12-31-22

 

Wrapping up a year where my focus word was Rebalance.  The word served me well, it felt like a year of intentionally rebalancing and carving out experiences and a new normal.

In health, still struggling with sleep and weight and a new issue in my esophagus, but I did keep some weight off, spent a lot of time on Peloton and walking around Seattle, and my new WHOOP device has me excited about pushing myself further in workouts.

In finances, we are still struggling with what to do with extra cash with inflation and so much uncertainty, but we did meet with a financial advisor and got aligned for retirement.

In work/life balance, this was the first year ever for me to use all 5 weeks of my vacation time.  I resisted the urge to work more overtime, hanging on to personal goals I wanted more.  I took 3 Career Contessa on-line courses, read a lot (68 books), self-published my second book and started a third, and expanded my friendship with Tanuia as her early release finally came through in late December.

In continuing pandemic rhythms, life still felt like a big waiting game, but we focused on short PNW adventures, more outings with church friends, maintaining family gatherings, and using weekends and staycations as a good mix of being on the go vs. chores and enjoying down time.

12-30-22

 

The last Friday of 2022 and we are out and about, woo-hoo.

12-29-22

 

New glass teapot.  Fun that it has a diffuser, not sure I'll ever get overt he fear of it exploding on the burner.

12-28-22

 

The week between Christmas and New Years is for reading.  Everything else can wait.

12-27-22

 After nine days in a row of no alarm clock, it was time to face the music and head back to work.  Luckily I got out of trudging to the office, becuase still not feeling fantastic.  Speaking of long stretches, we are going four weeks between proper church services with so many staff and attendees travelling at the holidays.  Makes sense, but difficult to reconcile that against the true reason for the season.

12-26-22

 

Butt Naked bath bomb enjoyed after three days in a row of Christmas festivities.  Bliss!

12-25-22

 

Anastasia and Jacob, the host and hostesss with the mostest, before their Pop Tart house collapsed.

12-24-22

 

Traditional Christmas Eve Target family stocking shop, check.  Our Christmas traditions are cookie baking day, drawing names for stocking shopping, an early gift from the elves, decorating some sort of building with frosting, and maybe a Christmas Eve movie.  Avatar was long but good.

12-23-22

 

It's a Friday night and our big outing is heading to the pharmacy to get our malaria, typhoid, and antibiotic prescriptions.  Dumb weather!  First it was snow, then freezing cold, and now ice...

12-22-22

 

We walked in the freezing cold to Pacific Place to get out of the apartment and watercolor some Christmas trees.  My tree got a little wide...

12-21-22

 

I forgot to take a photo with mom at Benroya hall, so here is my only photo, waiting to get called in for my endoscopy and colonoscopy, because I know how to party during vacation!

12-20-22

 

More snow in Seattle.  Nowhere to go today, so it is fun to watch it coming down.

12-19-22

 

I was doing some shopping on the Oriental Trading COmpany site, and I saw that they still sell these angel ornaments by the dozen.  Love them on our tree!

12-18-22

 

Went to the aquarium today to see diving Santa.  Check, another Christmas tradition marked off!

12-17-22

 

Enjoying the downtown lights.  I just love this new teddy bear.

12-16-22

 

We may have having a super chilly winter, but it is still a wonderful place to be!

12-15-22

 

Look closely, what do you see.  Yep, a camera on top of a TALL yellow pole.  I have no idea WHY.

12-14-22

 

An evening at the hair salon, getting all the things tonight.

12-13-22

 

Snowball and Metro together again.

12-12-22

 

After a few weeks of more trips to the office, enjoyign working at home more this week.  Grampa's coloring of carolers keeps me in holiday cheer.

12-11-22

 

Occidental Park looking a bit more hospitable than normal.  Enjoying a winter day out.

12-10-22

 

Cookie baking day photo op.

The day is...

Energizing and exhausting.

A juggle of oven space, counter space, and baking sheets space.

A new face (Madeline) and missing faces (Shanna's crew).

A combiantion of old favorites and new recipes.

Productivity based, with disappointments and wins.

A fun way to spend a day together and have sweet gifts to share with others!

12-09-22

 

Christmas festivities and rain galore tongiht.  I guess posing with the tree on the deck of the Argosy Christmas Ship is tradition now.

12-08-22

 

This window display in Pike Place Market makes me smile.

12-07-22

 

The kids got us a nativity advent to count down to Christmas.  Fun, fun.

12-06-22

 

Nathaniel carved us a reindeer as gift last Christmas.  It fits right in with our woodland creature decorating theme.

12-05-22

 

Jacob had dinner with Santa Clause tonight.

12-04-22

 Merry Christmas at Viktoria.  Tasteful decorations on the roof.

12-03-22

 

Xander and I went to visit Grampa today, and decorate his room for Christmas.

12-02-22

 

Figgy Pudding contest.  After all these years, we finally had our schedules align to be able to attend, and it was as fun as I remembered.

12-01-22

 

Kicking off December with a charity gala.  Bid on a lot, won a suite at a Thunderbirds game.

11-30-22

 

Love this little guy!

11-29-22

 

Merry Christmas!  It's been white outdoors too with some snow this week.

11-28-22

 

A different walk this morning, fun to see the Christmas deer.

11-27-22

 

Amazon has a big campfire at the ski lodge display.  It's fun, but unfortunatley it doesn't give off any heat!

11-26-22

 

Tree lighting ceremony at Pike Place Market tonight.

The market was busy today, almost to pre-pandemic levels.

The custom market wrapping paper was a great perk, spending $50 with retailers isn't very hard.

11-25-22

 

 Tonight was the tree lighting ceremony at Westlake Center.  We were all watching the star and fireworks when I noticed that Santa had his phone out.

11-24-22

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Everyone who normally comes was here this year, it was a bigger group.

Fun to have fire pit weather too!

11-23-22

 

We tried the new Asean Eats restuarant at Westlake Center today.  It was on the expensive side, but a keeper for sure.  Especially the croffle (croissant waffle).

11-22-22

 

Walked on the east side of Second Ave to get to Walgreens for flu and COVID shots, so I took a closer photo of the new mural I like.

11-21-22

 

Staycation, day 1.

Focused on things that take energy today, before getting immunizations.

Wrapped gifts, made fruitcake cookies, shopping, chores.

11-20-22

 

We made up for being slugs yesterday with more steps today.  I was pleasantly surprised to be able to take a phoot with the portland whte stag sign.  Thankful for sunny dry weather, wish it was a tad warmer!

11-19-22

 

I only have food photos today, because food and shopping and rest are the only things we did.  We tried to go to the Japanese Garden, but no parking.  I think a chill weekend is just what we need.  And this red beans and rice was pretty darn good!

11-18-22

 

We FINALLY made it to our Bohemian Airbnb in Portland.  It was an extra long drive, leaving work at 2:30pm and arriving at close to 10pm due to a 16 hour I-5 closure.  We turned around once, stopped to le tthings open up twice, and attempted three different routes.

11-17-22

 A block well travelled, between Viktoria and Target.  Getting a new mural painted.  Love how they have different styles that merge and play with each other, and especially love the blue haired singer.

11-15-22

 

Rush to Ballard to drop of the packed Opertion Christmas Child shoeboxes during the only window we can make.  Forgot to take any photos, but enjoyed walking around a different place after that.  This building was all lit up and fun.

11-14-22

 

Monday night family dinner at Viktoria.

Three of us love mujadara: rench lentils, spiced rice, caramelized onions, pickled cabbage, garlic yogurt, fresno chilis (or not), pepita

11-13-22

 

The great chocolate fruitcake baking day.  So much for avoiding homemade projects.

11-12-22

 

Coal chute tour on Capital Hill!  We ran a bunch of errands, but also visited three old buildings and went on the hunt for the coal chutes from days when coal was delivered into the basement.

11-11-22

 

Womens worship night at church tonight, a great way to herald in a restorative weekend.