Reflections on 2022

Another year comes to an end! For Eden by the Bay, our theme for 2022 was Homesteading in the City, the perfect follow-on to last year's Back to the Land theme. During those two years, we spent a lot of time at home because of COVID, and used the time to see what our little plot of urban land held for us for projects and observing nature, and then explored homesteaders and how we could make and do for ourselves in our urban lives. We spent a lot of time this year on dyeing and printing different types of fabric in different ways; observing nature; reading books; and making a few more videos (always experimenting in the process).

Half way through 2022, we finally went back to the office part time, started gathering in groups, and resumed visiting favorite parks and environments. So far I'm enjoying going back to the office a couple of days a week, typically on days on which there is a party or gathering of some kind! It is great to see my colleagues again, and flexible schedules help mitigate the increasing traffic.

Clockwise: Outing to Lake Temescal
Rugged northern California coast
Eco-printing on silk scarves
Winter sunset over the San Francisco Bay Area

I'm also getting back into the swing of planning outings and adventures. It's now more of a mind set than an external limitation. I just have to push myself into action! It took a couple of months for me to get around to planning our Mendocino trip - I was just unmotivated and out of practice! I'm so glad we did follow through on the visit (see Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden and Mendocino, Fort Bragg, and the Rugged Coast). It reminded me how much fun my husband and I have exploring Northern California, and how much we love adventures. Now I'm starting to think of some other destinations, like parks and gardens in the Bay Area, and further afield, like Hawaii and Alaska!