what a life...

this is going to be a bit of a random post. a lot has happened over the past month, and consequently, i've been a bad blogger. to bring my frustrated readers up to par, i'll write a little medley.

on September 9th (two saturdays ago), after a brief but intense struggle
with end-stage lung cancer, my father passed away at 11:30pm. My little family had gathered with him before he slipped into a coma and finally passed - with no pain - a few hours later. We are doing as well as can be expected, and have been thankful for the time we can spend together.

we had admitted him into an incredibly nice hospice on Friday night, but after Saturday morning it was apparent he wouldnt last much longer. we packed up our overnight bags and camped out for the long haul. it was an amazing experience, and im incredibly grateful for all the prayers and support i recieved over the past weeks.

... i know this is a bit perfunctory, but i dont really know how else to explain it... we're doing ok here... i'm doing ok. :o) it's a good thing - he's in a MUCH better place now.

the funeral is arranged for this saturday, september 23rd at 11am at St. Joseph's Catholic church in Tiffin, Ohio - where Dad grew up. if you'd like to send flowers or a memorial, please email me for more information.

After all of the huge nitty gritties were sorted out, my grandparents (mom's parents) had us over for a night of love, food and comfort. and... a Colonial Kitchen Sink (scroll to bottom of page). The Colonial is an ice cream restaurant within walking distance of my gramma & pop-pop's house. my sis and i used to beg to go there on senior wednesdays so we could enjoy a PBF chipper or an oreo shake. gma & pops would accomodate us on most requested nights, and so on our Night of Need, they "dragged" us over and ordered the biggest, gooiest, ice cream dish they serve: the Kitchen Sink. as indicated, it's everything... including a miniature kitchen sink! boy we needed that... we did some damage to that sucker.

this past weekend, h & i took a bit of a break and drove up to MN for a friend's wedding. Dre & Daniel sure put on an amazing shindig. at the Mill City Museum, we were treated to dancing, hors d'oeuvres and amazing wine. h got to have his high school "reunion" as old friend after old friend were spotted in the small crowd. feeling a bit quiet myself, i sat at a table and took in the sights. i ended up in a very interesting conversation with a guy who looked familiar to me. i couldnt quite place him though...

that is, until he said something about taping a show at the Mall of America. the Mall of America? what show was being taped there? you may ask... i sure did. how about The Food Network Challenge? how about, i was speaking with award-winning pastry chef and emcee Keegan Gerhard. Yes, my shoulders brushed fame yet again. Keegan is a very down-to-earth, passionate guy who knows Daniel (the groom). and, if you share my rediculous addiction to the Food Network, you might know how excited i was to figure this out. [please note that last winter i dragged my pal lauren out on a slushy, freezing night just to have Alton Brown sign my cookbook.] meeting Keegan was definitely a highlight and gave me more respect for my favorite channel.

ok, i'm done gushing... heheh. unless you ask me about it, then i'll gush more!!

and so, dear readers, you are up to date. another week of work. another week of Life. Please, take care and enjoy the Life around you. say a little prayer, laugh a little bit and stop to notice that the tips of the trees are starting to change. it's beautiful out there - enjoy it with me!