It may still technically be fall, but it's certainly feeling like winter! Lately, most days we've had frost that lingers well into the afternoon. We even had snow at home on Thursday, although I was in Oakland for work at the time. It was a busy trip with very little time for sightseeing, but I did manage to find time for coffee at my favorite Oakland coffee roaster. After spending most of the week away from home, I was looking forward to getting home early enough to have time to unwind from the trip before bed. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed for over 3 hours for no obvious reason. It was beyond frustrating to have end up stuck at the airport for such a long time. Thankfully I had a good book with me, and after getting some dinner - a long with a very large drink - I found a quiet place to read while waiting for my flight to finally leave.
Read moreLife: Week 48
It gets dark so early these days. Somehow work has managed to stay busy, even though we should be well into our holiday season lull, so I've mostly been cooped up inside, especially during daylight hours. To compensate for all the darkness, I've been burning lots of candles, and even finally got around to using the pretty glass oil lamps we inherited from Andy's grandparents. I had my annual holiday craft party on Sunday, where I get together with friends to watch Christmas movies and work on our various craft projects. That meant spending most of Saturday baking and cleaning in preparation. I baked cookies, the Winning Hearts and Minds cake, and my favorite - pulla. Pulla is a Finnish cardamom bread that my family has had every year at Christmas for as long as I can remember. Instead of cookies for Santa, my sister and I would leave a plate of pulla. Last year, I didn't have the time to make pulla at all, so I'm enjoying it even more this year! I might even have time to make another batch before Christmas!
Read moreLife: Week 47
So much eating! Andy and I had not one but two Thanksgivings this year, and both times, I ate so much that I wasn't really hungry until late afternoon the next day. It's been along time since I've eaten that much rich food. At this point I feel like I need to eat nothing but salads for a month to feel like myself again. Since I've got nothing but holiday parties, travel, and visits with family on all my weekends until the new year, I don't think I'll get much of a reprieve until then. I guess in the meantime I'll just have to enjoy the cakes, pies, cookies, roasts, and gravy while I can. Maybe by Christmas, I can get the hang of taking smaller portions of everything so I don't end up with such a heaping plateful of food at every meal. Still, there are much worse problems to have than too much good food!
Read moreLife: Week 46
The trees are nearly bare and winter feels like it's right around the corner, even though it's nearly a month away. This week, I had time to get outside a few times to enjoy the crisp, gorgeous fall weather we've had recently. It gets dark so early these days, and for the past weeks it's been I haven't been able to finish work until well after dark. It's been wonderful to finally have time for a walk during daylight hours again. Equally wonderful was getting to sleep in Saturday morning, and after a lazy morning at home, trying out brunch at a new restaurant in the area. Sunday morning, we were up early for an Alpine Trails Book Club hike. It rained the entire time we were on the trail, but we still had a great time. We even managed to find a mostly dry spot under the trees to eat our lunch. After a cold, wet hike, we were happy to warm up with pizza and beer at a new brewery on our way home!
Read moreLife: Week 45
A still life of pre-election optimism. That bottle of champagne remains unopened. The bourbon is long gone.
This was a tough week. It was a struggle to resist my urge to burrow into a little nest on my couch and not leave. After a few days of being a complete homebody, I did manage to get outside for one short walk which helped give me some much needed perspective. On that walk, I remembered that while I cannot personally control the outcome of national elections, there are things I can do that make a difference. I can continue to volunteer my time to aid organizations fighting to protect wilderness and trails. I can contribute to organizations that provide assistance to those less fortunate than me. To keep myself motivated and inspired, I can continue to get outside as often as time permits. Whether it takes the form of short walks in the neighborhood or long hikes in the mountains and along the coast, time outdoors restores me. I hope that my efforts, and the efforts of others like me, are enough to protect these restorative places. I think we're all going to need an escape over the years to come!
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