Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Garages

Since we've moved to our house in late April, I've been observing our new neighborhood and the surrounding area from a different point of view. Garages have definitely caught my attention, especially since we now have a two-car garage of our own. One of the things that strikes me is how different every one's garage is, and how you use your garage says a lot about what is important to your lifestyle.

For example, one of our neighbors has a two car garage, with one half of the garage dedicated to being used as a home gym, complete with a heavy bag and mats to stretch out on. The other half is used to park their sporty car. I'm definitely envious of their dedication to their health and fitness!

Others in the neighborhood have their garages packed to the gills with boxes and other flotsam and jetsam from their lives. So much so that over 75% of our neighbors can't (or don't?) park their cars in their garages. This leads me to wonder: what is it about our society that tells us that we need "more, more, more" ... so much more that we fill our garages with boxes and other items so full that we can't put our cars in the garage?

For our garage, we're trying to strike a healthy balance -- parking both vehicles inside as well as storing seasonal items like our camping gear or our Christmas decorations. What does our garage say about our lives? Well, I'd say that it says that we've moved in, but there are still a few boxes left to find a home... until then, they're stacked neatly in our garage. It also says that we're working on being good gardeners, starting with the basics and working our way up... slowly! :-)

What does your garage say about you?

Sunday, October 10, 2010

August to Autumn

Phew! We've been busy here enjoying the last of the cool summer and watching the leaves turn shades of orange and yellow during the fall. I've been meaning to post for some time, but it seems that I've been neglecting this little piece of Cyberspace...

In mid-August, we had the opportunity to take a few days off and camp at Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island. It was such a treat to enjoy the last of the summer heat (it was actually warm during our trip, which was a rare occurrence this past summer!) with friends. While we were up on Whidbey Island, Lennie and I took a quick trip into Oak Harbor to visit with our friends Beth and Tim. It was so nice to reconnect with them and to hang out with their family for a day. They even got to bring their kids out to our campsite to make their first s'mores. Too fun! I always enjoy spending time with friends, and this quick trip was definitely what the doctor ordered. (Although, I don't think that the doctor ordered the colds that Lennie and I came home with, but that's another story...)

Over Labor Day weekend, I tried my hand at canning homemade applesauce, as well as drying the first set of apples. Yum! We also got to attend a great friend's wedding, where the blue skies made an appearance for just enough time for an outdoor affair. It was definitely a night to remember, and I'm grateful that we got to attend the event.

September has brought sunny days and crisp air as well as the beginning of Husky football season. I love the opportunity to sit in the stands and experience the energy of Husky stadium. While our team may not always pull out the win, it's certainly fun to be amongst the crowd cheering the team on to victory. I do have to say, though, that the USC win was a little too stressful for my blood -- taking it down to the last two seconds definitely brought my blood pressure up!

We're excited to be back on our "regular" schedule, with life in full swing and a fun chill in the air. Our neighbors have already decorated their houses for Halloween, complete with lights. I'm excited to see what the rest of October brings, including trick-or-treaters! Happy October everyone! :-)