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 49
In many ways, December is my favorite month. The days my be short and dark, the vibrant color of fall drained from the landscape, but they are also filled with friends, candlelight, and plenty of good food. Compared to last year, so far this December has been surprisingly warm and dry. During the week, the days passed quietly and slowly. As we near the solstice, the days are so short that even working from home, my only opportunity to get outside during daylight hours is at lunch. Usually the days fly by without my noticing, and by the time I think to go outside, it's already far too late. That makes the weekends this time of year all the more precious, and this one was spent well, visiting friends in Bellingham.
Read moreLife: Week 49
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 49
Wet. That is the word for this past week. There were a couple brief breaks of sunshine, but for the most part it was leaden skies and dripping foliage. We spent most of our time hunkered down at home, having lots of fires, getting started on Christmas decorating (including hanging the mitten advent calendar over the fireplace!), having friends over to play board games, binge-watching The Great British Baking Show (I want more!!), and eating lots of warming comfort food.
Over the weekend, I started baking goodies for a holiday party coming up soon. On Sunday, we headed over the mountains and off into the snow-covered woods to hunt for a Christmas tree! After a wet and chilly tree-hunt, we stopped for lunch at the 59er Diner, a classic stop along Highway 2, before heading home.