Merry (belated) Christmas!

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! I spent the bulk of the first half in the air flying home to Fargo to visit my parents. What a treat to break through the clouds before landing and see miles and miles of snow! Some of you will remember me complaining last year because Fargo didn't have any of the pretty white stuff on the ground, much less get a lick of the stuff while I was home. This year made up for last.

So now I'm home for a week and just enjoying my time away from the office. Don't get me wrong, I love my job but it's always nice to get away for a few days and really unwind.

Hope your holidays are just as relaxing and you find time to get a cup of coffee with friends, eat cookies with family and take long afternoon naps. Blessings, friends!

Shame on me!

It's not even worthy of an apology...maybe begging and pleading for forgivness for not posting ANYTHING lately. Can y'all forgive me? If it makes you feel any better I haven't been keeping up on my personal email either. At any rate, I'm going to attempt a brief catch-up via pictures and hopefully, maybe, fingers crossed try to get back on track with at least weekly postings. Blessings to all of you this Christmas season!

On the monorail in downtown Seattle - November 13







At ECA's annual turkey giveaway - November 17






My angel costume (in rehearsal) - late November








Check out that sunset behind the mountains! This picture doesn't do it justice. - late November




The first snow of the year - December 1

Getting into character with Rebekah...again, first snowfall - December 1










My normally little creek is more like a fast, raging river with all the rain we've had - December 4

Weekend

I'm here! I've meant to post for the past few days but just haven't found the time to logon and get my thoughts down. So here it is.

It was a fantastic weekend! Friday night was rehearsal for The Gospel According to Scrooge. But this wasn't any regular rehearsal. This one we had at an off-site gymnastics studio. Imagine this: a sea of adults and teens stepping onto a bouncy gymnastics floor and instantly jumping, jumping, jumping. What a sight! And we have this doll that we're using as the baby Tiny Tim that looks ridiculously like a real baby that it's eerie. It's heavy and has cute little eyelashes and life-like eyes. Crazy!

Saturday night was cool too. I went into Seattle with Marianne and we got last-minute tickets to the Pacific Northwest Ballet. A great show! We saw Agon (a Balanchine classic), Kiss (an aerial pas de duex), Caught (a David Parsons' piece using a strobe light), and In the Upper Room (an interesting Twyla Tharp piece). Insane seats in the second row but definitely not as good as you'd think. For one, my view was partially blocked by the head of the woman sitting in front of me. Secondly, the cool strobe light piece was nearly impossible to actually see because we were so close to the lights. It's as if all we saw was light and not enough distance between us and the dancer for our eyes to focus on what the light was reflecting off of. At any rate, it was still fun!

Don't cry for me...

I am constantly amazed by the strange little things in life. For example, I needed to go to the grocery store today after work to pick up groceris (surprise!). What song do I hear over the speaker system? "Don't Cry for me Argentina." How random! What's worse is that I found myself softly singing along while walking down the cereal aisle. Thank goodness for the kind guy restocking the shelves who didn't give me a strange look and only said "hello." I love the kind Washingtonians!

My other observation this week: if you let your imagination run a bit you could come to the conclusion that the mountains in Issaquah are bullying the clouds. Let your mind run on this one. The church is up on a plateau and as you drive down into Issaquah, you're coming down to a stores and homes nestled between three mountains (Tiger, Skwak and Cougar). On a foggy day you get a really cool sight of the clouds trapped between the mountains and just kind of sitting there kind of bubbling on top of themselves trying to escape. Very cool. Can you see it? No? Ok, I'll try to take a picture the next time. :)

Oh! Exciting news on the new church property...we poured the first bit of concrete yesterday!

The artsy shot (above) and the better view (right).











"The guys" surveying the basement of the future building.

Surprises

When I lived in the Tri-state area I was rarely surprised by the unusual things I saw - Superman walking down the street in Port Chester, crazy clothes, funky hair, weird people in general. But it's so less common here that when someone stands out from the crowd, good or bad, I'm usually really tickled. Take for example a fellow I saw today. I was on a little shopping adventure with a friend in Covington and as we were pulling out of the parking lot a little old man (definitely in his 70s or 80s) whizzes past us on a little scooter. I'm not talking about a Vespa or a motorcycle, but a scooter with a seat. What a thing to see!

That's about it...enjoying another beautiful day in the Northwest. Here's a picture of yesterday's sunset through the trees. Can you see the purple clouds along with the orange ones? I know...totally hard to see it but trust me, it was gorgeous!

Costumes

Not too much to share from the past two days aside from shooting hoops last night. Ok, so I was really just overseeing one of those little hot shot basketball games at ECA's Fall Festival and was passing out candy to all the little dressed up kidos, but it was still fun. The best costume I saw? My friend's oldest daughter (she's 7 or 8) dressed up as her mother...in all black with a little tech headset. What was she? A producer. How great is that?! Am I showing my geeky side? Wait. Don't answer that.

Otherwise, I took a friend's advice and joined a couple groups on Meetup.com. Pretty cool site where I can hopefully get to know some new people outside of the circle of people I'm meeting. The best group I've found so far is New Yorkers in Seattle. Finally, someone who genuinely shares my longing for real bagels and good pizza. :)

Oh, my Verizon phone (the 203-xxx-xxxx CT number) is going out of service on Saturday. Drop me an email or comment if you're looking for my new 425-xxx-xxxx WA number. That's it for now. Later!

Short-lived miracle

I bet you thought I fell off the face of the Earth. Hmmm, close but not quite! Just a busy few weeks around here but I'm making a resolution to update at least once a week if not more often. Now I'm not promising it's going to be anything long or involved, but at least there will be updates on a fairly regular basis.

What's happened in the past month, you're asking?

Well, I learned that Freemont (a neighborhood in Seattle) is the center of the universe. They've got proof, too. Check out this sign in the middle of a main intersection there. And it points to two great places in the US: the Guggenheim and Wall Drug. Freemont is one of those funky neighborhoods where the vibe is young, exciting and eclectic. Starbucks and a thrift store are doors away from each other. College students walk next to professionals. Colors of hair are as varied as the rainbow. When I visited with my friend Marianne, we wandered upon a real soapbox derby race -- we actually missed it by about 30 minutes. Oh, and did I mention that there's a "rocket" that sits on top of a building, a troll lives under a bridge and there's a statue of Lenin? Wild! (Check out more crazy Freemont pictures by clicking here.)

In early October I had a friend from Connecticut make the trip West to visit. Eric and I had a great time bumming around Seattle and just catching up. It's an amazing reminder of how good life can feel when you're spending time with a friend! You kind of forget that when you're meeting new people every day and not necessarily making real friends quickly. I loved not having to explain something about the way I think or react because it's different than the thought pattern here. Or not having to tell someone, "I'm a writer" or "I'm a dancer" or "I hate peanut butter." Crazy little things that make a difference in your life when it's nearly everyone you've got to tell it to rather than just one new friend. It certainly makes you look at life differently. All the same, spending time with Eric for a few days was a welcome change of pace. Thanks for coming, Eric!

Right, so we wandered Pike Place Market and all its nooks and cranies. Enjoyed a latte (me) and tea (Eric) at the orginal Starbucks. Admired the view from the pier next to the Aquarium, which we would tour the next afternoon. Can you believe there were no sea horses? I was so dissapointed! They did have sea otters and sea lions though, so maybe I should give them a break. And dinner at a little place in the market with views of the Sunset over the water. It was nice.

The next day we did something typically Issaquah, attended the Salmon Days Festival. Now, I'm quite proud of the fact that this was Eric's first real outdoor festival and I got to show him around. There weren't any rides that we saw, but lots of craft and food booths. If you go next year and you're hungry, try the German booth with the curly fries...you get your money's worth! And did I mention that there's lots of salmon at the festival? It's a little disturbing that they're coming there to die, but I guess it's the circle of life. (Makes me want to sing that Elton John song from "The Lion King." Brace yourself.)

Next we ventured back into Seattle for lunch at the Elliot Bay Book Company's cafe. It's a super quaint little place in the underground floor of the store. We later found out on The Underground Tour that it was part of the underground city that replaced original Seattle in the late 1800s. It's a really cool story but far too long to write here. Instead, enjoy the view from one of the balconies in the store.

And what tour of Seattle would be complete without a drive around the Space Needle. Eric's shot with my camera. Nice job considering I was moving on everyshot he took! (You can see more pictures from that weekend here.)

In other news, I've been trying to get out and hike a bit in the area. (Still haven't made it to Mt. Si if you're wondering.) Marianne and I went a few weeks ago on a trail really close to my house. Check out Tradition Lake behind us here.

There is plenty more going on out here -- I was called "the color in Pleasantville" one weekend for wearing my pink jacket on a dreary day, I finally bought a bookcase that happens to perpectually lean to the right, I've kind of adopted a cat that is afraid of me...I call him kitty, I have a new fish...I call him fishy, I'm taking ballet classes at Pacific Northwest Ballet and loving it, and I have two plants that I've managed not to kill. Yet.

I miss all of my friends and family back in Connecticut so leave me comments, drop me an email or give me a call. I want to hear how life is for you. As for me, life is good.

The beautiful foliage I've been watching for the past few weeks.

For more pictures, visit my online album.

It's a miracle!

Ok, so it's more like patience...but I've finally got Internet access and cable at home! Yes, that now means that it will be about a million times easier to keep in touch since I can e-mail, post pictures and blog from my home office rather than staying late at work to do that fun stuff. So in honor of my new connections I'm posting new pictures in my online album and a few of the best ones here. Check them all out here or keep scrolling for a handful of them.

By the way, I went to the Puyallup Fair yesterday with one of the gals from accounting, her husband and two daughters. What a treat to spend the day with a family just wandering around, chatting, laughing and having fun! And the fair was fun, too. We visited all of the cute (and not so cute) animals. No rides for us, but lots of yummy food and walking! Take a look at the Super Pumpkin winner...huge, eh?

Oh, and last weekend I took a walk at Alki Beach in West Seattle. Pastor Steve had been poking me about going nearly since I arrived and I finally made it. Boy was he right - it was beautiful! There's a walking path that runs right along the water and one side gives you a perfect view of downtown Seattle and as you work your way around the point of West Seattle it takes you to a breathtaking view of Puget Sound. Well worth it!

Ok, off to get dinner but check back soon...I'll be posting more often.

Love!

Bad girl...but here are pictures

So I've been a bit lax in writing here - sorry! - life and work are finally kicking up and I'm finding it harder to squeeze in time to put my thoughts down on digital paper. But here goes...a bunch of new pictures and little descripts. Enjoy!

My dear friend Janelle painting my bedroom wall. Awww...




My two slimy friends...Kermit One and Kermit Two. Ribbitt!








You can barely see it (but it's there)...the waterfall and Issaquah Creek in my backyard. Pretty, eh?

A sweet little flower in my backyard.













And a few sun-loving white flowers in my backyard that open only when the sun is shining on them. Note a tiny glimpse of the waterfall poking through the trees in the background! (Aunt TT, these are the flowers I was describing to you.)

Haven't forgotten

Really, I haven't forgotten about blogging...it's just been getting busier and busier during daytime hours and I still don't have Internet access at home. Good news, though, I moved into my own apartment over the weekend. It was a lot of work between painting, cleaning, unpacking the cube, and unpacking into the apartment. But it's all been worth it! A note to all of you who're planning a big move: if you can take your kitchen food staples with you, do it! The worst part of the whole move has been rebuying all of those standard kitchen things like flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, etc. Oy!

My apartment is providing a little bit of entertainment as well. I didn't realize it at first, but I have a little atrium in my bedroom window! It's a basement window and vines and other plants have spilled into it along with some little critters...most notably two little frogs that like to peer in the windows. Such cuties! Look for pictures in a future posting.

Gotta run but will post more tomorrow - hopefully a slower day!

City life

For those of you who missed the pictures in the last post, here's to making up for it. Lots of new ones to share (and even more from both the Cascades and Seattle)!

I have to admit straight off the top that I didn't make it to Mt. Si and I'm a little embarassed that I keep mentioning it and never follow through, but Seattle was calling my name and I had to heed and go explore the city, which is what I did on Sunday afternoon. But before I get to that, a quick recap (with pictures) of last weekend.

If you remember, I went for a fantastic drive through Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains. I didn't imagine that it would be so much more beautiful than the mountains I've been seeing around Puget Sound, but it was. Check out one of the ridges at the Pass (right). (No hiking for me that day 'cause I had the wrong shoes with me. Bummer! But I did see a family with a couple of young kids pile out of a car and start their way up the trail. I bet those kids were tired at the end!)

Check out my last post for more on last week's adventures. On to this past weekend!

Saturday I did something I've never done before: went to a PGA golf tournament. Yes, you read that correctly. The girl who's terrible at golfing went to a professional tournament - and enjoyed it! A fellow at my church had complimentary passes to the Boeing Classic at the Snoqualmie Golf Course and offered me a couple tickets to check it out. So Leslie, the woman I've been staying with, and I ventured over in the morning to watch the first nine holes. It was quite chilly and overcast but thankfully the rain held off until after we'd left. Honestly, I'm not sure what to say about it because my understanding of golf is so minimal, but the grounds were beautiful and the homes on the course reminded me of Greenwich homes (big, well-kept grounds, etc.). The golfers were good and watching them putt at the end of each hole was the most exciting part. No pictures, though, because it was against the rules. Oh well.

And Sunday was a trip into Seattle. Would you believe that it's literally 15 mintues drive without traffic? Talk about close! It was my first time in the city just exploring (I've had dinner at the Space Needle, but that's it) and I really enjoyed it. Pike Place Market is a busy maze of vendors, but enjoyable every second. Check out the famous sign (above), the Pike Place Fish Co. where they throw fish, flower vendors that people were going crazy for, and the original Starbucks. I refrained from going into the original because the line was just too long, but one day I'll head in for a brew from the first!

I also checked out Pioneer Square, which is the oldest section of Seattle. A good chunk of it survived the fire in the early 1900's so it's a fun mix of old and new buildings. Because I was there on a Sunday afternoon a lot of the stores were closed, but I bet I'd love it even more when everything's kicking. Check out the totem pole, and in the Web album see a cool old structure, and words on a building that any good Midwestern girl would notice.

In other news, I have an apartment! Painting and moving in this weekend so I'll finally have a place of my own to call home. Pictures to come.

Hope you're all well. Keep in touch and leave me comments!

Settling in

(Spoiler alert: I don't have any new pictures to share with this blog entry. Sorry!)

Ok, so I don't have any pictures because I haven't taken any shots over the last week, it's because I forgot the cable I need at home. Oy vey! Hopefully you all will forgive me and let me make it up to you next time with lots of photos.

The last week, honestly, hasn't been much different from the rest. I've finally settled into a bit of a routine in terms of my schedule. Up at 5:45 a.m., out the door by 6:50, in the office about 7:10, out the door again at 3:30 p.m. and exploring Issaquah. Thankfully there are a few highlights throughout the week to keep me from going stir crazy.

This past Saturday and Sunday, Doug Chase (the new business manager) and I were introduced to the congregation during all four services at the Issaquah campus. (We also have a West Seattle campus.) This isn't anything out of the ordinary except that now when I walk through the church lobby or am out and about places I get random "hellos" and "oh, you're Pastor Steve's new assistant". It's great, really, because even though I'm still easily the new girl, it doesn't feel like it as much.

Saturday afternoon I also took a drive east on I-90 to explore the Cascade Mountains. Wow! I'm a little ashamed that I don't have pictures to share with you right now because it's absolutely gorgeous, but stay tuned. Snoqualmie Pass is the closest point to cross over the mountains and it's only about 20 minutes away. And like most, if not all, of the mountains around here, there's a hiking trail to the top where I stopped to take a few pictures. Like I said, stay tuned. :)

Sunday afternoon was fantastic! Nothing really exciting, just three movies back-to-back on TV and talking with friends. Can't beat a relaxing day at home.

Speaking of home, I'm finally going to see this apartment that I keep talking about on Monday. I'm 99% positive that I'll be moving in there (the rent, utilities included, is a good deal), but this will put my mind at ease. Plus, I'll be able to start thinking about how to decorate it and what to do with that second bedroom. Yes, two bedrooms!

Let's see, this week is pretty slow. I went to dinner and to get my nails done with a new friend, Marianne, last night. She works here at the church for the youth department so we had plenty to talk about. And tonight I'm having dinner with Rebekah, the wife of the children's pastor. Looking forward to it!

Otherwise, I may head into Seattle on Saturday to explore or take a dance class...or maybe I'll finally try to hike part of Mt. Si. I know, I keep talking about it but haven't done it.

Hope you're all well!

Spectacular views and new friends

I hadn’t planned to blog again quite so soon but I had quite an adventure last evening hiking with a new friend and wanted to share. The church runs a number of small interest groups that meet once a week called Life Groups with one of them focusing on hiking. The children’s pastor, Dan, mentioned this one to me because I was going on and on about wanting to hike Mt. Si (still on the docket for the weekend) and how it would be a great way to not only hike but meet new people. So it turns out that Angela, the leader, had a hike scheduled for Thursday evening up Rattlesnake Ridge, which is at the most 15 minutes from where I’m staying.

from the top -- check out how the clouds cut off the top of the mountain

At about 6 p.m. Angela picked me up and we made our way to Rattlesnake Lake where the trail starts. (It happened that it was just the two of us that hiked, which was great because we got to talk and learn more about each other than if there’d been more people.) The hike was two miles each way (elevation gain of 1,175 ft.) and took about an hour to get up and slightly less down.

It was amazing with spectacular views along the way. I was amazed at the trees when you first start up the mountain – there were so many and they’re so tall and skinny – and there were massive boulders – larger than the big Hummers – that were just sitting there between the trees. They must have fallen from the mountain at some point but now they’re covered with moss and plants and things are starting to grow out of them. Of course there’s a point that you pass those trees and hit the traditional evergreens, which lend a different kind of feeling to the hike.

me at the top

But the view from the top was something else! Mountains on all sides with clouds so low that they cut off the tops of them – it was like a natural ceiling. And there were multiple lakes with water so clean and blue it almost looked fake. What a reminder of how beautifully different our country is from coast to coast!

Check out the pictures below or for all of them, check out my online gallery with other pictures from my time here so far.

sunset through the trees

All in all, I'm loving the job and the (indirect) way that I'm doing something good through work. The stress, strain, frustration, and sadness of moving so quickly and so far away from friends has been worth it so far. And I think that when I finally get into an apartment (which should be soon!) and all of the regular fall church activities start up in September and I can get into dance classes I'll be even happier.

In the land of big trees

It’s been another fun week both personally and professionally. I finished my book – Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell – which I’m sure you were dying to hear about. More interestingly, I explored a really old, really big tree in Snoqualmie yesterday evening.

the big tree (it's really much larger than it looks!)

So I over estimated the diameter of this tree when I was talking with my Mom this past weekend – it’s not the 100-ft. diameter I guessed – but it’s still large! Turns out the Douglas Fir is only 11’6” at its widest and 8’10” at its most narrow and weighs 39 tons (78,000 lbs.). Um, that’s a big tree! And it’s old, too. It was a seedling in 1587 and cut down in 1987, which makes it 400 years old. I know, I know, that’s a lot of information about a tree but this thing caught my interest last week and it’s as thought it’s been calling my name to come and learn about it ever since.

The tree is part of an exhibit at the Northwest Railway Museum in downtown Snoqualmie and sits on a big train bed under a specially made house alongside the main road in town. As I was driving to Snoqualmie Falls last week (see my previous post about the Falls) I drove through the center of town to get there and stared at a series of old train cars and cabooses sitting outside the museum. And among the cars was this massive part of a tree.

the view between two rail cars

As an aside, the museum offers rides on its old passenger trains each Saturday and Sunday during the summer. Now I’ve been on old train rides before (most recently last summer in the Black Hills of South Dakota) and yes they’re slow, but I saw the Snoqualmie train last weekend and boy is it slow! You certainly don’t miss the scenery as you’re chugging past it!

By the way, I got such a kick out of downtown last week. I literally turned left onto Rt. 202 on the East side of town, took note of a sign proclaiming “Welcome to Snoqualmie,” picked up a leisurely pace of about 25 mph, passing the trains, tree trunk, bowling alley, drive-through espresso shop, and a handful of restaurants, to find myself on the other end of town and watching a sign telling me “Thank you for visiting Snoqualmie” a short two minutes later. Reminds me of small town South Dakota. Ahh, the memories!

Overall, everything else is going smoothly here. I have a strong lead on an apartment – praise God! – and am getting more and more acclimated to work and all of the new information, people, and tasks. And still continually amazed at my surroundings and its beauty. Seriously, it’s so cool to wake up and watch the sun begin its ascent over the mountains, slowly illuminating the evergreens on its way. Nearly every morning there’s fog in the valleys, which is so interesting to see. As a kid I always wanted to touch and walk through the clouds so to see it just hanging in the air so close and peaceful I have the strongest urge to pull the car off the road and go running into the fields to pick up a little of the fluffy white stuff. If only!

Weekend plans are to hike at least a little bit of Mt. Si. Will keep you updated!

Made it through a week!

Well, I made it through my first week! It was a trying one with lots of challenges but just as many rewards.

As for work, Wednesay, Thursday and Friday were spent mostly in meetings with the pastoral and office staff getting to know people. It sounds a bit dry, but it was honestly a great and casual way to get to know people, hear their "story" and get a handle on how they work best.


at Snoqualmie Falls

Outside of work I tried to do something every day that would help me learn the area. Wednesday I drove around and got lost (the best way to learn an area in my mind). Thursday I visited Snoqualmie Falls just down the road from where I'm staying. It's a beautiful little spot where you can actually hike down to the water (I'll do that another time). Friday I toured a few apartment complexes (expensive and shabby for the money). Saturday I went shopping at an outlet mall (new clothes, yay!). And Sunday was all about church and lunch with the senior pastor, his wife, the business manager and his family.

All in all it was a good weekend and I'm looking forward to a week with my boss in the office, which hopefully means real work to be done. :)

I'm still amazed at the landscape whenever I'm out and about. Would you believe that the outlet mall is nestled between two mountains. What a treat to walk out of a store and see this gigantic green mountain towering over you. And the drive to work on I-90 snaking its way around and between the trees and fog. I never imagined I would be living someplace like this.

Later kids!

Snoqualmie Falls through the grass

The first of many

This is a first for me: my own blog (I've blogged on behalf of others, but never putting my own ideas and experiences down on the screen). So here it goes!

My thought behind this is to keep you all updated on what's going on with me, especially since I've moved West and it seems to be a bit harder to connect over the phone with some of you! I'll share stories, pictures, and one day (if it's possible on blogger) videos. So check back often for new pictures from the Seattle area, stories of my adventures (you know there will be plenty), and thoughts on what's happening in my life. It should be interesting and at the least it will keep you up-to-date on life out here.

To start, I'm on my fourth day at the new job and loving it. The people are wonderful and the work - so far - is fulfilling. I have about a 20 minute drive to the office each way from the house where I'm living temporarily. Thankfully a 20 minute commute here is nothing like a 20 minute commute in Fairfield County. My spedometer actually stays at about 70 (the legal speed limit) and the green scenery rushes by!

a view of Mt. Si on the drive home to Snoqualmie

Other than work I'm keeping occupied by exploring the area after I leave the office (my hours are 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.). Some would call what I'm doing "getting lost and getting frustrated" but I prefer the more adventurous term "exploring." :) One of these adventures lead me to a little park on the top of a hill near the house. Check out the view of the valley through the clouds. How neat!

the valley

I'm apartment shopping tonight and tomorrow...wish me luck! And drop me a line when you get a chance!

love!