Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Long over due...

Well, life has been a wonderful combination of busy, fun, and full of change! I'm so happy for a quiet moment to try and catch up with life.
So where did I leave off...
Winter has been wonderful so far (although I"ve been feeling quite cold lately and wishing spring would come soon). It started when Andy's sister got married in November. It was a small wedding at their home with a few family members and friends. I had the wonderful honor of being there photographer (something I'm just starting to get interested in and hope that I can do more of in the future). It was a beautiful evening and a very meaningful celebration.
Christmas came and went very quickly, but we were happy to have several excuses to eat delicious meals, drink too much wine, and laugh late into the night at several family and friend gatherings during the season.
The new year brought a new and amazing job opportunity. Andy's sister owns a hair salon in a beautiful renovated historic home. To make a long story short, I have helped her to open a spa to complement the salon. I am working as a massage therapist there and it has been a great experience in the short time that we have been open. All I can say is that this job was an answer to prayers in several different ways and it feels good to feel like you are right where you belong doing exactly what you should be doing.
Andy was very busy in January because he was asked to be a part of an exciting theater project and performed just last weekend. He played the part of the Lieutenant in a lovely play called "The Gypsy and The General." He really enjoyed reconnecting with old friends through the project, including one of his classmates (Ryan U.) from LISPA. Right now, Andy is in Duluth directing a show for the Duluth Playhouse that will be performed at the end of March.
Our family went through a major changes just last week when we grieved the death of my maternal grandmother. She was the last of that generation in our family. She was an amazing woman who inspired and cared for many during her lifetime. I can't even express how much she will be missed.
So, that is the list of recent events. I have included some photos of winter on the farm as well as several from the wedding. I was so worried about experiencing a Minnesota winter after getting used the winters on London. Although it can be painfully cold some days (sometimes as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit when you include something called "wind chill factor"), but I can actually say that I have enjoyed the winter. On a very regular basis, I am witness to so many beautiful things in the world around me. Some examples...one day there was a frozen mist in the air and it created the illusion of two rainbows shining on either side of the sun. One day I woke up and absolutely everything was covered in a thick white frost, sparkly and bright. And as I experienced many times in my childhood, we had some wonderful heavy snows and at night it is gorgeous because the street lights are a kind of orange color that fills the sky as it reflects on the snow. And one of the coolest things has been driving with the lights off because the moon is so bright that when it reflects off of the snow, it's almost like daylight. (Just a disclaimer, I don't usually drive with my lights off, but I did get a little crazy and try it for about 30 seconds) I wish I could show you pictures of all these breathtaking moments, but maybe it is better to just imagine them.
We are feeling at home, our life is full of good things and sweet people. We send our love out to all those sweet people and hope you are each well.
Peace, Mandy

The salon and spa where I work



winter on the farm











Christmas images






wedding pics















No comments: