Coffee Chat Sunday - Holiday Helter Skelter

Well, do sit down.  I'll have you a nice hot cup of coffee in a few moments.  We're 'getting by' at present with this single cup coffeemaker but we'll remedy that later this week I am most certain.  There's a chocolate pound cake.  I didn't have time to bake proper this week and knew I'd be starting Christmas baking this week so I didn't have to think too hard about taking that cake from the freezer.  Who couldn't use a tad more room?

I haven't been up to much yet, the week just past still being partly one of recovery from flu and not housekeeping for another week.  Oh my gracious!  It does just sort of slide off downhill doesn't, that housework I mean?  I dusted this morning.  I do so loathe dusting but it is easy enough I suppose when you're decorating to clear off a spot, dust, then put up the decorations.    There's much to be done just yet.  I thinned out the things on top of my big tall bookcase and now that looks too bare.

This Week's Meals

Another week is gone and that means we're one week closer to both Christmas and the end of the year.  Yikes!  We'll be singing "For Auld Lang Syne" before we know it!

I sat down last night and began to try and plan meals for the holiday season starting with weekend before Christmas which is when I expect my family to come if they can make it at all.  I've got a couple of meals planned out but need to work on the rest of them.  For the most part I'm planning to make and freeze and then thaw and heat that weekend.  It seems the best way to manage company and holiday moods and food to me.

In the meantime, it occurred to me last night after I'd gone to bed, that I'd been better prepared if I'd planned this week's meals first and then taken something out to thaw.  Oh. My.  Well I wasn't getting out of bed once I'd hopped in, so I waited until this morning.  That worked out the best anyway, since John came in, got called out to go back to work and I was home alone all morning long to do housework and make plans.

Shabat Thoughts - Kindness

This past week I noted with interest the photos of the young police officer who bought a homeless man boots to keep his feet warm.  The story went viral.

It wasn't long, of course, before the media 'busted' the story.  It turned out the homeless man wasn't homeless, but actually had a place to stay, was an alcoholic and had 'misplaced' the shoes.  Media sources I listened to were outraged that this young officer had provided for someone undeserving.

Of course, since the story initially went viral, there were questions asked amongst the populace about what to do to prevent such things happening and about personal opinions.  Well you know what they say about opinions:  everyone has one.

Using What I Have Celebration Pt. II

I am so pleased to be featured at Hibiscus House for Farmgirl Friday with my Christmas pillows!  I'm joining up again this week, linking through Hibiscus House. 

I'm also linking up with Sunny Simple Life for  Sunny Simple Sunday.

I spent a little time creating this past week.  I wanted new wreaths for my doors.  I stripped down an old wreath and decided to use what I had to make a new one. I will be working on the second wreath this weekend.  In the meantime, I'll show you what I came up with for my front door:

My Frugal Week

My little 'Christmas' project, using just what I had on hand...

In The Kitchen:  

We went a full pay period without purchasing groceries.  I picked up milk and bread and a snack item for us for here at home, but we skipped the whole grocery store experience entirely for one whole pay period.  I spent about the same amount I'd normally spend on one of those 'in between' trips to the store, right at $40.

Second grocery frugal:  we bought a few grocery items while we were on vacation because we always cook most of our meals while we're away.  Does that sound like  I spent grocery money, and didn't really have a savings?  Wrong!  I had money set aside for vacation foods.  It's planned into our budget for the trip.

We planned to visit with the grandchildren (it was the twins first birthday) on the way back home and because that was another over night stay we didn't want to pack up a lot of food to try and keep cold for 36 hours.  We decided Friday to go out to eat for our dinner meal and opted for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for our supper.  I think we spent about what we probably would have at the supermarket for snacks and food for Friday on our dinner, so it was an even swap.  And the bonus was not having leftovers to haul about.

This Week's Meal Plan - Gobbleish

I came to a conclusion this weekend: a whole turkey is an awful lot of turkey for just two.  Next year I mean to have my turkey on Thanksgiving Day regardless of who has planned to claim the day.  I mean to have my feast on the feast day and if it's the second time I eat or the first, it will be just as tasty.

I am recovering well from the flu.  IF I stop pretending I don't feel a little weak and keep pushing myself to do just two or three things more.  John has been a wonderful help, doing the bulk of the meal planning and such this past week, but I roused myself Saturday and cooked Thanksgiving dinner for two.  I kept the menu simple, no need of four sides and two salads and three desserts for just the two of us.  I made Turkey, stuffing, Mashed potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin Pie.  I put a pie, half a turkey breast, stuffing and a prepared entree of turkey and stuffing in the freezer.  We still have plenty for turkey salad sandwiches, plus two quarts of broth from the carcass and another cup or more of meat bits.  John's mentioned having numerous favorite turkey dishes.  For my part, I'm starting to feel gobble-ish.

Shabat Thoughts - Lost

Two weeks ago we took a road trip to Warm Springs and got lost.  It was the most awesome time we've ever spent being lost and if getting lost were always like that...Well, it could happen  more often! 

But getting lost isn't wonderful.  Getting lost usually ends up with a harsh word or several and every now and then it ends with cold silence and no truce/no surrender flags to show that the war isn't going to end anytime soon.  

At best, being lost momentarily spoils a few miles of a trip. And that's just a road trip.  There are those times when we're lost spiritually, not "I don't know Jesus" lost, but confused and unable to discern the path and feeling like you're in a black out sort of lost, where waiting on God is mandatory.  And very difficult.  Getting lost brings up all sorts of control issues and fears and anxiety and multiple unknown factors.  Getting lost is not nice.