A Little Break in the Routine...

We've been hanging out on the east coast. Well actually the gulf coast. We traveled to Tampa on Saturday and will return home tomorrow. Meanwhile, John has been attending a conference in the daytime and I have been spending some dear time with my sisters, their spouses, and nieces and nephews. I get to see them all much too infrequently and the time is golden. Lisa and Frank have this amazing blended  family of five kids and two dogs and they are each interesting in their own right and each an essential part of this household. (Yes, even the dogs). My sister Karen and her husband Gary traveled down from Tennessee to be here too and we had some major fun and some girls-only time as well. We even Skyped with our grandmother on the weekend. She will be 97 next weekend. The visit has been a much-appreciated break from routine. I love you guys! Thank you for making this weekend possible.
As for the home front, the unknown raptor in my previous post is identified (tentatively) as a red-tailed hawk (sans the red tail). It might be a young one. At least that's the opinion of the Kitsap Audubon Society. I am advised to get a picture of it as it flies overhead to see the markings on it's underside. I guess we'll keep cameras close to hand and hope for the best since he doesn't announce his intentions to do a fly-over in advance. The woodpecker has continued his house-pecking. The wind chime will go up this next weekend. And the "thingamajiggy" for the door repair arrived and was installed last week. So, we are caught up. That is except for the unwelcome furry critters. It seems that there may be another mouse in the garage. The evidence was in the bird food. Another food block nibbled. So far it has resisted the lure of the peanut butter in the trap.
John picked up twenty trees and twenty wild rose bushes to plant last Friday. Add to that the 3 fruit trees, 3 hazelnut bushes, and 2 more lilac bushes due to arrive any day and he will be a busy fellow in his spare time. Fortunately, they start out quite small. Then he will build at least 2 raised beds to begin the garden.
So, it's starting to really feel like Spring and we are anxious to begin putting down more roots :-)

Much Ado about Nothing...

There is nothing like going to a quilt show to realize how much you have to learn. There were almost 300 quilts on display. Fabulous works of art in their own right. I saw so many new color ideas and motifs. And I came home and ripped out a lot of my stitching in my wall hanging! It could be so much better now that I've seen how the masters do it. I'll strive for that. It wasn't that much of a setback and I'm well on my way again. With a bit of luck, I may complete it this week.

We finally trekked into the woods a bit. As far as we could get before encountering the stream which is too wide and too full to attempt a crossing. It was quite a muddy trek. The kind of mud that makes a sucking sound when you try to lift your foot. And there are brambles everywhere and fallen branches and tree trunks all about. So it was a a challenge to figure out which way to go at times, climbing over obstacles and pushing brambles out of the way. We took the dog (on lead) and she enjoyed it terrifically. Having finally gone in, this week we received a request from the Fish Conservancy to allow a surveyor into the woods to document and map the stream!

I've posted some photos this time. One is our wily woodpecker who has returned and quite brazenly pecks away at the house. Always the same place at the front porch. John was no more than 5 feet from him when he took the photo. I will see if a small wind chime will deter him. He's welcome enough to eat whatever he finds in all the trees. Just not the house! And the other bird is yet unknown. We think he might be a Coopers Hawk, but can't find his particular markings anywhere in our limited birding references. Beautiful fellow though and he must make a home nearby as we have seen him several times. I will gladly have him around to control the mouse population. One of the furry terrorists made his home in my car recently. I had an experience in my formative driving years with another mouse in my car. One took up residence in my first car and would unexpectedly appear while I was driving. Imagine how that went. Many people tried to shoo him out, but he remained until he apparently got caught in the fan of the car heater and died. We had to sell that car. So, I was not too thrilled to find a pile of insulation in the trunk of the car last weekend, indicating that something was making a winter home there. I had seen this a few months ago and assured by my resident naturalist that it could not possibly be a mouse. Perhaps the "stuffing" had fallen out of some package. So, I removed the habitat materials and hoped I wouldn't see it again, wanting to believe this version of reality. Then it appeared last weekend. And no packages had been carried in the trunk. So, I directed the naturalist to get a trap that very day and we put it in the trunk overnight. (the gory part is coming so you can close your eyes here). Sure enough. When I gingerly opened the trunk the next morning, there was a three inch tail protruding from the covered trap. The naturalist took it away. I'm not one to kill critters indiscriminately, but it was either him or me and possibly others who would be on the road when he decided to take a run through the car for kicks one day. Two cats, a shrew chasing dog, and a hawk live here. You would think....oh well.

So, this weekend will be taken up with the usual routine errands plus some preparatory activities as we look ahead to a trip to Tampa next weekend. Speaking of which, I'd better get going....

Random Thoughts from a Life being Lived...

Well, the weather has been spectacular this past week (as I'm sure you have seen if you are watching the Olympics). The sky is a brilliant blue and the mountains are clear and snow-capped (the Olympics, the Cascades, and Mt. Rainier). I haven't been able to see all of them in the same day  for a while. Temps are in the mid-50s during the day and low 30s at night. It's very fresh and energizing.

John has been down south this week and returned last night. I was able to pick him up on my way home from work as he caught an earlier flight than usual. We went home to shed our work week baggage and then had dinner at our "local" in Kingston (about 4 miles). It's a place called "Drifters" near the ferry. If you want a good burger and real fries freshly cut and nicely brown, it's the place to find them. And that's what we wanted. Add to that a pint of Guinness on tap and Friday evening made a nice transition into the weekend.

We made our first visits to a new dentist this week. Also part of establishing a life in a new place. I chose this group because they are watercolorists. As good as any reason to select one. You would think that after a while, there wouldn't be anything else they could find to replace/repair/improve but they always seem to discover something. We should get frequent flossing miles or something.

Last weekend we installed Windows 7 on our home desktop. We had spent the days leading up to it saving files  since we had to clear off Windows XP and do a "clean install". No upgrade from XP. It has not gone too badly. We're re-installing programs now and finding only a few strange behavioral quirks with some pages. And we can finally print reliably from the desktop (which is what started us on the road to installing a new operating system in the first place - after many long discussions with the technical help at Dell)

The weekend brings the final gardening class for John and a quilt show for me. I'm making good progress on the wall hanging. All the applique has been done and I'm almost done "stitching in the ditches". Next will be to do the free-form quilting in the spaces (like dancing on fabric) and then to bind it. Then I can begin another one!

That about does it for now. Take care....

Where Does the Time Go?

Long weekend! It's a holiday Monday and no "getting up and going to work". A mini-vacation. Today will bring the usual weekend tasks and errands. And I have promised to get taxes in order so the computer can be freed to change operating systems. Since we can't upgrade to Windows 7 from XP, we shall have to clear it out and install fresh. It's a big deal. Probably lots of cursing will be involved. And all this because nobody (at several levels of tech support) can figure out why we can't get the desktop to talk to the printer.

On a more organic, less techie note, I am making good progress on the quilt wall hanging. That will be a major focus of my weekend once errands and taxes are done. I hope to get the quilting finished and at least get the binding cut, if not applied. There will be a picture once it's completed. "Shaman's Dream" is the name of the piece.

There's an opportunity to take Celtic harp lessons and I'm going to do it! Friday evenings for several weeks. It's one of my favorite kinds of music.

Perhaps we will get the laundry door repaired this weekend if the thingamajiggy arrives today. That's on the honey-do list. There's also a plant stand for the corner of the dining room that is awaiting assembly (as soon as Ireland and France finish playing rugby) (and whoever is playing in the FA cup - that's soccer for the uninformed). It's going to rain a bit off and on, so it's inside stuff today. John would like to get started clearing off for the raised garden beds but I think he will have to wait until the weather cooperates a little more. Meanwhile, the honey-do list has plenty to keep him occupied inside :-)

We have dinner plans at Sogno di Vino on Sunday. And John is off to the Bay Area on Tuesday again. So, there's much to do and a few days to enjoy the doing.

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...