Christmas is coming...

Christmas is coming, and ironically its the warmest and least snowiest weather I've been in all week. Meaning, of course, that I'm home in Virginia. Meanwhile, Spokane is buried under some 2 feet of snow.  The snow storm pretty much shut down the city. No work for the two days before I left for home - hurrah! Granted, I did have to walk home 2 miles in 5-6 inches (and rapidly still falling) of snow on Wednesday night. Sure, the buses were still "running" at that point, but it was more akin to a crawl around a stopped pace.  I figured I could spend an hour walking at get home, or an hour waiting for the bus and have the bus driver chip my frozen body off of the sidewalk.

But Christmas is coming nonetheless. My presents are knit and under the tree. Hurrah for avoiding all malls! Now time to start working on some toboggans for myself...too bad I left my needles in Spokane, though.

Do something to change the world: Make cookies for your neighbor. Or adopt a grandparent at a nursing home. Everyone deserves to have a Christmas.

Seattle and Snow

So far, the Spokane winter hasn't been any worse than growing up in Giles. We've only had a few inches of snow total. Tonight however, it will be a chilly zero degrees. Negative temperatures are approaching!

Despite the snowfall this weekend, our house took a trip to Seattle. Eastern Washington is dry, flat and fairly boring, but when it was covered in a dusting of snow, it was really quite beautiful. The Snoqualmie pass through the Cascades was also gorgeous in the snow. It was too cloudy on the way there to see the mountains, but on the way back it was clear and we had great views. Washington, the parts you expect and the parts you don't, is a pretty state.

Seattle is a much, much more exciting city than Spokane. We only went there for a night to go to a party at a JV house there, but it was still fun to see. I met up with Hannah, a friend from Work Crew whom I hadn't seen in 4 years. We had a blast. I saw the space needle, Pike Place, first Starbucks. I didn't actually have a cup of coffee all weekend...oh well, there is good stuff in Spokane!

The bus company which takes kids from the special needs school to our day care called and said the employees wanted to sponsor families for Christmas. It's the first year they've done it, and I thought it was pretty exciting that this year, despite all the economic crisis, they decide to spend their Christmas gifts (I think they are donating mainly the gift cards they are given from families) on someone else. So now it's my job to call the families and ask what they want for Christmas. It's kind of awkward, to be honest.

It's funny listening to all of the kids talk about what Santa is going to bring them. I know their Santas. Moms, dads, of course. Some Santas will be anonymous donors. Other kids' Santas will be their bus driver. Some will be the grandmother who doesn't get to see her grandkids anymore after her son's divorce. It's encouraging how communities make this effort to see to it that kids have a Santa.

I go home on Saturday...excited!

Do something to change the world: Buy an angel tree gift.