Popping Up

Sitting here in my recliner for what is supposed to be my down time, things keep popping up in my email. It's documents that I need to auto sign, and since we figured how to do that on some we got this morning, we can now breeze right through the process.

Yesterday we met with our financial advisors to catch up and agree to a few changes in our portfolio, hence the documents that needed signing. We are now assured that we can afford to get old. :-)

This morning we had our regular Zoom meet up, and then I spent the rest of the morning reminiscing through old blog posts in my archives. One of our garden members is compiling a list of places the club visited over the years, and I had posts from 2014 and 2015, but of course I got lost in memories of gardens and travels and beautiful photos. Oh my!

Things continue to pop up in our garden also, like the earliest Hellebore and snowdrops!

We got in our walk this afternoon, 1.22 miles today, not bad for an old woman wearing a knee brace and using a cane/walking stick, and scheduled for knee surgery next week. 

Gotta' keep moving.

And now it's time for me to pop up and start dinner. 

Mild January

 My new header picture was taken several years ago when we were having ice and snow in January. So far we have not even had a real frost in our garden. There's plenty of time for that though.

Saturday we were hosted for brunch by my cousin Kris and her partner Charlie in their home in Ballard. Charlie cooked, we all ate yummy French toast, and we all talked and talked.

Then we walked. We visited the nearby Ship Canal Locks and Garden. I may have mentioned that there is almost always something blooming here in our moderate climate, even in mid January.

Cousin Kris, Tom and I

The air was heady witht the scent of Sarcococca blooming near the entry gate.

Early Camellias

Edgeworthia just coming into bloom. It has a wonderful fragrance too, and blooms on bare branches. 

Roses and hardy fuchsias are persistant, at least until a hard freeze.

Hellebores are coming into bloom. 

The buds on Pieris japonica are ready.

This early Viburnum is also fragrant.

Silk tassel tree is not showy, but interesting. 

Now it's Sunday and I have been waiting for the sun to break through the clouds. Now it's noon, and still gray, but it's dry and time to get out for a wallk.

See you later. 

Pre- and Post-

It has been a busy time since I last posted. That was Friday, Jan. 3rd. After breakfast out and then grocery shopping, I had a haircut appointment that day. On Thursday we had both had dentist appointments. 

On Saturday we spent all afternoon visiting with our friend Jeanne, who is now in assisted living. We took our 97 year old friend Dede with us. It is difficult for both of them to get around so they hadn't seen each other for a long time.

On Sunday I started putting some Christmas stuff away, then watched the Seahawks while a made a big pot of beef stew. 

I was very glad to have that stew feed us this week so far. On Monday I had a pre-op physical exam with my primary care doc in the morning and then with my podiatrist in the afternoon to have my ingrown toe nails dug out again, always a treat. :-( In between the comings and goings I got more Christmas decorations packed up. 

On  Tuesday I had an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon. Knee replacement is scheduled for January 24th. He was running very late, so, with having to wait for post op meds to be filled, a 15 minute appointment took all morning. 

In the afternoon we took down the Christmas tree and packed up all the ornaments. 

I was glad there was stew again for dinner. 

Today, Wednesday, Jan 8th, I had a phone wisit with the intake nurse at Swedish Orthopedic Center, got information for pre and post op do's, don'ts, and proceedures. Then I watched a video of the Swedish Joint Journey Seminar. I think I know everything I need to know now about my surgery. 

For exercise we packed up all of the Santa collection.

Goodbye!

Now Christmas is all put away inside and the pottery collection is back on the shelves. 

We still have lights up outside though. That will get done when our "help" comes. That would be Jake and Isaac. Post-Christmas continues. 

But today is Isaac's 22 birthday and we are due soon to meet up with the family for his birthday dinner out.

Tomorrow is unscheduled. And I think there might still be enough stew left over for one more dinner. Yay. I plan to rest a bit, and maybe go for a walk. We are enjoying a break in the rain. 

Rain Drops On Roses...

 ...and everything else.

Today was a very dark and dreary day here in the Seattle area. Heavy rain most of the day left rain drops and puddles everywhere. 

The Christmas lights are still up, with an added sparkle, and now that it's after 4:00 it's time to turn them on to chase away some of the darkness. 

It's good puddle stomping weather, but at a high of 45 degrees, being wet would not be fun. 

Outside the Sarcococca is starting to bloom, but for now we'll have to enjoy the delicious vanilla scent wafting from the sprigs in the bouquet in the downstairs bathroom.

Yes, the Christmas decorations are still up inside too. Only the travel tree is put away. We'll get a little more done this weekend. But with lots of appointments and a few social engagements, it will be Epiphany and then some before Christmas is all put away here. 

No hurry. That's my New Years resolution: stop with the time constraints. For some things being on time is important, but for most things, time limits are self set and arbitrary. Give myself a break!

And so now dinner might be a little bit later than normal. Oh well.

Oh. I see some light coming through under the clouds as the day is fading. Maybe there will be a break in the rain tomorrow. Or not.

Hope your New Year is being kind to you. 

Fast Away The Old Year Passes

 It's New Years Eve and I have had a good last day of 2024.

Our new Farmer's Almanac Calendar says for January 1, "The garden year has no beginning and no end." That is certainly true for us here in the coastal Pacific Nowthwest. There are blooms in my garden on December 31st.

The last rose of 2024, but probably not the last rose.

Primroses are very persistant.

Golden Winter Jasmine is a colorful companion to red cotoneaster berries along the driveway.

Today was a dry and mostly sunny day. We went for a walk in the neighborhood and I accomplished a mile and a half! We had a Zoom meet up with teacher friends, one of whom now lives in Maine. 

I sat at the computer and paid the bills and managed the accounts. I watched a little of the Washington Huskies in the Fiesta Bowl. They lost by going for a two point conversion, instead of a tie. We went to the bird store and bought bird seed for our feeders. Now that the leaves are off the maple tree in front of the house, I like to watch the winter birds, especially when I am doing my Physical Therapy. 

Then we went to the Des Moines Marina to watch the old year fade away. 

There wasn't much color in the sunset today. As the light faded, the lights came on  on the pier,

and the fishermen returned to safe harbor. 

Soon we will go out to Red Robin for a hamburger, and then we'll be back home to our safe harbor to welcome the New Year. There will be fireworks on the Needle, on TV. 

"Hail the New, ye lads and lasses."

Happy New Year!

Christmas Is Over, But the Memories Linger

 

On Christmas Eve we gathered at the Reeder homestead. I didn't take many photos,Tom got a few. You might call them "action shots", because we were all busy doing something. 

Jake was preparing sweet potatoes for the air fryer.

There were limited hors d' oeuvers, because we were going to have a big dinner. The lefse, Jan's cheese crackers, and Cougar Gold cheese were popular.  

Jan and I had the privilege of age, had only a few jobs, and got to sit and visit. 

Jake got is old Legos out from his childhood bedroom and he and Isaac revisited their boyhood, 

Chief dinner organizer Jill even got to sit. 

Irene, of course, was on her phone. 

The Meal: Tom grilled steak and salmon. We had roasted potato wedges, sweet potatoes, steak and mushrooms, asparagus, crab with lemon butter, and not shown, cardamom rolls. 

When you eat fresh crab you have to work for your dinner. 

After dinner we played games, then there was more Lego building and visiting while watching classic videos.

Christmas Morning we took our time opening well stuffed stockings. Jill cooked breakfast and Irene decorated the cardamom wreath bread.

Then there was a mountain of gifts to open and share as we took turns and opened them one at a time.

There was more eating and more game playing and more time to be together.

It was another memorable Christmas celebration.