A Toast Part Two (Wilds Version)

Dear Pacific NorthWest,

I love you dearly.

With all my heart,

- Umber

My City: A toast to the past three years

After a long weekend down in California prepping, painting, and scrubbing our new place (imagine the kitchen of a single bachelor who cooked only using a fry-daddy - that's the grease level I spend hours removing) we're back for the last couple days of life in Washington.

It's bittersweet leaving this land that I've loved so fiercely, that I've learned so much from, that has washed my wounds and planted hope in my soul. Seattle, you've been gentle and kind. You've been the life of the party and my melancholy companion. I leave a piece of me here with you, forever, and take a part of you with my, tattooed across my heart. I promise to remember the lessons you've taught me, to keep that faith, to uphold who I've become.

And lastly I promise to visit, and often.

Rather Unimportant Ramblings

Have you seen Julie and Julia yet? Yes, I am ALWAYS a few years behind on all the good movies, and a decade or so on the random ones. Last night I experienced a terrible sense of pure lowliness as I whipped up a one pot dinner of mac and cheese positively overpowered with steamed veggies and then proceeded to watch pound after pound of delectable butter crafted into beurre blanc sauces and oysters slipped from the half shell and teetering soufflés pulled carefully from the oven. My [previously frozen] green beans shook their little arms with envy and the broccoli was forced to mop its sorrows with the sticky mix of milk and cheese in the bottom of the bowl, which is every bit as sad a story as you can imagine.

BC and I were made to eat well; and watching the parade of French cuisine flashing before our eyes was almost enough to make me throw on some heels and drive into the city for second-dinner (it's been known to happen. As well as the infamous "two restaurants in one night" progression. DECADENT, I KNOW. But there is such magic that happens when dining with certain company and the thought of ending the night without a flourless torte or a hunk of bree and a nightcap feels like pure blasphemy. It's the city in me. My favorite dichotomy of pure urban fabulousness alongside the love of the wild). Thank God I at least had fresh strawberries and dark chocolate to save face while I watched the movie over the tops of my fuzzy green slippers.

Which brings me to the subject of MY NEW-FUTURE GARDEN. I've waited these last few city-licious years to say that phrase. I've always done my best with pots of lettuce and vining cucumbers but for the first time in my adult life, there will be real soil. LET THE ANGELS SING HALLELUIA! My green thumb is ripe for the pickin'. I'm ready to start laying out rows and hoeing it up. All my saved seeds from last Summer's farmer's market bounty are hopping around like Mexican jumping beans at the prospect.

I think I'll start marking it out this weekend. As we're making the first drive down to Ca tomorrow. Yes, as in leaving in 18 hours. Holy. Moly. Here we go, it's officially on.

Good Day I say to you!

The rolling clouds of fear that blanketed my last two weeks have begun dissipating, breaking apart to let the piercing light of joy back into my heart. The short end of the story is that I've had a scare of medical proportions, HOWEVER it does look as though everything is going to be perfectly alright. All that to say, LADIES, CHECK THE TWINS, PLEASE!

** I do not plan to say too much more on this exact subject in this forum however please feel free to email me if you like! **

To all of you who sent encouragement this last weekend, you have buoyed me up into the shallow waters, and not a drop of it went unnoticed. So thank you, from the golden depths of my heart, thank you!

Back in the saddle,

- Umber

Picnic

******

Please excuse the silence around these parts. It's been a rough week. One of the roughest. Nothing to do with moving or packing (in fact, all newsprint and cardboard has been put on the back burner), but with other issues that have gripped my heart in an iron fist. And today has left me with an odd sense of renewed hope (my hearts, you have been my comfort) coupled with a trembling fear that still threatens to crush me.

I'm clinging to my life raft.