Just so you don't think that Jacob is being neglected. Although...his grooming is way past due. But, there is a reason for that.

Holiday Wishes

Just a week before Christmas...Eve

I've been so silent here. The sparks of inspiration hit often...but rarely when I can capture them. Today after some required chores I took a much-needed nap.  I need more naps in my life. 

My Nucleus

My Nucleus

A Few Changes

Just a few changes since our diagnosis. We decided to get a Service Dog to help JM with his conditions. He actually has two major conditions. In addition to Alzheimer's, he has diabetes. Both are serious. Diabetes is a really complex disease. 

Given his conditions, we decided to get a Service Dog. We have named her Racheal. She has been with us since late September. We are still learning how to incorporate her fully into our life. Turns out, there's a lot of training that is required...for both us and the dog. It has not been easy. 

We have so much to learn.

An Altered Life

So, my husband has Alzheimer's. His 59th birthday was just 11 days ago. He's way too young to have this particular condition. His is called "early-onset", which I appreciate. It's an acknowledgment that this is not usual. In fact, Alzheimer's is not "typical" at any age, it is not a "normal" part of aging. 

Autumn is Here

Autumn is finally upon us and I am reminded of why I love this season SO much. The cooler air with some breeze. The crisp mornings with a surprising number of songbirds singing as though they are coming back for spring. This is the first year I noticed that. They are singing so much more than they did in the summer. If spring is the season of new beginnings, what is fall? 

Rainy Day Bliss

I asked for the day off and got it. The nervous me hesitated because I'm running to the end of my time off. I'm afraid I haven't planned out all my needed time for doctor's appointments and such. On Wednesday, when I woke up I thought it was Thursday. I had psyched myself up that the next day would be Friday before a 3 Day Weekend. So, when I went to work again on Thursday feeling like Groundhog Day...I asked for Friday off. Voila, I had the day off.

This morning looked like a Seattle day with a grey sky and soft, light rain. As Jordan and I went out on our errands I felt homesick or nostalgic (I'm not sure which) for our Northwest home. 

After our errand, I wanted to stop at B&N, "just for a minute", so I could pick up a sweet, happy novel. My goal was to really live the dream. The one where I'm on the couch with my novel with a cup of hot tea and loving the soft sound of rain outside. What better way for me to spend what is likely my last real vacay day of the year? 

I told Jordan I would just run in and run out...so he could wait in the car. --If we both got in there we would never get out and my opportunity for rain, book, and tea would be lost.

I've had trouble finding novels that capture me like I longed to be captured. I planned on asking the salesperson to help me find a novel with these requirements: 1. Sweet, 2. Happy 3. Not dark, dreary or sad.

But, I thought "I can do this". So I raced down the fiction aisles looking for new books by my known and trustworthy authors. --All of my authors must be between books. Choosing an unknown (to me) author can be tricky. I did not want to regret my book on my Ferris Bueller Day Off.

So, to the YA aisle, I went. I was happy when I found Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. It's been on my list for a while. I chose two other books and almost skipped out of the store. 

Books in hand, we drove to Starbucks for a favorite, vanilla latte and banana nut bread. Yes, this day off was going to be everything I ever wanted.

And it was. I finished my first book in pretty much one "sitting". I did take a bathroom break or two and I ate some lunch...but my nose was back in the book very quickly. 

The book that held me all day (and for many days to come, I believe) is The Memory Book by Lara Avery. 

Sammie, the main character, grabbed me on page one. She wrote to herself so she could remember what she needed to remember. A rare condition causing memory loss at the early age of 18 had taken residence in her body. It sounds like the story would be depressing, but it really hopeful. Sammie wrote down things to remember as she continued to work on her goals of being valedictorian and going to NYU. She was basically already valedictorian, she just needed to hold on to her grades for the last school term. 

Sammie was strong, she was determined, she was ME! 

I recognized her dedication to her goal which was to get to college on a scholarship. My goals didn't include a scholarship, but they did include taking the academic side of school very seriously. I recognized Sammie's need to stay in control. The need to control the things "you can control" because there are so many things we can't control. Sammie could control how much she prepared and studied. She could taste the end goal.

In the middle of all of this, of course, is a complicated love story. --That is the sweet part. So, so sweet. So worth it.

I was in Sammie's world the entire day. I was wanting to help her make the "right" decisions. You know, like when you tell the girl in the movie not to open the door? Like that. But Sammie has a strong mind of her own. She didn't really need my help. 

So, there you have it. My last day off for no reason, except to do exactly what I wanted, was a success.

Home as Art

I had brunch with a friend on Saturday. She lives in the cutest neighborhood. I always enjoy hanging out with her. She often takes me to new places and I get to know my hometown in new ways. One of our common interests is urban(ish) living.

Another Blanket

I made another blanket. This one was also inspired by a Pinterest Pin.

Happy Pancake Sunday

We have just had one of the best weekends! Pieces of it made me so happy that I could cry. It started with meeting Jordan's brother and his wife and Jordan's sister for dinner.  Our daughter came on Saturday, so we had a mini family gathering weekend which was too much fun. To conclude our time together we went out for a pancake breakfast. What could be better than that? Nothing. 

So, our weekend started on Friday night. We went to a chain restaurant that I suggested...I wanted a special burger with egg. The burger was yum.

When we were ready to either get the check or get dessert (and we weren't sure which) our waitress was nowhere in sight. Like...NOwhere.  I had a small moment of clarity when I realized that they have this tablet type thing at the table with labels that say:  "order more drinks" or "order dessert" or "call your wait staff". Hmm. Perhaps this is why we didn't see our waitress. We hadn't used the correct tools.

So, we decided to order a strawberry milkshake to test the theory that something really happens when you use this machine. --The light turned blue. But no one came to see us. After a while, we saw our waitress and stopped her...asking how we go about getting a milkshake. She looked at the blue light on our table tablet and said something like, "You've done it. You've ordered it. It's coming." Then for clarity, she said, "When the light turns blue your order has been placed." Oh...we get it now. We just needed to be more patient while the magic happened.

Maybe 10 minutes later our waitress comes breathlessly to the table with two milkshakes. --I should clarify that I did actually order two milkshakes. One "regular" size strawberry milkshake and one "monster" strawberry milkshake. Not for me, you understand, for others at the table. Anyway, our waitress triumphantly shows up with two shakes and said, "Here we are...one strawberry milkshake and one chocolate milkshake." For some reason, we all felt the need to say "no...that's not right". This meant we had to wait for the second strawberry milkshake while our waitress walked away with the chocolate one. I'm sure I saw her shaking her head as she walked away. I think she was thinking: "They don't know what they are doing when they use the menu tablet. But...they SAY that they ordered strawberry." 

Okay, an aside, the generation gap was definitely showing Friday! I had been thinking we were still hip, but to figure out that you don't actually talk to the waitress when you want something was a new and confusing experience. It gets worse.

With the second milkshake, the waitress asked how we wanted our checks split up. When we told her three checks, she did some magic on the table tablet and voila, three checks were on the screen. She said, "If you have to pay in cash, you have to pay me. Otherwise, you use this..." and with that, she was gone again. 

I paid first. You would think it would be super easy. You know, like swiping your card at the gas station or the grocery store. I mean, I know how to do that. Wrong. Many confusing screens come on to tell you you've pressed the wrong button. You pressed "gift certificate" when you meant to press "credit". Okay, start over. I felt like I was making progress when the tip screen came up and I agreed to the suggested tip amount. Press enter and ... and.... and blank screen. Nothing. Did the card go through? I don't know. But I can't re-pull my ticket to pay...so I guess so.(?) 

Then Sis in Law #1 pays. She also encounters the gift card versus credit card challenge. So, it's not just me. She tipped and then was prompted to sign. At the end, the machine said take your receipt from the bottom. That's like two steps further in the process than I got. Starting to make me question if mine went through. 

Then Sis in Law #2 pays. She has zero trouble and gets all the way to the sign page without hurdles. There was no receipt, but we figured it was out of paper. 

So, we could have left. The light now turned green. But, I really wasn't sure mine went through. So, we tried to wait (patiently) for our waitress to ask her the question. But, while we waited, Sis in Law #1 takes the tablet thing and sticks her knife in the thing. She was just going to stick her knife in and pull out our receipts. Thank goodness the family at the table beside us had left. I'm just not sure sticking a knife in a machine is acceptable behavior.

The receipt came out, but there was nothing on it, so that was a wasted effort. Then she hit the button that said, "call your wait staff".  The light now started blinking red. You know...sort of like if you are on a plane and hit the call button...but more annoying. 

What was odd was that after our table tablet started flashing red we saw our waitress. But she didn't come. I'm convinced by now that this thing doesn't work. Finally, she comes over to clear out the call button. The three of us, Sis in Law #1 and #2 and I start to talk at once. "I'm not sure mine went through", I say. "Did the light turn green?" "yes" "Then it went through. You are done." "But, "says Sis in Law #2, "it didn't ask her to sign." Our waitress clearly thinks we are out passed our nursing home curfew.  

Yeah, that was fun. 

The weekend just got better from there! 

More later. 

Making a Blanket

Hello, Blog World. Just stopping by to give you a sense of what I've been up to. I've been on PINTEREST a lot.  Like a lot, a lot. I got inspired by the pin below to actually make a blanket.

A co-worker is having a baby girl and the office gave her a baby shower. Thanks to my time spent on Pinterest I had an idea for a gift. See the pin below:

If you would rather just go straight to the blog it is Jamey's Dabbles & Babbles. I knew I wanted to make this type of blanket. I decided I wanted to use pink, yellow, and grey. I had an image of soft grey and pink together. 

I did indeed make the blanket but I made several changes to the actual pattern. I love the idea of a blanket that makes up quickly. I decided to use triple crochet in several places in addition to double crochet. The whole idea of this blanket is to crochet with three yarns together at the same time. This makes for a nice thick bulky blanket. 

I decided after a couple of rows that the gray yarn I picked was overpowering the pink and yellow. So, I decided to use the gray mainly as a border. I still used it on rows with either pink or yellow. I decided that the color along with a single color wasn't too overwhelming. 

I am sharing photos of this blanket. I realize now that I should have taken photos on a different chair. The green chair makes the blanket look a little green as well.

Balance, Priorities and Puppies

I haven't been on my blog for a while. I'm a little overwhelmed. Not necessarily in a bad way. Work is very busy. Which is great. Coincidentally I've also had to schedule miscellaneous appointments (dentist, eye dr., reg. dr., etc. ). The time away from the office is not ideal. But, it's hard to predict when our production spikes will occur. So...I've had to put in a few more hours on the back end of a normal workday.  That's my story.

Work / Life Balance

Instead of going to yoga, I've stayed at work. I really should start a practice at home. But I really enjoy it so much more when I have a teacher to follow. It's also a nice communal experience. Neither of which I want to give up. But...when we are busy and I have to choose where to spend the extra time...I do have to keep in mind that work actually pays for yoga.  So...

Priorities and Choices

I admit that I'm making a choice. It is a choice. It's a choice between leaving work "on time", or early even and doing yoga for the health and mind-clearing benefits. But, I also know that leaving without getting what needed to be done completed...just means a sleepless night as I worry about how I'm going to get it all done the next day. 

So anyhoo, I woke up today blue. Stressed a little about what I have ahead of me at work. Worried a little about how I will get it all done. Yadda, yadda, yadda---blue.

I took Jacob out for his morning walk. --It was already muggy. I wanted to give Jacob a little extra time. So I walked the long way around the complex, making our way to the dog park. Jacob and I visited the apartment dog park a couple of times when we first moved here. Both times we were the only two in the park. So, I sort of had it in my head that going to the doggie park at the complex was a solo kind of thing....which isn't that appealing.

Happiness: 

The dog park has been updated. The grass is turf so that it doesn't become a mud pit after our torrential rains. They added a few obstacles for dogs. It is nice.

More happiness: 

Two doggies were already in the park. Instant playmates. One dog was a Yorkie (I think). The other...a puppy. An English sheepdog puppy. He was a joy to watch. Several other people came with their dogs which made the whole thing more interesting. 

And, just that short time watching a puppy play...made all the difference in my day.

Homage to Taking Tea at the Orangery
To Honor Our British Friends

I'm getting back into the swing of posting. For the past several weeks I've been working late (which is a good thing, because business is good). I've also sacrificed my yoga practice (which is NOT a good thing). I need yoga. I WANT yoga. And now, today as I type this I have to decide if I will return to yoga tonight. 

I have read a new book which I plan to tell you about...it is just a little dense for me...but still worth it. The book is about the brain. I've just not wanted to write about brains, but soon I will.

I was really sad a few weeks ago. I visited with an attorney "get my affairs in order."  I'm not sick. I'm just trying to be a good grown up. When Danielle was born, we had a will made. The main point of that document was to appoint God Parents, in case the unthinkable happened. Luckily, the unthinkable did not happen and Danielle, herself, is now an adult. 

But, you know each year when I choose my medical benefits at work...I have a nagging thought that the unthinkable will one day be the inevitable. I had this crushing feeling that the unthinkable was becoming more thinkable each day.

So here it is. I actually had a very clear realization that I don't want to die. Not only that, I was seriously surprised by such a realization. ~I mean we all know that everyone dies, right? Even as a child my bedtime prayer included "if I die before I wake..." But, I'm just now feeling mortal. Like I not only may actually die one day but that I actually will die one day. 

I'm a Christian. I have faith in an afterlife and I've held onto that faith each time I've lost a loved one. 

I'm finding out that it is possible to have two diametrically opposing views simultaneously. The two contradictions are equally weighing on my heart. This too is surprising to me.

What I realized so clearly is that I don't think I'm afraid to die. I don't think I'm afraid of what comes next. But I DON'T WANT TO GO. I don't want to leave. I love so much here on earth that I just don't want to go. 

I guess this is a mid-life three-quarter life crisis. It sort of makes sense. We've been an empty nest for several years. Before the nest was empty, there was no time or energy to contemplate such things. 

In the midst of all of these heavy emotions, I've also been struck by some amazing moments of serendipitous joy. That is also a contradiction. And yet, it's true. Even now, as my heart is happy because I just spent 30 minutes thinking about taking tea at the Orangery in London. It is something I did by myself on my first trip to London. 

And so, I leave you with these thoughts. Some of them are quite heavy. But so many more will be light.

Nothing Beats a Cup of Tea

Photo: Taking Tea at the Orangery.

I'm getting back into the swing of posting. For the past several weeks I've been working late (which is a good thing, because business is good). I've also sacrificed my yoga practice (which is NOT a good thing). I need yoga. I WANT yoga. And now, today as I type this I have to decide if I will return to yoga tonight. 

I have read a new book which I plan to tell you about...it is just a little dense for me...but still worth it. The book is about the brain. I've just not wanted to write about brains, but soon I will.

I was really sad a few weeks ago. I visited with an attorney "get my affairs in order."  I'm not sick. I'm just trying to be a good grown up. When Danielle was born, we had a will made. The main point of that document was to appoint God Parents, in case the unthinkable happened. Luckily, the unthinkable did not happen and Danielle, herself, is now an adult. 

But, you know each year when I choose my medical benefits at work...I have a nagging thought that the unthinkable will one day be inevitable. I had this crushing feeling that the unthinkable was becoming more thinkable each day.

So here it is. I actually had a very clear realization that I don't want to die. Not only that, I was seriously surprised by such a realization. ~I mean we all know that everyone dies, right? Even as a child my bedtime prayer included "if I die before I wake..." But, I'm just now feeling mortal. Like I not only may actually die one day but that I actually will die one day. 

I'm a Christian. I have faith in an afterlife and I've held onto that faith each time I've lost a loved one. 

I'm finding out that it is possible to have two diametrically opposing views simultaneously. The two contradictions are equally weighing on my heart. This too is surprising to me.

What I realized so clearly is that I don't think I'm afraid to die. I don't think I'm afraid of what comes next. But I DON'T WANT TO GO. I don't want to leave. I love so much here on earth that I just don't want to go. 

I guess this is a mid-life three-quarter life crisis. It sort of makes sense. We've been an empty nest for several years. Before the nest was empty, there was no time or energy to contemplate such things. 

In the midst of all of these heavy emotions, I've also been struck by some amazing moments of serendipitous joy. That is also a contradiction. And yet, it's true. Even now, as my heart is happy because I just spent 30 minutes thinking about taking tea at the Orangery in London. It is something I did by myself on my first trip to London. 

And so, I leave you with these thoughts. Some of them are quite heavy. But so many more will be light.

I Don't Know Where to Start

I have opened this blog so many times to write a real post.  The actual writing of the post never happened. Instead, I busied myself with non-writing bloggy things. I've heard that writers get their best house cleaning done when they are on a deadline. That was me. Only, that really never happens to me. Technically, I'm never on a deadline. And yet...I came here to write. 

You may have noticed I changed the look of the blog. Yeah, that kind of bloggy stuff can really keep you from writing. I also got so OBSESSED "caught up" in the new look that I could not stop tinkering. There are still some hidden secrets to getting the formatting consistent throughout. Yeah, this code is above my pay grade. In fact, I need to give a should out to the designer:   "Bthemez".  It's funny, I've spent so much time working with this HTML code I had this feeling that I knew the designer. But, I really don't. But their work is really nice!

I have been writing...but not for publication. Maybe that is why I couldn't bring myself here. Maybe I had already expressed what I wanted to say. 

But, no. That is not the case.  I have plenty to say. I just haven't gotten comfortable with saying it yet. (Sharing it yet?)

I really do like my little space on the web. I hope you continue to stop by. 

I thought it was a good time to revisit one of my successes.

Last year (2015) I simply nailed it. I quietly and methodically nailed it. --I actually feel gleeful as I boldly pronounced my year a success!  {Who does that?}

To recap, my goals for 2015 were:
* Own a workout habit. 

* Consistently get 8 hours sleep...more if needed.

* Find JOY in little things. Everyday.

And my word for 2015 was: RELAX. As Aaron Rodgers said, "R-E-L-A-X.  Relax. We're going to be OK."

Our Alzheimer's Journey ~ 5/6/2016

Saw neurologist today. Everything does point to Alzheimer's. He said the only way to know for "sure" is a brain biopsy...which is too life-threatening to do. (Of course). We will be starting new meds tomorrow that should slow the disease. It may even give him a boost. This med is documented to slow the disease by 18 months. That doesn't mean that at the end of 18 months he will drastically decline...but it means that on a scale of 1 - 100 (1=good); If we would be at level 7 in a month or so....he likely won't get to 7 for 18 months. ---That is pretty good really. Since we are starting somewhat early...it should slow everything down. The doctor isn't happy that I'm letting him drive.  --But I insist it is okay for now. 

Our Alzheimer's Journey ~ 4/23/2016

We have a preliminary diagnosis to be confirmed by the neurologist. The diagnosis is dementia and specifically, Alzheimer's. We were there from 8:30 until 2:30. The testing was very thorough.  At the end of the testing (and after a lunch break for all of us) the doctor discussed her findings and diagnosis. She was very gentle and checked in with Jordan several times to see how he was taking it. It's a hard diagnosis to hear.

Part of that meeting included hearing some next steps. She recommends we get in place a Power of Attorney, including a Medical Power of Attorney. She expressed that this is pretty urgent.   

Signs of Spring and Ow, My Knee

Source

I have not been here for a while so I'm back to tell you what's new around here. The geese are back at the office. This is the third spring they have nested there. It may be that they've been nesting there even longer...it's the third spring I've been at this office. You remember the first spring when the nest was in the parking lot? Both this spring and last they nested in the green space in front of the building. The female sits on the nest for most of the day. The nest is actually flush with the building and an office window. I absolutely love watching these two sweet geese return to nest at the office each spring. 

I have not been to yoga this entire week. I feel a little lost without my practice. Two weeks ago when I moved to the tabletop position I felt a sharp pain in my left knee.  It was surprising how sharp the pain was but it ended immediately. I thought it was sort of a fluke. But, here it is two weeks later and the knee is still acting up. It feels like gravel is inside of the knee.  It feels like the gravel is pressing against the skin from the inside. This is the same knee that I've had trouble with. I actually have arthritis in both knees. But it is significant in the left knee. I had physical therapy for this knee in 2013. Physical therapy helped immensely and I learned exercises to keep the muscles around the knee stable. I've been keeping up the muscle maintenance with yoga. 

I did some web diagnosis...because I really don't want to go to the doctor. Ain't nobody got time for that! I'm actually hoping that this knee thing will just go away with rest. It is so close to being better. My thinking was a week without yoga could allow my knee the time to get better.

It has been an interesting week with a break in my routine and my discipline.
I want it back. 

Cheers for the weekend!

Reading Yassmin's Story

I've just finished re-reading Yassmin's Story: Who Do You Think I Am? You read that right...I re-read it. This is one of the fastest reads I've had in a long time. In this memoir, 24-year-old Yassmin tells of her experiences as an immigrant to Australia from Sudan. Her experiences are magnified by the fact that she is a Muslim woman who chooses to wear the hijab.

I was drawn to the book by the power of Yassmin's personality and her diverse "identities". As Yassmin says, she has "the privilege and blessing of taking on multiple identities." At the mere age of 24, Yassmin has an impressive and diverse resume. She is a mechanical engineer/supervisor on an oil rig.

In the prologue, Yassmin describes her refuge, the helideck. She says "I'm sitting on the helideck in the middle of the ocean, hundreds of kilometers away from any land. It's the dead of night, the only time I find peace and the chance to be alone on an oil rig..."

OKAY, hold on.  I want to take a moment to really think about where Yassmin finds refuge. She finds it on the helicopter deck of her oil rig.  To fully appreciate this, you may need a visual. This is a photo of an oil rig out in the middle of the ocean.

Source

Yassmin can share her experiences in a candid, easy style. She shares on a granular level how her parents' lives were changed by the overthrow of the democratic government. She shares what led them to leave their family, home, and country.  

She identifies with several minority groups, but not always at the same time. She is a woman. She is African-Australian. She is Muslim. She is a woman engineer. She is a woman supervisor on an oil rig, which is still a predominately male field of work.

Yassmin shares observations of different forms of bias and oppression that affect Muslim women in western society. She shares this without bitterness. She gives what can be considered an alternate point of view of Islam and women's choices and freedoms. Acknowledging that there are women around the world who are oppressed and that some of these women happen to also be Muslim, Yassmin explains, "But their Islam is not the cause of their oppression; the cause is usually the regime they are in, their economic circumstances or the patriarchal environment and culture." 

Yassmin's story is uplifting. It's an "I can if I think I can" story. She can share her perspective of societal norms that may need to be challenged. At the same time, she shares so much gratitude for her life. She is grateful to both parents for their sacrifices that included leaving their country to ensure a better life for her and her brother. She is grateful for a stable childhood and she is grateful for her privilege of having a good education. She is grateful for the "...privilege of having a stable job, the privilege of wealth that allows me to access technology, food, and media freely..."

It was a pleasure to read this young woman's positive outlook and positive accomplishments. It's eye-opening to see and understand more clearly how systems appear to someone with a different point of view. It is refreshing to be reminded of the gifts of privilege that often goes unacknowledged. 

If you read this memoir, I hope you share your thoughts with me. 

Cheers!

~Kimberly

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

D's New Place

We spent Easter weekend with Danielle at her new place. I took several pics with my Smart-phone that I'm sharing here. I'm starting to think it may be time to upgrade to my camera phone.

So, to set the scene...a two-hour drive to her place was an all-day affair for us. I took the day off work, so it was a vacay day for me, which meant I wanted to sleep in, which I did. I woke up and realized we were getting a later start than I planned. 

Reading About a Tiger Heart

I've been reading again. This book was a joy and a very quick read. The book is Tiger Heart, by Katrell Christie and Shannon McCaffrey. 

The Synopsis

Katrell Christie shares her story of India. The book opens and we are right in the middle of the action. Katrell receives a phone call that is more of a summons with an intimidating directive. "The Indian Defense Minister wants to see you. Be here in twenty minutes."

This is how Katrell begins to tell her story of how she came to be in India and how she came to be summoned by the Defense Minister. 

Katrell has an eclectic list of snippets that she used to describe who she is. It's interesting to see the list that she chooses as her quintessential definition of herself. My favorite snippets include the fact that she skated competitive Roller Derby. --That right there impresses me. I've watched Roller Derby...I've been to a Roller Derby and marveled at their speed and grit.

Another favorite is that she once made a living going to Italy to buy art for a client. And she opened her own tea shop. (Though she says she prefers coffee.)

Lastly, she says "And on a restless whim, I took a trip to India."

I was hooked right away. This woman has a heart for adventure. How does one go from what she calls a "spontaneous jaunt" to India to sitting with the Defense Minister? As Katrell says, the trip turned her life in a new direction.

I was in the perfect place to read about an adventure to India. I think because my yoga practice has me thinking about Sanskrit I've been visualizing the country. 

Katrell began her adventure by joining a friend on a work mission. Her friend is working with the women that create pearl necklaces. Their goal is to teach women how to turn their work into a sustainable business.  This ends up being a very small part of Katrell's trip. She finds other ways to become involved. 

One of my favorite scenes is when Katrell first arrived in India she is alone. She will be meeting her friend in another city in a few days. She decides to take a train to Varanasi, the holiest of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism. Katrell chose this as her destination based on the photos in her Lonely Planet book. --I'm telling you, I believe this woman and I could be friends.

When she arrived at her hotel in the middle of the night, she asks the hotel owner for tips on local sights. He answers with "Before dawn, follow the orange."

And so, Katrell ventures out (before dawn) to find and follow the orange. First, she sees one monk dressed in a traditional orange robe and she sets out to follow him. As she begins to follow the monk a crowd grows and she is "swept up in a sea of orange." To avoid any spoilers, I will simply tell you that Katrell's pilgrimage that morning is richly rewarded. 

When Katrell joins her friend working with the women who string pearls, she decides to volunteer at the school. It does not take long for Katrell to fall in love with the people she is getting to know. 

Katrell candidly shares her experience that grew into a huge part of her life. One that she has championed beyond her story. Through her telling, I fell in love with the people whose lives she touches and whose lives touched hers. I highly recommend this read.

One last thing, Katrell told her story with the help of Shannon McCaffrey. I don't want to minimize McCaffrey's contribution. This was the first opportunity I had to read any of McCaffrey's work and I found her writing to be completely beautiful. I speak of Katrell throughout this post because the book is told from her point of view and it is really her story. Together, through the magic of collaboration, the story is told beautifully.

Have a great weekend!

~Kimberly

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

A Little Catching Up

How lovely was today? It was still chilly here but with a beautiful blue sky. I took the pic below from my porch today. It's the same view I've posted before. I know it isn't that different but today, I felt that the bright sunny day was especially cheery.

One of the things that I love about living here is that we can appreciate the lovely landscape without the work.

Storms

Yesterday's storms were crazy. I left work early yesterday so I could get home before the winds and rest of the storm arrived. I'm glad I left early...because when the storm was overhead, it was intense. 

~I think I've turned into my Grandfather. He was all about the weather and planning ahead and discussing yesterday's weather. When I was young I would be like, "Yeah Grandpa...it's the weather." You know? Weather happens every single day.  But now that I'm older and I have to drive in the "weather" I take it a lot more seriously. Funny how that works.

Our dog was okay with the storm yesterday. It didn't spook him. But Alister (the cat) was not happy about it. He usually sits in the window looking at whoever walks by and he was in the window when the storm "landed". The storm came pretty fast. 

I wanted to write a longer post with all kinds of pics...but it's late...so the fun will have to wait.

TTFN (ta ta for now)

~Kimberly

More Apartment Living

I realize that the photos of our apartment are pretty sparse here on the blog. One reason is that I haven't felt that the photos I've taken actually do the space justice. I have been relying on my smartphone as my impromptu camera, which does not do well in low light.  ~That's the excuse reason I'm using, anyway. So, to give a better idea about our apartment, I'm sharing pics of the model units, which are very nicely lit.

Source

More Photography

Not long after the yearbook publisher deadline, Jordan and I began dating. He continued to pursue photography for his degree as well as contributing to the college publications. I would go with him on photo shoots just to spend time with him. I also spent time in the darkroom watching him create. 

Jordan Behind the Lens

I rarely used a camera. That sort of changed on my first trip to Europe. I went alone and wanted to be sure to document the experience. 

I'm a Serious, Enthusiastic, Amateur Photographer

This is a pic of Jordan when we were at the Cherry Blossom Festival a couple of years ago. He taught me everything I know about photography. I would call myself a serious, enthusiastic, amateur photographer. But, Jordan? He's an artist. He's modest so he won't like that I wrote that. Jordan studied photography in college. He has a BFA in photography. 

Making My Apartment Home

There is not a day that goes by that I don't look around my apartment and say "I love this place." We've been in our place for a little over a year and have zero desire to consider leaving. We enjoyed the home we had before and I enjoy looking back at the photos of how we made that house our home. 

Hygge and Not Working

I've mentioned the few days where we hibernated at home and did our version of hygge. This included reading the novel, Not Working, by Lisa Owens. that I really enjoyed. It was a perfect book for that weekend. 

Here is the Amazon synopsis:

In the tradition of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and Allison Pearson’s, I Don’t Know How She Does, It comes a wise and laugh-out-loud debut novel that captures a young generation trying not to have it all, but to figure out what it all means.

Claire has just resigned from her job without a plan for her next move. As she struggles to explain herself to friends and family, she experiences the emotions and minutiae of day-to-day life as only someone without the distractions of a regular routine can—and discovers what happens when she seeks true purpose in life.

Just the weekend before I watched Bridge Jones Diary on Netflix. I hadn't seen the movie since it was in the theaters (oh so long ago) and I longed to see Bridget conquer. So, when I saw that Not Working is compared to Bridget Jones I was mad to read it. 

* Claire, the protagonist is English (from London). 

There is something about English and Irish writers and characters that I love from the first word. Claire's observations are sometimes so funny. She has a dry sort of way of telling you about the absurdity of situations.  I felt for Claire, I'm sure she was like "Really? They really said that?" Or, "This is happening?" 

I absolutely love Claire. She's my kind of girl. When she's "supposed" to be applying for jobs she gets completely sidetracked. She described her day below:

Who hasn't been there, am I right?

Claire also speaks Truth when she talked about Spin Class. 

This book was perfect for a PJ and socks day.

Cheers!

~Kimberly


I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

More Hygge Thoughts

So, the game didn't go the Panthers' way. I know that stung for the team and players. But like I said earlier, I don't think anyone was pulling against Peyton. 

I've still been thinking about Hygge. For years, I've enjoyed Hygge coziness without attributing a name. I don't want to imply that what I think of as a hygge experience is necessarily the hygge experience. And maybe that's part of it. Maybe hygge is different for everyone. 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday

It's a perfect weekend in the Montgomery household. Saturday was a sunny blue sky day with temperatures in the 60°s. It was perfect weather for going out and running errands. And, today is incredibly different. It's overcast and chilly. But, it is still the perfect day for a SUPER BOWL. I've been excited since the playoffs began. If you know me at all...you know I love football, most especially NFL. I've only become more obsessed over the years.

I was torn when the playoffs included Seattle against Carolina. Since living in Seattle, I'm a diehard fan of the Seahawks. I don't think that will ever go away. But, this year Carolina has played spectacularly. It is a pure joy to watch the team play with such a sense of fun. 

Of course, Peyton Manning is an icon. I don't think anyone could pull against him and his team. So, let me be clear. I am not pulling against Peyton. I am pulling for the Panthers.

Jordan just got back with our Super Bowl food. Our complex is having a Super Bowl party with food, but we want to watch the game in our own living room. That way if I get too excited and shout...(as is typical) I won't embarrass myself.

Jordan said that it was completely dead outside. No traffic and no one really insight, which makes sense because Super Bowl Sunday is sort of like a holiday. Restaurants are closing early and my yoga studio is not offering evening classes. 

So in just a couple of hours, we'll be eating pizza and wings and watching football. What could be better?

I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

~Kimberly

P.S. The groundhog did NOT see his shadow. 2016 is going to be a great year.

HYGGE Much?

I stumbled upon this article called "Why We All Need Hygge in Our Lives" and the idea has been percolating in my mind ever since. I may be the last to the Hygge awareness...but just in case this is new to you the explanation in the article is:

It’s a concept that’s all about making things soft, cozy and comfortable, sort of like the embodiment of a warm fuzzy feeling.

Hygge is a Danish concept/custom and is credited as a reason Denmark is considered one of the Happiest Nations. Basically, in a country that has very long winters with longer nights than days, creating a cozy home gathering with loved ones makes for a happy winter. There are tons of pictures on the net of what Hygge looks like.

From what I can tell, Hygge looks like cozy socks and heavy afghans, candles and blazing fires in the dark. I think it probably smells and tastes like cookies, coffee and hot tea with a little chocolate and cinnamon.

Last weekend, when we were snowed in, I approached it as a Hygge opportunity. Pajama bottoms, warm socks, and an afghan while reading on the couch. We ate sausage biscuits we had in the freezer. We had a copious amount of hot tea and we had grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.

We were lucky that we did not lose power so we were able to stay nice and warm. We enjoyed a very Hygge weekend. I hope your winter is cozy and warm and safe and happy.

'Til Next Time,

~Kimberly

P.S. Tuesday is Ground Hog Day!

Meet Alister

This is Alister. He is the newest addition to the Montgomery household. He wasn't exactly "planned". But he was definitely meant to join our family. 

It was the weekend before Christmas and we were out running errands (getting ready for the big day) when I got sidetracked by a sign that said "Cat Adoption Today". 

"Let's stop," I said thinking I love petting cats. I just wanted to pet a soft kitty...you know? Maybe a soft kitty that is also a warm kitty. 

Of course, my husband said we needed to stay on task. But at the very last minute, he asked if I really wanted to stop. 

Uhhh... Yeah! And so we went into the pet store that was hosting the cat adoption event.

All of the cats were sweet and looked like they would enjoy some loving. I just walked around and then I saw Alister. He was so quiet and mellow, not to mention beautiful.

He is a Flame Point Snowshoe. Snowshoe cats are closely related to Siamese cats. Some say that they are a Siamese cat with specific markings. I'm not sure how it all gets classified. He has some Siamese characteristics such as points, and blue eyes. But he has little "snowshoe" front paws. He also seems more sturdy than the typical Siamese.

So, when we saw him we asked if we could hold him. --Mental note: Remember to only hold a cat (or anything cute, soft and furry) if you are prepared to own said sweet cat.

We were smitten. As with most pet placement agencies, they are not a "store" you can't just say, "I'll take the pretty one over there." You have to complete an application and they have the right to call your references and your vet and do a home visit. All I knew was that Alister had to be ours, and so we went home to complete said application. The rest of our errands simply did not get done.

Long story short, we passed the adoption screening and are now proud parents to a sweet cat/kitten. He was seven months when we got him.  --I know, he's big for being a kitten, right? We've had him since right before Christmas...so now he's eight months.

As you can see, Alister can do pretty much whatever he wants. Expect to hear more about this guy! He's just too fun. More pics are on the way too.

TTFN!
(ta ta for now)

~Kimberly

Why We Write About Ourselves

I read Why We Write about Ourselves between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I meant to write about it then, but somehow it fell through the cracks of Christmas Cheer and New Year thoughts. Tonight I realized I hadn't written about it, so I read it again. It's an easy and enjoyable read.