After some excessively hot, sunny weather during the week, the damp, cool weekend was perfect. Especially since Andy and I had plans to sneak away for a long weekend on the Oregon Coast to celebrate my birthday. It was a long drive on Friday to Newport, but spending the whole weekend wandering the beach, snuggling the hotel cat, and re-reading The Hobbit in a cozy armchair by a fire made it totally worth it. The Hobbit has been a favorite of mine since I was very young, but it's rare that I allow myself to re-read books these days. I'd forgotten how enjoyable it can be to curl up with an old favorite. With the long list of book I want to read, it can be hard to remember to make time for the books I already know and love. Perhaps after this weekend I'll make the time to re-read a few more beloved books!
Read moreLife: Week 15
This week was a long one. Work is getting hectic and stressful, and I haven't been sleeping well, which makes me not want to do much of anything but sit on the couch. I know that I'll be happier if I can manage to get outside for a run, hike, or even a short walk, but the comfort of the couch can be so hard to leave! That said, I did manage to make it outside a few times this week, including my first run in a downpour since I was a kid. I'd forgotten how fun it can be to get absolutely soaking wet, to splash right through puddles and have my hair plastered to my dripping face. Another blast from the past this week - I rode my old bike for the first time in at least 8 years. It always amazes me that it's true - you really never do forget how to ride a bicycle!
Read moreLife: Week 14
I absolutely love this time of year. While the weather has been gradually shifting towards spring for months, suddenly it seems like everything is blooming and growing. Everywhere, instead of bare branches, there's new green growth. The walks I took through our neighborhood on the long, warm, sunny days were significantly slowed by my constant pauses to snap photos of many of my favorite blooms. The dogwood are blooming! Along with lilacs, dogwood are my favorite flowers. Lilacs, I love for their smell, but dogwood I love for their sturdy, large flowers in bright pink, white, and sometimes even pale green. They're everywhere this week.
Read moreLife: Week 13
Sunshine, glorious sunshine - a whole week of it! I remember writing a few weeks ago about my excitement over working with the windows open. This week, keeping the windows open at work became a necessity! Most afternoons, we even had to close the windows and switch on the air conditioning. It's been like a little taste of summer in Seattle!
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