Haulin' Beef

My parents still live on the same farm that my sisters and I grew up on. It was a slice of heaven then and it is a slice of heaven now. I consider myself one of the luckiest girls on the planet to have been brought up on a farm. There is something about having such a close connection with one's food that drives a deeper understanding of new life and death at an early age. It brings a natural respect for life that seems to be absent in much of our culture today. I LOVED growing up there and I LOVE each time we return for a visit.
My dad (at 77) still raises cattle, and each year he sets aside a few cows to be all grass fed with absolutely no chemicals whatsoever, for our families. He does it all. Raises them, feeds them, and hauls them to the butcher. Then we each get to decide how we would like the beef cut and then we go and pick it up from the butcher! Now, how is that for amazingly generous parents?( Forget about it. They're mine. )
Today was the day we picked up our meat from the butcher! Oh Happy day!
Savannah, Jackson and I drove the 3 hours to the butcher. This place is, of course, smack dab in the middle of a farm, so there was all sorts of activity going on as we arrived. We went inside and the clerk was super nice and handed me my cut sheet with all of the butcher mumbo jumbo on it.  435 pounds! WOW!
The kids and I drove around to the back of the farm buildings that contain this processing facility, and waited. After a short time, a gal came out pushing our racks of beef, cut, frozen, wrapped and labeled.

From there it was up to me and the kids.

Did I mention that the high was SUPPOSED to be 30 today? Yeah. It never got there. And there was wind. BIG wind.
Did I mention that the meat was frozen? Yeah. It was frozen.

And by the time we were done hauling the beef from the racks into their perspective coolers that we had prepared, we were frozen too. But we made record time. The gal who pushed the racks out was covered from head to toe to protect herself from the cold. SO much so, that it took me awhile to determine if it WAS a girl. But hey, I get it. And she stood there staring at us while we worked. I prefer to think that she was in awe by the speed at which we moved that beef. I'm sure that was it. Before we left, she made the remark that it was actually warmer inside than it was outside today. She was referring to inside the freezer.

So, home we went. Haulin' the beef. When I got home, the kids hauled it all inside to the basement where we have an extra freezer in a closet- that -is- not -filled- with- junk. I used my overabundance of storage containers (note that they are shoe-size....another story for a different day), to organize the beef inside the freezer. Ground beef, filets, roasts, N.Y.Strips, etc, etc.  And here is the finished product:

Let me tell you, you couldn't fit a piece of paper into that freezer right now if you had to.  But I love looking at it. :-)

A few weeks ago, when my family was all together, we actually got to try this years steaks. Glenway grilled them for us and they were FABULOUS. So delicious, so tender. We are so spoiled now!
While we were eating, I noticed a particular gleam of delight in my mothers eye as she was savoring her steak. At first I thought, "Awww....thats nice. Look at mom. So delighted by the bounty from the farm, once again." And then I remembered something. That gleam in her eye was not necessarily brought on only from the delight of the succulent provisions that they were providing for us, once again. That gleam had the slight spark of satisfactory revenge. You see, these particular cows had broken into my moms garden. My parents' garden is always amazing. They produce enough food for a small army, and they love it. No, I mean they LOVE.IT.
These cows broke into the garden, and what they didn't eat, they trampled into the mud, leaving it completely devastated. My mother rarely EVER gets angry and she is Snow White-like, in that she is friend to ALL animals large and small. But when she came up from the barn that day, she trembled. She marched straight into the office, went into the file cabinet, pulled out the file for the butcher and handed it to my dad. Yeah....they were pretty much history after that. Cows have never been known for their intelligence. And mom thought that this steak was even better than last years.
Cheers!
Melissa

ACL surgery update

I should probably give an update on my knee injury. All the poor people who land here on this blog, looking for information about acl injuries have been left, till now, to wonder how it all turned out for me. I know when I was first injured, I spent hours and hours trying to get all of the information that I could about my injury(what else are you going to do, right?).  So, here goes!

My injury was a torn acl, mcl and lcl. It happened on January 27, 2011. The mcl and lcl WILL HEAL on their own. SO, there were crutches first for a few weeks, and then a full leg brace, all the while going to physical therapy 2-3 times a week for about 3 months. I will not lie, this.was.hard. The progress is measured in tiny, tiny increments. I was incredibly scared of falling. When your leg has completely given way underneath you, that is a terrifying thing to overcome, and that took awhile. In physical therapy you are doing ridiculously simple exercises while you are healing and stretching.......healing and stretching. And it hurts.

After 3 months I was released from physical therapy. My extension was back completely(even my hyper-extension was back a bit) and my flexion was ALMOST like my other leg. I could walk normally, go up and down steps, etc, etc. Of course I still had no acl. I am 42 and while I am very active, the activities that I love don't require a lot of cutting and pivoting, and the knee felt stable so I wasn't sure that I really needed the acl surgery. I decided to give it all I had and see how the knee held up.

By the summer (4-5 months post injury) I went for a 2 mile run. And every.single.step. hurt that knee. That was my last run. I lunged with weights, squatted, did step-ups on a 24"box, etc etc all summer long. I would ice my knee afterward. Leg extensions hurt, and I couldn't run or jump without pain. But I still wasn't experiencing any instability, which I thought was odd. I was pretty bummed about it, but at least I KNEW I didn't want to live like THAT the rest of my life. And while all the weight training didn't HELP my knee, (although I don't know if it actually HURT it either) it DID build the muscles back in my leg. And THAT proved to be a great move on my part.

SO. I scheduled my surgery for the end of October, 2011. 9 months after the initial injury. At that time, the mcl and lcl felt great again, and the only nagging pains I had were in the middle of my knee, when I would work it out. I still didn't have totally complete flexion in that leg.
I had the hamstring graft. (where they take a bit of your hamstring and make a new acl out of it and put it into your knee. weird, right? ).
Turns out my old acl had scarred over onto itself and that was why it felt stable......and also why I was still feeling pain.
The surgery was a breeze. You go to sleep, you wake up, your leg is all majorly bandages and padded up. I followed protocol to the letter by using a cryo-cuff for the first several weeks. I left it on all the time, I took the pain meds for maybe a week and then only at night for the next week. I was able to put weight on my leg the day I came home. Was off of the crutches completely by day 3 and Physical therapy was going on 2 times a week.

I cannot express how much easier it was to go through the surgery and recover than it was to go through the initial injury and recovery. The pain was absolutely MINIMAL by comparison.

My progress was much faster than the other patients in PT and Physio attributed it to the fact that I waited to have the surgery and built my leg up. Also, the mental part cannot be underestimated. I had completely gotten over the fear of walking on my leg, whereas the patients who had surgery immediately following their injury where getting a double-whammy and they were still terrified to walk, let alone push their recovery.

At this point, I am about 9 weeks out from my surgery, and I feel great. My flexion further that pre-surgery and will definitely be back to 100%. The extension has been at 100% since about week 2. I am doing weight work again. No pain. I should be able to start jogging again this week. Still have to be careful because the acl gets weaker before it gets stronger and mine is just turning the corner. But it FEELS great.
There is really no pain, only what I would characterize as stiffness. It comes and goes, but it seems like the weather affects it more than anything at this point!

My main concentration is weight work to build all the leg muscles back again. And a lot of stability type exercises to keep myself from using other muscles to compensate. There is every reason to believe that I will be back to 100% by the spring. And I couldn't be happier about the results so far.

So, thats my acl story. If you are reading this because you have this injury, you have my complete sympathy. And welcome to the ever growing club! I hope that my story can help you with your own decisions. Feel free to ask questions if you have any. I can only tell you from my own experience, but I would be happy to.

If you are faced with this surgery, follow the protocol. Find a GOOD Physical Therapist. I asked for the one in our area who works with all the college athletes. This has made a big difference in my recovery as well. And then just do the exercises and follow directions! It is true that it is a long haul. But it isn't that bad, and in the end you should be pretty much as good as new! I have every intention of hiking in the alps this fall!

Cheers!
Melissa

Welcome, 2012, I am happy to see you.

Forgive the seriousness of this post. This certainly isn't my regular blogging style, but I DO write about our life, and we just came through our most difficult chapter to date. And once in awhile there are events that are too deep even for ME to make light of. :-)

2011 tried to kill us.

At least thats what it felt like.

It turns out that the skiing injury at the beginning of the year was only the start of the obstacles to be hurled at our family in 2011. I cried a LOT this year. Like.....I am not a crier. And I probably cried more this year than I ever have in my whole life! There were physical challenges, mental challenges and huge challenges of the heart to be overcome. There were times when just the sheer will "to hold on" was the only tiny shred that I could cling to, and I just "held on" to that.

We all did.

We didn't really do it "together". It wasn't pretty. It didn't really seem like a team effort, but amazingly, we all knew enough to just hold on.

And God held us.

I am not able to be as transparent as I sometimes would like, here and I hope that this doesn't come off as too cryptic. But the end is all the same, even without the sometimes unnerving details.

Before I begin, I should mention that these events had nothing to do with anyone else but our own family. No outsiders, no deceit or cheating or anything of the sort was involved here. Those sorts of fiery darts, we have always felt well prepared against. Our difficulties lie amongst the perils of war.

The proverbial rug was yanked unsuspectingly from beneath my feet this year. I came crashing down and I hit hard. All the things that I had based my life's existence on, were shaken. I felt like I had been broken inside, irreparably. All the rules had been cruelly changed without warning and the new ones were indiscernable until one was broken. Nothing was the same and I had no assurance that it would EVER BE the same. And worst of all, there was no one to blame! What to do with something like this? My mind struggled to make sense of it all.

My God held me.

He let me cry it out. He let me ask the hard questions and twist and turn endlessly when I was unable to make any sense of it all. When I couldn't find the answers to know what "to do" next. He showed me that sometimes the only thing "to do" is just, "to be". To just trust His promises, His goodness, and just "be". This has always felt like an unnatural response for me, and it didn't come any easier this time around.

In time, and with much searching, and praying, and seeking. I came to accept that sad things happen in this fallen world. And that what happened in my family was a very natural response to a very unnatural situation. But it was ugly. And it was out in the open. No one wanted it, no one asked for it, and it was no ones fault. But there it was and we had to put our heads down and DEAL the best we could. And we have. And we are.

I am happy to say that we are all still standing. That 2011 DIDN'T kill us. That we all love one another and we are moving forward. Not in drudgery with our heads down anymore, but with renewed spirits ready to take life on again as a team. All very much aware that although we are beginning to feel strong again, we have just crossed through a dark valley that many, many families never make it back out of. And so, for THAT we are very, very thankful.

Welcome 2012! And Happy New Year!

"

"Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave. Therefore do not take lightly the perils of war." - Thucydides Cheers! melissa

4 weeks post injury

It has been 4 weeks since my injury. I have been in physical therapy for 2 weeks. Ryan is my super-nice physical therapist who makes me do painful exercises and doesn't mind all my questions. The exercises are so embarassingly simple....but so painful. The leg just doesn't want to bend. And the pain is now directly over the torn MCL when stressed. The only other pain is from the swelling, which is frustrating. It is an ongoing battle, and ice is my new best friend. Below is my lovely leg brace. I actually had two strangers today make a reference to the "Bionic Woman", so I am chanelling Jamie Sommers. "Gentleman, we CAN rebuild her.......we have the technology..."

I have a love-hate relationship with this brace. I hate how heavy it feels and the fact that it only fits OVER my clothes. But I love it because it gives me the security to walk around and not to have to rely on crutches.



The picture below shows the swelling stage. It is my nemesis. When it swells-no bending.....when you bend it a lot.....it swells. You get the picture. And the level of muscle atrophy is still pretty scary. I have one bird leg. While receiving an ice treatment in PT the other day, Ryan was wrapping the cold sleeve around my knee and he said, "Wow. You know...this doesn't usually fit all the way around anyones leg!" errrr....thanks?

And here I am at three weeks.....this is as far as the leg will flex. And that is as far as she goes.It is right about here that the knee feels as if it will explode right out of the inside of the knee. And.....ouch. But that is about twice as far as 2 weeks prior, so........progress.This by far, the hardest thing I have ever done. This is a horrible, slow-healing injury with very little satisfaction for all the pain and hard work. But I am finally wrapping my brain around the long haul ahead. I am finally seeing it as a goal, all by itself. And I have been busy rearanging
Jackson and Savannahs school curricula so that they can continue with school without interruption during my surgery/and initial recovery phase.

I went to PT today, and I was excited to see that the 70 degrees that I could bend my leg, 2 weeks ago, had turned into 110 degrees today. So, I guess my hard work is paying off!!!!

Nice ride, right?

Cheers!

melissa

The final verdict from the doc

Well, today was my visit with the orthopaedic doc. to find out the official diagnosis after reading the MRI. I don't like to do things poorly. And not wanting to be inconsistent, I have injured my knee painstakingly thoroughly.

Officially, I have a Grade 3 tear of the MCL which require 4-6 weeks of pre-hab Physical therapy to heal, as well as to build the quad muscle. A completely torn ACL, which will require reconstructive surgery at any time after the MCL has healed. Re hab will begin immediately after surgery with walking w/ brace at about 2 weeks, jogging in a straight line at about 3 months and maximum performance at about 6 months. A sprained LCL, that will likely heal on its own.

So basicly, the only thing holding my knee together right now, is my knee brace. It seems that the knee brace, myself, and my new physical therapist, Ryan, that I will meet on Monday, will be almost inseperable for the most of 2011.

I haven't really been able to fully comprehend it all yet. I don't want to do it. But I know I have to do it. I know people have much, much, MUCH more serious injuries than this. I know that God is with me, and He is my strength. I know that I really wish that Race were home. I have a million thoughts going through my head right now. I have to rearrange everything. School, the kids activities, our activities here at home. It all has to be re-worked, so that we can manage all of this for the next6-7 months. I know it can be done...........I'm just still sorting it all out.

But I will tell you the worst of it all. The worst thing is the absolute vulnerability that I feel. I have been living this life without my husband for long periods of time, ever since the kids were little. I have always felt that I could handle, in one way or another, most anything that would come along. For the first time, I really don't feel that way. I mean right now, uneven ground is kicking my butt!

Ah! But I will get it sorted out. And I know in my heart of hearts that God has something for me. Something to show me...Something to work out in me......a blessing to come by relying on His grace. I know this. And I will wrestle with it a bit, and then get on with it. Because as I was reminded this morning, "Amazing Love! How can it be? That you, my King would die for me?"

THAT is the source of my strength.

Cheers!

melissa

Progress.......I think. day 10 post injury

This injury is a test in patience, for sure. If you have been reading here very long, you will know that this is not my best quality. Still waiting to go back to the doc, for the final "here's how bad it is", but I thought i'd give you a quick update.

It seems this is one of those injuries that gets better, faster, when you leave it the heck alone! Seriously, it really seemed to take a huge turn for the better when I STOPPED trying to get around and just sat down, propped up my foot and stuck to the ice regimen.

The emotional ups and downs have been rather monumental, but I am slowly coming to grips with not only the injury but with the fact that the human body is an amazing creation, and it WANTS to heal itself and I need to allow it to do that.

But I really miss Race.

The progress is small, but noteworthy:

*The swelling has gone down! There is still a bit right in the joint, but it looks SO. Much. Better.(I know......I should moisturize properly. But...I've been busy and I wasn't thinking about the photo shoot.)

* There isn't much pain as long as I keep the brace on to keep the knee stable. (Yeah, I have to sleep in that monstrosity) But...........

*I can stand!!


*I can walk!!!! It's a MIRACLE!

(Please, pay no attention to that basket of scarves and the leftover Sundance box. I'm walkin man! I'm walkin!)

Only with the brace on and not for very far, before I really start feeling it, and I look like Tron, but still....no more crutches!


So now, we just wait for the doctor. I have a list a mile long of pesky questions about weights and yoga and do's and don'ts etc, etc.
I feel bad about only posting pictures of my knee. So here's another picture, drawn at random, for your viewing pleasure:
It's Jackson doing yard work. I like it. (But don't tell my mom that we let him mow grass without shoes on.He has been forwarned with bloody stump stories) Feel free to talk amongst yourselves about this.

Ok, back to the knee........

The only really negative thing is the astounding rate of muscle atrophy. All that beautiful, hard earned muscle......just.....melting away like the snow in Texas. That part is actually a little scary, and I can't wait to be able to do something about it! I actually had a dream (nightmare?) about waking up with a little shrivelled-up Gollum leg! ACK!! So for now, I am staying on a high protein/low carb diet and just resting.........and waiting.

As far as handling the daily stuff, the kids have been wonderful about just stepping up and doing what needs to be done. They have equally shared the load of the cooking and the cleaning, doing the laundry and taking care of the animals. I mean really, what have I been doing all this time? I should have done this ages ago, right?
Today, after lessons, I was able to take them to the climbing gym and just wait in the car with my leg propped up. (The steps and uneven terrain are not good right now!) After that, the kids went into the grocery store, armed with THE LIST, and got everything. (I ever-so-briefly contemplated going in and riding one of those little motor carts, but I knew I would laugh too hard and then no one would believe I was injured, so I put it out of my mind.) They came home, brought it in, put it away, and then Savannah made Beef Stroganoff for everyone and then asked, "Mom, would you like a glass of wine with that?" Good, good girl, that one.

Daily life isn't perfect by any means, but it feels good to know that we CAN get it done. And that we can get it done with a pretty good attitude toward one another and without being hounded. That feels great! Heck, if Race were home, this might be a piece of cake!



Cheers!
Melissa

P.S.- Because a couple of people asked,the toenails were painted by moi' using the stretch and dab method. Because nobody ever feels better any faster when they feel like they look gross. :-) Gotta go get that moisturizer.

Challenges

Well today was a big day. Lets see....... first of all it was actually a beautiful day outside today. Seriously, high temps in the upper 50's and bright sunshine! Savannah moved a chair by the kitchen door on the deck, and I was able to sit outside and soak up a few welcome, warm, winter rays. The weather was short lived, and it is cold again tonight, with icy showers on the way. But it was so nice today! And I got outside!
You know, one of the great things about being injured, is that people feel sorry for you. Its pretty awesome. I happen to have a really amazing family. My mom and dad (who is still recovering from a broken foot.....his first injury also) sent me this lovely bouquet of fruit!! My dad thinks it is funny that I said I will be a 300lb alcoholic before I am well, and the note that accompanied this gift said, "Get well soon! And this won't put you on the fat farm!" I love my parents. That note made me laugh out loud. And the fruit was AMAZING! *And side note: pineapple has natural anti-inflammatory properties....so......Bo-NUS!*


My sisters have been amazing as well. from bringing me homemade soup, to listening to me drone on and on about my knee on the phone, to hauling my kids around. I could almost get used to people feeling sorry for me. It's pretty great.

In other news today. I am now sporting a lovely new hinged brace. To be more precise The Gladiator Brace. Oh it's a beauty. Big metal bars going up the sides, with hinges at the knee, and plenty of buckles and heavy duty velcro. How much do you think something like this costs? $200??
$500????
Wrong! Try One THOUSAND dollars. Yes. Thats right . A grand. How many shoes could one by with a thousand dollars??? Don't ask. I don't wanna talk about it. However, it DOES give my knee the support that it needs right now, so for the first time in a week, I have been able to put some weight on that leg. I am calling that progress right now. But it does beg the question: What shoes would you WEAR with this brace???? I think they should be expensive ones.


I had my MRI today. That is one coolio piece of technology. It photographs the muscles and ligaments using highly magnetic waves......or some kinda cool crap like that. All I know is an alert technition kept one of my metal crutches from being sucked backward and stuck to the machine! Which I thought would have been hilarious!!! The MRI itself was fine. Not a big deal at all. And they even let you listen to whatever kind of music you want to.

The other big event of the day was getting a shower and washing my hair! gross, right? I know. But it was an event. Simply because it was sooooo difficult to do and took soooooo much longer than usual. But I hung in there, kept stopping myself from making "old people" comparisons in my mind, and I got it done. All clean, with shiny, blow dried locks once again. That felt awesome.

But the biggest news of the day, is that my knee swelling is finally really going down. It has been almost a week, and this is what my leg looks like now. YAY! It looks like a leg again! Not completely normal, but not tree-stump-like, either. So that is encouraging. (Look at those crutches at the end of the bed......mocking me. *hmph*)



There was so much walking to do today getting to the MRI facility, etc. I am worn out, and not planning on getting up too much tomorrow. Trying to let all the swelling go down, so I can start using my leg muscles a bit, and maybe get some stability with my brace. If that happens, the first thing I will do is throw the crutches into the driveway, and back over them with the suburban. THEN we shall get on with the recovery!

Cheers!
Melissa

Slammin on the Brakes.......

Forget Switzerland. I know, I know what I said. But we have to forget about it for now. Just wipe it from your memory, because we have a new focus for 2011. And it is not the happy, wonderful, blissful paradise of the alps in Switzerland.

You see, there is nothing quite like a major injury to slam hard on the brakes of life. And after 41 years of MY life, I have managed to achieve my first injury. And it's a pretty major one. One that will require a LOT downtime and physical therapy if I am to get back to the active life that I love.

SO. I have made the decision, that in order to help me focus during my copius amount of downtime, and to hopefully keep from being a 300 lb alcoholic, in need of both rehab and fat camp....I shall blog my road to recovery here! Lets just get started,
shall we?

Here I am, in happier times. The picture of youth and vitality with my three kids and my two working legs. They were good times, those days. The good ole' days. In fact they were just a few days ago. I was skiing and running and doing yoga and lifting and squatting and lunging. So happy......so oblivious to the danger and tragedy that did lie ahead. Today, dear readers I cannot even use the toilet without the aid of crutches. How far we fall.
Now, I know what you are thinking. You're thinking, "uh-huh..ya got cocky didn't ya? you an yer skiing an yer yoga an crap. Ya tried to do too much didn't ya?" But you are wrong. Let me explain:
It was Savannahs birthday and Jackson and I were treating her to a day of snowboarding and lunch and dinner out. The day was gorgeous! 8 inches of fresh snow, snow still on the trees and bright, clear, blue skies and sunshine. After arriving at the resort, the kids of course immediately left me to go on the more challenging slopes with their snowboards. We decided on a meeting time, and off they went. I stayed on the more moderate slopes.
I learned to ski last year, and I still happily do slow S's down the slopes. I had been down the slope several times when I noticed my right ski felt like it was digging into the snow a little. I looked down and discovered that the prongs on the ski binding had come down, just enough to drag a bit. I popped off the ski, and reattached the boot again, and PRESTO! Good to go. (Word to the wise: if there is EVER anything even SLIGHTLY wrong with your rented skis.....TURN THEM IN.) On my next run down the slope, I began to turn to the left, pushing on my right ski, and the prongs came down again and dug into the snow. So in the middle of my turn, my right leg slowed way down, while my left leg was still traveling at regular speed. After that, it was all twisting, and jerking, and legs and skis and a pile of rubber bands snapping in my left knee. My faulty skis STILL never popped off! My legs were all over the place in the most unnatural of positions, and I had to pop the skis off manually. Finally, I was able to grab my left leg and straighten it.
Ow. Pain.
*sparkly things...black spots....passing out....no-no...still here....not passing out*
I thought that perhaps I could hobble over to a nearby lift, get back to the lodge and then rest it, put some ice on it and all would be fine. SO, I manage to stand, I take a step on my left leg and POP! I crumple to the ground as my left knee has no way to support me. That was the WORST, most helpless feeling EVER.
Actually,I take that back. Being driven in a wagon pulled behind a snow mobile, with an 1800's-style, wooden splint on your leg is probably the worst feeling ever.
The driver of said snowmobile was a 50-something year old man who was on a major adrenaline rush at being allowed to take the snowmobile out, so he FLYING over the slopes, beeping the little snowmobile horn, and turning on the flashing lights. Meanwhile, I sat in the wagon. Snow spraying in my face, and my wooden splint bouncing all over the place like a box of unimportant refuse. If I looked ahead, through all the snow spray, all I could see was the Mr. Ski Patrollers butt as he stood up to drive, all hunched over in that position that little kids do on their bikes, to go "really fast". I passed by fellow skiers and snowboarders, as they all had to make way,...... step aside........NON-SKIER COMING THROUGH. I was glad that the snow was spraying in my face. It blocked my vision for the most part.
So now here I sit.
Rest Ice Compression Elevation. RICE. I hate acronyms.
Here is what my knee looked like the day after the accident. EEEEWwwwww!!! Look Away! Look Away!!!

It's straightened all the way out. I put my other leg out beside it for comparison, so you could see it's normal size. The verdict? Torn MCL and Torn ACL. Reconstuctive surgery.
So, here we go. The injury is behind me and the long, long, LONG road to recovery ahead of me. Much more to tell, of course.....much more.
It stinks to be injured. But it's good to be bloggin'.
Cheers!
Melissa

getting ready for Switzerland: the details

Between the two of us, Race and I have been on every continent. And of course Race's whole LIFE revolves around travel. When you are on the go this much, you learn how to pack. And you learn what you really need. And you learn what it's like to have to CARRY what you really need. But still,this was the hands-down absolute, HARDEST trip to prepare for ever.
We decided to accomplish our goal, and to make it as enjoyable as possible, we needed to carry everything on our backs. NO CHECKED LUGGAGE. For 2 weeks. Let me say that again: We had to carry everything that we would need for the next 2 weeks on our backs....through the alps. Now this, my friends, was perhaps the most difficult of all the struggles that we encountered. Race and I packed, and re-packed, and weighed our packs, and re-packed again countless times over the coming weeks. I even bought a NEW pack, but then decided against it, and went with my old, faithful Gregory Diva pack that has served me so well all these years. And that proved later on, to be a wise choice.
Besides packing, the only other preparations we made were to book our first two nights reservations, order our Swiss Rail Pass and to map out our trip. For mapping info on the alpine pass route the best web site that we found was this one: Alpine Pass Route. Excellent detailed info. and enough mapping gadgets and gizmos to satisfy a man who owns 7 GPS's. (I wish I were kidding) SO. After all was said and done this is my pack, all full and ready to travel. For 2 weeks.

I can see the looks of horror on your faces. I hear your doubtful murmerings. But I swear.....this.is.it. I took this picture the night before we left, after I SWORE that I would NOT unpack that damned bag again! And I didn't. But this all begs the question: What did I take??

My gear list:

Salomon hiking boots,Merrell flats, 2 pr hiking socks,1 pair black patagonia pants, 1 pr khaki cargo hiking pants, 1 brown prana skirt, 1 pr brown athleta polartech pants, 1 set of black, silk, long underwear, 2 cami's 1 black and 1 brown, 1 long sleeve, black Calvin Klein wicking T-shirt, and 2 short sleeved ones(one black one white), one brown/orange pull-over Mountain Hardwear sweater, 1 monkey woman fleece jacket, 1 Arcter'yx performance jacket, 1 pr Marmot fleece gloves, 1 North Face stocking cap , 1 pr black Marmot rain pants, 1 Go-Light rain jacket, 1 baseball cap and enough unmentionables to wash and wear. That's it for clothes! My friends, it was no small feat to whittle my clothing down to this masterful mix of function and fashion. Yes, the color scheme was drab, but with splashes of color here and there, I managed. Oh- and just so you know, I have not worn one. single. piece. of that clothing since I returned. (Except the Arcteryx jacket which just goes without saying, because I dearly love it.)

The only hitch came with the hiking poles. Now, we hike all the time here in the mountains of our fair state, but we have never used hiking poles. In fact, we have always sort of snickered a bit whenever we would see someone with them. But we had been told that they were indispensible in Switzerland, so we heeded that advice and bought some. HOWEVER, these are not allowed in carry-on luggage! So, in a fit of brilliance, we stopped, on the way to the airport and bummed a box off of one of the nearby outdoor stores, threw our poles in, taped it up, and wrote "hiking poles" all over the box! And checked it as luggage. Worked like a charm.

Soooo...what about hair and make-up???? Well, I owe it all to Bare Minerals(which IS airline safe) and Sephora, for sending me all those travel sized samples every time I palce an order! I packed 2 little Bare Minerals pots,1 tube of mascara, 1 eyelash curler(I know, I know...guilty pleasure, but you just can't go around with stick-straight eyelashes. You have to draw the line somewhere!) and travel sizes of make-up remover, moisturizer, Ojon hair shampoo, conditioner, and hair balm.....and my hair brush. I KNOW, RIGHT???? NO FLAT IRON??!!! NO HAIR DRYER??!!! And no. There just wasn't room, and the old pack was gettin pretty heavy as it was, so I had to leave them behind. And I'll be honest. I wasn't sure what that would be like....for 2 WEEKS?? And I was right. I missed them. I missed them dearly. Perhaps more than I missed my children. I exaggerate. I'm sure I missed the kids more than my hair styling tools...right?....Right?

The only other thing in my pack was several trail mix bars, my water bottle, my passport,ID, our Swiss Rail Pass and a small, but indispensable book by Kev Reynolds, "The Alpine Pass Route".
I needed every item in my pack at least once,and most of it was used a LOT. There was really nothing that I NEEDED that I didn't have. (Minus the aforementioned hair styling acoutrements) And most importantly.....I COULD CARRY IT!

Now, I ask you, what sort of parents would meticulously and single-handedly sculpt a childs education from 1st grade right on through highschool, only to dump him off at college and leave the country? Well apparently Austin has that sort of parents. Because that's what we did. Here I am standing with Austin on Move-In Day at the college. And there he goes. Running up the steps to his dorm as we drove away. No time for weeping. Cause We're going' to Switzerland, baby!!!

Cheers!

Melissa

Switzerland

Gosh. I just hate that I haven't blogged in so long. But you see, I have been in Switzerland.

O,K....well... thats not exactly true....I HAVE been in Switzerland....but not the entire time since my last post.

But my trip was pretty much the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. I just haven't been able to distance myself from it enough to pour it out here, in mere words. But you deserve to KNOW. You deserve to HEAR of this wonderful, capitalist utopia, set in the most magnificent background known to man.

Let me back up a bit. Race and I were about to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. I know, right? 20!!! 20 years!!!It is incredible. It seems like just yesterday, Race got down on one knee, in my parents living room and asked me to marry him right in front of my pesky little sisters and my folks.(FYI, I died. I died right there. It was one of those out-of-body experiences that you hear about, only there were fireworks and showers of hearts and flowers and for a brief second everything turned pink......at least....thats how *I* remember it.)

With Race's schedule, we gave up years ago trying to celebrate special occasions on their actual day. We learned (for some of us, it was the HARD way) to celebrate when we were all together and let the rest slide with a simple, happy, acknowledgement. But this was a big one. 20 years!! Holy Cow! We felt we should celebrate it properly.
Let me also add that with Austin starting college this year, we also knew that financially, it seemed now or never!! (It may be a lean Christmas, but who cares? Sometimes you gotta go for it when you can. And besides.....I've been meaning to start that whole 3-gifts per kid thing for a long time...guess what kids? SURPRISE!)

Race, being Race,....faithfully reads Backpacker Magazine. He reads it from cover to cover. And then enjoys perusing the adds, and all the clever marketing (that gets him every.time.) right up until the next issue arrives. He is a bit of a gear hound and this feeds his addiction.
Anyway, his beloved Backpacker Magazine did an article on the Worlds Best Hike . Race saw sunbeams shining down magnificently on that article. He showed it to me, with this huge grin on his face. "THIS is what we should do for our 20th Anniversary"

So naturally.....we had to do it. When he gets that smile on his face about something, I am already compelled to follow, just to see how things turn out. I smiled back. "Let's do it!"

We were SOoooo excited!!!! This. Was. It!!! A symbol of the culmination of our 20 years together in one giant, cool, bad-ass, amazing trip. We were hooked. It was on.

And you MUST make your own plans to go. You MUST. Be it now...or some time in the future. You MUST GO.
So I am going to attempt to tell you all about our trip backpacking across the Swiss Alps. All the sordid details that everyone else always leaves out. The love, the hate, the kissing, the screaming, the packing as well as the all important gear-list.All the stuff that goes along with travelling with your spouse of 20 years to the worlds most amazing destination. Switzerland!

Cheers!

Melissa

Look Away.....

Oh the GUILT. The mind-numbing GUILT of not keeping up your blog. I am a lazy, good-for-nothin' writer, and I know it. Look away from me. I cannot bear your gaze.

O.K., enough of that. I lie. I haven't been guilty. I've just been busy. But I DO miss my blog. And tonights post is brought to you by the pushing and prodding of Dy . And she's right I MUST put aside this insane existence that I am currently living, and WRITE!

Currently I am in a hotel with my youngest-just-turned-teen, Jackson. That's right. I am now the mother of 3 teenagers. We are in the tiny college town of Austin's chosen academia. It's tiny. Like....we passed a horse and buggy.

Admittedly, there is an Old Order Mennonite population nearby, but still.....it's small. So, we are here to pick up Austin tomorrow from a Leadership Institute that he is attending at the college this summer. I can't WAIT to hear all about it from him.

I shall do what any well-meaning mother would do. I will wait until he is trapped in the suburban, I shall hit with him a barrage of questions: "SOOoooooooo......what was it like?", "What fun things did you do?", "Did you meet any girls?"....."OMG! Did you embarass yourself?" , "Did you embarass ME?" and so on. Don't be fooled by their slumping demeanor and their grumpy mumbling, teens love this sort of thing.

I'm SO excited!

Jackson and I ate dinner at New York Flying Pizza. I am ruined forever. Pizza will never be the same for me. Ever. Again. How do they even DO that? It was amazing. We ate and now we are stuffed. So I am sitting here at the computer, thinking about how happy I am that I ran on the treadmill this morning. And Jackson is revelling in all his new-found-teen-ness by laying motionless in the bed,eating pizza, watching the Discovery Channel and shooting at the one fly in the room with his "Original Fly Gun" that we picked up at Bass Pro Shops. A glowing picture of inactivity. Here is our room:
It is a privately owned hotel and it is super clean. I don't know why I posted the picture, except that I like to see the places people stay.
I don't know what we will do the rest of the evening. Probably take a walk over to the college campus, maybe come back and watch something funny on TV, like "Confessions of an Animal Hoarder". (That's supposed to be funny, right?)
At any rate, I have been having a good time with my youngest boy these past few days. He is growing up and turning into a fine young man.. Can't believe that my baby boy is 13. How DO I do it?
Cheers!
melissa

Fashion Friday and other "Junk"

Did I tell you that Race is home??!! Oh my goodness, I can’t tell you the relief that I experience after he gets back from a trip. And this was definitely our most difficult deployment to date. So, we are getting adjusted to all being together again. We haven’t had any time off to help him adjust back into civilization, so he has been thrown head first into the quagmire that is our daily schedule, without even so much as a minute to de-compress. But the kids are beyond delighted to have their dad back home, and I am continually amazed at how differently our family functions when Race is gone. And how much more COMPLETE it is when he returns home.

Why, just last night the boys experienced this first hand. Race and the boys were in the car on the way home from a baseball game. ( No sooner than he had stepped off a plane, Race was thrown immediately into the position of head baseball coach for Austin’s high school team. ) They had just lost a hard fought, close game, and Race had kept the team up-beat and the playing was fun. They pulled out all their tricks and it was just a great game, so they were all feeling pretty good.
Jackson was discussing with his dad all the equipment that he needed for baseball this year, and mentioned that he needed a new cup. To which Race answered, “A new CUP? Whadya mean…..is your junk getting bigger or something?” Now this resulted in loud guffaws of laughter, with Jackson managing to spit out, ”Wwwwhat do you mean “junk”?” (Having never heard this term before used in that particular way………because his mother is a lady and doesn’t speak of such things. Right, mom?) Race quickly explained, as only a father can, “Ya know……your. junk……Your boys…... The twins…..” Riotous laughter ensued, and the boys knew that all was once again right with the world.
Dad was home.
Apparently this sort of banter continued for a bit of the car ride, but thankfully, no one felt the need to fill me in on any of the REST of the details. And I am absolutely ELATED that I do not have to haul my son to the store to buy a bigger cup.

Now, since it *IS* Fashion Friday, I thought I’d give a nod to one of my all-time favorite spring pieces. I didn’t even own one of these until 3 years ago, and I can tell you, life was bad. I didn’t know it. But looking back, life was definitely bad. Now I own 2 of these beauties, and I have my eye on one more.
SO. If you were only going to buy ONE piece this spring, may I humbly suggest that you consider the TRENCHCOAT.



This one is on sale at www.bananarepublic.com for $149.00, but www.target.com has some EXCELLENT, colorful and tailored trenches for less than $25. and www.oldnavy.com has some that are less than $50. (too lazy for linking right now...sorry)
I bought my first trenchcoat 3 years ago, it is from Banana Republic, and it is kelly green. I also own an alabaster colored one that is slightly less classic, and more feminine. Hands-down these coats get more wear in spring and summer, than any others. They keep you dry(but not hot) and can really help you look a little more "pulled together" even when all you have on is a t-shirt and jeans underneath. You know how, some times you depend on your sunglasses to hide what you just didn't have time to do??? Well....the trenchcoat works the same way.This makes a wonderful pull-on for those pouring-down-rain-church-mornings. It's a great staple for this time of the year, and you will wear it over, and over, and over.
I have a dinner date tonight with a hot baseball coach and our kids. Of course, it's over cast and dreary, but we are going to a nice restaurant to celebrate being together again as a family. Can you guess what jacket I'll be grabbing?
Cheers!
melissa

Fashion Friday.....or wHA? It's Friday again??

Since Laney over atRun Mother Run stole my idea to talk about skinny jeans and flats,(Great minds.. and all that jazz). I thought maybe I'd take a different direction and talk nails and lips.

I mean Spring is here, finally! Bare toes and heels sticking out of sandals everywhere, and of course lip colors take on a whole new trend each spring. Now. Before I go any further, let me just go ahead and say that I am NOT a slave to the trends. And the older that I get, the more I find this to be true. But I always like to keep one eye on new styles and colors, and try to be current. But let's face it. We all have our "go to" colors, no matter WHAT the runways are sporting each year. You know the color I'm talking about. That ONE lipstick you have that is worn down to a nub, but you continue to dig out the color with a Q-Tip because you love it SO much? I think it is important to have those, because after all "Style" is just an expression of who you are. It is an extension of your personality. So use that as your filter while you look at all the new spring colors.....and then edit for your own personal use!

For nails this spring, Essie has this beautiful spring collection:



With such lovely pastels and a classic red, along with color names like "Lilacism", and "Van D' Go", what's not to like, here? I really love these!
Now Opi went a slightly different direction this year and did some "Alice In Wonderland" colors. And while I like the deep, saturated colors, they wouldn't look good on my long, bony, 40 yr old hand, and they just don't scream "Spring" to me, like the other palette does.


And can I just interject here that if you have cracked, scaly heels and just haven't gotten around to de-scaling yet and I mean let's face it, we've all been there. We have lives. We have things of real importance to attend to, and we don't always get to our foot care as often as we'd like. But if you have feet that look like a giant flake of skin could fall off of them at any second......well.......DON'T WEAR SANDALS. Don't do that. It's not O.K. It's just NOT. I am sorry if your mother didn't tell you, but I am telling you now. It Is NOT O.K. Just wear something else till you get a few minutes with the pumice stone. Think of others. (I had a bad experience one time in a yoga class and I'd prefer not to talk about it. Those feet still haunt me.)

So how about that pout?? What's new? Well, this is very near and dear to my heart.And I must tell you that I LOVE lipstick. Always have. Even as a little girl, sneaking into my mom's vanity drawer and fawning over all the beautiful lipstick colors it contained. LOVE IT.

But here is an example of editing. When I was in my 20's I would DEFINITELY have rocked the hot pink that is one of the trends this spring. I mean with a vengeance I would have worn that color.



But if I have learned nothing else....and I do mean NOTHING ELSE, from watching Real Housewives of Orange County, it's that as you age....Less is More. I mean, holy moley, ladies...ever heard of "MOD-ER-A-TION"? Sheesh.
But alas, lucky for me, nude lips are still all the rage, as well as a classic red and that oh-so-perfect berry stain.

Sephora says that the sky's the limit. But I will more than likely be sticking with my tried and true favorite from Bare Escentuals in the color "Dolly". Love it so much.
So what color toenails will you be sporting in your sandals or flip-flops this spring? Will you go out on a limb and try a new, bright lip color, or will you be sticking with your tried and true favorites. No matter what you decide, it's nice to be able to spend a few minutes on yourself once in awhile. Just finding a little shot of color that makes you happy when you look at it can really put a little spring in your step!
Cheers!
Melissa

Fashion Friday

O.K. I admit it. I am struggling getting back to blogging. Actually I am struggling with ANYTHING right now that requires concentrating for more than...oh.....I dunno....60 seconds?

And just when I was blowing off blogging for one.more.day, Dy over at Classic Adventures and
Urban Mom actually asked me to write something on 2010 Spring Fashion For the Busy Mom.(Why? Because they are super-awesome friends and knew I could use a good distraction with something that I love right now) And as if that wasn't enough to make me almost wet my pants with excitement, right outta left field comes Laney over at Run Mother Run with FASHION FRIDAY!?! Holy cow! How have I missed this??? Obviously, someone is sending me a message.Obviously this is a sign. Obviously I am MEANT to blog again.

So let's get to it, shall we?



The looks this spring are some of my favorites. Classic but comfortable. There is something for EVERYONE this year! But I want to talk about spring fashion for a special group of women. The women who are 30-something to 40-something who have small children at home. The women whose lives still involve a lot of diaper changes and potty training. The women who are at the stage in life where just getting all the children out of the house clean and clothed, is chalked up as a triumphant day. No really.....TRIUMPHANT. As in choirs and angels.

I've been there.



I was lucky to get the crumbs out of my hair, and the goop off the back of my shoulder before going anywhere. (I had 2 kids before I realized that there is ALWAYS goop on the back of your shoulder. No one told me.) I had no time to look or care about what was fashionable. I was too busy wiping mouths, changing diapers and keeping the youngest from escaping to freedom every time his feet hit the floor.

It would have been great to have had some uncomplicated "go to's" during that time. You know, something that made me feel comfortable and yet didn't look like I had just "given up" and thrown in the ole' towel. Something that made me feel confident and something that I actually LIKED. You DO realize that you should LIKE what you wear, right?

So. I am going to take a few posts to pull out what *I* believe to be perfect for the busy mom this season.The mom who is caught between lessons and practices and recitals and tantrums and diapers and dinner. Style for THAT mom. Feel free to give me some feedback and let me know if you think I've stepped off the deep end.

One of this seasons best trends, for me, is all about opposites. Pair your best looking, jeans-that-you-love-but-are-way-worn-in/out, with a beautiful feminine top and some pretty new sandals.

This look is a total winner with denim shorts too. (Take those old jeans that you still love, but that have holes in the knee, and CHOP EM OFF! Cut them just below the knee, and give em' a few tight rolls)These jean short are from http://www.jcrew.com/ and while the look that this model is wearing would be way too hot and impractical for a kids baseball game, you could pair the same shorts with something more feminine.

Below is another take on the same trend. Pairing the feminine blouse and earrings with the sturdy boots and strong jeans. Those boots make me quiver just a little when I look at them, they are the "I can take on anything" shoe. You could TOTALLY catch a darting kid in these.

Breezy Afternoon by Piperlime .

And again comfy, rolled up jeans and snazzy flat sandals with a beautiful feminine top.(And just think of all the sippy cups and diapers that can be held in that hobo bag!)

Vintage City Living by Piperlime

And again! Could we just bow our heads a moment to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the return of the TUNIC! You can hide that winter fat layer under there with no problem. And should the stars align themselves properly one night, and you and your main squeeze get to head out for dinner after a day of lessons and practices, just stash your heeled sandals in your sons baseball bag (so you'll be sure not to forget them). One lightening quick shoe change in the car and you're good to go.

pretty delightful by Piperlime

This same trend is hot with military-inspired pieces. Got some light weight cargo pants from way-back-when? Roll them up a bit, add some pretty flat sandals and a feminine print tee, like the ones below from http://www.sundancecatalog.com/ Wall-ah! Instant style update. Just think how the other mom's will admire your sense of style as you pass out the snacks after practice.

Now, I have added the photos from Piperlime and JCrew because they just pull things together SO WELL visually. But you can find these same looks EVERYWHERE right now. Target has some gorgeous, well made pieces, including shoes. And the best part is that you may already have some things in your closet to pull together right now. So get crackin' while the kids are asleep. Pull out the stuff that you really LOVE and put it with some new, feminine pieces.

Still fearful? For you, dear reader,here is your sure-fire, never fail go to for casual this spring: Rolled denim shorts, or jeans, flat thong sandals, and a crisp, white button down, untucked. Simple jewelry, or none at all. Cool, clean, classic. Never wrong.

The old with the new. What's not to love about that?

Cheers!

Melissa

An assortment, to be sure...

Well, for cryin' out loud! It's March already! Eh. Good-bye to February, and don't let the screen door hit ya.

You know the Little House on the Prarie book that is titled "The Long Winter"? Yeah...that's what it's been like.

Only WITHOUT Pa.

The first day of Spring Break, and it snowed. again.

An unexpected benefit to all this snow, is that now you can go to Barnes and Noble and pick up "An Inconvenient Truth" for a mere $5. Even less if you have a membership card. Poor Al.

On the school front, things are going fairly smoothly. Austin continues to work incredibly hard and score high in all his co-op classes, and continues to drag his feet and stare, open mouthed during his one course at home. Going away to college? Yes. It.Is.Time.

It really *is* time. And that is a great feeling. To know that he is prepared and ready to jump out there and test his own metal. It's true.....they DO grow up. He is a great kid with a lot to offer, and I am SO excited to see what lies ahead with that one.

(His electric guitar and the giant amp, I won't miss as much....)

Savannah is my wonderfully independent student. She is what has made it all possible this year!What a work ethic that girl has! She does great with all her work, because she is disciplined and she just knows how to work hard. Love.That.Girl. That work ethic has carried over into her MMA training. It's cool to see my sweet, quiet girl whip up on the boys in her class. She is the ONLY girl in the class. She is going to test for her driving permit next week.

Jackson still has the attention span of a puppy. But he has gotten HUGE, so...it would be more like Great Dane puppy. And that, my friends, can be hard to handle. It's true, I am looking UP to my 12 yr old, now.

He has come such a long way in his schooling this year, and he really does all that is asked of him. But his dyslexia is no.joke. And it is a constant frustration and stumbling block to him. We trudge ahead. And we rejoice in all the little hurdles that we continue to overcome. And we do continue! He definitely is still his own person and most recently surprised his poor, frazzled mother, by returning home from a reptile show in PA, with a python. Yes, you read that right. A python.

I guess tattoos and motorcycles are in our future???

So...Jackson continues to keep life interesting here at our house!

My focus during this ridiculously hard winter.....my little getaway in my mind......has been working out. I thought about concentrating on food. Or alcohol. But those outcomes didn't seem all that bright. So I decided to concentrate on my fitness. Seriously. I am working out like a prison inmate. Crazy push-ups, handstands, big olympic weights,in the Crossfit-style http://www.crossfit.com/ . It's nuts I tell ya. But it keeps me from losing my mind. And it keeps me fitting into my clothes. And it feels good to get stonger! So, I have my little goals. One of which, at the moment is to be able to do handstand push-ups. Grrrr....I can do handstands. I can do push-ups. So *WHY* can't I do handstand-push-ups???(and don't say"because you're old") And so it continues.....

Eventually Race will come home. I can't wait for that day.I can't WAIT for that day! Until he does, I will watch with pride, our almost-grown brood continue with their own personal goals and acheivements as they begin to carve out the next phases of their own lives. There will be plenty of MMA and baseball games to watch in the coming months. I will keep working on pull-ups and handstand push-ups with a vigor that would make an inmate cry. And of course, there's also...the python. Race is NOT gonna be too keen on THAT one. (big grin)

One of the best ways to enjoy winter: On the Slopes!

And THIS is Bejamin.

Cheers!

Melissa

Looking Forward.......

Jackson was off doing man-cub activities w/ the Boy Scouts this weekend. I was apparently cramping his style as I sat in the suburban waiting for one of the other leaders to show. He made it a point to come back to the car and say, "um...mom...you don't have to wait, ya know. You can go."
Yeah, yeah...well until you can start to fork over your OWN $$$ for these activities,and remember to use deoderant w/out being told, I'll just sit right here and wait until the guy *I* know gets here, kay? (ahhh...they're great aren't they?) I know he is having a blast and I can hardly wait to pick him up tomorrow after church and drag his sleepy, grumpy, hungry carcass home. :-)

I cleaned.

No, I mean it. I.....Melissa.....actually cleaned the house today. It took me forever to get motivated. I would start and then- oooooo....looooook....prettyyyyyy..........
It was stop and go at first, but then Austin and Savannah left to see Sherlock Holmes, so I put on some music and got down to business. The house looks great. And it feels good. But.....I don't want to do it again right away.

I have an exciting week coming up. (Of course the UPS truck coming up the driveway just about makes me wet my pants, so lets keep some perspective here.) Tuesday is "Hair Day". That one GLORIOUS day each month when I go to the salon and my hair looks great and all is right with the world. (Did I mention that my salon is like, less than a MILE from the JCrew Outlet Center??) And then, on FRIDAY it's GIRLS NIGHT!!! YEsssssssssss!!! 2 times a year this wonderful evening of abandonment arrives, and this Friday is. it!! But more on that later this week. It is too too exciting to be glossed over lightly.

Also, I am busy making plans for Savannah's birthday in a few weeks. Her 16th Birthday! Can you believe it? My one and only daughter is about to turn 16! Hmm... I'm not gonna think about it just yet. We'll pretend she.. is... turning...........9. Yes. 9 is good. I'll think about 16 a little later.

Tomorrow is church and yoga. Both of which I love and need dearly!

Cheers!
Melissa

weird weekend

Some weird stuff happened this weekend. First of all it is still bitter cold. The temp will be 11 tonight. 11!! Heat pumps don't do well with ELEVEN! So I pulled out the kerosene heater that I bought last year and have been running it in the basement. It seems to make enough difference to keep the heat pump from staying on all the time.

Being so cold, there isn't a whole lot to do around here right now. SO against my better judgement, I took the crew to see Avatar. My honest opinion is that people are only telling other people to go and see this movie because they are so embarassed by the abount of hard green that they forked over for the 3-D ticket, that they feel compelled to talk someone else into doing the same.

Of course, I am no great lover of science fiction.

Ask my sister, whose goal in life from the age of...oh....say...6, was to subject me to every manner of science fiction that was to be had on the tube. From He-Man, to The Incredible Hulk, to hours upon hours of Star Trek. And to be truthful that's what watching this movie felt like, to me. Like being a kid and being forced to watch a world of freaks that I could not believe in nor understand. But looking at my previous comments, maybe I'm not the best judge. So if you think you'd dig seeing Sigourney Weaver as some sort of blue, cat-eyed, lizard-monkey, then you're in luck! This is the movie for you, my friends! But just LOOK at that picture! And when it smiles a happy smile??!! Nightmares for a week.

But I'm pretty sure Thom will like it.

In other weirdness....I was at yoga today, and there was this older guy..(how many times does a story start out like this?)...anyway, he was older, but his body was somewhat youthful. It looked odd. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. What was odd...out of place....and then...right in the middle of triangle pose, I realized what it was. Immediately I could hear Race's voice in my head as I had heard it once before exclaim, "That dude has no package". That's right. "No package". Of course I am not the sort to laugh at this sort of thing, normally. Being someone who prides herself on adhering to strict decorum. But it just kept playing in my head over and over, Race in a totally serious tone saying, "That dude has no package". I found it hard to concentrate after that. Mindboggling. It was weird.

It was cold this morning for church, and I have been wearing my Sundance boots TO DEATH, so today I tried something different. I wore my black ankle boots with skinny jeans and then put med. weight, black leg warmers on top. It looked awesome! They actually looked like scrunch boots. So,- weird, but in a good way!

Also this weekend I ate a sardine and liked it.

The lights all went out in the gym downstairs and won't come back on.

And I did hand stands several times each day.

All weird. All this weekend.

Cheers!

Melissa

A girl in Man clothes.......

I am still trying to find my legs, here. Race is gone. It all happened so fast. My mind is still just swimming trying to grasp some sort of normalcy(that's a word, right?), some sense of routine, and perhaps.....just perhaps...a GOAL or two. But right now it's just a bunch of mixed up ideas floating around in my head.
The weather here has not gotten above 29 in days and the nights are in the teens, so that brings it's own challenges and worries when one lives out in the country.
Each morning, I have to bundle up, and head out across the yard, to dump out random, solid blocks of ice from the animals' water containers, and refill them. This is very unenviable work anyway, but it proves to be humiliating when I glimpse myself in the mirror upon returning BACK into the house. I am dressed like a butch lesbian. Baggy Army sweats, rubber knee boots, huge down parka....Oh Make it stop. If I hope to actually succeed in my dream to be able to raise my own food while simutaneously keeping an eye toward the world of fashion...........I'm going to have to do better than this. But it's Coooooold, man. Which begs the question, "Are women of the, ahem, manly-persuasion, warmer than the rest of us?" You gotta admit, it's something to think about.
And of course, I am eyeballing warily all of our major appliances, the car and of course the motherload electrical power, to see which one of them will break down. It's like clockwork: 1. husband leaves...2.One of life's major modern conveniences tries to give up the ghost. (Personally I hope it's the stove or the fridge)
I'll get it all figured out before too long. But for now I'm going to go and lay out some warm, non-lesbian-looking apparel for in the morning.

Cheers!
Melissa

The Warrior Song

2010

It seems that 2009 was the year of the non-blog. Perhaps it was the year of Facebook. SO bear with me as I learn how to write again. My sentences will seem short and choppy and facebook-ish at first, I'm sure. But I'll find my groove. And I'll have lot's to say, of course.

Our family has a lot going on right now, with many different irons in the fire that all need tending. We're good though. And we're thankful. We have a lot to be thankful for. It's just that my head is swimming with responsibilities right now and it is difficult to write anything that even remotely resembles something that another human being would care to read!

But I am determined to get back to my blog! I truly miss it.

So today, we made the traditional southern "good luck" meal to bring in the new year: hoppin john, collard greens and cornbread. IT.WAS.GOOD. I am sure that we will all be rich and healthy in 2010, because of it. I'm sure of it. Don't mess with tradition, man.
We watched Bowl games on TV(till my eyes bled), we played video games, we cooked and we ate. We didn't leave the house even once today, and that was great!

This week coming up is gonna be a tough one. We know what we have to do, though. And we're ready. Bring it 2010.

Cheers!
Melissa