A Good Weekend For Reading

Frosted Pansies

Well, our highly anticipated snow event resulted in a bit of snow followed by a bit of sleet leaving a frosty coating on everything in it's path.

Tiny icicles hung from the gutters.

Not enough to build a snowman with, but pretty nonetheless.

It was a good weekend for reading.

I finished this and thoroughly enjoyed it.

After remarking to Brett recently that I needed a book that I just couldn't put down, this one crossed my path. (note the words above the title).

Having never read this author, I decided to take a chance.

I didn't realize until I got home that the book was written in 1978.

Apparently it was hard for me to put down as I finished it in a day.

It definitely took some unexpected twists.

This one, set in Australia, was next up.

It is starting off on a mysterious note.

Sometimes when I finish a book I like to wait a few days to process the one I just read.  I planned to do that last night, but before I knew it I started this one.

Last year I signed up for a reading challenge on GoodReads.

I fell short of my goal by ten books.

I set the same goal for this year and now feel I am off to a good start.

"Reading One Book Is Like Eating One Potato Chip"

~Diane Duane

Settling In To A New Year

The scene on my calendar looks nothing like the scene outside my window.  Here the sun is shining and the temperature is 50 F.  No chance of snow anytime soon.  I always hope for at least one snowy day per winter.  Last year we had none.  It remains to be seen what will happen in the new year.

For the first time ever I had all of my Christmas decorations taken down and put away on New Year's Eve.  Usually it happens in early January.  For some reason this year I was ready to move on and have a fresh start on the first day of the new year.  

Now the house is clean and in order once again.

I left a few snowy touches in the hutch just in case the snow decides to fly.

I'm not one to make resolutions or select a word for the year.

Instead I tend to reflect over the year past and pull together my best plan for improving the areas that could benefit from some improvement.  After the excesses of the holidays, eating less and healthier always factors into my plan.  Moving more is addressed (over 10,000 steps yesterday and all 3 rings on the iWatch closed).  

Perhaps my biggest area to work on this year will be to step aside from certain situations that I know are beyond my control.  I am reminded of Doris Day singing "Que Sera Sera" (whatever will be, will be.  The future's not ours to see).  It really is so true.  I need to do better at remembering this.

With each of the areas I plan to work on, I hope to work towards them daily knowing that some days will be better than others.  

How about you?  Are you a word for the year or resolution maker?

I don't think it matters how it's done, but perhaps the important thing is to use the new year as an opportunity to take note of what is working well in one's life and what could use a bit of improvement.

May your 2024 be a year of good health and happiness!!

A Fall Road Trip

Last week we took a road trip back to our home state.

Winding our way through Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and, finally, Michigan, the fall foliage becoming more vibrant as we went.

This rest area in Ohio gave us a welcome chance to stretch our legs and have a snack while enjoying the autumnal beauty.

The main reason for our trip was to visit my sister and brother-in-law.  What a surprise it was to all when we arrived at their house along with a gentle snowfall.  This was early, even by Michigan standards.  As we sat around the table enjoying Norma's delicious homemade chili, the weather outside seemed a bit confused.  The sun was peeking through lighting up the beautiful leaves on the trees as the snowflakes floated to the ground along with a leaf or two.

Inside, memories of my family together around the table warmed me.  The first 42 years of my life took place in Michigan with family together around the table at every holiday.  A brief reminder of those days washed over me as we enjoyed our meal together.

It's hard to go back "home" and not get a bit sentimental.

One day we visited Northville, the town we raised our boys in.

The downtown area was decorated for fall with these gorgeous planters lining the main street.

Another look at the main street decorated for the fall season.

High on our list of places to visit was the local cider mill.

That was always a fall tradition and one that we have missed.

It was worth standing in line for that freshly made doughnut and apple cider.  Naturally a bag of doughnuts and a gallon of cider came home with us.

It was nice to see that the wooden train was still there.

It was once a big thrill for my boys.

Of course I had to check out the unique shops in Northville and nearby Plymouth.  I thought this Thanksgiving display was especially pretty.

We went down memory lane when taking a drive by our childhood homes.  The home that Brett lived in through 3rd grade hasn't changed much.

This was not either of our childhood homes.

It was in the area and we always found the roof to be interesting.  

Since Brett's childhood home was near another cider mill, we felt obligated to pay a visit.  Apple butter and apple sauce came home with us from this one.  When it was time to head home, Brett wasn't sure he could fit everything in the car.  It seems we stocked up on all of the local favorites that we can't find in North Carolina.  

🍂🍂🍂

On our last day, the temperature went into the mid 70s feeling much more like a summer day.  In some ways it felt like a condensed version of all of the seasons in Michigan all put together in a week.

So now as the fall color change is just getting underway here, we will fill our glasses with apple cider, head for the patio and watch the squirrels scamper and the trees put on their seasonal show with warm memories of our visit back home.

It Snowed

That snow I was talking about in my last post came to fruition.

Sunday morning we woke up to a beautiful blanket of snowy white.

Looking out the back windows, it appeared that the wildlife were busy making tracks in the early morning hours.

Even the birdies were leaving their tracks in the snow.

So cute!

As the day progressed the snow gave way to sleet.

Clearly we were not leaving the house so I did something that I haven't done in many years.  Stayed in my pj's all day and read.  I've been working my way through Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles mystery series.  If you've not read this series, each book finds ex-lawyer turned herb shop owner, China Bayles, solving a mystery while also tossing in a lot of facts and sometimes recipes about various herbs.

Having just finished Rosemary Remembered, I came across this sweet potato recipe that I had torn from a Cooking Light magazine.
It is basically mashed sweet potatoes with salt, pepper and minced fresh rosemary added.  The topping was an interesting mix of finely sliced shallots caramelized with a bit of brown sugar.  It added a nice pop of flavor to them and the shallots got slightly crispy which was an added bonus.

I tend to tear recipes out of magazines with good intentions for trying them.  Once I try them they either get tossed or earn a place of honor in my recipe binder.  This one is now in the binder along with a few other sweet potato recipes.

We eat sweet potatoes often and it's nice to have a few different methods to prepare them.

Now, on Thursday, there is still some snow lingering and rain is falling.  The weatherman is tossing around the snow word again.  If we get it, I don't think it will amount to anything.

In the garden my chives are partially buried in snow.  No doubt wondering what the heck is going on.  Tonight I've got potato soup on the menu.  Not sure if it's worth stomping through the soggy snow to clip a few to garnish the soup.

New Year ~ New Computer

Well, hello there and a belated Happy New Year!!

I'm composing this post on my new computer which is proving to be a hair raising experience!!

After years of having Windows PCs, we have gone with a Mac this time.  I guess it will take some time to get used to, but time is something I currently have plenty of so let the learning begin.

I was hoping to do a post last week when snow was in the forecast.  That is always cause for excitement around here.

Most of the day it rained and then an hour or so before sunset the flakes began to fall.

Good thing I documented with a few photos because by morning it was all gone.

Not much has been happening around here as we are staying home as much as possible.  One evening around dusk I looked out the window and saw a group of five deer in the backyard.  We see them come out of the woods from time to time.  This was the first time I've seen a buck, however.  Unfortunately the bird feeder was blocking the view.  Oh well, just documenting again.

The doe was a bit more photogenic.

I think this will conclude my first post on the Mac.

I hope you are all doing well.

Bringing Light To The Dark Days

It sounds like parts of the northeastern USA are preparing for huge amounts of snow.  Apparently we in NC are included in that storm system.  Although we are seeing it in the liquid form of rain.  If you are in the path of the heavy snow, I am thinking of you today.  With all that we are currently dealing with this holiday season, power outages and other storm related issues are the last thing needed.

 In an effort to bring a little light to this dreary day, I went around the house this morning and lit a few candles and overrode a few of the timers to cheer things up a bit.

This little garden snowman has his mower ready to assist those of you who need help clearing your walks and driveways.  Any takers?

I had fun decorating this area for the first time this year.

This is the view from the kitchen into the "smart space".  That's the fancy name for laundry room.  Considering that I do laundry, work my job daily, check my home computer, wrap gifts, pot houseplants and store much of my seasonal home decor, gift wrap, office supplies, laundry supplies, cleaning supplies and books I guess it is a pretty smart use of space : ).  

The door goes into the garage.  The built in bench is a great spot to put on or take off your shoes.

Since I do spend a lot of time in here it seemed an ideal spot to spread a bit of Christmas cheer.  Even better to make it vintage Christmas cheer.  So I selected some of my favorite old ornaments to hang on the tabletop tree.  The wreath hung there a few days when I had a lightbulb moment.  Literally.  Last year my neighbor had given me a strand of battery operated lights with little clothespins attached.

I decided to put them to use on my wreath to display some of my cherished old Christmas cards.

Ah, the good old days when we looked forward to receiving cheerful Christmas greetings in our mailbox all month long.  I'm one of the people who has been holding onto that tradition even though I see it declining more every year.  This year I bought the cards early.  When it came time to prepare them for sending, the motivation was nowhere to be found.  I found every excuse I could think of to avoid the task.  But, since I had bought the cards I was going to send them.

I've been dragging the task along all week.  Most have been mailed and the rest will be done today.  Last night I was reading about how overwhelmed the post office is.  Chances are the last of my cards will be late to arrive.

Bah Humbug!

I know a lot of us have wondered whether it was worthwhile to decorate when the holiday visitors would be in short supply or non-existent.  I'm glad we went ahead and decorated as usual.  There is a certain comfort to be found in the decorations collected through the years.   Plus, the lights are beautiful every day.  Starting in early December I begin the day with my cup of coffee in front of the lighted Christmas tree.  Evenings are often spent watching a Christmas movie with all of the Christmas lights glowing.  Christmas lights will always be magical to me.  Perhaps more than ever this year.

🎄🎄🎄

Moving Along . . .

Shortly before Thanksgiving I took a break from packing boxes to take a stroll around the garden with camera in hand.  

 With all of the details required in making a move, the beauty taking place outside the house was largely going unnoticed by me.  One day a visitor commented on how gorgeous our trees were and as she was going on about the amazing colors, I decided it was time to take notice.

 Seems she was right.  Beautiful colors were all around the house that day.  I made my way to the side of the house that I rarely venture as the ground tends to be a bit soggy over there.

As I rounded the corner to the front of the house, I stopped in my tracks . . .

 WOW

In all the years I have lived here I had never seen this view from this angle.  The two sugar maples we planted specifically for their spectacular fall foliage and the Japanese Maple that provided a pop of red inside our master bathroom.

Somewhere between all of that beauty sits our long driveway.  Racing up and down the driveway going here and there didn't allow for a true appreciation of this autumnal beauty.

 After my little photo session I opted for one final cup of coffee on the patio.  Thinking about leaving behind this garden that I have loved so much started to make me wonder what the he** I was thinking.  :).  I had a moment of panic wondering if this was all a big mistake.  I took a sip of coffee and looked up.

 At first I was intrigued by the cloud formations and then I did a double take.  There amongst the clouds was a rainbow like I have never seen before.

 Rather than arching down at the ends, it curved up at each end like a great big happy smile.  In that instant I knew that the right decision had been made.  Talk about receiving a sign from above.

 In a few short days the moving truck arrived and life around here became a busy blur for the next week or so.

But now we are moved into our new home and becoming a bit more settled with each passing day.

Not long after the Christmas tree was decorated we woke up to a winter wonderland outside the window.

As I sipped my morning coffee and gazed out at our new view, I felt sure that the right decision had been made.

❄❅❄

Springing Forward

Just when we were busy festooning the interior for Spring.

I opened my eyes this morning to the sight of tree tops covered in a glittery coating of white.  Tiny flakes swirled through the air as I nestled deeper into the covers trying to adjust to losing that one hour of sleep 😉

It may take an extra cup of coffee  and a few breaths of that cool morning air to get going today.

I think I'm up for the challenge.

❄⛄❅⛄❆

Enjoy your Sunday.