Losing the Familiar

4 Months Today

2011-03-25T22:54:00.003-04:00

This Moment:

UK vs. OSU game with papa (we don't normally do tv, but it's the sweet 16 and it's streaming on the laptop, so....)

Activity!

2011-03-14T11:25:00.003-04:00

In between rainy days, we have had some beautiful 60 degree weather. It's been nice to get Finn outside more without having to bundle him up so much. We've kept up with mama/baby yoga and pilates, have been taking walks, went to our first La Leche League meeting, and we went climbing in the Gorge this past weekend! It was a bit of a process - Finn in the Baby K'tan wrap on my front and a backpack filled with baby gear on my back for the hike in and out. We got to do a bit of climbing and it felt great! Finn napped, nursed, and watched all the action. He was a bit overstimulated that evening and it took him a while to wind down, but the day was well worth it! Here are some photos of climbing and hanging out with the boy!

3 Month photos with Crystal

2011-02-27T20:00:00.002-05:00

We had Finn's 3 month photos taken this weekend with our fabulous photographer friend, Crystal Heis. Here is a link to a preview photo...we will probably have the rest in a week or two!

http://cheisphotography.blogspot.com/2011/02/sneak-preview-finn.html

Happy 3 Months to Finn!

2011-02-25T14:47:00.002-05:00

After bath and baby massage...a content boy, getting ready for bed:

The Weekly Finn...

2011-02-18T09:50:00.004-05:00

that smile...

Back to the blog...

2011-02-17T16:32:00.005-05:00

I know - I've been a blog ghost for the past few months. However the past few months have been seriously busy. Alaska trip, birth of Finn, holidays, out west residency interview trip, Nashville visits....

I'm starting to get into a bit of a routine with Finn, so I think that I will have more time to devote to blogging. I'm thinking one post per week to give folks an update on our lives as we are learning how to be parents and as we're preparing for some other big changes: moving and Adam starting residency.

At some point I may do a post about Finn's birth and my labor, but right now I'm going to stick to the present. Finn and I have been venturing out more during the days - Mama/Baby yoga, the Y, playdates with Kandace and Lucy, and tomorrow is the start of Mama/Baby pilates. It helps me mentally and physically to have something planned for each day. As soon as I feel like we're in a schedule, things change or he has a string of cranky days, but each day he is growing/learning and becoming more interactive.

We've been trying to take advantage of the beautiful sunshine and 60 degree weather this week. Walking, short hikes, porch swinging. Adam is taking a class this month and is not in a rotation, so he has had more time at home.

Short hike with Adam and the dogs at Veterans Park - sleepy baby..

He was not into the sunglasses...will have to try again when he's a bit older...

Recent changes I've noticed in Finn - he is 12 weeks old today:

- smiles more, increased range of noises

- lets us know what he DOESN'T like by making his whole body stiff, spitting, and scrunching his face.....lovely.

- using his hands more - sticking them in his mouth, reaching more for toys (not necessarily on purpose, but hey, whatever works)

- he is sleeping much better during the night (I hope this doesn't jinx it...) he sleeps with us, so he just wakes up a few times to nurse while we're lying down and we usually fall back asleep nursing. some mornings i don't even remember very clearly.

Bathtime!

I just keep reminding myself to enjoy this time and not wish it away or look too far in the future. He will only be at each age once, and I want to take it all in - regardless crying, crankiness, or all the steps pacing back and forth when he only wants to be walked :)

Matanuska Peak & Medevac

2010-12-13T08:11:00.016-05:00

Life-Med Evacuation Flight to Cordova

View Larger Map

Bleary eyed after a 2-day stretch that included a 12AM medi-vac trip to Cordova to pick up a unstable gentleman with Crown Royal-induced pancreatitis and a full day of interviews with the Alaska Familiy Medicine Residency, I headed North to the Mat-Su for a quick trip up Matanuska Peak with the venerable Bumpus McFumpus (also known as "Ben Meyer" in quiet whispered conversations).

McRoberts Creek

As the trail wound up the south slope of Lazy Mountain above the McRoberts Creek drainage, the traces of fall disappeared underneath several inches of snow.

Sunrise in the Chugach

Matanuska Peak

The well demarcated single track trail (evident beneath the snow) transitioned into a scree slope that steepened and eventually forced us to continue our scramble skyward on all fours. As we neared the summit, it was rewarding to look down on several ravens drifting on thermals below our vantage point.

Summit of Matanuska Peak

The summit offered a gorgeous view of the snow covered Chugach mountains and a chance to read the eclectic hodgepodge of summit log entries.

Settling In

2010-10-29T17:02:00.006-04:00

Is Bandit ready to have a kid around???

Our whole family is finally back in Kentucky! We've been all over the place, from Alaska to Nashville to Asheville to Lexington. There is still a bit more traveling in our future - Adam has another interview in NC and an exam in Atlanta in the next few weeks. We will also head to Nashville for a baby shower with some Davidson family friends.

I am 35 weeks pregnant - only a little over a month until my due date. The 3rd trimester has flown by. I've been seeing both a midwife and an OB physician. Our plan is to have a homebirth with our midwife as long as everything is still going according to plan. Finn has been head down with his back/butt on my right side for most of my appointments. He is probably around 5 lbs right now!

I have some catching up to do on the blog, so below are some photos from Anchorage when Kevin, Melanie, June, and Sage came to visit!!!

June turning poor Sage into a princess...

Finn's first trip to the zoo! 32.5 weeks pregnant

Hiking in Girdwood, AK

Sage, Kevin, Adam, and Bandit post Girdwood trail run!

Denali Weekend

2010-10-08T15:54:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, Adam, Ben, Bandit and I made the drive north to the Denali area. Our friends from college, Jan and Chad are staying in a cabin a few miles outside the park for the winter. It's a beautiful spot right off the Parks Highway and overlooks the Nenana River and surrounding mountains. Bandit felt right at home and we all enjoyed tromping through the woods and eating low-bush cranberries (Bandit included!).

(Jan, Ben, & Bandit picking cranberries)

(Chad, Ben, Bandit, Jan, & Adam hiking on mushing trails near Jeff King's dog mushing compound)

(Chillin' outside the cabin)

For me it was a weekend of casual walks, berry picking, cooking, and eating fabulous food. Adam and Ben tried to get in a little more adventuring, but their Denali Park visit was thwarted when a ranger saw them with Bandit and politely kicked them out - no dogs allowed in national parks, which is why we never go to national parks anymore...too many rules. You can however bring firearms into national parks these days.

(Afternoon tea)

(Ben checking out the view after scrambling up park of Panorama Peak)

Adam and Ben were still able to get in some hiking and in typical fashion, they found not one but two opportunities to go swimming (quick swimming) in cold rivers/lakes.

(Ben)

(Adam)

(Take note of Ben's shirt)

(Lake jumping)

(My Boys!)

Baby Update:

I finished my 32nd week yesterday and am now into the 33rd - crazy! I've been sleeping a bit better than I was for a few weeks thanks to some pillows we borrowed from the Meyers and my trusty "noise machine" that makes constant wind noises. I've been trying to stay active by walking Bandit on the UAA trails everyday. We had our first natural birthing class last night with Maranda of Balli Birthing. We went over labor positions, breathing/relaxation techniques, etc. It was nice to finally share that learning experience with Adam. We will have two more sessions before I leave Anchorage next Thursday - less than a week away!

Southcentral Alaska

2010-10-01T03:42:00.005-04:00

Eagle River Nature Center - Chugach State Park

We made it to Anchorage last Saturday!

After an early morning flight from Sitka, we made it to the Ted Stevens International Airport on Saturday morning. Ben and his brother Chad picked us up, took us our apartment, the grocery, and then north to the Matanuska Valley (Wasilla/Palmer area). We met up with a few more friends from college - Zach, Katie, and Andrew and did a short hike in Hatcher Pass. That evening Ann and Phil Meyer (Ben and Chad's parents) made our whole crew a delicious salmon and potato dinner at their house. It was a long, eventful day, but very much worth it to catch up with friends.

On Sunday, Adam and I slept in and got our bearings around Anchorage. That evening a group of us went back to the Palmer/Fishook area for dinner and a bonfire at Andrew and Becky's cabin. We had some amazing moose stew, along with salad, freshly pressed apple juice (courtesy of the Meyers) and wonderful pumpkin cake (a la Zach and Katie). I really do love food!

Andrew and Becky's awesome cabin.

Bonfire, wine, and tea for me!

Canned Moose - yum!

Do you see Finn in this picture???

This week, Adam started his Family Medicine rotation at Providence Hospital here in Anchorage. We are staying in a little efficiency apartment about a mile from campus and the hospital. There are some nice trails on campus that are perfect for walking (Emily) or running (Adam) Bandit.

UAA campus trails

View from trails

I've been getting to know the city of Anchorage a bit better. I had a prenatal appointment with a midwife here at One Family Birth Center. (I'm 31 weeks pregnant!!!!) I also went to a great prenatal yoga class at Laughing Lotus Yoga - a nice yoga studio that our friend Becky's sister owns.

Today, Bandit and I headed a few miles north to the Eagle River Nature Center. It is in a beautiful location in the Chugach mountains north of Anchorage in the community of Eagle River. Bandit and I went on a short hike and saw red and deep purple colored salmon in the stream, along with a GRIZZLY + CUB! Luckily, we were at a healthy distance from the bears and there were other people around. I didn't get any pictures of them because I wanted to be prepared to move quickly if necessary.

Bandit had to stay on leash at the nature center.

The end of fall colors.

Chugach Mountains

This weekend we are going to head a bit further north with Ben to Jan and Chad's cabin in Denali. Next weekend Kevin, Melanie, and June are coming to visit us in Anchorage. I'm afraid that we won't be able to make the drive up to Fairbanks since Adam only has 2 days off each weekend. Time is flying. I hope all is well with friends and family down south!

Sitka Favorites

2010-09-25T01:18:00.003-04:00

Favorite Food:

Wild Caught Seafood, given to us by Colleen & Rob: halibut, salmon, shrimp, yellow eye...yum!

The Larkspur Cafe - amazing, eclectic, not too expensive (for Sitka prices) brunch and dinner.

Highliner Coffee Company - delicious bagels, tea, and desserts.

The Backdoor Coffee Shop (behind Old Harbor Books) - sandwiches, dessert, tea, etc.

Best Place for a Beer:

(Not that I can have one right now, but according to Adam the beer here is wonderful!)

Baranof Island Brewing Company - open in the evenings for tasting and purchasing. This beer is not yet being distributed to stores or restaurants.

Best Place to Pick up a Book:

Old Harbor Books, downtown Sitka.

Favorite Trails:

Harbor Moutain - Gavan Hill Trail

Mt. Verstovia Trail

Mosquito Cove Trail (near the ferry terminal)

Loop around Totem Park (when there aren't any cruise ships docked, this trail is very peaceful)

For More Info on Sitka trails: Sitka Trail Works

Favorite Cultural / Touristy Spots:

Sitka National Historical Park / Totem Park

Sheldon Jackson Museum - small, but has a lot of info on Tlingit culture as well as other Native cultures throughout Alaska.

We wish that we had time to check out Fortress of the Bear, Sitka Sound Science Center, the Native Dancers, and the AK Raptor Center.

Some photos...

2010-09-25T01:02:00.005-04:00

Adam's flight into Sitka above.

These are photos from some of Adam's experiences before I got here. He did some amazing hikes: Gavan Hill, Mt Verstovia, etc. He also got to go out on our friend Colleen's boat to check halibut subsistence lines. While on the boat he saw whales, otters, and a stingray!

Sitka from Mt. Verstovia trail.

Harbor Mtn.

Mt. Edgecumbe

Adam on the Gavan Hill Trail

Halibut with Rob and Annie.

WHALES!

A little culture

2010-09-22T19:54:00.005-04:00

We have been lucky enough to borrow a car for our last week in Sitka. I've spent the last few days checking out the "touristy" shops/museums/history. On Tuesday I went to the Sitka National Historical Park aka Totem Park. It was created to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka during which the Tlingits fought valiantly against the Russian Fur Traders. There is a museum and a nice little 1 mile loop trail in the woods with a variety of totem poles scattered throughout the path.

Today I went to the Sheldon Jackson Museum. The museum has some wonderful Native Alaskan artifacts. Unfortunately, Sheldon Jackson was a missionary who made it his priority to "discourage" Native culture, language, and spirituality in order to "Americanize the Natives". The museum is on the grounds of the once operational Sheldon Jackson College which has since been bankrupt.

It's hard to believe that we only have a few more days in Sitka! We depart for Anchorage early Saturday morning. We've met some wonderful people and have been thoroughly impressed by the community as a whole.

And we're back....in Alaska!

2010-09-20T15:36:00.006-04:00

Our sunset view from the deck:

Hello Friends!

It's been quite some time since I last posted. (Adam has graced the blog with a few posts on some excellent musical talents) As many of you know, we're in Sitka, Alaska for one of Adam's rotations as a 4th year medical student. He will have been here for 1 month, and I will be with him in Sitka for 2 weeks, then Anchorage for 2 weeks while he does a month long rotation there. I brought Bandit with me (Chena is living it up in Nashville with my parents and Dingle), and I'm in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy! We are having a boy - "Finn", and I am due December 2nd. I'm going to try to regularly post photos of our Alaska/Dog/Pregnancy/Future Baby adventures. I have made this blog "private", so if you're reading it, you got an email invitation from me. If you know of anyone else who would like access to the blog, please let me know!!!

Bandit catching half-dead salmon. Now, whenever he finds a patch of water he looks for "fishy friends".

Prepping for our hike to Harbor Mountain Shelter.

29.5 weeks pregnant hiking!

Overlook above Harbor Mtn shelter.

Herring Cove Hike & Sea Kayak:

I don't think the kayak was really this off-center...I had to take the pic from a side angle...

Dinner from Colleen - fresh caught shrimp!

This was after he tried to attack me with the dead shrimp....

Wild Mountain Nation...

2010-09-06T03:12:00.003-04:00

I recently stumbled across Blitzen Trapper, a great band out of Portland, OR.

"Furr"

"Wild Mountain Nation"

"The Tree"

Their sound pays homage to that time that Bob Dylan, Queen, and Beck put out their 3-D concept album (glasses included).

3 Master Musicians + 1 Tiny Desk = Amazing

2010-07-26T20:38:00.006-04:00

Check out this recent Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Zakir Hussain jam session at NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Series.

It is amazing to see 3 master musicians blend their talents so seamlessly...

Interviews: 50 Cents

2010-07-05T22:45:00.005-04:00

Here is an interview with Katie Lee. 90 years old and still kickin' butt in all general directions.

Here's to fighting for wild places.

Just Some Photos....

2010-06-24T09:17:00.011-04:00

Somali Hip Hop

2010-04-24T21:15:00.008-04:00

In continuing with the music reviews, my K'naan addiction started when Ben, Ryan, Emily and I were trapped in the VW Jetta for 50 hours heading back from Colorado this past winter...

Whats great about K'naan's music is the fusion of live instrumentation, lots of melody, clever lyrics, and a hypnotic flow that evolves from song to song...

Overlaid on percussive African melodies are some poignant rhymes that paint a harrowing picture of Mogadishu, Somalia....The upbringing that K'naan describes make the chaos and misery of U.S. ghettos described in American rap/hip-hop seem like the land of milk and honey...A relative gravy train with biscuit wheels...

K'naan seems to have a knack for weaving a strong undercurrent of social awareness into uplifting songs that appeal to folks ranging from your everyday white suburbanite to millions of rapid World Cup fans that are set to descend on South Africa this summer...

Palomino!

2010-04-14T21:04:00.005-04:00

My favorite band for the past several months has been the new-grass quintet Trampled By Turtles out of Duluth, Minnesota.

Their sound reminds me of the time that Bill Monroe and Wilco got together to put out their punk rock album. Check out their new album Palomino if you get a chance!

Greenhorns

2010-04-05T12:59:00.000-04:00

New documentary film about young farmers....

Spring Semester 2010

2010-03-04T13:43:00.006-05:00

(Our group of 2nd Degree BSN students - "white coat" luncheon)

I feel like I'm sprinting through the last semester of nursing school. It has been super fast-paced, stressful, and exciting. I have one more exam in my High Acuity (intensive care issues) class and then it's on to 7 weeks of working with a nurse in the Emergency Department - night shift! At the beginning of the semester I was able to go to Austin, Texas to present my undergraduate research at SNRS (Southern Nursing Research Conference). Graduation is in May, but I'm still trying to finish an independent study course in Microbiology (requirement to graduate). If I can finish my microbiology course (fingers crossed), I am slated to graduate in May and take the nursing board exam (the NCLEX).

(Presenting my poster in Austin, TX)

(Kristi being awesome in her white coat)

Adam has been busy this semester with clinical rotations in Pediatrics, OB/GYN, and now Family Medicine. After his FM rotation he will have several months of Internal Medicine. Next year he will have more clinical rotations before he graduates in May 2011. There is time in his schedule for "away" rotations and we plan to spend a month in Sitka, AK and a month in Anchorage, AK! There is also talk of an international rotation, but we'll have to see about that...

This is a busy and exciting time in our lives with a lot of changes and unknowns for the near future. My goal is to stay focused on the present and take each challenge as it comes. (much harder than it sounds...)

(Adam & Jake's snowy camping weekend in the Gorge)

(Levy-Kissel Family Gorgeousness)

Best.Climbing.Films.

2010-02-12T15:01:00.001-05:00

Check out: http://rockmonkeyart.blogspot.com/ for more...

My Day "Living the Dream" from renan ozturk on Vimeo.

Bumbles & Out-Takes from renan ozturk on Vimeo.

Holidays Recap #2 - Southern Comfort

2010-01-22T18:19:00.009-05:00

Since I am blogging, you can be assured that we made it out of Kansas and back to the southeast. Around 9pm on the 25th, we rolled into Lexington and spent a few hours celebrating Christmas with the McMahan parents. Adam, Ben, and I devoured Christmas leftovers, drank some tea, opened presents, and relaxed for a bit. In the morning we spent time with both sets of grandparents and then that afternoon, we were back to our four wheeled travels.

Christmas in Nashville - everyone got to wear the hat sent by Ben's mom, Ann!

In Nashville, we saw family and friends, drank excellent beer from a local microbrewery, and had Christmas (round #5)? Ben got to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and we all went to a new vegetarian restaurant in East Nashville (The Wild Cow). We spent an evening at the famous Station Inn where we got to watch a very professional bluegrass jam session and drink yazoo beer. During our short stint in Nashville, Adam and I also took a daytrip to Rome, Georgia to see our friends Ashley and Jared before they would venture down to Key West to get married!

Station Inn!

A day later, my mom and I drove to Dothan, Alabama (Ben and Adam would come the next day) to start preparing for my cousin Becca's wedding. It had been over a year since I was last in Dothan, and being there brought up slew of warm childhood memories. It was a whirlwind experience in that I was a bridesmaid surrounded by constant wedding activity. I got to meet some new people and see Becca as a beautiful bride.

Mother-Daughter LOVE

Tired bridesmaid...

Cousins!!! Becca, the bride is in the center, Christina is on the right.

Side Note: a few moments after arriving in Dothan, I received a call from Adam and Ben along the lines of, " We got lost on the way to Virgin Falls and decided to go for a run on a boyscout camp/game reserve...The dogs ran off after a deer and we've been calling for them for 3 hours...." Uh...ok? So an hour or so later, I finally got another call, "The dogs finally came back and they've been skunked...Now we have a 2 hour, skunked dog car ride back to Nashville." Greaaat...I have no doubt that the dogs had a blast hunting by moonlight on a game preserve and despite having a thorough bath in Nashville, it should be noted that both critters and the car still smell like skunk!

We spent New Years Eve in Dothan after the wedding. I was exhausted and although our NYE ceremony was a bit nontraditional, it was just what I needed:

- Watched a PBS series on "60's Music" with Adam, Ben, our relatives from Gallatin, TN and my mom repeatedly screaming; "Oh my God I LOVE this song! I remember this!" There was oh so much laughter.
- After the PBS special went off and killed our fun, I made my mom, Ben, and Adam do a little pre-count-down yoga. It was quite relaxing, and Adam fell asleep in Baddha Konasana (not a position in which one might typically fall asleep). I ended the yoga right before the countdown, and we cheered and toasted red wine along with the ball drop.

So we finally made it back to Lexington. On the drive north, we stopped at the farm of one of my best childhood friends, Tirzah. She is living in Pennsylvania, getting a masters in art management (I think) and is also a certified yoga teacher! We hung out with Tirzah, her sister Olivia, and her mom Janet. We ate pizza, rode around the property in their "gator", and warmed up in their new sauna. Although I had not seen them in years, it felt very natural. Tirzah and I mentioned doing a yoga retreat at the farm and I think that it would be perfect! Back in Lexington, Ben stayed with us a few more days and we road our bikes downtown, toured both the Woodford Reserve and Kentucky Ale Brewery, and managed to eat some good home-cooked meals in between. Now, it's back to the grind of nursing school. This last semester is proving to be quite intense.

Rockin' with Tirzah!

Prepping for a chilly gator ride

Cold & Happy

A few more photos....

2010-01-15T23:29:00.008-05:00

Here are some of Rick's pics from the snowshoe!

Adam working out route logistics at the hotel/cabin while Bandit guards the food and Chena cowers in the corner.

The boys and dogs forced me to rise early at the hotel/cabin to start the trip.

Group shot pre-departure.

Classic petrified Chena look.

Holidays Recap #1 - HUT HUT San Juans

2010-01-09T17:43:00.013-05:00

This is part 1 of our epic holiday adventures....stay tuned for additional recaps....

Hut-to-Hut...San Juan Mountains, Ouray, Colorado:

On December 17th, after Adam and Ryan finished their pediatrics clinics for the evening, the 3 of us + a farting Bandit and a skeptical Chena piled in the car for an all night and 1/2 day journey to Denver. Once we started the drive, Bandit immediately began to pass putrid gas to welcome Ryan to our car. Bandit's gas and the wafting of my cinnamon broom deodorizer was a somewhat lethal combo. I think I felt my eyes burning.... After an hour or so, Adam woke up from a nap, put on the flashers and requested that I pull over. Vomit. This cycle of waking up, flashers, pulling over, and vomiting went on for several hours, while Ryan and I gave each other sideways glances of concern...for our own health....luckily Adam did not pass on his virus acquired as a parting gift from Corbin pediatrics.

After crossing the CO border we picked up Ben at his cousin's farm. Ben had been biking along the west coast and was meeting us for the trip! We made it to Denver and went to dinner with more friends from various places in our lives: Rick (also joining the Hut Hut gang who I went to school from 2nd-12th grade with) and Stephanie (Rick's girlfriend from Boulder) and Dave (Adam's freshman year roommate from Centre) and Karen (Dave's wife from Ecuador).

(The dinner group minus Ben who took the pic.)

Post dinner was the ultimate concert of the year - Ben Sollee (from Lexington, KY) and Trampled By Turtles!!! Despite having driven for 20+ hours and feeling slightly nauseous, the concert was phenomenal and we got to introduce Ben and Ryan to some new music.

(Ben Sollee!)

We stayed with Rick and Stephanie in Boulder that night and in the morning met up with some more old friends - Rachel (her mom and mine were best friends growing up in Nashville) and Benjamin (younger brother of a friend of both me and Rick in highschool). Eventually Adam, Ryan, Ben, Rick, and I (plus the dogs - Bandit, Chena, and Lexi) started the drive south towards Ouray.

(Members of the "hut hut 2009" crew)

(Ryan with Mt. Sneffels and Bandit in the background)

The hut trip went really well. We snowshoed into the Blue Lakes hut on the first day, spent the night there, spent the next day snowshoeing in the same area and spent an additional night at Blue Lakes. The 3rd day we headed to the Ridgway hut (where we also stayed last year). This was a tougher day physically and mentally because there were some challenges with route finding, it was colder, and there was a substantial ascent. We spent the 3rd night at the Ridgway hut and snowshoed out on the 4th day - the 23rd of December!

(Sunrise at Blue Lakes Hut)

(we spent a lot of time playing "nines")

(Rick and Lexi)

(The group that went last year too - Adam, Bandit, Emily, Chena, Rick, and Lexi)

We got back to our cars at a decent hour, filled our bellies with beef, checked out the Ouray icepark, and got in the car to head home in time for Christmas! Problem. We started getting calls from friends and family about worsening weather conditions. At first I thought people were overreacting. They weren't. Once in Denver the roads were icy and conditions continued to deteriorate into Kansas with ice, wind, snow, and whiteouts. We continued to safely and slowly push ahead. It was taking us twice the time because we were driving half of our normal speed. Great.... Finally after a particularly icy stretch we stopped to put chains on the tires. By "we" I mean Adam, Ben, and Ryan. I was feeling increasingly cranky and was worried that we would never make it out of Kansas. The wind was intense and the temperature was below zero. The boys struggled with the chains because they were the wrong size for our tires. I eventually went inside the gas station and convinced two men to help us out. After getting the chains on we decided to take a more southern route across Kansas. This would increase our mileage and the time it took to get home but at that point we felt like there was no other option. The southern route was clear for a while and we made good progress, but a little before dark the roads became treacherous again. The combination of ice, wind, snow, and darkness made it ridiculous to continue on. It was Christmas Eve. Super 8 in El Dorado, KS was calling....

(4 people + 2 dogs + tons of gear and crap = a packed jetta)

(Somewhere in Kansas...)

Finally, at 9pm on the 25th, after close to 50 hours en route we made it back to Kentucky....

2009-12-15T16:48:00.003-05:00

View Holidays '09 in a larger map

It's true that we make ridiculous plans whenever we're on a break from school, work, etc. For the next 2 weeks we will redevelop an intimate relationship with our car. Here's our plan:

17th (night of) - 23rd = Colorado
24th-25th = driving back to Lexington
25th-27th = Nashville
27th = day trip to Rome, GA
28th = Nashville
29th-1st = Emily & Becky go to Dothan, AL
30th = Adam, Ben, & Mike meet us in Dothan for Becca's wedding
1st-2nd = drive back to Lexington, stopping in Nashville for the night....

WOW

Upcoming Adventure - 2nd Annual San Juan Snowshoe!

2009-12-10T19:02:00.005-05:00

Greetings Folks!

It is once again time for the 2nd annual Colorado snowshoe trip! Last year we did a hut-to-hut snowshoe trip with our friends Rick and Jeff in Ouray, CO. This year we're ready for round dos! Jeff couldn't make it this year, but we are driving out there with our friend Ryan (KY) and meeting Rick (CO) and Ben (AK) and possibly Glenn (GA). Check out the itinerary below:

The Plan = Depart on the Dec. 17th, Drive to Denver, CO (20hrs) to meet up w/ Ben and the Rick and see Trampled By Turtles and Ben Sollee at the Bluebird Theater (Dec. 18th)...(Dec. 18th)...Drive to Ouray, CO and stash our stuff at the Ouray Riverside Inn (4.5 hrs - Dec. 19th)...Pick up our gear and a possible ice climb on Dec. 19th? http://ourayicepark.com/iceparktour...

Ouray, CO

Drive/Park at East Dallas Creek Rd. Trailhead and hike up to Blue Lakes Hut (5 mi.- Dec. 20th)...Hike to the North Pole Hut (7.2 mi. - Dec. 21st)...Hike to the Blue Lakes Hut (7.2 mi - Dec. 22nd)...

The actual route may change - we're working on that right now...

Mt. Sneffels - San Juan Range, CO

San Juan Aspens

Hike out to East Dallas Creek Trailhead (5.2 mi. Dec. 23rd)...Pizza and Beer in Ouray + crash/shower at the Riverside Inn...

Wake up in the wee hours of the morning on the 24th and start the long drive east!

Hut Map = http://sanjuanhuts.com/destination_huts/map_destination_huts.jpg.....

Weather/Avalanche Beta = Snow Conditions - http://avalanche.state.co.us/pub_bc_avo.php?zone_id=7 and Weather Forecast http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Ouray&state=CO&site=GJT&textField1=38.08&textField2=-107.69&e=0

Thanks

2009-11-29T14:07:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving week is always a week of celebration in my family. My birthday, my parents anniversary, and Thanksgiving Day. I love the emphasis of Thanksgiving (minus the whole history of Native American slaughter and colonization) - rather than spending a lot of money buying more (ahem, Christmas), we give thanks for what we already have. This year my parents came to Lexington and we went out for a meal at Boone Tavern in Berea, KY. It was definitely different than a home-cooked meal, but it allowed the emphasis to be on spending time with loved ones rather than cooking and cleaning.

Nana, the Moms, and me!

Blowing candles into Grandpa's face! Grandma & Grandpa McMahan weren't able to make it to Thanksgiving, but they were there for my birthday!!!

woof!

2009-11-22T22:33:00.003-05:00

Watched "White Fang" last night - such a classic, just as good as it was in the theater when I was 9. Lovin' the pups!

room for me?

I love the crazed look on Bandit's face - he can't believe that Dingle had the balls to lie on him.

yin & yang

Lovin' it Live!

2009-11-17T22:40:00.007-05:00

Ok, so I love small-scale live music shows. Small venues where you can chat it up with the band/musician, drink a beer, and enjoy great live music. We haven't seen too much live music since moving to Lexington, but this past weekend made up for the previous deficit. On Friday night we saw "Trampled By Turtles" at Al's Bar. They are a young, flannel-shirt wearin' bluegrass band from Duluth. They would fit in perfectly in Fairbanks - we actually tried to talk the fiddler into touring up there. Anyways, I haven't heard anything like them - hardcore, crazy energetic bluegrass. Mandolin, Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Bass Guitar. They rock out like crazy, and the lead singer's sound works well with the instrumentals. Another unforgettable aspect of the concert was that a huge crew of folks from Harlan, KY came to town for it. Apparently a guy from Harlan got a mix-cd a few years ago with a TBT song. He loved it, ordered their cds, and now TBT has a huge following in Harlan. The Harlan-ites were wildly enthusiastic and definitely added to the energy of the show. Check out some videos of their live performances below....

Trampled By Turtles - Empire (Duluth)

Trampled By Turtles - November (Duluth)

On Saturday evening we went to the Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe in Frankfort. The "Clack Mountain String Band" was performing. They do a lot of old-timey bluegrass, and it was a perfect contrast to the show on Friday. After the previous high-energy night, the scene at this concert was very chill. The band members are based out of Morehead, but each grew up in different eastern KY communities. We had great sandwiches and beers and were also really excited about the coffee shop and Frankfort in general.

After a busy past week-and-a-half, this weekend was just what I needed to re-energize for the final push before the holidays.

Fall Happenings

2009-11-15T14:35:00.003-05:00

Daddy, checking for trick-or-treaters...

Neighbor Kasey and jailbird Hank

What a cute little raspberry!

Max & Mars

One of Adam's kayaking ventures on the Big South Fork

Apple pickings @ Evans Orchard

Early morning @ Keeneland

Recipe

2009-10-23T19:40:00.002-04:00

For Cynthia and anyone else interested.....

Here's my butternut squash and apple soup recipe from Anna!

(makes about 13 cups)

1 large butternut squash (about 3 lbs)
4 teaspoons veg. oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored, diced
1 veg. bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I added extra)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I added extra)
1 teaspoon of curry powder (Anna & Greg's addition)
4 cups veg. stock
1 cup plain soy or low-fat milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400. With a sharp knife, cut squash lengthwise in half. Scoop out seeds and fibers. Place squash halves cut side up in shallow baking dish, cover tightly with foil and bake until tender, 45-60 min. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often until golden, 8-10 min. Add apples, bouillon cube, ginger, cinnamon, curry, and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until apples are tender, about 10 min. Remove pan from heat.

3. Transfer apple mixture and 1/2 cup milk to a food processor (or blender), in batches if necessary, and process until smooth. Return to saucepan.

4. Scoop squash from shells - you should have about 4 cups. Transfer squash and remaining 1/2 cup of milk to a food processor, in batches if necessary, and process until smooth. Transfer to pan with apple puree. Add a little more milk if mixture seems too thick.

5. Simmer soup over low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally, 5-10 min. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot!

Fall Garden

2009-10-15T22:12:00.004-04:00

One Vast Garden

I find one vast garden spread out all over the universe.
All plants, all human beings, all higher mind bodies are about in this garden in various ways , each has his own uniqueness and beauty.
Their presence and variety give me great delight.
Every one of you adds with his special feature to the glory of the garden.

Sri Ananandamayi Ma

(I know it's out of focus, but it's too cute not to post!)

Just what I needed....

2009-10-09T22:13:00.006-04:00

* I didn't have my camera, so the photos are from Jennifer and Sharon *

The past few weeks have been stressful. It seems like new assignments and obligations keep piling up. My stress tolerance seemed to be chipping away, and going to Asheville, NC last weekend was just what I needed! Sharon hosted a Barefoot Works Women's Yoga Retreat at the Prama Institute about 20 minutes from Asheville.

I met my mom at the Sweet Biscuit Inn in Asheville, spent the night, and spent some time shopping and eating in Asheville (Laughing Seed Cafe!!!).

On Friday evening we went to the Prama Institute to start the retreat. 16 ladies, yoga, hiking, vegetarian food, tea, knitting - couldn't have been more perfect (except for the addition of Adam and the dogs). It was truly what I needed to get back to my breath, back to my yoga practice, and to build up resistance to any future stress or difficulties that might come my way. I was able to spend good bonding time with my mom, take time for myself, and meet some inspiring women!

Lovin' Fall

2009-09-18T23:24:00.003-04:00

(Wine tasting, picnic, and concert at Talon Winery with 2 Adams and Kristi!)

There always seems to be excitement and energy in the air during the fall. School starts, the air becomes crisp, friends re-emerge after summer trips, events around town.... It's still a little too warm right now for my true definition of fall, but despite the hot sun, there's an underlying current of breezes, and cool evenings just around the corner. I get excited about apple picking, pumpkin pies, live music, masala chai, butternut squash soup, knitting, wine tasting with friends, evenings with a sweater and a book....the list could go on. (interesting that most of that list has to do with food!)

This semester I'm taking public health nursing, psych nursing, leadership & management, and my research internship. I'm really excited to be working on the subject of human trafficking on a local level, here in KY through my Public Health clinicals - I'll update more on that issue later. I'm also trying to do more running and yoga, and I've started a "spin" class at the UK gym.

The weekends have been filled harvesting veggies (making tomato sauce, and I will soon make a bunch of butternut squash soup), going on hikes and trail runs with Adam and the doggies, farmer's market, and meeting up with friends and family. I'm really excited to go on a yoga retreat in North Carolina with my mom, Sharon, and other Barefoot Works students. The longer I've been teaching, the more I forget how to be a student, and I'm hoping this retreat will help me become a student again, rather than spending time thinking of teaching ideas and critiquing classes.

Adam finishes his 2 month long surgery rotation at the end of next week. He will be on neurology for about a month after that. I'm getting used to his wacky schedule, but I'm hoping that for his sake, he can get a little break with the next few rotations. He hasn't slept much in the past 2 months, and it's time for him to get 7 hours of sleep/night on a regular basis! Working for 12 hours a day and only sleeping around 3-5 hours a night is not healthy! (especially for healthcare students and professionals who are supposed to be promoting a healthy lifestyle!)

Anyways, I hope everyone has lots of exciting things on their fall "to do" list - let me know if you have any recommendations!

Excellent Speech

2009-09-10T00:48:00.002-04:00

Despite the completely inappropriate outburst from Joe Wilson, along with Republican boos, President Obama's speech was inspirational, clear, and highly informative. Watch it above!

2009-09-03T00:31:00.000-04:00

Barefoot Works Knitting Group

2009-08-29T15:07:00.000-04:00

We have a knitting group at Barefoot Works! The group is several months old. One Sunday a month, a group gets together at the studio with food (usually "veg" rather than "non veg" - Indian lingo) and knitting (or any other fabric art). It's so much fun, although I think I spend more time eating and chatting than knitting. It's quite a range of levels, from complete beginner to very experienced. It's mainly yogis from the studio, but it's also open to the community! I finally got around to taking some photos at this month's meeting and I finally finished a hat - check it out!

(Bri, Jaime, Carol, Julie, & Sarah)

(fresh local veggies)

(Sarah & her scarf)

Why Knitting at a Yoga Studio???

- Part of yoga is building community with various activities and individuals, and a knitting group does just that. In addition, knitting is a mindful and meditative activity (once you get the hang of it). Knitting, getting to know like-minded folks, eating fabulous and healthy food...the studio is a perfect place!

(Jaime in concentration mode)

(part of "the spread")

(Bri casting on)

- If you're in the area, we would love for you to join us!

Namaste!

An old favorite

2009-08-22T13:35:00.000-04:00

Sam Bush - "Girl of the North Country"

Local Music

2009-08-22T12:14:00.001-04:00

Last night we went to a Ben Sollee concert at the new Woodland Computers Store. Ben Sollee is a homegrown Kentuckian, who plays the cello like none other. Bluesy, folksy, funky. Very cool. His album is called "Learning to Bend". For all you Nashville folks, he's playing at the Belcourt on August 25th! (Parents, Cynthia, Paula, check him out!)

This video below is a remix of his song, "A Few Honest Words" for the Obama campaign:

It's Not Impossible - Louisville Skate Park

Harvest Time!

2009-08-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

We reaped some of the "veggies" of our labor before we went to India, and now we're getting our late summer crops. Tomatoes and butternut squash are still ripening on the vines, but yesterday we picked rainbow chard, onions, beans, and rhubarb! (If anyone is interested in rhubarb or chard, PLEASE let us know!) We also tried to "clean up" the garden by cutting back some of the ridiculously overgrown plants. Next year the goals are organization and simplicity. In a few weeks, we should have bundles of heirloom and standard tomatoes, as well as an overabundance of butternut squash.

(rainbow chard)

(green rhubarb)

(our recent haul, with an under-ripe butternut squash that came off in the de-cluttering process and a few under-ripe heirloom tomatoes)

Time to start some fall crops. This week we need to do spinach and salad greens. Has anyone ever grown garlic? Tips would be helpful!

(wacky heirloom tomato)

Re-Kentuckifying Ourselves

2009-08-13T22:36:00.000-04:00

(Swimming hole and river near Bee Rock campground - between London and Corbin, KY)

We've only been home for about 2 weeks, but our time here has been quite active. Adam jumped right into orientation the day after he returned, and from orientation he started his first rotation for the year - SURGERY! He basically picked the hardest rotation first, guess he had to get his adrenaline going. Two weeks of orthopedic trauma, two weeks of cardio thoracic, and four weeks of general trauma - wow! It's been a jolt to my system because it's making this whole "doctor thing" a little more real. Getting to the hospital at 5am, wearing scrubs, never a set time for his return home....not sure how I feel about it all. It is exciting though, because he actually gets to see patients, scrub in on surgeries, round with physicians, all the fun stuff rather than pounding his head with a book for 10 hours of the day.

I've been able to ease back into life a little more. Teaching yoga, hiking, throwing Ashley's bridal shower with Kandace, babysitting, research, independent study in microbiology, seeing family and friends - reconnecting and making new connections. Nice.

(self-portrait with Anna, Mariam, and Max post hike/swim)

My semester starts on August 26th. I'm taking psychiatric nursing, public health nursing, leadership/management in nursing, my research internship, and the independent study in microbiology. Should be a full, yet interesting semester.

(Ashley's bridal shower at Wines on Vine)

(Cupcakes from Babycakes - yum!)

(with Kandace and Ashley!)

Earlier in the week I had a little health drama. On Tuesday afternoon I simultaneously noticed a bull's eye appearing bite behind my knee, and started experiencing flu-like symptoms (sore throat, malaise, headache, warm). I looked up spider bites on the web, didn't find much, then remembered that lyme disease is associated with a bull's eye rash and flu-like symptoms. Then I got concerned. I went to university health to be told that my bulls eye bite had a different appearance than the typical bulls eye rash associated with lyme (true) and that lyme disease was very rare in Kentucky (not true, especially for woodsy folk like me). I was just told to watch the bite and myself to make sure that nothing got worse. Luckily I haven't felt worse. I'm thinking maybe it's just a spider bite and a cold/allergies. Excellent...but, I'm gonna keep a close eye on the bite.

OMMMMMMM!

2009-08-09T22:58:00.000-04:00

Check out this cute (but poor quality) video I took of Indian kids chanting OM at the beginning of their school day. This is a school in Pen for mentally and physically handicapped kids that we visited one morning. We were very impressed with the school itself. Teachers were engaging, the kids seemed to be comfortable, and as they get older they are very involved in making excellent crafts.

WE MADE IT HOME!

2009-07-30T12:53:00.000-04:00

Hello!

After about 3 days of traveling, we made it back to Lexington! We spent the majority of last week in Manali on a 4 day "trek". (We call it backpacking) It was however the fanciest backpacking trip we've ever been on. We had to hire a guide because we didn't bring all of our gear, and there are not any well marked long trails in the area. It was basically a fully supported, luxurious expedition. We had our guide Tenzing, our cook from Nepal, a horseman, and 3 horses lugging gear! Adam just carried our clothes in a pack. The tents, sleeping bags, cookware, and food were all carried by the horses! We only hiked about 4 hours a day, and they fed us constantly! Normally we're tired and starving on backpacking trips. This trip we were well-rested and stuffed with fabulous Indian and Tibetan food and of course chai.

(Our guide, Tenzing)

(Prayer flags at Hampta Pass)

We did get to see some beautiful scenery. We were hiking in the foothills and low Himalayan mountains. We hiked in parts of the Kullu and Spitti Valleys. It looked very similar to Alaska, with the edition of some monkeys, sheep/goat herds with shepherds and dogs, and of course cows. The cows from a nearby village would spend their days roaming throughout the countryside, and everyday villagers would hike several kilometers to milk the cows, and then carry the milk back on their heads.

(Tenzing and our cook at work)

We hiked up to about 4,300 meters to Hampta Pass, which allowed us to cross from the Kullu Valley to Spitti Valley. Saw Indrasan Peak and Deo Tibba (2 large peaks in the area). It was wonderful to get outside for a little while. We were craving fresh, clean air. We did however miss the dogs badly. Whenever we hike it is with the dogs, and they were sorely missed.

(Tibetan woman near the chai stands after finishing the trek)

After the trek, we hung out in Manali for another day and a half. Did some shopping and eating. Tibetan momos are incredible! On Sunday evening we took the overnight bus back to New Delhi. About 15 hours. About 4 am, Adam started throwing up and feeling awful. We still had several hours left on the bus, cruising at high speeds around tight corners and over bumps. (India's driving is an incredible experience). We finally got to Delhi that morning, and took a hot, stinky cab through traffic for an hour to the airport. Adam was still sick.... We had about 12 hours until our flight that evening and they wouldn't let us in the airport, so we sat in a hot/humid lounge that cost 60 rupees. Adam felt terrible and I was starting to feel sick in the heat, so I lambasted the guards and a manager to let us into the airport about 6 hours before our flight rather than the typical 3 hour rule. It worked. I didn't have to punch anyone. I felt much better once in the airport, although Adam was still feeling rough. Finally, midway through out 14 hour flight to Newark, he woke up feeling chipper, and is fine now.

We got into Newark early morning eastern time on Tuesday, and barely made our flight to Nashville. Racing through the airport was a must to make the flight. We got into Nashville Tuesday and finally drove back to Lexington Wednesday. What a whirlwind. I am now home, feeling a new appreciation for hot showers, air conditioning, and American drivers. It was however a wonderful trip, and I have many more humorous stories to share!

Mumbai to Manali!

2009-07-19T10:20:00.000-04:00

It's been a whirlwind the past few days! On Friday we took a bus with friends from ISAC to Mumbai/Bombay. We went straight to the airport to try to change our plane ticket to Darjeeling. Darjeeling is out of the picture because of strikes. The whole area, including Sikkim is shut-off. We could not change or get a decent refund on tickets, so we had to come up with more options. We thought about flying into the same airport for Darj - Bagdogra airport, and trying to cross the border into Nepal. After much consideration, we decided that border crossing might be difficult, Nepal is also affected by monsoon, and we wouldn't have a lot of time to do a legitimate trek.......SO, we're in Manali!

But back to Mumbai. We spent about 36 hours in Mumbai, and despite Adam coming down with a stomach bug, we enjoyed ourselves! We stayed at Bentley's Hotel, a cheap, clean, nice place on a green side street. Hillary Clinton was staying at the Taj, so both the Taj Mahal and the Gateway to India were partially blocked and covered in Indian police. I'm sure there were plenty of secret service, but they were not visible to the naked eye - weird. Hillary however, did not invite us to tea at the Taj. We did some shopping and eating, then flew to New Delhi on Saturday night.

We have finally reached Manali, after a "character-building" 16 hour bus ride from New Delhi. Manali is north of New Delhi in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is a popular trekker and "hippie" town. We are staying at the "Rockway Cottage", a guest house with a small restaurant and several rooms above the river that runs through town. There are temples, mountains,
glacial rivers, cute shops and eateries. Both Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism are prevalent. We're hoping to spend the next week visiting temples, doing some trekking, and hopefully getting some good views of the Himalayas! (We're in large green mountains right now, we'll have to go out of town a bit to see the snow peaked himalayas...)

So it's been a bit exhausting, I stink, Adam dropped his wallet in the rickshaw and is trying to hunt down the driver. I'm looking forward to a shower, dinner, and a good night's sleep. Will update with pictures soon!

Photos from Pen, Alibaug, And Surrounding Villages

2009-07-14T07:53:00.000-04:00

Here are several new photos from our stint in Pen, Alibaug, and Mulshi Lake....

Rickshaw Ride in Pen

Cricket in Alibaug

Women Strolling in Alibaug

Streets of Pen

Peanut Gallery

Mobile Health Van Patients

Emily, Shital, and Janna in Saris!

Cows Have the Right-of-Way

KARE Weekend

2009-07-13T05:25:00.000-04:00

(Mulshi Lake and view from KARE)
We had a wonderfully luxurious weekend at the KARE Ayurveda and Yoga retreat! It is located at Mulshi Lake, about 1.5 hours from Pune. It is set on the side of a hill/mountain overlooking the lake and is absolutely gorgeous! We got ayurvedic massage treatments, did Iyengar yoga, had a consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor, and ate healthy food. It was such a nice break from the polluted and crowded streets of Pen. We met some cool people who were there for longer stays: a couple from the UK, a man from Australia, 2 friends from Norway, a man from India who is living in Dubai, and a woman from India who is living in Hong Kong - quite an international group! KARE is very connected at the BKS Iyengar Institute in Pune. Iyengar himself actually stays there from time-to-time. The friends from Norway spent a day in Pen and say BKS Iyengar doing restorative yoga at the institute - I was super jealous! The yoga was very nice - lots of props, inversions and backbends with ropes, and some restorative yoga. It was just what we needed.

(Yoga room at KARE)

Yesterday we took a car for the 1.5 hours from KARE to Pune. In Pune we caught a bus to Pen. Had my first and hopefully last "Indian Bus Stop Bathroom Experience". Hole in the floor, very dirty, horrible smells, of course no toilet paper (impossible to find here - so glad we brought wet wipes a la Becky Davidson). I was just thinking how glad I was that I got the Hepatitis A immunization before we left! The 3 hours bus ride back took 5 hours. We've certainly had enough of the bus for the time being....

(Flower bowl at KARE)
This morning we went to one of the private hospitals. Clean, scarce supplies, 50 beds. We got to round with a few doctors, take vital signs, and see some patients. A woman with an atypical presentation of malaria, young man with typhoid that was unresponsive to antibiotics, a man with benign enlargement of the prostate and urinary retention preparing for surgery. Most people don't wear shoes in the hospital. The doctors and nurses wear flip flops that stay at the hospital. We need to invest in a pair - barefeet in hospitals - not so good.... In India, people are barefoot everywhere. You take off your shoes before going in houses and stores. Many walk barefoot in the streets.

Just before arriving at the internet cafe, I witnessed a disturbing sight. A dog fight - one dog standing over the other, while the one on the ground literally screamed. The dog screaming was bone thin and looked like death. I suppose it's an example of survival of the fittest, but it was horrible to witness and I can't get it out of my mind.

(Sand Mandala at KARE)
India is full of contrasts: beautiful landscapes and pollution, excess and poverty, strong and weak, highly educated and illiterate. Such a complicated place. Check out all of the new photos on this post as well as the older posts!!!

लव,
Emily

Medicine and Monsoon

2009-07-08T09:47:00.000-04:00

(Boys from one of the villages)

Hello Everyone!

I am typing from an internet cafe in Pen. We have been working with an organization called Children's Future India (CFI). This is a nonprofit, working with rural villagers in the area, providing medical care, family planning, community development, HIV/AIDS clinics, student sponsorships, and more. Their parent organization is in Norway. It is an impressive organization that has done a lot for the community here. Today we shadowed a physician and 2 nurses at the Family Planning Clinic. This clinic provides basic medical care, contraception, and performs a lot of tubal ligations. We were able to observe the tubals and see some patients. The main physician there is a young woman, who was sponsored by CFI as a girl, and went on to become a doctor! One of the nurses there is a trained midwife, who delivers uncomplicated pregnancies in the villages.
(Emilie Dempsey, Bill Hunt, and Adam in front of CFI)

This afternoon we helped take basic weights and heights for well-child checks, and then spent several hours in the HIV/AIDS clinic. A physician comes to the CFI headquarters and sees patients, checks for any changes in their condition, and writes prescriptions. The patients go to Mumbai once a month for ART therapy. It was heartbreaking to see 2 young girls who were HIV positive and orphaned because both parents died of AIDS. Another young boy contracted the illness via blood transfusion. Many of the women contract the virus from unfaithful husbands.

We have been doing yoga each morning with Bhosle - a man here in Pen. Although my yoga practice in Lexington is different from what I am learning here, it is amazing to have the tools to understand each other through yoga.

(My yoga mat in front of the temple where we practice)

We have a wonderful cook named Shital, who cooks us 3 meals a day and cleans. We are getting incredibly spoiled by her, and don't know how we'll manage once we're back in the states. We are living with an Australian and 2 Americans. 2 are premed and one is in the Grassroots and Community Development program.

Monsoon has not been too bad (knock on wood). It is not as hot as I was afraid it would be, and there have only been 1 or 2 periods of showers each day. We've been very lucky and I hope the weather doesn't change. The sun hasn't been bad, so I haven't gotten burned, and only have a few mosquito bites. All in all things are going well, and we're just trying to get involved in as many hands-on activities as possible!

We are here!

2009-07-07T03:51:00.000-04:00

(Dr. Deepa and the mobile health van)

We are currently in Pen, India! Pen is a rural town about 2 hours south of Mumbai, and an hour east from the coastal town of Alibag. Even though it's rural, there is still a lot of pollution and noise. We are staying in a guest house with 3 others in the program. Food is amazing, we've found a local man named Bhosle to teach us yoga in the mornings, and we've been to several picturesque hillside villages with the mobile health van. The language spoken here is called Marathi. Occasionally you'll find a Hindi or English speaker. More details and pictures to follow.....

Namaste (Hindi)
Namaskar (Marathi)

Emily & Adam

INDIA - in 4 days!!!!

2009-06-30T00:57:00.000-04:00

View India Itinerary in a larger map

Ok folks. We're preparing for departure on our biggest international adventure yet! We will be gone from July 3rd until the 28th. (Back in Lexington on the 29th.) The next few days we are trying to wrap up projects and commitments around here, purchase any last trip necessities, get all of our documentation together, and finalize schedules for all the wonderful friends and family members who are helping with our animals and house while we're away! Below is our flight itinerary and proposed activity itinerary. Be sure to click on the links for more information about specific places/programs. I will try to post photos and anecdotes from the trip as much as possible while we're away.....Namaste, E & A

Friday, July 3rd - depart from Nashville, TN to Newark, NJ to Mumbai, India, arrive on July 4th, 9pm

- 2 weeks with ISAC rural and public health rotation
- Free weekend in between the 2 weeks - July 10th-12th go to KARE outside of Pune for yoga and ayurveda.

Sunday, July 19th - depart from Mumbai, India to New Delhi, from Delhi depart to Bagdogra, India - take a train/bus/taxi to Darjeeling

- First night (July 19th), spend the night in Bagdogra
- July 20th, head from Bagdogra to Makaibari tea estate for 2 night homestay
- Wednesday July 22nd head to Darjeeling to get permits for Sikkim (weather permitting)
- Thursday July 23rd head north to Sikkim
- Sunday July 26th head to Bagdogra

Monday, July 27th - depart (via Darjeeling) from Bagdogra, India to New Delhi, India, depart from Delhi to Newark, NJ - arrive on Tuesday, July 28th

Tuesday, July 28th - depart from Newark, NJ to Nashville, TN - arrive on Tuesday, July 28th. Drive back to Lexington on Wednesday, July 29th (or late Tuesday evening)

Just Us Gals....

2009-06-24T00:13:00.000-04:00

The past week has been a whirlwind. Adam took his board exam, his brother got married, and now he and Bandit are on a canoe trip in Michigan with buds Jake and Ryan. On top of all of that we are going to India - NEXT FRIDAY - holy crap / wow! So yes, a lot is going on. I'm trying to take time this week to slow down, get organized, and spend some good "mother-daughter time" with Chena. Although Chena seems depressed that Bandit is gone, we've been on walks, runs, and a beautiful hike to the pinnacles in the Berea Forest. So it's just us gals - me, Chena, and Barley for the week.

As much as I hate being a "bachelorette" for the week, it forces me to do activities alone, that I would normally do with Adam. Whether it's hiking, eating, or walking around the block, I have to take the time to feel contentment in solitude, rather than feeling like I am missing something/one. Probably a good exercise in independence and contentment for all.

It's ALIVE!

2009-06-11T22:09:00.000-04:00

So, as much as I tend to lament about summer in Kentucky (hello heat and humidity), it is a wonderful place to grow a garden. This spring, Adam built a second raised bed for more veggies, and we have effectively barricaded the area so that the dogs cannot destroy our work. Unfortunately, barricades are rendered ineffective with cats, so Adam and Barley are in constant battle. Seriously though, aren't garden beds really just large litter-boxes?

In our original raised bed (divided into 3 sections), we have tomatoes, salad greens, and onions. The large leafy plants directly in front of the bed are rhubarb, and there is a small square bed with a catelope plant.

(Notice the rocks on top of the posts in the above photo. If they appear to be part of an artistic gardening project, think again. Adam strategically placed them there so that Barley could not jump on the posts to enter or exit the yard by way of the garden bed...seems to be working..)

We are also doing some more container gardening with basil, tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, and a bush bean plant.

The above photo is of the new raised bed. (Notice the cat prints directly in the middle.) It is a pretty large bed, so we planted 2 yellow squash plants, some pole beans, a cucumber plant, and 2 more tomato plants. Despite the large size of the bed, I think that there's way too much in there. In about a month it will probably look like a jungle!

Cut flowers from our yard!

The dogs have their party bandannas on, and are ready for guests!

SUMMER!

2009-05-17T18:01:00.000-04:00

Ah, finally summer. After the chaos of exams, Adam and I headed to Nashville. I got to see Margaret, who was in town via Australia. We went to the Iroquois Steeplechase and did a little girl bonding. Adam and I ran around town and went back to the cabin in Crossville for a little early anniversary celebration. (It was 3 YEARS on May 14th!) The dogs ran free, we did a little mountain biking, and practiced some porch yoga.

Things have been busy since we got back to Lexington. Working out passports and visas for our trip to INDIA in JULY!!!! We're participating in a Rural and Public Health rotation via "India Study Abroad Centre". We'll be in villages between Mumbai and Pune for 2 weeks participating in medical care for the villagers! We are also taking a 3rd week for our own adventures and are planning a trip to Darjeeling (yay tea estates!) and Sikkim (mountains!). We're hoping to get in some fabulous yoga and ayurvedic treatments while we're there too!

(Max got into an avocado in the car and decided to "make guacamole" all over himself - niiiice)

This week we took Max to see a sheep dog herding competition here in Lexington. We also dressed in DRAG and went to a bike drag racing event in downtown Lex with Jake, Mariam, and Max. Adam and Jake both wore "nighties" and even Max was in drag - a dress that Mariam wore when she was a little girl. I wore my carheartt overalls and a plaid baseball cap....it wasn't much of a stretch for me....

HOT!

(I like the boxers hanging out underneath the outfit)

(Quite a pair)

(The crowd)

(The only real drag queen in attendance)

Enjoy the pics - I plan on posting more regularly these days!

Throw Down Your Heart

2009-04-19T19:30:00.000-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ADAM! Today is Adam's birthday and he is finally the same age as me (until November rolls around again..). We've tried to do some celebrating all weekend. On Thursday we had a fish fry at Grandma and Grandpa's house with both sets of grandparents, Adam's parents, and his brother. Friday we met Cory and Katie for a little bit of gallery hopping downtown, and then went to see the new documentary, "Throw Down Your Heart". It's about the famous banjo player Bela Fleck's travels to Africa to rediscover the roots of the banjo. It's a wonderful documentary for banjo and travel lovers alike. Check out the trailer below:

Saturday was a busy day. I had 2 yoga workshops at Barefoot Works with Daphne and Tom Larkin (fabulous yogis from Nashville who assist for Shiva Rea!). Adam built a new raised bed and worked in the yard all morning. We met in between my workshops to stop by Max's 1st birthday party. I was exhausted after the 2nd workshop but we wanted to take advantage of the sunshine (it's been rainy today), so we went on a short hike. After the hike we stopped by Sharon and Andy's for a little visit, and then went home and crashed!

Today is Adam's actual birthday, but we've slowed down on the festivities. After brunch at Doodles this morning we've both been doing school work, running errands, etc. I did however do a bit more yoga, since today was our first ever "Community Yoga Class" to benefit the Florence Crittenden Home. Now it's time to get in gear for the upcoming week. I hope everyone is finding some energy and excitement with the much anticipated spring sunshine!

Doga????

2009-04-12T23:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter/Passover/Spring to all!

So my neighbors Nancy and Mark sent me this interesting link to an article from the New York Times about the fad of "Doga" aka yoga with your dog. Definitely check out the slideshow pics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/fashion/09fitness.html

It is true that I am both dog and yoga lover, but after some thought, I dunno about this Doga fad.... Maybe if my dogs were better behaved I could see a future, but actual organized classes for Doga seem pretty contrived. I mean, is this actually fun for the dogs? I suppose it may be for some, but my dogs would probably much rather run through the woods than be forced to hang out on some yoga mat indoors with me. I can just imagine my pups thinking, "Seriously mom? This is totally lame. When do we get to go outside for the real fun?" What I think is cool is that dogs do yoga naturally. It's part of their daily lives. Whenever Bandit or Chena get up from a nap they go into down-dog, up dog, sometimes Chena even does Cat pose! They don't need to take some silly expensive class. In reality we should be watching and learning from them!

Weekend Whitewater!

2009-04-07T13:49:00.000-04:00

(Mariam, Kristi, Adam D., Adam M., and me + our guide, Sam)

This weekend we headed south to Ocoee, Tennessee for some good 'ole whitewater rafting fun with the Wilderness Medicine Interest Group. We headed down on Friday afternoon, camped out that night, then went rafting in the morning. We had an eclectic bunch of 14, with a bunch of 1st and 2nd year medical students, 2 nursing students (including me!), a social work grad student, a economics major, and an attorney. Add 3 dogs + 1 baby and our group was complete!

It was a perfect day. The temperature got in the 70s with beautiful sunshine. Adam and I were in the front of our raft, and we got soaked! After rafting, a family medicine doc from Seneca Lakes, South Carolina (he met us there and went rafting too), gave us a talk about giardia and ways to filter water.

Afterwards we headed back north. Adam and I stopped in downtown Knoxville. We went to this really cute area called Market Square, and ate an amazing pizza dinner at Tomato Head. They have a wonderful selection of pizza, sandwiches, etc. and use a lot of locally grown ingredients. It was a much needed getaway weekend. Now I'm back to reality this week with an exam, a care plan, and a paper....yikes!

Spring Brizz-eak!

2009-03-20T21:19:00.000-04:00

I have been a bad blogger - almost a month without an update! I apologize. School, life, etc. has been very busy. Luckily I got a break from the chaos. This week has been spring break. On Sunday afternoon we loaded the car with clothes, dogs, yoga mats, etc. and made the drive to Nashville. It was a busy break. We got to spend some good time with my parents and with my brother Sam, who recently relocated to the area. We ate good food and saw family friends and neighbors.

On Tuesday Adam, my mom, dad, and I went to the Crossville, Tennessee area in the Cumberland Mountains. We stayed at a cabin of one of my mom's friends. It was a great cabin on 40 acres in the woods and hills. No electricity or water. The dogs (Bandit, Chena, and Dingle) ran free the whole time. They would run off in the woods for 30 minutes - 1 hour, and would then saunter back to the cabin panting heavily. Adam and I hiked down a hill and followed a creek for a while. We found some big boulders to sit on and enjoy the sunshine.

It was a great retreat filled with reading, hiking, knitting, joking around, and eating! We only stayed one night, but I could have easily stayed for several days.

I hope everyone (regardless of location) has gotten to enjoy some sunshine lately. Seeing the sun, blooming plants, and the great outdoors has left me feeling refreshed for the weeks ahead. Enjoy the pictures!

Yoga LOVE!

2009-02-25T22:06:00.000-05:00

(Barefoot Works Yoga Gals!)

I'm definitely late in getting this post up, but here are some pics (take by Sharon) from our Valentine's Day / Cincinnati extravaganza! On V-Day Adam and I headed up to Cincy so I could go to a yoga workshop with some fellow Barefoot Works yoginis, and so Adam and I could go to a Michael Franti concert!

The yoga workshop was with Sharon Gannon, one of the co-founders of Jivamukti Yoga! It was a 3 hour workshop that included a vinyasa practice, vegan food goodies, a talk by Sharon G., and her newest book about yoga and veganism! I'm inching towards vegetarianism, but I don't see myself making the vegan choice (i like my eggs and cheese too much!).

(yes, that's Michael Franti looking for a spot for his mat)

The workshop was wonderful and I got some good ideas for both teaching and my personal yoga practice. A big surprise was that Michael Franti (the musician) attended the workshop as well! I knew that he and Sharon Gannon were friends, but I didn't realize he would be practicing yoga with us! Check out one of his recent music videos below:

Afterwards, Sharon (Barefoot Works Sharon that is), her husband Andy, Adam, and I went to dinner with Sarah and Tracy. Then Sharon, our "significant others", and I went to the concert at Bogart's. All in all, it was uplifting to visit a different city, experience my first big yoga workshop, spend time with Adam and friends, and enjoy live music. It felt decadent, exciting, and inspiring, and I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Animal Torture Day 2009

2009-02-07T13:44:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, we rarely bathe the animals. Its like a once or twice a year kind of deal. In our defense, huskies don't get stinky like a lot of dogs do (some of you might disagree). It's only when they get into something really foul. Barley the cat has not had a bath since her tiny kitten days, about 2 years ago. However, today of all days, we decided to venture down that road. Adam ran the dogs at Veterans Park this morning where they got pretty muddy and definitely came back with a "funk". I needed to take a shower and thought, "Hey why don't I bring the dogs in on this too?" Needless to say, I did not feel cleaner after the shower. Chena was the first victim and as soon as I locked her in the bathroom she started panting out of anxiety. Both dogs actually ended up doing ok, and reflecting back on their experiences, it was nothing compared to the cat.

After I was done with the dogs, Adam said, "Hey, how about we give seeester Barley a bath too?" For some un-Godly reason, I responded, "Oh yeah, let's do it!" Adam held her down, while I sprayed and lathered her in the kitchen sink. After a lot of cat growling, screeching, and an aloe plant knocked into the sink, our mission was complete. Here's to 2 more years of not giving Barley a bath!

The whole time Barley was getting a bath, the dogs were watching like, "Yeah! That's right parents! If we have to be tortured, make sure the cat gets it x2!" and then, "OH shit! What's going to happen next? Will you be having us for dinner?" and finally, "Do we get a turn with cat torture after you're done? Maybe she can be OUR dinner?".

The whole house is now covered in shaking dog spray and everything smells like wet animal. I am currently washing sheets, futon cover, rugs, etc.

Ice is not Nice 2009

2009-01-29T09:46:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to KY Ice Storm '09. The past few days have been pretty wild. The whole city/state is covered in ice. Hundreds (thousands probably?) of people are without power, and some towns are without water! I think that they're estimating about 3-5 days until power returns. So far we're ok, but there's still ice on all of the trees and more branches can always fall on electrical lines!

Nana and Granddaddy are the only ones in the family that have lost power. Last night they stayed with Adam's parents and during the day they are using some kerosene heaters at their house. This morning Adam, his dad, and I tried to shovel Nana and Granddaddy's driveway, but it was solid ice. Adam tried to use a pick ax for a while, but our attempt was pretty much futile.

Once things clear up, we're going to try to help out at both sets of grandparent's houses to clear some of the branches that have fallen in their yards. Luckily, last summer we cut down our only large tree that could have been a big liability.

I must say, I've kind of enjoyed the craziness of it all. I feel pretty tough braving the "harsh winter weather", shoveling ice/snow, and tromping around. Of course the pups are loving it too! Adam took all of these pictures on a walk last night.... I hope everyone is staying safe....if you're in Lexington, call us if you need us!

Kombucha Tea

2009-01-25T15:29:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of a drink called Kombucha??? If not, it is time! It is an ancient fermented tea, used in the Eastern world for around 2000 years. Adam and I have been obsessed with this fermented tea for a while now. You can buy it bottled and flavored at health food stores (Whole Foods, Good Foods C0-0p in Lexington, etc. ) however it comes with a price-tag of close to $4!

The good news is that you can make it at home! The fermentation process uses a bacteria and yeast culture called a "Scoby" or "Mother" (we prefer using the term mother in a variety of wacky voices...) The "mother culture" looks like a mushroom or pancake and can be ordered online or made from a store purchased bottle of kombucha (because it is a "live" cultured drink). Once your "mother" is made, with each brewing, "baby" cultures will start to form and grow.

The drink has a slightly vinegar-y taste. The first batch "we" (aka Adam) made was fermented for too long and pretty much tasted like straight vinegar. The second batch turned out perfect! Adam flavored it with ginger and it is excellent! (I'm drinking some right now...) Check out this link to the "Happy Herbalist" website to learn how to make your own!

Claimed Health Benefits:

- immune system enhancer
- aids digestion
- liver detoxifier
- assists the spleen to deliver more nutrition to the body
- rich in vitamins and minerals (B vitamins, vit C, etc)
- "Qi" balancer
- etc.

It is important to be aware of any risks involved in the brewing process. Although there are a lot of claimed health benefits, it has been said to cause allergic reactions and other problems. It may not be safe to consume it if your are pregnant/breastfeeding or have a serious illness resulting in a weakened immune system. Do your research to make sure that this is an appropriate drink for you.

New Begginnings!

2009-01-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

( source: http://www.yogajournal.com )

I love this new "Lululemon" add! I think it's super fun. I just hope it doesn't make conservative voters look negatively on yoga or feel alienated from the practice.

This is a beautiful time of year. I know - it's cold and everything is dead. However it is a time for fresh starts. I feel blessed to be experiencing so many new things in my life! A new president, new year, new nursing classes, new Barefoot Works location, a new start to knitting - wow! What new things are going on with you???

It Begins Again

2009-01-11T20:44:00.000-05:00

I start school again this week. On Wednesday to be exact. I've been off for over 3 weeks, so I'm a little apprehensive about starting again. This semester my classes cover pediatrics, obstetrics, research, I'm taking nutrition online, and I'm still doing my 1 hour research internship. I have class all day Monday and Wednesday, as well as Friday morning. Even though I have several days off throughout the week, I imagine I will be pretty busy with paperwork, reading, etc. I'm also hoping to do some babysitting and I'm still teaching yoga on Tuesday nights at Barefoot Works!

So I'm taking the next few days to regain a little more order on the home-front, track down cheap versions of my textbooks, do some yoga, work on the budget, and maybe run??? Adam discovered a cool website called http://www.mapmyrun.com. You can set up a profile and create online maps of your runs. Pretty cool, huh!

I hope everyone is getting geared up for the new year. Hopefully you are all excited with fresh ideas, new years resolutions, and anticipation for what lies ahead!

Namaste!

Yog-eek

2009-01-07T22:23:00.000-05:00

(with my fellow teacher trainees back in June)
YOG-eeks!

HaHa! Clever Adam has decided that instead of calling me a "yogi" he will call me a "yogeek"! Very niiiice.... I suppose that I have been a bit of a yogeek lately. Sharon is spending the week in Mexico at Maya Tulum, and Sarah and I have been teaching her classes! That means that instead of teaching 1 class this week, I'm teaching 4!!! I was a little nervous, but excited to dive back into teaching since I was in Colorado for a week. For the first time ever, on Tuesday night, I taught 2 classes in a row! I know that many yoga teachers do that all of the time, but I'm used to only teaching 1 class at a time. It was actually a lot less nerve wracking than I thought it would be. Luckily they were pretty similar classes, so I didn't have to change things around too much. However, I don't know what it would be like to teach 2 classes in a row that were completely different styles (ie: yin and vinyasa). That would certainly bring on another challenge. I also taught the express yoga at 12 today, and I teach one at 9:15 tomorrow morning!

Back in KY!

2009-01-03T18:32:00.000-05:00

We have returned! We got back about 3am Lexington time to a stinky house. Apparently Barley decided to demonstrate her disdain of our absence. She peed all over a blanket in the study and it smelled horrible! Awesome. Exactly what we wanted to come home to.... We slept in and have spent the day attempting to get some order in our lives. Adam starts school on Monday. I don't start until the 14th - woohoo! I'm spending the next week teaching yoga and getting organized. Here are some more pictures from our trip:

(melting snow for water)

(Rick, Jeff, Adam, and dogs with Mt. Sneffels in the background)

(Rick sliding with the roof avalanche)

(playing "nines")

(Chena's version of heaven)

(Mr. Photogenic)

Ice Climbing!

We made it!

2009-01-01T12:20:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!!!!!
We're hanging out at Rick's house in Boulder, Colorado. We made it to Ridgway, Colorado on December 27th, after a long 23 hour drive. Ridgway is a cute little town, nestled in the mountains, with coffee shops, cute eateries, and art galleries. We rented some gear for our snowshoe venture, then waited to meet up with Rick and Jeff. One of the roads was closed between Boulder and Ridgway (due to the recent snowstorm) and Rick and Jeff had to do some major backtracking, making their drive several hours longer. Once they got there, we decided that it was too late to start the snowshoe, so we spent the night at a nearby motel in Ouray (Riverside Inn), and explored the town of Ouray.

(Rick and Lexi!)

We got started early the next morning. We snowshoed about 6.5 miles to the Ridgway Hut. Let me just say it was challenging....well, somewhat brutal. It was pretty much all uphill. In some spots, snow machine tracks broke our trail, but for a lot of the trip we had to break and find the trail. When I say "we" I don't really mean "me", I was not breaking trail. I was lugging along towards the end of our little group most of the time.

We finally made it to the hut after about 7.5 hours of trudging. It was freezing, we had to start a fire, and the roof had about 3 feet of snow on it. Jeff got on the roof and shoveled off the snow that was blocking the chimney. It took a while for the hut to warm up, and we all got in our sleeping bags to try and de-thaw. Finally once the fire was blazing and we drank some hot chocolate, we all started to come to life again.

(Rick's picture of Adam)

The next day, I chilled around the hut, and the boys went on a little excursion to some pretty scenery. Once they got back, there was some snow clearing from the roof / creating mini avalanches. That night we played cards, took pictures, and 2 women came in late to stay at the hut.

The next morning, we packed our packs, and headed out. The snowshoe back was mainly downhill, and took about 1/3 of the time that it took on the way in. It was a beautiful day - the sun was out without a cloud in sight.

(Jeff, Adam, me, and Rick + pups!)

We ate some lunch at Kate's Place in Ridgway, then Rick and Jeff headed back to Boulder. Adam and I stayed that night at the Riverside Inn in Ouray. We hung out at a coffee shop in Ouray that night, took much needed showers, and relaxed.

On the 31st, we got up, checked out of the motel, and headed to the Ouray Ice Park. We got some faulty directions at the park, and clomped around in our big boots and crampons, trying to find an appropriate climb. Finally we were fortunate enough to hop on a climber's rope (we didn't have all of our material to put up our own safe anchor), and we both did a few 50 ft ice climbs.

After getting a little ice climbing fix, we loaded the car and made the drive to Boulder. We spent a nice New Years Eve, eating delicious Mexican food with Rick, Stephanie, Jeff, and a few of their other friends. We're now spending some time in Boulder and prepping for our return to Kentucky!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T16:11:00.000-05:00

( My mom and Dingle relaxing)

Happy Happy Holidays to all! My folks are here in Lexington, and we've been spending Christmas with Adam's family. Beef stew last night, breakfast casserole this morning, and this evening Adam, my mom, and I are making pizza!

(Adam's mom - wearing a present bow on her head :) and Nana)

(Adam's Granddad and Dad)

We've been relaxing and packing for our Colorado trip!
Here's the plan:

Dec. 26th: 4am, leave for Ridgway, Colorado
Dec. 27th: Meet Rick and his friend Jeff in Ridgway, pick up rental gear, start snowshoeing! Start at the East Dallas Road trailhead. Spend the night at the Blue Lakes Hut nestled at the base of Mount Sneffels in the San Juan Mountains.
Dec. 28th-29th: Snowshoe over to the Ridgway Hut. Spend both the 28th and 29th there. Snow shoe around in the area on the 29th.
Dec. 30th: Hike out to the Girl Scout Road trailhead.

Once we're done with the snowshoe trip, we'll spend the night in Ouray or Ridgway. On the 31st, we'll head to Boulder for New Years Eve. We'll probably start driving back east on the 2nd!

Traveling Fools

2008-12-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

The holidays have already been a whirlwind, but I've been trying to stay grounded. After exams, we drove to Nashville to spend the night and drop our pups off with my parents. The next day we headed to Rome, Georgia. We met Kandace and Jason at Ashley and Jared's house in Rome. The 6 of us spent the weekend together. We ate good food, toured Rome, the boys went climbing at a local climbing gym, and we played a heated game of Monopoly - niiiice...

(Our Rome, Georgia gang above)

On Sunday we headed back to Nashville to spend the night, hang with the parents, and pick up our pups. Cynthia and Mike came over for a fabulous sea-bass dinner at our house. Since I'm not spending Christmas day in Nashville this year, it was good to spend some quality time at my parent's house.

We're now back in Lexington, prepping for Christmas and a trip to COLORADO! Sarah F. and I made mala bracelets this morning (check out Sarah's blog here), I taught yoga this evening, and ran errands in between. My parents are coming to town tomorrow, and we will spend Christmas with both Davidson and McMahan/Mabry families!

(Our Christmas tree in Lexington)

SO....around 4 AM on the 26th, I'm jumping in the car with Adam, Bandit, and Chena, and we're driving 23 hours to Ouray/Ridgway, Colorado! Crazy, I know, but gas is cheap these days.... We're meeting a friend from highschool, Rick, and one of his friends for a hut-to-hut snowshoe trip near the base of Mt. Sneffels, in the San Juan Mountains. (Southeastern Colorado) Click here for the website for the San Juan Hut system.

I'm renting an avalanche beacon, a lightweight backpacking snow shovel, and snowshoes. We got Chena her very own dogpack, so this trip both pups will be carrying their own weight. Luckily we have plenty of gear for cold weather trips, so we're pretty much set! Check the blog for trip updates - I'll try to update and post pictures as much as possible!

Happy Holidays! Peace/Shanti and Namaste!!!!

'Tis the Season

2008-12-14T16:09:00.000-05:00

So it's mid December, I have exams this week, and the holidays are looming. For many of us, the holiday season can get bogged down in materialism and unhealthy lifestyle habits such as excessive consumption of alcohol and sweets. We may sleep less, travel more, and get bogged down in the stress of trying to see everyone, be everywhere, and find holiday perfection - an impossible task.

My goals this holiday season are to try to simplify, minimize, and find acceptance (and possibly enjoyment) in the inevitable stress that takes over during this season. How do I plan to accomplish some of these lofty goals? Well, I'll tell you:

Minimize Materialism: Homemade gifts! Yes, that's right. We've been attempting this for the past 2 years. In the fall we picked a bunch of organic apples and made sauce and butter. I've saved a bunch to give as gifts. (This should not be a surprise to anyone...) We also plan to print out and frame some of the beautiful pictures taken by Adam this summer. Only cost is the frame and picture printing. Here are some other ideas for more eco-friendly, simple, less-costly, and awesome gifts:

- Plants! Last year, Adam's Nana made us all cacti gardens. They are beautiful, put out oxygen in the air, and we've kept ours alive!

- Get Crafty: bead some jewelry (malas anyone?), make soothing eye-pillows, soap, candles, knit a scarf or hat, etc, etc...

- FOOD! I don't know about you, but I love food! Breads, jams, jellies, dips, whole meals - whatever....all loved and appreciated. Adam's Grandma and Grandpa gave us a bunch of venison! Local, hormone free meat...nice.

- The gift of time: Remember being a kid and making "coupons" for your mom? Back rubs, emptying the dishwasher....You can still give gifts of time. Meet a friend for tea, offer to babysit for friends to give them a night off, make dinner and invite friends over. Donating your time to spend with someone or to help them out means more than any material item.

Health During the Holidays:

- Think outside the box - Is it really necessary to have a whole table full of desserts at your holiday dinner? Do you have to have a massive meal with more options than an Asian buffet? Do you really have to fill your plate, and go back for seconds? Limit portion size! You can try everything if you want, but you don't have to get huge, gluttonous portions.

- Eat fresh, organic, and local - If you must eat meat, get local meat. An animal raised in a pasture on a nearby farm. If they have to die, at least let them have a happy life. Rather than supporting massive factories, filled with animals living on top of each other, pumped with hormones, that can't move, run, stroll, and graze. Try more fresh, uncooked dishes - a fresh greens or fruit salad. When you cook food to death in casseroles, you cook out a lot of the vitamins and minerals that make the food healthy.

- Limit caffeine, sweets, and alcohol: Moderation is key. Drink green tea or decaf tea instead of coffee, don't get wasted, eat smaller portions of cake, cookies, pie.

- Sleep, exercise, meditate, take some alone time for yourself. When we get out of our day-to- day routines, we forget to do the things that sustain us. Make time for this.

Finally, don't stress if you can't accomplish your goals, or if things don't turn out how you want them to. Try to let them roll off your back, and learn lessons for the next season!

Pure Awesome-ness

2008-12-12T16:27:00.000-05:00

You MUST watch this video, with an awesome performance of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" dance and song. His dance moves are pretty much dead on, if you've seen Beyonce's actual video. This is a guy we knew in Fairbanks. Originally from Memphis, TN, he's a figure skater, and one of the first people we met when we first moved there. Thanks to Ben for emailing us the link...

Addicted to Chai

2008-12-03T14:18:00.001-05:00

Have I told you that in the past few months, I have become addicted to chai tea? More specifically, Chai Tea Lattes from the one and only Starbucks. Not only is this addiction not the best for health (hello caffeine), but it's terrible for the wallet! I've made attempts to attack the addiction at different angles. I bought "Oregon Chai" mix from the Co-op. You heat if up, and make your drink from half chai mix and half dairy (or substitute) - milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc. It was good, but not as spicy, and somehow lost the essence of my Starbucks chai.

My next attempt was to go cold turkey. I decaffeinated. The past few weeks, I've been drinking only caffeine-free or decaffeinated drinks. I must say, I've been pretty good, only one slip up in the form of chai tea latte for the drive to Nashville last week.

Well, today on yogajournal.com I found a beautiful chai tea recipe to share. This must be tried:

To make an agni-enhancing herbal version you can sip all day, follow steps 1 and 2, reheat, and strain, adding extra hot water as necessary. For a rich and heavenly pick-me-up, follow steps 3, 4, and 5 to add the milk (dairy or non), black tea, and sweetener.

To make 1 quart of chai, grind in a spice grinder:
- 11⁄2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 3 tablespoons fresh cardamom pods
Bring to a boil, then let sit overnight:
- 2 cups water
- 1⁄3 cup ginger, finely chopped
- 1⁄2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- the ground cardamom and coriander
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 1 dash allspice
- 3⁄4 teaspoon licorice root (optional)
Add 3 cups of milk and carefully bring to a low boil, stirring continuously so as not to scorch it.
Add 2 or 3 tablespoons good-quality black tea and simmer for 5 minutes.
Strain and sweeten to taste with 2 to 31⁄2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, or sugar.

( photo and recipe courtesy of http://www.yogajournal.com )

Thanks

2008-11-30T13:57:00.000-05:00

The past week has been lovely. I turned 26 on the 24th (old). Even though I had an exam on my birthday, friends and family helped make it really special. Breakfast in bed, the "birthday fairy" stopping by around 7 am (Mc-Mom) a big dinner at Mellow Mushroom, phone calls, facebook messages, cards - it was all wonderful!

Late Tuesday night after my yoga class, we headed to Nashville! We got in late and spent Wednesday studying (Adam), taking a yoga class at Sanctuary (me), and prepping for the Thanksgiving meal, and visiting with my brother who stopped in and my mom's buddy Paula.. On Thanksgiving we had an absolutely beautiful meal with Cynthia, her husband Mike, and brother Andy. We had diced sweet potatoes with pomegranate seeds, a mixed green salad with strawberries, avocado, walnuts, and pomegranate, broccoli casserole, cranberry sauce with orange liquor, hormone free pork tenderloin and rotisserie chicken, rolls, and pumpkin, fudge, and pecan pies - YUM! Not only was it delicious, but it was healthy. Afterwards we hung out with the neighbor buddies Paula and Bryant.

The next few days were spent doing school work, hanging with some friends from Colorado, eating at Whole Foods, and I got to go to another yoga class at Sanctuary. Not a bad way to spend Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for!

Today we are doing school work, organizing, and are going to visit Adam's uncles who are in town for the weekend!

Cincinnati Getaway

2008-11-22T23:28:00.000-05:00

So on Friday, my fabulous mother came to town! The plan was to head to the IKEA store in Cincinnati and buy a bed for my birthday! (We've been on boxprings + mattress for quite some time.) We were going to leave around 12:30, when Adam got out of class, head up there, eat some good food, get the bed and head home. Things didn't go quite as planned. 1st - Adam didn't get done with school until around, 3:00 pm, meaning that we hit the great city at RUSH HOUR! The 1.5 hour trip was at least doubled, and we had a near miss of almost running out of gas....great...

We finally made it to IKEA after dark. It's an impressive place, I had been there once before with my yoga gals. We got there, walked around, and then made it to the bed section. The bed that we liked is the "Malm". Unfortunately, yet predictably (b/c the prices are so good), not many of the wooden beds are actually hard wood. The Malm is veneer. We knew this going into the trip, but once we got there are looked at it, we decided that the "wooden" bed, really did not look wooden. Adam and I were having doubts, and after holding back for a while, mother dear gave us her honest opinion of the bed. Needless to say, we walked out empty handed.

Luckily the best was yet to come. We headed over to the Clifton area of Cincinnati for dinner. It's a cool area near the university with neat shops and restaurants. We had amazing Indian food at "Amol Indian Restaurant". Garlic naan, plus some fabulous dishes - I have no idea what they were called. Before heading home, we stopped by Sitwell's Coffee House for warms drinks to go. It's a super cute, arty place. Unfortunately I am decaffeinating myself, and couldn't get my fav Chai Tea Latte. I settled for some great green tea instead.

So we returned home bed-less with leftover Indian food. It wasn't what we were expecting, but it turned out to be a great little getaway after all!

Red River Gorge-eous!

2008-11-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

On Sunday we spent the day in the Red River Gorge, about an hour east of Lexington. It's a beautiful place with miles of trails and natural stone arches. One of the best parts is that we can take the dogs off-leash (probably not officially legal, but nobody seems to care) and just let them RUN!

We went on Sunday for the Wilderness Medicine Interest Group outing. Adam, Cory, and Jake have recently taken over the group, and I've been able to join with a few of my nursing school buds. (Since UK College of Nursing doesn't have any cool interest groups / clubs.) We all met at the Grey's Arch trailhead, split into 3 groups, and rotated between 3 stations. There were 2 ER docs and 1 "snake guy" - yikes! One of the physicians talked about dealing with trauma in the backcountry and the other one went over orthopedic injuries and spine stabilization. The snake guy apparently has thousands of poisonous snakes (my worst nightmare) and literally "milks" them for their venom. The positive aspect of all this is that the venom can then be made into "anti-venom" for individuals who get bitten by poisonous snakes! He was a pretty interesting guy, and I told him about my "snake-a-phobia".

After the clinics, we all ate delicious pizza at Miguel's and some of us went on a 5 mile loop hike. The hike we went on was a loop connecting the Courthouse Rock trail and Auxier Branch trail. All-in-all a cold yet satisfying venture!

More NC goodness!

2008-11-12T22:39:00.000-05:00

So I thought I'd share a few more pics from our recent trip to Cold Mountain, N.C. It was so beautiful and I've been really craving to get out into the woods again. Oftentimes I don't appreciate it as much as I would like when I'm actually there. Once I'm done, gone, back home, wherever, I think about how wonderful my experience was and crave to go back. It seems like that sensation is common for many people in a variety of venues throughout their lives. I'd like to make an intention to enjoy and appreciate the moment, rather than yearn for it once it's over.

Cold Mountain

2008-11-02T23:34:00.000-05:00

After a string of nursing and medical schools exams, Adam and I busted out of Lexington this weekend. On Friday afternoon we loaded up the dogs and drove about 4 hours to Asheville, North Carolina. We got into town around 6 pm, walked around for a bit, and went to eat at a FABULOUS vegetarian restaurant called The Laughing Seed Cafe. We split a fresh greens salad and their pasta special - wild mushroom pasta with veggies in a creamy garlic sauce. I seriously think it was the best pasta I have ever tasted! We also drank some locally brewed Belgian Ale, from "Jack of the Wood" and "Green Man Ales". Instead of a dessert, we got one of Laughing Seed's special elixir tonics called the Depth Recharger with all kinds of stuff in it like Chinese Wolfberry and White Peony. It's supposed to "tonify the essence of the kidney" and all kinds of stuff. Probably a good thing after the beers...

So anyways, that night we camped at the Cold Mountain (as in the book) trailhead. We got up Saturday morning, and somehow Adam convinced me to take the long way up the mountain, aka 10 miles instead of 5.... We talked to this cool guy named Dodger who's the caretaker of the boyscout camp where the trailhead is located. He's thru-hiked the AT about 3 times and done all kinds of cool wandering. He also got us some bright orange trash bags to tie onto our packs and the dogs, since apparently it's black bear hunting season. Hence the orange streamers on the dogs in the pics...

It was beautiful and there was even a little snow once we got high up. Cold Mountain is a little over 6000 feet, and we gained about 3000 in the hike. The dogs of course had a blast. Bandit ate a bunch of crab-apples and threw up on the trail as well as the car on the way home - nice. We took the shorter 5 mile hike down, and after 15 miles we were whooped. Especially since we didn't have our mac & cheese lunch because somehow the cook-stove wasn't packed...

So we finally made it back down, chatted with Dodger for a while and looked at his hiking pics, then headed back to Asheville for a pizza dinner. We got back home LATE that night. As in around 4 am. Thanks for driving Adam - I owe ya! It was overall an awesome, much needed mini adventure!

You Can Vote However You Like - Obama!

2008-10-27T23:05:00.000-04:00

Inspiration - Somaly Mam

2008-10-25T14:05:00.000-04:00

If you haven't already heard about her, it's about time. Somaly Mam is an inspiring survivor of sexual slavery in her home country of Cambodia. Since escaping from a life sold into child prostitution, she has dedicated herself to getting children and young women out of the brothels in Cambodia and giving them skills, confidence, and counseling. There are 3 rehabilitative shelters throughout Cambodia, currently housing about 250 young women and children. Somaly's first book, "The Road of Lost Innocence" is now available. I'm going to order a copy, and I'll let you know what I think! Check out the Somaly Mam foundation website for more info! Here's a clip from Somaly's interview on the Tyra Banks show:

Musings

2008-10-19T17:53:00.000-04:00

excerpt from a cool new book from the Morris book shop on Southland Drive called The New Meditation Handbook by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso:

"What is the ultimate goal of human life? What is it that we feel is most important for our happiness? Is it having a more attractive body, or lots of money and a good reputation, or fame and power, or excitement and adventure? We may feel that if we could only find the right place to live, the right possessions, the right work, the right friends, the right partner - the right everything - we would be truly happy.

Consequently, we put most of our time and energy into trying to rearrange our world so as to achieve these aims. Sometimes this works, but only to a point, and only for a short while. No matter how successful we are in creating seemingly perfect external conditions, there are invariably drawbacks; they can never give us the perfect lasting happiness that all of us long for. If we have made seeking happiness from external conditions the principal meaning of our life, eventually we shall be deceived, as none of them can help us at the time of our death. As an end in themselves, worldly attainments are hollow - they are not the real essence of human life."

- Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Crazy Sexy Cancer?

2008-10-08T18:25:00.000-04:00

I had heard about this "movement" by Kris Carr before, but had never researched it until I read an interview with Kris in this month's Yoga Journal. Five years ago, Kris Carr was diagnosed at the age of 31, with a rare, stage 4 cancer, consisting of tumors in her liver and lungs. After her diagnosis, she took action. Her entire life became about healing. From juicing to yoga and beyond, she has explored all sorts of complementary therapies for healing.

She filmed a documentary of her life, spanning the 4 years post diagnosis called "Crazy Sexy Cancer". She has written the books, "Crazy Sexy Cancer", "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips", and "Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor: More Rebellion and Fire for Your Healing Journey". She also has a blog and a social networking site: my.crazysexylife.com . Her cancer is currently stable. What an inspiration! Check out the trailer for her documentary below...

Yes, I am a Nursing Student

2008-10-05T16:01:00.000-04:00

SO, I haven't blogged about nursing lately. I feel like my focus has been a little off. I'm trying to get motivated and focussed. This semester is the "med-surg" semester, aka Medical-Surgical. Med-Surg nursing is pretty much the backbone of nursing skills. This semester we learn to start and manage IVs, perform tracheostomy suctioning and care, pass meds, start urinary catheters, etc. I have classes and a 12-hour clinical day on a med-surg/telemetry floor. Telemetry is the heart monitor that shows heart rhythms. It's overwhelming and it's all very important. What we're learning is quite literally vital to a patient's health status.

I have gotten to practice some skills for the first time in clinicals this semester. I placed my first urinary catheter. I got to do it in a male patient, which is easier than female, because, to be blunt, in a male there's only one possible hole to get it in. In a female, you might not have it in the wrong hole... So anyways, placing a catheter is a sterile technique. You wear sterile gloves and have to be careful about not breaking your sterile field. I had a little bit of trouble with my angle, but was able to get it in successfully. I do however feel sorry for my patient, ouch!

A second skill I got to recently practice was putting in an IV. My patient knew that this was my "first time" (although we do practice extensively on dummies, it's just not the same thing!). My patient was very supportive and encouraging of the fact that she was my learning experience. I doubt all patients will be nearly that understanding - Especially since I blew her vein on my first try, and had to do it a second time to get the IV in correctly.

Despite the fact that I am far from being "smooth" in these skills, I'm so glad to finally be applying what I've learned to real people! I know that each time I practice I will get better, I just have to get the opportunities to practice.

Anyways, I must get back to paper writing. Who knows what this week in clinicals will bring?....

Wilderness Medicine Group

2008-09-27T20:23:00.000-04:00

Adam and Cory are running for co-president for the Wilderness Medicine Interest Group. Check out their super sweet video....

2008-09-26T13:50:00.000-04:00

Say not in grief that she is no more
but say in thankfulness that she was
A death is not the extinguishing of a light,
but the putting out of the lamp
because the dawn has come.

- Tagore

The picture below is us in our funeral attire. (First time dressing up in a while) Everyone has been so wonderful in expressing their condolences. It's truly inspiring how humans join together in times of tragedy. If only we could maintain that spirit of compassion at all times.

In Memory of...

2008-09-21T22:19:00.000-04:00

Arlene N. Gilmore
1918-2008

I've had a whirlwind of a week. My 90 year old grandmother went into the hospital last Thursday and passed away this past Tuesday. I grew up with her just a few minutes from my house in Nashville. About 3 years ago, she moved to Dothan, Alabama to live with my aunt because of her Alzheimer's. Although her mind had been confused for the past few years, she was physically doing very well. She hadn't been in the hospital since the mid-seventies, so it was a shock when she was admitted last week. She had been throwing up and it was found out that she had a bladder infection. She received antibiotics and was starting to perk up and feel better. Then on Sunday evening she took a turn for the worse. A CT scan on Monday showed that she had a small bowel obstruction. They didn't know what was creating the obstruction, but my mom and aunt decided that she was too old and weak to undergo an extensive surgery.

My parents drove to Dothan on Monday. Her respirations were around 40, heart rate about 120. On Monday evening after speaking with my parents we decided to buy a plane ticket for me to get there on Tuesday morning. My cousin Becca would fly in from DC later on Tuesday. I got my bases covered with school and yoga Monday evening, and flew out of Lexington Tuesday morning. When I landed in Dothan, my dad told me that she had died about an hour before my flight landed (probably when I was changing planes in Atlanta). Her body was still in her room at the hospital, so I got to see her there. She looked very, well, for a lack of better words - dead. A lot of my family were sitting in the hospital room. I checked her out, palpated her distended abdomen, and looked through her charts. The family decided not to do an autopsy, so unfortunately I can only research and speculate what exactly caused her death.

We spent Tuesday evening in Dothan, and then my parents and I drove to Nashville where the funeral would be held. I spent a few days in Nashville helping my parents get ready for the influx of people and the funeral. So many people stopped by our house, bringing food, checking in, etc. I know it helped my parents to feel that support. Our Alabama relatives (my aunt Linda, uncle Jack, cousins Christina and Becca, and Christina's husband Brad) came on Thursday and Friday. Adam, his mom, and our pups, as well as my brother Sam came on Friday.

Saturday was the visitation, funeral, and gathering at my parents house. There was a ridiculous amount of food, and a good sized group of people. Friends, neighbors, church folk. It's all over and I'm back in Lexington trying to study for a Tuesday test and catch up on all my other school work. At some point I will hopefully be able to process everything that happened this past week.

FOOD!

2008-09-13T16:12:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh, it's been a long week....I had a big week of classes, clinicals, and my skills demonstration. I had to demo either trach care/suction or IV start/piggyback for my clinical instructor (on a dummy, not a real patient). We didn't know which skill we would get until it was our turn to demo. I got trach care/suction and passed! It was quite nerve wracking. The skills have all of these "Critical steps" and if you miss one, you FAIL - yikes! Thank goodness that is over!

I've had a lovely weekend so far. I made more tomato sauce- our plants are really producing a ton of tomatoes! I went to Liz's yoga class this morning, had a BW yoga teacher meeting, and now I'm making and canning more apple butter! We've given away almost all of the first batch, so I have to save this second batch for the holidays - yum!

Weekend and Back to Reality...

2008-09-07T16:20:00.000-04:00

I made it through my first week back in classes! This semester is the medical-surgical semester of my nursing program - pretty much the crux of nursing. We're back with a bang, lots of assignments, getting oriented with clinicals, and working on skills demonstrations (IV insertion, solutions, trach suctioning and cleaning - YIKES!).

I did manage to have some fun this weekend! Friday night was the Barefoot Works 2 Year Aniversary Party! Adam and I went to the studio for an evening of yummy food, chatting with fellow yogis, and some fun and energizing partner yoga! It was great to spend some relaxed, social time at the studio.

On Saturday we went to the Gorge with Jake, Mariam, and baby Max! We went on a short walk to Princess Arch, explored the area, set up a top rope and did some rappelling and a bit of climbing. It had been a while since any of us went climbing and we were a bit out of our league. The day was gorgeous - a little cooler with a hint of fall. We had lunch at Miguel's Pizza and met a cool Lexington couple who offered to climb with us and "show us the ropes". Max is 4 months old and did great. He was awake most of the time and was just happy and smiley.

Now it's back to reality for a full week of classes, homework, clinicals, skills demonstration, and teaching yoga on Tuesday night!

NashVegas

2008-09-01T14:48:00.000-04:00

We just spent a lovely weekend in Nashville. Well, I did at least, Adam came along but had to STUDY the whole time for his first exam tomorrow! I spent some great time with loved ones - my best friend from highschool, Margaret (it was her birthday), my parents, grandmother, and "god-mother" aka mom's bestfriend, Cynthia.

My mom and I went to a wonderful yoga studio in Green Hills called Sanctuary Yoga. It has been around for about four years, opened and run by Daphne and Tom Larkin. (See Daphne's pic above) We were lucky enough to have Daphne as our teacher and she was wonderful! She was so poised and present, it was great to experience her and her teaching style. She spends a lot of time with Shiva Rea out in California and focuses on the Vinyasa Flow style of yoga that we use at Barefoot Works! I have hopefully convinced my mom and Cynthia to start attending a Gentle Flow class at Sanctuary. You two are going to start, right?! Anyways, Nashville's yoga community seems to be growing exponentially and it was so exciting to tap into just a little bit of it.

Yesterday was both Margaret and Kandace's 26th birthday....Happy Birthday gals!!!

Ben on the fiddle

2008-08-26T22:08:00.000-04:00

Check out this hilarious video of our buddy Ben up in AK. He's rockin' out on the fiddle. I don't know what that weasel's doing....

Yoga TODAY!

2008-08-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

I am teaching the 7:15 pm Level 1 Yoga class tonight at Barefoot Works - YIKES! I'm both nervous and excited. I've made a music mix for the class - do Bluegrass, Coldplay, Cat Stevens, and Krishna Das go together??? I'm hoping so.... For this first class I'm thinking Sun Salutations with some lunges and side planks, Wide-Legged forward folds with a twist, Warrior 1, to Warrior 2, to Triangle, to Half-Moon. Tree to Warrior 3 to Eagle. Squats to Crow. Locust and Bow. Seated Forward Folds and twists. Boat pose? Bound Ankle, Stacked Logs. Gate Pose, Camel, Child's. Bridge, work towards leg extension, Full Wheel, Knees to chest, shoulderstand. Fish pose, reclining twists, happy baby. Oh, and I may throw some ab work in there.

Whew, that was a bit exhausting!

Anyways, I'm hoping to teach a fun, upbeat class. Please join me if you're able!

I also made and canned some wonderful apple butter last night, there's a lot to share!!!!

Apple Invasion

2008-08-18T14:21:00.000-04:00

We are drowning in apples - but in my opinion that's a good thing. On Saturday we joined our neighbors, the Swanson/Schoenbergs on an apple picking adventure. One of Nancy's colleagues has about 40 organic apple trees in his yard, and we got to go picking for free! We got 4 large canvas bags full of apples. A lot of them are not quite ripe, but they are still great for sauce, juicing, butter, pies, whatever.

The rest of the day on Saturday we made and canned applesauce. We cut and cored apples, boiled them with cinnamon sticks (thanks Daddy, for the ridiculous amount of cinnamon sticks), put them in a food processor, added sugar and a little water, then canned. To get the jars ready for canning, they had to be washed and boiled. After the sauce is in the jars, they are boiled again. It's quite a long process and this was my first experience with canning. I must say I'm proud. I think the sauce tastes pretty good.

We canned 6 large quart jars and 12 pint jars, plus we still have a huge amount of apples! Adam juiced some and I'm considering the prospects of making apple butter. If anyone needs any apples we have more than enough to share!!!

Garden Love

2008-08-15T15:33:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I made tomato sauce from our tomatoes as well as some from Grandma and Grandpa's garden! I put them in boiling water so the skin would start to come off, dumped them in ice water to cool down, peeled the skin off, threw them in a blender, pureed them in the blender, then dropped them in a pot to simmer. Yes, it was that easy! I also threw in some garlic, basil and sage from our herb garden, and some random kitchen spices from our spice rack. (I didn't measure a thing) I let it simmer all afternoon to thicken and we ate pasta for dinner. I had no idea how it would turn out, but I have to say it was the best sauce I've ever eaten. I don't think it's because I'm some fabulous cook or anything, I think it was just having super fresh tomatoes. wow. Everyone should do this. How can I eat store-bought sauce again? What I need now is about 30 pounds of tomatoes to make sauce in bulk to either freeze or can. We'll see...

I've also been harvesting basil, sage, rosemary, and oregano from our herb garden to dry. I'm tying bundles with twine and hanging them from the racks in the pantry. Once they are dry and can easily crumble, I'll put them in little jars to save for cooking. I'm hoping to have enough to give some away as presents.

Settling In

2008-08-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

We've been back south for about a week and a half now. During the middle of last week, we took a trip to Nashville to visit my parents, paint for my dad, and retrieve our kitty Barley! We also almost ended up with another kitten, but my parents convinced us that we would be irresponsible to take it, so the kitten was returned (I'm still having second thoughts by the way...) It was 3.5 months old, white with a gray face, ears, and feet, and had blue eyes. Just beautiful- Adam wanted to name it "Banjo" and I liked "Trapper".

Adam returned to school on Monday the 11th - ha, I don't start until the 28th! He's been getting back into school mode, and I've been purging things in the house, practicing yoga, and revving up to teach the Tuesday night 7:15, Level 1 class at Barefoot Works - starting NEXT Tuesday the 19th...yiiikes! If you're in Lexington, I would LOVE to have you there!!!

I've also been working on using the produce reaped from our small garden and Adam's grandparent's big garden! So far Adam has made salsa, I've made multiple batches of Zucchini bread, and have also been stir frying veggies to put in pasta. My next goal is to make spaghetti sauce! We have a bunch of tomatoes, from our garden and a few from the grandparents. (see above picture) We may be fortunate enough to go apple picking with our neighbor buds this weekend, so I'm getting all kinds of ideas about canning applesauce and apple butter...

The Woodland Arts and Crafts Fair is this weekend in Lexington, and I believe that my very own mother, Becky D will be joining me there on Sunday. She has birthday money, but I however will only be browsing. This weekend should be filled with apples, yoga, trails, dogs, and art! Now if only it would cool down just a bit outside, I just know fall is somewhere around the corner.