Tagged, Halloween, Top 30, etc...

Tagged - 6 Things
I've been tagged! My sister-in-law, Rachel Williams just tagged me which means that I get to list six interesting things about myself. Then, I tag six other people, leaving comments on their blogs so they know they've been tagged. Mine are pretty random, but that should make them really interesting, right?
#1 "31" is a special number for me. I was born on January 31st, worked at Baskin-Robbins: 31 Flavors (my favorite job) and my golden birthday year was the best thus far… Dave and I were sealed in the Seattle Temple and started on the wild ride that is married life.
#2 I started blogging last December, which is fortunate because otherwise there would be no documented proof of my existence for my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren … I think my journal is covered in layers of dust somewhere.
#3 I am a card-carrying, full-fledged librarian. Really, there is a card!
#4 I write with my right hand but do cartwheels, favoring my left. It’s weird, but felt right when I was in competitive gymnastics. I even took part in a “Cartwheel-a-Thon” where I performed 1,000 cartwheels (in a row) to raise money for our gym.
#5 I have been on the evening news – twice. Both times were on King 5, and both times the person I was with was the one that wanted to be on the news... and you couldn’t even see them in the final footage! Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), I say goofy things when I’m nervous, which becomes the perfect sound bite for a news teaser.
#6 While living in Annapolis, my stake president asked me to write an article for the LDS Church News about the Naval Academy & the institute program there. It ended up becoming the front page article. Friends and relatives read it and called my parents to see if I was the “Michelle Marchant” cited in the byline.
And now I tag: Mindy Hales, Linda Watson, Ann Gray, Jeanne Grossarth, Dave & Rachel, and Anne Turner.

October 31, 2007
Lions, and Tigers,... and Princess Jasmine??? - Oh, Happy Halloween!
This Halloween was fairly uneventful (no smashed pumpkins or eggs, to speak of), but we managed to participate in and enjoy the typical merriment that occurs during the holiday. I painted one pumpkin at Young Women's, carved another at home, and entered one in a contest at work (awards are pending!); we bought loads of candy, found silly costumes, dressed up (& painted Dave green twice), decorated our car for the Trunk R' Treat, attended a ward Halloween party on Saturday and went to Becky's monster bash on the actual day. Below, Dave (aka "The Incredible Hulk") & I (aka "Ballerina Witch") chatted it up with Jen ("PJ Girl"); later, Becky ("MaryAnne"), Christina ("Disco Chic") & I struck a pose for a quick photo op. Unfortunately, we never got any trick r' treaters at our house (I chalk it up to the "bad neighborhood" we live in... and can't blame anyone for not wanting to traipse about S. Everett after dark). So, I took my candy-filled cauldron to work to hand out candy to all of the trick r' treaters from the hospital's daycare. That was the highlight of my day; as the kids paraded down the hallways of our administration building, we held out our various containers of sugary goodness. The very polite, well-behaved bunnies, lions, princesses, pumpkins and fire fighters each carefully selected one item and gingerly placed it in their jack o'lantern bags. My favorite costume this season was the fleece monkey with the stuffed belly... that made the little child waddle as he walked!

October 22, 2007
Michelle's Top 30 (10 is too few!)
"Things that Made Me Happy this Weekend"
1.Spending time with my husband
2.Spending time with my family
3. Brent coming home from his mission
4. Talking with friends
5. Religion & Faith
6. Hearing Adyson’s laughter
7. Feeling loved
8. Singing in the ward choir
9. Eating chocolate J
10. Dressing up
11. Making homemade cards with Amy
12. Watching movies with Dave
13. Baking M&M cookies & pumpkin bread
14. Making a huge vat of Taco Soup
15. Hydrangeas
16. Cleaning the house
17. Finishing chores
18. A sale at Michael’s
19. Dinner at Ruthie’s house
20. Getting a good night’s sleep
21. Anna’s talk on Sunday (re: forgiveness)
22. Doing service
23. Listening while Shannon played the piano
24. Going to Costco on Saturday – early!
25. Being resourceful
26. The rain
27. Falling leaves
28. Looking at old pictures
29. Remembering our wedding
30. Reading a well-written book

October 18, 2007
Operation: Fun Mail (aka Good Mail)
A short time ago, Linda Watson introduced me to her five daughters via the world of blogging. One of her daughters, Lara, has a unique flair for expressing the simple joys of life through her Blogspot. Even though Linda informed her that I read the blog, I still feel a little funny peering into someone else’s life… especially someone I don’t know (& who definitely does not know me!). But it has been wonderful getting to know Linda’s daughters, learning fun things about them & some of their blogging friends.

One day, I came across a blog entry that fascinated me. One of Lara’s friends (see picture at right) had written about a cute idea called “Good Mail”, where friends send cards, CDs &/or candy to others in their circle of friends. It appears that most of the time there is no special occasion/reason attached to the sending of said package. Lately, I’ve been feeling terribly busy and a bit removed from my friends. After reading the entry, I was excited to jump-start my own version of the idea. Shortly after delivering the first package to Heather, I thought of a plan. I sent the next package to Christina, full of treats, a book & a card, giving the idea a new title & twist. Changing my little project to “Fun Mail”, I added the challenge to “pay it forward”, passing it on to anyone in need of a little bright spot in their life (& mailbox). While the idea may sound a bit cheesy, I absolutely adore it! We can get so carried up in our own lives that we forget to reach out and let those we love know that we are thinking of them… even if we say it with a box of candy or a silly card.

October 15, 2007
A Quick Jaunt to Annette Lake
According to our guide book, the Annette Lake Trail is a very popular area with local campers and hikers. Much to our surprise, the parking lot was relatively empty when we arrived on Friday afternoon. As we traversed up the trail through dense, old-growth forests, we passed by a few soggy hikers on their way down the trail. We also passed by mossy tress and roaring waterfalls, crossing several sturdy bridges, the Iron Horse Trail and massive rock slides as we made our way up to the lake. With 1,700 feet of elevation gain, the trail was fairly easy; with the exception of a short stint of steady climbing, it was a lovely hike through the Snoqualmie National Forest.
As we neared the lake, the trees opened up and there was a distinct chill in the air common for alpine lake areas. Although cloudy, the area was beautiful and the lake was clear, but for a smoky, green tint to the water. A fine mist occassionally fell, but the clouds continued to pass through the area, which gave us intermittent glimpses of the lake's lush basin. As we made our way around the lake, we came across plentiful spaces for pitching our little tent. By far, the best discovery was having the lake all to ourselves! The less hardy folks must have stopped their camping excursions after the passage of Labor Day. This meant our group of four would enjoy a quiet evening, while taking in the beautiful surroundings.
After pitching our tents and arranging our gear, we moved on to the important things of life: warmth & food. After the clouds finally cleared, the temperature dropped substantially & the stars appeared. Dave tried making a fire, but the wood was completely soaked - even his magic fire starters (cotton discs & Vaseline) could not bring about a roaring campfire. So we settled for gloves, hats & jackets, moving on to the task of making dinner. Freeze-dried meals were on the menu and after trekking nearly 4 miles with a loaded pack, they tasted like the finest cuisine money could buy. Kathleen was so clever, toting a bag of dark chocolate Autumn M&M's, which became the appetizer to our grand meals of Beef Stroganoff and Spaghetti & Meatballs.
After dinner, we did a little star-gazing before heading for bed. My 0°F bag was great; in fact, it was so warm that I unzipped the bag from time to time. In the morning, after making breakfast, we went down to the lake for pictures and to check out the view. Saturday morning brought sunny, blue skies - even though the temperature was in the low 40's. After downing some hot chocolate and refilling our packs, we strapped on our gear and headed down the trail. On our descent, we passed by hordes of Saturday hikers. While sharing greetings & pleasantries with other outdoor enthusiasts was fun, I was extremely grateful for the solitude & serenity we enjoyed the previous night.

October 6, 2007
Friday Night Lights
Last night was the big game: Edmonds-Woodway and Kamiak were slated for a showdown. As WESCO South’s two undefeated teams converged on to Goddard Stadium's field, you knew this was going to be a great game. As we walked into the stadium and a woman handed out foam fingers to cheer on the teams, you could feel a palpable excitement in the air. Although it was a cool night, the stands were packed and keyed up; one side was a throbbing mass of purple, the other a sea of swaying green. Cheerleaders, with flushed, happy faces, didn’t have to work too hard to motivate the fans.

It was a clear night and there was a chill in the air as we headed towards the visitors’ section where Edmonds-Woodway fans overflowed out of the stands. Luckily, we had grabbed coats and some blankets, as well as our huge thermos which we filled with steaming hot chocolate. For the first half, we sat on the metal bleachers in the overflow section. Dave had a down jacket so he stayed quite warm, but I continually sipped on the warm chocolate and tried to stay close to him. After the half, we moved onto the track to get a better vantage point and to chat with some folks Dave knew from Edmonds.

The game lived up to the fevered pitch. The two teams were head-to-head, leading up to the half-time show. Unfortunately for the Kamiak Knights, the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors took the ball and ran with it in the second half. By the end of the game, the big scoreboard at the west end of the field emblazoned the tale of woe for Kamiak: Home, 7; Visitors, 35. But for those of us cheering on the Warriors, it was a beautiful night.

October 5, 2007
Here comes the rain again...
Well, it’s official – the autumn season has triumphantly descended upon the Pacific Northwest in grand style. Dave said it was like someone just flipped a switch last week; one day we are watching lazy, fluffy clouds float across a blue, sunny sky and then suddenly, we are zipping up heavy coats as cold, wet weather greets us on our way out the door.

The other day, while running over to our Human Resources department, I made a wonderful discovery about Seattleites. As I pulled on my pea coat and walked out the door of my building, a fine mist had started to fall. I grinned and headed on my way. I love the change to cool weather, with grey clouds that cover the city like a huge, down blanket. This mist is a special kind of Seattle rain that, while seemingly innocent enough, can sufficiently soak you in just a manner of minutes. During my five-minute walk across campus, I noticed that I was, indeed, getting very wet. I also noticed that I was not the only one facing the weather. Many people were milling about the hospital grounds, striding confidently in a variety of Gore-tex or wool outerwear. Much to my surprise, none of these folks were toting an umbrella… not one! I had heard about this phenomenon, but had never actually seen it happen.

Rain is a part of life in Seattle; it’s part of the deal that people make in exchange for the beautiful, lush surroundings. So, as the skies continue to darken with moisture-laden clouds, I'm excited for a stunning season with vibrant-colored leaves, thick sweaters and a likelihood of storms.