Category Archives: Family

Miss You, Dad

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I always was a Daddy’s Girl.

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Hard to believe it’s been 18 years since my Dad took his own life. At the Catholic Church. On All Saint’s Day.

The adult in me understands that he likely suffered from bipolar disorder, and that he was in a very dark place. The adult in me sees that he did the best he could with what he had.

Tent camping in British Columbia, 1973

My Dad passed on his love of camping, despite being a City Boy himself.


But the little girl in me? She misses her Daddy. Who never met my husband. Who never saw me knit or make hats. Who never saw me play hockey (and I know he would have loved to see that!)

Suicide sucks. And I miss my Dad.

People Are Awesome (and an Andy Update)

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It’s been over 5 weeks since Andy’s bicycle accident and his subsequent clavicle surgury.

Since then, we’ve been blessed with amazing support from family, friends & hat folks alike. It’s been humbling to be on the receiving end of such generosity, but we are most grateful.

Andy is feeling better by the day. His pain levels are minimal, but he’s getting antsy about all the projects he can’t yet work on.

Today, help came from 1.5 hours away in the form of 3 friends.

Roughly 5 cords of firewood, piled next to our garden, awaits stacking in our barn.

Roughly 5 cords of firewood, piled next to our garden, awaits stacking in our barn.

Friends who brought work gloves & a spare wheelbarrow. Friends willing to tackle stacking the 5 cords of fire wood we burn each winter.

Friends who didn’t mind doing some heavy lifting so we could rid our porch of an old clothes dryer & wood stove, in preparation of tearing that porch down (later this summer).

Nor did they mind helping load up, deliver & unload the 24 bundles of Western Red Cedar shingles Andy will use to re-side the back of our house (eventually).

6 Square Western Red Cedar Shingles in Bundles.

600 square feet of Western Red Cedar Shingles… Another project for another day!

The work done around our house was a huge help. No doubt about it.

But the good cheer these friends brought Andy (who’s struggling with the boredom involved with his slow recovery) was immeasureable!

Four friends enjoy a late lunch at the picnic table Andy built for my birthday, beneath the shade of our old apple tree.

Boys lunch at the picnic table Andy built for my birthday, beneath the shade of our old apple tree.

Happily, with New Hampshire Spring now in full swing, I was able make lots of roast asparagus for lunch, with plenty enough to send home with the guys.

Asparagus Bed in Full Production

Located just to the right of the picnic table, our asparagus bed is in full production now.

With 2 more weeks still to go until Andy gets his wrist cast removed, today’s visit was a tremendous gift.

(He’ll get new collarbone x-rays then, so we’ll learn more about his return-to-work timeline shortly.)

People can be so Awesome! We are truly grateful.

A double Inuksuk sculpture presides over our asparagus bed in Canaan, New Hampshire.

Andy’s double Inuksuk sculpture presides over our asparagus beds.

After all, there are only so many rock sculptures my impatient Patient can build for the garden…

Thank you, friends! We owe you all. Big Time.

Clavicle Surgery Update & Our Sincere Thanks

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At Andy’s appointment with the orthopedic doctor (following his serious bike wreck ten days ago), we learned that, while most collar bone fractures heal on their own, his was more severe.

We scheduled surgery to screw a titanium plate to his clavicle the very next day.

It was supposed to last 1 – 1.5 hours, but went 2.5 hours, because the break was (according to the surgeon) “pretty nasty.” And instead of it being a same-day procedure, Andy was kept overnight, due to low post-op oxygen saturation plus high pain levels.

It was a stressful situation. I don’t like seeing my Sweet Man hurt. It’s hard to feel so powerless to help. But thanks to the wonder of the internet, we didn’t have to go through it alone.

We’ve been comforted by the support of family & friends, who’ve not only sent well wishes, but have purchased hat gift certificates and hat kits.

And we’ve been touched by the caring of relative strangers, who blogged and tweeted concern for our plight, asking others to spread the word.

Thank you all. So much. It means the world to us.

Andy with organic sunflower grown on Gabriola Island, BC, July 2003.

Andy with organic sunflower grown on Gabriola Island, BC, July 2003.

And to the friends who’ve fed us, lent us your shower (Andy was in the midst of redoing our upstairs bathroom before his accident), and come to help fix our plumbing – We owe you. Big time.

We are forever grateful.