This year has gone by incredibly fast – and this month in particular. I can hardly believe that Christmas is only a day away.

Is it just me, or do the holidays feel like they’re rushing upon us like river rapids?

I decided to keep things simple – my only decorations are my horizontal Christmas tree (garland above my fireplace, with some of my favorite ornaments) and a collection of three small sparkly snowflake trees on the mantle.

I was inspired by my son’s Christmas plans, and tried to keep gifts simple, but meaningful. Yet, despite my intention to make it a low-key Christmas, I found myself rushing around to get gifts finished and mailed off in time to be received by the big day.

I got some hair-brained idea that I wanted to sew some gifts this year (which is ridiculous, since I don’t sew). It really would have been much simpler and less time consuming to just go buy gifts. But no, once I got the idea, I was a woman possessed. So it’s my own fault that I lived in chaos (and fabric stores) for 2 weeks.

And now, the holiday is upon us. Are you ready? What exciting (or boring) plans do you have?

Whatever your plans (and do please share them), I hope you have a wonderful Christmas – or whatever holiday you celebrate

I’ve had a few (sometimes inexplicable) celebrity crushes over the course of my life…. mostly in my youth.

Jonny Quest (yes, the cartoon) was the first. He was followed by a string of mostly musicians… teen heart throbs like Davy Jones, Donny Osmond and David Cassidy, etc.

Yes, it’s a bit embarrassing – but admit it… you loved them too, or someone just like them in your own music era. (FYI, I fell for musicians in real-life, too…)

Anyway, during the 80s I developed a celebrity crush on Richard Page, lead singer/songwriter from the band Mr. Mister.
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Aloha! It’s been a very travel filled year for me. I’ve been reminded to be careful what you wish for. As I was approaching my 50th birthday I set the intention that I wanted the next phase of my life to be filled with lots more travel.

Well, the Universe answered with 2 trips to Costa Rica (3 weeks each), San Diego and Salt Lake; one trip to Los Angeles for a trade show, and another to Victoria, B.C. with my friend Jana (where we worshiped flowers and laughed a lot).

Most recently, a last minute trip to Kauai to spend a week with my family, before Brandon & Jen moved to Malaysia.

I have no idea what it is I’m doing in this photo.

There were 16 of us in all – both my kids and their families, plus my sister and her family, with a couple of significant others joining us. We had a great time together – discovered we all share similar world views, and were easy and compatible companions (which isn’t always the case when family, or even friends, travel together).

My granddaughters couldn’t get enough of each other, and Kennedy was missing her cousins 10 minutes after they left for the airport. We definitely need to do this again!

My world still feels a bit like it’s spinning around me, as I try to get my grounding again. I think I’ll stay at home for the rest of the year.

Maybe I’ll even update my blog again.

I’m still working through photos from many of these travels – but here are some of my favorites from Hawaii (and I think this slide show will even work on iPhone/iPad):

If you’re interested in viewing more pics from Kauai, visit Allicat Photograpy. There are a lot of them…

Where have you traveled this year? Where do you want to go in 2012?

So, as you may recall, I returned for another visit to Costa Rica again in June – this time to meet my newest granddaughter, Aysia Mae, born just a week before I arrived.

Isn’t she beautiful?

And doesn’t her family all look so happy to have her in their lives?

I love this family photo… and not just because everyone is color coordinated (yes, I brought clothes for them with me to make sure they would be ) but because they look so content and happy… happier and more peaceful than I’ve ever seen them before. It warms my heart.

Brandon and family had moved from Grecia to Escazu, on the hills outside of San Jose. We spent most of our time just relaxing and enjoying each others’ company, rather than fitting in a lot of touring. But we still kept pretty busy.

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Meet my newest addiction, thanks to Ashley.

I’d never tried a Chai Latte before (I know, can you believe it?) but had a sip of Ashley’s while she here a couple of weeks ago. OMG – love at first sip.

How can it be I’d never tasted this delicious hot, sweet drink? I live in Seattle, after all, the coffee shop capital of the world.

Ashley gave me a rundown of the different types of Chai out there, and insisted that Oregon Chai is the best (or at least her favorite). While at Central Market last week, I discovered Oregon Chai concentrate on sale for 2 for $4.00 – less than half the regular price. I bought a couple of each of the varieties (regular, slightly sweet, and caffeine free – made with red tea instead of black). I like them all – but prefer the sweeter varieties (of course).

Because I enjoy drinking this in the evening, the Caffeine Free variety has become my favorite. I always have it in my Laurel Burch cat mug, a favorite gift from my friend, Jana.

And topped with a little whipped cream and cinnamon, it’s simply divine.

What are your thoughts on chai?

Any brands in particular to recommend? Want to write a chai haiku?

Virtually every morning for the past 2 weeks, I have awakened with one (or more) of the songs from Book of Mormon, the musical, playing in my head. Brandon had purchased the cd, and we listened to it over and over again while I was in Costa Rica.

The songs are so catchy that they just stick in your head and won’t go away. But that’s ok, because I simply love the soundtrack.

Since it was written by the brilliantly funny South Park boys (who refer to this musical as their love-letter to Mormonism), and the musical genius Robert Lopez (Avenue Q) I expected some profanity and crudeness. They have built their career on crudeness and pushing the envelope, and I can handle most of what they throw out on South Park. But three of these numbers are a bit too much for me and I have them “unchecked” in iTunes so they don’t play. Most songs, however, are simply delightful – catchy, fun, clever, brilliant or just plain silly.

If you love musicals you really need to listen to a few of these songs. Even if… no, especially if you’re Mormon (with a sense of humor), since you’ll get all the inside jokes. Some of the best musical theater music I’ve ever heard.

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Of the more than 800,000 species of insects on the earth, Costa Rica is home to over 34,000 of them. Let me introduce you to a few that I’ve met while here. You’ll want to click on the images to enlarge them for detail.

I spotted this gorgeous blue/purple beetle on the rug on Brandon’s deck. He was about the size of a small ladybug. Sadly he was dead… but on the bright side, he held still while I photographed him : )

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Since I arrived in Costa Rica two weeks ago, I have been delighted by the little frog who croaks outside my window at night. He makes me smile and laugh.

And I’ve commented on numerous occasions that I really want to see him! I want to see a frog – in the wild – while I’m here!

Well, tonight I got my wish. As we were leaving for dinner, I glanced out at the pool and noticed a dark green blob sitting on the floating lounger. Yes – a frog! It was dark, but I still managed to take a few photos of his royal sleekness.
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I love my new iPad 2.

Maybe more than any other gadget I’ve ever owned…

Although I’ve really liked (and still do) my iPhone, I have a hard time reading on the small screen, and can’t stand typing on it. I wanted something that was more portable than my laptop, bigger than my iphone, easy to read on – and fun. And the iPad is it!

I made it through all levels on the free Angry Birds game (a bit addictive).

I created the colorful blue abstract background with the ArtRage App. That program is even more addictive than Angry Birds – plus it’s a great creative outlet.

I’ve discovered Toodeldo for list keeping (which is a pleasure on the large, yet portable, iPad screen). I’ve downloaded Kindle, Pandora, Netflix, NPR, Huff Post, NASA, StarWalk, GoSkyWatch, Xfinity Apps. I’ve discovered Hangman HD (which combines the fun of Hangman with current events).

So… any other “must have” apps you can recommend?

This week I tried a new recipe. Turned out DELICIOUS and I decided to share…

Black Bean (Mint) Brownies

• 1 15oz. can of UNSEASONED black beans – drained and rinsed
• 4 eggs (extra large)
• 1 cup Sugar (I used xylitol)
• 3 1/2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tbsp. oil or butter
• 1 Tbs Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup ricotta or cream cheese
• Chopped nuts – optional (I used walnuts)
• 4 – 5 drops Peppermint Essential oil (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients but nuts in a food processor or blender- blend very, very well. If you want them even more chocolaty, you could toss in some chocolate chips with the nuts at this point.

Pour into an 8×8 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray or oiled with canola or olive oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes. (til toothpick pulls out clean).

Who knew black beans could taste so moist and chocolaty!
I recommend these highly if you’re trying to go gluten free for cut down on carbs.

By the way… Black Bean Brownies do not cause gas. Because the black beans are pureed, the fiber is broken down before you eat them. Yeah!

Try them and let me know what you think.