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Thankful Thursday Evening, Jan 7-13

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Welcome to the Thankful Thursday evening edition.  Remember when newspapers used to have both morning and evening editions? And were actually paper? Delivered in the driveway?

Sometimes, I miss those days. However, I’m thankful for the Internet and the way I can use it to share all the great things from my week with all of you. And connect with other bloggers and readers.

The reason for the evening edition of my post is the weather. Today was sunny and in the mid-50’s. I was outside most of the day wearing my sweatshirt, no coat needed. One of the devotional verses this morning was Psalm 118:24, This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. And that’s just what I did with some help from a certain bossy little gray cat.

And I opened the windows and aired out the entire house. As much as I love candles, diffusers, and the like there is no better scent in the world than fresh air. Especially, after many in the household were sick.

Remember my list goes from Friday to Thursday each week. So some of these are possibly from last week as well.

Here are the items for my Thankful Thursday

  1. Plenty of streaming choices on the TV
  2. A Kansas City Chiefs win over Denver!
  3. Financial aid and a scholarship helping with G’s college costs
  4. A few pleasant exchanges with the teenager
  5. On-line church
  6. Drive-thru windows
  7. On-line grocery shopping
  8. Keeping my sense of humor (though it’s only Monday as I type this one) thankful Thursday evening
  9. Sunshine, warmer weather, and blue skies in January
  10. Watching out the back door as two Carolina wrens called to each other

And a few extras from today:

  1. A chance to open the windows and air out the house
  2. Managing to keep one pack of these Prosecco Bon Bons hidden for my Joe Millionaire viewing party tonight (I’m the only guest, lol). It’s not a giant jar like in the link, it’s just a bag I ordered from Universal Yums.
  3. Finding a few “forgotten” images on the bridge camera SD card

    Thankful Thursday evening
    Cooper’s Hawk, not sure when I took this
  4. A glimpse of a spectacular sunset out the back. Unfortunately, we are well suited for me to grab sunrise photos, not so much sunset pictures. The sky was filled with the most brilliant orange and red hues. Since I couldn’t get a decent photo of a sunset, here’s another from the forgotten SD card, a sunrise from a few weeks ago: Thankful Thursday Evening
  5. Remembering to fill the gas tank on the car while the weather was still nice (snow predicted for the weekend)

What things are on your thankful Thursday evening list?

Being Kind to Myself and Going Slow

Heal2022 4 Comments

So I pick heal for my word of 2022 and we all start the year with COVID. Wonderful. Last week I shared a bit about the self-care journal I found at Target.  Right now for this week I’m simply focused on being kind to myself and going slow.

Those sound like such simple things. However, I’m struggling with them a bit.

being kind to myself

Why is it so hard to be kind to ourselves? Or is it just me? I can easily encourage a kid, a friend, a family member. However, it takes so much work for me to be kind to myself and give myself the same level of grace. A lot of times it just comes down to the information found in this article I stumbled across. Not knowing what I need. And sometimes it’s knowing exactly what I need but not wanting to disrupt the peace to get it. That really needs to change.

However, for this week here are some ways I plan on being kind to myself: being kind to myself

  1. Spend sometime outside going for a walk alone (We went for a drive yesterday to get my husband out of the house but it gave me worse cabin fever not being able to get out and just be in nature)
  2. Ask (nicely) for what I need. Sick or not, I need my family to show a little (not a lot) appreciation. Thank you goes a long way with me.
  3. Stand up to that mean inner voice that tries to tell me (and sadly, sometimes succeeds) that I’m not good enough.
  4. Drink my water! And forgive myself if I fall a bit short on my goal of a tall glass of water with every meal.

Didn’t I also say something about going slow?

being kind to myself

I don’t know if going slow is really what I mean here. It’s more a case of taking the time to allow myself to feel my feelings. Not getting bogged down with them but not simply pushing them away (a bad habit of mine) either. When you don’t take the time to feel your feelings, they tend to come back in a rush and stronger over minor things. At least, that happens to me. Does that ever happen to you?

A minor spat over J’s breakfast this morning brought back so many feelings of inadequacy from this time last year when his struggles with anxiety started. The voice in my head started in telling me that this taking care of a sick family thing wasn’t that hard and I wasn’t doing nearly enough or anything right. That I was a “crap” parent. My plan this year is to take a minute and fully feel things, including sadness and frustration. Hopefully, doing that allows me to heal a bit from some past hurts I’ve simply ignored.

Note, I don’t plan to dredge up the past but simply acknowledge the hurts and not rush away the feelings. Hoping this approach helps to lighten the mental load a bit in the coming year.

Of course, I also plan to take some time and experience the feelings of joy. That’s the focus of my Thankful Thursday posts, new one coming tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Homemaker Monday, We’re Positive People

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Usually being positive is a good thing, right? Unless, of course, we’re referring to the dreaded Covid-19. I’m late this morning because I had to take J for a test through the school district and of course, he tested positive. I’m not surprised.

That makes 3 out of 4 around here. I’d likely test positive as well (maybe not, no symptoms) but finding tests is still crazy impossible in these parts. Feel lucky to have found the 2 I did last week. Yesterday, G went to his appointment to take a PCR test at CVS and the drive-up was closed. Big sign in the window that they were closed due to staff shortage and to reschedule your tests. SIGH. And the test he ordered from our state almost 2 weeks ago, still not shipped. So much for that.

Big sign on the store where I found the 2 at-home tests, currently out of stock. That said, I realize we are very fortunate that the illness has hit our house with pretty mild symptoms. Sore throats, sinus congestion, and a bit of fatigue. A bit of a cough for them all as well. No serious breathing issues, big relief on that.

Hope if you are reading this your family is healthy and far away from any Covid-19 illnesses. Time to join in with Sandra at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom to plan this second week of the year.

The Weather

Checking the weather out the window this morning

Chilly this morning, in the 20’s, but supposed to warm up to the 50’s by tomorrow. That’s just about shorts weather in January in Missouri. Not really, well, maybe for the middle school kids. However, it is definitely open the windows for a tiny bit to air out the house weather! Chance of rain on Friday. We still need some moisture around here. It’s been a pretty dry winter so far.

How I Am Feeling This Morning

A little bit stir-crazy. Thinking I might make my husband go for a drive later just so he can get out of the house for a bit. Confused about all the quarantine regulations. I *think* I’m good to wear masks and get stuff still (since I’m vaccinated & boosted & all that) but I’m not sure. Definitely don’t want to get anyone else sick. Not working this week for sure (again, so much for a paycheck) but think I’ll be okay to work the 21st when I’m scheduled. Did I mention I was confused?

On The Breakfast Plate

Strawberry cheesecake flip yogurt, coffee, and vitamins. Might make the rest of them some cinnamon applesauce muffins in a bit.

On My Reading Pile

I read The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson. Thought it would inspire me to declutter a bit but honestly, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Next up on my stack of library books is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It’s a children’s book but one I’ve never read believe or not! I feel as though I need to read it.

On My TV

NFL Football. Go Chiefs! That game about did me in on Saturday. I think every Chiefs fan was a Texans fan on Sunday, sigh, the Texans gave a valiant effort. Congrats to the Titans. And I’m happy for the Steelers! Though for obvious reasons, I can’t root for Pittsburgh this coming Sunday. Other than sports, I’m also watching Around the World in 80 Days on PBS (it’s very good) and *hanging head a bit, talk about a pivot* Joe Millionaire on Thursdays (the millionaire is from Missouri so I feel obligated to watch). Also, caught a bit of Next Level Chef which seems like it’s going to be good.

On The Menu

Clearing out the freezer while trying to feed sick people is a bit of a tall order. Trying still…all subject to change.

MONDAY: Lasagna, garlic breadsticks (salad if I get to the store, see my confusion above)

TUESDAY: Ribs in the crockpot (Why we have so many ribs in our freezer I do not know), corn on the cob

WEDNESDAY: Pepper steak, rice

THURSDAY: Tacos

FRIDAY: Homemade pizza, salad

On My To Do List

  1. Take J for Covid-19 test DONE
  2. E-mail results to school nurse DONE
  3. Cancel J’s Doctor appt for Friday (just a check up)
  4. Pay Bills
  5. Put away rest of Christmas (it’s all down just not properly put away)

From The Camera

Not too much as we were stuck inside most of last week due to illness and cold weather. Played around with taking photos through the front door this morning.

Looking Around The House

Most of this is now put away thankfully

Walls are closing in on my a bit. Need to put away some laundry that’s still sitting on the couch, usual clean up chores. Did shine one side of the kitchen sink last week.

Something Fun To Share

Just some music I heard on the TV Saturday morning and liked. Probably the last person to have heard of this song but I enjoyed it.

Quote For The Week

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12 NIV)

Thankful Thursday: First of 2022

Thankful Thursday 2 Comments

Welcome to my first Thankful Thursday of 2022! In my plans to *Heal* (my 2022 word of the year), my goal is to definitely take some time each day for a bit of gratitude and share a bit of it each Thursday.  Thankful Thursday

This isn’t a new idea at all, there are lots of thankful Tuesdays and Thursdays and other days (we should be thankful everyday) to link up and share gratitude. I have no plans to complicate this by making it a link up but if you’d like to join me each Thursday in your blog post, just let me know in the  comments and I’ll come by and visit. Definitely, always grateful for blog readers, comments, and my fellow bloggers!

Thankful Thursday for the Beginning of the Year 2022

  1. Spotting a hawk sitting on the fence by suet feeder at dusk on Saturday. I startled it (we startled each other) so it flew off before I could even think to look for the camera.
  2. A phone call with a friend on Monday afternoon. It was cut a bit short so definitely more catching up to do at a later date. Thankful Thursday
  3. A beautiful sunrise on Tuesday morning! Thankful Thursday
  4. Starbucks still having holiday drinks, one last crème Brule latte for the season!
  5. Library books, everyone here is sick except me so it’s nice to have a book or two for company
  6. Finding at-home COVID tests in the drug store (Not great results)
  7. Feeling healthy enough to take care of all the sick people in this house (Booster shot for the win?)
  8. For the discipline to tell myself “there’ll be another sale” when looking at on-line deals
  9. This silly cat that keeps me on my toes Thankful Thursday
  10. Easy phone calls and e-mails with the extremely kind and helpful high school nurse (attendance protocols are so confusing right now)

I’m stopping at 10 this week and that’s probably going to be my number each week. Not going to lie, coming up with a few of these items was a challenge this week. Didn’t plan to start the year with half my household testing positive for COVID. 

Bonus Items

So, I took a break from this post to run to the bathroom, check on the sick people, and change over the laundry (so much laundry…lots of bedding and blankets getting a run through with an add-in capful of bleach). And I thought of three more random things to add to my Thankful Thursday list.

  1. The flower/garden seed catalogs I’ve collected, sitting and waiting for me to plan the garden for the warm, sunny days ahead
  2. A vain one but I’m very thankful for a great hairdresser because my hair still looks decent despite having to postpone an already over-due hair appointment.
  3. Bigger and more important: I’m so very thankful for clean, running water to drink and have available for basic chores. The church service project on Christmas Eve was to collect money for clean water wells in Mozambique (100% collected went to the project and they collected double their goal!). I tend to take our clean water (we have really good water around here, it’s won awards and stuff) for granted but I am so very thankful for it.

What things, big or small, are making you feel thankful?

 

 

My Plan to Heal for 2022

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Thought I’d share a bit more on my word of the year, heal. Here’s my loose plan to heal in 2022.

Breaking down the idea of healing into 3 categories: Mind, Body, and Spirit.

Interestingly enough, as I was in Target one day last week, I found this 52 week journal of self-care.

plan to heal

My favorite kind of book/journal: hardbound and with beautiful photographs throughout.

Each week starts with a bible verse, then has space to write positive thoughts and ways to improve in each area.

plan to heal

This week, the focus is on the body. I’ll put myself out there a bit and share my 3 areas for my plan to heal in this area.

My Plan to Heal the Body

  1. Eat less sugar/more healthy foods
  2. Drink more water
  3. Exercise (yoga or walking)
  4. Spend more time outside

Results I Hope to Achieve with Body Healing

  1. Not to start with the obvious but of course, to lose some weight
  2. Hopefully, the weight loss will help with these dry scaly patches on my legs (pretty sure it’s psoriasis)
  3. More energy to get things done
  4. A healed body that naturally defaults to a happier mind and lighter spirit

None of my plan is really complex or new I suppose. The difference is that this year I’m going to take the time to actually take care of myself. Thinking of those tired oxygen mask/empty cup analogies but they are true.

Next week, if I’m not working, I’ll talk a bit about my plans for healing my mind or spirit and what happened this week in regards to healing my body. Pretty sure the chocolate chip cookie for breakfast wasn’t part of the plan but hey, the Christmas season doesn’t end around here until January 6. And I did drink my glass of water after breakfast and another one with lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Homemaker Monday, First One of 2022

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Happy First Monday of the New Year! Hope your new year is off to a happy and healthy start!

Ours is off to a kid waiting on a COVID test kind of start. SIGH. G started throwing up last Thursday night convinced he had food poisoning. However, that evolved into a sore throat and a cough plus stuffy nose. He said he had a bad headache on Thursday night as well. And of course, we had family over that night. Plus my nephew staying with us. My nephew ended up with a sore throat/fever over night on Saturday (They were already headed back to Florida) and has mild cold symptoms. So far the rest of the family is fine.

Thankfully, while G’s felt bad it’s not been too bad for him. Other than not being able to find a COVID test anywhere remotely near us. He ended up ordering one on-line from the state but we don’t have it yet. The rest of us remain symptom free and we’re on day 5 today so *fingers crossed* all stays well. I canceled my hair appointment today *grumble* *I don’t like being a responsible adult* *grumble* and J doesn’t go back to school until tomorrow (as far as I can tell, since he’s vaccinated, he can return as long as he wears his mask) *On a lighter note, Target has plenty of ovulation tests available, stupid Internet search results, pretty sure that would be a negative test result for my 20 year old son, ha!*

Anyway, enough on that subject. I’m excited to join in with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom for the first Happy Homemaker of this new year.

The Weather

Winter has arrived around here! Not sure what happened but we went from almost 70 degree days in December to 16 degrees and feels like 7 this morning. Tomorrow we’re supposed to climb to the low 40’s before plummeting back down to another 12 degree day on Thursday with a chance of a little more snow.

How I Am Feeling This Morning

Not too bad. Not sick at all thank goodness. A bit ready for a day at home alone, not today though. If it warms up to a bit more of a suitable temperature I might venture out for a walk somewhere to get some alone time.

On The Breakfast Plate

Cinnamon toast, coffee, and a chocolate chip cookie. Oh, and vitamins. Once I finish my coffee, I’ll add in a full glass of water.

On My Reading Pile

Finished my re-read of Christmas Island by Natalie Norman over the weekend. I really need to order the actual book as I do love the story so much, it’s set in Norway and talks about their traditions as well as being a nice, light cozy romance story. Currently, I’m reading Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight.

On My TV

I’ve been watching Nate and Jeremiah: Save My House on Discovery Plus but I’m almost done with it. And a bit of football (no comment *grumble*). Last night I surprised myself by watching and really enjoying the first episode of Around the World in 80 Days. I’m hoping PBS airs it weekly or I’ll have to figure out how to stream it. Not much else, though I did watch Encanto (very enjoyable, lots of music!) and Ron’s Gone Wrong  on New Year’s Eve.

On The Menu

Time to clear out the pantry and freezer but I still have no ideas. Ha.

MONDAY: Maybe French Toast and sausage, strawberries *Carryover meal*

TUESDAY: Tacos, yellow rice

WEDNESDAY: Chicken strips (already cooked in freezer, why do we have so many of these?), salad

THURSDAY: Baked ham with pineapple rings/brown sugar, corn, ??, King’s Cake *Epiphany*

FRIDAY: Leftovers or homemade pizza

Looking Around The House

I have a bit of Christmas to put away still. Really need to change out the bathroom shower curtain, I’m sick of looking at it. Nativity always stays out until the 6th.

On My To Do List

  1. Finish putting away Christmas
  2. Wash masks
  3. Laundry (always)
  4. Write my pen pal a letter/mail a couple of birthday cards/send a sympathy card
  5. Sort through one tub in this basement
  6. Fly lady missions
  7. Finish up a blog post elaborating on my word of the year
  8. Organize dresser drawers (basically need to put away Christmas clothing)
  9. Probably a few things I’m forgetting

From The Camera

I’m really hoping to get my picture taking “mojo” back this month. I can tell I’ve not picked up the camera nearly enough lately.

Something Fun To Share

I’ve not done any serious family research in quite a while (quit paying for Ancestry some time ago) but an Instagrammer I follow mentioned RootsTech and it seems like an amazing and free resource for learning more about studying family history.

Quote For The Week

Seana from The Seana Method shared this on Facebook a day or two ago and I thought what a great perspective for the coming year. 

(source: Kissing Fish Book)

You bet I’ll be planting some flowers in 2022! How about you?

 

 

List of Twenty-Two Items for 2022

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Here’s my list of twenty-two items for 2022. Each year going back to 2019, I think, maybe earlier, I’ve made a list of items to complete for the year. Am I successful each year? On a few, yes. On others, not so much. Yet I do enjoy the challenge and taking time to put a bit of thought into the upcoming year.

Usually the number of items correlates to the number of the year although 2,022 items might be pushing things! So, just the last 2 digits. And last year, keeping in mind my word of “less”, I made a shorter list. However, this year I’m back to making a list of the full number.

Some items on my list are repeats from the previous years while I’ve also added new ones. Suppose I should start with a review of last year’s list.

A Quick Glance At My Short List from 2021

  1. Read 72 books I read 98 books!
  2. Join in for every single Happy Homemaker Monday post I think I came close
  3. Keep a kindness journal Focus on ways to be kind to my family Still have room to improve here
  4. Serve a vegetable with every main meal in addition to/instead of potatoes Try one in season new vegetable each week Why wasn’t this easier? Room to improve
  5. Eat dinner together at the table as a family Tuesday through Thursday See above
  6. Buy and savor a “fancy” (read expensive) magazine each quarter (so 4 times)  I think I did this 3x
  7. Spend at least 5 minutes outside every day  Maybe too vague? I don’t know. 
  8. Observe one sugar free week each quarter (sensing a theme with the quarterly things here) Tried 2-3 times with mixed results
  9. Follow a nightly skincare regime Turned this into a morning routine instead
  10. Learn a craft FAIL
  11. Participate in Rudolph day on the 25th of each month Room to improve, trying again in 2022
  12. Save and preserve my old blog, So Not Organized (maybe in book form or on a flash drive?) I moved it to a free Word press site but wished I’d done this the way I started with simply moving posts over here as something happened and all my pictures from that blog are gone. Live and learn I suppose. Still have the posts at least.

So not the best set of results from last year. However, I’m excited about my list of twenty-two so let’s just move on to it.

 

 My List of Twenty-Two Items for 2022

List of 22 items

  1. Join in for every Happy Homemaker Monday
  2. Read 82 books
  3. Follow the Fly Lady Plan (Adapting the days to work for my schedule)
  4. Learn to use the laptop computer (my son gave me his old one in the summer and I’ve ignored it)
  5. Host Easter brunch
  6. Celebrate Rudolph Day each month with a bit of Christmas planning
  7. Share gratitude each week with a Thankful Thursday post
  8. Drink a minimum of 3 glasses of water a day
  9. Go on a vacation
  10. Take at least 3 “people” pictures for each major holiday/occasion
  11. Make a photo book of 2021 and then delete all the pictures off the computer (or put them on a flash drive)
  12. Frame J’s all-district band photos (the one from 2019 and the one from 2021 when we get it)
  13. Use it up and/or  throw it out before buying new (with things like wrapping paper for example)
  14. Add in an evening skin care routine
  15. Try one new restaurant each month as a family
  16. Go through one bin in the basement each week (to clear out and declutter)
  17. Fix wedding ring
  18. Organize Pinterest boards by actually trying pins and deleting ones that are no longer relevant
  19. Start doing yoga again
  20. Make a better effort to reach out and connect with friends and family
  21. Create a master list of family birthdays 
  22. Take the coffee cup advice and enjoy myself (I use this coffee cup a lot of work days as a reminder to myself to just enjoy the time with the preschool kids)

What you think? Do you make lists like this? How’d you do in 2021? What are you excited to add to your 2022 list?

Happy New Year!

 

My Word of the Year: Heal

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I really wanted a safe choice for my word of the year in 2022. Almost opted out of picking a word at all. However, starting in early December this word kept working its way into my thoughts. In a way, I guess it’s a safe choice. However, I also find it a scary choice.

As I sit working on this post in 2021 with 2 weeks to go until Christmas (wanting to get these thoughts down before I forget them), the logical side of my brain is telling me that no, this isn’t a great choice. Healing is hard and will take work. Next fall (let’s jump way in the future, of course!) J starts his senior year and I should be enjoying all that, not working away at healing.

My Word of the Year: Heal

And full disclosure, perhaps a little superstition went into choosing my word of the year as well. I mean, after all I choose “home” as my word in 2020 (*shudder*) and reflecting back on last year, “less” really didn’t fill me up with joy. It started off well enough but the end of the year with less just felt a little empty.  So maybe by choosing “heal” it will reflect around enough that 2022 will be a better year than the past 2 for all of us. Maybe not. I’m not so silly as to really think I’m the one directing the ways of the world. Still, can’t hurt to pick a hopeful and helpful word, right?

The funny thing about this word is I’m not exactly sick. Heal is a word that makes me think of someone who is sick.  Gratefully, I have no serious illness, take no prescription medications. So why chose this word? Not sure but I just keep coming back to the thought it’s time to heal some of the hurts of the past and move forward to more happiness (I mean it’s not as if I am unhappy all the time. That’s not it at all. It just seems I could feel better. So much better). I have some ideas about how to focus on healing but I’ll save those for another post.

Did you pick a word for 2022?

 

 

 

Our Lazy Christmas

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I think that perhaps for the first time ever, we stayed home on Christmas day and didn’t host anyone either. It was strange and wonderful all at once!

Christmas Eve:

For the first time in many years, I didn’t spend the entire day shopping. Other than a quick run to World Market to look for golden syrup (for a recipe that didn’t happen as they were out of it), no running around in the crowds for me. It was nice to be at home during the day. Of course, my husband spent the day helping a friend so he wasn’t home. However, he spent many years “holding down the fort” while I shopped so I didn’t mind. That evening, we all went to church together (J played with the band at his baritone teacher’s church for 2 services) for the candlelight Christmas Eve service. I’ve always wanted to go to church on Christmas Eve, we just never have so I was very happy. The service was excellent. I’m hoping attending the candlelight Christmas Eve service is a tradition that continues.

…the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door 

And while I have a standard policy of not sharing photos of my family on the blog , I was very excited to get a great photo of my husband and kids together after the church service that tempted me to break with my policy. Maybe just this one time. (Shh! Don’t tell)

Christmas

On Christmas, the 20 year old who used to wake us up at 4 and 5 a.m. asked to sleep. So, we complied until noon. Then, I couldn’t take it anymore and we woke him up so we could do presents. Everyone seemed happy with their gifts. Mostly clothes, I do miss the sleep-deprived toy days a bit. However, waking up rested on Christmas is also an amazing gift! 

Speaking of being well-rested, my husband gifted me a new pillow. I’ve been on a quest to find a new pillow. I’m a squishy pillow person and I’d tried a couple cheaper new ones but they sounded like squished up coats to me. He splurged and got me what my oldest called “a hotel pillow.” I think it’s down. All I know is it’s squishy AND quiet.  I slept really good last night. My big gift to my husband was a new kitchen trash can as he really hated the one I’d painted to match the walls. So I bought him a plain white one. Welcome to boring married life. 

G gave me some very thoughtful gifts this year: a pop socket for my phone (how did I go so long without one of those?), a photography guide book, and these cool metal bookmarks that look like feathers. J got me the Christmas cactus I wanted and a gift card.

In the morning while waiting on the kids to wake up, we watched Die Hard. In the afternoon, while the kids messed with their gifts (it wasn’t all clothes) and my husband napped, I watched The Matrix Resurrections. I loved the movies and was not disappointed in this one. Despite the not so great reviews, I loved the cheesiness of it. To each their own I suppose.

Other Tidbits From The Day

Food was kind of weird on Christmas. I’d bought cinnamon rolls and a couple eclairs from the good (and oh so expensive, it’s definitely a special occasion kind of place) bakery for our morning. Then, had a loose plan for dinner but forgot to thaw things. So we didn’t really do a Christmas dinner. That part of the day was a bit odd with us kind of eating what was on hand, frozen pizza at lunch, leftover Church’s chicken from Christmas Eve, and then some leftover Thanksgiving turkey (from the freezer) later that night. And of course, way too many Christmas treats from stockings and earlier in the week.

I had a somewhat nice (once I convinced him I didn’t want to talk politics on Christmas) phone call with my brother who lives out of state. Exchanged Christmas texts with my other siblings (signs of the times, huh?) and a few friends. Christmas night I was as tired as if we’d run all over the place (husband said it was because we did nothing all day) and actually dozed off watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon one).

Overall, it was a nice day and very relaxing without having to worry about running around or time tables. However, if we repeat our lazy Christmas next year, I’ll be sure to have a proper dinner plan in place! That was the only glitch in the day.

(We do have plans to get together with family later this week.)

How was your Christmas?

 

Happy Homemaker Monday, After Christmas

HappyHomemakerMonday 8 Comments

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We had a lazy Christmas around here (I’ll share a post about it perhaps tomorrow). It was very nice. And later this week, we’ll be celebrating with my husband’s family as his sister and her family get in from Florida.

Apologies to not getting around to visit everyone last week and taking so long to reply to those of you who took the time to comment on my post. Had lots of last minute Christmas running around to do. Work was fun but tiring as well.

However, new week and a Christmas break week at that! Excited to join in with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom for the last Happy Homemaker post of 2021.

The Weather

Like a see-saw. Up one day, down the next. Actually, lately kind of like being stuck on the upside of the see-saw. However, I heard the weather person say we’re heading down into the 30’s one day this week. The lowest the temperatures been the past week is in the mid to upper 40’s. Not kidding when I say my potted petunia (the one I didn’t uproot) looks like it might bloom again in December!!

How I Am Feeling This Morning

Didn’t sleep great but a few too many cups of coffee cleared that feeling.

On My Mind

Things I need to do today: a bit of cleaning (hello, basement!), baking, and slowly taking down our Christmas decorations. Also, looking back on last year and thinking on items and a word for the new year (blog posts coming!)

On The Breakfast Plate

Christmas breakfast

A chocolate flip yogurt I didn’t want but it was the only kind left, too much coffee, and vitamins. Glad I went to the store to get some better yogurt flavors (J likes the chocolate but I don’t really care for it)

On My Reading Pile

Would you believe I’m between books?

On My TV

We watched Die Hard on Christmas morning (just my husband and I), then I watched The Matrix Resurrections by myself on Christmas afternoon (LOVED it.). Plus, football. Patrick Mahomes gave us all an extra Christmas present yesterday. Go Chiefs! And because it’s the season of too much tv, I also binge-watched Hawkeye on Disney plus. Enjoyed it more than I expected. Somewhere in the last two weeks I also watched Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on there. Really enjoyed that movie as well.

On The Menu This Week

Since we’ll have family in town, this is all subject to change but here’s what I planned around what we have on hand.

MONDAY: French toast and sausage, strawberries (I splurged a bit but we need some fruits and vegetables around here) *J may or may not have a 6:30 baritone lesson*

TUESDAY: Ribs in the crock pot, corn

WEDNESDAY: Tacos or taco soup

THURSDAY: Chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole

FRIDAY: OUT for NYE

SATURDAY: ham, cornbread, black-eyed peas, and salad

From The Camera

Buddy always visits the Nativity on Christmas Eve. This was my mom’s set.

 

I couldn’t get enough of yesterday’s sunrise. This was the view out the front window as it was just starting:

Looking Around The House

It’s in various stages of after Christmas disarray. I think I finally cleared enough junk from the kitchen table that we could use it once again.

New Recipe I Tried or Want To Try

Going to try and make my husband’s grandfather’s famous peanut brittle in a bit. Wish me luck. Also, want to try these Norwegian Pepperkaker cookies if I ever find golden syrup (World Market was out of it)

To Relax This Week I Will

If the weather is nice, go for a walk with the camera.

On My Prayer List

Friends, family, stranger. Safe travels for family coming to visit. Peace for all those who are struggling through this holiday season. A healthy and happy new year.

Quote For The Week

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

 

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