Washington is overrun with the most noxious and awesome of weeds, the Himalayan blackberry. In the summer, the thorny vines encroach on any and every untended space. We pulled runners away from over and under our fence, as well as crawling back down the tree in our yard. The thorns (or jaggers, as Pittsburghers have made me fond of saying) are a wicked surprise in the woods and make clean up a hassle. But then, for several delightful weeks at the end of summer, every abandoned thicket and hedge is transformed into a fragrant, fruit bearing orchard. Matt's house in college had a big thicket in the back that allowed us to make gallons of jam, and stacks of crisps and cobblers and pies. You hardly need to buy fruit if you have a good spot to harvet these things.
And blackberry season is finally here again. It seemed delayed for weeks due to the dry summer, but the air is full of that sweet fruity smell again. On Sunday we floated along the Slough (a term meaning a 'river' so slow it's unclear which direction it might run. Rhymes with Phew, it wasn't hard to paddle!), where the major hazard of falling in is not drowning, but be pieced to death by blackberries if you had to swim out. And although the berries at our house are sweet and flavorful- the berries on the slough were monsterously juicy from gorging themselves on water all summer. Himalayan Blackberries are not known for moderation.
In the spirit of summer, I've been having black berry smoothies and and have another blackberry cobbler in the oven (or possibly a mess of berries with a sweet biscuit in the middle, we'll see what comes out).
Showing posts with label Kirkland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kirkland. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
My stupid cat, Raoul
On Saturday night, we came home to the sobering news that our cat Raoul had run away. The door was open for hours, it's hard to imagine him not giving in to the temptation of investigating new territory. It was also very hard to imagine him navigating his way around well, or getting on with the thugy neighborhood cats. We were worried. I was too upset to look for pictures of him to make a Missing Cat poster, but I had put most of the text together in my head.
Missing Cat
Probably won't respond to his name, Raoul. Will come running for a can of beans- might kill you for smoked salmon.
Has pretty stripes that he likes to show off by rolling on his back and flicking his long tail as if he wanted to be pet, but this is just a cat trap- which he will spring in all pointiness on the first hand to enter the trap.
Not always nice to people, but too much of a sissy to be an outdoor cat.
Unlike other neighborhood thug cats, he has a long tail, still pointy ears, a neck, and is probably getting beat up by those tough, tail-less cats. His favorite hiding places include the shower, under the covers and the middle of the floor.
My version was too wordy, fortunately Matt put out a nice version, which we posted on mailboxes. He found a way to prop open our back door to 1 cat size (probably smaller than one fat racoon- probably). We left food outside, and put out cat toys, which kept disappearing. Our house was freezing from having the door open all the time, but Mom and Nana chugged tea and put up with our heartbreak.
I called a cat rescue shelter, that suggested I get a cat trap. Since we had daily gasping disappointments seeing those local thug cats, I just knew a cat trap was going to result in mayhem. I was mentally wondering how many feral cats I would be willing to spay before I gave up on the trap as I went to bed.
And then something crazy happened.
Well after midnight, we both woke up in confusion to tiny meows walking in to our bedroom. My reaction times aren't great when I am "alert" so try to imagine me assessing this situation from a deep slumber. "Cat? Feral? Mine? Here? Am I awake? My cat is here? " He just sauntered in like we'd been gone on a long vacation and he couldn't find us in the house.
Matt grabbed him in his arms while I flew downstairs to close the door behind him and spring the cat trap (because we SO don't need any feral cats now). He was filthy, a little skinny and hungry. And thirsty. But fine. He has a wicked case of the sneezes, and seems sleepier then the average cat, but he is much more willing to put up with me moving my legs underneath his nap.
Missing Cat
Probably won't respond to his name, Raoul. Will come running for a can of beans- might kill you for smoked salmon.
Has pretty stripes that he likes to show off by rolling on his back and flicking his long tail as if he wanted to be pet, but this is just a cat trap- which he will spring in all pointiness on the first hand to enter the trap.
Not always nice to people, but too much of a sissy to be an outdoor cat.
Unlike other neighborhood thug cats, he has a long tail, still pointy ears, a neck, and is probably getting beat up by those tough, tail-less cats. His favorite hiding places include the shower, under the covers and the middle of the floor.
My version was too wordy, fortunately Matt put out a nice version, which we posted on mailboxes. He found a way to prop open our back door to 1 cat size (probably smaller than one fat racoon- probably). We left food outside, and put out cat toys, which kept disappearing. Our house was freezing from having the door open all the time, but Mom and Nana chugged tea and put up with our heartbreak.
I called a cat rescue shelter, that suggested I get a cat trap. Since we had daily gasping disappointments seeing those local thug cats, I just knew a cat trap was going to result in mayhem. I was mentally wondering how many feral cats I would be willing to spay before I gave up on the trap as I went to bed.
And then something crazy happened.
Well after midnight, we both woke up in confusion to tiny meows walking in to our bedroom. My reaction times aren't great when I am "alert" so try to imagine me assessing this situation from a deep slumber. "Cat? Feral? Mine? Here? Am I awake? My cat is here? " He just sauntered in like we'd been gone on a long vacation and he couldn't find us in the house.
Matt grabbed him in his arms while I flew downstairs to close the door behind him and spring the cat trap (because we SO don't need any feral cats now). He was filthy, a little skinny and hungry. And thirsty. But fine. He has a wicked case of the sneezes, and seems sleepier then the average cat, but he is much more willing to put up with me moving my legs underneath his nap.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Fun times - Nana visit
Nana is here, so that is awesome. We've been doing cool stuff all weekend- we got to visit with Anne Cox on Saturday, and enjoy a nice meal on the waterfront together on Friday night.
On Sunday, we went to church, and once again, the entire CS community is very excited to see Nana, and have the possibility of welcoming her into their community. After church, Nana wanted to see a bit more of Bothell, so we walked into downtown, and then to the Chateau Bothell (where she will do her second visit). The church is about 5 blocks from the Chateau, and would be a lovely walk anyday there isn't snow.
While we were having a lovely adventure, Matt was down south trying his first mountain bike race of the season. He came in 7th, which is pretty great, considering his starting position. I think he'll be motivated to continue with the series and hope for improvement.
After some naps and a Skype with Austin (OMG- Have you seen Tyler- he is SOO cute!), we all put on some pink colors and went to the Din Tai Fung- a fancy dumpling place, with Shaoshu. Shaoshu hates Valentine's day, so of course, I am making him celebrate it a couple times this year. He brought flowers for us ladies, and we got to play around with his new SLR, posing for pictures in front of the Chihuly glass that decorates the fancy mall where the restaurant was. Oh, and we stuffed ourselves with Chinese food- and can I point out that Nana was a champ with the chopsticks? It was a really fun evening.
Monday morning, I took Nana to her first visit- this one in Kirkland. Several friendly residents were chatting with us at lunch, so I am sure Nana got to meet some more people when I left. We'll see what she has to say by next week when she has done two trial stays
On Sunday, we went to church, and once again, the entire CS community is very excited to see Nana, and have the possibility of welcoming her into their community. After church, Nana wanted to see a bit more of Bothell, so we walked into downtown, and then to the Chateau Bothell (where she will do her second visit). The church is about 5 blocks from the Chateau, and would be a lovely walk anyday there isn't snow.
While we were having a lovely adventure, Matt was down south trying his first mountain bike race of the season. He came in 7th, which is pretty great, considering his starting position. I think he'll be motivated to continue with the series and hope for improvement.
After some naps and a Skype with Austin (OMG- Have you seen Tyler- he is SOO cute!), we all put on some pink colors and went to the Din Tai Fung- a fancy dumpling place, with Shaoshu. Shaoshu hates Valentine's day, so of course, I am making him celebrate it a couple times this year. He brought flowers for us ladies, and we got to play around with his new SLR, posing for pictures in front of the Chihuly glass that decorates the fancy mall where the restaurant was. Oh, and we stuffed ourselves with Chinese food- and can I point out that Nana was a champ with the chopsticks? It was a really fun evening.
Monday morning, I took Nana to her first visit- this one in Kirkland. Several friendly residents were chatting with us at lunch, so I am sure Nana got to meet some more people when I left. We'll see what she has to say by next week when she has done two trial stays
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Nana is here!
Quick note before we head out to church and Bothell Adventures. Nana is here, visiting ME, and some other places that might also have an impact on her future. I jest. Nana is here doing a couple short stays in two communities she is willing to consider making the move across the mountains to. In addition to getting her to and from these places, this means I am getting an added excuse to visit with old friends and family, explore some nearby neighborhoods and just spend some time with Nana. It's pretty great.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Our first guests!
I had Nana AND Mom come and visit the new house in Kirkland. Let me interrupt with a quick PSA: any and all of you are welcome to come and visit for as long as you like. We are slowly improving the accommodations here, but I estimate we can easily sleep 5 spare adults, and quickly make room for more at our friends homes, so come visit.
But the family was here! It was great! We were mostly looking at various retirement communities for Nana to consider. We went to FIVE. If you are unfamiliar with this process, this is a HUGE number. Nana was a trooper, critical enough to insist on getting ALL the information she wanted, open minded enough to give everyone a fair shake. We'll see how the final results of this shake out- there are certainly more communities in this area that we didn't see, but I would go so far as to say we did see some places that Nana would be really happy at. (and at least one we all ruled out on actually visiting) That's a big relief to me, really. I mean, I don't want Nana living in a crappy home where no one cares about her and there is nothing fun to do. I like the idea of her moving over here 1) so she'll be close to me (selfish? yes) and 2) so she can spend more time focusing on what she wants to do with her time these days, which is less cooking and house cleaning, and more volunteering, reading, studying, praying and spending time with me. Or at least, that's what I believe she is looking forward to. Clearly, this is only worth it if she feels comfortable at a place, and while I am optimistic that even some of the places can provide that, this is a big decision for Nana to make and would certainly merit some cogitation and sharing of ideas with family members. So everyone call Nana and tell her you love her.
Between the constant going to homes, we also made time to go to the Christian Science Church in Bothell where everyone was SO nice to Nana, and I would feel really happy if she wanted to be friends with those people who were very supportive, and helpful and just so darn nice. We also grabbed a couple of nice dinners out, but mostly we spent about 2.5 hours with every location, working on a very in depth spread sheet and generally acting like sponges. It's exhausting stuff. With luck, though, this means there will be more visits to our house from Nana, and possible other people, which we are really happy about.
But the family was here! It was great! We were mostly looking at various retirement communities for Nana to consider. We went to FIVE. If you are unfamiliar with this process, this is a HUGE number. Nana was a trooper, critical enough to insist on getting ALL the information she wanted, open minded enough to give everyone a fair shake. We'll see how the final results of this shake out- there are certainly more communities in this area that we didn't see, but I would go so far as to say we did see some places that Nana would be really happy at. (and at least one we all ruled out on actually visiting) That's a big relief to me, really. I mean, I don't want Nana living in a crappy home where no one cares about her and there is nothing fun to do. I like the idea of her moving over here 1) so she'll be close to me (selfish? yes) and 2) so she can spend more time focusing on what she wants to do with her time these days, which is less cooking and house cleaning, and more volunteering, reading, studying, praying and spending time with me. Or at least, that's what I believe she is looking forward to. Clearly, this is only worth it if she feels comfortable at a place, and while I am optimistic that even some of the places can provide that, this is a big decision for Nana to make and would certainly merit some cogitation and sharing of ideas with family members. So everyone call Nana and tell her you love her.
Between the constant going to homes, we also made time to go to the Christian Science Church in Bothell where everyone was SO nice to Nana, and I would feel really happy if she wanted to be friends with those people who were very supportive, and helpful and just so darn nice. We also grabbed a couple of nice dinners out, but mostly we spent about 2.5 hours with every location, working on a very in depth spread sheet and generally acting like sponges. It's exhausting stuff. With luck, though, this means there will be more visits to our house from Nana, and possible other people, which we are really happy about.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Things we are learning
You know how when you move, there is kinda a cultural re-adjustment period? You know, I can't just walk in to any Seattle grocery store and presume they will have pancetta, even if I plan on using it with my brussels sprouts. Much like how in Pittsburgh you might have to make a directed effort to find a coffee shop. Matt and I are enjoying getting to explore a bit and trying out some New things for our New life. For example, Matt has been taking the bus to work. The buses here are really nice, not to crowded and reasonably convenient, especially if you just want point-to-point travel, such as going to work (so your wife and run errands and get lost and such.) I know, I never thought I'd see the day.
We are happily indulging in all products made by Tillamok, and a bountiful harvest of fall fruits and veggies. Washington apples are as good as I remember. Oh, and speaking of apples, you know that park behind our house? You know, the one with the abandoned cabin? There is also an abandoned apple orchard in there. Matt wandered up there and grabbed a harvest of small, late season apples which turned into a very rich applesauce. We feel like we are living off the land here.
And I'll just make a contrast to the general lay-out of both Pittsburgh and Seattle/Kirkland places. Where the neighborhood down-towns of Pittsburgh always have an Italian or Middle eastern grocery store, a couple of smoke shops, at least once "local color" bar and maybe coffee or more likely a deli. In Kirkland, it's like there is a mandate that if you own a strip mall, it must contain at least one teriyaki place, one Mexican Groceria and a beer store. This provides the perfect climate for the drive through coffee place. I haven't yet indulged in one of those teriyaki places yet, but it's on my list of things to do should I ever become hungry after Thanksgiving, so maybe December.
Matt and I will be headed to Concrete for the holiday, where are phone usually get spotty service. Will try to make some calls via Betty's phone to brag about what an awesome time we are having, but if you don't hear from us, assume it's a food coma. Happy Thanksgiving, all!
We are happily indulging in all products made by Tillamok, and a bountiful harvest of fall fruits and veggies. Washington apples are as good as I remember. Oh, and speaking of apples, you know that park behind our house? You know, the one with the abandoned cabin? There is also an abandoned apple orchard in there. Matt wandered up there and grabbed a harvest of small, late season apples which turned into a very rich applesauce. We feel like we are living off the land here.
And I'll just make a contrast to the general lay-out of both Pittsburgh and Seattle/Kirkland places. Where the neighborhood down-towns of Pittsburgh always have an Italian or Middle eastern grocery store, a couple of smoke shops, at least once "local color" bar and maybe coffee or more likely a deli. In Kirkland, it's like there is a mandate that if you own a strip mall, it must contain at least one teriyaki place, one Mexican Groceria and a beer store. This provides the perfect climate for the drive through coffee place. I haven't yet indulged in one of those teriyaki places yet, but it's on my list of things to do should I ever become hungry after Thanksgiving, so maybe December.
Matt and I will be headed to Concrete for the holiday, where are phone usually get spotty service. Will try to make some calls via Betty's phone to brag about what an awesome time we are having, but if you don't hear from us, assume it's a food coma. Happy Thanksgiving, all!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Things are good
Great news! My life is awesome!
I supposed that's kinda a weird lead, but that's pretty much all I want to cover in this post. I've been doing awesome stuff ever since I got here. We've seen Shaoshu and Jeffrey lots, I got to go for a nice walk in the park behind the house, and I found and old log cabin. I took the bus into Kirkland for a fun adventure, and there are lots of great coffee and restaurants for investigation. Last night Matt and I went to the Kirkland Costco, which is like the Costco Mothership. Tonight we are going for hot pot, and on Sunday Matt's mom is coming to see our new place and plan our delicious Thanksgiving plans.
Oh, AND I get to continue my volunteer work at the science center off site (awesome!). If it weren't for the fact that I don't have an income or a daily way to feel industrious, I would say life is pretty much perfect. Since I am applying for jobs everyday, I'm pretty sure that is a temporary thing anyway, which makes me pretty optimistic about my future here. I just have to find someway to keep up with Matt's heroic athleticism- he and Jeffrey will be trail running for an hour after work today, and I have yet to shake off the celebratory eating of my last month or so in Pittsburgh.
I supposed that's kinda a weird lead, but that's pretty much all I want to cover in this post. I've been doing awesome stuff ever since I got here. We've seen Shaoshu and Jeffrey lots, I got to go for a nice walk in the park behind the house, and I found and old log cabin. I took the bus into Kirkland for a fun adventure, and there are lots of great coffee and restaurants for investigation. Last night Matt and I went to the Kirkland Costco, which is like the Costco Mothership. Tonight we are going for hot pot, and on Sunday Matt's mom is coming to see our new place and plan our delicious Thanksgiving plans.
Oh, AND I get to continue my volunteer work at the science center off site (awesome!). If it weren't for the fact that I don't have an income or a daily way to feel industrious, I would say life is pretty much perfect. Since I am applying for jobs everyday, I'm pretty sure that is a temporary thing anyway, which makes me pretty optimistic about my future here. I just have to find someway to keep up with Matt's heroic athleticism- he and Jeffrey will be trail running for an hour after work today, and I have yet to shake off the celebratory eating of my last month or so in Pittsburgh.
Monday, November 14, 2011
I live in Kirkland now
My last few weeks in Pittsburgh were a whirlwind of excitement and activity, leading up to a big event at the science center and a big send off from my good friends there. It was a lot of fun, but if you can picture how tired I was at the begining of the going away party, and then picture that I stayed awake until the shuttle arrived at 3am to take me to the airport... well, I am still tired is where that is going. We'll call it jetlag. And delicious food overdose. I haven't really been hungry since I got here either.
But I am here! Matt came to get me at the airport, and Man, I still really like seeing him. It was ok while we were apart, we both had things going on, it was a short period of time (I was staying with a friend who had to wait out her then-boyfriend's deployment to Iraq, so...perspective). But finally seeing him, and getting to catch up on all the new things in our lives and see the direction our new life is taking... it's been really exciting. Our friend Shaoshu came over last night to hang out a bit, and Jeffrey and his adorable son (who isn't a baby anymore) came by after work today. Even though I didn't leave the house, I sure don't feel lonely. I do need to get focused on job hunting again, however in the meantime I am just so pleased with all the other aspects of my life that being unemployed doesn't seem as awful as it once did. Some of you have seen the new place already, it is a two story duplex, and in the stairway there is a skylight, which streams in that cozy gray Seattle light that seems like it is always filtered through evergreens and rain. While I was unpacking, I found a Rie Munoz picture (girl throwing her blueberries in surprise when she finds a bear in her blueberry patch), and I hung it in the hallway in that calm grey light and I just felt like this is exactly as it was meant to be.
There is still plenty of unpacking to keep me busy for a couple days. Matt has the house fully functional, but that's just a start reminder of how much stuff we own that we don't really "need" persay. The upstairs rooms (all three of them+ 2 bathrooms) need the most help, mostly because there is lots of space to divide our things into. The cat seems to like the constant change in scenery as boxes get unpacked and moved around, creating new landscapes to be conquered. Frankly, the toddler liked it too.
Matt is trying to help me get oriented to the neighborhood, and we are exploring it a bit more together. I'll keep you abreast of any big finds. Tonight we found that we are only a couple minutes from both Woodinville and Bothell, which means I need to spend more time looking at the map.
But I am here! Matt came to get me at the airport, and Man, I still really like seeing him. It was ok while we were apart, we both had things going on, it was a short period of time (I was staying with a friend who had to wait out her then-boyfriend's deployment to Iraq, so...perspective). But finally seeing him, and getting to catch up on all the new things in our lives and see the direction our new life is taking... it's been really exciting. Our friend Shaoshu came over last night to hang out a bit, and Jeffrey and his adorable son (who isn't a baby anymore) came by after work today. Even though I didn't leave the house, I sure don't feel lonely. I do need to get focused on job hunting again, however in the meantime I am just so pleased with all the other aspects of my life that being unemployed doesn't seem as awful as it once did. Some of you have seen the new place already, it is a two story duplex, and in the stairway there is a skylight, which streams in that cozy gray Seattle light that seems like it is always filtered through evergreens and rain. While I was unpacking, I found a Rie Munoz picture (girl throwing her blueberries in surprise when she finds a bear in her blueberry patch), and I hung it in the hallway in that calm grey light and I just felt like this is exactly as it was meant to be.
There is still plenty of unpacking to keep me busy for a couple days. Matt has the house fully functional, but that's just a start reminder of how much stuff we own that we don't really "need" persay. The upstairs rooms (all three of them+ 2 bathrooms) need the most help, mostly because there is lots of space to divide our things into. The cat seems to like the constant change in scenery as boxes get unpacked and moved around, creating new landscapes to be conquered. Frankly, the toddler liked it too.
Matt is trying to help me get oriented to the neighborhood, and we are exploring it a bit more together. I'll keep you abreast of any big finds. Tonight we found that we are only a couple minutes from both Woodinville and Bothell, which means I need to spend more time looking at the map.
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