When news of the Swine Flu/H1N1 first broke, I got that sickening feeling in my stomach.  I immediately thought of the day I interviewed an infectious disease specialist in Sioux Falls several years ago.  He told me, it's not a matter of if a pandemic flu outbreak happens, it's a matter of when.  Those who know me best, will tell you that I'm a self-professed hypchondriac. A headache brings up suspicions of a brain tumor, a sore muscle could be a blood clot. You get the picture. So when talk of a potential flu pandemic, appeared to be a very real possibility, I started fearing for those I love most. I was especially concerned about the elderly and the very young in my family. Since my fiance' and I are planning a trip to Europe for our honeymoon, I also started envisioning travel restrictions that would keep us from making the trip.

Thankfully, the reality of the situation has not lived up to my over-reaction. I've heard our state and local health experts say that this flu is presenting itself much as a seasonal strain, and that it is very manageable.  I have also been relieved to learn that most people who catch this flu from their families, find they have fewer symptoms than those who were originally exposed.  A news release from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention seems to underscore this point.  Just today, experts have decided that even if a confirmed case of the flu turns up in a school or daycare center, the facility does not have to close its doors.

While it's likely that more cases will still turn up here and there, at this point, it seems the worst might be over.  Even Mexico is calling for a return to normalcy today.  In the end, I think the many precautions and plans that were put into place were well-worth the effort.  Hopefully, it was a learning process for all involved, and has left us better-prepared for any other strain that might rear its ugly head in the years to come.

The last couple of weekends, I have been lucky enough to attend two bridal showers held by my aunts and cousins. These are events I have been looking forward to, almost as much as the wedding itself.  I think it's because the showers make it seem very real, and remind me that the wedding is now only a short time away.

My aunts went all-out for these showers, and I am so grateful to them for making the days so special. But as I was sitting there, soaking it all in, the entire thing seemed so surreal to me. It was like a dream.  I guess that's what happens when you've waited for something for so long, and then it actually comes to pass.

I've actually gone back and read the cards and looked at the gifts, just to remind myself that those showers really happened.  It's not that I don't remember them. I could recall them for you play-by-play, it's just that it seems like I was watching from a distance, not actually in the thick of things. It also seemed like those afternoons passed all too quickly.

I find myself wondering if this is how my wedding day, itself, will be.  I hope not. I hope I'm able to "be in the moment" as much as possible and savor everything that happens. I hope time passes slowly, and doesn't fly by. But everything everyone has told me about their wedding day is that it goes too quickly and is over before you know it.  On a day like that, I can't afford for it to be surreal. Instead, I want it to feel the full brunt of the reality and embrace every second of it.

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I lost my Grandma Rupiper.  She lived a wonderful life and passed away at the age of 91.  While we are all so grateful she was with us as long as she was, her 91 years on earth still didn't make it easy to say good-bye. The way I see it, there were just that many more years to make memories...memories I am doing my best to hold on to in these days since her death.

I find myself thinking back to the home she shared with my Grandpa on the farm.  I remember how she was always very particular about decorating the home, and keeping things nice.  I can see her washing dishes in the sink, and making cookies.  I can even recall the unusual, sweet smell that always seemed to accompany the vacuum when she turned it on.

I've written about this before, but when I was little, my Grandma gave me irises for my birthday.  Each May, I would look forward to them blooming behind my house, because I always knew my birthday was right around the corner. I know I will always see my grandma when I see an iris blooming.

Grandma had a great love for music, and instilled it in all of her 8 children.  She could sit at the piano, with no sheet music in sight and play a boogie tune good enough for the radio.  We always loved when Grandma would play the piano or the organ and I remember often asking her to play for us when we were at their home.

It's funny how even the smallest memories mean so much when you've lost someone. Sometimes I'll be sitting at work, and a quick image of Grandma crosses my mind...her working in her flower beds...her teaching me how to embroider...her looking through gardening magazines. While these memories sometimes bring a tear to my eye, I am quick to embrace them, and hold on to them for all they are worth, knowing those memories will mean all the more on those days I am missing her most.

Today marks the start of spring, but if you took a look around my house, you'd think it's still February.  I've blogged before about how I like to keep my house decorated for the seasons.  Because I hate taking down my Christmas decorations, I get myself through the winter months by leaving a few snowmen around the place.  By the time Valentine's Day rolls around, I have a mixture of hearts and snowmen remaining, but usually take everything down by March.

That's not the case this year. Somehow, I've gotten behind. Maybe I could chalk it up to the wedding planning that's at a fever pitch. Regardless, when I heard Phil Schreck announce that today is the start of spring, it was a real wake-up call for me.  Where are my Easter eggs and springtime wreaths? Still in the closet. I'm sure those snowmen figurines around my house are thinking I forgot about them.

Thank goodness it's supposed to be a fairly nice weekend. It will be the perfect weather to get me in the mood for adding a little springtime to my decor and putting away those winter decorations until the snow flies!