Day 123 - Ringing Out the Year With a New Bed

I'm talking about the dog, not me.  Grady has lived with me for 7 years now and his bed has been a cheap Value Village bedspread that he folds and rearranges into a comfortable "nest". I finally went to Costco today and purchased one of their dog beds (highly recommended by my sister and various friends).  His old bones (and the cats) are loving it.  He didn't even stir as I headed to the neighbors tonight to watch Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and sip some champagne. Sorry it took so long old pal.

Day 122 - Same Thing, Different Year

Every year I say I'm not going to bring work home over the holidays and every year I do.  Then, the backup plan every year is to do about an hour of work each day and that never seems to happen.  So here I am with five days left and all this.  I decided to post this picture on Facebook today and, needless to say, many current and former coworkers were in the same predicament.  This led to a bit of "cyberbonding" as they shared their comments. . .kind of made my day.

Day 121 - Snow

Last night, the weatherman said it would probably snow and he was right.  I woke up to a light blanket of the white stuff and it snowed off and on all day.  This little owl was a great find last year at a Pier One sale and apparently I neglected to remove the twine that once held the clearance tag.  I love the way a bit of snow can make any yard look better. . .

Day 120 - Kennel Taxi

My neighbors headed to visit relatives in Wisconsin for the holidays and their flight times were either very early or very late.  This meant I got to drop off and pick up these two critters from the kennel we both use called Canine Country Club and Cattery.  Lily is the old lab on the right and, as near as we can tell, Scamp is likely a lab/greyhound mix.  It was an adventure getting the two of them in and out of my backseat last Thursday and today as they are accustomed to riding in the back of a pickup truck. Fingers crossed that Rick and Anne aren't stranded because of the storm on the east coast.

Day 119 - Certhia americana

The backyard was just filled with birds today, on the ground, at the feeders and in the huge cedar tree behind the house.  I was thrilled when I spied this little Brown Creeper because you don't see them that often.  First of all, the little guys are only about 5 inches long and their plumage tends to blend in with the surrounding bark as they creep along.  You are more likely to hear them in mature forest singing "trees trees pretty little trees".  I'm a total nerd.

Day 118 - Mini Kitchen Makeover

I desperately want a new kitchen.  I've gradually replaced all the appliances with new fancy ones but alas, coming up with the cash for new cabinets, counters, sink, floor and lighting just isn't in the budget right now.  The mini kitchen makeover is shaping up to include the following manageable tasks.

1. Since it is one of the only rooms I haven't painted since buying the house, the dark green moose inspired decor will be replaced with a new color from Parker Paint (my favorite) called Oakbuff.  I tried to find a color that wouldn't clash with the existing beat up counter and tile.











2) The hastily constructed basic white curtains will be replaced with new ones made from this cool new fabric I just purchased.

3. Tried searching online for the best advice on products to use on cheap kitchen cabinets and didn't find anything really helpful so I picked this up at T.J. Max.  We shall see. . .

Day 117 - Christmas

The morning started with the pets opening and enjoying their gifts.

Then it was my turn. . .

Some handcrafted items from my sister.

My sister and brother-in-law are always laughing at my propensity to purchase antique chairs so they thought I might need this reference.  The Canadian Geographic has an article about Newfoundland where we vacationed together this past summer.  Also included some gardening magazines and a set of fun potato salt and pepper shakers.


                                                                              



They also included a number of food items.  I've made Jezebel sauce before and love it and I have a real weakness for maple sugar candy so they always send me a maple leaf or two.  Never had Cincinnati chili but that's what the mix is for.

Some annual staples included a jigsaw puzzle, new socks and some sort of handy travel/beauty/cleaning product.  Can't wait to check out the Lint Hints.

These items are all Scottish in nature.  The small bagpipe refrigerator magnet has the Clan Davidson name on it (my great grandmother on my mother's side) and it plays a little tune that scared my dog.  The other item is made from a recycled antique wooden stave (from an apple barrel) and it has the name of clan that my maternal grandfather's family was a member of.









My neighbors surprised me with this bottle of wine and handcrafted glass cheese tray.  I'm keeping an eye on their house and shuttling their dogs to and from the kennel.










Two great gifts from two great friends (Nancy and Holly) - a cute little glass coaster and a fabulous set of 30 bird pictures (all reproductions of vintage prints).







A few pictures from a very relaxing Christmas dinner with some of the first friends I met when I moved to Seattle.  As usual, Cliff and Laura made a fabulous meal and it was just the five of us because other "orphan" friends were away.

I left for home with 3 jars of homemade jam/chutney, 6 different Godiva candy bars and a book about a brand new 7th grade teacher named Ms. Hemphill.  Oh yeah, I also got to taxi my friend Paul home who was released from the hospital.  All in all, a pretty terrific day.

Day 116 - Day Before Christmas

While my primary destination downtown was the Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, I spent a good part of the day just meandering and taking pictures.

My ticket and a few pictures from my delightful lunch at Taste, the restaurant at S.A.M.  Not sure I would order the modern press again but the pureed parsnip and cauliflower soup was a winner.

I also spent some time at the Olympic Fairmont Hotel.  As I entered the lobby from Seneca Street I was greeted by this huge real tree which was decorated with some of the biggest ornaments I'd ever seen.



Next, I took the elevator to the 3rd floor where I visited the Teddy Bear Suite - an annual holiday tradition.

Finally, I hopped on the escalator and headed outside to University Street where I couldn't get over the spectacular Luly Wang windows.


The day was capped off by spending the evening with my good friends John and Nancy.  They always have a traditional Swedish smorgasbord with homemade meatballs, limpa rye bread, cucumbers and sour cream, boiled potatoes, salmon and a variety of cookies.  As I headed into the children's bathroom I spied the "collection" below nestled in the corner of the bathtub.  It just seemed a little naughty to me.

Day 115 - Friends Far and Near

I love getting holiday cards/letters from faraway friends.

Concerned that one of my oldest friends is still in the hospital.

Day 114 - New Wood Stove & Ugly Christmas Sweater Pub Crawl

Today my new wood stove arrived - thank you federal tax rebate!  These are the guys who installed it.  Their names were Ernie (on the stove) and Clinton and their ongoing banter was almost as funny as their names.
















Grady had  to be put in doggie jail so the guys could actually get some work done.  Look at him - his face just screams "PLEASE, I promise I won't do anything bad!"











Later that evening, I was off to the 3rd Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Pub Crawl in Ballard.  Didn't bring my camera so the first two pictures were taken with my lousy phone.  They really don't do a decent job of displaying just how ugly Holly and Eric's sweaters were.  I cannot take credit for the third picture as this was taken by Holly.  It includes three of her friends (Matthew, Kelly and Alex) and I swear I am not drunk.

Day 113 - Best Neighbors Ever

My neighbor Jim stopped over today with this amazing plate of homemade treats.  I can't even recount all the sweet, thoughtful things that Jim and Donna have done for me since I bought this house.  They are the best neighbors anybody could hope for!

Day 112 - Lunar Eclipse

Try as I might to get a decent shot of the eclipse, it was quite cloudy in Everett tonight.  As the shadow began to move across the moon, it became more and more overcast.  Oh well.

Day 111 - Winter Blooms

I headed to Sky Nursery to buy a Christmas cactus but the remaining specimens were few and very small. However, the primroses and camellias were spectacular.

Day 110 - Homemade Treats from Friends

Today I got to spend time with two special friends.  The scones are from a tea party at Holly's home complete with little sandwiches, Earl Grey tea, savory bites, madelines, mini biscotti and scones with raspberry jam.  The stollen is from my dear friend Laura.  She makes it every year and there's nothing better than stollen toast with butter.  Yum!  Thanks girls.

Day 109 - "Merry Christmas Ms. Wendell"

The kids were surprisingly generous this year.  Teacher gifts tend to trail off once kids enter junior high so I'm always quite touched by anything I receive.  The pile includes an interesting mix of homemade fudge, caramel corn and cookies, Starbucks and Regal movie gift cards, chocolates, truffles, a candle, a Christmas tree ornament and meatloaf and soup mixes.

This heartfelt, handwritten note from a very sweet young man was attached to his gift.

We have an amazing woman named Soheila who works at our school.  She came here from Iran. She gave me this wonderful collection of homemade cookies, teas and candies from her homeland.  So special and delicious.

This entry would not be complete without this picture.  I was on my way to Seattle and Mt. Rainier looked spectacular off to the south. This is what happens when you try to take a picture with your right hand over your left shoulder as you are driving.  I was amazed that I got anything!

Day 108 - Chili Cookoff

A couple of the guys at work decided we should have a chili cookoff the last day of school.  They solicited cooks over email and I threw my name into the ring.  Per usual, I chose to make a recipe that was totally new to me.  I came across it in the Parade magazine section of the Sunday paper several weeks ago.  The ingredients looked interesting and it was a recipe of Zac Brown's of the Zac Brown Band.  Apparently, it was a hit because I only had about a cup to bring home at the end of the day. Try it yourself (if you can read this) and see what you think.  I reduced the chili powder by about 2-3 tablespoons and it was still plenty hot.

Day 107 - Thanks PTSA

This is the second or third year that our parents have created a "holiday dessert bar" for the staff at our school.  They just provide boxes and an amazing array of cookies, candies and other sweets for us to eat and package up to take home.  There aren't many schools that get treated the way we do by our PTSA.

Day 106 - Holiday Packages Arrive

Had to go to the post office to pick up two packages from my sister today.  We try to be as vague as possible on the customs forms so that there are some surprises on Christmas morning but it is a challenge. I was tempted to take a picture of the HUGE lineup of people but decided I'd better not. Those postal workers can be cranky and unpredictable.

Day 105 - Total Geek Gift

After seeing a salt lamp in the wacky scientist's office on the Periodic Table of Videos, I told my students they should get me one for Christmas.  Lo and behold, look what arrived in my class!  They must have had some great offer online (or the student clicked twice) because I got TWO!  They are really cool and all the other science and math nerds at my school want one.

Day 104 - A Night at the Emergency Room

My long time friend Paul called me tonight and asked "How soon can you get here to drive me to the UW Medical Center?"  I headed out the door and spent the next 4.5 hours with him as the staff tried to deal with the latest complications from his lymphoma treatment.  I'm really getting angry at the impact cancer is having on my friend's lives. 

Day 103 - Outside Kitty Returned!

After disappearing for over a week, Outside Kitty just appeared on Saturday morning.  No real signs of trauma but she was VERY hungry.  I suspect she got locked in somebody's garage.  She's right at home curled up on her Value Village sleeping bag inside the little house built by my neighbor.

Day 101 - Wreath Making

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was helping my mother make the wreath for the door.  My dad made her a big plywood form which she wrapped with string to secure the boughs and ornaments.  Years later, a friend and neighbor in Seattle made me some plywood frames but it's harder to get boughs (legally, that is) so I just head to Lowe's or Home Depot and take the Christmas tree leftovers.

Day 100 - Gifts

These are the Christmas gifts for my sister and brother-in-law, Lee and John.  They live over 3,000 miles away in eastern Canada so I'm really cutting it close as far shipping deadlines go.  Happens every year.

Day 99 - Candle in the Wind

Today I lost an amazing friend named Paige Cahoon.  Try as I might to prepare myself for this day, the news filled me with a profound sadness.

"And even though we try

The truth brings us to tears

All our words cannot express

The joy you brought us through the years. . ."