Sunday - Brrrrr!

I know, I know . . . and I have no excuse.

Amid threats of horrible weather to come, yesterday morning was beautiful! 23 degrees and no wind. Lovely. No one believed the predictions 'cause it just didn't seem possible that the weather could change so quickly to what they were saying was coming our way. But, about 3:00 in the afternoon, it HIT! The temperature PLUMMETED, the skies cleared, and absolutely ferocious winds came up. It was -19 this morning, and we only hit a high of -7 today. The winds have not abated . . . making the temperature much lower . . . think -30 to -40. Nas-tee! The thing that kind of freaked me out about it was that this would be the kind of weather that folks would have died in - caught unawares - 150 years ago. You head out in the morning with a wagon full of firewood to sell in Mankato with only a normal jacket on . . . and end up huddled under your overturned wagon hoping you didn't die by the end of the night! Again, as I said: NAS-TEE!

Even tho I haven't written in a while, I truly don't have much to report . . . .

A friend of ours (childhood friend of mine) was home visiting from Africa where he and his wife are living in Uganda for three years (she works for a non-profit). We had him over for dinner a week ago tonight, I think it was.

Same old, same old for Tom up at work. No new news there.

My favorite rooster, a White Langshan, was dead on the floor of the chicken house when I went out to do chores one day last week. Don't know what happened. His neck was broken, so there was probably a skirmish or he panicked and smashed into something. I know there's no illness (fortunately) since no one else is lethargic (or worse). And, it does happen with poultry. Still a bummer that it's never one of the ones you couldn't have cared less about!

Every spare moment, Tom's been working on wood for the hungry furnace (especially in weather like this)! Word got out on the Rez that we were looking for seasoned firewood, and so, without so much as a phone call, one of the local loggers (and colorful "characters") backed into the yard one morning with a flatbed and unloaded a massive load of 8' lengths of solid maple . . . and then he came back with a second load before I even got a chance to call Tom to find out "what was up"! Then, without even coming up to the house, he drove off and we haven't seen him since. Wonder how much he wants to get paid for it?! Anyway, that's one of the quirky, wonderful things about living in a small community where word gets out faster than . . . it gets back to your wife! :)

Meanwhile, we are gearing up for my surgery this coming Friday, the 15th. It's amazing how much there is to DO to prepare "ye ol' homestead" for leaving . . . and that's even when someone's coming to stay to look after things in our absence! I am definitely feeling pressured to accomplish everything before we leave on Wednesday for my pre-op appointment. And, since everything's taking place 6 hours away in Minneapolis, once we're gone, that's it until I get to come home!

So, yeah, a complete hysterectomy plus an entire "clean-out" of the endometriosis that has grown into/around in my abdominal cavity. Sounds fun, huh?! But, believe me, after feeling the way I have for TOOOOOO long now, I am SOOOO ready! Bring it on! I don't know what the doctors have in mind, but I plan on coming home on Monday, the 18th . . . or Tuesday, at the latest. I expect we'll know more after the pre-op exam & consult. Tom dug out the walkie-talkies today, and we practiced to make sure they work between the house and garage. That way, he doesn't have to be here in the house the entire time I need him to be home w/ me during recovery . . . he can be "out and about" getting work done in the woodshed or puttering in the garage.

My best girlfriend, who is a PA at the U of M's bone marrow transplant H.O.T. center (Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation), works in the very same building that my surgery will be taking place in, so she'll only be a pager call away for Tom. (Ideal, too, if things get medically confusing and we need someone to translate!)

So, that's the news. Assuming the hospital has wireless (?!), I will update the blog once I'm sitting upright. :)