As is tradition, it’s time for me to apologize for/acknowledge how long it’s been since I last posted anything.
October passed in a blur. First I was in the Bay Area at the end of September/beginning of October. If you’d like to know why, just check out the December issue of The Costco Connection.
Four days after getting home, my sister paid the PacNW a visit along with her husband, youngest son and granddaughter.
We went to the Point Defiance Zoo where a chance encounter with the right people got us a private viewing of the sea otters, whose exhibit was closed for renovations.
We also went on a whale-watching trip and saw several humpbacks. It was a small boat with a great and friendly crew.
As always, the family visit passed in a blur. They left on a Wednesday, I worked Thursday and then attended work’s craft fair on Friday.
Saturday morning Morgan and I were on a plane to Boston. From there were drove to Vermont for a four-day visit. While he attended a family meeting, I drove to Woodstock, VT, and past the Quechee Gorge. I feel in love with all of it. On Monday we stopped in Montpelier for lunch. Then we headed to Westbury for ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s headquarters. We ended up in Burlington, where we stayed in an adorable Airbnb.
I walked by a statue of Champ every day, and it made me happy to do so.
I love Champ. I love Vermont. It was the first time in ages that I’d been that sad to leave a place.
Since them I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about community in general, my community in particular.
Add to that this presidential election results, and I’m left doubly reeling, wondering about my place in the country and how it does or doesn’t align with others.
Are these the musings of someone dealing with the thoughts that all aging middle-class Caucasians have? Maybe. These are crazy days for sure. And while Seattle is a good big city, I can’t help but wonder if I’m ready to return to a small place.
In any event, it’s the day before Thanksgiving, and I have more than angst coursing through my veins. I am thankful for many things. In fact, I am thankful for all of these things (plus many forgotten ones, I’m sure.)
Morgan, my family, my friends, for having once had Slinky as the best best-friend-curly-girl kittenpants a gal could have, my health, my still somewhat functioning brain, people who enjoy what I make, the fact that my jobs let me buy such lovely yarn (from San Francisco, Vermont and the great interweb), the Earwolf and Maximum Fun podcast networks, peanut butter and Christmas music that I will play on Friday while setting up my tiny tree.
I told you it was an incomplete list, but it’s genuine.