January 31

Markus and I finally saw Les Miserables yesterday and we were both floored. It is beautifully shot, spectacularly acted, and emotionally raw. It was the first movie I've seen that was almost entirely sung - and I was surprised at how fast it became normal. Anne Hathaway is as wonderful as everyone said she would be, Russel Crowe was just fine. In fact, I thought his unchanging, almost-bored demeanor was completely appropriate for his unchanging character - to his bitter, cold end, he could not let go of his misplaced sense of duty. The children are heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. We shed some tears. We laughed ruefully. It is three hours of being swept away.

It was very good.

January 30

This morning, my alarm went off, I opened my eyes, and BOOM the word "cupcake" was there. Not "NO", not "WHY?", not "#*&@!" - just "cupcake".

Seven days prior, Kali and I decided that next Wednesday we would take ourselves out - we wrote it down it down in our calendars ("CUPCAKES - BECAUSE WE DESERVE THEM") and spent all of this morning picking out our top three choices. Salted Caramel and the Velvet Elvis (hello banana bread topped with chocolate peanut butter frosting and bacon bits) beat everyone else out, and I can honestly say that my entire day was made better by the prospect, the presence, and the consumption of these little guys.

I suppose it was also nice to spend time with Kali (I do like her a whole lot).

January 29

This is what I live with. #housematehumor

January 27

Snow day = French toast and fireplace fires. And ride in a snow tractor named Helga.

January 26

Trollhagen, Snoqualmie

This weekend was a snow weekend. I trundled up the mountain with these four (pictured above) to a little lodge named Trollhagen for a day or two of cross country skiing, good food, reading, hot tubbing, and sleeping in a loft. 

We learned the real meaning of skiing cross country when we lost the tracks, our energy, moral, and any signage marking the presence of civil society for an hour or so - but eventually we glided (glid?) back into known territory, moral was restored, and our little taste of adventure went down real well with the pasta and pie that came after.

There is nothing that makes a body more content than being worn out, warm, and fed, with the prospect of having nothing else to do but cuddle up with a book.

January 24

 We had a festive little gathering last night - full of laughs and good food and a little dog (?) named Bandit. We officially welcomed the Kyle's home with cider and African Soup (thank you Simply Recipes and Esther Bulthuis for making this possible) and it's just a plain old good thing to be surrounded by people who love each other a great deal.

 

Bandit deserves an extra picture, because though he's not a dog (he's a wild little beast who is more squirrel than anything else), he's just pretty dang cute and we love him. Not like Sarah loves him, but we love him.

January 23

My mom gave me tulips before she left for warmer climates and I get a tingle of satisfaction and glee every time I look at them because they are perfect. I also feel a pang of sadness because I miss my mom already.

But they serve as a small reminder of God's absolute attention to detail - down to shaded petals, curled leaves, and the mutual compliment soft pinks and greens grant each other. I don't think my mom and dad's safety, strength, and happiness will be overlooked.

January 22

Present-life highlight: Lunch with this girl everyday.

Also, see that building in the background? That's the library. It's my new job. And I love it. 

January 21

Today was that extra day off that makes a weekend feel like a vacation. Especially when the day off is a Monday.

We found Phinney Ridge doesn't love being open on Mondays and that Archie McPhee's has a photobooth. And also that Alisa makes a damn good pot pie.


I will leave you with this:

I don't know who drew this, but I'm glad he or she did.

Happy Martin Luther King Day.

 

January 20

The sun returned today after a good long sabbatical behind curtains of fog and cloud, and it was a wonderful thing to welcome her back. And really, she was in spectacular form. There is research that speculates that better weather causes better moods, and I am a firm believer in this research as fact. Markus and I walked along the water and sauntered through the Sunday Market and I hemmed and hawed over a pair of whitewashed mirrors...

"for my future house one day, you know?"
"What are you going to do with them now?"
" Oh I don't know...nothing probably, but..."

This kind of behavior gave birth to the show Hoarders.

Other things to be celebrated: The long life of this weekend. Tomorrow we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. with a day off work, a day in bed. And probably a cake. It means today is another day to play without a care.