Knitting. This week, that's what my life was. Outside the time I spent working, nearly every waking moment was spent in a desperate scramble to finish all the handknit Christmas gifts I'd planned. I knit in the morning, I knit at night, and on a couple of days I even knit through my lunch break. In between all the knitting, I did manage to find time for a well timed brunch with one of my oldest friends. The weather was even nice enough to walk - at least at the time we left home. Andy and I definitely found ourselves walking home in some unfortunately cold and soggy conditions. Then again, we did find some pink blossoms on a poor confused cherry tree in our apartment complex, so perhaps the weather has been more vernal than I’ve noticed.
Read moreLife: Week 49
While I loved our non-traditional Christmas tree last year, I’m so glad that this year, Andy and I once again had time for our annual Christmas Tree Hunt! It’s one of the few holiday traditions that Andy enjoys, and even with him working crazy amounts of overtime, he was able to make time for our snowy expedition. While it had dumped snow in the mountains after Thanksgiving, it hadn't really snowed much since, so Andy and I weren't sure what to expect. It turned out that the snow along Smithbrook Road was so well packed that we didn't even need snowshoes. Our tree hunt was much quicker than usual, even with Andy's stepsister's young kids in the group, because it turns out it's much easier to pick a tree when you don't have to shake off tons of wet snow off multiple trees to find the right one! After we all had our trees securely tied down for the trip home, we headed just a little further east for lunch at the newly reopened 59er Diner. After hauling our tree home, getting it into the stand proved more of a challenge than we’d expected, since our tree was a good foot too tall! After some careful trimming, we managed to get the tree in place, and made a careful note for the future that with 1-2 feet of snow on the ground, any tree taller than me should be avoided!
Read moreLife: Week 47
As usual, fall has absolutely flown by, and somehow Thanksgiving completely snuck up on me! Happily I at least found the time to make my chipotle cranberry sauce and brussels sprouts in time for the family dinner. I’ve only been making them for a few years, but it already feels like it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them! After stuffing ourselves on the holiday itself, Andy had to work Friday, while I’d had plans to get an early start for a short hike in the morning. After a terrible night’s sleep (probably due to the huge amount of food my body was struggling to digest!) I decided to take it easy for the morning, burrowed into a nest of blankets, knitting, and books the couch. Saturday, Andy and I packed up and headed east, through the recently snow-dusted mountains. The frosted hills and marshmallowy trees made me itch to run home and dig out my snowshoes. With a second Thanksgiving to celebrate in Wenatchee, there wasn’t time on this trip, but fingers crossed for a good snowy adventure soon!
Read moreLife: Week 52
Thanks to the winter wonderland that magically descended on Puget Sound on Christmas Eve, Andy and I got a late start getting to my parents on Christmas Day. By the time we made it there, my two-year-old niece was anxious to break into the huge pile of presents under the tree. Happily, one of her presents was perfect for the snowy day - her first pair of skis! After opening gifts, we dashed outside for some easy skiing and general frolicking in the snow. Since I had December 26th off as well, I got a bonus day off to enjoy the winter wonderland before it all melted away. I took advantage of the day with a long walk on the Powerline Trail, brilliant in its snowy glory.
Read moreLife: Week 51
I've always loved the magic of Christmas, but as my nieces and nephew grow, their excitement over the holiday has made Christmas exponentially more fun. Over the course of the week, we made gingerbread trains, read lots of new books, and on Christmas Eve, we even got a fresh dusting of snow to play in! I can't remember the last time we had snow on Christmas in Seattle, and while it certainly made it more of a challenge around, we had a great time walking through the dark snowy streets of my mother-in-law's neighborhood. Since she lives most of the way up a steep hill, we also participated in the Seattle spectator sport of watching adventurous (or reckless) drivers sliding around in failed attempts to get up or down the treacherous hill. Waiting for the road conditions to improve also meant we got to stay up late, spending extra time playing card games with Andy's family. While being stranded by the weather is always a little stressful, it's also fun to forget the concerns of everyday life for a few hours and feel cut off from the greater world. I always appreciate an opportunity to play games, share a drink, and watch the snow fall.
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