Pregnancy Blues

Well, I finally feel very pregnant. Once I crossed into this 34th week, it’s like I suddenly can't escape being uncomfortable no matter what I'm doing.

I feel like my back is in a perpetual, unnatural bend. My lungs, bladder and stomach are constantly squished and make it hard to breath, eat normally or stay away from the bathroom. My low back pretty much always hurts, and that squished up feeling makes me feel slightly nauseated. I’m also exhausted because it’s getting harder to sleep, which means I am prone to cry for no reason again. Sigh….I have a feeling these last five weeks are going to feel very long! The belly is getting heavier…and bigger. Here’s a picture…


We had a nice Christmas down in Kentucky visiting with mom, Becca, Justin, Grandma and a few of my cousins. It was good just be home for a few days, too, though with nothing really to do other than regular chores. We’re looking forward to hosting Anna and Andrew this Thursday for our annual New Year’s Eve dinner.

Fun weekend

Tonight I started off a sure to be packed-with-fun weekend a good night of girl time with Sara. It was great to catch up and pamper ourselves!

Tomorrow, we're looking forward to celebrating our birthdays with B's family and possibly going to look at cars. Yes, we are considering getting a family car, but there will be no mini-vans in our future.

Sunday, I'm looking forward to lunch at Echo and shopping with Paula! Great weekend line up and a short work week and Christmas to look forward to next week. Yea!

Rest and Relaxation

Brandon and I had a great, relaxing birthday weekend retreat to the Inn at Honey Run in Millersburg, Ohio. We took Monday as a vacation day and spent two nights just resting and relaxing in secluded Ohio. We typically go to the Hocking Hills (one of our absolute favorite retreat spots) this time of year, but decided that was too remote and potentially too icy for us, given that I’m seven months pregnant. I finished re-reading (for the third time…) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets over the weekend and look forward to diving into Prisoner of Azkaban once I finish wrapping Christmas presents and making Christmas cards this week. I have about 20 more cards to go…love the result, but the process can get tedious – especially when you put off the work because of school!

This weekend, I’m looking forward to lots of girl time – Sara and I are pampering ourselves Friday night with manicures and pedicures. Thanks to a present from Jane, mine is going to be free! Whoo hoo! On Sunday, Paula and I are going to have lunch. Can’t wait to see both of them.

On Saturday, we’re having our annual birthday celebration with the Harpers so Bess, Kevin, Anna and Andrew will be down to Cincinnati. We’re looking forward to their visit and showing off our holiday décor. (Eventually I will post pictures…this is the problem with film cameras. GRRR) This week is officially 32 weeks into our pregnancy – yikes! He’s almost here. We’re getting excited to meet our son and resolve all the questions hanging out there. This medical illustration really struck me today – no wonder it feels like a little alien is squirming around in my abdomen. Look how big he is. We have another ultrasound on Monday, Dec. 21.


Hope everyone’s holiday season is going great!

Busy December

We spent the weekend doing holiday-oriented things, including our second annual trip to cut a Christmas tree at Dirr Nurseries in Goshen on Saturday. We had a great time and -- amazingly -- were able to find yet another PERFECT Christmas tree. :) I'll post a video montage of the experience later this week. We spent most of the late afternoon Saturday decorating the outside of the house. It was bitter cold and, unfortunatley, two of our four lit garland strands had died. After trips to Lowe's and Big Lots, we had the supplies we needed to finish the outside decorating and it looks great. (video to come...digital camera is still not fixed.)

On Sunday, dad drove down and we put up our Christmas train and had lunch. It was a fun time. We always love getting that train out. It's a 1950s Lionel train that we had while I was kid, so it is a nice heirloom. Dad and Brandon also work well putting the train up.

We also decided it was time to gate our bedroom off from the cats this weekend in preparation for the baby. Sassy promptly wiggled her entire body through the 2 1/4 inch slat (YIKES) so we had to double gate our room. Baby's room had a new tall gate that Leonard has yet to figure out how to jump with a box blocking sassy from climbing through. So far, there's been no retaliation from the cats other than the ocassional whining. Keep your fingers crossed.

This weekend Brandon and I are looking forward to a long weekend escape to Amish Country to celebrate our birthdays and try to get one last couple's retreat before our lives change forever and we become parents.

Grad School

Today is my last day of class until after the baby is born. WHOO HOO! I'm lookig forward to getting this one thing off my plate for now so we can focus on prepping for baby and enjoying the holidays.

Our New Toy

Ann and Willard bought us a flip camera so we could share videos of the baby with family once he arrived. Brandon played with it at Thanksgiving...this is me oiling our free-range turkey in prep for cooking. I'm testing whether the video is viewable by posting this way...http://sharing.theflip.com/session/56e6bff31bf36290809e5df0926e4f43/video/7655112.

I also took this "self portrait" over Thanksgiving weekend. The belly keeps getting bigger, but that is good because the baby is growing. He is now estimated to weigh 3.3 pounds. Nine more weeks to go until inducement.

Black Friday

In an all-out nod to crazy American consumerism, Brandon and I got up and went Black Friday shopping with Anna, Andrew, Bess and Kevin the day after Thanksgiving. It was a wild experience -- getting up at 4:45 a.m. and pushing through crowds at the evil empire nonetheless, but surprisingly fun.

Our sole mission was to get a computer. The best deal was hands-down to be had at the evil empire (AKA Walmart), so we braved it. We were able to get an HP Pavillion bundled computer system for $398, so we were very happy. We also bought a few small things at Kohl's after a 7:30 a.m. jaunt to Steak and Shake for burgers that we have decided should be a tradition.

We had a nice Thanksgiving day as well. Kevin and I cooked the turkey, gravey, stuffing and gren beans. The rest of the family handled mashed potatoes, desserts, onion chutney and drinks. The turkey was a bit tough, but it was nice that we were able to buy a free-range turkey versus a butterball special.

Today is the family/friend shower for Columbus. I'm getting excited, but also nervous. I don't like being the focus on parties.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ramblings and Updates

I met Becca in Lexington this Saturday for lunch and to satisfy our mutual addiction to the vampire/werewolf love stories by seeing New Moon. The movie was better than the first one, but – like the book – a bit slow. I did decide I am officially more of a werewolf girl, which I announced to Brandon when I got home. He didn’t find it as amusing as I did.

Sunday, Brandon and I spent most of the day doing house work. Unfortunately, it’s that time of year when we can’t deny that old man winter is coming like a freight train so we broke down and put those awful storm windows in. We’ve got it down to an efficient system, but it is still a royal pain in the rear. Ah, to have modern windows—that would be such a luxury! For now, we’ll enjoy the new furnace and be thankful for that.

We took what has become our weekly pretend hike. I call it pretend because normally this time of year we would be hiking for hours at a nearby State Park on the weekend. My two-cord vessel and limit to a 120 heart rate has relegated us to a moderate 30 minute walk at Ault Park a few miles from our house. Sigh…at least Ginger gets to chase squirrels and sniff out deer.

Tonight is the season finale of Dancing with the Stars. I’m torn between Mya and Donny Osmond, but I fear Kelly Osborne may be the dark horse winner because of her fans.

This week is a short holiday week of course – yea – so we are looking forward to a respite and visiting with Brandon’s family in Columbus over the Thanksgiving holiday. This will be Ginger’s first real visit to the Harper house in Columbus. In the past, she’s stayed in the garage but Kevin has agreed to give the indoor environment a shot. I’m sure she will be on her absolute best behavior. She’s even getting groomed for holidays on Wednesday. Now I just need to get her that cute little jingle bell collar that Brandon refused to buy at Petsmart…

Things are accelerating...

Just a quick update…

Last week, my mom and I spent Veteran’s Day together and had a great time shopping and just catching up. After she left, I painted and stained the tree Great Grandpa Salyer made for the baby. We have a few more steps to take care of then we’ll be putting it on the wall.

On Saturday, I made the trip to Celina/Van Wert for Meg and Matt’s wedding. It was great to catch us with the Jeff Hall gang I get to see so rarely, and Meg looked beautiful on her wedding day! The drive…not so fun…about six hours round trip by myself, but it was well worth it to see Lisa, Jill, Rocky, Katie, Meg and Matt.

This week is crazy with work, school assignments and general life. I’m eager to get through tomorrow (class tonight, a big assignment, a team meeting) then head to Kentucky Saturday to see New Moon with Becca.

Wish us good luck: we have our second fetal MRI on Monday at 7:30 a.m.

Friends, New Babies and Other Misc. Things

We had an impromptu visit from the Feldmeyers on Wednesday, which was a nice surprise. They were headed to Columbus so Ben could fly out to a conference. Carrie and Luke were planning to spend time with family. It was great to see them, as usual. Luke is growing like a weed and cute as ever. I would have taken a picture of him, but our camera will still at the shop. (We now have it back, though we chose not to fix it for now.)

In other news, my cousin Matt and his wife, Kim, welcomed their fourth child, Brenna Leigh Dees, earlier this week. I’m told mom and baby are doing great. I can’t wait to go meet her next week – I get Veteran’s Day off, so I’m going to swing down to visit my family.

This weekend we’re going to give in and admit it’s winter. That means it’s time to put the storm windows in. DuWayne is also coming to help us move some extra furniture into the basement. We’re giving our spare bed mattress set to his grandma.

We have another ultrasound on Monday. It’s been three weeks and I’ll feeling optimistic, but I always get apprehensive before our doctor’s appointments. I’m always waiting for them to drop another bomb on us…

Quick Update

First of all, my stomach is growing at an alarming rate. Every day I feel like I breathing is a little bit harder, as is unclamping my abdominal muscles and standing up straight after sitting for a long time. It’s frustrating, but I’m hanging in there…I probably look like a snob at work and class because I try to sit up so straight.

Things are same as usual around here…I’m adjusting to this crappy new form of exercise I’ve been relegated to (slow walking only), working and going to school – trying to keep my focus!

This weekend I’m looking forward to a scrapbooking night with the girls. I’m hoping to start my Christmas cards, but I haven’t bought my supplies yet. Nov. 14th I’m headed to Celina to see Megan get hitched. Yea!

My Blogging Hiatus

So, most of you know why I have been on an unannounced blogging hiatus. Our lives have been filled with tons of prenatal doctor appointments and consultations over the past month and frankly I just haven’t felt like blogging about it to the world. Throw in graduate school, work and home responsibilities on top of that and blogging just didn’t make the cut.

But…life is settling in to the new normal now, so I’ll try to be better about updating. Still lots of doctor appointments and waiting to see how everything will end up with Baby Harper, though, so keep sending us your good karma, prayers and positive thoughts. We feel good about our medical team and just dealing with each day as it comes.

Our vacation to Arizona in mid-September was a nice break; however, I got sick right after we left and gave it to Brandon. It definitely dampened our ability to hike—we probably did less than 10 miles throughout the entire week whereas on our last trip we did like 40 in three days—but we got lots of rest and plenty of pool time. It was nice to just take care of each, even though we felt like crap. Ann and Willard came down earlier this month and bought our baby furniture, which looks wonderful! Willard is also working on a replica of this awesome three-dimensional tree we saw at Children’s Hospital that we want to put in the baby’s room.

We’re slowly plugging away at building our registry wish list, too, which is almost done. Check one thing off the list. This weekend, I have class and we’re hoping for a dinner visit from Pants on Friday night.

Labor Day...with Too Much Labor!

We had a busy, productive Labor Day weekend.

On Saturday, Brandon watched the first OSU football game of the season and I went to visit dad and take Ginger to the dog park. In the early evening, Anna and Andrew arrived to help us tackle the upstairs painting projects: three rooms, three closets and a whole lot of trim/windows to prime and paint. We did some prep work Saturday night, including moving all the big furniture I couldn't help Brandon lift and trimming the baby's room. We cooked ribs and baked potatoes for dinner, then crashed.

From then on, it was painting, painting and more painting. By the time Anna and Andrew left on Monday afternoon, we had finished all the trim and painting in our bedroom and the small room next to us. Brandon and I tackled the baby's room once they left and finished removing all the trim tape. We finally called it a night around 9:15 p.m. and ordered pizza from Angilo's. It was a huge help to have Anna and Andrew there!

Last night, Brandon tackled the the rest of the primer in the closets -- we agreed I shouldn't be in there since it is so fumy and requires a ladder. Tonight we're going to try and move the rest of our clothes, books, etc. upstairs because our basement keeps getting wet from the heavy rain and we're worried something might get ruined. So, more work for us...but fortunately we have the weekend free and then we're off to Arizona!

And in case you haven't heard...Baby Harper is a boy.

The Weekend Wrap and Painting Prep

This past weekend was a great change of pace – absolutely no reading or assignments for school and no social obligations. Brandon and I spent Saturday knocking out all of our yard and housework chores (cutting the bushes, mowing, weeding, cleaning the house, etc.) so we could completely relax on Sunday. We got it all done—with Brandon doing the majority of the heavy lifting—and treated ourselves to dinner at China Gourmet Saturday night. Sunday we slept in a little then went hiking at Caesar Creek, which was really nice.

This week it’s all about prepping for the weekend painting project. Anna and Andrew have graciously agreed to give us some free labor, so we’ll be painting all three bedrooms on the second floor of our house in preparation for Baby Harper. We sorted all our books and took everything off the walls last night. Tonight we’re going to Lowe’s to buy all our supplies. I won’t say I’m looking forward to painting because I don’t like painting, but it’s exciting to think everything will be freshly painted up there by the end of the weekend – especially since we’ll have help!

On Friday if all goes well we’ll find out if we are having a son or a daughter. Just saying those words makes it whole situation seem quite different and real.

Boy or Girl?

If all goes well, next Friday morning Brandon and I will know if we are having a daughter or son. Whoa...that sounds weird, doesn't it?

We had a prenatal check-up appointment yesterday and we're around the 17 week mark. Baby's heartbeat was strong and steady at 154 and I have gained a total of three pounds. I'm feeling good and the mood swings have simmered down a bit.

I'm also done with summer graduate school classes -- whoo hoo -- and am looking forward to a four week break. (Technically, classes start back up Sept. 23 but we'll be vacationing in Arizona!)

This weekend we're just going to chill at home and we are both looking forward to it tremendously! We have a significant amount of yard work to do, but we enjoy those activities so it should be great. We're also planning to use our Cincinnati Independents gift certificate to China Gourmet on Saturday night....YUM YUM!

Update

Just a quick update…

I made it through my insanely long Monday, which started with a 7 a.m. meeting and ended with getting home at 9:30 p.m. after a case presentation for my B2B marketing class.

The car has been repaired and I am with wheels again, which Brandon and I are both thankful for. (He’s been a champ driving me to and from both class and school. FUN.)

Sassy is eating the KD food for her kidneys, yea! I was very worried that she would snub her little nose up at it, but she appears to really like it. The other cats are very jealous, though, because she gets to eat canned food twice a day. I told them they should be happy their kidneys are healthy and deal.

This weekend is the final hump for summer classes – I must finish a 350 page book and write a review of it by Monday night’s class. I’ve got a ways to go…nuff said. We’re having dinner the Harpers on Saturday night to celebrate Anna’s (belated) birthday.

Next week we will look at our fourth day care center option, which I think may end up being our second choice. First choice is UC. We also have our 16-week follow up appointment where they will schedule our 18-week ultrasound appointment.

Car Crashes, Sick Cats and School -- Oh My!

It's been a busy few weeks, but what else is new right?

Let's see, we headed to Columbus the weekend of Aug. 8 for Brandon's cousin Jarrod's birthday party, which was basically a mini-family reunion. We had a good time and enjoyed all the yummy food Aunt Michelle fixed. We also got to spend some quality time with Brandon's cousin Zach's new baby, Logan. He is about three months old and very cute. Brandon did a great job with him --despite all the women watching his every move. Aunt Shauna passed on a good piece of advice, which she received from her mother: Don't ever start something you don't want to continue. (Note to self: re: crying baby...)

This past week was super crunch week for grad school -- I had a 10 page paper due for retailing, numerous case studies to read for B2B marketing (a large part of our grad is based on class participation/commentary on case studies) and a group powerpoint presentation on another case. I made the week worse by crashing my car -- it was completely my fault and a very stupid maneuver. What ticks me off is all the money I wasted: $1,000 deductible (on a $3,000 repair) and $114 ticket for running a red light. Fortunately, no one was hurt. It did royally screw up my day though -- I spent hours dealing with insurance and had to make a quick visit to my OB to make sure the baby was OK. Heartbeat 156 and strong, no injuries to anything except my pride...and the car. Brandon is my personal chauffeur for now.

Also, we found out that Sassy's has some fairly serious kidney problems. For now, we are going to switch her diet and see if that helps stabalize her. If not, I will be learning to give her fluids at home.

This weekend we took a break and went shopping for baby furniture/bedding on Friday to make a final decision about paint colors for upstairs. We have a good idea of what we want to do now. On Saturday, we had a nice lunch with Paula and Kirk then split boy/girl with the boys playing frisbee and girls hitting the outlet malls.

I had to present at 7 a.m. this morning for work. FUN. I also do my B2B presentation this evening for class. Wish me luck -- hope I'm still standing at the end of the day.

Family Party, Tennessee and General Exhaustion

Today, I feel like I could fall asleep sitting up. I think I’ve stressed myself out just a little too much over the past five days. With my summer graduate school schedule, Sunday through Wednesday is a marathon regardless of what we do on the weekend, but this past weekend, we also hosted a family reunion so that seems to have put me over the top. It was great to see everyone, though, so it was worth it. I particularly appreciated Becca and Justin’s help Friday and Saturday loaded and unloaded the huge amounts of stuff we had to take.

We turned the party into a surprise 80th birthday party for my Grandma, too, which went great. She seemed to really enjoy herself and virtually everyone thanked me for organizing it so that made me feel good. (Now if I could just get my Kentucky cousins to participate…oh well, their loss! I’ll post pictures from the party over the weekend. I haven’t had a chance to download them yet.

We had a great time in Tennessee visiting Ben, Carrie and Pants a few weekends ago. We broke the pregnancy news to all of them then – I thought Pants might crash the car! Everyone is excited, of course. We went to the Smokies to hike and saw our first black bear, which was very cool. Brandon and I couldn’t resist going into hiking mode, though, which means we blew up the hill ahead of the others. It felt so good to be hiking! Granted, Ben has a 15-month old kid on his back to laden him down, so I assume it is justified. Here is a picture of all of us that Carrie took.

Update

Not much to report here -- I am excited to note that I finished my Winning at Retail book last night, so I can finally move on with my mid-course project. Whoo hoo!

This weekend we are just chilling at home and doing some yardwork. It is the first free weekend we've had in quite a while. Mom is going to come down for lunch on Saturday, but otherwise it's pretty wide open. (that's a good thing!)

Next weekend we're headed to Tennessee with Pants to visit the Feldmeyers. The weekend after that I have class again (boo!) and then it's time for our family reunion. I'm very excited to host the family party -- it's been a really long time since we all got together and it sounds like we're going to have a great turn out! Now I just need to cross my fingers for a non-blistering day.

Have a great weekend!

Grad School and Weekends

I spent most of my weekend in class – about 15 hours worth of retailing. Suffice it to say, I could do not to hear anything about Walmart, Kroger, Publix or Target any time for the next few weeks. (Our visiting professor from the University of Georgia talked quite a bit about these superpower retailers…) Now I have a group project to complete – including a 250 page book to read in preparation for the project—before July 24. FUN. It’s going to be a busy month!

On Sunday, Brandon and I headed up to Dayton for the Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival. We noshed on some great BBQ wraps and enjoyed the live music. Pants, Bess and Kevin joined us for the headliner concert – Dr. John, a famous New Orleans musician, and Robert Randolph & the Family Band. It was a great way to relax after a long weekend of class, but it sure made Monday morning hard.

This weekend we’re going to chill at home. We’re hosting Brandon’s parents and his aunts and uncles Friday afternoon/evening at our house then going to a Reds game. It’s fireworks night, so it should be a great night!

Happy short work week!

Ann's Surprise Birthday Party

We headed to Columbus this weekend for Brandon’s Grandma Ann’s surprise birthday party. Steve and Roy flew in from Arizona, so it was nice to see the whole family. Ann had a great time talking to all her friends and the extended family, particularly giggling with her best friend from childhood, Lena.

It was a fun, but exhausting weekend. Here are a few photos from the trip:

(Andrew hates being hugged -- he got a double whammy from Michelle and Shauna. Love it!)

(the totally edible birthday decorations were awesome!)

(Lena and Grandma Ann enjoying pina coladas)

We stayed with Anna and Andrew Friday and Saturday night. We always have a good time with them.

Lovin' My Fresh Produce

I have to say, I’m feelin’ pretty darn good about my decision to join Eaton Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture program. I can’t wait for Sundays when I get my big baskets for farm-fresh produces and eggs. This week, I got beets, cabbage, cauliflower, green onions, lettuce, eggs, cucumbers and garlic toppers. YUM. We roasted the beets and cauliflower with some carrots last night to go with Brandon’s awesome BB Q ribs. It was a great summer meal.

I pick up at the Hyde Park Farmer’s Market. I was excited to find a local farmer who raises grass-fed beef, pork and free-range chickens. I bought chicken, pork and breakfast sausage. I hate supporting commercial meat and poultry farming because of its inhumane treatment of animals, unfair labor laws for workers and disregard for the environment. (A few examples: chickens fattened so fast they can’t stand up in the tiny, completely dark cages they are raised in. Cattle fed corn-based grain that makes them sick, requiring antibiotics to keep them “healthy” then resulting in e.coli outbreaks….I could go ON and ON!)

Anyway, if you can support a local farmer do it!

Three Weeks

That's how long it took the City of Cincinnati to take our broken fence. We followed the rules to the letter (the trash people broke the rope holding our bundles then left it), complained twice and finally said screw it and threw the wood in our trash can. Stupid city services...

It's been busy around the Harper house lately. We've had friends in town and took a weekend get-away to the Hocking Hills this past weekend. I'll post more later.

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a great – but busy – weekend. Friday night, I had dinner with Sara at Wildflower Café in Mason. If you haven’t been there, you should try it! The food was fabulous, the business environmentally friendly and the atmosphere homey and unique. It was great to catch up with Sara … haven’t seen her in a while.

On Saturday, I packed my childhood rocking horse in the car and drove to Lucasville to visit part of my extended family, including my new baby cousin, Graham, and my uncle Dave who just turned 60. We had cookout, so I got to see all my cousins and their kids which was very nice! Everyone is excited about the full family picnic I am planning for August, too, which made me very happy. I miss our biannual family parties at Grandma Jo’s, so I’m eager to get them started up again. Wondering why I took my rocking horse? Well, my great uncle Tuck built it for me when I was very small and offered to refurbish it for me. Next time I see the horse it will have new hair, ears and a bridle. I’m pretty pumped!

Brandon, his Dad and Grandpa spent Saturday installing a new privacy fence and re-hanging our porch swing at the house. It was wonderful to come home and see all the carpentry done!

Saturday night we attended a surprise birthday party for our neighbor, Joan. Her husband did an incredible job not only at keeping it a true surprise, but also making it a classy party. They had an acoustic guitarist, yummy appetizers/wine and lots of people. She almost fainted when she came in the door.

Sunday I picked up our awesome CSA basket – radishes, mustard greens, lettuce, eggs and more of those glorious strawberries – then we headed to Morrow to play Frisbee golf with Paula and Kirk. The course near their house was great and so were the brats they cooked for us afterward!

Monday I got up early and went to buy all our flowers and vegetable plants. After gorging on strawberries (trust me, you couldn’t resist either), we tackled the rest of the gate installation project the boys we’re able to finish, hung all new lights around our back porch then planted all of our flowers and vegetables. (The last task, unfortunately, was done in the rain.)

So, all in all a very productive weekend. Now we just have to find time to tackle the mulch pile in our driveway…hopefully the weather man is right and the rain will hold off on Friday. Saturday I’m looking forward to seeing Danielle and Duwayne.

Dancing with the Stars and My Busy-Body Weekends

We had a busy weekend and another one coming up…how do I always do this to myself? I need a break from my weekend breaks!

Anyway, Tito came into town on Saturday from Hawaii. It was raining, so I recruited Paula to accompany me on a last-minute trip to the salon for pedicures and a day of shopping. We had a good time and it gave me a break from the boys. I rented Bride Wars and vegged out upstairs while the boys battled it our at Wii golf until the rain subsided and we were able to walk Ginger. That night, we went to the Precinct for dinner and spent too much money, but it sure was tasty. On Sunday, I got my first CSA basket. We had some incredible strawberries in our basket and cute little brown eggs, among other things.

I cooked breakfast for Brandon, Tito and I, then we drove out to Woodland Mound for a round of Frisbee golf. The weather was incredible! Then the boys played croquet and I went shopping for perennials and a new butterfly bush. After all those were planted, it was off to the shelter. Last night, we went to the Reds game with Tito, Paul and Paul’s friend Simon. It was a good game and a great sunny night to be there, but the Reds unfortunately lost.
I cooked breakfast for Brandon, Tito and I, then we drove out to Woodland Mound for a round of Frisbee golf. The weather was incredible! Then the boys played croquet and I went shopping for perennials and a new butterfly bush. After all those were planted, it was off to the shelter. Last night, we went to the Reds game with Tito, Paul and Paul’s friend Simon. It was a good game and a great sunny night to be there, but the Reds unfortunately lost.

I am so disappointed that Gil did not win on Dancing with the Stars last night. he is an incredible dancer and he had such chemistry with Cheryl. Shawn was good, but she’s a friggin’ Olympian. Is that entirely fair? At least Melissa didn’t win. Boo-ya!


This weekend is packed: Friday night dinner with Sara, Saturday day trip to see my new baby cousin and get my childhood rocking horse refurbished by my great Uncle (at the same time B’s dad and Grandpa will be at our house working on the swing and fence), Sunday Frisbee/grill out with Paula and Kirk and mulching on Monday. I am determined to find some hammock time in there, too.

Bella

I've told many of you about the dog my mom rescued from being ripped apart by another dog. (Unfortunately, she is my cousin's dog and he just doesn't take care of her. The dog is very luck to have my mom!)

Anyway, I forgot to mention that I finally met Bella last weekend. She is adorable! She is like a little cat...she just wants to snuggle and sit on your lap. She was a little freaked out by Ginger, which is understandable since she probably weights six pounds and Ginger weighs 60. By the end of the trip, though, she was practically sitting on Ginger.

Here is a picture. I think she'd make the perfect "beast" dog for Jane!

Mother's Day Weekend

I had a great trip to Kentucky this past weekend to visit my family for Mother’s Day. On Saturday, Mom, Becca and I enjoyed a day of shopping and hanging out – something the three of us haven’t done all together in quite a while. It was very nice and mom seemed very happy, which was the point. That night, we stopped by a local horseshow where I snapped some photos that I was pretty impressed with, including one of a little girl. She would alternate between watching the horses intently at the fence, and showing off her dance moves to the country music that was blaring.
























On Sunday, Becca and I cooked breakfast for Mom, Grandma and Justin. I had planned to make cinnamon-oatmeal pancakes, bacon and fruit salad. I was yummy, if I don’t say so myself, and Becca’s help was much appreciated. Hope everyone else had a nice Mother’s Day!

This weekend, we’ll be hosting Tito. He’s flying in from Hawaii later this week. If the weather cooperates, we plan to play Frisbee golf and croquet over the weekend then go to Reds game on Tuesday.

Cans

I've been collecting cans for my grandma for more than a month now...probably several, in fact. Today, I had my first metal scrapping experience. Needless say, when I pulled into the muddy lot in my tiny car and in heels I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. I had 17 lbs of aluminum cans and got $5.10 for my efforts. I'm not sure it was worth the effort -- I'll probably stick to straight recycling in the future -- but I know what to expect now!

I'm looking forward to a weekend with my mom. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.

Blogs

I've probably told most of you, but I am lovin' the CincyLocavore blog: http://cincinnatilocavore.blogspot.com/. I feel like I learn something every day on there. It's awesome! Today, I discovered Athens has a very robust farmer's market. I can't wait to check it out in June: http://athensfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/.

Projects and Changes

Brandon and I spent most the last two weekends doing something very exciting...ok...not that exciting, but definitely an improvement to our backyard and our basement. First, we got rid of a ton of old paint and flourescent light bulbs that were left in our basement by the home's previous owners. We also ripped up the band planet growing out of control over what I referred to as "the grave," a big pile of rocks in the backyard, and built a patio for our firepit. Brandon did a great job scoping it out and we worked as a team to complete it. 

The rain is still gradually doing it's job washing off the excess sand (the brick is actually red, not tan), but it's finished. Here are a few pictures of the project:

AFTER: 

BEFORE

In other news, I found out last week that I was accepted into the University of Cincinnati's master's of marketing program. Whoo hoo! The GRE wasn't a waste and I never had to take it again. I will start classes in the summer, so I'm bracing myself for the change. I will have to give up spinning and adoptions at the shelter for the time being, which sucks, but it's best for my long-term plans. Wish me luck!

Tomorrow we're headed east to play frisbee golf with Paula and Kirk, which should be fun. I've never played, but I think I will enjoy it more that regular golf! We're also going to pick up a $35 Earth Machine composter through a one-day sale through the Hamilton County Waste District. 

Happy Friday!

It’s Friday – it’s sunny and I’m looking forward to a great weekend of warm weather at home. Today is an exceptionally happy day.

On the way in to work, I made a decision to think about happy things and I noticed many everyday beauties. It started with a happy dog wagging his tail on his morning walk. Next, the light caught soft white flower petals floating off a tree-lined street…it looked angelic and soft. A young father, cuddling his son before tucked him safely into his car seat. Then a young boy proudly sporting very pale legs – no doubt exuberant to somewhat legitimately wear shorts to school for the first time this year, with mom bundled up in fleece walking behind him to the bus stop.

Anyway…I hope you all enjoyed my Mother Earth/Pollyanna moment.

We’ll be bottling wine this weekend the Harpers and Hesses – which will complete our Christmas present to them, which will be fun! Tonight though it’s time to put the screens in. Sunday we hope to finish our firepit patio project.

Life and Death

Because I write about medicine and science every day for a living, I think about mortality a lot.

Living and dying is such an unpredictable thing when you really think about it. It seems that almost every day, something reminds me to live life to the fullest and don’t ever postpone joy because the ride of life is unpredictable. It’s messy. It’s filled with extreme highs and extreme lows. Small everyday pleasures and occasional life-altering experiences. Humanity is beautiful, ugly, kind and evil all rolled into one.

This morning I was reminded of this today when I heard a segment on NPR’s Story Core, where everyday people interview loved ones who tell some aspect of their story. I find it intriguing because the subject content varies so greatly. It is always interesting – and it usually isn’t earth shattering, just something a seemingly small memory that impacted someone.

Today’s piece featured a woman interviewing her uncle who recently celebrated his 97th birthday. When the man and his sister (the woman’s mother) were children, they were caught in a school bombing. He was reflecting how odd it was that the bomber—who worked at the school—always seemed so kind until that incident. He talked about how he escaped the school, then just 12 years old, and how scared he was to see his sister trapped under the wreckage then to try and help her. He lived through that awful experience and is well on his way to the century mark.

At the same time, I’m reading a book called Hospital by Julie Salamon – a true story about a hospital in Brooklyn, New York and the interworkings of the health system. She spoke of a woman who was just 43 and died of stage-4 colorectal cancer. Earlier this week, one of our dermatologists told me about a friend and patient of hers who is just 22 and has metastatic melanoma. Geez.

Sure, we make decisions that influence or risk for disease. But how much of it is simply fate? Should that be a frightening or liberating concept? I guess it’s all a matter of perception. I’m going to work on living in the moment more – it’s something I struggle with. I catch myself thinking about the next project, the next trip, the next big step…it’s a tough habit to break.

Perhaps I should take more time to smell the roses, eh? This morning, I sure did enjoy laying in bed listening to the birds sing outside my window. That’s a step in the right direction!

Is the Crappy Weather Gone Yet?

I just discovered that you can directly load photos from Picasa...pretty cool. I think I may have to download the program to my computer. (I am currently on B's computer.)

It's crappy and rainy today, so I'm posting a photo of a sunny day in Hawaii to make myself feel better. Ah, palm trees....
 

We had a nice trip to Columbus last weekend for Easter. We spent Friday night/Saturday morning with Anna and Andrew catching up. I had a salty wench drink at the Surly Girl Saloon -- it was awesome. Saturday we went to the Starliner where I had an awesome chorizo omlette and cuban toast. YUM. Saturday afternoon we colored Easter eggs and took a nice long walk, then chilled at Brandon's parents house that evening. Sunday was Easter service at Johnstown Methodist Church -- during which Kevin lead the praise service -- and celebrating Kevin's birthday before heading back to Cincy. 

I'm looking forward to a weekend at home this week...I need to sleep in! We also have several unfinished projects to complete around the house, including the kitchen trim paint and final clean-up in the basement. 

Well, I'm grumpy...and I think for my husband's sake, I need ot retreat upstairs and read a book so I don't take my grumpiness out on him. 

Busy, busy bee

It’s been a bit a busy few weeks, hence the absence of blog updates. Here are the highlights:

I spent March 24-28 exploring the Big Easy as part of the Association of American Medical Colleges conference. I was fortunate enough to get approval to go down a full day earlier so my colleague and I could participate in a Habitat for Humanity project across the bridge from the ninth ward. It was absolutely incredible being part of the rebuilding effort – which still has a long way to go years after Katrina.

Here a few shots from the building site – we basically put in the entire floor support structure, which included a lot of wood sorting/crowning, nailing and termite flashing:







Work was nuts last week because our office has picked up new responsibilities, two of my co-workers were out of the office, I was on call for media and on deadline for a newsletter. YIKES. Fortunately, I made it through the week and had a great weekend of relaxing that started with some great girl time with Paula and Emily on Friday. Saturday Brandon and I spent all day working in the yard -- which is shaping up nicely – then we had brunch with dad on Sunday. It was a great weekend!

Friday

I'm glad it's Friday. It's been a busy week.

Since our walk with Ginger, Brandon has been glued to the recliner watching Xavier then OSU play in the NCAA tournament. That means I retreated to the upstairs to do anything but watch basketball. (The only sport I can get into is baseball...and I definitely have a time limit!)

I decided to watch back-to-back episodes of Sex and the City. I love that show -- it's smart, funny and highly entertaining. I've been working my way through season 6 again. I cried at least three times tonight. That last season has some emotional moments.

So to summon my inner Carrie Bradshaw...I've been thinking about my own life and the way I react to things. Does anyone else let little things get to them? Are we so hung up on the little things that we begin to sweat the small stuff? I know I do. It seems to pop out of me unexpectedly -- like tonight when the darn Donatos line was busy for like 10 minutes. I got annoyed it was absurd looking back on it. Oh well -- I guess everyone is allowed a little irrational freaking out once in a while, right?

Back in the Groove

It's been a few weeks since we got back from Hawaii, so I'm finally back in the groove. Work is busy and changing--we recently took over media relations for University Hospital--and Brandon and I have been focusing on relaxing at home and not overbooking ourselves.

Last weekend, I had a great night with the girls on Friday. We were supposed to scrapbook, but we ended up just eating and chatting until midnight. Cat well checks were Saturday morning, which is a bit stressful. Leonard got away from us and scratched the heck out of Brandon. Fortunately, the actual vet visits went much better. Sassy was officially diagnosed with chronic bladder infections -- DUH -- so she got an antibiotic shot again. It's frustrating, but at least it's nothing something more serious.

This weekend, Brandon will be glued to the couch watching basketball. On Saturday, we're looking forward to dinner with Paula and Kirk at Brown Dog Cafe. It's local restaurant week, so there are some great specials going.

I finally loaded all our Hawaii pictures to Shutterfly. If you are interested, you can see them at: http://harpervacationphotos.shutterfly.com/.

Back to Reality

We returned from another great two week vacation in Hawaii last Sunday. It was rough work week -- lack of sleep and no Hawaii will do that -- but we made it to the weekend.

I haven't loaded all of our photos from the trip yet (they are organized on Brandon's computer and he is still sleeping), but I'll post them to to Shutterfly soon if you are interested in seeming them. We take A LOT of pictures, though, and the digital camera really took that to a new level. (Thanks, Jane!)

We did about 40 miles of hiking between Poli Poli State Park (redwood forrest), Haleakala State Park (volcano), Hana and West Maui Mountain. I loved it all. Tito also rented a car for part of the trip, so we were able to do two shuttle hikes. The first started at the Haleakala Summit (10,000 ft up) and we down to the crater floor then up the other side. We saw Nenes, the Hawaiian goose, and tons of gorgeous scenary. I'll post photos later. West Maui Mountain gave us sweeping views of the island. Poli Poli was an unusual scene for Hawaii. It's a redwood forrest like you would see in California. Here's a picture of me doing what I love to do: HUG TREES!



We also did a fair amount of sunning on the beach, playing in the water, snorkeling, TONS of greate whale watching (including a boat trip with Brandon's grandparents with the Pacific Whale Foundation) and a day trip to the island of Lanai exploring four-wheel drive roads around the island.

I'll post more later. Right now, I need coffee stat.

ALOHA

Snowy Aloha?

Something is seriously wrong with this picture...



This sign is in my backyard. It reminds me I'll be in Hawaii in a few weeks. WHOO HOO!

Snow, Snow and More Snow

We're getting hit again with snow today, but I received permission to work from home. THANK GOODNESS. I hate burning vacation days for no good reason and I don't like risking my life driving in he snow.

Anyway, the snow is still coming down and the ice continues to accumulate. Ginger absolutely loves it and runs in crazy circles, burrowing her face in the snow. (Why is that, do you think?) For now, I'm staying inside where it is dry.

I took a few photos through the window though of the snow and ice. Here they are:





Fortunately, we have power.

Snow Day

I decided to forego driving in the four plus inches of snow (which is still coming down) to work today. The main campus is actually on delay until 10 a.m., but we are considered "essential staff" since we work on the CoM side of things. And since one of my former coworkers abused the priviledge to work from home, we can no longer do that either. So...I decided to take a vacation day and do some more studying for the GRE.

This past weekend, Brandon and I broke down and went to China Gourmet for dinner Friday night. It was excellent as usual. I spent nearly the entire day Saturday studying algebra for the GRE. Talk about an ego-killer. Yuck. Sunday was housework and shelter duty, as usual, and a little more studying.

Sunday we also had to face that horrible chore that comes twice a year: time for Brandon to crawl in the hole to clean out our drainage pipe from the bathroom sink into the stack. It is a nasty, tedious job that we both dread. Brandon hates it because he has to crawl in a tiny work space behind our toilet. I hate it b/c I'm relegated to the "assistant" role, leaning over into the cavern holding a flashlight at just the right angle handing him tools and trying note to puke from the pressure on my diaphragm. Here are some pictures of Brandon in the hole...





...and just because, here is a picture of one of my favorite cats at STAF, Mac. He's awesome, if anyone is looking for a cuddle bug who will let you hold him like a baby. Who could resist that face?

Ding, Dong Bush is Gone!

After eight very, very long years, Bush is finally no longer our president.

I'm not a very patriotic person, but it sure does make me feel better about America with Barack Obama now leading our country. Let's hope for change, fiscal responsibility and alleviated suffering in the coming years.

In other news, I started the unpleasant task of reviewing test material for the GRE, which I am taking Feb. 7. I'm dusting off the files stored way, way down in my brain that hold my knowledge of square roots, alegbra, geometry, etc. I spent a fair amount of time over the weekend reviewing and will continue to do so until test day arrives. If I fail, you won't hear anything else about it because I'll pretend it never happened!:)

I also attended a seminar on composting, something else I'd like to start doing as part of my earth-friendly ways. It's a simply thing to do that will keep even more out of the landfill. It's also a great way to naturally replenish our soil. More to come on that...

Paula and I went to lunch on Monday to catch up and see Revolutionary Road. The movie was depressing, but lunch was tasty and the company great as usual.

Feelin' Good About 2009...

I’m feeling pretty good about 2009 so far…

We rang in the New Year with great friends (Anna and Andrew) and in good health with jobs. Our families and friends are also well. We also have only five more weeks until we’re back in the most serene, wonderful place in the United States: Hawaii! It will be great to get away from the gray Ohio weather. Here's a picture of us in our matching New Year's Eve outfits.



In other news, I’ve decided to join a community supported agriculture program. The past year I’ve been buying mostly organic produce and naturally raised meat/chicken in an effort to extend my earth-friendly practices. I love it—the food tastes better and I know I’m at least minimizing our consumption of pesticides and supporting sustainable agriculture. Through this change, Brandon and I have been eating a much larger variety of vegetables and, overall, less red meat. (I can’t believe my husband will now eat radishes, turnips, sweet potatoes brussel sprouts, green beans and lima beans. How awesome is that?)

Anyway, I’ll be getting my CSA box from the Eaton Farm, a small family-owned operation in Madison, Indiana that uses natural growing practices and raises grass/pasture fed cattle and chickens. It only costs about $17 a week, which I would easily spend at the grocery, and I get fresh, locally grown seasonal produce while supporting sustainable agriculture and local workers, minimizing my carbon footprint (from food transportion) and avoiding excess chemicals in my food. It’s such a no-brainer. I’m super excited.

If you are interested in sustainable food and community supported agriculture, check out localharvest.org. I’m excited to get my produce from 50 miles away versus 3,000. I absolutely loved visiting the farmer’s markets in Hawaii and buying locally grown produce and flowers. Here is a picture of me with my flowers from the Kona farmer’s market and a shot of the Hilo Market up north from last year's Hawaii trip.





Lunch is over. Back to work. Have a good day!