White Picket Fences

"Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."-Annette Funicello

Living out of a couple of suitcases really drives home the appreciation for reliable go-to pieces in my wardrobe. Clothes that serve a function with style. Classic but quirky prints that jazz up the now daily uniform of jeans and a T-shirt. Here in Seattle I am appreciating the appeal of a charming raincoat and some good rain boots. While Sacramento is still boasting mild and nearly summer-like weather, my new clime of the Emerald City is taking in a cold North wind, a possibility of snow and the inevitable rain shower. My California blood is having a time of it adjusting. A solar-powered soul, I'm finding it difficult to stay warm.

I can see why the Seattle-ites focus more on utility than style. Layers are needed for varying weather conditions, and one must always be prepared for a little rain. Fashion is built differently up here.

Not Perfect but Wonderful: Exploring the neighborhoods for a sense of place.

No sign of the formerly ubiquitous cut-off short-shorts and tights. The outer wear and shoes that are worn seem to be strictly chosen for utility, so you see lots of Colombia brand rain-proof coats and thick rubber wellies. In fact, the whole look is a bit less dandy than what I've been used to on the sun-soaked sidewalks of Sacramento.  Materials that are most likely water repellent are the fabric of choice here with barely a hint of bright color unless its lashed up on a bicyclist riding at night.

Waterproof is key. And yet, strangely enough for me, the landscape isn't dotted with umbrellas. It seems to be a tourist thing to do, to need and use an umbrella. Lucky for me, I've already lost mine, so today's afternoon walk in the rain, I slid over the sidewalks like a native. The landscape is lush and beautiful. The rain keeps the fauna satiated and plump. Right now, the lawns are littered with flowering bulbs like daffodils, crocuses and hyacinthe. My favorite thing is seeing the trees on the verge of blossoming. The tips of the boughs are swollen and ready to burst with bright flowers. Some of the trees have already begun to burst with bloom, looking like premature fireworks. It's a very beautiful sight.

These pictures were taken on an overcast day in Sacramento a few weeks back; I think I imagined I'd be dressing more like this in my new rainy-day home. It is pretty cold still (there was a light snow flurry this morning!) so imagine a few more layers, some sweaters, a knit caps and two pairs of tights, a pair of gloves and a heavier and wet wool overcoat, and you've got the picture. I'm not sure what I pictured my life to be once I got here. I'm still trying to find my stride, and into a swing of things.

There is so much to appreciate in my new locale, but there's also so much to miss. I'm trying to find a balance and absorb the sights of Seattle more as a resident, and less as a tourist. I like the look of the weathered white picket fences- and there are plenty here; the fences remind me of the ideals and reveals of what we are in search for when we seek a place to call home. Possibly, the thing I'm trying to find is less a sense of adventure and more a sense of home. Here's to the white pickets fences that point the way to it.