Its Christmas Time in the City

What a month.  I feel like time slipped by so quickly.  There have been a few events but overall simply hectic days at work and super low energy perhaps brought on by the unrelenting dark dreary days and eating and drinking things I really should not.

Girls Weekend with my sisters was a bit early this year.  We went to hear the Seattle Mens Chorus and for a change of pace visited the Pike Place Market.  I love the market, it is so visual.  When we went it was chock full of people, which can be part of the fun, but hard to take photos when stuck in the milling herd.  As usual we ended our evening out at Olivers, where I officially had my first vodka martini.  I am a Scotch gal myself, so this was a leap.  It promised good vodka and olives as a reward.  My review;

I could be converted. 

Best part of the downtown adventure was walking to and from everywhere (comfy shoes this year) and seeing the lights.

The following weekend I got up early to go view the Lunar Eclipse.  I was sure I was going to have to climb or drive up someplace high to get above the unrelenting fog we had been having, but amazingly enough when I got up and out, the sky was clear and the moon was dazzling.  I selected a park overlooking Lake Washington where I could sit in my car and enjoy the sight without being in the 20 something degree weather.

I don't have a camera that can do justice to night sky photography so I was very pleased to get at least one passable image.  At the moment of totality, I mean smack on the moment, the marine clouds rolled over the moon and totally hid it.

The following day was the Jingle Bell Run in downtown Seattle.  Typically my sisters and I are having girls weekend on the same weekend so I grabbed the chance this year to go down and take pictures before the race.   This fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation draws a lot of participants and dressing up is the fun.  Many teams have a theme and everyone wears little jingly bells.

I grabbed the opportunity to check out the windows at Fox's as I needed a "window display" for my monthly scavenger hunt on Flickr

Could not resist taking photos of the carousel

or the Bon star.  Ignore the huge MACYS on the side of the building,  It is forever to be called The Bon Marche or simply The Bon.

While everyone was at the race I grabbed the opportunity to visit the market while it was quiet.

 Breakfast at Lowells.  Yummy coffee, creaky wooden floors.  I wish I had a better chance for a photo op.

then a wander through the market while the vendors get ready for a busy day.

 

A final pat good-by to Rachel the Pig then it was off to get started on making Christmas caramels

all 10 batches

I treated myself to two more holiday shows.  Stuart McLean was at the Paramount on a Tuesday night and then I had a last minute chance for a Nutcracker ticket with some folks from work.  I loved Stuarts show, it was, as usual, filled with his wonderful storytelling and lots of music.  I think Sunday on the radio ( our local KUOW / NPR station), he promises the story "Dave Cooks the Turkey".  Some stories never grow old.  Check him out at http://www.cbc.ca/vinylcafe/home.php

The Maurice Sendak Nutcracker is my favorite of all the productions.  It is as visual as can be and I spent a lot of time simply taking in the sets and costumes.

We did Toys for Tots at work.  I was chairman for my building.  Two truck-loads of toys and $1200 in donations.  Amazing.  I love going out and buying toys for this event.

Last weekend we had a Scotch Broom pull with the Nisqually Land Trust.  Their new property on the city limits of Eatonville needs some attention.  This historic property was that of the Van Eaton pioneer family and still holds a barn build by the teenage sons well over 100 years ago.  Scotch Broom is highly invasive.  With the wonderful root jacks, it can be pretty easy work.  Here is a before and after, what a small group can do within a few hours.  Notice the log on the left

So here we are.  The final days.  I ran into my sister while out scouting for the Crab Boil spices my brother recommended.  I have crab for Christmas Eve, my sister has mussels.  Look at that check list, two pages!

 Christmas Day is Cioppino and I will bring the crab for that as well as making appetizers.

Dinner

Mr Cioppino, who has a pretty big attitude

Best wishes to all for a lovely Christmas.