Aloha!

All our bags are packed, we're ready to go... we're sitting on the couch watching 'It's a Wonderful Life.'

It's a great time, but I'm really thinking about my family right now. They are all at Midnight Mass. My mom is singing carols with my sisters and the lights in the church are dimmed. Candles are lit and the heat probably hasn't kicked in yet. People are greeting each other with hugs and, "it's so great to see you" and if I weren't going to Hawaii I'd give anything to be there.

I have my portable DVD player and lots of Christmas movies to entertain us on the 6 hour flight to Hawaii.

Aloha, everyone.

And a Happy New Year.

Look 'both' ways doesn't cover it.

Today I was hit by a bus while walking in a crosswalk.

Yes, really, hit by a bus.

Most importantly, let me say that I am OK. I don't seem to be hurt in any significant way. But it was a strange and scary experience for me.

I was in line at the Edmonds ferry, on my way to my mom's for Christmas. I had about 20 minutes before the ferry was to come, so I went to fetch some yummy coffee at the Cafe Vita across the street that I love so much.

I pushed the walk signal button, waited on the curb and when the signal changed from 'red hand' to 'white walking guy' I proceeded into the intersection. Halfway through, the bus hit me from behind. It's kind of unbelievable really. Who gets hit by a bus?? Or rather, who gets hit by a bus and walks away so 'OK'? Here I am, a few hours later, at my mom's, just out of an Epsom salt bath and feeling quite a bit better, wondering how I got so lucky.

For someone hit by a bus, I'm doing fantastically well. Just a few scrapes and bruises. Physically I seem OK, but I gotta tell ya, I was shaken. This HUGE thing hit me from behind, knocked me to the ground and seemed not to stop.

There was this moment after the first hit, that I realized the bus wasn't going to stop. In that sub-second I was sure I was going to die. My only question was, 'which part of my body will this bus run over?' I was pretty sure it would be my mid-section, right over my belly. But then it did stop and I realized there were voices on the bus screaming. I learned later this young couple had seen me BEFORE I was hit, had yelled at the driver BEFORE I was hit, but when I was actually hit they began screaming louder for the bus to stop.

I'm not sure the bus driver ever saw me. I think he heard them.

This young girl, maybe 23 years old, came running off the bus. She asked if I was OK, I nodded, crying, and she hugged me tightly. I sobbed. I was so scared and this stranger was so kind to me. I was so grateful for that hug. Thank you. She and her boyfriend were my advocates, made sure 911 was called and angrily yelled at the bus driver while I was too stunned to be angry. Anger didn't seem the right emotion for me.

Relief was a better emotion. I was alive. I was a little too aware how quickly it can all be taken away, this life. People do die like that, in an instant. My accident was nothing like that, but it could have been.

What if he hadn't stopped?

Not entirely prepared

I must say even with all the lists I created this season, I find myself much less prepared than I hoped to be. I have to blame it on the 5 consecutive days of power outage here (sheesh!), as finding another reason is something I do not have time for.

For example, I have a lovely set of gifts for my friend Lori, and they are finally wrapped, although the gifts had been purchased in Oregon last summer! See, power goes out and my organizational skills with it. I have a gift for my good friend Juan too, and I'm unable to decide if I should send it to CA or to the UK, where he is moving in the new year. I'm leaning toward the latter, and not because it saves me time (erm, maybe that is a good reason too). I'm mostly thinking he'd dig this particular gift whilst away from us weirdo Americans. Maybe he'll even miss us.

So, now I'm gathering packages and heading out to my mom's for a few days of an early Christmas. Christmas is all over the map (calendar?) for me this year. Had one last Saturday, having one tomorrow. Why? Well, this lucky girl is flying to Hawaii on Christmas morn and won't be around for the long-held traditions. I will miss them terribly, but I can't say I'll be unhappy sipping a Mai Thai on a secluded beach, waiting for the next turtle to trot on by.

Merry Christmas to all!

Let there be light and heat and movies and...

Being without power is wearying. It's fun for a couple of days, you rally for another and then it just gets old. You want to be in your home, to just be there. Maybe you have stuff to do, maybe you don't, but to be uprooted like that is both mentally and physically exhausting.

We finally have power. Based on the blinking clock I found yesterday afternoon it would appear the power returned to our home around 8:30 AM Tuesday morning. So, doing the math, that means we were without power for 107 hours (4 days, 5 nights, 11 hours). Wow. It doesn't sound like a lot. I guess because 4 days 'in general' doesn't seem like a lot of time. But take my word for it, being without the basics like heat and showers (even if you can find them elsewhere) means that time ticks slooooowly.

Through all of this I have gained a heightened sense of how good I have it. I have enough clothes to keep me warm during the day, and enough blankets to let us sleep warmly through the night. Not everyone has that. I have running water. Yes, it's cold, but I have it. There are places in the world that only have access to disease-infested waters, yet they are forced to drink it because water must be consumed. I have friends and family, who were kind enough to offer us places to stay and we did just that on 2 of our 5 nights.

I wonder what it's like for people out there with fewer comforts, with fewer friends, with fewer options. May God bless them.

5 Days and Counting - No Power!

Today is Tuesday. We have been without power, and therefore without heat or a way to enjoy our home, since Thursday night. Luckily, Nintendo has power so we're able to come to work. I sound like I'm joking, but it's so much better to be a) warm and b) productive than to sit in the dark and cold and be annoyed. Trust me, I've tried.

Plenty to write on this adventure, but now I will leave you with this warm and romantic photo I took last Friday night when this blackout was still fun. We lit a fire and some candles, opened a really nice bottle of Pinot Noir (are there any bad bottles of that yummy stuff?!) and played Scrabble.

I'd also like to send out a quick thank you to Aaron's parents for putting us up on the coldest nights, for Steve's firewood and for my sister Katie who gladly took my fish! dude was almost frozen, yikes!

the hat

Every gal needs a hat. Mine was given to me by my darling fiancé before he was my fiancé. We were at the Seattle Symphony last Christmas, seeing A Gospel Christmas I believe, and I tried this hat on in the little gift shop. I sure did like it! A few weeks later I opened presents and low and behold there was the hat!

I feel like a lady in this hat. Like my grandmother would love it and approve.

Little Drummer Boy

I miss my father. There are certain moments, certain seasons where the memory of my father is heart-breakingly vivid. At Christmas I miss him terribly. But in a good way. In a way that means we did it right and that there are so many wonderful memories to choose from and reflect on.

My parents did Christmas beautifully. As a child, my house was always filled with music (throughout the year, but at Christmas especially), be it Handel's Messiah on the record player or my father noodling on guitar or all of us singing one carol or another. We'd usually start singing some 'serious' carols, but those inevitably broke down into fits of giggles. My mom put it best, "from the sublime to the ridiculous."

One of my very favorite carols is "The Little Drummer Boy." My dad used to 'sing' the drum part. By 'sing' I mean he'd, "pum-pu-pu-pu-pum, pu-pu-pu-pum...." with so much vigor and oomph that as a teenager it used to make me laugh. I thought it was kinda silly and could never bring myself to perform that part of the song.

On my drive to work this morning Drummer Boy came on the radio, and suddenly I found myself 'singing' the drum part - "pum-pu-pu-pu-pum, pu-pu-pu-pum...." and then I was crying. I sounded just like dad! It was like he was guiding me in how to do it his way.

I miss him, I miss him, I miss him... but I am grateful that his voice has not faded from my memory.

Star Cookies

I have this friend. She's an awesome baker. A few years ago she made these little star cream puff cookies, with yummy green frosting sandwiched in the middle. I've been thinking about these cookies for over 3 years! I finally asked her for the recipe, and this photo is the result.

They are yummy! but notice my stars are flowers. See, when you shop for a very specific star shaped cookie cutter in the middle of Christmas shopping, it's not likely you'll find what you need. Flowers are a very cute shape, to be sure, but not like the original. Maybe that's for the best, since I'm pretty darn sure the original was quite a bit better than my first attempt at these treats.

Now that I have flowers on the brain, I am picturing these as a lovely Spring treat too!

Thank you for the recipe. You know who you are!

Life Lesson #1

Having lived in the earthquake-prone Bay Area for almost a decade you'd think I would have learned a thing or two about storing heavy objects in high places. Now living in the Seattle area, also earthquak-prone (they feed us the it-can-come-any-day fear), you'd think I would have taken these storage tips seriously. Not so much.

This black eye is the result of having stored a heavy, glass vase on top of the refrigerator. Did I leave the heavy vase near the edge on purpose so that when I opened the freezer door it would coming crashing down on me in a hilarious prankster moment? No. This fridge hums quite loudly so our only explantion is that the vase 'worked' its way down toward the edge, playing its own joke on the unsuspecting owner.

A note about black eyes. This one sucks; it's so lame! I got enough pain for a real shiner, but instead I am blessed with something that looks like I spent a little too much time at the make-up counter trying the latest reds and pinks. again, lame. But it's my black eye and so I'm kinda proud of it. so proud I had to take a photo.