Taking stock...

February! The weather has been temperate with some lovely sunny days. Just a bit of rain. Very nice indeed. This weekend brings another gardening class for John, some quilting for me, and time to catch up with ourselves.

The "thingamajiggy" to repair the closet door (mentioned in an earlier post) has not materialized. Several emails and a phone call have all gone unanswered so I have broadened my quest and found another that looks like it will do what needs doing. I really haven't had time or opportunity to create any more damage in the past month, so that's really all on the home maintenance front right now.

We went to another wine tasting at our favorite place in town. Didn't think much of the wines this time but the point is to try new ones, so it met the requirements. And it was a nice evening out. The chef is quite good and created some nice pairings. We're booked in for Valentine's Day :-)

We are looking forward to being able to grow things as Spring moves closer. John has learned that table grapes grow well here and is on the lookout for a source. Kiwi fruit also does well and maybe we'll give that a try. I have found the kind of planter boxes I want for the kitchen herbs. They will fit right over the railing on the deck so they will be easily accessible when I want them. And they will add to the deck with their fragrance and greenery. We also learned about a program to donate fresh produce from your garden to the food bank, and if we are successful as we hope with our gardening, that will be a nice opportunity to give back.

So, life feels pretty darn good as we put down roots here...

Light, Tunnel, Train...

Well, I do see a light at the end of this work tunnel I have been traveling through and believe it is not a train! What a good lesson January has been. I have learned a little about what boundaries I need to set and what my life really wants. Balance!

So, back to the real purpose of this blog; to share what life is like up here. Winter is slowly making way for Spring. We are having an El Nino winter and  that means it is drier and warmer than usual. The jet stream is sending the rain further south (to California). Don't get me wrong. It rains. But not the drenching that folks seem to associate with living up here. The trees and bushes are beginning to bud and the bulbs John planted are poking their heads up just a little. Birds of several varieties have populated the bird feeders. Two species of woodpeckers, flickers, chickadees, and others we haven't yet figured out. Robins are everywhere taking advantage of the wet soil and the worms that are accessible. At times we have counted more than a dozen in the yard/meadow/jungle clearing. We even saw a large raptor fly through that was, as near as we can identify, a golden eagle. We plan to put our wellies on this weekend and trek back into the woods to see what's there now that the undergrowth is sparse.

The weekend will bring another gardening class for John and we have plans on Saturday evening. Tonight we will go to our favorite restaurant for wine tasting and dinner. The burg is actually quite lively in the evening. Last weekend we met up with a couple for dinner and had such a good time. Similar interests and good conversation. So, after 8 months I'd say we are taking root in our new place. Come to think of it, I haven't even seen a train since moving up here :-)

Missing Me...

As I suspected, this month is very full and flying by. Unfortunately, it's very full of work. Don't get me wrong. I signed on for the job, but I have this big life and work is only a part of it. When it infringes on the rest, taking up space that rightfully belongs to the "things I enjoy that are not work" then I find I am missing me a little. So, not much to write about this week because life is crowded. But this too shall pass (and bloody soon!)

John has been down in the Bay Area this week enduring the heavy rains and even a thunderstorm. Glad we live up here!! He'll return tomorrow evening. That will be nice. Watch this space...

Riding the January Wave...

This month is going to fly by! There is much going on at work and it is seeping into the weekends. Hopefully things will begin to settle down very soon as some projects get completed. John has returned from the Bay Area after one of his twice monthly junkets. I'll put him to good use while I've got him. The honey-do list is rarely complete. I managed to break one of the bi-fold doors to the laundry upstairs. It was rubbing against the trim while opening and after analyzing it carefully, I grabbed hold of the bottom edge, gave it a few good tugs (it was being stubborn, you see) and managed to tug it right out of its hardware! It came right off. The whole thing. And it doesn't appear to go back on too easily. We have ordered a little thingamajiggy that promises to be just the ticket for repairing these types of well-intentioned accidental acts of destruction. We shall see. If not, we'll be ordering some new doors.

The Christmas tree will be taken down today. It always feels like a fresh start when the tree and the decorations are removed. I like having it up and I like having it go away. I have in mind to get a sewing cabinet so I can have all the "stuff" at the ready when I have moments to move a project along. Right now there is that quilt wall-hanging that is nagging me and it requires setting up the machine (somewhere) with all the accompanying tools to be able to focus on it. The dining room table is the space that it has claimed most recently and once I clear the decorations, that's where I will set it up again. But a sewing cabinet would be nice.

John is going to take a series of day-long gardening classes from Washington State University here. There are 2 in January and 2 in February. Just in time to learn more about the conditions up here and get us primed for Spring planting! We've decided to have raised planting boxes which alleviates having to dig in this rocky soil. And we're getting some hazelnut trees/bushes to accompany the fruit tress which will go in (apples, pears, and apricots are the current thought). Thankfully, several recipients of the blackberry jam at Christmas have volunteered to take more of that off our hands when we make it again this summer. I think I gave out 30 jars. There is only one left in the pantry now. And we will start to look at gardening sheds and how to get one installed/built.

Our weather is probably some of the best in the country right now. In the 40s, occasional light rain. We're okay with that...

It's a New Year...

We've lived here now for 7 months. That doesn't sound like much time and yet they have been full months. Perhaps that whole "time is relative" concept includes an aspect of how "full" the time has been, how much one can insert into those wee minutes that make up the hours, days, and months. And here we are at the cusp of a new year and decade. (Sometimes thoughts start flowing before I am quite ready to engage with them. More decaf is needed.). Nevertheless, it has been "full"...

We are having a little rain after a dry spell for the past week. Temperatures are above freezing which is a boon. I slipped and fell on the ice this week. A reminder to be more mindful. Nothing damaged except for a skinned knee. I don't need studded tires. Just studded shoes.

We're off to a favorite local restaurant tonight for a New Year's evening out. The chef is having a special menu and there will be some music. I think we would try out our ballroom dance steps that we learned last year, but I can't picture space enough to dance. Probably just as well and safer for the other patrons, I think. It's not likely that we'll actually stay up to see in the New Year, but then you never know.It's a full moon (actually a "blue moon" - the second full moon in the month) and once the spirit takes you, well anything is possible, eh?

So, goodbye 2009 and all that has gone before and welcome 2010. To new days, new possibilities, new "time"...

Family & Friends, Faraway but Near...

Well, Christmas Day has come and gone but the spirit lives on. I could say that John and I were alone on Christmas Day, but that would not really be the truth. It is true that we did not have any of the brood here. Or any of our extended families. But that doesn't mean they weren't present. In fact, this may have been one of our more social of Christmases. The kids (though they aren't really kids anymore. Just "our" kids.) all phoned with Christmas tidings. And through the wonder of Skype, we visited with friends and family in Italy, England, Indiana, and Florida. We video-chatted for 3 hours! And had lots of fun doing it. How great it was to see/hear folks in real-time, sharing and laughing and just being "together". My 96-year old Grandmother had her first-ever Skype conversation and managed it quite well. What a treasure that was! She looks and sounds fabulous. Can a Facebook account be far behind?? It all went so well that we plan to do it again on New Year's Day.

We completed our day with dinner at a coworker's home. We enjoyed connecting with new people and are grateful for their generosity and friendship. It was a good day. Now, if I can just get those visions of sugarplums out of my head...

Welcome the Light

The winter solstice has come and gone. It was fitting that I drove to work and home again in the dark yesterday (7:30 and 4:30). The days will begin to lengthen now and I much prefer to be out and about in the light. Daughter Kate arrived on Saturday and will leave on Thursday so we celebrated Solstice with her instead of the traditional Christmas. Then the cat set her tail alight and the candles were deemed hazardous and extinguished!

As a newbie, I don't have the luxury (yet) of piles of vacation time standing by, so I am working every day this week up until Christmas Day. There's a lot to do, so it's not a bad idea. But I miss out on spending time with Kate. But it is very nice to have her around. That is a Christmas gift in itself.

Our weather has been varied since the very cold temperatures abated. It has rained a bit and today promises to be partly sunny with temperatures in the low 40s.No rain in sight for several days. John is home these two weeks and Zoe is happier for it. She has become used to having one of her "pack" at home during the day and when he is traveling she spends the days on her own. I am deemed to be less "fun" but valuable nonetheless for the kibble I supply. We all have our place.

Not much on the house front to report. The ground is not very workable. Still, John managed to plant a few new trees (saplings) in some temporary spots til Spring. The birds have finally discovered the food we put out and there is an assortment of chickadees, jays, robins, and flickers visiting now. The house is cozy when it's cold outside and if I can find a little time, I have a quilt ready to put together and stitch. But for now, it's enough to know that the light is returning. Happy Holidays to all...

Just a Tuesday Morning...

John is away and it's the Z-dog and me (not to discount the 2 felines, but they do their own thing regardless). It's decided to be a rainy week and the temperatures have risen above freezing. We now own a snow shovel in anticipation of the white stuff and my car is supplied with de-icer, a fancy scraper (with it's own brush!), a flashlight, and some stuff to help get me out of a place I could slide into (no plans to do this!). We'll look at tires soon too. But this week it's just rain.

I'll be off to work soon. The week usually flies by when John is away. I seem to find plenty to do. Gareth visited over the weekend. It was good to spend some time with him. Katie will arrive this weekend and stay until the 24th. The other two (Karen and Jacob) won't make it up until the new year. I envision a time when all of them will be here at the same time (perhaps with significant others) (perhaps with grandchildren) for a lively gathering. Not yet though.

So, it's off to Tuesday. Have a good one....

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!!

It's 18 degrees outside right now (6:45pm). No more snow, and thankfully too dry for ice. But it is chilly. We haven't put studded tires on the car yet, but it's under consideration. So far they have done a good job putting grit on the road when it's been icy, but there's nothing like studded tires to make it feel like you have a bit more control. Our "Alaska coats" which we got when we went to Alaska have been very useful. Still, if there were a way to put the seat warmer on prior to getting into the car, that would be lovely. Otherwise, the house is staying nice and cozy. And mind, this is not me complaining about the cold temperatures. I'm only acknowledging them. Having real weather is actually enjoyable. Keeps you from getting complacent...

First Snow

It snowed last night! Not so much that it's sticking although at the edges of the meadow/yard/jungle clearing there is a little bit hanging on. So, I guess winter is almost here. Fall seems to be passing the baton as I write. The temperatures have dropped this past week bringing ice to surfaces one walks on or drives. John walked out onto the porch Friday night and promptly landed on his backside when he hit the first step. I suppose we can attribute that to slippery conditions although yesterday, upon arriving home, I was advised that "oh yeah, I fell off the ladder" while putting the bird food up.Don't know what to attribute that to. And yes, he's all right.

The snow is timely as we put the tree up last evening. It's nice to bring the familiar into a new place. And the tree is a place where memories are stored year after year. The ornaments which hang on it represent a place or a time or a person. And the ritual of putting them on the tree allows time to recall and reflect on those memories. That's what I do when I "decorate" the tree. I smile a lot...

A little magic...

The moon is full and bright and there's not a cloud in the sky. When I open the door to let the dog out, you can smell a wood fire burning somewhere. The air is crisp and refreshing. And the only sound I hear is the sound of cars on the road. I like this.

John is away this week and work is filling my days. It gets dark just after 4:30 when I leave there. So, evenings are cozy and tucked in. Tonight I will work on Christmas cards, I think. And I will get presents wrapped and ready to mail away. I'll be away on Saturday to present a class to the hospital chaplains during their retreat, but Sunday I will put the Christmas tree up. I am a big fan of the colors and decorations of the Christmas season. It's kind of magical...

Fall...

Finally. Thanksgiving with real Fall weather. Every year in California, from San Diego to the Bay Area, Thanksgiving was missing Fall. Having grown up in northern Indiana and lived on the east coast in Boston, seasons are a cyclical change that I like. So, this year Fall is back. Lovely.

It was rainy on Thursday as we made our airport run to retrieve Katie, her boyfriend Morey, and Morey's father. But yesterday the sun was brilliant for their excursion into Seattle on the ferry. Really the best day this month. And today promises to cooperate as we wander around locally. They bought a whole salmon at Pike's Market before returning home yesterday, so we had some for dinner last night (as we weill have for several more in the coming months!). Very good and very fresh. From the place where they throw the fish. And they threw it to Morey's dad (once wrapped). Pike's is a place you ought to see once. But it's a sensory overload for me. Way too many people.

I went in to work Friday instead of using my vacation time to toodle around the house. Starting a new job means I am only just acquiring paid time off and I want to save it for traveling. Today we will go to the 'burg (Poulsbo),  do walkabout and grab some lunch. Tonight we will pop in at the annual fundraising event my work puts on. Then we'll find a nice place for a farewell dinner because the three muskateers will leave early tomorrow morning. And then John leaves on Monday morning for his regular trip to California. No sensory overload here! Zoe and I will have a quiet week to enjoy Fall...

Seasonal Observations...

The weather has remained wet, but also somewhat colder. What leaves that were left on the trees have finally succumbed and taken their place in the composting scheme of nature. And it is like opening the curtains on the landscape. Now, as I travel, I can see houses sitting back in places where I never knew there were houses (or places for them). That appeals to my "curious" nature. (Some might call it nosy). I like seeing how other people live; if lights are on and shades are open, I'll look to see what's in a space as I pass by. So, it's fascinating to me to discover all these previously hidden places. And it's remarkable how secluded we feel when the leaves are fully present. The house is literally hidden from the road in the summer whereas now it is fairly easy to spot. ( I'm glad we got those window coverings...who knows what nosy person might be looking our way!) Each season brings some kind of unique wonderment. Seasons were one of the prerequisite for this move.

We had a "severe weather alert" in place again last night due to the potential for high winds. I have been lighting candles in the evenings as a "just in case" precaution but the upside to that is that having candles lit is very nice! Earlier in the month, we noticed that a couple of the trees just into the woods had broken limbs, but nothing has actually fallen in a place that matters or created a problem. And the power has stayed on pretty reliably (no doubt due to those rectangular-shaped power poles mentioned way back). But candles are nice.

The garage has been a real gift with the rain as I am sure it will be when snow arrives. I wish I could say the same about the parking at work; the hikes do me good, especially the ones uphill. But "bad hair day" has become a wet weather norm! To cut or not to cut, that is the question now...

TGIF...

Seems like the week has dragged by and yet here I am on the cusp of the weekend. John has been down south this week and will return tonight. We have no plans except the mundane errands that wait until the weekend, but I will plan ahead for Thanksgiving and lay in the necessary stockpile of food items. The number at the table might change (although not too much in recent years), but the menu stays the same year after year. If I try to remove something, someone will complain that it is their "favorite" thing, so it stays consistent year after year (after year...). But that's what a tradition is. And Thanksgiving is not just comfort food, it's a comfort holiday.

I spoke with both of my sisters this week. We don't chat enough. And at some point in the conversation (usually several points) we end up laughing at the travails of one another's life situations. It's so healthy and so fun. I miss having them closer. Lisa and I talked by way of "Skype" last night. A first for each of us. Somehow, we got it all to work....the webcam and the sound..though it seemed pretty iffy for a while. If I can figure out what I eventually did at the moment it all came together, we'll do it again on Thanksgiving. The plan is to conference call over Skype during Christmas with my 96 year old grandmother. Next thing you know, she'll be on Facebook!! I plan to live a very long while with her genes :-)

So, my week has been full of daytime meetings making plans for projects that somehow I have to make time to actualize between meetings. Meetings could eat you alive. It will all work out though. I know that. Evenings have been spent talking to folks on the phone and letting the dog out into the rain, letting her back in again, drying her off, and doing that over and over again. Or so it seems sometimes. She has become oblivious to the rain. We shall see about snow.

I have cut the background pieces for my quilt and will get them put together this weekend as well as cut the applique pieces. Maybe I'll even get those affixed to the background. I'll post a photo when it's finished. I got the pattern during our trip last year to the Southwest and it's based on Native American wall art. Gotta run now...

There are just some things...

I will never ever get tired of or take for granted. One of those is seeing snow on mountains. On Thursday, the Olympic Mountain (on our west) appeared suddenly dressed for winter; covered in a thick blanket of snow. I can look at them most of the way home from work and they are beautiful. I will stick my camera in the car and try to capture a glimpse of them when I can.

It has rained some this week. But there have been periods of sunshine too. And when the sun shines, it is brilliant! The colors here are vibrant with green trees against the blue sky and clouds that look bleached white. So, if rain is a price paid for this I can't really complain.

The window shades were installed last week and they do lend some winter coziness to the house. It's amazing how different the temperature is behind them when they're down. That should do it now for home improvement projects, at least for a while. But my head is full of crafting ideas; watercolor, quilting, crochet (I got a book for  using unusual materials like twine or rafia that looks interesting), and even some cross stitch. Needless to say, I don't seem to have the time to get it all in. The weekends are too short. However, I do have my Christmas shopping pretty much finished. That means I can enjoy the upcoming season (maybe do some of those creative things I want to do) and not have to join the frantic rush  of shoppers. Bless the Internet.

Today looks like a good day to "cocoon" and enjoy the peacefulness of this place...

Good Things

The work situation is settling down. We were moved into more-permanent temporary digs (since the flooding of our building) at the end of last week and the plan is to have us all in a new "permanent" space by March. Three of us are sharing an office on the third floor of the hospital. We seem of like dispositions, so it's a good fit. The plan is to move us to our new "home", all together again, by March. We have seen the project time line and the location and it will be a good space. And I am getting more involved in courses and projects. I've been asked to do a talk on Cultural Diversity at our Chaplains' retreat in December and to put together a presentation for nursing managers on Evidence-Based Practice. So, that is going well. I am leaving my remote California position at the end of next week. That feels like a good thing as well.

John has been down in the Bay Area this week and since Zoe doesn't understand the "spring ahead, fall back" concept for changing the clocks, she has persisted in her personal biorhythm which says 4am is time to get up. I have been trying to get her to stretch this out a little but realized that she is actually giving me an opportunity to start Jazzercizing again!Yet another good thing. (Am I channeling Martha Stewart, I wonder?) We will all be pleased when John arrives back tonight. The week has flown by quickly though.

The weather was a bit wild last night. The power went out for a few moments and here I was (composing this post actually) in the complete darkness at 7pm. Thankfully, the lights came back on, but it spurred me to get the oil lamps out and to light a few candles. The wind kept up and it rained, but the power only flickered a couple times after that. Today brings more rain and on into the weekend. We're told November is the "rainy" month.

Next week will see the window shades installed downstairs. And I have set us up with new health care providers whom we will visit as well. I believe the two people hardest to replace are a good doctor (and I have had mine for 25 years) and a hairdresser. The latter has been solved by just not getting my hair cut! We will interview a pet sitting service on Saturday and, if we like them, that means we will have more flexibility for travel. See? All good things. The Blackberry phone and I are getting on well now and I even use and like it! So, life continues to progress here. It's the right place to be...

Life, Plans, and What Really Happens...

Betcha thought this was a poppy. It's actually a mushroom and there are several growing in our yard. They are edible (not that I'm ready to try that out). Still, they are interesting and make for pretty Fall color. The trees are quickly losing the last of their leaves now, but they have put on a lovely show. Reds, yellows, oranges, and that burnished gold that looks like the color of embers smoldering in the fireplace. All against the backdrop of the evergreens. Usually, in the morning there is some mist hanging through the trees which lends a certain tranquility to the palette. Very pretty indeed.

We went to a wine tasting midweek at a restaurant in Poulsbo that has become my favorite, Sogno di Vino. It was small and intimate and then we stayed on for dinner. In the warmer months it has nice outside seating along the street, and in these cooler months the inside has a cozy contemporary feeling. We'll go again in a couple weeks when they show and tell (and taste) wines to serve with the turkey on Thanksgiving.

Last year I predicted that we would not be in California for another Thanksgiving; that we would be "here" instead. Not only has that proven true, but there is much to be thankful for in this new place. I'm looking forward to the holiday. It's my favorite one. I envision having a houseful to share it with one day, but for this year we will happily enjoy the company of daughter Kate and her boyfriend Morey. The other three are planning visits closer to the end of the year.

We have not seen any increase in wildlife with the season change, although in Bremerton they captured two bear cubs after sightings were reported for three days. The mama bear is still on the loose. Bremerton is much more populated than our area. I work there. It's at the southern end of the Kitsap peninsula and we are at the northern end (about 25 miles). Mind you, I'm not especially anxious to see a bear. But I understand that they don't hibernate here (though I hear mixed views on that) and residents are advised to bring their trash cans into the garage this time of year.

So, today brings weekend errands: post office, dog food, groceries. I have a bit of "work" to get done online and some laundry to tackle. I haven't started that quilt yet, but tomorrow looks like a real window of opportunity. Finally. But you know the saying. "Life is what happens while we make other plans..."

Little things...

We achieved getting the car in the garage! I had forgotten how nice that is. So, on my wet and/or cold mornings, it makes it much nicer when I leave for work. And I found a jazz station to listen to on my drive. Little things making life a tad sweeter. Speaking of sweet, John returns tonight from one of his regular trips to the Bay Area. Gosh those seem to come around quickly. And we like having him come home.

I got a Blackberry. They call it a Smart Phone. As if to rub it in, I think. It definitely knows more about what it does than I do. Intuitive? I think not. But I'm learning. Old dog, new tricks kind of thing.

My honeymoon at my new job is coming to its natural end. I have been given responsibility! The column under my name on the "Coordinator's Responsibilities" has stuff in it. I have a number of departments at various locations to look after, committees to serve on, and I will be talking to a group during their retreat about cultural competency issues (one of my "passions"). And I will still be engaged in online class development. And the little house that our department was housed in flooded last weekend and it was decided that we would all be moved out of there pronto. So, 4 of our team has been relocated to the hospital and 5 of us will go next week. We are being placed here and there temporarily. Change is good, right?

I'm looking forward to the weekend. Last weekend we attended that fundraiser and during the silent auction John won a gift certificate from a local nursery (Yay!) and I won an interesting wooden structure called a crafter's stand. It's basically for needlework. Perhaps I ought to do some of that now. It was just such an interesting "thing" that I wanted to bid on it. But no plans to go anywhere this weekend. And that's okay...

Wellies and Sou'westers

It's wet out here! The rain came in this past week and some adjustments have been made. The wellies and the rain jackets (the good rain slickers that the Port Authority wear) have taken up residence on the porch. New windshield wipers were installed and they are wonderful. It's the little things. To be fair, I left Oakland on Tuesday morning to return home and it was pouring rain there as well. In fact, I considered myself lucky to get out before any flights were delayed. But up here, I think this is a sign of things to come. I really don't mind though because it's a change and I like seasons. The trees have really changed colors now and in the mornings there's an ethereal mist around the woods.

I caved in and ordered some window shades for the downstairs today. We are so impressed with the insulating ability of the ones we installed upstairs that it just seemed good sense to get them for the downstairs since we'll be using the heat more. They do tuck away out of sight at the top when they're open, so they don't spoil the view. And it will make for cozy evenings in winter.

Finally had an automatic exit detection loop installed in the driveway last week. Now the gate opens on its own when a vehicle approaches. So, when we have service people here, we don't have to initiate that process from within. Again, it's the little things.

We're off to a fundraiser tonight for the Humane Society; silent and live auctions, dinner, etc. Should be fun. And we have a soft spot for the Humane Society, especially after they cared for our Zoe. She's loving this weather. I think we deprived her of "nature" down in California. She stands and looks up in the trees, watches the leaves falling or the wind moving the tall branches, and barks at the sound of the rain as it drips in the woods. I'm glad she has this place...

The Guardians...

When we viewed this house a year ago, one of the things I liked were the stones that had been arranged around the perimeter near the woods. There's usually something that attracts me to a place. In Newark, it was a dilapidated bench circling a tree in the front yard. Never mind that the house I was going to buy was falling down as well. I liked that bench and I wanted to live in that house. Years later the bench was sawed up and removed when things needed to change, so it served a useful purpose. But at this house, it's the "stones". When my friend visited recently from the UK, she could see the personalities in the formations and now they are the "guardians" that look outward into the wilder parts. There is "the old woman", "the lovers watching the sunset", "the man with big shoulders", and a bird of prey, as well as the others who are not yet named. Here is the Old Woman:


They just keep watch. Very cool...