2013 - A Year In Review - Part One

This is a tough one!  For me, 2013 was filled with joy, sorrow, trials and tribulations.  Hmmm..sounds like LIFE!  Fortunately, I'm the one who can pick and choose what I can write in this post, accentuate the positive, eliminate (skip over or diminish) some happenings that went on during the last year.  Here is just "the tip of the iceberg".

Ouch....that had to hurt!

Perhaps, this should have been an omen of things to come.  A screw!    This was implanted into my mother's foot/ankle to stabilize a problem after enduring several surgeries to correct it, this was her souvenir.  She appears to be doing better but favors that foot.

soup

lamb curry

February, because of the frigid Winter,  was spent mostly concocting more hearty dishes like soups and stews.  This is primarily a Food Blog so I need to mention food in a few paragraphs!  The main attraction was, however, my son as the host of Lake Tahoe TV!  Great job...a natural performer!  He stepped in from his behind the scenes position, that was Director, Producer, set design, etc, etc.

Mr. Lake Tahoe TV

In March we celebrated my mother's 83rd birthday!  We are blessed to have both of my parents here, and relatively healthy at that!  And in April, my dad turned 84....hooray!

83 candles!

French onion soup for grandma's birthday

Our house guest in February and April....Lulu

Along with much better Spring weather May started the BUSY season.  Tending to flowers, planting in my yard and my parents yard (the wedding reception site), a fun trip to Sacramento with future daughter-in-law for a wedding dress fitting,  A birthday celebration, Mother's day, and welcoming my brother as he moved back from a short stint in Montana.  Another fun time was digging up the septic tank lid....what??  Yes, you read that right, but no, it wasn't something we'd want to do again anytime soon!  Okay, that month made me tired!

Beautiful almost daughter-in-law...she said yes to the dress!

My May flowers never let me down

A wildflower walk in the forest

Digging up a large portion of our yard for septic tank.

June was equally a whirlwind.  Getting closer to the wedding day we planted more flowers, went to the Rodeo, planted sod in parent's backyard for reception, and decided to go forward with a family room/extra bathroom/guest bedroom remodel/makeover.  I guess I've been watching too much HGTV, huh?

Planting sod for the wedding reception

Part Two of my 2013 Year in Review will be in the near future!  It gets better and worse!  Stay tuned....