This was a week of brisk, foggy mornings, leaf strewn sidewalks, and warm, sunny afternoons. While I found few opportunities during the week to get outside and enjoy the lovely glorious fall weather, I did manage to fill my weekend with plenty of time outdoors. Headed to the Iron Goat trailhead Saturday morning for a early start to meet my book club group for our October hike, I witnessed one of the most magically misty mornings I’ve seen in years. Low clouds hung heavily over the mountains, and as I drove east, the sun began to pierce through, catching the orange and golden leaves lining the highway and making them glow. Knowing I had a little time to spare on my drive, I even took the opportunity to stop at a small fishermen’s access to the Skykomish River to soak in the misty morning and snap a few photos. By the time I’d reached the trailhead, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. If it weren’t for the distinctly autumnal colors lining the trail, it would’ve been easy to mistake the balmy day for July instead of late October.
Read moreLife: Week 42
When work gives you the opportunity to go to the Bay Area and extend the trip into a long weekend spent with family that you don't get to see nearly often enough, obviously you take it! Leaving behind some seriously rainy fall weather, midweek I headed down to San Francisco for a meeting, most of which I missed because of a ridiculously delayed flight. After the meeting I spent a few hours trying to finish my entire workload for the day, then headed east for a wonderful weekend with family. There were plenty of hugs, games to play, and many, many books to read. On Saturday, while the kids were napping, my sister-in-law and I made macarons, and they turned out to be some of the best I've ever made. As always, my visit wasn't nearly long enough, but I'm so glad that my work gave me the opportunity to squeeze in a short visit!
Read moreLife: Week 42
Last week I was sick, so naturally this week was Andy's turn. After a dark, rainy week, I was a little disappointed to spend the beautiful, sunny Saturday at home, but I did manage to make significant progress on my Christmas knitting. Thankfully by Sunday he was feeling well enough for a trip to the family cabin in the mountains to gather some wood to feed his latest addiction: woodworking. While he was busy sawing and chopping, I spent a few hours wandering the woods surrounding the cabin. One of my favorite things about Washington is that you can see dramatic changes in scenery with just a short drive. The ponderosa pine woods around the cabin are so different from the dense, mossy forests around home. Being in those woods reminds me of happy memories of childhood trips to Lake Almanor in California, where we used to spend at least a week every summer.
In other news, I finally managed to get some photos of Andy wearing the sweater I finished for him over the summer. I'm so happy with how it turned out, and I think he'll get a lot of wear out of it! Like the last Brooklyn Tweed pattern I used, this one was easy to follow and absolutely beautifully designed. Once I've finished all my Christmas projects, a new Brooklyn Tweed sweater is next on the to-knit list for me!
Read moreLife: Week 42
After a wonderful Saturday making cider with family on Vashon Island, Andy and I spent most of this week sick. We canceled several plans, and instead spent our evenings at home, with me catching up on unread magazines, reading, and knitting up Christmas presents (like this one that I'm super excited about). Luckily, since I had made a giant batch of chili Monday night (recipe here), we didn't have to worry about cooking. After chili for a week, I'm also definitely ready to eat something new. Even though I was sick, things were very busy at work, so I only took one half day off. The bonus of working late though - I get to catch some incredible sunsets out the office windows!