hello 2009
in journal
hi there. 
i have so much to catch up on, but if i think that way, it’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed, so instead: it’s snowing! now that might not be news for a lot of you, but here in maryland, it’s the first real snow – and this stuff is happy big fat flakes, ones that come down in a gorgeous curtain of snow and might even stick around, i love it. just the right kind of weather for when you plan on staying inside most of the day, puttering around the kitchen, knitting, poking around online, planning a garden for the summer, drinking lots of hot tea and thinking, thinking, thinking. .. so, here’s a post a few little teasers of info, plus one big happy news. first, teasers:
~ i went to bolivia.. for a month! i hiked 70 km in 26 hours. slept in the new beautiful house my parents were building and my mom is still working on finishing up filling up with gorgeous bolivian handmade furniture. played with many puppies and babies. visited the main library in la paz, the capital. visited coroico, the city in the amazon that my dad loved so. attended the memorial service we had for him at the house, where his ashes will be kept forever. talked and laughed and just hung out with a ton of family i love. ate a lot of meat, for me, surprisingly. .. i love bolivia so much. i plan on going there again this year, maybe july – and one day, mark my words, i will live there.
~ started knitting again! and not just one project.. but four! of course. one lace shawl for claudi – she swore she’d wrap her firstborn in it, so i figure that gives me two years or so. one cable cardigan i couldn’t resist after this post. one comfy sweater to just lounge around on the couch with. and one fair isle knit that i’ve been thinking about for a while. and the old projects? just that, old. i needed new, for now. ..and now my wheel is starting to look more interesting too.. ! yay.
~ though it’s been in the single digits here in maryland for the past week, i’ve been poring over the garden catalogs this weekend.. my goal is to order everything by wednesday. i’m ordering from southern exposure seed exchange, seed savers, seeds of change, and maybe one or two more from territorial seed company. can’t wait! i plan on expanding from 48 sq. ft. to 98 sq. ft. and i realized this weekend that the greenhouse is working great – and is warm warm, so, all i need is growlights, and i’m set. also, i need some barrels for potato-growing… hm. so many plans.
~ and now the big news: i’ve been promoted! starting feb. 2nd, i will be a librarian II at the local branch. can you believe it! i’ll be in charge of children’s services, and it’s full-time, and regular work. ah so good. i interviewed for this position back in october and i thought, well with the economy and budgets, etc, that i really wouldn’t get a permanent job much less a promotion.. but i did! i’m so excited – and health insurance! i’ll get it, that’s very good news as well. phew. i can’t wait to start, i bought a weekly planner and i’m already beginning to write things down and daydream about programming and displays and all kinds of fun things like that. silly? no. i love my job.
hope the new year has been equally good to each of you so far ~ ~
andrea
p.s. pics of bolivia, just a dozen for now.. .. and it’s still snowing!
