Ready for Spring? YES - Definitely!!!

I just returned from a night out in Seattle with Bill to see Amos Lee at the Moore Theater.  Thankfully I brought along my mini umbrella because it rained. I popped it out of my purse and quickly opened it to avoid the dreaded frizzy rain hair I so easily get in this climate.  As I looked around the busy downtown area, I noticed that I was the ONLY umbrella on the block.  Seriously.  Many people had their hoods up and the others just didn't bother.  I found myself feeling a little funny with my little umbrella in the rain.  How crazy is that?!?  I guess it just drizzles here so much that people just stop bothering with umbrellas. 

We lived in Sacramento for nine years and I was surprised by how people there didn't like to go places when it rained.  It seemed like really rainy days in Sacramento were the PNW equivalent of a snow day.  And yes, if they did have to go out in the rain, they definitely used umbrellas. 

Years ago I used to work for a buyer for a couple of retail stores.  I'll never forget meeting a new sales rep for a company that sold raincoats and umbrellas.  She had just moved to the area and said she thought she'd hit the mother load with her new Pacific NW territory.  She was surprised that her numbers weren't what she thought they would be.  I guess it made sense - people think Seattle = rain = lots of umbrellas.  Sadly for that sales rep, it's not really true.  Well, the rain part is, but not the umbrella part of the equation.  I was reminded of that again tonight during my lone umbrella moment.

I came home to discover one of my leaf and berry mugs is in a spring themed Treasury called "Leafy - Ready for Spring?" My answer to that is a definite YES!

Through the generations

My parents passed the love of skiing to me and my siblings. They used to pile us all in our VW Bus and take road trips to the mountain.  I love this picture of me and my brothers and sisters taken in Bend, Oregon in April 1971.  My mom always said it wasn't so hard to have five kids because the older ones helped with the younger kids.  Clearly that is evident in this picture where Liz and James are helping out me and my little brother Andy.  I remember needing help to lace up (yes, lace up) my ski leather boots, having someone help me clamp down my bindings on my wooden skis and attach my safety straps around my ankles. 

This past weekend my mom and brother organized a family ski get together near Bend, Oregon.  The youngest generation of cousins were all there (sans Tyler in Texas).  It was a wonderful deja vu moment for me as I witnessed the older cousins helping all the younger cousins with their skis, boots and gear.  They helped them ride the chairlift, get up from wipeouts in the snow and taught them how to navigate down the mountain.  The equipment has certainly changed, but the element of family love and support remained.  My kids have great memories from this weekend that will live with them and perhaps be passed on to their children someday on future family ski trips.

Snow Day

We are having a snow day here in Woodinville today. School was canceled due to a big dump of snow last night. Coincidentally, I had a mug show up in an Etsy Treasury called Snow Day as well which was fitting, so I thought I should post it. It makes me think of a big mug of hot chocolate with marshmellows melting into a sugary foam.

I remember loving snow days as a kid. There was nothing better than waking up to a white blanket of snow on everything, having school cancelled and getting to play outside all day. We would have huge snow ball fights, sled down the hills in my neighborhood and make snow angels until we were so cold we couldn't take it anymore. Then we'd head in for hot chocolate with marshmellows. I love seeing my kids enjoy the snow. My youngest asked me if I loved it when it snowed as much as he did. I told him that I remember loving it as much as he did when I was his age. It's a different kind of "love" now as an adult. Mostly loving a memory of what it was like to be eight years old again.