A big THANK YOU to Derek for taking such amazing wedding photos.  We just received all (4,356) of the originals this past week and the "highlights" already put in an album for us.  You can check out the highlights at: http://dbrittonphotography.com/gallery/annaandjohn/highlights/

Preparing for the Holidays

The holidays are fast approaching.  I have the essential supplies purchased: flour, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, plenty of cinnamon, pumpkin, condensed milk, pecans, and whip cream.  Yay for baking! I will be making my first pecan pie this year for Thanksgiving and am searching for a great recipe.  

I also stopped by Actors Theatre after work today and picked up 8 tickets for "A Christmas Carol".  This is a play I have seen multiple times as a Wahl with the Wahl family...and this year I go as a Brinkworth.  A long-time Louisville holiday tradition, we will be attending this year on Dec. 23, and I'm already looking forward to it. 

The Smell of Fall

Fall on Bayly Ave is so much different than fall in the Lanesville woods.  Yes, there are big trees on our street, whose orange and red leaves are spattering the sidewalks and our tiny front yards.  But the intensity of color and smell is muted in the city.  I am looking forward to my next smell of the woods. 

A Prayer for Uncle Lou

We pray for Uncle Lou and the Kennedys

On Monday, may God guide the surgeon's hand

We pray for a successful surgery

and for a swift recovery

We hope for the best

Uncle Lou has helped heal so many people and has dedicated his career to serving others

We pray now for his own healing

Free Range Humans

Golden

It is hard to imagine that when a tree's chlorophyll begins to be metabolized, the year round color (in this case, yellow) is expressed.

Auxier Ridge

Haystack

Auxier Ridge

First time on Auxier Ridge...wonderful landscape and incredible perspective. Anna took this beautiful photo. Look closely and you may see me looming on the horizon!

Red River Gorge

The Red was in peak color this weekend. We were treated to a beautiful light show this morning and I tried to capture it on film. This is that attempt. More pics will be posted soon! 

Trick or Treat

It was fun being on the opposite side of the door yesterday, handing out candy in our own neighborhood.  Our pumpkin was glowing and the porch light was on, inviting the little dragons and princesses up for trick-or-treat.  A tiny 2-year-old-Elmo was the first to ring our doorbell, with mom close at hand. Big blue eyes stared up at me, and stood out from the bright red costume. We drank festive apple cider beer, and enjoyed the crisp night. We even got a scare from an unknown masked goblin (later found out to be Mitch, my 15 year old brother in law) who lured Johnny outside saying there was a person hiding around the back of our porch.  As Johnny went outside and looked over our porch behind our house, Mitch came towards me acting like he was going to come in the house and get me. I started to pull the storm door shut and Johnny turned around and pulled off the stranger's mask.  For a split second, I really thought this freaky person was going to try to get me, and invade our house.  It was a good laugh when the mask came off. 

Standing All Over Again

Mr. P recognized me as I came into his room for the second time today. A big smile came over his face. He has expressive apahsia, meaning he has all of these coherent thoughts racing through his head, but he can't get the words out (a common impairment for someone who has had a stroke). He remembered what I promised him earlier in the day. Having suffered a stroke a couple days previously, his right side was completely flaccid and the most we had accomplished in our therapy session from the morning was maintaining a midline trunk position while sitting on the side of his bed without my assistance. He frantically had tried to stand, pushing up from the bed and swaying to his weak side....but I deterred him. I didn't have an aide with me and there was no way this guy could stand with just me. 

So, here I came, at the end of my day... very ready to go home but I had promised this guy we would try to stand later. It wasn't pretty, but we got Mr. P standing...looking out from his room at Jewish Hospital, to the traffic on hospital curve, tears were streaming from his face and he tried to hug me and my aide at the same time laughing and crying and grumbling some sounds. It was the purest joy I have seen in a long time. He had hope...and a big challenge ahead of him, but hope. And this is why I love my job. It was SO worth working late for. I won't ever forget his first time standing all over again. 

Braided Bread

Smells of homemade braided bread are wafting through the house.  There is just something about making bread in the fall and winter that appeals the senses.  

I made some bread last night to go along with our chili. Yum. 

The new loaf today will be traveling to Lanesville where we will share it with mom and dad to go along with dinner.  

It is interesting how I use the same recipe each time, but each time the bread is unique..in how long the yeast takes to froth up in the mug in preparation, the time it takes for the dough to double in size, the way I braid it, etc. 

And so we never get tired of homemade bread in the fall. 

And eagerly await the surprise in the oven.

To be enjoyed again and again. 

Knock on our door anytime, and I will be happy to start a loaf just for you.

The happiest day of our lives. Thank you for celebrating with us. 

photo by: Derek Britton

We finally bought 2 pumpkins from a farmer's market down the street from our house.  Carving will take place tonight, and of course, roasting the seeds.

Here is to tradition. 

And to starting new ones of our own.