Finally, a new bag

Seattle, Washington
Sunday, August 30, 2015

Alas, we did not make it to Lake Chelan for Quilt Camp this year: the wild fires were far too numerous and terrifying. We decided to make a go of it in Magnolia and, at last, I have a new bag. Good fun to see everyone!

Flood of Fire

Seattle, Washington
Saturday, August 22, 2015

I just finished reading Flood of Fire, the third book in the Ibis Trilogy by Amitav Ghosh. It's been long enough ago since I read the second book that I could barely remember all the (many!) characters. Consequently, it took a while to get into this third book. But it was worth it. He really is a master of the historical fiction genre. Now I am seriously considering going back to the beginning to read them all again...

Omak Stampede

Omak, Washington
Saturday, August 15, 2015

This weekend we made it to Omak to visit former colleagues from Mongolia. Although the Stampede was not our primary goal, we had a chance to watch the horses and riders depart from the top of Stampede Hill--quite a scene! It was also fun to head down to the fairgrounds and watch some of the Native American dancing. And, of course, a taste of our first "Indian Taco"...

Now, if we can just manage to get home past the wildfires...

Mercer Slough berry stroll

Bellevue, Washington
Sunday, August 9, 2015

Went for a wonderful walk along the Mercer Slough marsh walk this morning. A lovely 2+ mile walk with stray blueberry bushes dotting the edge of the trail--and blackberries, of course. Bring the kids!

Summer reads 2015

Seattle, Washington
Saturday, August 8, 2015

It's been a busy summer in the Reading Department, and I am ready to make some recommendations. Herewith:

The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh. This was my favorite book of the summer. This is a wonderful modern tale set in the Sundarbans--tigers, mangrove forests, and a dolphin specialist from Seattle... Read it! (from Wikipedia: "The Sundarbans is a natural region in the Bengal region comprising Bangladesh and Eastern India. It is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.")

All the Light We Cannot See by Athony Doerr. This was one of those books that I could not put down--both from the pleasure of reading it and the suspenseful plot. Set in World War II era Germany and France. I only found the movement back and forth in time a bit confusing--though maybe that was one of the goals...

Eight Months on Ghazzah Street by Hilary Mantel. I enjoyed it but found its portrayal of the Middle East a bit too one-dimensional--and I was quite disappointed with the ending...

The Coffee Trader by David Liss. I enjoyed learning about that period of Dutch/European history but found the plot a bit over-convoluted...

A Delicate Truth by John le Carré. Wow, that was a fun read!

"Sassy Salmon" sushi

Seattle, Washington
Thursday, August 6, 2015

Tonight was Parents' Night Out and we celebrated at Seattle's oldest Japanese restaurant in the International District: Maneki. It was jam packed but we squeezed in at the sushi bar--and enjoyed sushi and a few other delicacies. Frank's favorite was the "Sassy Salmon" sushi and mine the California roll. We'll be back--this time with a reservation!