B in The Big Easy

Beth was in New Orleans this week for work. She had a great time with the HBI Safety Board, as always! In addition to working on safety stuff, we celebrated Safety Sam's retirement. Here are a few of her "take-aways":

• Mother's fried chicken is AMAZING (even though, to our dismay, we ate amidst Mother's mice....luckily that was on our last day)
• The bread pudding is also delish!
• I must have gained at least 2 or 3 lbs while in the Big Easy (obviously due to the fried chicken and bread pudding!)
• Bourbon Street is not her thing
• Watch where you step while on Bourbon Street...or wear closed-toe shoes!
• It was a ghost town on Thursday....people were evacuating in prep for Gustav....we hope they are spared this time around
• It's stinky there.....

Bourbon St:

Mother's infamous bread pudding:















The French Quarter:






































New Orleans skyline from hotel:

B's New Hobby

I finished my first sewing class last week! I learned the basics by making a tote and a pair of PJs. I loved the class and can't wait to make more stuff! Now I just need to buy a machine of my own :-)

Andy in Switzerland

Andy was in Switzerland last week for work. He flew into Zurich and stayed in Bern, the capitol. He really enjoyed his time there. Here are a few of his "take-aways":

• You don't need a car (train system goes everywhere)
• The people were very friendly....and his clients were among the smartest he's taught yet
• Guiness was much better there....like drinking a milkshake!
• The chocolate is AMAZING
• The Marlboro cigarettes are gross, but everyone smokes!
• Everything is more expensive
• Dinner is a much slower, social experience

The Roof Is On!

We stopped by the house today after another week of building. Progress continues!

OBX - Avon from the Upper Deck

OBX - Oats on the Dune

OBX - On My Morning Run

OBX - Celebrating the First Day!

OBX - A Storm is Brewing!

OBX!

Last week we were in the OBX for the annual trip with the Young fam. We had a wonderful time just relaxing on the beach and eating lots of yummy seafood! Here's a picture of the guys wuith their catch(es) of the day! More pics to come.

All in a Week!

We were by the house again after a week and a few days...and look at the progress!! It's coming along.....

The House....Progress

There has been some progress recently on the house! The foundation is up and they are starting to build walls! Ours garage is the one all the way to the left, which opens into our future kitchen, with the basement below.

What's In A Name?

I've been sending lots of pictures lately via email - uploading, downloading, resending, etc.... So I was thinking, what a better time to start a blog!

Through the Looking Glass was the name I chose for a couple of reasons:

1. First, "looking glass" = mirror. I was thinking this would be somewhat of a mirror/reminder of where we (Andy and I) have been since things get quite crazy. It's also a quick way for fam and friends to get a quick update!
2. Second, Through the Looking Glass = a book by Lewis Carroll (same guy who wrote Alice in Wonderland). In the book the looking-glass world is divided into sections by brooks, with the crossing of each brook usually signifying a notable change. This reminds me of our life lately....and what a better place to record and share it than here!

I hope you enjoy!