The East Coast is getting blasted with a wintry mix, and I'm ever so thankful I live in balmy Seattle. A recent cold spell brought freezing temperatures and frosty mornings. Something we Seattle-ites don't often see:

One of the nicest things about working at the Seattle Asian Art Museum is that it's located inside a big city park. On my lunch break, I try to get down to the Volunteer Park Conservatory. It's just at the end of the drive, past a row of chestnut trees. I have a black thumb myself -- I can even kill bamboo -- and I'm just in awe of people who can nurture plants. Each room of the conservatory features a different theme: palms, orchids, cacti, etc. My favorites are the carnivorous plants and the massive jade tree. The conservatory gets decked out for the holidays. Silver torch cactus