As I was nearing the end of the year and evaluating my time off work, I realized that I still had more than 2 weeks of vacation time to use. So I decided to take off several Fridays in November and December and also to add a couple days to my Christmas holiday. I'm so excited to have 12 days away from the office and go back refreshed in 2011.
During Fridays off, I've had the opportunity to re-connect with friends I don't often see and that has been so pleasant and relaxing to hear what they've been doing, excursions they have taken and mutual friends we know.
In November, I went to Mazama in the Methow Valley with Alden and experienced my first snow and cold weather of the season. Alden has the sweetest log cabin and we had such a great time relaxing, walking in the snow and I was knitting while she prepped the cabin for winter.
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| Washington Pass...beautiful! |
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| Alden's cabin from a previous visit, thus no snow in the picture |
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| Me walking the labyrinth |
In December, I had a chance to visit my friend and former colleague, Donna at her new "shack" in Snohomish. It sounds like the transformation on her place has been extensive, 'cause it's really cozy now. Her labor of love since she moved there has been to build a labyrinth. It's beautiful and amazing and I took the time to walk the labyrinth and ponder time and nature and rocks and the cold, crisp day. I was also treated to a lovely lunch and we made the commitment to do a 5 k walk together sometime in the spring. It's great incentive for her to rehab her foot!
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| View while walking |
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| Each stone specifically places with frost on the path |
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Eating, eating, eating.... all my social visits seem to include some really great food. I've had so much fun reconnecting with great people from my Texans in Seattle meet-up group. We collected Toys for Tots donations and then sat down to some great grub at Sonrisa in U-village. This is a really fun group where it's OK to say, all ya'll, and everyone knows what you mean.
Reconnecting with another friend and former boss, Ruth include lunch at icon Grill and hearing about her trip to Italy, Spain and Portugal. It certainly stirred up the wanderlust in me and reminded me of my trip to Tuscany. I always enjoy her company and the connection we have and she's been a great mentor over the years since she retired.
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| Most days I walk it's dark, so it's a treat to see the path |
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| Green Lake sunrise |
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| Another lovely Green Lake view |
Walking at Green Lake with friends on Saturdays is always a treat and I especially love when it's a lovely day. We are seldom rained out!
So many friends and so many more events coming up in the next 12 days.... I'm looking forward to re-connecting and preparing for the New Year ahead.
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