2008: a summary in months

January: I had ridiculously lofty New Year resolutions; I kept only one: I no longer drink/eat artificial sugars. And there was sadness: I lost my paternal grandpa.

February: Extraordinary Valentine's Day; duties as Maid of Honor in full gear.

March: I was busy "trying" to post daily for NaBloPoMo's March topic, lists. I did it for 14 days and then poof, no more. But I certainly did a bit - the month started off with a big wedding, I caught up on some movies, and I made a lot of lists. Er, I already said that. It was a big month for reading.

April: A trip to Vizcaya.

May: Jane, flower pictures, not much else.

June: Went to Portland/Eugene/Oregon Coast; the little sister graduated from college.

July: A hot summer month that found me indoors, doing housework.

August: Mom & little sister visited Florida for a week; Tropical Storm Faye shut down plans to visit the Keys.

September: Another wedding! Many civil twilight trips to the beach.

October: San Francisco & the letterpress class; my 29th birthday.

November: OBAMA! D. Sergei's emergency surgery. Thanksgiving in Portland!

December: Steve and I spent Christmas together in Montana...

5...4...3...2...1...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU! MAKE IT DIVINE IN 2009.

on being back

So, my plans to blog throughout my vacation were thwarted. By Yellowstone National Park. Oh my, you haven't lived until you've been there for a spell in the winter. It was my first visit there, period, and we drove the only open road (to automobiles) which traversed the northern most part of the park. The park is open year-round to snowmobiles (or, as the joke constantly went, thanks to Todd Palin: snow machines), but we couldn't bring ourselves to mount them as you must have a guide with you. Steve is the opposite of a guided traveler, and so am I. I have something like nine million photos to download and I'll get started with that later tonight.

We are back in Florida now and the weather is unseasonably summer-like.

The next big holiday: 2009. The coming year is already destined to be huge. I'm turning 30. My dad turns 60 (we very well might surprise him with a trip home). A benchmark sort of year. I will spew my resolutions and wishes perhaps tomorrow...

You might hear from me again today, once my photos are up and running.

christmas eve, montana

Usually, when I am on vacation, I make it a point to disconnect from the blog and RSS feeds (aka crack).  However the reverse of that has been true:  I am blogging less and less at home.  Consider this the comeback; I've missed the writing.

 

We are in Montana right now - I have a view mountains, evergreens covered in snow, skiers and ski lifts.  It is beautiful and up there.  Like, 7,000 feet up there.  Also, gloriously remote!  Plenty of pictures to follow. 

 

There was a little bit of drama prior to our departure.  I pulled an all-nighter (I think my very first).  Unfortunately, we clipped one of Cole's nails too short and blood gushed and gushed out of it.  Everywhere.  We Googled ways to make it stop:  first we dunked his back paw in flour, which helped stop it but only for a short time.  Curious about the smell of flour -- D. Sergei began licking his wound!  D. Sergei who eats everything.  Finally after a few hours of tending to Cole, Steve superglued his toenail and that finally stopped the bleeding.  Phew.

 

I had plans for some heavy plane-reading: cover-to-cover, the Illustrated Jane Eyre.  No such luck!  I tried to sleep, but I couldn't.  But I don't think I was awake.  I didn't read. 

 

Now I am smack in the middle of a winter wonderland and nothing sounds cozier than reading. 

 

By the way - Christmas Eve is my favorite day.  I love it still.  I hope you're celebrating the day with those you love and give your pets an extra treat or two. 

 

[more to come]

no time to blog!

Firstly, Jane thanks all of you for thinking of her; she is pleased to let you know that she made a speedy recovery and so far, no surgery is necessary.  Phew!

Secondly, it is that time of year...when all is chaos!  I blinked, I think, and then 15 days of December happened.  What?!  The good news is that, over the weekend:  all of my packages were shipped to family members out on the freezing West Coast; we finally put up a small *living* tree; we totally rearranged two rooms in our home; we celebrated pre-Christmas with Steve's family; we even found time, somehow, to go thrifting (hence the room rearrangement).  The only disappointment is that I spent a small fortune on Christmas card-making papers that remain unmade and at this point, time is slinking through the proverbial hourglass faster than you can yell 'DUCK!' at George W. Bush during a press conference.

Thirdly, I'm spending what little time I have on Joan Wickersham's The Suicide Index (2008).  So tragically gorgeous; reminds me very much of Joan Didion's Year of Magical Thinking (2005).

Fourthly, I'm at work and must tend to the library now...I'll try to squeeze more in soon.  I have so many photos to share, including one of D. Sergei after he decided to jump into the kitchen sink and clean out the pot of chilly we left in there.  White fur + chilly stains = the D. Sergei massacre.

xoxo

A few things related to the last two weeks:


~ A Thanksgiving I shall forever remember. Had to-die-for food, mostly prepared by sister little, and enjoyed it in the company of my most favorite people. Played Risk for the first time, got hosed. I suck at world domination; however, trying for it is so much fun! Asia was mine! For two turns. Also: the fireplace was busy (see photo above). The weather was gorgeously chilly. Saw lots of fall leaves, despite the calendar date. Visited Paper Source on NW 23rd, finally! Scooped up papers, letterpress goodies, and a couple of stamps. Unfortunately, I could not be persuaded to not shop Black Friday (I've taken the last few years off). And then there was the glorious victory to cap off the weekend. Good times.

~ Jane. She's sick, like D. Sergei. Only we're not sure how seriously yet, and maybe we caught it in enough time to avoid surgery. I would insert an emoticon here, but I don't know if I want to make a smile or a frown.

~ I finished two books over Thanksgiving: Cherry (Karr, 2001) + Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth (Guo, 2008). Both = awesome. Now, finishing Monsters of Templeton (Groff, 2008).

~ Saw A Midsummer Night's Dream performed a couple of nights ago by a small theater company - it was fantastic. Lord, what fools these mortals be!

~ Made first major appliance purchase: a new washing machine. The thing about new appliances is that they smell like new cars. I'm into that.

~ Just starting the dizzying pleasure of Christmas gift-gathering. And making cards, perhaps some food, and a couple of really good dinners.

time capsule

Letter from a young Madge:

Never take things too seriously.
Troubled?
Buy a hammock.
And play office in it.

switch blog to ON, post

I was home (Portland) with family for Thanksgiving - a handful of photos to follow (the one above was taken on an early-morning Thanksgiving walk with my mom).

To get back in the swing of things, a meme, courtesy of le petit doodler:

Seven titillating facts about me:

1. The saint's name I chose for my confirmation was Clare.
2. 1/4 of my heritage is completely unknown.
3. I opened my first restaurant when I was 4. I served little ham sandwiches in Tupperware bowls of water.
   
4. The order in which I loved the American Girls: 1) Kirsten; 2) Samantha; 3) Molly.
   
5. A result of being born close to Halloween, I think: I believe in ghosts. *boo*
   
6. After I wanted to be a teacher and before I wanted to be a librarian, I really wanted to be an urban planner.
   
7. Aside from cats & dogs, I absolutely adore sea turtles.

Now, goodnight - I will be back soon!