Gratitudes

I have been extra grumpy possibly because of:

1. delayed reaction to cancer experience
2. sudden-death menopause
3. exotic post-op infection
4. hurricane-force antibiotic
5. decision to go off pain pills because dang! they're getting to be a little too nice

so I decided to count my blessings, which always helps:

1. cancer contained and removed and now miles away in some pathology lab
2. NO MORE BLEEDING! I haven't celebrated this enough yet. I am grateful, grateful, grateful for no more tampons, no more pads, no more accidents, no more "I've got to stay next to a restroom," no more soaking underwear in cold water, no more flooding when I stand up, no more black trousers only, no more jumping out of bed for the bathroom in the middle of the night (well, the hurricane-force antibiotic keeps that going, but only for 9 more days)
3. John, my support , friend, and lover
4. my beautiful garden which I spend hours in every day, thanks to Amy, Jamison, and John
5. water retention over with (I weighed 18 lbs more when I came home from the hospital than I did when I went in four days earlier--now it's gone)
6. light at the end of the tunnel--swimming at the BYU pool! walking around the block or up to the cemetery! hiking! camping--even backpacking!
7. Chris, who is just--it's like living with a young Jim Morrison, an aesthetic experience in and of itself.
8. my psychotherapy practice and patients I'm starting to miss.

I have a great life. Maybe that's the main point--I have a life. Three times now I've made it into more years via surgery, brutal, hacksaw treatment that it is. I'm grateful for that.

Happy Independence Day

We had a fun holiday over the three day weekend. John, Rob, and Chris decided to hike Timp Monday morning, but were turned back by the glacier (because Chris had slip-on canvas shoes--although I remember the girls climbing mountains in flip-flops). John said, upon his return, "I am officially old," and slept for a long time.

B&B came down from Salt Lake for a BBQ, which we ate indoors because it was hot outside. But afterward it was nice to sit on the lawn in the shade.

Ethan does not hold still long enough to take his picture:


Amy on the bridge in her garden:

Rob picks raspberries:

Chris in his 19th Century look:

Chris and Amy watch Ethan, always the main source of entertainment:

Getting ready for fireworks:



Jamison was here for part of the time, but is good at avoiding photos. We missed Nicolle and the babies, who are still in Ft. Worth with the Ashtons. Colette's 5th birthday is coming up, and we're planning a party!

Only One More Garden Post, I Promise

Here's the first drawing of the rock garden (above) and the last (below).

Here's the work site on Saturday. Not so good--it's been that way since early on, and the big rock pile at the side of the patio has been basically unchanged since 2002, when we moved in.

But Amy and Jamison (and John and Chris) have been working obsessively hard this past week:


And here it is. The north half from the balcony:

Designing the sea, after we decided to put the maple tree in the middle of it:

and the finished sea in reality:

Here are drawings of the waterfall:

(this is why I don't do tech--it's amazing we got to reality from this):

The waterfall in progress:

The waterfall finished (more or less). We'll plant groundcover, more succulents and maybe creeping thyme and ice plants, and we may have to cover the gravel on top because the cats are looking a little too interested.

But the mess is cleaned up and the waterfall is on, gurgly and melodious.

Amy considers her handiwork:

More Rock Garden

Amy and Jamison have been working steadily on the rock garden. I had no idea it would be so much work (or cost so much), but trust me, it will be beautiful. Here she works on the cedar posts that will make the pylons for the pebble "sea:"
Really, it's gonna be pretty. Believe me. [I know because we actually finished and cleaned up tonight--I can't wait to see it in the morning! And by "finish" I mean--all but the rest of the plantings and maybe a few more rocks].

The Rock Garden

...or water garden, zen garden, miniature garden, play garden, herb garden--all things to all people--but mostly, since we've been working on it during the past few rainy days, the mud garden.
Chris, Amy, and Jamison help.
We placed the bridge--doesn't that look cool (below)! We have all the stones dug up while landscaping our yard, plus the flat stones for the waterfall and bridge and the blue stones for the pool at the base of the fall and the watercourse. All we're missing are the smaller blue pebbles for the "sea." Oh yeah, and the short bamboo posts at the edge of the pebble water, which may end up being cedar posts instead, since I've been unsuccessful in tracking down local 6" in diameter bamboo. But maybe we'll wait until it stops raining to finish.
The master builder. The stones in the photo are temporary, as we have to take them out again to lay the carpet padding and then the liner and then another layer of carpet and then the stones. Everybody said it was fun today and yesterday, even though we were soaked.
I'm the indecisive supervisor of the project. I stand and dither and say "I don't know, what do you think," and take photos.

The Veggie Garden

Two views from above. Before too long the tomatoes will overgrow the pretty crossed-square design that John built from leftover trex board from the deck. The garden is never as neat and tidy later as it is in the spring. 'Course it's a lot neater and tidier this spring than usual because of the hardworking Amy and Jamison. I was especially glad they were here spring term while John was gone.

Spring Garden

Tulips and chives in the vegetable garden (above). Amy laid the concrete pavers in the footpath from the rose arbor to the swing under the lilac bush. The grape hyacinths bloomed out all in a day (below):
Daffodils! We have more in front.
The forsythia and peaches in the swing garden are in bloom. I think I'm going to have to plant things that like part shade there. We have a very sunny yard--although we did plant a new maple tree, two gingko trees, and a peach tree this spring--but most of the places where I could plant flowers are in part shade.
Jamison has been a great help cleaning up the roses and working on miscellaneous other garden chores.

Visit to The Farm

Jamison's Army friend Rocky brought his dog Phoebe down to see the animals and play in the water. Phoebe and Dex had a lot of fun in the pond.
Grandma and I took a walk up the lane to the pond. Amy helped Grandma up the steep bank. We fed the fish but didn't see the big old carp because the water was too stirred up.
Grandpa worked in the east garden. We all looked through the telescope at the site of Jamison's fall two years ago. It was fun to visit for the afternoon.

Whoa, I Wasn't Expecting That!

So we came home from Chris' concert and I went into my office to download the pix and video, and John said, come on out, it's time for the blessing on the food, and when I came out of my office, there were Chris and Niels (of course), AND Betsy and Ethan and Rob and Nicolle and Johnathan and Colette and -- over on the very left and last in my field of vision -- AMY! From Chicago!

I shrieked and hugged people for a very long time.

Thanksgiving in Chicago

...with Amy and Jamison. Here is their apartment building in Hyde Park:

Here is Kimbark Street:

and here is Amy at her job:

We bought grandkids' Christmas presents there, for 20% off. Her coworkers call her "Noorlander!" and she was worried about me taking her picture because they will tease her. She likes the job.

We ended up having Thanksgiving dinner--with Betsy, Brett, & Ethan and Jackie, Joel, & Blythe--at A&J's friends' larger apartment a few blocks away. We were so busy that day I didn't take any photos. Amy made cider-brined turkey, homemade dressing, gravy, walnut cranberry spinach salad, pumpkin pies, key lime pie, chocolate pecan pie, and cheesecake. John made the candied yams and mashed potatoes, and did a lot of the clean up. I made the mushrooms and green beans with shallots, and the dinner rolls, and Jackie brought cheese roll and crackers and veggies with dip. I think she did great coordinating a major dinner for nine (not counting the two babies) in two apartments several blocks apart. Yeay Amy!