Hiking Fever

After nearly a year of living in a geographic location in which I have yet to see a mountain (or even a foothill, for that matter) I have decided that I need to hit a mountain at least once every time I go home. I didn't realize how much the mountains meant to me until I left them behind. They are somewhat like a security blanket for me - a guide to the north and the south, an ever looming consolation of beauty in the world at times when I feel ugliness in the world, an image of the grandiose character of God...my psyche actually craves the mountains.

Which is why I dragged my family to a hike on Mount Baker, even though it was pouring rain and the park ranger encouraged us to change plans to a lower elevation hike due to the looming thunderstorms. We took the rangers advice, and the hike was still gorgeous. And after a long, hot, humid summer - I welcomed the refreshing and cool drizzle on my face. It was completely enlivening...not sure my family felt the same way, but I suspect they did. The nuanced textures and shades of green was astounding.

There goes the ma, pa, and sister.






For anybody that knows Curtis, here lies his favorite stance: "the Discovery Pose." I think it indicates the surveying of all things his....and perhaps makes him feel like Lewis or Clark?


Soggy wet and happy!


I LOVE these next two pics of my padres...my mom is laughing so hard in the first one that she can't hold herself up, and in the second pic she's trying to shush Curtis to stop making her laugh. Not an uncommon problem for her.

Summer Wedding

Our long-time friend from high school, Jared Nielson, finally tied the knot with his lovely girl Megan. They had the wedding at this beautiful outdoor venue, surrounded by evergreens and vibrant plants and late August flowers. The weather was a bit rainy, but I always feel like rain adds to the fresh and new and invigorating aura of a wedding. Sadly all of my pics of Jared and Megan turned out too dark, but I did get some pics of our old high school gang. Always love seeing these people...so many things change, and then so many things don't....

Big group pic of Lee, Jeremy, James, Evan, Rachel, Trisha, Jay, and us.


Which one looks different?

Perfect Sunday Timeline

7:00 AM: Wake up, pack lunch, revel in wearing a dress, start driving.

9:30 AM: Arrive in NYC, find a parking spot after only 10 minutes on 50th St. and 6th Ave.

9:40 AM: Meet husband at Rockefeller Center for a pot of fresh brewed coffee at the Restaurant on the Plaza (this winter time skating rink is transfixed into a sea of bright cafe umbrellas for the spring and summer).

11:00 AM: Attend the Choral Service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on 5th Ave.

12:30 PM: Get picnic lunch from car that is conveniently parked 4 blocks from church and walk to Central Park.

1:00 PM: Eat lunch on park bench, then stroll through the upper west side of the park hand-in-hand with my fabulous husband.

3:00 PM: Once back in mid-town, stroll through Zara, admire the brilliance of Anthropologie's window displays, pick on some of the gaudy Italian-designer window displays, and purchase a wonderfully inexpensive pair of aviators from H&M to replace my now antiquated white sun glasses.

4:30 PM: Head back to Jersey, making it home in just over an hour - which is record time for leaving Manhattan on a Sunday afternoon.

6:00 PM: Sit on patio with home-made pizza, leftover Mimosas from Saturday's brunch, a deck of cards, and a surprisingly cool breeze.

7:00 PM: Fall asleep on couch for 40 minutes, only to find that James fell asleep reading in bed as well. Wake up to clean kitchen and put fresh sheets on bed.

9:30 PM: Back in bed at record early time with a good book in hand, then drift to peaceful slumber until 9:00AM. Yes, hopefully next Sunday will be a repeat.