Christmas in California

December was kicked off at the Portland Art Museum. Then it was a blur of Christmas tree farms, holiday parties, and festive light displays at Peacock Lane and the Grotto. I decorated the house this year, and played Christmas music nonstop. 

 

 

Tom and I instantly fell in love with our new kitty. He is very energetic in the morning, naps all afternoon and becomes a maniac again before bedtime. One of his favorite activities is playing fetch with his favorite toys, and stashing them upstairs under the bed when he's done; I've never seen a cat carry toys in its mouth like Louie does. When he is tired, he becomes a limp noodle and dozes off in my arms. I love rubbing my face in his fuzzy belly while he purrs loudly. Coming home to my Louie is the best part of my day.

  

 

We left Louie in the care of good friends over Christmas weekend. This year, Tom's family traveled to Pasadena, California to spend the holiday with Grandma Odell. Tom and I left after work on Thursday to catch a quick flight from PDX to LAX.

Pasadena is located 20 minutes northeast of Los Angeles, and hosts the annual college football Rose Bowl. I was excited to trade in a few days of dreary winter for southern California sunshine, but was disappointed to find it raining buckets when we landed. Tom and I were still eager, though, to meet everyone at the Hilton. We played Tripoly with the Odell cousins, who flew in from the midwest and east coast.

Christmas Eve was another cold and rainy day, but we went for a walk and attended a prayer service at Grandma's assisted living home. That evening, the extended family shared a very loud and fun dinner at Smitty's Grill.

 

We enjoyed brunch on Christmas morning, and spent a lazy afternoon at the hotel watching classic holiday movies. I made sure to video chat with my family in Pittsburgh before heading to dinner at Argentine restaurant, Malbec.

The sun finally came out on Sunday so Tom and I spent a few hours in nearby costal town, Santa Monica, before catching our afternoon flight back to Portland. We fortunately did not encounter any travel issues, despite the holiday and impending northwest snow storm. Plus we were anxious to see our Louie!

It was new for me to spend Christmas in a hotel, as my parents always insist on hosting and cooking. However, I feel grateful for the opportunity to have met and been welcomed by Tom's extended family; my adopted west coast family!

Louie

November brought a lot of rain and gray skies. I am striving for optimism by maintaining a healthy mindset and lifestyle, and looking forward to events and trips.

My first Ducks football game was the infamous "civil war" game between rival schools, University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Tom and I drove to Eugene for the day to watch the Ducks win!

I am spending the holidays with Tom's family this year. Thanksgiving at the Marshall house was loud, fun and vegan-friendly. I feel grateful for my second family in Portland, and look forward to seeing my first family in January! 

 

Speaking of family, the newest addition to ours is 4-month old brown tabby named Louie. Adopted from the Cat Adoption Team, he is a purrfectly sweet and social boy with a velvety soft coat who loves to play and snuggle. And just like that, I’m a cat mom!

 

Birdtalker

Portland saw peak fall foliage in early October this year, which subsequently faded in parallel with the dry and sunny days. While I hung up my hiking boots for the season, I am staying active at the pool and on the yoga mat. I also set out on my bike during breaks from the rain. I love cycling to Sellwood, Mt. Tabor, Rocky Butte, and Powell Butte. I recently upgraded my single speed to a road bike that I bought from Tom's high school track coach, Jen.

 

We celebrated Tom's birthday with his friends at the DIY Bar. The light and airy studio/bar supplies the materials, tools, and instructions to make one of several DIY crafts. I highly recommend it for any social gathering, event or date night!

Over Halloween weekend, Tom and I watched one of my favorite bands perform at Mississippi Studios. Birdtalker is a Nashville-born folksy group that incorporates rock and a sense of mysticism into their work, boasting bold vocals and delicate harmonies, with the spirit of a back-porch acoustic jam. It was my fourth time seeing them live, and they did not disappoint.

That weekend, a strong solar flare sent a mass of energy toward earth, which meant that the northern lights could be seen as far south as Oregon. In order to catch a glimpse, the skies must be clear and far from city light pollution.

Telluride, CO

Our latest family reunion took place in Telluride at the beginning of October. Tom and I caught an early two-hour flight to Denver on Thursday morning. From there it was a 30-minute flight to Montrose. My parents, who had arrived earlier that week from Pittsburgh to explore southwest Colorado, picked us up at the small airport early that afternoon.

   

An hour and a half later, we arrived to our spectacular alpine chalet rental in Mountain Village.

In need of some fresh air after traveling, I strolled around the village. I was pleasantly surprised that we hadn't missed the fall foliage. In fact, much of the colorful aspen groves seemed to be just past their peak. Telluride had quickly become a favorite when I lived in Denver, so I was excited to spend more time here; part of me always feels at home when returning to Colorado.

That evening, Anna and Alex arrived from Denver, along with Rita, who had flown in from Tampa. It was wonderful to be reunited! We shared a home-cooked family dinner, accompanied by drinks brought from our respective parts of the country.

We took our time getting ready on Friday morning before heading out for a hike. The small town of Telluride is a short gondola ride from Mountain Village, nestled in a box canyon. The scenic ride provides expansive views of the San Juan Mountains, and is the first and only free public transit of its kind in the country.

The Bear Creek trail is one of Telluride’s most popular trails, and is easily accessed from town. A steady two-mile climb on a rocky dirt road leads through Bear Creek Preserve to upper Bear Creek Falls. Though it only gains 1,100', I was challenged by the elevation at 8,750'. It was worth it, however, to walk through an aspen wonderland.

  

Afterwards, we grabbed beers and grub in town at Smuggler's Brewery. Later that evening, we returned to Telluride for drinks at Last Dollar Saloon. While we had hoped to soak in views from the rooftop bar, a rain/wind front moved in and urged us indoors. Dinner at Wood Ear Whiskey Lounge.

We woke up on Saturday to a dusting of snow on the surrounding mountain peaks. Temperatures fluctuated between the 30s-50s throughout our trip, but the high elevation sun made it feel much warmer. I went for an easy jog to stretch to my legs.

Afterwards, Tom and I took the gondola to the St. Sophia station at 10,540', and walked back down to Mountain Village on the two-mile Ridge Trail. The trail was rocky and coincidentally being used by a Spartan race. Family dinner and board games that night.

On Sunday, Rita and Tom joined me on a hike to Bridal Veil Falls--the tallest free-falling falls in Colorado. Leaving on foot from Mountain Village to Telluride via gondola, it was a scenic two-mile walk to the trailhead at the east end of the box canyon. From there, the two-mile trek climbs 1,650' to a historic power plant at the top of the falls. This serves as a trailhead for several hikes in the Bridal Veil Basin.

 

 

 

 

 

On our way back to the village, we picked up a few pies from Brown Dog Pizza to share for a cozy afternoon together at home. From the deck, we noted how much the landscape had changed from just a few days earlier as the trees quickly lost their leaves.

On Monday morning, we shared one last breakfast together before parting ways. Goodbyes are never easy, but we made sure to mark our calendars with the next reunion before ending this one. Family really is everything.

  

October 7-11, 2021