I am sitting here, all alone, on New Year's Eve.
Now understand, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Sure, I'd love to be having fun with friends, but I also cherish having the house to myself, and having time to relax, and reflect, on this night of new beginnings is a perfect way to ring out the old and ring in the new.
My daughter is back at school, my husband at work, and my son out with friends for pizza. Leaving me with the fireplace, a cup of tea, and my computer. Not a bad deal in my mind!
I started out today with some fresh starts. Picked up my fun new eyeglasses today - and then dyed my hair to cover that horrific gray. I'm not against gray hair AT ALL - but personally, I'm just not ready to be that person yet. I think I'm getting close, but at 43, I still like to have fun a bit.
I don't really do resolutions. I do make lists though. Of things I'd like to do in the coming year. I've thought long and hard about this year's list, and once it was finished, smiled at how my lists have changed over the last few years. What used to be unrealistic, impersonal "resolutions" like "losing weight, eating healthier, exercising more, being more organized", are now much more personal things. For instance, 2012 included learning to make bread, and 2013 included reviving my sewing skills. Both were accomplished. Because they were attainable. They were personal. They were me.
In 2014, I would like to:
Crochet a prayer shawl for myself
Study simple sauces, and learn to use them more in my cooking
Find a way to play my violin in church
Create a winter garden
Improve my knitting skills
I very much look forward to exploring each of these. They are areas that I think would improve the quality of my life, and I am excited about them. That is what resolutions should be - focusing on improving our lives - living life - enjoying life.
Life is too short. What are you going to do this year to have fun? To live life?
God's Blessings for an amazing year ahead in 2014!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Toasting 2013..the year of the visits.
2013 was an amazing year. I've blogged before about "visiting" - taking time to visit family and friends, and this year we had so many gifts. We started off the year spending time with a dear friend from college out east, and on the way home stopped at family in Fort Wayne and friends in Stoughton. I again spent a long weekend out west with college friends there, and while my husband was on a 3 week motorcycle trip, I took four mini trips - one to visit college friends for a weekend, one to visit with high school friends, one to spend with my sister, nieces, and great-nieces, crafting the weekend away, and yet another girls weekend with them, without the kids. We had a mini family reunion with my siblings, cousins, and an aunt, AND we stayed with our former Pastor and wife. So much time to visit people!
And we were also Blessed with visits to US!. My Nebraska friends again came out for multiple visits. Additionally our NOLA kids came up for a week, and I had multiple mini visitors in between - including friends I used to work with, friends who have moved away.
It was a whirlwind of a year to say the least! And full of so many Blessings.
It wasn't all easy. We had more than our share of issues. Ups and downs like no other. But in the end, we have each other, we have our health, and we have our home. That is all that we've realized we need to be truly happy.
So I am saying a prayer of thanksgiving tonight as I reflect on the year. Thankful for all of the people that are in our lives, and all that we've been able to make contact with this year. I couldn't ask for anything more...
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Passing on my love for family traditions...
We are in the heart of Christmas right now, with cookies being baked, the tree being decorated, preparations at church... so much.
I always miss having my daughter around me at this time of year. I miss having her here to be baking with, decorating the tree, shopping, wrapping presents. Off away at college, she won't be here until the 23rd late, so much of the prep will be over by then.
My son, still at home - age 16 - is wonderful to have here. He has been helping with everything - decorating, baking... And I didn't realize that any of it mattered to him until this last week. And it warms my heart.
I am in the middle of baking literally hundreds of dozens of cookies. Multiple varieties - for family and friends. He has been helping with all aspects, and of course, has been my main taste tester. I have about a dozen cookies and candies that I make every year, and I didn't realize that the tradition of my baking mattered to him.
One day this week, on the way home from practice, we were talking about the baking I was doing that night. He surprised me by telling me that I need to write all the recipes for my cookies down - for his sister and him - for Christmas. Not this year, because it's probably too late, but next year. I love that he wants my recipes - and wants to carry them on.
Then last night, he surprised me again. We were finishing the decorating of the tree. He commented that maybe when his sister gets home, she could add some to it, so she could be part of it too.
I am so very proud of the young man he has become. This week he has shown me even more about what is in his heart, and what family means to him.
I always miss having my daughter around me at this time of year. I miss having her here to be baking with, decorating the tree, shopping, wrapping presents. Off away at college, she won't be here until the 23rd late, so much of the prep will be over by then.
My son, still at home - age 16 - is wonderful to have here. He has been helping with everything - decorating, baking... And I didn't realize that any of it mattered to him until this last week. And it warms my heart.
I am in the middle of baking literally hundreds of dozens of cookies. Multiple varieties - for family and friends. He has been helping with all aspects, and of course, has been my main taste tester. I have about a dozen cookies and candies that I make every year, and I didn't realize that the tradition of my baking mattered to him.
One day this week, on the way home from practice, we were talking about the baking I was doing that night. He surprised me by telling me that I need to write all the recipes for my cookies down - for his sister and him - for Christmas. Not this year, because it's probably too late, but next year. I love that he wants my recipes - and wants to carry them on.
Then last night, he surprised me again. We were finishing the decorating of the tree. He commented that maybe when his sister gets home, she could add some to it, so she could be part of it too.
I am so very proud of the young man he has become. This week he has shown me even more about what is in his heart, and what family means to him.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
T minus 14 days.
I taught today - 5th grade - one of my favorite ages to teach. Early in the morning, as I logged on, I noticed the date in the bottom right corner of the screen.
12/11/13
12/11? 12/25 is Christmas.. let's see... do the math, 25-11 = 14.
WHAT? Christmas is TWO WEEKS from today? You cannot be serious! I was so AHEAD. Why, just yesterday - at craft day - I was bragging as I started my Christmas cards, bragging about being so far ahead! Seriously!
I have too much to do in two weeks. It CAN'T be two weeks. I need more time!
I bake for friends. I have 72 dozen mixed cookies due on Sunday night. And another 40+ dozen the following week! I have great ideas for my presents - but HAVE NOT GONE SHOPPING YET! The tree? Well, it got put up yesterday, but is only half decorated!
There is no way I can get everything done in two weeks. No. We need more time.
In addition to the baking, shopping, tree decorating, card writing, wrapping, and everything else holiday, we have the youth group Christmas party at our house this Saturday, a 4 hour holiday program on Sunday, basketball games throughout the next two weeks, the Sunday school program on the 21st, and my family Christmas on the 22nd.
I think for the next hour after my realization, I was actually in shock. I couldn't stop thinking about all I still had to do. And then I realized, I'll get done what I get done!
I have to do the baking, as they are for friends. The rest, we'll wing.
And in the end, the reason we celebrate on December 25th stays the same, no matter what remains undone.
12/11/13
12/11? 12/25 is Christmas.. let's see... do the math, 25-11 = 14.
WHAT? Christmas is TWO WEEKS from today? You cannot be serious! I was so AHEAD. Why, just yesterday - at craft day - I was bragging as I started my Christmas cards, bragging about being so far ahead! Seriously!
I have too much to do in two weeks. It CAN'T be two weeks. I need more time!
I bake for friends. I have 72 dozen mixed cookies due on Sunday night. And another 40+ dozen the following week! I have great ideas for my presents - but HAVE NOT GONE SHOPPING YET! The tree? Well, it got put up yesterday, but is only half decorated!
There is no way I can get everything done in two weeks. No. We need more time.
In addition to the baking, shopping, tree decorating, card writing, wrapping, and everything else holiday, we have the youth group Christmas party at our house this Saturday, a 4 hour holiday program on Sunday, basketball games throughout the next two weeks, the Sunday school program on the 21st, and my family Christmas on the 22nd.
I think for the next hour after my realization, I was actually in shock. I couldn't stop thinking about all I still had to do. And then I realized, I'll get done what I get done!
I have to do the baking, as they are for friends. The rest, we'll wing.
And in the end, the reason we celebrate on December 25th stays the same, no matter what remains undone.
Monday, December 9, 2013
The Dunn County Cookbook
My mom was an amazing cook and baker. She was always baking treats for some event or another, and I love to think that she is smiling down on me when I am in my baking frenzies.
As I've blogged before, I love to use things that were my mom's - like her plastic spoon, a recipe she had copied for me, etc.
Today I am making multiple varieties of Christmas cookies and candies for a friend. It's my first baking of the season and I am very excited! I need to make fudge, and spent way too much time on Pinterest and the web trying to find a recipe I wanted to try. When it hit me.
COOKBOOK
Try a cookbook!
I have tons of cookbooks - every type you can think of - and sometimes I just don't remember to pull them out. My mom had a lot of cookbooks too, and before she died, she had marked them for my daughter. So I don't have them, but I have been watching estate sales for certain ones that she used a lot. And one of those - the Dunn County Cookbook from 1972 - I've actually had for years. I found one at a garage sale for $1.00. The old adage "one man's junk is another treasure" couldn't be more true!
I remember mom using the DCC a lot at Christmas for candies and cookies, so today I pulled it out. While it's not her copy, it's the same to me, missing only her handwritten notes on recipes she tried. Time to start adding my own notes!
As I've blogged before, I love to use things that were my mom's - like her plastic spoon, a recipe she had copied for me, etc.
Today I am making multiple varieties of Christmas cookies and candies for a friend. It's my first baking of the season and I am very excited! I need to make fudge, and spent way too much time on Pinterest and the web trying to find a recipe I wanted to try. When it hit me.
COOKBOOK
Try a cookbook!
I have tons of cookbooks - every type you can think of - and sometimes I just don't remember to pull them out. My mom had a lot of cookbooks too, and before she died, she had marked them for my daughter. So I don't have them, but I have been watching estate sales for certain ones that she used a lot. And one of those - the Dunn County Cookbook from 1972 - I've actually had for years. I found one at a garage sale for $1.00. The old adage "one man's junk is another treasure" couldn't be more true!
I remember mom using the DCC a lot at Christmas for candies and cookies, so today I pulled it out. While it's not her copy, it's the same to me, missing only her handwritten notes on recipes she tried. Time to start adding my own notes!
Thursday, December 5, 2013
My wish for you...chicken noodle soup and fresh bread!
I have not blogged in so long! I have a big craft sale this weekend, so I've been up to my eyeballs in glitter, modge podge, yarn, and everything in between. And I have the house mostly decorated for Christmas, all that can go up before the sale (space constraints), and the Christmas card ordered! So I've been a busy little beaver!
I've been up and moving since 6 am, getting things done. I ended up with 2 1/2 days teaching this week, so today is my big day to get things finished. But I've taken a break for lunch, sitting down to homemade chicken noodle soup and fresh bread, and I was struck by it- this is one of the things that so many people are missing out on.
You have to remember, that I was not always the stay at home domestic... I worked in management for almost 20 years. So I was one of those missing out for many years.
Missing out on what?
When I say homemade chicken noodle soup, I mean homemade. Yesterday I boiled a chicken with onion, carrot, and celery, for several hours to make the stock. The chicken was a locally grown chicken from the Amish. The bread? I made it fresh this morning. This is not something I did often, if at all, when I was working full time. But even with that, I DID enjoy foods like this growing up. Even though my mother worked full time after I was born, she was an amazing cook, and our food growing up was from scratch while I was young.
While chicken soup and bread is a simple lunch, to me, the fact that every bit of it is homemade, wholesome, good-for-you comfort food, that I prepared for my family, means so much. And then I wonder... how many people have never had the pleasure of something so simple and good? On a cold wintery day (-5 degrees F wind chill today!), to enjoy the taste of this amazing simple homemade lunch, to me, is a Blessing. And I wish for all of you that you get to enjoy the same, if not always, at some point. Because there is such comfort and goodness in it.
I've been up and moving since 6 am, getting things done. I ended up with 2 1/2 days teaching this week, so today is my big day to get things finished. But I've taken a break for lunch, sitting down to homemade chicken noodle soup and fresh bread, and I was struck by it- this is one of the things that so many people are missing out on.
You have to remember, that I was not always the stay at home domestic... I worked in management for almost 20 years. So I was one of those missing out for many years.
Missing out on what?
When I say homemade chicken noodle soup, I mean homemade. Yesterday I boiled a chicken with onion, carrot, and celery, for several hours to make the stock. The chicken was a locally grown chicken from the Amish. The bread? I made it fresh this morning. This is not something I did often, if at all, when I was working full time. But even with that, I DID enjoy foods like this growing up. Even though my mother worked full time after I was born, she was an amazing cook, and our food growing up was from scratch while I was young.
While chicken soup and bread is a simple lunch, to me, the fact that every bit of it is homemade, wholesome, good-for-you comfort food, that I prepared for my family, means so much. And then I wonder... how many people have never had the pleasure of something so simple and good? On a cold wintery day (-5 degrees F wind chill today!), to enjoy the taste of this amazing simple homemade lunch, to me, is a Blessing. And I wish for all of you that you get to enjoy the same, if not always, at some point. Because there is such comfort and goodness in it.
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