Hat & Scarf

One of my New Year resolutions for 2008 was to learn how to knit.
I started with a hat- for husband and did some scarfs- but below is my current favorite.
Bright colors and great yarn.

Driving to Work on Friday

Below is my little video of me driving to work on Friday. I might have to make one for tomorrow- the roads on Monday are going to be brutal.



Next is me on the road - Beacon Avenue



I-5 to I-90


Bellevue Ave Exit

What my backyard looks like with snow

I took this movie this morning. I have never uploaded a movie onto the internet- not sure how it will work. We have over 5" of snow on Beacon Hill.

Liberal Me- Congratulations OHB!

I am very happy with the results of last nights presidential election. A chance for hope and positive change is now a possibility.

Barrack Obama did a great job of energizing Americans to vote! I hope this trend will continue.

I titled this "Liberal Me" because I am liberal, I am idealist. I believe that we should treat others as we wish to be treated. I believe in diplomacy. I wish for national health care, same sex marriage, substainable living. I support Roe vs Wade. I support our troops- but not the war. I pray everyday that the US will no longer us the military to create war.

Now that the election is over, I do hope that the nation will rally behind Barrack Obama and understand that we might all need to make sacrifices to make the change we want to see in the world. My children might have a brighter future.

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard

'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame

I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise.

Maya Angelou

Pumpkin Patch - Jubilee Farm

Jubilee is a great local, king county, organic farm. 30 minutes from Seattle- it is close enough to make visiting not an ordeal. I have been a subscriber of their newsletter for 2 years, and I know Wendy and Erick have worked very hard on local and national farm bills / zoning, etc. I like them because when I visit- it feels real- not over commercialized.

I am considering ordering their summer CSA- registration is now, October. They have a drop off location in Columbia City, down the hill from where I live- which is easier for me than trying to visit a farmer's market every week.

I support local farming. I am committed to sustainable living. I support the trend to live, eat, shop locally. I could go on and on.

But, I will have to admit that I have been shocked by the prices of local food here in Seattle. Jubilee's prices at the farm were high. I am not sure why I must pay 0.50 cents a pound for a pumpkin or why corn on the cob is 0.75 cents each- when those are the same prices I can find at PCC. If I am driving to the farm, should I not get the produce for less?

Portland keeps kids off field with high lead level

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORTLAND -- Portland Public Schools is limiting access to an elementary school field with artificial turf as a precaution against lead.

Children 11 and younger won't be allowed on the field. So, Rieke Elementary School students won't be able to use the field during the school day. The city parks department will limit some of its programs on the field.

The district had independent tests on its three fields after reports about lead in East Coast turf fields.

The district's results were within safety ranges set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. But they exceeded more general recommendations for lead in soil set by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

------

Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com

Family Vacation

The cultural scablands of Washington state was the location of our family vacation.
Interesting history.

Dry Falls, Steamboat Mountain, & Grand Coulee Dam

Saving Rain

There is this article in today's Seattle PI that mentions an archaic Washington State water law. Click here to read the article.

I decided to do some research- what is this law exactly?

RCW 90.46.130 Impairment of water rights downstream from freshwater discharge points.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, facilities that reclaim water under this chapter shall not impair any existing water right downstream from any freshwater discharge points of such facilities unless compensation or mitigation for such impairment is agreed to by the holder of the affected water right.

(2) Agricultural water use of agricultural industrial process water and use of industrial reuse water under this chapter shall not impair existing water rights within the water source that is the source of supply for the agricultural processing plant or the industrial processing and, if the water source is surface water, the existing water rights are downstream from the agricultural processing plant's discharge points existing on July 22, 2001, or from the industrial processing's discharge points existing on June 13, 2002.

Washington Department of Ecology established the Reclaimed Water And Water Rights Impairment Advisory Committee to assist the agency in examining water right issues and finding appropriate solutions. The Department of Ecology has given themselves to December 31, 2010 to develop and adopt new rules based upon suggestions from the advisory committee.

As a homeowner- I have been looking at collection rain water in containers larger than my 55 - gallon rain barrel and would like to install a cistern. I do not know for sure, but there seems to be a City of Seattle pilot program currently in place called Seattle RainCatcher Pilot.

Seattle Public Utilities Rain water harvesting.

Georgetown Garden Tour

At the US Bank parking lot in Georgetown, we checked in, made a donation and received our map. Photo's are not great, but we are learning. Someone needs a haircut.

Great City - Seattle

Came across a fairly new group- Seattle Great City Initiative.

The Seattle Great City Initiative brings together organizations and individuals committed to making positive, lasting change, breaking down traditional barriers that can get in the way of smart planning and helping Seattle grow and thrive as a truly great city.

They are having a Summer Street Scene Party. Thursday, July 17, 2008.
Vulcan, Inc. is the event host.

Click here to see poster.

I really like the organization's long term goals.

1. Sustainable Practices
2. Social Equity
3. Increase of the Supply of Well Designed Housing
4. Improved Parks and Streets and Public Spaces
5. Green Building Standards
6. Clean Affordable Mobility.

I will try to get myself and my family to this event, but it conflicts with the little's ballet class.

Coupons- Save Money

NPR did a program on coupons and how people can save up to 25% on their grocery bill. I started looking at the coupon sites on-line and started reading some of the blogs. I learned that it is easy to print coupons from the internet- which is great, but then I looked at the food products. Most of the coupons I found were for processed foods- foods that we don't eat.

Once, a long time ago, before we had children, my father told my husband and I that we spent too much on food. We sat down and did the math and in some ways he is correct. The average American spends about 5-7% of their budget on food we spend about 13%. Then I found this post from Thriftiness Becomes US- they were appalled that some Americans spend up to $200 a week on food. The US Cost of Food Chart for April 2008.

Cost are rising. Everything is more expensive- so it is important to look for good deals and save money on food, etc. I am not ready to compromise the health of my family by eating food that I know is not the best for them. I have a very healthy family and I do think this extra cost on good non processed food could be one of the reasons- plus in the long run it could/maybe save us $ on health care costs.

I am Voting Repulican - Video

http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/

Click on the link above- not what you may expect.

Beacon Hill Festival

S&C- The Movie

I saw this movie with a friend on Friday. I really, really disliked it. It was sad and depressing and I cried through over half of it- then I had a crying headache. The movie ends well.

We saw the vintage movie at the Theater in Columbia City (Seattle). The theater was comfortable and nice, but it could do with some refreshing and new sound system. I took a picture of the waiting area. Brightly painted!

Water at the Office Park

The water has not receded and it is now June.

Crazy- Not Real

$450.00. I don't understand.
This is a lovely top, I just don't understand the price.

Obama- Rally in Portland, OR

75,000 attend Obama Rally in Portland, OR






My father is from Portland. My grandfather and grandmother (immigrants from Switzerland) raised their four children in a quiet neighborhood just SE of the city. I grew up in Ashland, OR and have spent quite a bit of time in Portland. Sometimes I wish I lived in Portland instead of Seattle.
I supported Hillary, even though I could tell she was not going to win the democratic nomination. I felt and still feel that I made the correct choice. I really, really wanted a woman to be president.
Obama inspires. I think he has an excellent chance of becoming the next president of the United States.

Friday- Seattle Real Estate

Georgetown
Ballard Brass has signed a lease for 47,000(+) sqft in Georgetown at NW Corporate Park X (not sure where that is. Thanks to NAI Puget Sound Properties- 1st quarter report.

Seattle Median Home Prices- Compare of April 2007 to April 2008
My neighborhood has declined by 16%. Doesn't seem that way. Beacon Hill has the lowest median prices in the central close to downtown core. Info below is courtesy of Rob Graham.

Seattle Median Home Prices April '07 vs. April '08 by Neighborhood

Neighborhood	Median Price April '07	Median Price April '08	Change
West Seattle	$427,825.00	$398,450.00	-6.87%
Mount Baker /Seward Park	$405,000.00	$391,944.00	-3.22%
Beacon Hill /Georgetown	$395,000.00	$331,000.00	-16.20%
Madison Park / Capitol Hill	$607,000.00	$499,888.00	-17.65%
Queen Anne / Magnolia	$699,000.00	$670,000.00	-4.15%
Ballard / GreenLake	$475,000.00	$454,000.00	-4.42%
North East Seattle	$499,997.00	$445,000.00	-11%
Richmond Beach / Shoreline	$398,000.00	$392,000.00	-1.51%
Lake Forrest Park	$412,000.00	$415,000.00	0.73%
Bellevue South / Issaquah	$674,950.00	$650,000.00	-3.70%
Bellevue West	$1,159,650.00	$1,080,000.00	-6.87%
Bellevue East	$580,000.00	$532,500.00	-8.19%
Issaquah / N. Bend / Snoqualmie	$604,975.00	$552,500.00	-8.67%
Redmond / Carnation	$719,975.00	$620,000.00	-13.89%
Kirkland / Bridal Trails	$699,500.00	$665,000.00	-4.93%
Juanita / Woodenville / Bothell	$530,000.00	$499,000.00	-5.85%

Here are the numbers for April last year, compared to this year, single family homes. The numbers look pretty bleak, but the good news is that these numbers are still well above the national average. Also, keep in mind that many of you who are selling your home are also buying in the Seattle area. If that is the case, while you may be getting slightly less for your home, you are also paying less for the home you are buying. If you are selling and moving out of the area, you are in even better shape, because many areas of the country have experienced even more of a drop off. If you are a first time home owner, you are getting bargains compared to last year, and interest rates are still low.

Trees and Wet Spring in Seattle

Our neighborhood planted trees from the Neighborhood Parks/Tree program.
I am pleased the trees made it through the winter.

Dogwood














In front of house.




















It has been a wet spring in Seattle. Here is are two pictures of my office park parking lot.
















I work in a swamp! I was not able to get a picture of the ducks!















Buddhist thought of the day:
In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.
- Robert Lynd

Manic/Art

I am embarrassed to say this, but I have been kind of manic the last few days. I am feeling very focused or maybe I should say "on". Not sure if it is due to the spring-like weather here (Seattle), or if the stress of last week has given over to relief.

Below is a very talented artist. Pictures make me feel soft and soothed.


Please have a look here to see more of Jessica Gonacha's new great artwork...

Men, Work & Babies

How much time should a father take off to be home with his new baby?

How many hours a week should a professional work?

What is the correct work/life balance for men? A lot has been written about women, but what about men?

surfin

My husband was doing some research for a show (he works in theater) and found this ad. Way too funny. Also- what is "store-testing"?

Fundraising/Pony

The preschool auction went very well. School was able to raise quite a bit of money. I also couldn't help myself and ended up spending $100.

A child from my daughter's preschool had her 5th birthday party on Saturday. It was a lot of fun! The parents hired pony's for the kids to ride! My little wasn't sure at first if she wanted to ride the pony- but she did and she liked it! Yea.

I had horses for quite awhile. Love them, it would be fun to have horses again ~ maybe someday.

Restroom etiquette

I have noticed that women seem to be very sloppy when using public restrooms. I have noticed a lack of flushing, or a lack of making sure everything has flushed. Why is this? Wipe the toilet if you have dripped, if the toilet paper doesn't make it down the drain, please re-flush. Please try to be responsible and respectful to the next person who will be using the toilet.

Work_ We are all adults...correct?

I work for a corporation. One must be college educated and an adult to get a job at this company. So what is the problem? Why are you not acting like an adult? We all have bad days, but this is beyond annoying. Coworker complains about my schedule- not in the office a full 8+ hours. Not sure what old fashioned bus they got off on, but this is a corporation that has a culture of flexible work schedules- due to the wonderment of technology- one is hardly ever unplugged. I do not work for this coworker. I do not report to them. Why was I being targeted? Oh- I am a woman and so are they. It is a passive aggressive power trip.

What is REAL about passive aggressive behavior- Nothing!

Happy Wednesday

Easter is over and now I do wonder why I went so crazy with gifts this year...? I believe I wanted to spread love and sunshine by buying new things.

What is hindsight? It means that "... you would make different choices if you knew then what you know now..."

The little one is better and now the adults are sick. I stayed home from work on Monday and then that night he got sick. "He" is husband- who I love- but hate when sick. It has been a bone of contention in all our years of marriage. I do try, but I just have to say that he so pathetic that I don't have much sympathy. I have a theory that his mom must have fussed a lot when he was sick as a child and he received much needed attention when sick instead of a nice dose of constant attention- that all children need.

The nanny was sick today also. This "sick" thing-y has been going on for over 3 weeks. This is definitely one of those times where I could use a stable grandparent.


Quote of the day:

The Need (Haiku)
by Karen Suriano

desperate people
comprise lengthy lines, not for
food. their need: starbucks

First Day of Spring

Happy First Day of Spring. Extremely happy that Winter is over. Easter is this Sunday. I am looking forward to giving my kids gifts- for no good reason, but I went a bit overboard this year. I have bought them some books, a craft kit and a fairy garden- I like to give them something that grows. On a side tangent- when my little turned 3 her friend gave her a plant for her birthday and now months later she looks and it and see that it is still there- it isn't like a toy that gets old or broken. Anyway, I love the idea of giving something real that is alive.

Easter means family over for brunch. This year it is more like an early dinner. I really do love to cook. The menu is steamed mussels, rotisserie pork loin, rosemary yukon potatoes, asparagus, salad and dessert of pound cake topped with whipped cream and berries. I hope it all turns out well.

The little one is on antibiotics- first time ever. She is slowly getting over her sinus infection that was causing the very bad cough. She slept through the night last night- first time in about two weeks. She has lost a little weight- due to not being interested in food, but not too bad. She is tall and tiny and too much weight loss is not good for her.

School auction- yes this weekend is also the preschool auction fund raiser. I am happy to report that I will not be bidding on any items, but I have been helping out. I so do want to be an interior designer and event planner in my next life. Anyway, Saturday night is the event and I will be running the sound and videos. I'll report next week how it goes.

May the glory and the promise of this joyous time of year
Bring peace and happiness to you and those you hold most dear.

Monday, Monday

The little one is still sick. I have another Dr. appointment scheduled for tomorrow morning. Terrible night time coughing. When the little one is sick, I don't get a chance to sleep. I am functioning quite well for little sleep due to Claritin-D allergy medication. I made it to work on time and I have been quite productive.

Spring is here in the NW. Cheery trees are in bloom- see. I didn't take the picture, but I will see if I can get some pictures of my own this evening or tomorrow morning.

My current garden/yard plans are as follows:

1. Buy a Magnolia tree
2. Plant tree
3. Replace siding on front of house
4. Replace front walkway with flagstone
5. Create rain garden (two corners of the front yard)
6. Plant low bushes in towards the house.
7. Replace small rock retaining wall
8. Install front yard fence
9. Make a bench from old tree trunk

Zen quote of the day:
Over the ages you have followed objects,
Never once turning back to look within.
Time slips away;
Months and years are wasted.


- Kuei-Shan (771-854)

Sleep/Work

The little one has been sick. She woke up coughing at 3:00am. Then fell asleep at 5:00am and slept till 8:00am. I fell asleep also- then ended up late to work- luckily it was not a problem. In my current job, one is treated like an adult- at least most of the time. My insecurities are: I want to be taken seriously, I want responsibility, I want flexibility, I don't want to ask permission, and I want more money. I am smart- but smarter than others...yes/who knows. Work is a contest of ego's, capability, and work "emotional" intelligence. Yes it is true, everything you need to know you learned on the playground in 3rd grade.

Sites that I like: WanterLustre on Etsy; Mid Beacon Hill; Happy Cavalier

Happy "Rainy" Monday

Typical day today in Seattle. Gray and rainy. This weekend was fairly nice, cleaned the house, did laundry. We had friends over for dinner on Saturday. It was good to see them.
I have starting to learn how to knit. The class is good and I am currently making my first hat. Knitting is hard and if you make a mistake, it shows. With sewing there is a bit of wiggle room that isn't there with knitting.

Sunday was the start of Day Light Savings Time. I have never liked moving forward/moving back. It is an archaic rule that congress has tried to change, but for some reason has never been able to. New goal to add to New Years List- write congress that Day Light Savings Time must be abolished. In our modern society we do not need to have this law anymore.

What to do?
When we bought our house two years ago, we checked out the crime and other reports available to us from King County and the City of Seattle. Now I learn there are convicted s__ offenders living the next street over. Is this a big deal? I am not sure. I have young children. I have a young woman as a nanny. I am hoping that we'll get a chance to know them and understand that they are not a threat. Our neighborhood is wonderful. I know my neighbors and we don't just watch out for each other, but we talk to one another. My neighbors have become friends.

The reality of modern society is that there is more information available to everyone about who we are. Voting records, criminal history, driving records, etc. With this new access to a lot of information, it is important to not over react. My main goal, besides keeping my family safe, is to learn how to deal with conflicts of interest, how to be a part of a society where what is good for the community doesn't always meet my individual expectations/needs.

Music
My son started taking music lessons. Great little school called Arts in Motion. He is learning the violin. I played the flute and piano. Add to my New Years goal- buy a piano. The evidence is overwhelming that learning music helps the brain with math and science.

New Years Resolutions (late)

My New Years Resolutions are:
Attend PTSA meetings every month.
Work on the Preschool Annual Auction.
Be healthy.
Continue to work on community building in my neighborhood.