Reflecting over the last month, some of the events seemed as if they happened years ago. Yet others, just yesterday. And they were. Time is an interesting concept, one that moves too fast for us or just not fast enough.
Brian and I were talking and I had made the comment that I felt like it just moved right by us and nothing was accomplished. This is a thought I tend to have about my life in general. That time goes by and I haven't really done anything with what I have. He looked at me and just said "really?" I am not sure what it is, but I always feel like unless something HUGE happens, that life is just passing by. But in reality it is not.
January brought us a week and a half of company. Lovely Katie came and spent a week with us, during one of our worst snow storms. During her stay, we made signs, tried a new dish, drove eight hours round trip to Portland, in a storm to pick up the kids. Chaperoned her date, she got into an accident and best of all, went tubing in a storm!
As soon as she left, Amy made her way up to blue skies and just lovely weather. Having a girlfriend here was just want my soul needed at the perfect time. Between drinks over a long lunch, shopping and just hanging out, I felt recharged and ready to go another few months.
On top of our company, we started the New Year snowshoeing at Swampys, we went tubing, Skylar has started racing, first weekend she got last place, second week second to last. Definitely improvement. She is enjoying herself and making friends, which is worth last place every week.
We survived the worst snow storm Central Oregon has seen in twenty years, we had over four feet of snow fall in a week, roofs were collapsing, the kids missed a over a week of school and we are hoping they are out by July 4th.
With the surprise arrival of the wonderful Art of Pie cookbook, I decided to take on the challenge of baking a pie each week this year. Pies have always been something that I have been afraid of and I am definitely learning how to master a crust. It has been fun to be baking again and creating these masterpieces and some failures. This month we have enjoyed Chess Pie, German Chocolate Pie, Dutch Apple Pie and Apple Cranberry. Not ever hearing of a Chess Pie, it was by far one of my favorite. Amy put it perfectly, like a warm gooey brownie.
Along with my 52 Weeks of Pie Challenge I signed up to do the 52 Hike Challenge. Goal is to get outside and hike, snowshoe, run, whatever at least a mile 52 times in the year. I had these great plans that every week I would be out there and started the year off strong snowshoeing on the first for four miles. Then company, sickness, life got in the way. I did get a quick mile in this weekend, so this year, 2 hikes down. I am looking forward to getting out and exploring what is around us and might even get the courage to do a weekend hiking trip this summer. We will see!
And because I am an old lady, I have taught myself how to crochet and am working on my first beanie. After many, many many tries and doing the same row over and over and over, I have finally gotten the hang of it and completely get why my grandma would sit and rock for hours while she created us these incredible blankets. It is so relaxing.
Add the eight books I have read and I would have to say, this month was a great start to how life should be. One of our main objectives for moving was to slow our lives down, enjoy the moments, what is around us and really just stop running around ragged in traffic, between having to be here and then there. The first six months have been a hard adjustment, but honestly January has given us just what we have been looking for. Not thinking anything could beat Fall, Winter has proven to be one of my favorite season. I love the peace that snow brings. There is this calm and serenity when you wake up to a fresh layer of just white everywhere. It just seems to slow down life and make you want to just enjoy what is in front of you. Sitting with a hot cup of coffee, in front of the fire watching it snow, there is just nothing like it.
No comments:
Post a Comment