A Really Nice Day

Today was graced with a hard frost and bright sunshine -- wonderful winter weather!

I had a brief appointment with my doctor this morning, which included getting a flu shot and providing updates to my medical record (not the way it used to be!), as well as a chat about his 2012 trip to England, Scotland, and Wales with his young family. He is a shining example of what a family practice doctor should be, and I am delighted to be under his care.

I had several errands to run in town afterward, including a trip to an art store for last-minute small gifts, where I also bought myself a present. (I know this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I am fascinated by what's under my skin!) A quick stop at Chocolate Necessities for more of their excellent cocoa powder also included the purchase of two truffles laced with Laphroaig single malt whiskey for New Year's Eve -- or maybe sooner. Next, I did a "big shop" at the Community Food Co-op, stocking up on staples and delicacies for the upcoming holiday weekend, enlivened by the live Celtic music above the dairy case.

After lunch, we took Miss Annie out for her almost-daily ride in the car while we ran through a list of errands in the Fairhaven district: go to the credit union for cash gifts for Christmas, buy stamps for the cards still to be written, mail the three that were written, drop off/pick up library books, buy gift cards for several people, and chat with one of the owners of Village Books (they were honored today in our local paper for their community service).

As the sun began to go down, we were drawn to the view of Bellingham Bay available at Taylor Dock, and ended up staying there until our fingers were almost numb, unable to stop taking photos of the ever-changing clouds and water. Phil has a beautiful shot on his blog -- take a look!

We can always write those cards another day and call them New Year cards -- winter sunsets like this one are rare. Carpe diem!