Baby It's Cold Outside!

Polar Vortex... Artic Blast...

It may be crazy cold, but how amazing is this pic?

Michael Davies is the intrepid photographer,

tossing tea on the Tundra in Canada in a -40 degree deep freeze!

Beauty for this day.

Yet so mindful of the dangerously brutal cold...

Prayers for every one facing winter's icy grip,

may you be surrounded by love and warmth and kept safe through the storm.

Graced to know that Spring is coming!

My Love, Always,

             Jane

Balancing Hope with the Harshest Reality...

In the world of inoperable pancreatic cancer, there is the hard walk of balancing Hope with the harsh reality of a terminal diagnosis...

And how do you ever find your footing, let alone Hope, when this diagnosis causes such devastating anguish?  It's just too hard...

Yes.  We've been there.  Tears and sorrow and anger and grief... they all vied for top billing during those initial dark days and weeks.

It was mom who pulled it together and lead us all to a place of life and joy and hope.  One of her favorite quotes was from the Olympic skater, Apolo Anton Ohno,

"Winning does not always mean coming in first... real victory is in arriving at the finish line with no regrets because you know you've gone all out."

Yes... we wanted to win... desperately!  For us, winning meant bringing mom through the other side of this fight a cancer survivor.   But "winning" began to take on a different shape as Mom determined to live her one life with no regrets, to go all out... in love, in action, in mercy, in grace.

These became our defining moments during her year long battle with pancreatic cancer.  And yes, choosing to live completely sold out to the people we cherished most, offered a truer Hope than I could have ever imagined.

Whatever you are going through this night... whether it is a test of love or faith, a challenge named cancer, or divorce; the misery of a child lost to addiction, the harsh reality of financial despair...

Whatever it is, may you turn your face to the Light and find Hope carved out of the Devastation... it is there.  He is there.  Learning to trust with the Psalmist,  "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.  Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken." Psalm 62:5-6

It is the only way to balance Hope in the midst of the Harshest Reality.

Resting in Grace tonight,
My Love, Always,
                                           Jane

Does the Ketogenic Diet Live up to all the Hype?

It's a New Year... and in our neck of the woods there are more resolutions being made than you can shake a stick at... and most of them include some form of the word "diet."  It's true!  We always end the holidays in a sugar coma, ready to get healthy in the New Year!

And for many, that diet will be some variation of the Ketogenic Diet.  It has made a big splash in the Health and Nutrition world this past year.

The Ketogenic Diet is not new to those looking for an alternative Cancer Nutritional weapon.  We've had our eye on it for several years now as a potential aid in the cancer fight, sharing about it here and here and here...

We've held on to Hope that it might be that breakthrough for those in treatment for pancreatic cancer.  And Clinical Trials have also put muscle in to that fight.

But... the truth is that the Ketogenic Diet has not lived up to all the hype.

Chris Wark shares the results so much better than I could here at The Evidence Against the Ketogenic Diet.

In a nutshell, the Ketogenic plan is a diet composed of no carbohydrates, high fats and moderate amounts of protein.  It is designed to put your body into ketosis, which helps a person lose weight...

And it was a diet everyone hoped would be able to starve out the cancer cells and turn the tide on this all out war again pancreatic cancer.

Chris outlines study after study that refutes the basic premise of that hope.

The Ketogenic diet not only did not cure any cancers, it actually sped up some cancer growth in a 2017 research study.

In December of 2018, a comprehensive study determined that the Ketogenic diet in cancer therapy largely failed to prove survival prolonging effects.

And that is a very discouraging update for the first of this year... and that's the truth.

Rather than chasing after fad diets and crazy trends,we find ourselves coming back to the Whole-Food, Plant-Based diet over and over again.  And that is entirely Encouraging... for weight loss, for health benefits... and for New Year's Resolutions!

Always conscious of the responsibility we bear on this journey together.  Please, please consult with your medical team before embarking on any nutritional or dietary change.

It is our Hope to find the tools with which best to fight this nightmare of a cancer.  One day soon we will be rejoicing with loved ones over cancers cured... And that is the heartbeat of this girl's heart, my New Year's wish and fervent prayer!

My Love,
Always,
            Jane

Our Lake Place Update... 2018

Here's our annual State of the Union address from the Lake... {smile}

Last year saw the Log-Raising of our gorgeous little cabin in the woods! 

The Satterwhite Log Home crew rode in, transformed that pile of logs into a house and left in a record 18 days!  

Then it was our turn!  Yikes!  Time to finish out the interior... it may be taking us a tad longer than 18 days! Lol!

But never fear, we're making progress!  Slow progress, but it's progress!!  2018 saw the completion of so many projects!  And there are pictures... of course!

When the log crew left, the first job was to get that roof shingled!

The view from the top isn't bad...

That's Lake Texoma in the distance.

Next up... cleaning the construction debris and salvaging what we could use for future projects and burning the rest ;-)

Inside work began soon after the Satterwhite crew left... the Plumber came in for the Stack Out Phase.  He'll be back when it's time to install the sinks, tubs, toilets and hot water heater.  For now, things are roughed into place.

Alongside the plumber, came the electrical wiring...

And one of my favorite projects... the Gable Windows!

Satterwhite's homes come with all doors and windows,

except for the custom windows.

We chose Red River glass for the Gables and couldn't be happier!

Love, Love, Love!

And in the midst of all that construction mess,

one of our fall blooming Irises graced us with this beauty!

Staining the concrete floors was next...

who knew it would be so hard to pick a color!

The winner was Loden and the helpers were just the best!  Couldn't have done it without you!

(Thank you for not shooting me on the spot... back breaking work times ten!)

But the results... Love!

Next up... the spray foam insulation... when it was all said and done it felt like we were standing inside a big, white, fluffy marshmallow!  Lol!

Once the logs were in place, it was crucial to get them cleaned, preserved and sealed quickly.

We chose to keep the clean, light look of the wood and used a clear sealer on the inside, each log was sanded, wiped down and then brushed with primer and sealer...

Remember how hard dreams can be?  Yes!

But so very worth the wait!

And once the inside walls were sealed, it was on to the outside!

Here we are, the fabulous Exterior Log Wall cleaning crew...

time to scrub those logs and get them ready for the staining and chinking!

Cami was quite suspicious of the water and the hoses...

never could convince her to join us!

But this little helper was the best...

And then after working so hard, she decided we needed a selfie...

Scrunch down, she said!  

Love her happy little soul we do!

Another decision time... picking stain colors...

And the winner is... Stone Gray!

Two coats, sprayed on and brushed in.

Then came the chinking...

We chose the Smoky Mountain log profile from Satterwhite.  This log comes with a scribed chinking line.  After staining the logs, the chinking is then painted on.  We get the look, as well as the tight, secure log wall we need.  Perfect! 

And finally, the clear coat sealer!  

Hallelujah!  Exterior log walls are done!! Yay!

But not so fast... the cedar trim is just waiting for its turn!

Time for staining of all the cedar trim...

Now we're done with the Exterior work!

Next project was the kitchen cabinetry.

We ordered the cabinets from Ikea and they arrived...

unassembled... in 88 boxes!

Yikes!

Farmer husband had a moment... but he is so patient with my dreams!

{Love him to pieces}

Cami gave up after an hour and found herself a box to nap in... grin

Ta Da!  One down, only ten to go!

Add in a little white shiplap and the kitchen is starting to come together!

While the kitchen was taking shape, the Hvac crew was busy setting the furnace and all the ductwork...

Our next project was interior trim for the doors and windows.

Each piece was cut to fit, edges routered smooth, and sanded,

then the meticulous job of priming and sealing began!

Worth every minute once they were all in place...

It's beginning to look like a real home!

One of the things we were most excited about was the woodstove...

we got it installed just in time for the Christmas festivities!

We not only love the look, but also the warmth...

that little stove can heat the whole cabin!

It's starting to look like a real house...

Landscaping is slated for this Spring!

Can't wait!

Whewww!  We have done a lot this last year!

Sometimes in the middle of the hard and the sweat,

you lose sight of the ground gained!

We haven't moved in yet... there's still much to do, but the projects are a joy to this dreamer.  One day soon we will cross the threshold and call it home!

Ceilings of sunny aspen and magnificent concrete countertops are up next... Stay tuned!