Winthrop!

Winthrop, Washington
Friday, December 30, 2016

It wasn't quite the vacation we were hoping for--between a sick kid and some extremely cold weather--but Winthrop was beautiful, and we did get SOME cross country skiing in...

The gingerbread ger

Seattle, Washington
Sunday, December 11, 2016

After much rumination, we decided that this year's gingerbread house would be a ger--or yurt--the traditional Mongolian dwelling with which we are now so familiar. This construction of this house proved to be a particular challenge, but with geometry and part of Quaker Oats container on our side, we prevailed at last.

Final touches included a fence and an outhouse...

An afternoon with Grandma

Seattle, Washington
Saturday, October 29, 2016

A spent the afternoon baking Halloween cookies with Grandma. Amazingly, all the favorite cookie cutters from my childhood were still there--and Grandma (unlike me) makes as many different colors of frosting as you want...

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Seattle, Washington
Thursday, October 27, 2016

The small purse I bought in Thailand three years ago was finally TOO disgusting to keep using. So, I salvaged the very durable shoulder strap, and re-purposed it for my new bag. Very satisfying. And by the way, don't make a purse out of light-colored fabric if you expect it to be presentable for long...

Young artists

Seattle, Washington
Sunday, October 16, 2016

Today we spent the afternoon at a lovely birthday party. All the kids painted, and here is a small sample of the work they did. It was wonderful to see the variety! Kiitos!

A season of arrivals

Seattle, Washington
Friday, September 30, 2016

This was the first week of classes at the U--a time when students and scholars arrive from all over the state--and the world. One new scholar arrived in our department from Japan, bearing these tasty treats from Hokkaido. Here's to the beginning of school year!

Giant rose hips

Seattle, Washington
Saturday, September 3, 2016

A gorgeous fall afternoon, and we headed down to the lovely Kubota Garden south of Seattle. Wonderful paths to walk and vistas to enjoy. And monstrously huge rose hips...