Since my sister in law and her family moved to California shortly after my oldest niece was born, I've missed many birthdays, both my niece's and nephew's. I know that soon they'll both be too old to have any interest in having their boring old aunt crash their birthday party, so I've talked about making a birthday trip for years. This year, with no major plans late in the summer, Andy and I were finally able to make it down to California to attend our niece's 5th birthday party. As a happily childless adult, a 5th birthday party was an overwhelming occasion, although my sister-in-law's genius plan to rent a bounce house for the party kept most of the craziness contained. Happily, our visit was long enough that we also had time to just enjoy relaxing with family. As always, the trip made me dream of the future, when their family will be back in Washington and we can spend time together whenever we want!
Read moreLife: Week 31
After yet another week of hot temps at home, I was happy for another weekend escape - this time up into the mountains. Friday night after work, I headed east to join my parents at their cabin, and after a short drive I was greeted with a mai tai and a dinner of homemade tamales. Since Sunday was my dad's birthday, I baked my all-time favorite cake for dessert. Growing up, my dad's birthdays were always celebrated at the family cabin, and his birthday cakes - baked in a wood burning oven - always managed to be both burnt and undercooked. This cake, baked with an intentionally jiggly middle, seemed like the perfect homage to the cakes my grandmother baked in that old oven. In place of a birthday candle, my mom lit a match to stick in the cake, and amusing and convenient substitution - perhaps a new cabin birthday tradition?
Read moreLife: Week 30
We've reached the depths of summer - days when it's too hot for much beyond hiding in the shade with a cold beer. I'm just not built for long periods of hot weather, and when the temperature climbs over 80° for too long, my brain starts to turn to mush. By the weekend, I was desperate to escape our stuffy apartment so after work on Friday, Andy and I fled to Whidbey Island. Thankfully we found the cabin breezy and significantly cooler than our apartment, leaving me with the energy for several long rambles along the beach and through the neighborhood near the cabin. On the beach there were pretty shells tiny crustaceans to poke at, and up above the bluff, the road was lined with blackberries ripe for snacking. After a Saturday lunch in Langley and a stop at my favorite bookstore (where I picked up this gem), Andy and I spent the afternoon drinking wine and reading in the dappled sun on the deck. While an escape for the weekend made a nice break, I keep dreaming of having the time to spend a whole week on Whidbey, to really let the peace of the island soak in - and maybe even finish reading a book or two!
Read moreLife: Week 29
After the stress and excitement of last week, Andy and I took it easy, spending a quiet week at home. The hot weather we've had recently has turned me into a homebody, but over the weekend I did manage to get out of the apartment a few times. Ever since getting hooked on my cousins new plant blog, I've been itching to make a trip to my local nursery for a few houseplants. With a quiet weekend close to home, I finally had the opportunity to pick up a few new bits of greenery, including a curly spider plant (already safely stowed out of the reach of my cat, who mowed the last one down to a nub) a prayer plant and a beautifully variegated pothos. Now to see if I can manage to keep them alive despite my previous less than exemplary record with houseplants. Over the weekend, I also made a stop at my favorite knitting store to pick up yarn for a new sweater, because what sounds better in 90 degree weather than sitting under a pile of wool. Mistakes were made, but I'll definitely be happy when I have a new sweater just in time for cool fall weather!
Read moreLife: Week 28
This week had some ups and downs. In the middle of the week, our kitty wound up spending a few days at the emergency vet with a bladder blockage. He's doing great now, but we had a stressful (and expensive) couple of days that almost led to me cancelling plans for a weekend camping at Mt Rainier for the Alpine Trails Book Club adventure. Thankfully Andy convinced me that a weekend away was just what I needed, and I'm so grateful he did. Instead of sulking at home, I spent a weekend in Paradise in the company of the most wonderful group of women. It's amazing to me that the combination of books and hiking seems to draw in such a diverse group of like-minded people. Over the weekend, I discovered many other passions I share with some or all of the ladies, and while discussing tea over breakfast, one woman mentioned she packs china teacups with her on hikes to up her backcountry tea drinking experience - something I'm totally going to copy! Somehow, we also managed to squeeze in three hikes over the course of our two days in the park, all of which were spectacular in their own unique way. I'll write more about the weekend soon, but it's certainly safe to say that Andy was right - the weekend was the perfect cure for several stressful days spent worrying about a sick pet!
Read more