Ironically

I hate it when people just post pictures to a blog with no commentary. OR they are clearly missing big bits of life (ie she flew home to Seattle and isn't saying anything about it. WHY NOT!?).

So I flew home. And kitty and I both survived. I am not sure Shupa (Flora/my Dad's cat) is going to make it through. He seriously wants to be friends and little miss (Mei-Mei) is not about to have any of it. Again. It's a replay of last holiday season.

I am having a good time, even if I have managed to percolate a cold/sinus infection of some sort. So I far I have seen mostly my parents and Declan and Mary Alyce a couple of times. I really, really need to throw in my cousins (Riah and Jerusha, and kiddos!) and Robin (and Lorie Mae). Especially with the kiddos I feel like I am missing huge chunks of their lives. They are completely different. I am sure I won't even recognize Sheep cat from our brief introduction last year (yeah Gaby!).

So now I photo dump. And they aren't even mine! These are the hike my dad and I and his idiom class students went on Sunday. We had SOO much fun. I really enjoyed it. It did take a while (long while) to completely thaw out.

Seattle here I come . . .er Thursday

I am so excited, I feel like I am rumbling from the bottom up (That may be my upset stomach from three cups of coffee though. Damn the free office coffee!). I am freaked out about money (Christmas and travel are never just the cost of the ticket) but I soooo pleased that I will be able to see my friends and family soon. I have never been away from "homebase" for so long. It's been an entire year since I last touched Washington (State of) soil. And while I have become accustomed and happy here in DC, there is a large part of my heart (Declan, Mary Alyce, Riah, Jerusha, Robin (and Lorie Mae), Hillary, Danielle, Mary and Marc, Aunt Janet, the list continues . . .) is bound to Seattle peoples. I am missing milestones, birthdays, first steps, first games. And all the non-milestones, the reading to kiddo at night, being available when a helping hand makes the difference. I am missing all of that too.

I am not moving back. I wish I could say I have a plan that makes that even remotely a possibility. Job economy being what it is, I don't forsee changes in the future. The only change even close will be school (keep me in thoughts and prayers; turn circles under the moon if you think that will help). Unless something alters, it won't be Seattle school even.

I have been lucky and blessed to be able to see my parents this year, even without going to Seattle. And Hillary! (I figure eventually even Dad will be forced to come visit me in DC if I have to stay long enough).

I guess what I am saying is: Life may be different; I can't make moving to Seattle a priority right now. But I am awfully glad to have loved ones like you (you know who you are) even when you are far away.

And in two days, most of you will be a heck of a lot closer!!

The rest of the White House Residence Photos

Courtesy of Mashari! Who has no shame about taking pictures whenever, where ever. Which I can't quite pull off but I totally appreciate the results of.
Not my best pictures but they could be worse.

This shot is by the Christmas tree (there were dozens!) by the residence portico entrance (see picture below)

Me showing of the house (and the dumpster? "22"?) Mashari and I enjoying the break in a work day.

The trees lining the door had crystal/glass drips that caught the light and looked like glittering ice. It was really cool.

Another shot of those really awesome wreaths made of gourds of some sort.
This is Mashari's favorite room, the red room. It definitely felt the "warmest", the most inviting, even though it was as formal as the rest of the house!

The "gingerbread" house below is case in white chocolate and has little cut aways so you can see inside two rooms in the building. It was the highlight for the all school kids that were on our tour.

Another shot into the blue room, looking at the Christmas tree. That one was complete ginormous and took up a lot of space.

Last year's tree light ceremony, I think.

Am I old, thrifty or just nuts?

What does it say about a person when you get kinda excited by the nice freezer bag someone hands over some nuts in?

Very few things can do relaxation as well as a cat

Friday night agrees with Mei-mei

White House residence tour pictures

I will post more pictures once I steal them from Mari, but these are the sampling of photos from my White House Residence tour yesterday. Normally tours are through the West Wing, the working wing, so to speak. But Jesse (Mashari's awesome friend who happens to have grown up right down the street for where my parents now live, in unincorporated Lynnwood) got tickets for the girls bible study (unofficially the PGBS). Unfortunately, Merissa and Janet weren't able to make it, but Jesse joined us which was so much fun!!

Pomegranate wreath

This really large cotton shag-esque reproduction was of the First dog. Who I got to see on the lawn playing while we were there! I am still bummed they didn't get a mutt from the pound. But how can you turn down a dog this cute? You can't!

This wreath made of small gourds was in the same hallway as the pomegranate wreath. The effect was really impressive. and don't you love the crystal/ice effect they added to the branches surrounding the doorway?

This ginormous tree was in the Blue Room. And no, its not hanging from the ceiling and the ceiling is not slanted. The wheat Christmas tree topper is just that tall.

From the Washington monument.

Catching up in pictures doesn't give much info or background. Unfortunately, my friends, I have fallen off the blogger bandwagon. Somewhere along the line the things I wanted to really write about became too close to share, to important or uncomfortable to expose. Uncovering depths I didn't know were there is an . . . interesting? (painful? healthful? helpful?) process. My wellspring of pitter-patter chatter seems to have run a little dry.

It doesn't hurt that I think of my everyday life as boring: feed the cat, go to work, eat lunch, come home, feed the cat, do housework, do bills, watch TV, go to bed. Start all over again.

But some days are good. Like this day where we all (Merissa, Jesse, Mashari, and her Mom) all went up in the Washington Monument. It was soo much fun.