be able to go for a week and spend a little time at each place! Thank you very much to all! :) I will have to post pictures once I load them on my computer.

Yes, we are nerds...

Happy Pi day!

In honor of Pi Day (3.14), we had a slice of pie at the local pie shop. As good an excuse as any to enjoy a slice of pie! :)

Snow Day!

First one in years!
Although school was canceled today due to snow, Hondo was still taken outside for his walk this morning. He enjoyed being outside; bounding through the cold,white stuff, making tunnels and occasionally eating the snow! This made me laugh and smile this morning. The sidewalks have not been shoveled, and we expect to get several more inches today. The snow was past his shoulders this morning, I wonder how much deeper it will get! :)

Squirrel Hunting

Season's greetings!

We had a wonderful Christmas, spending the time at home and visiting with family. On Christmas eve, we saw both sides of Pete's family and then had his older cousins (and uncle) over for games -- so much fun and many laughs! On Christmas day, we had lunch at Pete's parents and went over to his aunt & uncle's for some more visiting. Always fun to catch up with everyone! :) I thought that I would share a few photos of our Christmas decor before I dismantle them tonight/this next week:

Cup cupboard

Decor on top of the living room cabinet filled with Christmas lights...

Stockings hung by the chimney with care...

We did not have a Christmas tree... so clean-up is really easy! :)

Today, 1 day after the Christmas festivities... it's snowing (we have had a rain mixture for the last day or two), and looks like winter outside! We have spent today more or less relaxing... sleeping in until late, going out for breakfast, putting the Christmas cards in the photo album, and then... declaring war on the squirrels. This past week, we heard the squirrels in the ceiling of the second floor. So, after breakfast, we bought a BB gun, a few live traps, and a squirrel feeder. The squirrel feeder has been mounted to a tree outside this window -- the plan is: see squirrel, open window, shoot squirrel (who then becomes cat food). After the squirrels are no longer in the house, we plan to re-side the house and repair the trim and thus prevent more squirrels from entering our domicile...

I hope that you had a very Merry Christmas! Best wishes for a lovely 2010!

Photos, as promised

This is the finished transom! My dad & Pete capped off the openings for the pocket doors. And we gave the whole thing a fresh coat of paint.

Anyone who has been over in the last few years has seen the hole behind the woodstove --used to find the opening for the chimney. Well, this has now been repaired & the metal piece used to surround the pipe has been put in place. It certainly feels good to no longer see the brick and inside of drywall behind the stove!
Now this is Hondo's room. The hole in the wall behind his cage has been fixed & primed. I just need to decide on a color to paint the room.

The pictures below are of the flora growing in my yard: purple flowers (violets?), the remaining tulips (not eaten by some yard creature--notice the 2 empty stems around the flowers), the crab apple tree (pink polka dots), a flowering tree that has purple flowers are the base of all branches (picture of both the tree and the flowers) , and the bottom middle picture is of the magnolia tree. Unfortunately, I do not think the magnolia has any flowers!

Promise to post pictures this weekend

sWell hello! It has been a little over a month since I last wrote anything on here. In fact, today is probably my first time in a few weeks actually plugging this computer in. So, I promise to post pictures of the projects that have been completed since my parents were in town--the divider between the main rooms looks fantastic & the completed wall behind the wood stove looks much more... finished. I am glad to not have holes in the wall in Hondo's room as well.

So, now it is spring! And my yard has a few signs of life. My tulips came up, but I have been sadly watching the flowers disappear each morning. It seems a bunny or similar creature has decided the tops are quite tasty! I am now down to 4 flowers from about 20. My crab apple tree has delightful little pink buds -- I think it looks the best it does all year, right now, just before the real flowers come in. And, I can start seeing the stems on my peonies. I am looking forward to their beautiful blooms!

My goal this weekend is to take a few pictures and share the project that is my house.

Happy May Day!

Spring is here!

It's SPRING! This morning on my way out the driveway, I noticed that our magnolia tree is starting to get leaf buds... and so is the lilac, and likewise a few other flora in our yard. Also, it was 70 this afternoon! So, I drove with the convertible top down on my way home from work. I am ready for daylight savings, and I am optimistic that all of winter's white has left!

Happy spring ~ enjoy the fine weather!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Happy Fat Tuesday! Above are pictured Paczki (pronounced Poonch-key)'s-- the traditional Polish filled-doughnut served on Fat Tuesday. I picked these up, still hot, Monday night at the local doughnut shop ([town I live in] Donut's). Until I moved states, I had never experienced the deliciousness of a Paczki. This is a day that I can certainly get behind -- Who doesn't like an excuse to eat a doughnut!?! Enjoy your day!

Happy Valentine's Day (belated)

Happy Valentine's day! Here are some little snippets of the day at my house (L : gritty photo-- Fruit & Flowers tea stewing, M- Roses from Pete, R: Angel Food Cake -- served last night @ dinner with strawberries & whipped cream - yum!)

I hope your day was spent with the ones you love!

Lazy Saturday

Given the cold temperatures and snow recently making travel more difficult, Saturday's around our home have have been "lazy" with a Sunday-like feel to the day. We have not accomplished anything large on Saturday's this month--the largest feat being the weekly grocery run & laundry. But, we have been able to catch up on sleep, and work on some of our less strenuous personal goals... For instance, this month, I have finished 3 books in front of the fire, and have started to review some of my old coursework from college. [I am toying with the idea of taking a graduate admissions test and going back to school for Fall 2010 or so...]

But, it feels wonderful to ease into 2009; I am enjoying a "pause" in our life induced by the insulating snow and cold of winter. I hope that, if winter cold & snow has found you, you are warm, dry, and relaxed... enjoying a cup of coffee (or your beverage of choice).

Welcome 2009

We had a wonderful Christmas & New Year back home in Minnesota! As we were gone from Dec 23 until last Saturday, we were able to visit at a few places and enjoy spending time with family & friend's back home. While we were gone, my in-laws graciously agreed to watch our dog & feed the cat, and it was certainly nice not to have to think too much about the pets while we were away. In addition to not worrying about the pets, I forgot to take photos while we were out there (as photography is not my forte & we enjoyed our visits so much) and have a very limited selection of pictures of the trip... which I will not share as most are blurry, etc.

Anyway, some highlights...
*Watching the wonder and excitement in the faces of Mindy & Aaron's kids on Christmas morning
*Making a trip up North to visit my Grandma S. (and visiting a few other relatives while we were up there)
*Visiting with my family, friends, and other relatives
*Taking the scenic route back home, enjoying beautiful winter driving weather and views of the lake
*Making a trip to the Mega-mall for after Christmas sale shopping
*Enjoying the many parties around Christmas Eve, & Christmas day

Some lowlights...
*-29deg weather (not wind chill) noted while we were up North (although, it certainly helps to keep the *cold* winters in our area in perspective...)
*Ice storm & wonderful road conditions on the way to MN
*The puking/diarrhea virus making its way through Jen & Bill's house, my mom & dad's house, through me, and finally catching up with Pete 1/2 way home

All in all, it was a very good trip, but I am happy to be home with laundry caught up, Christmas decor packed away, dog recently bathed, and half way through my second book of the year (2009). Additionally, my sister, Courtney, arrived here on Saturday as well... and I have been enjoying her company and having her downstate (until the weekend).

May your 2009 be merry, healthy, and productive!

Heidi

Christmas Decorating Done!

I am finished with my Christmas decorating -- nothing special, but thought I would share photos for my family who is far away! Anyway, in addition to the above decorating, I also put the fake candles in the front windows facing the road... except on the 3rd floor. I am definitely enjoying the smell of Christmas this season! Season's Greetings!

Is it too early for Christmas?

Is it too early for Christmas, or is Thanksgiving just coming too late? This is the question I mulled this past weekend while trying to contain my seasonal excitement. It seems that Thanksgiving might be coming late this year, due to the timing of Thursday's in the month of November. With the cold weather, I was able to get a good start on the Holiday baking, winter decorating (only snowmen, and red berry stuff -- no Christmas greenery or Santa's yet), and put the final stamps on my Christmas cards. This is all being done in an effort to avoid a last minute scramble to celebrate the season, and allow enough time for a Christmas tree. This is something that did not happen last holiday season.

And my tooth... It is not fixed yet. I have to wait until 12/10 (unless an appointment opens up sooner) to have the first of 2 dental appointments to have a cap/fake tooth put in the place of the broken tooth. Pete is trying to talk me into to getting a grill?, or gold tooth (perhaps one with a diamond). Given the timing, the song "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth", has new meaning! :) In the meantime, I have no pain (as the tooth has had a root canal), and am able to eat just fine. Additionally, I urge all who play soccer and other contact sports to wear a mouth guard... it's cheap dental insurance.

First Snowfall

The world was white, and peaceful... and there was Christmas music...

Yesterday, we experienced our first snowfall of the season. It makes me think that Christmas is, in fact, right around the corner. That and the "Oh Holy Night" accompanying my drive to work... Despite these calming cues obliging people to stay at home--white snow covered lawn and peaceful music--people ventured onto the roads, and ended up in ditches due to icy road conditions. I am thankful that it only increased my time on the road. I am excited for the snow, and all that it brings (ice skating, hot cocoa, reading near a roaring fire... the list goes on and on). I hope the next snowfall comes on a weekend, and I am better able to stay at home and enjoy the white fluffy stuff! :)

This leads me to believe that I again blinked and time went wooshing by me. It also makes me wonder... Does the Christmas season really start the moment that the Halloween masks are taken off, and the crazy hair colors have gone swirling down the bathroom drain? It seems early to start decorating and sending out cards, but the above cues tell me otherwise. Perhaps like sports... this is the pre-season, and it is the time to start practicing the holiday spirit. Happy Thanksgiving!

Who knows?!?

Where does time go? It feels like yesterday was mid-September and then *poof* in 3.5 days it will be Halloween. Although it feels like we are perpetually busy, aside from making progress on our heating/yard clean-up project, and sports... I can not tell you where our evenings have went. at all.

Last weekend, the Spartans won. Pete has been on an emotional high ever since; this is the first time since the early 1990's that Michigan State football has beat Michigan at the Big House. This is really the main game that he cares about all year... Go State! Maybe... We also were fortunate to spend time with Ed & Michelle (other family in town), and Brandon & Cindy (after arriving too late for a going away party).

Yesterday, I finished my series of Rabies shots from my previous bat exposure... I am very glad to be done with those shots... I guess I won't be growing fangs in time for Halloween. ;)

Next weekend, Aaron & Mindy and kids will be coming into town to celebrate Halloween! We are so fortunate to both come from large families, and (although they are staying elsewhere) have people travel to come see us semi-regularly. We are truly blessed! :)

Based on the current rate of time, by the time I register Halloween... Christmas will have come and gone. Seriously, where does the time go!?!?

Cider Mill

Yesterday consisted of spending a gorgeous fall day in a line at a concession stand, an hour and a half long, to buy doughnuts and apple cider. The great company (Brad & Larissa, and Bruce & Shannon), warm doughnuts, and recently pressed cider was fantastic and made the wait worth our while. However, who decided that cider and cinnamon-sugar doughnuts go together?! It seems like such a strange combination, and an odd tradition!

Growing up in Minnesota, my family always went to an apple orchard to pick apples in the fall. This seems a more logical tradition--reminds us that fall is harvest time, and helps to give a pattern to the year. At the orchard, we would usually go on a hayride and make an afternoon of the event... doing something all the while. However, in my new locale, it seems to be a more popular tradition to wait in a long line at one of the local Cider Mills (essentially a specialty concession stand) to get supurb doughnuts and cider. Maybe, we'll go again next weekend...

October thoughts

We had wonderful rain about Tuesday, and since then... there has been a cool, crispness to the air. In fact, so cool... my roses froze. It was about time for the growing season to be over anyway, but they look kinda sad and droopy. Meanwhile, the leaves in our yard are quickly changing color and littering our yard. I hate to regard the leaves as a nuisance, as they bring such a nice golden hue to the yard.

We are also into our fall schedule. Pete has hockey tonight with the church guys; I've got hockey on Sunday; Soccer with the church ladies on Monday. It's nice to have the designated time for sports, and socializing. Besides, it is fun to be busy.

Additionally, I am happy to say~ the kittens are outside full time, and getting along. It is cute to watch them try to eat out of the same bowl, or the little kitten bounding after the slower, larger black one... The only sad thing about having the kittens outside, is that they are less personable than when partially in the house... But, I will trade that for less cat hair and fewer scratches on my couch!

Finally, a while back I posted about having a bat in my room while sleeping. I had a few concerned people tell me I might need rabies shots, and it turns out... I am having rabies shots. It's not just one shot, but a whole series. I had 6 shots (5 of rabies IgG, 1 of rabies vaccine) on Monday, and 1 shot yesterday. I will additionally get 3 more shots (1 next Monday, 1 the following Monday, and 1 on the last Monday of the month) to complete the series. See this link for more information about bats and rabies: http://www.cdc.gov/RABIES/bats.html.

I think that's about all that's new. I hope that you all have a great weekend!