Word Pictures.

I didn't have the digital camera this weekend, so you must rely entirely on the following word pictures to imagine the wonderful weekend I have had:

#1--Imagine four beautiful 20-something girls around a kitchen table in a little apartment in Arlington with a vast spread of roast turkey, sweet potato casserole, green beans, corn muffins, and pecan pie surrounding them as they laugh about life.

#2--Imagine Heather waking up on the day-after-Thanksgiving NOT to the dizzying crowd at a shopping mall, but to the ring of John Paasonen calling to say, "Would you like to have dinner?" Imagine Heather later that evening walking through Pioneer Square in Seattle, a Gryffindor-colored scarf wrapped around her neck, with a dear Taylor friend towards the most lovely sushi restaurant they had seen since Ra's in Phoenix.

#3--Imagine Heather and Heidi as Pocahontas-like adventure-women as they paddled down the mighty Stillaguamish River on a cold morning kayak trip with five intimidating kayaking men. (Particularly imagine Heather and Heidi taking all of the easiest channels in order to avoid the dreaded 'roll' which they have so recently achieved). Imagine Ryan, Bucky, Heidi, and Heather still in gear, freezing by the side of the road for 45 minutes, protecting the kayaks and waiting for the shuttle, which took forever!!

#4--Imagine Heather sitting down with Greg, Danica, and the extended Kazen family to a belated Thanksgiving dinner, with beautiful homemade-food and plenty of funny kids running around dressed as army men and ballerinas.

#5--Imagine Heather plopping in front of the TV on Sunday afternoon to watch her much-beloved Seahawks barely finish off the NY Giants in a 4 1/2 hour game, which resulted in the area favorite's advancement to 9-2!!!

#6--Imagine Heather's car, covered in frost, which she joyfully scrapes off with an Ohio-purchased mondo-sized snow scraper. Imagine many friendly Washington men offering to assist with their less-capable frost-removal-adapted credit cards.

#7--Imagine Heather in her newly converted 2nd bedroom "study/studio" wrapped in a blanket on the futon while reading Wendell Berry, Bob Dylan, and 1 Kings and journalling for the first time in a month. Imagine her taking time to reflect on life and discover that although it is full of many good things right now, more time for intentional reflection and solitude needs to take place.