"The Business of Being Born"

I have to tell you, this is a great documentary! We saw a showing at my chiropractors office, you can rent it from Netflix.

We are not pregnant, don't have kids, but hope to someday. Personally, what ever decision you make about your birth and your priorities is ok with me. But please, do it armed with information, research things! And don't get all of your information from one source, you'd fail 4th grade if you tried that on your papers! The point of informed consent is *INFORMED*.

Personally, I love the idea of a home birth with a midwife. I hope that we are able to make that a part of our reality someday. Do a little research and the infant and mom mortality rates in the US hospitals vs. at home might surprise you. Then compare the US rates with the rest of the industrial world. Ya, we stink...but find out for yourself! ;-)

More Hugo Stuff

*Above, one of my co-workers, standing on what should be the main floor of a house, tipped at a 90 degree angle. What you can see is the basement ceiling.*

*The debris above used to be a home. It's completely gone down to the foundation. This is not a rare sight in Hugo.*

I can't help it, my head and heart are just wrapped around the folks in Hugo and the losses they have suffered. I am spending 8-10 hours a day in their midst for work and it's just all I can think about.

So, now that the storm has settled, what next? Who helps with cleanup? What if my insurance company hasn't called me back? How do I make a list of the things that are gone? Who can I trust to re-build my house? How long will it take? Will insurance cover that? What about my yard that is *covered* with glass? Where do I live while my home is being repaired? I wonder if I will ever find any of my photo albums? I wonder where my wallet ended up?

Now imagine all of these questions rolling through your head at once...it becomes numbing and confusing and painful all at once. I happen to know the answers to all of those questions because I work in the restoration industry. But so many of these folks are reeling still. Please pray for calm, peace and discernment for all of these folks. They desperately will need the guidance as they make some major decisions.

Busy work weeks

I had some great plans for Memorial day posts, but I am not sure if I will have time to get them together the way I had planned. I hope that tomorrow I can do it.

For those of you who don't know, I work in the disaster restoration industry. The major storms and tornadoes mean that we will be super busy at work for the coming weeks. The part of my job that touches me the most is that most of the time I can tell people after they have a house fire or storm damage, that the most important thing is that everyone is ok and we can fix this...sadly, there is one family that has lost their 2 year old. The whole family was pulled from their house by the wind of the tornado...in this neighborhood, the work will be different. Anytime there is a loss of life it's like there is a pall over the neighborhood, the only noises you will hear will be the big equipment and saws. When the tornado killed a child in Rogers, MN last year, it was the same. No voices, no laughter, no birds, just heavy equipment and saws and hammering...It's going to be a tough few months.

Tornados too close to home...

kare11.com :: KARE 11 TV - Home - Weather News Sports Traffic (Click on the story to hear survivors story video)

Sadly, tonight one family in Hugo, Minnesota has lost their 2 year old child in a tornado that ripped through the city unannounced. Dan, the guy in the video above works with me, we share an office wall...

One thought for tornado preparedness this season. Take an old pair of shoes, (that sill fit!) for each person in your family, a flashlight with fresh batteries, some leather work gloves and some clothes. Put them all in a tote or plastic bin and put it in the basement where you will be when you are taking cover from severe storms. I saw lots of folks in Hugo tonight with cut up feet...most of us Minnesotans leave our shoes at the front door and are in our bare feet or stockings in our homes.

Please keep the residents of Hugo and other storm damaged areas in your prayers. It's going to be a long process to re-build and replace items that have been strewn in swamps and across the countryside.

play time is the best time

My niece, the Princess, had a dance recital last weekend. It has been so much fun to watch her dance each year and see how much she has learned. Of course, she was the *best* little dancer in her group! After the recital I took some pictures of her with her flowers. (You can't congratulate a ballerina without a bouquet.) And I took some pictures of her with her Mom, my sister. My sister tried to take a pic of Princess and I and that's when the antics started! We had a burst of laughter and giggles as we ran around the auditorium gardens, me in dressy, cute ballet flats, her in tap shoes! What a sight we must have been! I love being breathless with giggles after playing a good game of tag!

What does Memorial Day mean to you?

Memorial Day is celebrated on Monday. Many of us have the day off work, we have picnics planned or maybe we are going to the cabin. But what does Memorial Day *really* mean? Why do we have this holiday? I will be putting together a week of posts for next week, starting on Monday talking about my love for this beautiful country (which is different from love for the politicians!), my gratitude for our servicemen and women and highlighting some veterans who are dear to me.

Above is Baxter at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center getting ready to do our therapy work!

Jury Summons!

I am kinda excited; I received my first ever county jury summons in the mail last week. I mailed back my questionnaire and have the chance now to participate in what makes our country so wonderful, a trial by jury of your peers. Hmmmm, I wonder if I will get seated on a jury? I wonder if I will sit bored off my butt in the courthouse all day working on needlepoint crafts? I cannot wait to see how this all plays out at the end of June!

Aaahhhh!

I started my Monday off so wonderfully! I went to see Dr. Pam and got a wonderful full spinal adjustment! I love the way I feel when I get a chiropractic adjustment. It just feels "right" inside me. The headache that plagued me over the weekend is gone, my lower back doesn't have that pressure...it's just like all is well within! Thank you Dr. Pam for getting my week off to a perfect start! There is nothing better for me than health, wellness and relief from pain *without* drugs!

The blossoms are *finally* here!

I have no clue what kind of shrub this is, but it is pretty and blooming and in the woods near our home! We are about 2 weeks late with the spring bloom in Minnesota. I miss the lilacs and apple and plum blossoms! This looks like the start of a gorgeous couple-week-run of sweet smelling blossoms! It's time to close your eyes and just inhale the smell of spring! Ahhhhh!

Therapy Dog

My dog, the Monster, is more than a pet. He is a therapy dog. He'll be three years old this summer and he's been doing volunteer animal assisted therapy with me for almost 2 years. We began obedience training the day we brought him home from the shelter at 20 weeks old. From there we took puppy kindergarten and then additional classes at our local Animal Humane Society. We took our animal assisted therapy test and passed with flying colors when Monster was 14 months old and we've been busy volunteering ever since! We "work" at two women's shelters with the kids and also at the VA Medical Center. Both of these places let Monster shine and really touch hearts. It's a thrill to have such a loving dog who touches lives! Last nite was one of our therapy dog nites at a shelter for women and thier children who are trying to get out of domestic violence situations. It breaks my heart to see these kids and their moms who have suffered so much. Please, please, please, if you see domestic violence or think someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please call. Get help, get out. There are places that will help you make a plan and there are places you can stay that are safe.

Camping season is here!

Woohoo, it's officially camping season! I am so excited to be outside for an entire weekend, to sleep in the fresh air, to walk all afternoon and take pictures of wildflowers, to rock climb outside, to have my hubby with me as we explore the outdoors, to kayak and canoe, to make a nice campfire, to read a great book by the light of the campfire, to watch the sunset, to watch the moon rise...mmm camping!!! Today I need to sort thru all of our camping totes, check gear and replenish and repair as needed. We get to start camping this month and I can hardly wait! Minnesota and Wisconsin have some great state parks, there is a park for every outdoor interest.

"I am strong, I am healthy, I can..."

The power of words; they can make or break you. I heard over the weekend that in your head your inner dialog consists of 150-300 words PER MINUTE! I have struggled with my inner talk and tone of voice for years. I would never dream of talking to anyone else like I talk to myself. It was really hard to start today, but in the rain I went for a jog. It was less than 3 miles, but it was a jog. The entire time I was out there I was repeating a mantra in my head, "I am strong, I am healthy, I can, I have willpower..." By the time I hit the 1.25 mile mark the run had settled in and I found my stride. It wasn't record setting, but it was comfortable. And, I wasn't running myself down in my head for not being faster or anything negative. I repeated that mantra to myself the ENTIRE run...nearly 3 miles of deliberate, nice, positive words to myself. It was super hard, it's even harder to write this and admit it, but it might have helped. I will do it again tomorrow when I run, I promise.

Mother's Day

We had a wonderful Mother's Day! It started with an afternoon of playing outside at my folks house with my sister and her whole family. We played baseball, rollerbladed, ran on the pool! (there is a safety cover on it so they can't fall in, but they can run on the water!) It was a great day in the sun!

I teased earlier about the Mother's Day present I got my mom at Patina. It's the bracelet above. It is a great little colorful bracelet that is the story of Christ's life told in the beads. There are 12 metal rings for his 12 disciples, a wooden bead because Christ was a carpenter, a large heart because God so loved the world, and so on. I have to figure out who is next for gift occasions so I can go back to Patina!

Faithbooking

I attended my first Faithbook scrapbooking event today. It was such a wonderful experience! Tina lead the workshop which started with worship and prayer. There was a wonderful group of women all working on different scrapbooks all at different places in their lives. There is something about being with a group of women who are like minded, kind spirited, and all working on creative endeavors. Tina gave us some pieces to use on a 'words' page. All it took was one painted chipboard letter and I am *hooked*! I will be getting more chipboard letters tomorrow! It's the newest must have for my scrapbooks!

Mother's Day from Patina

I found another cute little, local store! There are 5 locations across the Twin Cities area. It's a store full of fun, whimsical must-haves for everyone in the family! Of course I cannot say here what exactly I purchased because my Mom reads this so I will have to post pictures on Sunday. Don't forget to pick up Mother's Day cards today! The good ones are sure to be gone by Saturday!

Crafty Planet!

Ok, this is the coolest little store! I am so lucky too, because it's just a couple of miles from work! I purchased 1/2 yard of Dick and Jane fabric, some funky iron-ons for tee shirts and some super fun dish towel designs too!

Do you have a favorite independent, local business? When was the last time you shopped an independent local business like a hardware store, cafe, coffee shop or boutique? Let me know what and where your favorites are!

Growing in Love

I am learning that there is more to loving someone than words and gestures. It is so important to show and tell those you love how much they mean to you, but it's even more vital to show them how you love them in the ways they define as being loved. For example, I cherish it when K text messages me just to say "love u" or when he mails me a sweet card. It fulfills me when he takes care of my emotional side and holds me in a tight hug. For me the simple little things speak to my soul and make me feel loved. Some women *hate* funny, comical, cartooney cards. They want their hubby to give them romantic, touchy-feely cards. But the guys like the funny cards...there is that kind of disconnect in showing someone you love them in the ways that they want and need to be loved.

I thought that by remodeling a bathroom in our home that K would feel the love I have for him. It would be one less project for him to do, one less project for us do to and we could spend that time together - outside mountain biking or camping for a weekend. Instead he felt hurt and did not feel that love I have for him. See, we work really, really, amazingly well together. It is fun to work on projects together and we excel at it! He likes that. My remodeling the bathroom also made him feel like it was more Mellissa's house and not OUR house. It took some of the pride and ownership away from him.

So, as we move toward our third wedding anniversary I am learning the importance of showing K how much I love him in ways that make him feel cherished. Not in ways that I think I would like. They really are quite different...

Done enough for now

I am not as done as I wanted to be at this point in time with the bathroom remodel, but I am done enough. I am just tired, tired of missing my hubby, tired of staying up late working on the bathroom, tired of running to the home improvement store, tired of the regular problems that pop up in a remodel, tired! It does look better than when I started so I guess I should be happy with it. I have also told my friends Melis and Chad to *slap* me if I decide to do a blitz-remodel ever again! It just so much more stressful when there is a 4 day window in which to accomplish everything. I hope K likes it...

I still have to finish: the wood frame around the mirror, get one more connector for the drain, some trim for the vanity, install a dimmer switch for the lights...I think that's it. But for now, ice cream, water and veggin' out!

On the left is the before (UGLY) sink and faucet, on the right is the after (PRETTY) sink and faucet.

Bath Remodel...is it done yet?

Sunday night and I am still not done. I'm tired, but not done. I would have been a lot closer to done but I hit one *major* problem; the sink that I picked up at the wholesaler is too messed up to use. I thought I had the deal of the century, but it turns out the sink hole is not square to the front edge so it's all kitty-wampus and not usable. I sooooo wish I could have installed the sink today. So tomorrow (sigh- when will that end!?!?!?) tomorrow I have to find a new sink, install it, buy and install one more towel rod (I changed the layout of those and need one more), caulk along the tub, make the frame for the mirror and of course, CLEAN!!!! Oh the cleaning...when I cook, I keep the kitchen clean as I go, but when I do home projects it looks like a tornado swept tools and parts all over the house.

Today I am most proud of the fact that I disconnected, removed and reinstalled the toilet in the bath all by myself, AND it isn't leaking!!! They are heavy things and unwieldy too.

While there are some parts that I really like, there are other parts that are just mediocre. I think the one thing that I didn't mention is that all my house projects are done on a 'challenging' budget. It's too easy to blow a few thousand and make a bathroom spectacular, it's a whole new game when your entire budget is $250.00 and a weekend and yourself only!

Bath Remodel Day 3

Oh wow am I tired! I worked pretty steadily all day and now it's after midnight and I am in sight of the finish line. I decided to install a new floor today so that took some time. I love the way it turned out! I installed it on the diagonal which is something I have never done before so it was a new challenge. I only ruined 4 or 5 tiles though. Tomorrow I have to install the mirror, build the picture frame for the mirror, install the baseboard, reinstall the toilet, install the sink and faucet, caulk along the tub, hang the towel holders. I think that's it...Below is a pretty and pain in the butt light fixture. That story is a whole blog in itself!!!

Bath Remodel Night 2

Have wine, will do house projects!

Hey, I got a second coat of stain on the cabinet and the first coat on the doors and drawers. I also decided to make a picture frame style frame to go around the plain-ol *huge* bathroom mirror and I got that wood stained too. I didn't do much with power tools tonight because neighbors, Chad & Melis brought over a bottle of red wine. Staining and painting I can do with wine, power tools and electrical not a chance!

I have also decided to replace the light fixture because I *hate* the way this one looks. I dropped some change at the big box home improvement stores today, but I did get some deals! I got a light fixture, drawer pulls, the wood for the frame I will build and some hardware to hang that frame. Tomorrow will be a busy day because I want to get 90% done before bed tomorrow (Saturday) night. I have to steel wool and stain the doors and drawers and frame, build the frame, remove the light fixture, mud, prime and paint the areas that need patching, install the new light fixture, buy and install new towel rods and a toilet paper holder, install faucet onto sink. Ya, I might *not* be getting to bed tomorrow night! If I can get all that done, then all I have to do on Sunday is install the new floor and put the sink top in place and connect the water supply lines. Easy stuff! Below is the ugly light fixture that *has* to come down!

Bath Remodel

Before...the last ugly bathroom in our home.
So, the first night Hubby is gone I make a HUGE mess of the main bathroom in our house. This is the last bathroom to get a face lift; I did the face lifts/remodels in the two other bathrooms in the house so it will feel good to get the last one done!

Last night I got the sink top off (thanks neighbor Steve for the muscle!), the water shut-off valves installed, the doors and hardware off the vanity and the vanity sanded and one coat of stain on it! All of that and a trip to Home Depot before 9pm. Not too bad! I am not thrilled with the stain color though. I want darker and less red. I will have to figure out if I will live with it or try to fix it. On the agenda for tonight, a light sanding of the vanity using 000 steel wool and then another coat of stain. Then some drywall repair where I removed a sidesplash and sanding and staining the doors and drawers. Then all I have to do Saturday is any more drywall repair and paint on the wall, apply polyurethane to the vanity and install the new wood floor, apply 2nd coat of stain to the doors and drawers...hmm, that all seems to do-able. I must be forgetting something... Wish me luck!

Below, the new shut-off valves as seen from the top. Plumbing work is sooooo much easier when the sink is outta the way!

While the cat is away this mouse will play!

This is what I did last time Hubby went out of town...

I am guilty of doing house projects and remodeling when Hubby goes out of town. He's going to be gone for a few days now! The last time he went out of town for the weekend I remodeled our master bathroom. And by "..I remodeled..." I mean ME, not a contractor or family members, just me (and the faithful furballs). The master bathroom project involved taking out the sink top and vanity, installing water supply line shut-off valves, scraping the ugly popcorn texture off the ceiling, taking off all the stuff on the walls, patching the holes, and finally painting the walls and ceiling. All in one weekend! I was tired! Below is the "after" with new sink, faucet and vanity...

This time I think I will tackle the other bathroom! My plan is a new sink top and faucet which means that I will have to install water supply shut-off valves because there aren't any in there. I want to sand, re-stain and varnish the existing vanity cabinet too. The walls look nice so no need to paint, but I may remove the towel holders and put in new ones; not sure on that yet. And finally, if I have time, a new wood floor. I will post pics tomorrow so you know what I am starting with! And Hubby thinks I will be spending my time quilting and or scrapbooking! Ha!!! He should really know better by now.

Mother's Day

Mom you can't read my post today! Mom is really hard to buy for. She has everything she could ever want (especially if you ask my dad!) except for another tropical vacation. What do you get a woman who does not need "things"? One of my Christmas presents to her was family portraits of all of us...her kids and grandchildren and grand-puppy! I spent the better part of the afternoon taking pics of my sister and brother and their families and my folks playing and hanging out in the improvised photo studio in the basement. It was a blast! Though now I have used the family photo idea so I am stuck yet again.

She has a gorgeous rose garden, so maybe a new rosebush...Mom also loves her time in and around their pool in the backyard so maybe a new summer book to enjoy pool side...at the very least I know Mothers Day will start with church with Mom & Dad and then back to their house for brunch courtesy of us kids and Dad. Now I just have to figure out what else...