November

My blooming tea from Phil and Ellie

Hound dogs will sleep anywhere

November has been a busy month, and I'm kind of glad it's nearly over! The first half of the month was filled with stress, as I worked to finish up with my grad school duties. I defended my thesis November 16th, which was traumatic for me, given my severe dislike of public speaking. November 16th was also the two year anniversary of my dear cousin Jimmy's passing, so it was nice to end the day with the positive note of finishing up my defense. The evening before my defense, a conference call was made to toast Jimmy and his birthday. Ten relatives in different areas got together over the phone for a shot of Rumple Minze. My brother and I did the same thing last year, but it was better with a larger party!

A week ago our refrigerator began having issues, so Ted ran out Saturday morning to "get some ice" for food. I was talking to Rusty on the phone when Ted pulled up in the driveway. Imagine my surprise when Rusty walked into the kitchen! He and Ted set up a surprise visit. The three of us took part in Spokane's Holiday Wine Fest, tasting wine from 9 (of 17) Spokane wineries. Some favorite wines were Townshend's Tempranillo and Emvy's Devotion.

Ted and I hosted Thanksgiving for both sets of parents and Ted's aunt and uncle. We had lots of food, including what I would call an "ugly pie" and Ted would call a "dry turkey," but I don't think anyone left hungry.

In our attempts to embrace Winter, we went XC skiing from the house the past two days. Yes, we have lots of snow... and more is on the way. The skiing is fun, but I'm secretly ready for summer.