Some months seem longer than others. They fly by, but the amount of stuff you squeeze into a very small time frame warps the time perception when you look back over the previous days. You remember days that lasted a week just because your brain can't wrap itself around the idea that you actually squeezed
that much stuff in such a limited time frame.
So far, this month, I've been to a gazillion holiday parties, been to Alaska, and worked on some of the biggest issues of the year which had all of us keeping long hours in the office.
I still have a ton of Christmas shopping to do this weekend. I've already picked it all out and made a list, it is just a matter of spending a day going around and making my purchases.
I think I will just touch on the highlights for now:
Strangercrombie: The Posies package brought in over $700 and the auction as a whole made over $60,000 for Fare Start! This is amazing! The winning bidder is having them cover a Bob Dylan song.
Alaska: It was an incredible trip. It is the first time I've traveled back to Alaska on my own in ages. I am usually accompanied by my husband or my daughter or both.
This homecoming was filled with a lot of joy, reflection, firsts, friends new and old and interesting surprise adventures!
I got to spend some time with my dear friend, Debbie and her daughter, (my daughter's older sister) Winter.
(Winter turns 17 today!!) We always have such a nice time hanging out. It was neat spending time with Winter. She reminds me a lot of Darian. There was a day where I took her shopping for her birthday and we went to a movie together. Every now and then I would catch her out of the corner of my eye and forget that I wasn't out with my own daughter. It is interesting to me how similar they turned out growing up so far apart. They have so many of the same talents and hobbies. They have similar mannerisms and even the same favorite color! There are certainly differences as well, but it is just amazing to see the kind of women they are turning out to be. I could not be prouder of either of them!
Quilt: Before I left, I told my friend, Basil I would knit him a baby quilt while I was on my trip. (He and his wife Gillian are expecting any day now)
There tends to be a lot of downtime when I travel to Alaska, so I figured it would be a fun thing to do.
Well, I told my mom that I was going to make one and she thought I should quilt one since I have never made a fabric quilt before and since I was at her house and could totally utilize her master quilting studio. I was game. I figured that the worst case scenario is that it would turn out really bad, I could go back to knitting one and no one would be the wiser.
Since I have never quilted before, I had my own ideas about how a baby quilt for a "future musical prodigy" (of course) should look.
I'm pretty proud of how it turned out (They seemed to like it too!):
I'm not sure that I will be making any more quilts any time soon. It was a fun challenge, but really does take a lot of space. Our little place would be way too small to take on such a task. But, I'm glad for the experience, and now I know how to do it, so you never know... It is something that I may do again down the road!
AK Nightlife: There are a couple of really funny Alaska "night out" stories that deserve a blog all their own. When I get those photos uploaded I will write that entry. Highlights: Monster trucks, Men of Steel, punk rock, and hip hop. That is all I am saying for now.
Now that I am home, we are rushing around getting ready for the holidays. This is the first year in quite a while that I am really looking forward to Christmas. I've been struck by the holiday bug in a big way. Maybe it was the trip home, the snow, the old friends, or maybe it is just that I didn't want to be visited by three ghosts? Whatever the case may be, I'm doing great, my family and extended family are all healthy and happy, life is good.
If I don't get around to it until after the big day,
Happy Holidays to you all and to all a good rest of your month!
*Loves*
Stay Warm!
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