Currently - December '21

Happy Holidays! And congratulations on making it through another year of pandemic. I'm sure it wasn't easy, and things continue evolve with booster shots and the latest variant. Stay safe & healthy, and make time to enjoy your favorite parts of the season. For me, that will mean baking, watching a few Christmas movies, and trying to take in some local sights/events like the model train display at the National Botanic Garden (shown below). This year's theme was agriculture around the world - those are terraced rice fields - there was also a banana/coffee plantation, citrus grove, and olive orchard among others, all made from plant material. If you're local to DC, I highly recommend. It's outdoors this year, and much neater than the tress in front of the Capitol or the White House. 😉

decorating - I always get slightly annoyed by the Christmas products that appear almost as soon as the Halloween stuff is cleared away and usually wait until December to start to decorating. This year though, I felt the urge earlier which also weirdly makes me feel behind since not all of the house is decorated yet. I started small with the porch and bathroom. In the living room, the tree is up and has lights on it, but the rest still needs to be done.

feeling - Kind of restless. I wish we could start planning our next trip to Japan to see Keizo's family and maybe even do some bike touring, but I feel like things are still too uncertain and the restrictions are very strict. Hopefully 2022 will include more domestic travel as well.

sending - We'll be sending out handmade new year's cards again this year. 2022 is the year of the tiger - not exactly an easy animal to draw 50+ times. 

smelling - Like whichever lotion I just applied, which happens in the morning, before bed, and almost every time I wash my hands. The best one is a small tube of French Orange Blossom hand lotion that I keep at my desk and wakes me up a bit every time I apply.

wrapping - I wrapped up 24 little packages of chocolate, mini-coloring sheets with crayons, stickers, Legos, etc. as an advent calendar for my friend's two boys and shipped it all off just before Thanksgiving. It's probably the most on time I've been with anything holiday related in my life. (Those unfinished pillows I wrote about last month haven't changed a bit!)

Best of November

• Thanksgiving in Arizona - Surely there were other good things that happened last month, but whatever they were was eclipsed by 5 days spent in Arizona with my family. The weather was perfect - sunny & 70's - and we had a nice, relaxing time. We played our new favorite board game, Wingspan, a few times, went hiking, biking, and of course ate delicious food and doted on my now 9-month old niece.

Currently - November '21

Somehow we're halfway through the 11th month of the year! And although its starting to get dark and cold, overall what a difference from this time last year. I'm very thankful to be vaccinated and looking forward to spending holidays with family in the coming weeks. But, there's no need to rush; here's what I've been up to "currently:"

appreciating - The nice weather and all the time I spent outside last weekend. Saturday afternoon was spent wandering around the neighborhood for coffee, followed by a stop at the local bakery for a snack, and then wrapped up with a quick browse at the library. On Sunday, I went for a 7-mile hike with some girlfriends and slept really well that night!

getting - excited for Thanksgiving! It's easier for Keizo to take time off around Thanksgiving than Christmas, which is enough of a reason for me to take the whole week off so we can go to AZ and spend the holiday with my family. 5 more work days...

making - I'm 90% done knitting these holiday pillow covers and then will be on to the making them into pillows part. The finishing stage of knitting projects is my least favorite and I once put off a less than 10-minute task of sewing in loose ends for about 4 months, but I'm hoping I can persevere and have these done by early December.

sharing - I've been tasked with making some of the sides for Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd share what I'm planning to make - something a bit fancy - Grilled Broccoli with Apricot Puttanesca - and something a bit less sophisticated - Christmas Cranberry Salad, more affectionately known in my family as "Pink Stuff."

wearing - Going in to the office two days a week requires getting dressed from head to toe, something I've rarely done in the past 18 months. Since its still sort of a novelty, it's been fun to put together some new outfit combinations and think about accessories. Shoes have been the most challenging part; anything that's not a sneaker just isn't that comfortable! 

Best of October

• Seagull Century - We rode our bikes 100 miles in a single day around the Eastern Shore of Maryland with hundreds of kindred spirits who also think riding bikes really far is a good time. 
• Trip to Pittsburgh - Thanks to the generosity of my friend Kristin, Keizo and I had a place to stay and an excellent tour guide for a long weekend trip to Pittsburgh at the end of the month. I didn't know much about PGH before we went, but now know a little bit more, and found it a pretty cool city to spend time in - lots of good coffee shops, craft breweries, nice trails and river views. 
• Our 6th wedding anniversary - Did we celebrate? Not specifically, but we had a pretty good time on both of the mini-adventures listed above.
• Pumpkin carving - Our jack-o-lanterns were pretty much the only Halloween decorations that I bothered with this year, but it had been a few years since I'd made one and I enjoyed looking for ideas online and then choosing some to execute.

Currently - October '21

Anyone else surprised every time they have to write out the date or look at a calendar? Mid-October? How could it be? The weather has been pretty humid in the DC area, so it doesn't totally feel like fall outside, but there are certainly other signs that the seasons are changing - shorter days, Halloween decorations multiplying on people's lawns every time I take a walk, and a partial return to the office for me starting November 1. 

C&O Canal somewhere west of Little Orleans

borrowing - Or at least taking advantage of fun activities with my cousin's kids and loyal doggy love from the pup that lives next door. We've got plans to go watch some little league baseball and carve pumpkins with the cousins on Saturday, and the last time we took the neighbor's dog for a walk I started to wonder if we should get one of our own. :-)

buying - After at least an hour of searching, I made my first ThreadUp order, full of black and grey items for fall. Of seven things, five worked out, including an exact replacement for a pair of jeans that I wore through last year! Pretty good for a first try. If you use ThreadUp, any tips for happier shopping? The thousands upon thousands of items is quite overwhelming!

prepping - We spent the last 8ish weeks prepping for a 100-mile bike ride that took place this weekend. We gradually built up our mileage on the weekends, completing an 83-mile ride last Saturday, then resting up and trying to eat healthy and get enough sleep the rest of the week. Overall, it went great and it feels good to have accomplished something so ambitious!

planning - Now with the bike ride behind us, it's time to plan a belated birthday dinner out, thanks to the restaurant gift card from my brother and sister-in-law. Looking forward to dressing up a smidge (still not ready to wear anything even slightly uncomfortable) and trying a new place in the near future!

reading - Finished two novels recently that I'd recommend: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver. Very different stories, but both have a strong historical theme.

Best of September

• Birthday camping at New Germany State Park - We were greeted with a dose of real fall weather and the park was a great home base to do some bike rides on new sections of the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal. Hoping we can squeeze in one more camping trip before it gets too cold.
• Birthday wishes - Thanks to everyone near and far who texted, emailed, wrote cards, etc. for my birthday. I felt really special and I appreciate you helping me mark the occasion!
• "End of summer" dinner with friends on the patio - We served a messy, eat-with-your-hands shrimp boil with some of the last of the summer corn from our CSA box and a peach crumble for dessert. Typing this out is reminding me it's high time to start doing some fall baking - pumpkin roll, pumpkin cookies, apple something....mmmmm.

Currently - September '21

I always have a hard time writing these introductions, especially in pandemic times. While we're just getting into September, the fun part of summer already feels like a long time ago, before and during our trip to Arizona in July. August weather was a mix of three times the average amount of rain and sweltering hot days, and Keizo and I have both been quite busy at work, an energy sapping combination that will hopefully diminish a little as the weather becomes more tolerable. On a brighter note, here's what I've been up to "currently:"

End of summer peach and mixed berry crumble, pre-crumble topping

beginning - to think about all things fall, including birthday plans, pumpkin picking, pumpkin-flavored baked goods, making chili, drinking spiked cider, wearing flannel shirts, etc. etc.

ending - China Rich Girlfriend, book two of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. Such a welcome escape from the news cycle of late, and a good reason to go back to the library soon. 

loving - the sudden, yet very welcome shift in the weather. After a hot and steamy August, September has begun with clear blue skies and refreshing cool breezes. 

picking - updated photos of my niece to display on the fridge. To make it look more cohesive, I made 0, 1, 2 month etc. magnets and cleared off some of the other things that had accumulated over the summer. Pretty happy with the end result!

posting - a letter in the mail to my long-time friend and pen pal Stephanie. We met in 3rd grade and still mostly keep in touch the old fashioned way!

Best of August

• Pool day with the cousins - Simple summer fun; so glad we fit it in before all the pools started closing for the season.
• Back to the office (sort of) - One week I went in 3 times, but the last two weeks I've only made it in one day each. Maybe there would be more incentive if more people were there, but it's nearly as quiet as my own house. Speaking of my house though, it is rather nice to come back to after a day spent somewhere else! 
• Saturday bike rides - The past four weekends we've done 25ish, 30ish, 40ish and 50ish mile rides as we build up to 100 miles. It's a little hard to imagine a ride twice as long as yesterday's; hopefully it will be on a route with fewer intersections and city traffic.

Currently - July/August '21

It's time for another mash-up post! Below you'll find a combination of Anne's "Currently" prompts and my responses from both July and August. 

Humphreys Peak

going - In July, Keizo and I boarded a plane for the first time since 2019 and went to AZ and stayed with my parents for three weeks. We also met my niece for the first time, and got to spend time with my brother and sister-in-law for the first time since they got married in early 2020. While we definitely started talking about our next vacation before we'd even gotten back to MD, we haven't made any concrete plans. I don't know that I'm eager to fly again (though the anxiety about it was worse than the actual experience), but changing scenery after so much time at home is definitely welcome!

eating - Completing Whole 30 in mid-June is mostly a distant memory now. I'm back to eating and drinking pretty much everything and really enjoying the freedom and variety if not exactly how I'm feeling. I think I used to be better at moderation, but these days hard and fast rules seem to work better.

admiring - My niece Cora (and her parents). Over the three short weeks we were in AZ in July, she learned how to put her feet in her mouth, roll over on her own, and started eating solid food. The ~5 month old we met looks totally different from the 0-3 month photos hanging on our fridge!

enjoying - A week of unseasonably nice weather in the DMV - low 80's with low humidity and a breeze. After wishing I could spend every afternoon outside in a hammock with a book instead of inside on a computer for work, I finally made it happen Friday and finished up Case Histories by Kate Atkinson.

anticipating - In what is now feeling like a moment of pure insanity, Keizo signed us both up for the Seagull Century, a 100-mile bike ride on MD's Eastern Shore in early October. While he consistently bikes about 90 miles a week to get to and from work, my weekly average is maybe only a tenth of that, on a good week! We have a training plan printed out, and I hopped back on the bike trainer for the first time in months, but there's a lot of riding to be done over the next 9 weeks! 

feeling - Kind of restless, especially as plans for returning to the office get pushed back and work doesn't seem to vary much from day to day - never ending emails, Teams meetings, Zoom calls, etc. on repeat, week in and week out. 

Currently - May & June '21

Since I didn't get around to posting last month's draft, this post is a special 1.5-month edition! Just try and contain your excitement! :-P

JUNE

celebrating - Not only celebrating, but 'officiating' a friends' wedding on the 19th! I was surprised and flattered to be asked, and now I have to figure out what I'm going to say. The couple sent me an outline, and there will be two other people doing readings. It will be the largest social gathering I've been to in looooooong time, so I am both looking forward to it and a little nervous.

collecting - More books from the Little Free Libraries around the neighborhood than I'll probably ever get around to reading. After a strong start to the year reading-wise, my pace has slowed down a bit. However, I have really enjoyed re-reading some books that I read in my teens and early 20's, including The Secret Life of Bees and The Thornbirds. Given how much more I'm getting out of them now, I may have to plan to re-read them again in my 50's!

gifting - Keizo turns the big 4-0 next month, and so far all of my gift ideas are super practical replacements for things he owns that are wearing out. He just built himself a custom bicycle, so I don't think there's really any hope of topping that!

thinking - (or not thinking) about anything much beyond the end of this month and our 3-week trip to Arizona in July. There's plenty going on at work to stay on top of, the aforementioned wedding coming up, two sets of friends coming into town, plus getting my head wrapped around the idea of getting on a plane after a year+ of social distancing. Seeing my parents, brother, sister-in-law and new niece, plus taking some time off from work are totally worth it, but it's a lot of change in a relatively short time after months and months of the same routine.

trying - To get the full benefits and stick to Whole30 through the re-introduction period. Spoiler alert: the "fast-track" reintroduction method takes another 16 days of adding back food groups one by one and going back to Whole30 eating for two days in between each one to gauge the effects. Added sugar is on the menu tomorrow, but gluten is still two weeks away.

MAY

consuming  - Fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, fish and coconut milk in our coffee as we work through the Whole30. I don't know if I've ever gone two weeks days without chocolate in my life, so if nothing else, that's a pretty big accomplishment. Otherwise, I'm a bit surprised I haven't noticed bigger changes from cutting out all carbs, sugar, and dairy, but maybe the 'reset' is just taking a while.

exploring - Last weekend we camped at James River State Park in central Virginia and explored High Bridge Trail State Park from Pamplin to Farmville and back by bike. The night sky at our campsite was incredible, and at some point we'll have to go back so we can actually see the high bridge the trail is named for (it was under construction). 

seeing - what life is like after getting vaccinated. We got our second doses on May 8, and as of this weekend (5/22) can officially leave our masks at home for outdoor activities (though cautiously watching and waiting as local masking guidelines and capacity restrictions are being lifted). As a big fan of outdoor dining, I'm in no rush to dine inside a restaurant again anytime soon and hope that the proliferation of patio spaces is one pandemic era change that will stick around.

Currently - April '21

January, February and the early part of March seemed to take forever, but now all of a sudden, we're heading into late April! I don't know that I'm that much busier than I was at the beginning of the year, but the longer evenings and better weather have helped make a wider variety of activities more appealing and the weeks seem to be flying by.

arranging - The bins that hold our camping stuff. We forgot a few things (thankfully, nothing critical) on our first camping trip of the season over Easter weekend, and I came home determined to get our camping bins organized and stocked with all of the basics to facilitate future trips with minimal planning/packing. Having recently watched the entire Get Organized with the Home Edit series probably fed this need as well!

craving - I made Seven Layer Magic Bars with an Easter twist (using Cadbury Mini Eggs as one of the layers) for our camping trip. It had been a long time since I'd eaten a magic bar and even longer since I made them, and they did not disappoint. I have everything to make another batch, but it feels a bit dangerous when I'd be at home alone with them all day!

discussing - Almost every conversation these days turns to vaccines at some point. In my small social circle, more and more people have gotten their first dose, some of them driving for hours to get it. Keizo and I got our calls to make appointments last week, and as of yesterday have received our first doses! We both felt a little tired afterwards, but it's hard to know whether that was a direct side effect or more the result of a busy week for both of us.

enjoying - Our new hammock stand. It's portable for short distances (sort of like carrying a couple of camping chairs at once) and can be set up anywhere flat. It's nice to be able to choose the level of sun/shade and not have to worry about having properly spaced, sturdy trees nearby.

preparing - I don't think I'm preparing as much as being slightly anxious about having more decisions to make after we're vaccinated. 

***

And before it becomes even more of a blur, here are a few good things I want to remember about March:

• St. Patrick's Day dinner and dessert - My very first time making corned beef and veggies, followed by Guinness Brownies with Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting. The frosting was the easily the best part.
• Bike ride to see some early cherry blossoms in Capitol Hill (the source of this month's photo above).
• Some weather that made drinking beers on brewery patios not only possible, but thoroughly enjoyable!

One Year Later

There's been plenty written about the anniversary of the week when the WHO declared the coronavirus a pandemic and the world suddenly changed. It's been strange to think back on the last 365 days - how much we didn't know at the beginning, my naive assumptions that things would look more normal much faster, and the sheer exhaustion and blur of it all.

Back in December, I started drafting a "year in review" type post, but obviously never got around to finishing it. I am thankful to have the draft to go back and look at though since it contains some details I would not otherwise remember. The post is broken up into 1-3 month segments, and for March I wrote, "went camping on Assateague after cancelling our trip to AZ at the last minute," and "started walking around the neighborhood...a lot."

This year, we didn't think for a moment we'd be able to celebrate my mom's birthday with her in person in Arizona. Instead, we celebrated her passion for birding by taking ourselves and our new binoculars to the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge for an afternoon of exploring. We saw and identified (!!!) at least 11 species of birds, which I don't think is too shabby for newbies not willing to get up at the crack of dawn.

I'm also going to take the opportunity to finally post the photos from last year's, last minute, local adventure: camping in Assateague. I had really been looking forward to a trip home and desperately needed a change of scenery. After cancelling our flights, I moped for a day and then decided we should check off a local bucket list item instead.

That early in the spring, campsites were plentiful, and spending time by the water and staring into the fire at night were a much needed break from work and thoughts of cancelled plans. 

As you can see, we got lucky with the weather and it's amazing to me that after a longer, wetter winter, we have almost the same weather this weekend as we did then - brilliantly sunny, but with a steady breeze that makes it feel cold in the shade.

The view when we arrived after the ~3 hour drive. As we drove, we listened to the news and promises of corporate America setting up testing centers in every neighborhood.

Exploring the next morning. Sunny skies and fairly quiet before the day users arrived.

We didn't bring bikes, so we ended up walking about 10 miles exploring the park on Saturday. We saw 6-8 wild ponies, including accidentally getting a bit too close to one at night.

It was only a 20-30 minute drive to get provisions and do an indoor beer tasting that would be our last one for a long time. 

Barring any unforeseen events, we'll be back camping by the beach again over Easter weekend, replicating a different trip that was cancelled by the pandemic last year. Hopefully we get repeat weather (60 degrees and sunny) for this one too!

Currently - March '21

I think this month's post is done in time to join the link up over at Anne in Residence. Isn't that exciting?

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

choosing - To embrace each month as it comes instead of worrying about where the previous one went. I'm ready for warm weather and eventually getting vaccinated; enough of this winter stuff!

imagining - Getting a camper van and visiting National Parks out west. Or doing some bike touring. Job? What job?

making - Our weekly grocery list does not vary much, despite my efforts to plan different types of meals each week. There's usually a pasta dish, some kind of stir fry or curry, maybe something Mexican inspired, or a soup. 

Recently though I've gotten some renewed inspiration from old Blue Apron recipes (Kale & Plantain Salad) and the show Nadia Bakes on Netflix. Watching Nadia decked out in bright colors in a gorgeous kitchen makes me wonder if I would have the same boundless energy and enthusiasm if I embraced more color in my life. :-D

recommending - We sped through both seasons of Blown Away, a glass blowing competition show on Netflix, and most Sundays you'll find me listening to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and/or Ask Me Another as I do things around the house.

wearing - The same 20% of my clothes over and over again. Certainly, some of that is seasonal - can't really embrace the sundresses and tank tops when it's 40* outside - but a good part of it is working from home and needing everything to be warm and comfortable. Stretchy jeans and relaxed sweaters FTW.

***

And before it becomes even more of a blur, here are a few good things I want to remember about February:

• Becoming an aunt! Cora Meadow was born on February 23, and the photos and videos my brother and sister-in-law send make my day every time.
• Riding 43 miles on the bike trainer, plus a few outdoor rides. Indoors, I follow videos from Train with GCN.
• This recipe for California Roll Sushi Bowls, which was so good we had it two weeks in a row and also has my mother's seal of approval. 

Currently - February '21

It's now closer to the beginning of March than February, and the timing of this post reflects the way most things are going around here these days: not following much of an agenda and getting done late if ever. And that's okay.

loving - Early in February I was really loving the daily themes, the instructor's style, and our general commitment to the Yoga Connection || 30 Day Yoga Series with Emily Henderson. Then came the day with an intimidating 40-minute power yoga routine that threw off our groove. Now we're looking forward to starting over again and hopefully finishing it in March.

I'm also trying to love, or at least use, the indoor bike trainer a couple of times per week to get back in the habit of riding regularly. I conservatively estimate that I missed out on about 500 miles of bike commutes while working from home last year. I don't expect to be back in the office anytime soon, but spring will arrive eventually and I'm looking forward to more outdoor rides!

reading - I closed out 2020 and started 2021 with two paperback mystery novels - one by Nevada Barr and the other by Sue Grafton. I'm skipping resolutions this year, but it feels nice to already have finished two five books and be well into my third sixth before the end of February. This is made possible in part by sticking with fiction and essay collections including Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson and A Marriage Made in Heaven or Too Tired for An Affair by Erma Bombeck. 

remembering - How different the world was last January/February, and working to adjust my expectations and actions accordingly (see the timeline for this post and reference to skipping resolutions above). I really hope that by fall plans can be made further in advance and the calendar will start to have more fun things on it (regular get togethers, dinners out, holidays with family, etc.) but in the meantime, taking things one day at a time and marveling at how the days are already getting longer, is the best thing for me to do.

sharing - I was feeling pretty down at the end of 2020, and while the state of things politically and pandemically certainly had something to do with it, a good deal of it also came from deeply held expectations for myself and feeling like despite doing so many of the "right things" - getting outside for walks, doing yoga, trying to maintain friendships over Zoom, eating vegetables - I always felt tired and depleted. 

A few things have helped me feel better lately, and I share them in case they might help someone else:

• The 30 day yoga series above, and its message that yoga is not about improving yourself, but getting to know yourself as you already are. 
• Trying to be more pleasure motivated, i.e. do more things that I want to do, rather than doing them because I feel like I have to (inspired by the book The Pleasure Zone by Stella Resnick). 
• Talking to a therapist.
• Embracing my 'masculine side' meaning if a stereotypical male isn't worried about it or doing it, neither am I. Making plans for Valentine's Day? No thanks. Worried about the amount of time spent online? Nope. Dust on the baseboards? What are baseboards?

wishlisting - A continued drop in Covid-19 cases and more spring-like weather by the end of March since we just accepted an invitation to go camping over Easter weekend!