We're just in from church and have had our Sunday dinner. It's been wet and cold all weekend long and we've been snug and warm in the house. In my book, this is a perfect winter weekend, albeit that it's late fall. It's been a cozy sort of weekend though I have yet to pick up a book. There's just something about the glow of a Christmas tree on a grayish day and the lighting of the candles for Chanukah come evening to soothe the spirit.
I think, just possibly, this is part and parcel of the 'hygge' we've heard so much of the last year or so. Pronounced 'hue-gah', this is a Danish word that essentially means a cozy sort of seasonal nesting that engenders a feeling of well being. I am all for a word that encourages me to nestle in and get cozy...aren't you? Most especially this time of year. Christmas can be a rather crazy time of year if we let it, but it has the infinite possibility of contentment if we remember to take the time. Hot cocoa on a rainy evening? Yes please. And a throw to snuggle down under when the evening cools the day still more. And a stack of good books at my side.
Our Christmas service was today. The adult and children choirs put on a special program and it was funny, and awesome and lovely and just right. I've felt a little badly that I hadn't made much of a fuss over Chanukah this year, nor Christmas either really but it all feels perfectly right for this year. Every bit of it. And that's worth singing over!
I plan my work:
This week it is meant to be cool, but not too cold to consider going out to work in my shed which is what I really need to do. I'd like to get a few things packed up and take to donate when I go over Mama's way early this week.
Make up rolls for Shabat and for holiday breakfast.
As things come in this week, assemble and put into place the new kitchen cabinet I've bought, remove our box springs and frame from our bed and set up the new one, shift things about in the guest room, etc. The rooms are temporarily in disarray until things get settled into place once more. All should be delivered by end of week, provided nothing is coming via Fed Ex in which case it could be whenever the mood strikes them to drive this way.
I'd very much like to complete my Christmas shopping and mailing off of packages that must go out this week. Fortunately John is working two days this coming week and I shall have at least one day to do those things. I'll spend one day with Mama attending to her shopping and try to think ahead to do what I can of my own holiday meals shopping while out. I never count hard on that bit of shopping though as all too often I am overwhelmed with her need for help.
I also need to buy some fabric bins that will fit the new kitchen cabinet when it arrives for storage to go in it. John needs storage bins for his music room closet. He has finally determined to work on that space and hasn't got the equipment he needs to make it as neat as it could be and be more efficient with the space he has.
Zone work:
I plan to concentrate on bedrooms and baths this week. I am admittedly all over the place of late with my homemaking. I find myself tackling jobs wherever I see them but I am tending to the zone work areas first each week.
I plan meals:
Homemade Vegetable Pizza
Pot Roast, Steamed Broccoli, Rolls, Cheesecake
on my own xs 2, dinner out/leftovers
Chicken Pot Pie, cranberry sauce, Green Salad with Apples and Walnuts
Red Beans and Rice, Coleslaw, Corn Muffins
Roast Beef Hash, Green Beans, Tomato Salad
I plan leisure:
I really do mean to get together my favorite Christmas books...I haven't done it yet. I'd also like to pull my vintage January women's magazines. I've entirely skipped the November and December ones this year and I find I'm missing the reading through of those old magazines.
I found in my shed this past week some pretty tea cups with holly on them. They are small and I find that drinking my usual amount of coffee (BIG mug) in these small cups often means I have several cups of coffee. As well, it means that I concentrate on drinking the coffee because otherwise it gets cold pretty quickly. This week I'm going to take time to have coffee each morning (at least the mornings I'm alone) in the living room with the tree lights on contemplating the season and the end of the year that is approaching and just soaking in the pretty lights.
6 comments:
Ahhh unfortunately I have been too spendy lately too. And at least some of mine was frivolous, but I am done! I start today the New Year budget. I am through with the holiday spending except some food stuffs and I have a gift card which should cover most of that!
At the ment we are pretty much snowed in. I like that knowing we cannot and do not have to go anywhere. It is a good day to wrap the piles of presents on our dining room table.
Lana, that sounds incredibly cozy.
Angela, I was just looking at coffeemaker which John also wants to replace, however, I am offput by price even with a 30% discount. I think we shall wait until our birthdays to see about a new coffee pot. That will give us a bit of recovery time! If mine should quit I do have a back up that we carry with us on vacation. We can always use that.
DEAL ALERT!!! Your Cuisinart griddle may be a really good deal today!
https://hip2save.com/2018/12/10/cuisinart-griddler-five-as-low-as-50-99-shipped-regularly-130-10-kohls-cash/
Terri, I joined a group called Simple Savings and on browsing through I found a title to a book I thought you might be interested in.. I'm sure the Library would have it...
'Feeding the Nation' helps get through tough times
You never know how little you can survive on until you try! I've always been a Simple Saver and have practiced many strategies over the years. However when my husband was made redundant three months ago, I had to come up with something extra. After reading about food rationing in Great Britain during WWII I discovered a book titled 'Feeding the Nation' by Marguerite Patten, OBE. The book provides hundreds of recipes which used the foods available at the time. As meat, sugar, fats and most other foods were rationed in small quantities the recipes are not just economical, but healthy as well! We have enjoyed turning simple and humble ingredients into gastronomic delights and have even lost weight to boot!
Lana, thank you for the heads up. It did appear to be the 'right' Cuisinart grill. Just wasn't in my budget to stretch that far this week. John and I spent enough on the house this go round! Thank you again for thinking of me and alerting me.
Louise, THank you! I'll keep my eyes open for that book at an online library. I love older cookbooks anyway, because they tend to use real foods that are mostly budget friendly.
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