The Week Ahead: A New Decade

Well here we are!  Just two more days left in this year and decade and now we enter a new one.  I don't know about you all but I'm ready for something new and a New Year is as good as anything for a start.  Agreed?

Worth Sharing This Week: December 21-27

The Nester shared her minimalist Christmas and I went to view it.    It's nice, not too much, not too frou frou.  I do admire those who know their aesthetic and stick to it.  However it was the quote she put in that post that seemed most appropriate as a phrase to use over the next year.

The Days Behind: Christmas Week

Saturday:  The November food costs from Dept of Agriculture posted.  I thought you might like to see where your family falls on the government guides.  Ours is still below the thrifty plan...and remember this is for food only, does not include those sundry other things we might buy at the grocery.

Coffee Chat: Now and Then

Come in my dears, and have a cup of something warm...Make it what you like.  There's cocoa we may make by that lovely recipe I shared in 'Worth Sharing' yesterday, and lovely teas, Peppermint or English Breakfast.  There's coffee and you can have creamer or half & half or eggnog in it if you'd like.   There are lovely choices to be had for a cool morning and a good bit of chatter.

The Week Behind: December 14 - December 20

Saturday:  Sam asked if we'd take the boys for part of the day so he could finish work on the master bedroom project.  Initially I said "Yes, tomorrow afternoon..."   but in thinking it over, I realized he'd get a lot more work done if I took the boys for the morning and they went home to nap after 1pm, so I texted him early this morning to send the boys over.  Josh ran across the field as usual, but Sam brought Isaac over in the truck.

Worth Sharing This Week: December 14-20

We've been watching the newest season of "The Crown" and in episode 9 of season 3, this music blew me clean away.  I looked it up the night we were watching the episode and I've listened to it for long stretches each day since.  That I listened to it first on a rainy fall evening when heavy showers were pounding the roof didn't hurt a bit.

The Week Ahead: Tis the Season To Be Jolly...

For us, Christmas is pretty much over and done and I'm okay with that...but the day hasn't even arrived yet, and I really want to continue to enjoy this season.  I find with each week that has passed since Thanksgiving that I've gotten pretty good at finding little things to enjoy, happy things to do that all bespeak Christmas in one way or another whether it's as simple as lighting the tree and mantle each grey dreary day or dark night or listening to that lovely "O Come O Come Emmanuel" by the Piano Guys.

Coffee Chat: Christmas Present

Come in dears...There's Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies in the cookie jar and coffee or tea.  Yesterday I might have offered you something cold to drink but today something hot is definitely in order.

I've normally done a look back at the year behind by this point of the year, at least privately, but this year I find I'm not so keen on doing that.  It was a hard year in many ways and it wasn't until the past couple of months that  worries abated.  Admittedly in the midst of it all, there looked to be no end to it.   Now I look back and am astonished at the blessings that came my way at the end of the year.  It's enough to be grateful for those things without looking at the difficult passages.

The Week Behind: The Second Week of December

Saturday:  Family Day today.  I woke early, as in 5am and got up to have coffee and do my Bible study.  I knew coming into this weekend that it would keep me moving at a pretty good pace and I wanted to enjoy what I could of the quiet and peace before the mayhem.   It was well worth the rising early to have quiet coffee and time to myself.  John got up about 7am and we had breakfast.  And about 9, I began to finish up the last tasks: setting up the children's table, setting foods to heat on low, setting out serving bowls and spoons, etc.

Worth Sharing: December 7 - 13

I am loving this season of the year when I can find so many lovely things to share!   With the chilly winds that blew in for us last Sunday evening, and the heater running all through the day I was reminded that we were just a couple of weeks from winter...and now, at the end of this week,  we're  just ONE.

"Snow crystals," Ukichiro Nakaya wrote in 1939, "may be called letters sent from heaven."

Christmas in My Home This Year

I love to decorate for Christmas and enjoy creating a new fresh look for each year.  This year my initial inspiration was An English Christmas.  I'd planned a sort of Dickens Christmas Carol, but as always my initial vision be it holiday or seasonal home décor.

So I started this year with my little sheep, which don't look quite so little upon the tree!

This Week In My Home: Say "Santa!"

It's been a long day as I come to the evening hours of what was Shabat. I worked hard on Friday, woke extra early this morning, and am looking forward to Monday, which will be a quieter day...I think.

But it's been lovely today.  We had family day.  Seven grandchildren were here and a compliment of parents came with them.  I had far too much food though I thought I was modest in my estimation of what we'd need.

The Week Behind: Keeping House and Keeping Christmas

Saturday:  Our Sabbath keeping day was quieter.  John had someone cover half his shift and didn't go in until later.  Our dinner was simple enough, I heated a frozen homemade Shepherd's pie made up from leftovers of pot roast and potatoes I'd had left from another roast dinner (chicken that time) which I'd mashed to put on the pie.  It  was so delicious.  I made a green salad using the very last of our lettuce for this pay period.  Katie came out to pick up a portion of the Thanksgiving leftovers to reheat for their supper and had lunch with us.  She brought me a string of lights from the dollar store when she came out which saved me a trip to town.

Thoughts on Capsule Wardrobes andThrift Store shopping for clothes

I have always loved pretty, fashionable clothing.   As a child, I was plump and the limits placed on me in my growing years by the clothing manufacturer's was very real indeed.  Elastic waist pants with a crotch that went to my knees?  Too short tops?  All too common.  A-line plain dresses...those too were all too common.  I recall clearly the few bought things I owned as a child and teen.  Fortunately for me, my mom was an excellent seamtress and  able to alter patterns to fit me.  She also had a love of shopping that took her into the finest department stores where she looked over dresses and pants outfits and blouses and having seen the current fashion trends went over to the fabric store where she purchased patterns with the same lines and fabrics that were as near the store pieces as she could find.  And so I had a new wardrobe, twice a year.  

Coffee Chat: Pardon my Christmas Cheer

Hello dears,
Do come in!  I've coffee and cocoa and hot vanilla milk and iced water and lemonade if you'd rather not pretend the air outdoors isn't heavy and warm and is seasonably chilly and cool instead.

No sweets at the moment.  Those are coming later in the week when I make a batch of Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies for the family holiday.  I'm thinking hard about making something else as a sweet, too, but not sure what at present .   I know in my heart of hearts that in this season too much is always more than we need with a rich meal or treat around nearly every corner in every home but this is a family day and I am one of those who feeds people her love.  Always have been.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe

I did enjoy November's capsule wardrobe but found it too limited for my taste overall.  I've decided though to try to work with a capsule wardrobe for December, January, February.   This time I'm using more pieces although I'll be somewhat limited because some things won't be suitable for everyday.  I've incorporated heavier pieces as well as lighter layering pieces.


You'll see I limited myself with colors, sticking to a palette of pretty much grey, white, and teal.   I've included cardigans as well.   What I am not showing is my heavier wool jackets (heathered grey and bright red) and my winter coat (navy) nor my cotton knit tank tops which I use more in winter than I do in summer.  In our climate they are necessary as a layering piece.  I have a variety of colors but will lean heavily upon the obvious white/grey/black ones for the most part.