Well, folks, its that time of year. We've been ramping up for Christmas for weeks and weeks; blasting carols, decking halls, wearing festive sweaters, purchasing and giving gifts, the whole shebang. And now, it's December 26th and if you're like me... The blues have come.
Look, I know that Christmas is a time where we pause to celebrate that our God came to be with us, and that the birth of that baby God-boy two thousand years ago marked the great redemptive start for all of us broken and weary which doesn't end just because the holiday is over. However, I always feel a little glum when the season shifts. Its so much build up for two days then BOOM... Its over.
Aaaaaanyway, Christmas was nice this year. Jon and I spent a few days up in Seattle which was mostly lovely and full of celebration.
My personal favorite part was spending an evening at The Herbfarm ( http://www.theherbfarm.com ). Our friends gifted us with an evening there which included many a magical thing not the least of which was an incredible 9 course meal with delicious wine pairings. This place is AMAZING. Its a cozy renovated herb farm and home-turned 5 diamond restaurant. We walked in from the cold and were greeted with hot cider and smiles from an intimate staff of about 8. They let you roam around the home and farm which are decked out for the holidays and full of fun twists and turns ( an upstairs library dining area, an impressive wine cellar, dining rooms adorned with chandeliers, adorable chotchkies that each had their own miniature santa hats and/or red reindeer noses...etc).
Once all of the dinner guests are gathered ( about 40-50), the woman of the house shares the story of the farm, lets the guests taste herbs grown on site that will be used in the meal, and gets to know everyone a bit. We were then welcomed into the beautiful dining area that has a completely open kitchen front and center. Our table was set with personalized details and festive decor.
Then once everyone is seated, the man of the house comes and re-introduces the space, followed by thoroughly introducing each and every server, chef, sous-chef, and sommelier. After that, the head chef comes out and tells you in personal detail about each course; where the ingredients came from ( ex: " There's a couple about ten miles down the road that have hands-down the best crop of mushrooms this time of year, they called me last week and told me I'd better swing by so, we added them to your dish etc"). So when you bit into your delicious scallop in the third course, you didn't just taste all of the flavors of the shellfish, you tasted the character and story of those who caught them. It was incredibly personal and made for a truly unforgettable meal. Not only was the food, wine and service top notch but, they welcomed Dickens Christmas carolers to the dining room during the 4 hour feast who filled the room with beautiful songs personally selected by each of the tables. Fun fact: you can also feed their on-site pigs anytime in between courses. They give you buckets of food scraps and detailed instructions to give their pigs some lovin'.
It was absolutely fantastic and was a huge blessing to receive as a gift!!
We flew back yesterday and spent some time with my side of the family, which was good although we were totally exhausted.
So now we're in the post-Christmas pre-New Years zone. Every year at this time, you will find me vacillating between making resolutions and being highly opinionated about why NOT to make them.
However, this year I think I've got a couple that I could try. You ready? Ok, here they are...
1) I'm going to blog every day in January.
You might be shuddering to yourself at this one but, I really really enjoy blogging and I've gotten myself into a place where, due to my serious subject matter, blogging has become this big intimidating thing. I used to blog almost every day about random things ( recipes, funny stories, etc) and it was a lot of fun to write and definitely more fun to read. I'm only challenging myself for a month because any more than that and I'll certainly fail. That's just crazy.
2) Answer the phone if I can.
I have this terrible habit that I had passed down to me of not answering phone calls. Maybe its the illusion of control ( I like the ball in my court?) or something but, I almost always let it go to voicemail even if I'm totally free to talk. I have mad phone anxiety ( so silly). The thing is, once I get a voicemail, I end up putting off a return call, feeling guilty, feeling embarrassed, and then putting it off so long that I just never return it. Its a bad habit. A really bad one. In the spirit of being a good friend/daughter/family member, I hereby set out to answer my calls as much as I possibly can ( obviously, if I'm in a bind or on a ride at Disneyland, I'll have to call you back).
3) Text and Email back immediately.
This is similar to #2 but, I have a bad habit of receiving emails and texts and, instead of responding quickly to let the other person know I've received their message, I tell myself I will later then totally forget. Its terrible.
4) Read scripture every day in 2013
Yeah, I'm doin it. I'm really making this a resolution. I want to read the Bible every day in 2013. Have I made this one before? Yes. Have I ever done it? No. Is it worth it to try again? Yes. So THERE.
5) Finish my album
I gave myself (kinda) grace for taking so long to finish the project I started two years ago and now its just ridiculous. If I don't finish this album in 2013, someone punch me in the face.
That's all for now, as I don't believe New Years is the only time to set goals for oneself. I have some other goals in the works but, these are my resolutions right now.
So, I'm gonna take a few days here and start collecting ideas for blog topics because... Lordy Lordy, I don't know how I'm gonna blog every day in January... but DARNIT, I AM.
I hope you all enjoyed yourselves this Christmas, and I'll see ya in the new year!
I leave you with this snap of me with the guy taking our boarding passes yesterday. He had a tiny Santa hat on so as far as I'm concerned... He had this comin'
