It was last May when our friends, Shel and Kristi, dug a hole behind their Thomas Avenue home in South Minneapolis.Last night Kristi stirred the pot as her famous spicy soup simmered in the new kitchen/dining/den. The backsplash tile looked terrific, the old kitchen has been converted to a pantry and hallway and the big refrig was tucked back into the wall in a way that made it look like a brand-new appliance.
Everything looked good, including the evening's guests, Dave and Nancy, Kerstin and Mike, Stan and Kathleen.
It has been a summer of decisions for S & K Inc. Tile choices, wood finishes, windows, moulding, ceiling heights, paint chips. (You can click on these photos to enlarge them.)
Now their work is done and it's beautfiul. 
The wooden floor flows nicely from the old space to the new; the cherry trim throughout sets off the fireplace in the super-insulated addition that will provide a cozy retreat. . . when the rug, and the furniture, and the wall art arrive.
For now, Shel's graduation picture kept steady vigil on the mantel, watching the action in this new friendly place. It is a very social set up, has a nice gathering appeal. You can watch the action in the kitchen, and enjoy a glass and conversation at the same time.
There's an unfinished space below the addition with some unspecified future plans.
There was no poker last night; lots of chat, some football. English summer guests at the Anderson lake home had just sent a sparkling photo book that created a lot of interest. And then Shel and Stan roughed out plans for their upcoming hiking trip to the fjords in Narvik in Norway, scheduled to occur sometime before Stan dies.
Shel will publish two books in December and handed Stan an unedited complimentary copy. The exact title escapes. Something about political science vis-a-vis international relations. Stan will post a book report here the day he finishes it. Meanwhile, Dave's contract book project for the Minneapolis Park Board should be finished off before Dave is, 
but that still may be a close call, with prop bets being taken. At any rate, there are some huge book-signing parties coming up. We wondered how Randy is doing in LA with the writer's strike and all. Should people our age really be out there on the picket line? Is he ever allowed to write home?
Hopefully, we'll find out come Christmas time.
