Can you believe it? Day 59?!!! Woohoo!!! Are you all getting excited? Or are you sick of my photos and entries?! My dad told me nicely today that sometimes “less is more”, and perhaps I should just put 5 or 6 photos in each blog, but I told him that’s impossible!! As well as a way to keep you all informed on everything, this is a photo (and obviously written) journal for me to look back on during my stay in Seattle, which I realize more each day I will miss. There is no comparison for city living, and of course there is no comparison for home, but Seattle signifies mostly positive thoughts and energy for me. It is and will always be like a second home…I just feel like I fit right in.
But then I see the beautiful brick homes and traditional structures scattered among the architecture of the northwest, and my heart wanders back to Virginia, DC, Old Town, cobblestone….I guess for a while I will live the rest of my life as a bi-coaster (is that even a word?!) I will always come back to Seattle to visit, whether it’s for fun or to visit the doctor. It is truly a wonderful city, but I miss you, east coast!!!
I know I shared a little bit about finance worries, but I just wanted to tell you how proud I feel that I have finished applying for everything my social worker thought appropriate for me. I think this is such a real worry for many patients, and I am extremely fortunate to have help from my family, but I need to give back to help ease any burden, so I’m waiting on a couple organizations to respond to my request for assistance. I don’t know if anyone really knows quite how overwhelming it can be to be sick, to feel tired, and to be handed one and a half sheets typed of websites to review for assistance. Everyone at SCCA has been very helpful, and with the help of the steroids, I’m pretty much done applying for everything. I’m just waiting for someone to call me Monday for one final interview with Social Security.
As you can read (and see), we (my mom, dad and I) are doing well out here!! We plan to hit some more Christmas lights sometime tomorrow night, and my mom is having a massage in the morning. Right around the corner from us, there’s a school of massage, and they will give you an hour-long massage for $30! I hope she relaxes and really benefits from it–we all know she deserves it!!
Hope everyone is enjoying getting ready for the holidays, and I’m sending lots of love out to all my peops all over the country (and world) during this season.
Enjoy the photos, but no worries if you don’t feel like looking at 50 of them or reading all this!!!!! It’s here if you want it.
Love from Seattle,
Julie
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My mom's b-day cards gracing our windowsill.
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Relaxing in our cozy apartment and checking out some postcards I bought
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I scattered Mom's bday hats over the apartment. :)
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And this is a gift from Paulina....if you don't know the story, it's a little complicated. My Uncle Pete (my mom's brother) died when I was in middle school of a brain tumor. He was very special to everyone who knew him, and he always made sure he spent lots of time with each niece and nephew. He loved listening to me play the piano, and would often sit with me when he was sick and I practiced. He died in November, 1989, and not long after, I noticed a cardinal that came to the window behind the piano. I would hear this "thump" and look up and see a beautiful red cardinal sitting on the ledge outside. He actually sat there the whole time I practiced, and then he would fly off. Well, we took to calling him "Pete" and we even have a picture of him on the fridge. He came for about a year, and it was such a comfort for me. Now we feel like he's here looking out for us all the way out in Seattle.
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Thank goodness they have Internet here---it's certainly been a lifesaver for all of us in terms of staying connected. How did we live without these machines?! :)
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Oh look! Another hat in with the turkeys!
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A shot from my window....guess I'm starting to get nostalgic, even though I'm still here!! But I don't want to jinx myself...keep on thinking good thoughts that I'll be home mid-January!!!
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Cool pic, huh?
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We found another delicious place right near the clinic. "Duke's Chowder House"....look, there's even a fireplace in the background!
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It is a beautiful day out here in Seattle, a little chilly...and chowder seems like the perfect lunch.
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The famous chowder....I devoured the whole bowl! Are you sick of pictures of food? Does it make you hungry at work?! :)
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I like the way the sky looks behind the lampost.
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Dad checks out the yachts.
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I know you'd stay out here longer if you could, Dad, but Mom and I are a little chilly!! Still, I love being down by the docks.
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Now this is a little confusing, don't you think?! We're trying to find "Volunteer Park" right now...apparently it's right near the SCCA
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Garminita, take us there!!!!
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My personal driver...even if I tease you sometimes or whine, I appreciate the many miles you drive me. One of my favorite memories of Seattle will just be us getting lost and driving around the neighborhoods.
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Volunteer Park!!
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And there's the Arboretum...but we decided it'd be best that I not go in 'cause it's humid and it's full of soil and plants....next time. I'll just stick to the great outdoors!
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It is very peaceful in here...I can't believe we haven't seen it before!
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I ducked under some trees to get a few shots, and this chubby little guy practically came right up to me...cutie, huh?
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Now HOW COOL is that tree?!
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I loved how the lighting was filtering through.
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A great shot of dad with his new hat!!!
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Look hard and you'll see the Space Needle....view from Volunteer Park
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Meet Gracie, the loveable Boston Terrier Dad and I met in the park.
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Look at her tongue!! hahahaha she was one of the cutest I've seen.
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I love you too, little girl!!! Your little hug is making my day. :)
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A type of hydrangea, I believe....can you believe it? Hydrangeas in December?
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This tower is supposed to have a great view of the city, but I don't think I'm up for climbing it yet...I'll keep this photo as motivation. :)
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I thought this was a pretty entrance...there are some beautiful mansions up in the Capitol Hill area, near Volunteer Park.
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Wow, what do you think? Pretty majestic, huh?
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I love the look of this house--the big windows, the lines to the house, the way it fits right in to the yard. Yah, I could live there!
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Another view of that big house from before.
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And if you're lookin' for some color!!!!! :)
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Just a pretty street
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Watching the sun go down over one of the houseboats....I ask my mom to drive by the houseboats whenever possible.
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I can't get enough of the houseboats! Sorry if you're sick of them.
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Pretty cool, huh? How does one go about creating that? Did you guys know that if there were any job I could do without having to go back to school, I would either be 1)a landscape architect or 2)a veterinarian? Just a little interesting piece of info. :)
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More houseboats ;)
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Dad and I go to great lengths to get you some pics---how could I possibly just pick 5 or 6?
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Showing Dad the houseboats' area
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A pretty house...not a boat, mind you, but a plain house.
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Two interesting homes...they look out over top of the houseboats, so they don't have a bad view at all!!
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Kinda looks like it should be sitting in a dune off route 12 in the Outer Banks, don't you think?!
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A very decorated Xmas houseboat!
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Uh-oh----the only negative thing about the day. Poor Dad wipes the dog doo off his shoe...no offense, but I'm glad it wasn't me this time!! :)