Jars

It's photo time!! The new camera is in action. Here is what we have

Jars, on jars, on jars. We've got 2 kinds of Kimchi, sauerkraut, persimmon butter and bulbs!!

This is a close up and maybe my best picture so far.  

Here are two little guys I've got growing. Someday, they'll flower 

A postcard that I sent to a friend in China (fingers crossed that it makes it) 

postcard that I sent to a friend in New Orleans

Besides hiding from the cold in my sleeping bag and working, this is mostly what I've been up too. Also, writing down a story to possibly tell at a storytelling night this Thursday (if I can get over my brutally handicapping stage fright). Getting some inside plants started, harvesting the last of my tomatoes, and cooking awesome meals. Check out this one that I made here. 

Winter is coming. And, we'll have some delicious stuff to show for it. Next Sunday's crafternoon gathering will lead to grain alcohol infusions. I'm thinking basil vodka for bloody marys. It's gift making season!

Tag Team: back again.

I'm back in Richmond, VA and I am not mad about it. I love this place and the people who inhabit it. It was wonderful to get to see my mom on her birthday but, I really do think of VA as my home the most out of any place.

It's weird because I have three places that are not fully my home and no place that is. What a conundrum! I think it's one of the reasons I've got to stick it out where I've decided to invest my time. I've got to make one place my home. The idea that many of the people that I love will leave that place or will never be there at all (whichever place it is) scares me a lot though. A home is only so good as the people who live in it (be it a city or a structure).

Side note: If I've ever sent you a postcard: take a picture and send it to me. You probably don't have a postcard from me if you don't know my email address.

Best,
Rachel

USPS

I've always been a big supporter of the United States Postal Service, as we all should be.

From starting off as the Pony Express, to it's, likely, near end as a slightly more affordable mail service than it's competitors. The USPS has always been the postal delivery service for me. To be fair, I wasn't around during the heyday of the Pony Express. However, I imagine it to have been quite an invigorating event to have mail arrive for you by the hands of a horse riding and (most likely) handsome traveler. 

The USPS never forces you to travel a minimum of 30 mins to get a package that they refused to deliver to you because your doorbell doesn't work. They always have keys to your apartment building where they can leave you packages in the relative safety of your apartment hallway. The USPS has a federal law against other people opening things for you (Can UPS say that? Can Fed Ex say that?). The USPS has specialty stamps and  a generally predictable arrival time. 

If you ask me the Unites States Postal Service is worth saving. So, send more letters. Send some postcards. If you're not sure who to send them to, send them to me. I promise to do the same. As a wise woman once said to me, "Sending people mail is a really cheap way to make them happy". Keep that in mind when you're grumbling about the tiny price increase. And stick with it. 

The USPS didn't fail you when you had a pen pall in the 4th grade. You failed yourself when your forgot to send that pen pall mail. Don't take it out on the innocent. Send me mail.

All the best,

Rachel

Two Days Before Christmas

Hi out there.

I was recently musing about how I had no reason to update my blog but I had forgotten how Christmas was only two days away so in the spirit of giving (information at least) I will update my blog despite the fact that my life is somewhat lacking in excitement.

To keep with the Christmas of it all, I'll begin with my holiday plans. The start off event to celebrate Christmas was to go to the grindhouse slasher film Silent Night, Deadly Night for free at the Hollywood Theater here in Portland. This I did with Jon, last night. It was a silly, silly movie but had at least one of us humming Christmas carols as we headed out into the night.

My next line of Christmas business is going to be to send out Christmas cards to those I haven't gotten around to sending them to yet. That happens today.

On Christmas eve, Jon and I (The friends that are staying in town for Christmas) are going to go grocery shopping for Christmas dinner ingredients.

And On Christmas day, we will make Christmas curry, cookies, and apple cider. We will open gifts from our respective families. We will watch a Stanley Kubrick movie marathon. We will, of course, long to be with our respective families and may even take phone calls from them.

On the day after Christmas we will head to work at Slappy Cakes and get money.

That is all for our Christmas plans, at least as far as I know.

To quote the cartoon Kim Possible, which I once loved so much, "Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me" I'd love to hear from you while you're taking a break from the regular stresses of everyday living for Christmas.

Love,
Rachel

Good things often come in envelopes