Gratitude Sunday

Amidst the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations, I have been trying to take the time to notice the many things I have to be grateful for. This week I have felt grateful for:

• The time that I got to spend with my family (in Florida!) this December. It is hard to live so far away from my family, and getting to see them around the holidays is a treat!

• That my children are at an age where they can fly on a plane without a major disaster ensuing. Our two (long) flights home from Florida were filled with crying babies, screaming toddlers, and frustrated parents. I remember those days, oh-too-well... and am not sad to see them go. As the kids and I sat in our own row, surrounded by chaos, I was so amazed and thankful that my children were content. It surely makes life a lot easier.

• Our warm, dry house that has sheltered us during this very rainy month. We have had over 14 inches of rain in December so far......My thoughts go out to all of the Portland homeless who probably haven't been dry for weeks.

• That the rain (mostly) held out tonight while we walked down Peacock Lane, an annual tradition in Portland. 

• My break from work. I really need some down time-- time to organize, to ponder, and to take care of the things that always get pushed to the bottom of the list when work and school are in the equation. It is unlikely that I will have my teaching job within a year or two, as I need to find a job that is full time.. something that is oh-so-elusive in the community college environment. Once I have a "real" job, I won't have weeks off around the holidays, so I am trying to really appreciate this time while I have it. And if I am lucky enough to be able to teach full time one day, I will appreciate it even more!

What have you felt grateful for this week?

Joining in with the other Taryn from Wooly Moss Roots

May the Christmas force be with you!

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Field Notes From a Catastrophe: A Review

I recently finished reading Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert and it was amazing. The book is a wee bit outdated, first published in 2004, I believe, but Kolbert does a fabulous job of explaining the implications of global warming in layman’s terms.
Kolbert writes about melting glaciers, changes in cultures, and species that are going extinct. She talks about the politics surrounding climate change and the  "business as usual" mentality that prevents any real changes in the amount of carbon emissions we are spewing out. She talks about places that have made change... and how little of a difference it makes until the entire world follows suit. She talks about technological fixes that many people are assuming, or at least really hoping, will save us, and the adaptations that will need to start happening very soon if they don't.
I have the revised and updated edition, so there are a few more chapters tacked onto the end which are really just essays that Kobert had already published, but it does give some updates and make the book slightly more relevant.
Either way, I loved this book. It does such a great job of explaining the basics of climate change in a simple and captivating way, and it touches on all aspects of the issue. And as much as the book emphasizes the importance of our current climate situation, it doesn't feel completely doom-and-gloom. This is a perfect book for folks who want to learn about change in a bit more detail, but don't want to be bogged down with scientific jargon and data. Pin It Now!

An Escape From the Rain

Hello! The kids and I have just returned home from a fabulous week away in Florida! We were visiting my family, and it was wonderful. We escaped the Portland monsoon (at least temporarily) and enjoyed beach time, pool time, and even a trip to Legoland.
The kids had lots of cousin time, and there was rarely a minute to spare. I think we are all a bit exhausted, but also filled with happiness and gratitude for time spent with family. (I didn’t bring my camera, so my pictures are all from my i-phone, and are less than spectacular, but sometimes the camera just seems like one thing too many.....)
And now we are home, and I am looking forward to a couple of weeks of down time, snuggled home with the kids, doing less. And hoping that this rain stops. Or just slows down a bit. We may float away soon......

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Our Weekend

 

This weekend was:

• Saturday morning pastries from the french bakery. Yum.

• Running a few errands 

• Making Christmas cookies

• Lots of reading

• A trip downtown to see an amazing gingerbread display and the lit-up tree at Pioneer square

• Finishing up some hand made gifts

• Soup, soup, and more soup

• So much rain......

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Joining in with Karen from Pumpkin Sunrise. 

 

  

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Yarn Along

Hello! Can you believe that it's already December? Joining with Ginny at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along.

I have finished Phoebe's puddle duck sweater and it is super cute. I decided to not do the 3/4 length sleeves and just did little capped sleeves instead. I am happy with my choice. I don't have a picture to show you because there never seems to be any natural light any more these days.... it's tricky to sneak in a picture in daylight (and I am also trying to hide the sweater from Miss P since it is a Christmas gift).

I am now working on this jumper for Phoebe, also for Christmas. Now that December has arrived, I am realizing that I had better knit faster if I am going to finish all of the projects that I had in mind! I think this will be another weekend around the house filled with crafting....

And what am I reading? It's more like what am I not reading.... I have a huge stack of books right now. I am slowly picking my way through War and Peace..... each pages is quite tedious to read as I often find myself having to look up characters, and of course, reading all of the french translations is slow too. However, I am starting to get pulled into the story and I am enjoying it. Tolstoy has a wonderful sense of humor. I think that I will be reading this one slowly, over many months, but that is fine by me.

I am also plowing through Reached, the last book in YA series Matched. I haven't been enjoying it as much as the first two, but oh well. It's a nice mindless read.

What are you reading? What are you knitting?

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Our Weekend

This weekend was exactly what I needed.

The kids were with me until late Friday afternoon, but I had the 'official' weekend to myself. I got to go out to dinner and see the new Hunger Games movie with a friend, I finished my Christmas shopping, I made it to a yoga class, I slept in on Sunday, and I clocked a couple of hours of reading time. It was lovely.

I was also super productive around the house. I caught up on some work, studied for the final in my herb class, did a bunch of crafting, and a whole lot of laundry.

I don't think I realized how much I needed an around-the-house weekend without many plans. But, I did. I filled every minute if it with either things that needed to get done, or things that I always want to do but don't have the time. I am feeling rejuvenated, and much less stressed about getting everything done for the holidays.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Joining in with Karen from Pumpkin Sunrise.

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Happy Thanksgiving

I woke this morning to a quiet house and a layer of frost covering everything outside. If I squint my eyes hard enough, I can almost imagine that it's snow.....

This is the first major holiday I have had since Todd moved out, and there was quite a bit of emotion building up to it. Holidays are times for family, and when your family has had major changes, well.... let's just say that can bring on the waterworks.

However, despite the changes, I know I am lucky. Todd and I still get along (mostly) and we are having Thanksgiving today, together (with some other friends too). Which means that we both get to spend Thanksgiving with the kids, and for this I am grateful. And, I must say that it was nice to wake up this morning in my own time to a quiet house. I have been drinking my coffee, making cranberry sauce, doing some chores, and enjoying the peace. And I plan to sneak in a run before the kids come over at noon.

And, since it's Thanksgiving, I may as well share some of my gratitudes from the past few days:

• For the wildlife that surrounds me in the city. Just yesterday, there were 5 types of birds and 2 kinds of squirrels, in my front yard, all at the same time. As I am wriitng this, there are about 25 bushtits swarming the feeders. It makes me so happy. If you feed them, they will come. I love that my tiny city lot can offer enough wilderness to support these creatures.

• For my friends and family who have been there for me to lean on during this time of transition. I know that I mention this almost every time I do a gratitude post, but I honestly feel so thankful every day for these people in my life.

• For Phoebe and the way that she will randomly shout out "I love you mom!". It's a nice reminder. I think adults should do that more often. The world would definitely be a happier place.

• For good music. Right? I have been listening to The Wood Brothers newest album, Paradise,  and it is amazing. I love them. I already have my ticket to see them when they come here in January. I have seen them several times and they never disappoint. Have you heard them? If not, I suggest you do. Luckiest Man is one of my favorite songs of all times. Grateful to the max for those guys.

• For laughter. It's the best way to heal your soul, hands down.

What are you grateful for today?

Wishing you all a fabulous holiday weekend.

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