Spring update: March-May 2018

So, from the last post... Leo was born in February. So in January we pretty much took a mellow month. Our culminating date was a trip to the big city! We drove to Seattle, went to a trendy Chinese Dim Sum restaurant and beat the 2 hour line, then saw the musical, The Book of Mormon. We had the very top seats in the house and eventually moved to chairs behind the back aisle! But that turned out well because we had binoculars and could see everything very clear, like we were much closer. And the second set was very comfortable too :)

And this post is essentially from the end March after the outpouring of love and support and visits from friends and family through February and into March. We took a trip to Southern California to see Leo's great-grandparents as well as other family members and friends. We also took the chance to eat sushi wherever we could including a trendy place - KazuNori- in downtown L.A. (and desert next door at Big Man Bakes). More sushi at a new place in La Jolla, tucked away in the corner of a shopping center and it was incredible-- the REAL deal :) After we got back I managed a trip up to UBC and timed it for the cherry blossoms 「桜」 on west campus. Awesome again this year!!

I'll blog the uncomfortable topic too of my grandfather dying 3 weeks after we visited. We held the funeral for him on Earth Day. But it was great that Leo and Eli shared a brief window of time together... we have pics to prove it! The funeral was a boomerang trip for me, less than 48 hours to San Diego and back. Seeing the family was so nice though. There were so many relatives who loved my grandfather and they all showed up. If they couldn't stay for the funeral, they had at least been there as he was passing on. I managed to see all but three cousins, as they were there earlier in the week before I arrived. We'll miss you Saba. Thanks for being such a steadfast role model in my life. The night before the funeral, the sun set in La Jolla in a fashion that I can't help but feel has meaning. A line... right down the middle of the sunset. How "Strich" !

Then getting used to living with Leo. Good days and easier days :) Sleep is a weird thing... we are on his schedule. And we celebrated Michelle's first Mother's Day and we have been enjoying our yard (albeit working hard to maintain it) and picnicking quite a bit, both at Lake Padden and at home too. My proposal came back and I'll be editing the third draft for acceptance soon. I am getting pumped to complete this portion of the PhD and hope to work on things throughout the summer too so I can get ready for a fall start to data collection.

And now, as June starts, we are in strawberry harvest season. Yes! Finally, some of the hard work is paying off :) And the garlic ought to be up by the time Dad and Chris come up here around the time of the summer solstice.

 

From Springtime

Sooo busy!

What kept me on the move this spring?

Passover Seder- we hosted an early one in Bellingham because we were going to be gone for the real holiday

We spent a 4-day Passover celebration in New Jersey with relatives on mom’s side. First time ever we were all in the same place at the same time I think. A jaunt to the big city- NYC!

 Regular Tuesday morning hiking with my buddy Serge. On his birthday we went for a hike and he caught a fish in Fragrance Lake… I think it turned into his lunch also :)

 Michelle and I spent a weekend with Jake in San Francisco over Memorial Day Weekend.

 Wayne came to our place for a spring visit!

 The cherry tree we planted last year, in memory of Grandma Lily, produced a bowlful of fruit for us. Thanks Grandma!

 The after-school program I direct won a community award. We had a crazy and wild programming year that ended with this accolade.

Spring is here

So, after getting off to a great start and even a "soft opening" of my blog I fell off the face of the natural and electronic community to be in the present moment. Such is life. Moving and transitioning my life has been very wonderful and I am thankful for the changes. However, it has meant that my time outside has shifted and  that I'll have to find a new sit spot, closer to my new place.

It is spring as the rain reminds us every couple of days. It's is warm but then cold, so we can never be sure what to wear. It is a time of transition. The season calls for it. My lack of time outside is a reflection of this transition.

I've seen Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans flying north, over Bellingham Bay towards their summering grounds in the Arctic circle (in parts of Alaska and Wrangle Island, Siberia, Russia). their departure marks a change in season and indeed an end to the winter.

Speaking of nesting and birds, the American Robins have been out in abundance. Boy are they going after those worms with a vengeance.I watch American Crows and Glaucous-winged Gulls at flight level from the third-floor window of the new apartment.

My new nest is taking shape too. Michelle and I are enjoying our space and moving the twigs around as the other moves the twigs back. Like the birds, we mimic the nesting instinct that is only indicative of the new season. Cleaning the cobwebs from winter and letting the cold and dark go on their merry way. It is Springtime.

On a walk with Michelle yesterday, and during weekend outings with the Boys Explorers' Club, in Fairhaven Park, I have noticed more buds with bigger leaves. The Pussywillows had been out last month and now the Indian Plum are unfurling their ovate green leaves. Soon the Salmonberry will follow suit. Rumor has it that the Stinging Nettles are already getting too big to harvest and I'm sure the Devil's Club thorny reaches are not far behind.

I am getting busy with teaching and work too, so I'm sure that spring is here. Despite being so busy, it is important to spend at least 30 minutes a day outside... just sitting. If nothing else, then a walk in the fresh air will do my mind and body a lot of good.

Happy Spring to us all... let's get outside and enjoy it!