Cofffe Chat: Next Year, Next Year...But Right Now, too.

Do come in and now's a wonderful time for a bit of coffee...There are loads of cookies to choose from and fruit cake and Banana poundcake, as well.  There are mandarins in the fruit stand and salted nuts. Oh and we can't forget that large jar of Christmas chocolates.  That all sounds right lovely for a treat with coffee, agreed?

Well here I am...Just a day or so ahead of the family party and dreading facing an unexpected visitor.  Not a 'happy to see you!' sort of guest but because of the late hour of arrival we feel compelled to offer up a bed for the night and so I've taken time on this day meant for nothing but rest to clean up the guest room a bit nicer than usual and set out water bottles and snacks and about dark I shall go turn on a light in the room so that it looks cheerful and welcoming.   Originally the hour of arrival was well within daylight hours and frankly I was hoping that the offer of a room would be bypassed and traveling would re-commence but now the hour of arrival is well after dark and the roads are long and rural and darker than dark and it seems inhuman to not ask her to stay.



An awkward visit to say the least and yet, here I find it necessary to work hard at stretching that Christian goodwill and faith I am always wanting to promote within and finding indeed that 'one size fits all' is just as difficult to believe in faith as it is in clothes!  Sometimes it's a hard fit!

Still, despite all the awkwardness and don't-wanna-do-this-ness, I feel sorry for the person.  I do truly. I think there are many hard ways to live but alone and unloved must be the hardest way of all.  Even if we know that the person is responsible for the greater part of their current position, it seems terribly sad to me.  I have so much.  I have a husband who is a dear, dear man;  I have children and grandchildren who love me and call me their own.  This person threw away the things that would lead on this road a long time ago.

You know I had no idea a couple of years ago how many guests that guest room of mine would see. This week alone I shall host at least three different guests including the one this evening.  And every month it seems someone is in that room for a night or two.  I'm so glad I made it a welcoming room instead of  junk/spare room as it was for a bit there.  It is good to have a place to make another feel welcome.  Of course, Granny had a fold out bed and a sofa that pulled out into a bed and she made do as she'd say.  Grandmama sometimes had a spare bedroom and sometimes not depending upon whether or not Uncle Jerry was currently in or out of jail.  She too had the pull out sofa bed and she could make up a pallet on the floor that would leave you feeling you were on the best mattress in the world.  Or so I thought at 12 or so.

This week was a busy one.  I did all the usual household things and I  prepared for the family party coming up on Saturday.  I've done everything except make slaw and I am sorely tempted at this point to pick some up at the grocery.  And since we need eggs I may just as well do so.  I'm tired but happy and even had a moment or two to tackle the odd job or two.

One of those 'odd jobs' wasn't intentional.  I found ants in the baking cupboard Sunday morning.  Not in the side of it that had mixes and such but in the side with the bowls and handmixer.   Then on the upper shelf where I store all the glass jars I've accumulated.   Then they were in the section with the mixes which are all well covered in jars.  They got into only one jar.  The one that contained corn starch of all things.  I've no idea why.

I got it all cleaned up just in time to start my baking.

I loved baking cookies this year.  I found my best sugar cookie recipe once more  and used it for two different types of cookies.  I made sugar cookies with pretty colored sugars and a different flower impressed on each though John says he can't see them.  I made thumbprints for Katie and Sam to argue over.  I made chocolate chip cookies and haystacks.  I made Magic Cookie bars.   Those are all the cookies, save the stove top cookies I may make nearer Christmas Day, that are considered the must have cookies for Christmas in this house. 

I thought about it as I was baking cookies.  Two years ago I was too afraid of the diabetes diagnosis to even consider Christmas baking.  Now I feel more comfortable with the choices I know I must make on a daily basis and more confident in myself making those good choices.  Not to say I wouldn't love at times to sit down and just have my way with a batch of good cookies...but I always feel it's not at all worth the end result.  So I have my cookie or two a day and leave it at that and I make good choices in all other areas to make up for the cookie.  And it's encouraged me to walk to the mailbox each day, lol, which is very nice now that its cool and crisp outdoors.  Maddie loves that walk, as well.

Instead of sitting down mid-afternoon with a cookie I grab a mandarin instead.  I feel it's got the bonus of all the good Vitamin C and lots of fiber.   It does not however, go well with a cup of coffee.  It is fairly well suited to a cup of hot tea.

It is a ritual I missed though and one that makes the holiday seem more holiday-ish.  Just as taking a hot cup of chocolate or coffee and turning off the lights and gazing at the Christmas tree.  I played Christmas carols most mornings this week.  I needed that added boost of holiday spirit which went along rather nicely with the cookie baking.

Next week I mean to take time to go out and ride around to look at Christmas tree lights.  I'm hoping next week for more Christmas movies.   I think I have a few if I can't find anything suitable on television and I'll pull those out.  I found one of my Christmas books the other morning as I cleared the guest room bookshelf.   That put me in mind to pull down several books with favorite Christmas scenes to read through.

You see I'm trying to convince myself that Christmas isn't over once the kids go home this weekend; that there are indeed many things to look forward to and enjoy before I start thinking too much of Next Year.

Yes, I know I capitalized it and I'll tell you why.  There's always something momentous about Next Year if only in our own minds.  My Katie can be rather sardonic at times and she once sent out a social media greeting that said something like this:  "Happy New Year to all of you who have planned big changes for the New year only to keep doing the same old things you've been doing..."  I can say honestly that in my life the New Year generally brings something new.   That's because I really do seek change.  I don't make the usual resolutions to lose weight, get fit, etc.  I make resolutions like this one "Learn to crochet."  "Add a new flower bed to the yard."   Those are my sorts of resolutions, ones I'm likely to keep.

Yes, I have been thinking of next year.  What I'd like to improve, change, purchase.  I've promised myself new mattresses this year starting with the guest bed.  After all, as I told John, that old mattress is seeing a lot of work this year and it's time to think of the comfort our guests.   I have a chair or two I'd like to have reupholstered or at least custom fit for slipcovers, even if it ends being a diy job on my part.   I have a few other plans, as well.

I just don't want to waste the rest of this season looking too far ahead.  Not yet.  Not until after Christmas.  And maybe not quite then either.  Because John is working we are making plans to have our own little Christmas dinner here after the fact.  I've a lovely beef roast.  I want to make Yorkshire pudding.  I will make a carrot cake because that's the one cake that says Christmas to me.  Mama always made one.  So I'd like to extend Christmas just a bit past Christmas Day.

John is so funny.  This week, as at Thanksgiving, is his long stretch of days off.  This happens once a month.  Just like at Thanksgiving we've nothing but company ahead of us.  He asked "Do we get any time at all to ourselves?"  "Maybe Sunday afternoon.  For sure, Monday."  He groaned at that.  I've promised him that in January we shall plan to do something on our own.   We'll go somewhere maybe, and refuse company (and turn away the unexpected ones, too!).   These shifts of his are awfully hard to deal with and I mean that most sincerely.  I can't keep up with what day of week it is, nor can John.  John generally ends sleeping through most of the day and night after a 24 hours shift.  And then we cram in all we can on the one remaining day off and drop into bed at 9pm after snoozing in our chairs.  Then we start it all over again.  So we especially look forward to these five days off each month.    We don't mind sharing it with family.  In fact, we prefer to share some of it with family but we have really gone overboard with that these past two months.   A whole lotta family and not nearly enough John and Terri time.   I'd like to plan something special.  I'll have to take time to figure this out.  For once, money is not the issue.  It's time.

Have you ever noticed it's usually that way?   You either have time or you have money but seldom have both at the same time?

What I don't have at the moment is any more time...Our unexpected guest has been delayed but should finally be here at any time.  I need to put away the computer and prepare myself...Say a prayer for me!