noel novelet

Popped down to the Central Library for a noontime concert by the Medieval Women's Choir.  The best part was ignoring the lecture bits between the songs.  Still remnants of grad school level of knowledge burnout occurring on occasion.

The one factoid I retained is that liturgical dancing is allowed/encouraged as long as one does not leap higher than the parish pews.  Please keep that in mind should you attend any festal religious gatherings in the next couple of weeks.

vistas & such

Even after 15 months of living at this address, I feel lucky and awed that this is my vista from my pillow. 

It's a good thing that my job does not include many morning appointments, because I find myself just sitting and staring at my lake.

 

Another penny for my coffers.  Was delighted to read in the paper that sales at Goodwill stores in the area are up by 15%!  Evidently, I am not the only one who thrills over cheap kitchen utensils.

The Circumference of Home

is the title of an intriguing book which I began reading last night.  So far, my favorite quote is:  Hope is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart....It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.

 One of the components to a life well-lived (for me) is more walking, less driving.  I've been lucky enough to have had three job postings where I could walk to work.  Am hoping to return to that model.  I currently live in a neighborhood with a 92 walking score and I love that.

Penny for the day (and yes, the candle was blown out prior to leaving for work....last week, I left it burning all day.)

salt water cure

 It's been awhile since we've had a gratuitous cute kitty photo....since the weather is chilly,  Bogart now loves to dig himself into a nest among the comforters.  I have to be careful before I sit down on the bed now to make sure I don't squash the cat.

Had I known the day I was to have on the day I found this penny, think I would have left it on the sidewalk.

Last night, serendipitously, I found that I had a bit of back pay coming to me, so I gassed up my little car and we headed to the nearest ocean beach in Washington.

Have to say it was the least nice beach I've been to--vehicles were allowed all over which negated the best part of a beach visit:  the long wind-bracing mind-clearing stroll.  It was also flat and empty.  Realize that I've been entirely spoiled by going to the Pacific Ocean along Oregon and NoCal my entire life.  It was still nice to hear the scream of sea gulls and hear the waves.

There was nothing on the beach besides all the SUVS except this enormous pile o' seaweed.  Or perhaps it is alien remains.

 Sand dollar broken cleanly in half.

I realized as I uploaded this shot, that I did nothing to show the scale/size of this crab shell.  It was larger than my foot (size 7.5 in US women's).  If I ate crab, I imagine that this fellow would have been quite the feast.

Haven't seen one of these fine furry fellows in YEARS!  I used to know some silly rhyme that foretold the winter by reading the stripes.  Something similar to the "red sky in morning, sailors take warning" doggereled wisdom.  If anyone knows it, feel free to share.

Since I was out driving (one of my new life rules is that I can't drive to just one place.  So, I combine all my driving needs/errands with the days I drive to work.  Divine!), I popped by Goodwill on my way home.  Did you know that EVERY cooking utensil in the store is a mere $.69???????  I wanted to buy a bucket load, but I only needed a new potato masher.  The original price tag is on the handle for $.49.

Also scored a lovely IKEA silver tray in which to assemble my Advent candles.

we want to forget

Every day there's something old
to feel sorry about—
what I should have done and didn't,
or what I did, and kept on doing.

I want to believe
everyone's forgotten by now.
Then I picture them thinking back.

And those who've died
and earned the wisdom death allows
just shake their heads and sigh.
"Very funny," my father would say

after my sister and I played
some cruel little joke on him.
"Ha, ha," he'd add,
to let us know he got the point.

We want to forget
until we start to forget.
We want the past to change,
and we want it back.

"Enough is enough,"
my father used to say
to tell us it was over.

"Regret" by Lawrence Raab, from The History of Forgetting.

ring-a-ling-a-ling

Lovely new socks--fluffy and cosy.  Wonder what adventures I shall have walking miles in them.

 Action shot of my bells at Bellevue Square--a festive way to kick off this month!

Deck the Halls, Joy to the World, Carol of the Bells, Bring a Torch, Silent Night, On Christmas Night were the selections offered to the early/eager Christmas shoppers and our loyal fan club.

December dawns

Savoring a few moments of serenity before the concert season kicks off--first concert is tonight and my last performance is on 26th.  Fa-la-la-la!