belated new years wishes
i've been at home... and have been decompressing. i forgot how much you just want to sleep and sleep after exams and final papers. luckily, my mother has been accomodating and let me do a lot of sleeping.
we had an enjoyable christmas... it is always good to be home. this year evan, my mom's fiancee, joined us for the first time... and though my grandfather's alzheimers is advanced and he doesn't recognize me anymore, he seems to be doing ok... calm and seemingly happy. its hard on all of us... last year at this time he was doing much better, but since his fall and hip surgery this past october he has been a lot worse. evan has joined right in in our family's obsession for games... especially word games. so there has been lots of quiddler, some scrabble, some scattergories and even some pictionary. christmas eve with my dad's family was good - catching up with lots of cousins and an adorable one year old daughter or my cousin karla. she's so smart! i can't get over it... i guess i don't spend enough time around little kids... i was amazed that she knows sign language for a number of things and can point at specific things in her books even though she isn't talking yet! i wish i lived nearby so i could spend more time with her and all of my cousins... i am one of the oldest of 16! so there are lots of kids. growing up, my favorite part of summer was the family campouts and i am sad i haven't made it to one in many years.
i've been able to see a bunch of my friends, even reconnecting with a few high school friends. last saturday i went to my friend ryan's church in fremont - www.apostleschurch.org - a very interesting epiphany service last week... they are doing a lot of cool things and i think i might go again this week to see more of what they are doing. later i saw my friend abby who is finishing up med school... i actively promoted the bay area for her residency. ; ) the oakland hospital is high on her list because it has lots of "penetrating wounds" or something... she is doing a general surgery residency and gun-shots and stabbing wounds are good experience. unfortunately oakland has a high number of these. but i would choose abby to be my surgeon anyday. she is brilliant and will be an excellent surgeon. so i hope she moves to the bay area. and yesterday i met up with my friend carly... last time i saw her was when she visited me in switzerland! crazy. the funniest part is that she lives in california and therefore lives closer to me than any other high school friends! ha. but we only see eachother in seattle and foreign lands. maybe we will meet up at disneyland this spring.
i went down to portland to visit my elementary school friend, a college friend and an internet friend! i missed out on seeing my montana friends there... but it was fun to go to portland... its a good city. and its ALWAYS good to spend time with my college friend sara. we have had somewhat similar paths being both biology students at calvin and her having finished a seminary degree... now i am beginning one... crazy. tell anyone else you studied biology and now are studying religion and they think you are a bit strange... but sara and i can share the strangeness.
today, its off to see my grandparents again and visit another college friend up north in bellingham. i have a few more days in the grey rainy weather. (well, i guess california is having its share of rain and grey right now too...) but YESTERDAY, the mountains were GORGEOUS. i really really miss that about washington... between the grey days, there are these marvelous views of the mountains. rainier is so incredible and huge... if you have never seen it, it is just impossible to explain how it is. photo here of rainier as seen from the UW campus in seattle... (where i was yesterday purchasing some books so i can begin my reading for my february classes!) it always takes my breath away to see that mountain. and the whole range of cascades on one side and olympics on the other... all dusted with new snow. soooooo beautiful. i hope i end back up here some day... i love living among mountains and water... even if it means tons of rain. ; )
its back to california next week for a few days... and then off to d.c. for a week to visit more friends! i am really looking forward to it... and hoping i even get to hear anne lamott speak while i am there... hopefully my sojo friends will let me volunteer and catch part of the event for free! but i am most excited to spend time with my d.c. friends...
classes start on january 30th... i think it will be a hard semester. i did pretty good so far in my grades for the past semester, 2 a's and an a- but i think the fourth grade will be lower... all in all, a good start. i can't believe i am considering being in school for 4 1/2 more years. hmmm... there's just too much stuff i want to learn.
ok. must go for a wet run and then get on the road!
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we had an enjoyable christmas... it is always good to be home. this year evan, my mom's fiancee, joined us for the first time... and though my grandfather's alzheimers is advanced and he doesn't recognize me anymore, he seems to be doing ok... calm and seemingly happy. its hard on all of us... last year at this time he was doing much better, but since his fall and hip surgery this past october he has been a lot worse. evan has joined right in in our family's obsession for games... especially word games. so there has been lots of quiddler, some scrabble, some scattergories and even some pictionary. christmas eve with my dad's family was good - catching up with lots of cousins and an adorable one year old daughter or my cousin karla. she's so smart! i can't get over it... i guess i don't spend enough time around little kids... i was amazed that she knows sign language for a number of things and can point at specific things in her books even though she isn't talking yet! i wish i lived nearby so i could spend more time with her and all of my cousins... i am one of the oldest of 16! so there are lots of kids. growing up, my favorite part of summer was the family campouts and i am sad i haven't made it to one in many years.
i've been able to see a bunch of my friends, even reconnecting with a few high school friends. last saturday i went to my friend ryan's church in fremont - www.apostleschurch.org - a very interesting epiphany service last week... they are doing a lot of cool things and i think i might go again this week to see more of what they are doing. later i saw my friend abby who is finishing up med school... i actively promoted the bay area for her residency. ; ) the oakland hospital is high on her list because it has lots of "penetrating wounds" or something... she is doing a general surgery residency and gun-shots and stabbing wounds are good experience. unfortunately oakland has a high number of these. but i would choose abby to be my surgeon anyday. she is brilliant and will be an excellent surgeon. so i hope she moves to the bay area. and yesterday i met up with my friend carly... last time i saw her was when she visited me in switzerland! crazy. the funniest part is that she lives in california and therefore lives closer to me than any other high school friends! ha. but we only see eachother in seattle and foreign lands. maybe we will meet up at disneyland this spring.
i went down to portland to visit my elementary school friend, a college friend and an internet friend! i missed out on seeing my montana friends there... but it was fun to go to portland... its a good city. and its ALWAYS good to spend time with my college friend sara. we have had somewhat similar paths being both biology students at calvin and her having finished a seminary degree... now i am beginning one... crazy. tell anyone else you studied biology and now are studying religion and they think you are a bit strange... but sara and i can share the strangeness.
today, its off to see my grandparents again and visit another college friend up north in bellingham. i have a few more days in the grey rainy weather. (well, i guess california is having its share of rain and grey right now too...) but YESTERDAY, the mountains were GORGEOUS. i really really miss that about washington... between the grey days, there are these marvelous views of the mountains. rainier is so incredible and huge... if you have never seen it, it is just impossible to explain how it is. photo here of rainier as seen from the UW campus in seattle... (where i was yesterday purchasing some books so i can begin my reading for my february classes!) it always takes my breath away to see that mountain. and the whole range of cascades on one side and olympics on the other... all dusted with new snow. soooooo beautiful. i hope i end back up here some day... i love living among mountains and water... even if it means tons of rain. ; )
its back to california next week for a few days... and then off to d.c. for a week to visit more friends! i am really looking forward to it... and hoping i even get to hear anne lamott speak while i am there... hopefully my sojo friends will let me volunteer and catch part of the event for free! but i am most excited to spend time with my d.c. friends...
classes start on january 30th... i think it will be a hard semester. i did pretty good so far in my grades for the past semester, 2 a's and an a- but i think the fourth grade will be lower... all in all, a good start. i can't believe i am considering being in school for 4 1/2 more years. hmmm... there's just too much stuff i want to learn.
ok. must go for a wet run and then get on the road!
view this post on my webpage