Celebrating the season—sort of

It has been a tough couple of weeks here. Besides my day at the hospital last week, I have hardly left the house. I was recovering from my procedure and then went straight into the head cold from hell. I haven't been out for a walk or had coffee with a friend. I've shuffled around the house in sweats and slippers, coughing and blowing and mouth-breathing. I missed the wonderful Columbia FiberArts meeting yesterday, but by last night I was feeling pretty decent.

Today was the day of our annual STASH holiday lunch. We choose a different fancy restaurant every year—Portland has some wonderful restaurants—and exchange silly little gifts and treat ourselves to a decadent lunch. It is always great and I would hate to miss it. I pulled myself together and went, and had a wonderful time. This year we went to Andina, a Peruvian restaurant that is beautiful and the food is incredible.

Caipirinhas and sangria and quinoa salad and sopas and causas and tortillas de papas and scallops and desserts and stories and laughter and sweet gifts and 8 women trying to sort out a big bill. We had a good time.

These are the little gifts I made and gave.

Nothing says "happy cold season!" like a kleenex cozy for your purse.

After lunch we took ourselves around the corner for a little browse through the coolest store in the world.

Then I hit the wall and my head began to pound and my feet began to falter and I took myself home, happy, full of good cheer and good food, but wiped out. I didn't make it to the other Christmas party I wanted to go to tonight. Darn.

That's my last whine of 2012. I promise—unless the world ends, as the Mayan calendar predicts, on December 21. That would really tick me off.