Sunday

My wicked cold remains wicked, but at least it is now just in my nose. I'm not sure that is good or bad. I am going to offer my seat opponent a nice chocolate bar and some hand sanitizer for having to sit next to me for eight hours. I'm also going in search of a nice sinus pressure reliever for my flight. That should be fun!

Friends, wash your hands religiously, drink lots of fluids, get lots of sleep and never don't touch your eyes with your fingers, especially after taking public transport. I have managed to stay healthy more months if not nearly a year by doing these things,  but something out there caught me off guard this time and I'm going to fight to keep myself well for the rest of the year.

Sunday, you were awesome, what I saw of you after I stayed in bed until the last possible moment before my check out time.

Saturday

I ate a lot of lemon cake today 

I read a lot. 

Slurped noodles and did nothing. 

I highly recommend it. 

Buy this now - the St. Valentine's Day edition

You could always just buy your true love some bubble wrap to keep the plants warm and toasty, Chelsea Physic Garden, 2015.

I'm not much for St. Valentine's Day as it is gushed and shoved down our throats by my kindred marketers.  I hate watching desperate people flocking to the candy store or into lingerie stores looking for a little something at the last minute. St. Valentine's day is a foreign concept in Iran, but one my mom worked hard to integrate into our childhood.  I loved getting little presents from her - little notes or new pjs.

I was not a terribly popular kid growing up and didn't get tons of cards or had sweethearts in my youth who cared about such things, as a result my feelings about the holiday soured until I met TH. She was skeptical about the holiday as well. Over time we both warmed up to the holiday. For the past twenty plus years,  we've enjoyed some nice dinners, bought flowers or plants near the day and exchanged some lovely mementos that we both still use.

I think on our first Valentine's day she gave me a flat bladed shovel.  Romantic? To me, yes. Practical? Hell yes. I still have that shovel and use it often.

As I walk around the gardens of the Shires, I wonder what I would get a gardener to celebrate the holiday - something that would last and be special. I have spent a little time today listing a few of these. It may be too late to order some of these things for delivery next week, but the gardening season is coming up and lasts a while, so I'm sure they will still be appreciated.

Here's my favorite wash basket that we use for carrying seedlings, shears, and seeds to the garden and fill up with produce on the way back. It is sturdy, gorgeous and goes well with your wellies.

I can't live without my Felcos.  I have to change out the blade occasionally, but these size 6 right handed pruners are by my side or in my skort all summer long.

I cannot get enough of seeds from  Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, especially these chicories or these Renee's garden sweet peas.

I do wear gloves when I garden and these are the best I've found. They go right into the wash and hang dry. Do yourself a favor and buy two pairs.

If you love a good garden book with some awesome recipes, I highly recommend finding a used copy of this great book by Christopher Lloyd.

If you want to read about an amazing story of gardening and family, pre-order my friend Tara's book The Orchard House and go to her Seattle reading.

That garden spade - it is still worth a million boxes of truffles.

Go out, get dirty and then get romantic.

Snowdrop Mania

I'm in London for the next few days partially to clear my head, but really to see the snowdrops that are popping up all over gardens in the UK.  I love snowdrops. I have a few different varieties in my garden, but nothing like the crazy number that are cultivated here.

I wish I could take them home, but I can't.

They are some amazing beauties.

Follow me on instagram to see my latest pictures.  Today I visited the Chelsea Physic Garden and got to talk around with the head gardener to hear what he liked to see in the winter garden.  Some of his choices were amazing and gave me some great ideas. He also hit upon something that I have queued up and ready to go for next week - the new hellebores.

Tomorrow, I'm going North to Cambridgeshire to visit Anglesey Abbey and their gardens. I'm really excited also because I haven't been to Cambridge in a really long time.

Saturday, I'm off to Welford Park in Berkshire to see their collection. It is a little crazy to get places like these houses and gardens without a car, but I'm going to give it a go.  It was gorgeous and a little chilly today. I believe Saturday is going to be much the same.

I am debating if I want to add two hours to my visit.  The thing is that even with a tea room, I'm going to be freezing and a little bored. The buses are conspiring against me in this case. If I feel like I was shorted, I'll just come back next year with TH.  Every place I go I wish she was here.

Ack, it is nearly midnight here. Time to hit the hay.

So.Many.Snowdrops.So.Little.Time.

I would share the photos, but they are taking their sweet time to upload, so I'll add them later.

nm

Two letters, one sentence.

I really meant to write this post on January 2, but then I got busy with AMS and soon the job thing followed.  I didn’t get a chance to share with you what I believed then and still believe is my “Focus” word for 2015.

That word is NO.

One of my childhood friends stated recently that No is a complete sentence in two letters.

Saying No means that I will not overcommit and under deliver which disappoints both of us.

Saying No means that you have more time in your life for the Yeses that are important and usually come after someone hears you say No.

Saying No does not mean that I’m being selfish with my time, nor being a slacker and pulling my weight.  This year it means I am being more thoughtful about the choices I make, the projects I’m willing to take on and the people I’m going to spend time with in 2015.  To me, by saying No I’m going to do the best that that I can and give what I can give.

I wish I could say it was a more cheerful word like embrace, joy, smile or what what, but it is what it is.

I say yes to that.

Anticipation

Snowdrop mania starts tomorrow 

The brighter side

I get to spend my days with Ernest. 

A month late

The last month has been a bit of a trial.  I'm still working through it. I'm happy to say I'm healthy as a horse and my family is fine.

My job, however, is not.

I knew working at a startup was going to be risky, but I was willing to take that risk.

I'm happy to take it again.

I learned so much and I can give so much. I just need to figure out the best way to approach my next opportunity.

More later.

I'm challenging myself to write everyday this month. I missed it last month.

nm

The day

Has been long and so much to process!

I'm in Phoenix, away from my home, but blessedly with TH and my friends.

I'm happy to be part of this amazing community of climate scientists, meteorologist,  and some of the smartest people in the room.

2015

The first thing I baked in 2015 was sweet and fresh. I am hopeful that this year will be much the same. 

Winter's Light

Ernest basset does Rudolph. 

Does a week's absence from writing makes the heart grow fonder? I know I missed writing, did you miss reading?

I'm still battling a cold I picked up somewhere over the Atlantic. I'm very glad it is nearly over. For the first time in a long time, I decided to forgo all social activities and lay low. It's amazing how that helps.

I missed the longest night. I missed decorating many cookies. I missed shopping.

I'm not sure how much I missed shopping.

I hate the frenzy of shopping that happens this time of year.

The panic that sets in because you think you need to pick up a present for someone.  I used to be a person who was completely afraid of offending someone by not buying an extravagant gift or forgetting every possible permutation of relative or distant friend I might run into during the festive period.

I have long given up on such things and I hope as we all get older and hopefully wiser, this is happening to you as well.

Panic, anxiety and guilt are things we don't need to box up and present to others or put ourselves through this time of year.

I'm trying to relax, breathe, not jump to conclusions and stop being my own worst critic when it comes to holiday cheer.

Perhaps being in a good mood and being present is the best thing you can give to anyone this year.

Sunday Wrap Up

Penguins - all of them are mine. Patrick Roger, St. Suplice, Paris, Dec. 2014.

Discovering the joy of chocolate shavings on buttered toast made with Pain Polaine
Not seeing the top of Tour Montparnasse due to heavy fog
Seeing the Christmas decorations in all the shops without shopping
Stocking up on punitons and salt (that I guess is shopping)
Watching a movie in English with French Subtitles
Being happy to go home because I get to return soon

Happy Friday

Went Paddington hunting -- 

and was marginally successful. 

I highly recommend it.

Wordless Wednesday

Too tired to even type.

Musee de l'art modern, Paris July 2014.

I'm off to London tonight.  Wish me luck.

Patience and the Parking Place

Sometimes all I need to do is stand where I am to be blessed. - WORD. May 2014. 

This time of year is a test of my patience and I'm sure yours.

Lines are long, people are desperate to get things right, expectations can be high because the holidays are supposed to be perfect. Right?

I can do without all that. I am impatient and I like to get things crossed off my list.  Mainly, I just want you to finish your shopping, go to the car, drop it off, take your shopping cart back, get back into your car, start the engine and drive to your next destination. It is that simple - shop, load, return, leave.

It just doesn't happen like that any more.  Now we do our shopping usually while taking a phone call, pay for our groceries without interacting with the clerks or cashiers,  dump our stuff in our car, get in our cars and .... JUST SIT THERE checking our mail, tweets, stocks and snap chats until we're happily caught up with the world that we just interacted with 10 minutes ago.

There are others who need that parking place.

There are other shoppers who would love to move freely around the store without you blocking the aisles talking about what you are having for dinner.

I have now given up any hopes of getting a parking place by stalking a driver with bags going to their cars. I figure I'll just earn a few more fitbit steps by parking further in an already vacant stall and save myself the aggravation of watching your fiddle in the blue glow of your screen.

I'm not immune to this either, but watching others has made me so much more self aware.

You can either let it go or be like me and just go further.

Top Ten gifts for your dog - From Ernest

Ernest basset esq. and his chicken. 

E is guest blogging today - He dictates and I type.

We are pet crazy here in the USA. Annually,we spend over $500 per household on our pets. I think in Seattle we're especially fond of dogs and my devotion to Ernest the puppy is pretty evident in the number of toys I seem to be tripping over in the middle of the night.

Every year, E gets a stocking full of treats, a squeaky and a small check that goes towards his college fund from my parents.  He has a stocking at home as well and it is always fun to fill it.  There are lots of cool things out there for dogs these days beyond the Nylabone and Chuckit toy to outfit your dog for the year.

Without further ado, I present Ernest's Holiday gift list for your well-appointed hound of a certain age.

1. Bassets get cold in the winter - here's my favorite lounging around the house outfit  - The Teckelklub Fuzzie, its way nicer than your Snuggie. 

2. If you are going to force me to go out in rain, I might as well stay dry with this cool Ruffwear Jacket.   

3. I love a good bed including yours, but you snore.  This bed is as comfortable and the cover comes off for you to throw in the wash - Memory Foam dog bed.

4.  Thanks for keeping me itch free  by bathing me with this awesome shampoo.

5. And safe with a  Buka-lite collar that lights up for those dark mornings and evenings. 

6. Now you are making me eat kale too? Kale treats from our friends at Wet Noses. 

7. 30 minutes of day of lap/cuddle time without you staring at your phone/tablet, its better this way.

8.  Walk me somewhere I can meet and greet other people and get treats and you can get some exercise.

9.  Take me the groomers on a regular basis to get my nails clipped so I can stop clicking on the floor and wake you up. I promise not to bite them.

10.  Donate a bag of dog food to other puppies who are not as fortunate as me - Mudbay taking in collections for 32 different organizations right now.

Happy Howlidays.

Ernest basset esq.

Sunday wrap up

Garden clean up is both a drag and very rewarding at the same time, January 2014.

300 bulbs planted
many presents wrapped
3 pounds of maple walnuts made
two dogs walked
one baby feted
zero naps taken

It is going to be a long short week.

Buy this now - The travel edition

Fortnum's opened at St. Pancras last year. That isn't such a bad place to shop, is it. 

What I loved about being in Bruges over Thanksgiving Weekend was the lack of frenzied shopping that starts here at  4 pm on Thanksgiving day and goes until 6 pm on Christmas Eve. While the Christmas decorations were up at the Galleries Lafayette on November 10th, Bruges and Brussels were a little calmer.

This year I am trying to stay away from the chain stores and buying from independent sellers where possible. I scour Etsy for things I think TH would like, the kids get a zoo pass (no secret) and something else fun, my parents get their AAA membership (again, no secret).  

While looking around I found these gems.

Map your city and wear it proudly on a skirt. 

Thinking about upgrading your crossbody? 

Need a new dopp kit? 

This is a cool passport case with room for your loyalty cards. 

Bamboo is just not for pandas, iPads love it too. 

There is that Sarah Morris Longchamp tote you need and it folds up for travel. 

I hate carrying more that three beauty items per trip and this fits the bill. 

We are pretty (mostly) good about keeping a journal of our travels. 

If only I was 25 years old again and liked to take selfies, Quartz will give you the low down. I can't choose just one. 

Happy wrapping.

Beating Holiday Weight Gain

Guilty of enabling many with these wicked gingerbread snowmen.  Recipe likely never to be blogged but I probably should.

If you look on the Interwebs these days - there is a lot of content about holiday eating and weight gain. Some says to enjoy  the season by having another plate of little smokies and peppermint latte because there is a juice fast just around the corner. Others may list hacks to make those holiday treats less caloric and offer coping strategies for avoiding the buffet at the dreaded holiday party.  Both camps will provide sage advice, call on expert opinions and use a stock photo of someone in a sequined Santa hat.

This year I'm trying something different.

I'm upping my cardio gym time by 15 minutes every day between Thanksgiving and New Years to see if that can keep that dreaded Rumaki3 off my body.

If you go to the gym five days a week, another 15 minutes adds up to an extra work out per week. For me, It is not so much the calories burned, but that commitment to trying harder to keep things on an even keel means that I'm making an effort and it may affect my behavior outside the gym.

What do you think? Would you wrench yourself away from a warm bed or the Good Wife for an extra 15 minutes a day if it meant you could maintain your weight throughout the festive period? If not, what do you do?

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas

Chestnuts roasting on a 22" monitor.

I love this so much.  What a nice way to brighten up your work day - with a roaring fire, some Frank Sinatra and a ton of code reviews. 

Happy Humpday.