Cabin Fever!

It is day 3 of no school........and I think cabin fever is beginning to set in. I have cleaned all the dishes, washed all the laundry, cleaned the bathroom, baked banana bread, have been reading Breaking Dawn ( almost finished), walked down to the market and local coffee shop 2 times.....oh yes all the while striking up conversation with complete strangers as we all try to get down the hill without falling. It really is funny how something like an icy hill and the lack of human contact can make you feel compelled to become friends with someone you don't even know. I have made several friends the past couple of days.....not only the fellow friends trying to get down the hill.....but my friends at the coffee shop,the market and oh yes my neighbor Tara. Thank god she came by last night and asked me to go with her to run some errands....all on foot of course. We even stopped into a local bar and had a drink. I actually have some shows to watch on Netflix....I have been saving them....who knows how long this will last. I did think about getting on the bus to go downtown today but the news was reporting that if you didn't have to leave the house you shouldn't....even buses were not doing well with the ice. So hopefully I will be able to take the bus tomorrow.

As I was leaving to head to the coffee shop today I watched a Jeep Cherokee go down my street and lose control.....OMG.......the damage it did not only to the car but the sign and tree it hit while it was spinning down the hill. At that moment it was confirmed I am not going anywhere in my car! As my good friend Velvet Brick knows.....I have a difficult time navigating up hills in the middle of summer....the passenger side of my car is proof of that! So it will stay safe in my garage where it has been since Tuesday. So I will embrace the season of winter and the hunkering down that comes with the snow and cold.........tis the season of rest. So i will make tea, wrap myself in a warm blanket and just be.

Let it Snow...Let it Snow.....Let it Snow

Saturday night Seattle received it's first snowfall of the season......... it was beautiful. Huge snowflakes came down it was such a sight. I always love it when it snows in Seattle....not only is it pretty but it doesn't stick around long! Hey a girl has got to be honest! I love the snow but on a superficial level......I am not good with digging out cars, shoveling sidewalks or deicing cars. So Seattle is perfect because not only does it not snow that much......we are not really a snow city ...so everything shuts down for the day! How did I get so lucky??

Unfortunately, we have school today....I was hoping for a snow day, who knows we still might get one this week. It is cold, cold, cold outside..... but the sun is shinning, making it seem so bright outside. Snow and sun mixture.....it is incredible....and to be quite honest incredible to be seeing the sun this time of year. I feel like I live somewhere else today!

If we get more snow.....I will post more pictures......... Have a Happy Monday!

Angels in the Dust.......

I watched this amazing documentary this weekend....... it is about this women Marion Cloete who has dedicated her life to helping children with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Currently she educates and shelters over 550 orphaned children.


It is said that by the year 2010...... 100 million people in Africa will have HIV/AIDS.......26 million children will be orphaned because of it.

Africa alone has 6 million adults and children are infected but the government has turned a blind eye to it.






If you get a chance....... you should watch this movie....it is truly amazing to see the devastation happening to children in Africa.

Thanksgiving Weekend!

I love Fall and I love the Holidays........even more I love living in a place where it is not 85 degrees during the Holidays. But......... it is this time of year where I really start to miss my family and miss having such a strong support group made up of friends that I have had for several years. So I was thrilled to hear that my friend Susan was going to come up and visit for the Thanksgiving weekend......and boy am I glad she did. At the very last minute all of my plans had fallen apart and I had come to realize that for the first time in my LIFE I was going to be eating my Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant! To make it even worse........I was going to Chandlers Crab house........YES you are reading that right....... a crab house for a turkey meal.

I picked Susan up from the airport on Wednesday. We woke up Thursday morning made breakfast, took a 6 mile walk and got ready to head out for dinner.

To my surprise.........it was WONDERFUL! Of course that is in part to the fabulous company...... but the dinner was delicious. We got to have a window table, looking out to Lake Union and all the very gorgeous boats. The dinner was 4 courses....I chose to have prime rib instead of turkey...... I know....I know.........truth be told I am not a huge fan of turkey.

After the 4 courses, along with a couple of yummy beverages......Susan and I had to practically be rolled out. We were stuffed.....and we had a nice box of leftovers to take with us. So the pros to eating out.... 1. don't have to cook 2. don't have to clean 3. still get to go home with leftovers! I just might be a convert to restaurant eating for Turkey day dinner!

Here are pictures of some highlights of the rest of our weekend. We did a ton of stuff.......and our weekend theme was: "Living the Life".........more on that in another post!

At Pike's Place Market

A band playing in front of the Original Starbucks

A couple getting a carriage ride downtown

The carousel....this is also downtown

Susan and I downtown right before the tree lighting ceremony

So this group was downtown on the street corners with their signs and passing out fliers. I had to laugh! I believe they were poking fun at Black Friday.......love this place!

and then the other protesters....... the religious freaks! Yes they are usually out every weekend in downtown Seattle......but were in larger quantities on Black Friday and with mega phones...... I love the sign...."Fear God"........that's America for you.....

The downtown Christmas tree and Macy's star......this is an annual holiday tradition here in Seattle..........you can see all the people .......

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday weekend as well!