Busy Living

If I could describe everything right now, I'd have to go with rich.  Rich in blessings, rich in rewards for hard work, and rich in substance.  Our life is as sweet as the lilacs that are blooming outside the window that I write in front of.  Our days are colorful and fulfilling.  We go to bed with aching muscles, which reflect the days of gardening, running around with puppies, and stomping the pavement as we build upon the people we are trying to become in our new hometown 

I would have written more, but I've been busy living.  In fact, I've been meaning to write, yearning to write, and dreaming about writing.  No really, I dreamt I was reading blog posts which I didn't write yet, a la a Carrie Bradshaw style book reading.  Pictures have been shot, with words in mind describing their contents.  Still, we've been busy, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. 


Its been a couple of weeks, so let's do an old fashion four in one post. 




The Skagit Valley Trip or Why I'm Not Going to Let the Tulip Festival Break My Heart Again.

Before I loved to Pennsylvania, my mom and I visited the Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley.  Probably because we didn't think we'd ever get to do that again, ever.  And now we're living with her for a while, so ha to that! 

It was a sad little trip.  Dead tulip fields are so depressing, people, especially when you've been promised colors upon colors of vibrant flowers.  We maybe saw a total of four tulips that trip.  "We were too late," we rationalized.  Although, I think we went in March, so not so sure of that justification. 

But now, I have reemerged as a new citizen of this great land, and I just knew that all of my years in PA would produce a welcome home party at the fields this time.  So, K, N, and I ventured again, hopeful, excited, to the Valley. 



And you know what?  I think that the Tulip Festival is a grand hoax orchestrated by farmers and also the Seattle Times because they produced bogus aerial shots the week before.  Again, no tulips, except for their dead skeletal remains. 

The only thing we did find was a Tulip Field tourist trap that granted you access for 15 dollars. Roozengaarde, I think you're very wrong.  15 dollars.  You can't buy my love. 

We got a shot of the field from the parking lot.  And then drove home. 

Photo courtesy of @tnkoviak

On the way back, we stopped at The Rhododendron Cafe before we got on I-5.  Its so good, and so much better than its hometown festival, that it deserves its own post.  Stay tuned, I'm promising you pictures of the best Salted Caramel Ice Cream ever.  EVER!


Point-no-Point: Of Sand and Sandy Dogs

Feeling ambitious, and probably some sort of super mom to dogs, we packed up a picnic and headed out to my favorite beach with the pups for the day.  Point-no-Point is my little sanctuary, and one of the destinations I've missed the most since I was a PA resident.  Within five minutes, we were regretting fully our decision to bring both dogs.  The oldest dog was nervous because we were not at home, and the youngest followed suit because she's slightly more stupid than the oldest.  After twenty minutes of yelling "don't eat that, stay here, don't eat that, and why can't you just sit down?", I let them loose and showed them the way to the water. 

And then, everything was right in the world.  The water was unusually warm, full of tiny crabs, guppies, and green starfish.  The dogs ran in and out, splashing the salty ocean, pulling out bunches of seaweed, and searching earnestly for driftwood sticks.  We walked up and down the shore, each dog staying close to my side without the need to hold onto their leash. 

So many familiars sights, sounds, and smells flooded my body.  For the first real time, I felt fully back.  I'm here, doing something that I regularly day dreamed of, literally feet first living life.  It was one of those moments you wish you could bottle up. 


They got pretty wet, and then very sandy.  But, the great things about labs is that they were designed for such adventures.  They were dry by the time we got home. 

I'm hesitant to bring both of them again.  I think there was one point during the day when K said, "We should get them shirts that say I'm With Stupid."  I'm sure I'll forget though, just like I forgot how dangerous that mother f'in yellow rope is. 


Backyard Camping: Part One

I haven't used my tent in four years, so I figured I'd air it out, check for leaks, and sleep in it.

We had a ceremonial fire, complete with beers and local pizza.  I layered clothing and made a cozy bed inside.  K stayed inside, content with a bed to himself, while the dogs and I settled in for the night. 

Then the oldest dog started to get nervous because we weren't inside the house, and the youngest started wrestling with her, and then a dog from two miles away started barking, which prompted tent barking.  And it was like 39 degrees outside once midnight hit. 

Needless to say, we stayed for an hour and went inside.  K wasn't really content anymore.


Backyard Camping: Part Two

A couple of nights later, after an 80 degree day, Maggie and I stayed in the tent, while Lilly stayed inside the house.  We slept very well. 

Birthday Date Night and the Comedy Underground

We've decided with our other married couple couple that we will do activities, rather than gifts,  for our birthdays.   We had a bowling date for their birthday in March,  and they treated us to a Seattle date this weekend.  Not really balanced, if you'll notice.  They like to one up us. 

After dinner in Bremerton, we took the ferry over and walked to the Comedy Underground, in Pioneer Square.  Great place, great comedians.  I highly recommend it, although I have no idea how much it cost because our best friends spoil us so.  But they are deliciously wonderful people, so its all good.

Oh, how I love you, Seattle. 






We will probably have a busy upcoming Summer.  But, we're doing a good job with everything.  I promise more starry nights around a fire, more time laughing on the ferry with friends, more happy hours, more yelling at dogs to be good, more soul searching, more writing, and more living. 

Because we're so good at it.