Winter Wonderland in Seattle.....Go Figure!

So, I headed up to Seattle last week for the end of year Holidays.  Of course, I know it snows up here.  I mean, there are mountains everywhere with beautiful snow and glaciers, so of course it snows.  But down on the ground in the valley?????!!!!!  There are LOTS of hills here.....what is Mother Nature thinking?

Anyway my flight from SF to Seattle was delayed because of snow, but in the end it wasn't too bad.

It then proceeded to snow for TWO STRAIGHT DAYS!  I think there was at one time over a foot of snow on the ground!  And no plows in sight!  So we were stranded.....and sadly that means I ate too much, drank too much hot chocolate, and didn't get any exercise (because it's COLD outside!)  But Jen was stranded with us, so it was actually rather fun.

I introduced Spencer's kids to a great website called Before You Know It!  It's a great foreign language learning tool and there are some really great free downloads to get you started.  He now has someone learning French, someone learning Italian and someone learning Spanish in his house.  Very cute.  And I'm using it to brush up on Turkish.

Here are a few photos of the storm's aftermath on the Seattle side.

A few blackberries are hanging on.....but definitely are NOT looking very appetizing...

Really - there WAS this much snow!

There were a few moments of sunny weather between the first and second storms.  This was the morning of the Christmas Breakfast and Program.  Thankfully there were NO dishes with the traditional Mormon topping of Special K or Corn Flakes (unlike a certain, unnamed Christmas Party in Utah a few weeks ago!)  HAHA

Now I'm on the Olympic Peninsula, and there isn't too much snow over here.  Another storm is coming this way, so we'll just have to see what happens!

Trip to Thailand - Final Post Part 2

OK......It's almost 2009!

I think it's time to face reality and move on to a new topic.

So, sadly, no more pictures of temple ruins from Thailand!  It was a great trip, I just read an article that says it's even cheaper than ever, and I highly recommend it.  (But in January or February...)

But now it's time to move into the future!

Here's one off picture from a walk in England......I would like the see the plants this sign warns about!

Really, what could that mean?

Cover Story from Newsweek

Hi everyone!

I'm in Utah now at Mom and Dad's.

Just came across this article from Newsweek while wandering around online.  While I don't usually read Newsweek I thought it was interesting.  So here it is if you're interested.

Our Mutual Joy

Lisa Miller, Newsweek

15 Dec 2008 issue (I think.....)

The Trip to Thailand Final Post - part 1

Since I've been back from Thailand for over ONE MONTH I thought I should get a few final photos out!

One of the days I was there (the sunniest day, actually) I went up to Ayutthaya.

It's the ancient capital of Thailand - it was the capital for something like 400 years.  Then the Burmese came along, captured it, stripped all the gold off of everything, and then burnt it.  What's left are ruins - but UNESCO World Heritage Site ruins, so it's pretty cool.

I think it you can imagine everything below standing straight and tall (everything's leaning this way and that now), covered in gold, and full of people, you will capture what it must have been like.  So here are the first half of the pictures....I'll do the rest later!

The ones I'll publish are sort of more of the same, but different temple complexes.

The trip itself was cool.  I got to the train station, and purchased a Standing Room ticket for the 3rd class.  It cost something like $0.60 - yes, 60 cents!  I stood some of the time, sat some of the time, travelled mainly with Thai people and a few back-packing Europeans.  All very cool.  I walked to the river (Ayutthaya is an island), crossed on a little ferry boat, wandered past all the shops, and the finally hit the ruins.  It was a very cool way to spend the day!

I'd tell you what these specifically are, but my Ayutthaya guide book is packed!  :-)