Where have I been?

sorry i haven't posted in a while... i guess not a lot has been happening... or consider this, maybe a lot has been happening and it is too good to post on the internet for all to read, or maybe just nothing is happening.... the dojo is getting sided, so that is good, but our general contractor (my stepdad) is out of town for my great aunt's funeral, so going is slow... my great aunt helen was 90 and went quietly in her sleep... so although it is sad, she had a good long life and then peacefully went home...
i guess the new year is going well so far... i didn't officially make any resolutions and if i did, which i didn't, but if i did, i wouldn't post them here, because resolutions, although meant well, are often abandoned or failed by january week 2 and that is like two days from now and i hate to admit defeat, so....
i'm adding a few pics... hope you enjoy.
that is our new floor in the background of the second pic, nice, right? also, marina looks about the same (minus the curley hair), but wow, cadence sure has changed from pic one to pic two!!!!