Read TIME

TIME magazine's feature article this week is on stem cell research. Granted, the topic discussed is not the same as the process Evan underwent, but the ongoing research holds promise for so many diseases. While waiting for Evan one day, I met a woman whose husband had received umbilical cord stem cells. "Isn't it amazing? We never even considered what happened to cord blood and now it has saved my husband's life." Amazing, indeed.

Evan is back and forth between Minneapolis and Milladore quite often. He had an appointment this morning and has another on Tuesday. So far, so good. He's getting anxious to return to work. We don't know when that will happen yet, but whenever it does, he'll certainly be ready. In the meantime, he uses his time for lots of reading and is doing a fair bit of cooking and planning on how he will use those crazy hounds of his. All of this is good; Evan is hungry for something besides peanut butter and grilled cheese again. As for his crazy hounds, their recent recreation of chasing calves and making cattle break through fences which means Paul has to chase cattle back in again and fix fences in subzero temperatures brings about frequent mention of lead diets for them. Picture the Bumpus hounds and you've met Josie and Amos. They're still pups -- very cute and very naughty -- and Evan's pride and joy. They are, according to him, the start of his Leopard Hound breeding line. Paul and I both wish him a long and successful run at the dog breeding business -- somewhere else!

Paul and Ned are working on getting wood cut today to keep Evan's firewood customers supplied. A pretty cold winter for them to have to keep up with that job. And, of course, they also have to supply our firewood and grandma's. We're not getting rich around here, but we're certainly never out of work. My job took a lot of hours this week, but today is one for baking and making soup. A batch of cookies and one of nephew Joel's monster chickens in the pot just seemed like a good way for me to do my part in keeping the home front warm. My key will work in the office door again tomorrow.