December 2019

We all have our own experience of the holidays. Some people don’t celebrate at all and some people start celebrating and cooking the day after Halloween.  It’s all individual and nothing is wrong or right.

For me I love keeping the same traditions alive and sentimental keepsakes.

There is something about Christmas that I don’t want to upgrade, download, broaden my view, fancy up my decor or tech my season.

I love that every Christmas since my daughter was born we sing for prizes from playing the Christmas games and that we pick our menu of what country we represent each year for Christmas Eve, and I love to see how the kids carry on each year teaching the new kids what we do for games, Santa gifts and the routine of the night.

We play records, yes before they became the “in thing” to do again, we never stopped.

We have three different themed decors we do and rotate each year.

Velvet Christmas, White Christmas and Traditional Christmas but all three years have these ornaments on the tree.

These are the first ornaments the year I was born, my beautiful daughter Chloae and my handsome son Ocean.

It wouldn’t be the same without them. Lucky me!!

May you have your own season exactly the way you want it and whatever that means to you.

I have waited 25 years to see this iconic lady.  It was on my bucket list for many years, and for some reason it just never came to be till now.

With the accompaniment of a dear friend in one of the most beautifully designed historic buildings in Washington, The Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, it was a night to remember and she did not disappoint.

Gloria Steinem was as graceful as expected, yet non-negotiable in her stance.

As I had expected the age of the audience was predominantly over 45 but it was both warming and unsettling to also see so many younger people.

Warming to know that the power of this woman’s work and the work of so many human rights / woman’s right activists are alive and being listened to, but unsettling as it was a considerable reminder we are not where we want or need to be in having equality in this country and many others .

It felt historic to hear her share about the early times of this quest of woman’s equality.

It hit home as to how dedicated this woman was and I felt almost kinship when she talked of the many days which turned into years of being on the road in planes and cars for the majority of her life , sharing the encouragement and education of this incredible important issue .

All I can say is as I sat there with anticipation knowing I would be a different woman from her speech when I left and I would have a chance to say a few words to her later in the evening.

By the time I had a chance to say a few words truly there was nothing more to say as a woman whom has lived in the generations of multiple steps forward and back both professionally and personally other than to simply say … Thank you!