the calm before the storm

The candles are lit, the Christmas lights are, yes, still on....I have a glass of wine, and I am about to dive into a book called "The Sabbath", written by Jewish scholar, Abraham Heschel. One of my Jewish friends gave it to me for Christmas - and I am excited to get to explore this concept from a Jewish perspective, as it is a principle I have tried to live by for many years now.

It has been a good few days. Winter has arrived, at least for awhile, in Baltimore. The first day I was back, it was a whopping 60 outside....but the last few days have been a GREAT deal colder! I have busied myself with making food for the next semester...my freezer is packed with probably around 40 meals! It will be a gift to begin to unpack them as the going gets tough in the weeks and months to come.

Yesterday, Liz and I ventured down to Fell's Point...probably a 2+ mile walk from here. It's a fun area of the city, with lots of great shops and restaurants. It was good to be outside and have the time to just wander and windowshop. And last night, some other friends hosted a game night - lots of fun!

I spent the afternoon today running errands with my friend Suzanne. It was wonderful to catch up with her and reconnect after being apart for a month. She and I are planning to head downtown and watch the MLK parade tomorrow. I am looking forward to celebrating with the city of Baltimore tomorrow - and hoping that perhaps next year, I can venture down to DC and participate in the festivities there!

But for now, I am enjoying the chance to sit. sip wine. read. breathe. reflect. savor the moment. relish in the simplicity.

I may not have been excited to come back to Baltimore, and it may not be my favorite city, and I may not be stoked about all the work that lies ahead of me. But I rejoice that I have a place to call home that I really do love to be. And I have friends to share my life and heart with. And I have one more day of freedom before reality sets in.

So for now, I am going to pour another glass of wine, put my feet up, and delight in the simple wonder that is a flickering candle.

Home Sweet Home

Tomorrow I am headed back to Baltimore after 3 weeks at home. It has been a great few weeks, and I am not ready to go back!! I have enjoyed time with friends and family, celebrating the holidays.

I have loved getting to go on walks and see my mountains.

I have loved being up in the snowy mountains. I have loved catching up with friends.

And, I loved being back in Seattle, where we know how to compost and recycle (Baltimore hasn't quite figured that out yet...)!!