I made a list the other night- a wishlist for 2016.  It's a GoogleDoc, and it's for myself, but I remembering doing that sort of thing when I was young and what perspective it provided.  I remember making a list at 17 once.  It had things on it like "a date for Saturday night," or "flowers".  It helped me so much to cross the things off as they were happening- to realize that my life really was amounting to what I dreamed of.  Yet, it wasn't all happening at once.  Everything didn't suddenly become perfect- things evolved and, eventually, everything became.  

So, I did this activity, as an adult looking back on my 17 year old self and learning from her, and I amazed to report that- already- 7% of my "things" are crossed off.  For you, this may not be a worthy exercise, but for me, it's like a meditation.  It's like witnessing that what you hope for is actually what you already have.  It helps me to know that all is well and right and good, and that I have greater capacity than I think I do.  That is, I can give more, love more, do more because all the things I need are checked off.

In other notes, my parents came to visit, and it was so restoring and heartwarming and absolutely wonderful.  We spent the past years in such close proximity with them, that it was wonderful to be such a unit again. We toured Spokane, and both of us fell in love with it again!  Additionally, we explored new restaurants, luxuriated at The Davenport, and enjoyed one another's company.  The time was, truly, grand- I'm so grateful to them for coming out, particularly in light of their crazy return home!

We had a windstorm the day after they left.  We were incredibly lucky-Vinegar Flats is so sheltered by cliffs on all sides- we didn't get much of the hurricane-like winds.  All through Spokane, chain saws are rumbling, heavy machinery is dragging and clearing, and families are without power (going on three days) and warmth.  Not to mention our temperatures have dropped drastically to highs and lows in the thirties.  People are resilient, though.  And we're helping one another through it.

Sorry for so much information, and less photographic glory.  More to come- patience, ye!