Happy New Year! I love having a new year stretching ahead of me with all of its possibilities. This year, however, I'm easing into 2026 instead of rushing in to fill it with projects, plans, and goals. Losing my Dad, at the age of 97 years, may have something to do with it. Upon my college graduation, his advice to me was to work hard, but stop and smell the roses. I'm finally taking the last part of his advice. Of course all my natural interests remain, but maybe at a different pace.
I've chosen the theme of "Fungus Among Us: Mushrooms" for Eden By The Bay in 2026. I'm always fascinated to see the mushrooms that pop up in our yard and that we encounter on our Over-the-Hills Gang hikes. I'd like to learn more about the Fungi kingdom, and explore mushrooms in the garden, great outdoors, kitchen, and dye pot.
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| Clockwise: Family, friends, and Bobo the Husky Fungus Among Us Hikes, nature, and the great outdoors Enjoying the landscape, plants, and critters |
Looking ahead, my husband and I continue to research trip ideas for the coming years. We love to travel, learn, and take photos, and want to do so while we are able. A few candidates include Hawaii, Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks, and the New England states. We also plan more journeys up and down the West Coast including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California (we might even take a road trip with Bobo the Husky). Travel enriches our lives and makes us more appreciative of what we have at home.
I'll continue some of my favorite activities like tending our new landscape (now almost two years old); visiting gardens and landscapes; enjoying the seasons and weather; and experiencing nature and wildlife. There are books to read, movies to see, puzzles to work, seeds to plant, fabric to dye, and new ideas to try. At the heart of it all are the family, friends, and Huskies that travel along on that journey!
