For the New Year I discovered this wonderful meme... and am excited about lifting my joy each Monday through the year with our joyful hostess!
The clock is ticking down and soon we will be saying goodbye to 2018... a year that certainly ranged from joyful to not so full of glee... I started out the year with a long term viral infection that precluded me partaking of many holiday enjoyments..and right on the heals of that I was off to Charlottesville for a follow up on my Skin cancer and reconstruction surgery...We actually travelled back and forth to Charlottesville several times last January.
Another dark and dreary day...even though the temps are rather mild for Dec 31st. On the breakfast plate this morning::::
I enjoyed my usual fruited yogurt and coffee.. Hubs treats me so well!!!! I ,also, used up the rest of the ham and a red pepper to scramble eggs along with a slice of cinnamon toast... a lovely end of season breakfast!!!
As I look outside my window:::
all is quiet everywhere.. the slight fog has drifted in and everyone is snuggled inside and slow to venture out!
There is a hint of wood smoke in the air as I'm sure some families are settled in around a warm fire... We have some logs ready, but getting Hubs to set a fire may not be in the cards for today.. He has other plans for the day!
I see Hubs did open all the blinds in the sunroom to bring whatever light can filter in.. just makes me feel a damp chill, however.
Even the birds are tucked away later than usual on such a morning!
Right now I am::::
I am still wiping slow tears that continue to run down my face after watching the best Christmas movie..
I don't know how I missed it, but I'm glad I did get to see it this morning!!
As I look around the house::::
I am not in any hurry to put Christmas away. It isn't like we have a live tree to hurry away with and actually there just isn't that much to deal with... I feel that the holidays sped past so quickly.. why be too fast to put it all away... I still have much music I haven't had a chance to hear. I am still in a contemplative mood!!! Here is the whole album that I love to listen to
On today's to do list::::
Hubs has already started the laundry.. so I will have much to put away because I still need to put away some laundry from last week.. The house is in good stead because of the wonderful dinner party we had over the weekend. So I will spend some time working in my Christian planner.. and setting some goals for the new year. I am looking forward to starting an almost vegan style of eating in the new year... many more veggies... I read where beets are really good for cholesterol control and I have taken myself off of statin drugs so I am creating a lovely veg dinner for tonight... cooked, buttered beets, along with lentil and carrot soup and cornbread muffins.. yum!!!
Currently reading::::
Bible~John and Isaiah for various Bible studies I am doing. I got so many great books for Christmas. how to choose.. Becoming Gertrude, by Janice Peterson, How Our friendships Shape our Faith Face to Face with Jesus Seeing Him as He really Is by Randy Alcorn Awaken by Priscilla Shirer, 90 days with the God Who Speaks
Just Give Me Jesus by Anne Graham Lotz Intercessory Prayer, How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth by Dutch Sheets See what I mean... Has anyone read any of these... I know they are all precious...wonderful.... It is just very hard to choose one!!!!
On the TV ::::
I have been enjoying some of the Hallmark Christmas movies.. We are super excited to hear that season 8 of Doc Martin will be starting soon on PBS.. Can not find the start up date, just says January 2019! yayayaya
Looking forward to this week:
Choir starts up again this week...I am praying about whether to get back to regular choir... I did enjoy prepping for the Christmas Program.. It is a huge commitment, though! Later in the week we have a rescheduled Birthday luncheon for one of my best friends, Dottie.. Her original lunch date was snowed out. It will be lovely to get together with the prayer sistas' to celebrate! Then I will have perhaps my final followup doctor's appointment regarding my cataract/glaucoma/ astigmatism surgeries.. I am so hopeful that I can go off of those glaucoma drops!!! And I will get my new glasses prescription.. I love my way off vision. It is marvelous, but now I can't see a thing up close and even though it is fun not to wear glasses, having to continually grab my readers is quite a drag. I'm not quite up to wearing them around my neck!
On the menu this week::::
Monday -beets, lintel soup, cornbread muffins Tuesday - spaghetti and salad Wednesday - left overs Thursday -haven't decided..maybe out! Friday -fish and chips, slaw
New recipe I tried or want to try this week::::
French Lentil and Carrot Soup
Ingredients
5 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1-1/2 cups dried green lentils, rinsed
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
(I am substituting cooked chopped country ham)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
(Subbing Half and half)
Directions
Combine the first seven ingredients in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker; cover. Cook, on low until lentils are tender, 6-8 hours.
Stir in meat and cream. Cover and continue cooking until heated through, about 15 minutes.
Test Kitchen tips
Remember to check the label when buying Herbs de Provence; some contain lavender and some don’t. The lavender adds an unusual flavor that really complements both carrots and lentils.
The amount of heavy cream may be increased, decreased or eliminated altogether depending on personal tastes.
Recipe from Taste of Home
Favorite Photo from the camera
That chair, where I do all of contemplation, Bible Study and reading, is calling my name. I'm glad I'm just about finished with this post!
Prayers:::
I am starting fresh with new prayers:
The President and his family, and the administration, for protection and godly counsel!
Pray against all division in our nation, that harmony and peace will reign supreme throughout the land.
For the God's will to work its way through our Congress to promote a healing and a functioning environment
Pray against delusion and lies of the enemy, protect the hearts and minds of the young!
Pray that pastors across the nation are renewed and re edified to preach the gospel using the whole counsel of God... Let no personal kingdom or agenda sidestep the work of the Spirit in the church!
Please, God, take back our institutions of higher learning
Pray for the sick that they might be healed
Pray for the peace and harmony of Jerusalem
Pray that the light of Christ will shine boldly through His people and everyone is establishing within their own hearts the manner in which to live for Him in 2019
Pray for our service men and women overseas who put their life on the line everyday to protect our freedoms. I lift up particularly my own sweet cousin Josh.... Please add in the comments other names you would like named here!!
Pray for the lost who are bewildered and lost... they are hopeless in need of a loving savior! Pray that our Congress will find a way to work together to protect our borders.. a country without borders ceases to be a nation!
1. Are flowers a nice gift to give someone? I love it when Hubs brings me flowers... I actually think it would be really cool to bring back the symbolic meaning of flowers and then when someone sent you flowers they would have a significant meaning. But there, I'm telling how sentimental I really am! Daisies symbolize innocence and purity. ... Freya is the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, and as such the daisy came to symbolize childbirth, motherhood, and new beginnings. Daisies are sometimes given to congratulate new mothers.
2. Do you wear any jewelry? Yes, I wear earrings, I always wear a gold link bracelet... and of course my wedding rings. My sweet hubs over the years has given me both yellow gold and platinum rings to change up with my jewelry... when I had my colors done, I really do look best with silver than gold!
3. Have you ever laid in a field of flowers? No.
4. Do you like tea? Yes., I love hot tea almost more than coffee..
5. What would you do with a million dollars? Pay the tax, tithe, perhaps buy the patio home I have my eye on, and invest the rest, what's left of it.
6. What word do you have trouble saying? I had trouble with a word the other day, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. Not many words do give me trouble.
7. Favorite fairytale? Beauty and Beast
8. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? No, except for the occasional "bear" (growling) that awakens me sort of regularly,, but a swift nudge usually gets rid of that!
9. Do you prefer the city or the country? Country.. but we've lived on the very edge(suburbs) of a city for thirty years. But it was my joy to travel to the country and visit both sets of grands... if I could Id live there!
10. Are you a big fan of makeup? I gave up makeup when I was diagnosed with glaucoma but as I get older I look so pale I recently started using a bit, especially since I had my glaucoma correction I don't need the drops anymore.
11. Favorite drink? We use a Soda Stream which I absolutely love so spritzing my water and adding OJ or other juices is a delight to me!
12. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve stayed awake? Probably about 26 hours, perhaps more, at the hospital for a loved one.
13. Have you ever traveled outside of your country? Yes. I've lived in Germany, traveled to Holland from, London, and Ireland..
14. Do you like spring? Sure.What's not to like! The fresh air, the colors, the rejuvenation!
15. Lipstick or lip gloss? lipstick
16. Favorite color? We recently painted the bathroom Bora Bora ShoresAbsolutely love that color!
17. Do you like to decorate? I do and I love to change it up fairly regularly, especially seasonally!
18. Do you ever go barefoot when you’re outside? Never anymore, it fact, not even in the house much... I love my slippers!
19. Are aliens real? All my life I have searched the nighttime sky for UFOs. There have been times when I wasn't sure if perhaps I'd seen some!
20. Does your zodiac sign fit your personality? I am Cancer the Crab... I try not be one! I really do not follow the Zodiac at all...
21.Favorite sea animal? I would have to say the myriad of brightly colored fish one sees at the Aquarium...I could sit and watch them for an hour.
22. Are you a nice person? I think so, people see to think so, too.
23. Favorite word? frangipani
24. Night or day? Day.
25. What would make you happy right now? To see my granddaughters (age 5 and 3) come through the door!
Thanks for your visit today! It is almost a brand new year!!
This evening we are celebrating Christmas one more time to finish up this yuletide season... a dinner party with some very special couples from our church and choir. We decided we were a bit tired of Christmas food so we opted for a spaghetti dinner with all the trimmings! I changed up the table arrangement just for the occasion! I remembered my festive green and red/pink placemats I purchased last year at the end of season sale and thought what a grand way to freshen up a new yule look!!!
My Johnson Brother's Christmas tree plates pair lovely with the White Essential plates I purchased this year from Home Goods... I love that they were fired in Portugal... I like their quality and I think they will serve us well as we enjoy our pasta!
I am so pleased with my cute napkins and jingle bell rings I purchased for a song this week at Pier1.
To jazz up the scene I also bought those two tree ornaments in such bold colors they tend to inspire thoughts of a festive New Year on the horizon as they take top billing on the brass candlesticks!!
You might notice the design on the placements are beautiful ornament shapes in many shades of red and green..I am happily using the same understated centerpiece that is happy and bright, but doesn't interrupt the flow of lively banter.. and we will definitely be bantering tonight... so many Christmas stories to share... I can hardly wait!!!!
It is difficult to believe that another Christmas has come and gone...we await with so much anticipation and whisk it is gone!!! But our memories will last forever!!! So if it is Wednesday it is time to do the Wednesday Medley along with Terri D.
Today is National Candy Cane Day!! How appropriate is that?!
NATIONAL CANDY CANE DAY
National Candy Cane Day is observed across the United States each year on December 26.
In 1844, a recipe for a straight peppermint candy stick, which was white with colored stripes, was published. However, some stories tell of all white candy sticks in much earlier times. There are folklore tales of the origin of the candy cane, yet there is no documented proof of its real beginning. It has been mentioned in literature since 1866 and was first known to be mentioned in association with Christmas in 1874. As early as 1882, candy canes have been hung on Christmas trees.
1. Are there candy canes left in your house right now? We didn't have any candy canes, per se, but we bought peppermint sticks, like the kind Santa brought me as a child at Grandma's house.
Did you hang some on your tree? No. Do you even like them? I do like these sticks because they are not so hard and don't break off in shards I remember cutting my tongue on a shard as a wee one.. These sticks rather melt in your mouth!
2. Without a graphic, today is also National Thank You Note Day! I like receiving that thank you note in the mail for a gift I have given. Are you good about getting thank you notes in the mail after Christmas (or any occasion calling for a note)? I, regrettably, admit I do not send a thank you note for every gift received... but I do for some... especially when I know one is expected.. shame on me..... but I do like to take hostess gifts when I go to some one's home for dinner.
3. How are you feeling on this day after Christmas? Tired, let down, still glowing? I have felt all of those at one time or another and sometimes all of them at once! Tell us about it. This morning we both awakened refreshed and contented.. Yesterday was a quiet, contemplative Christmas for us... and we even got to face time with our precious children and grands.. We did Christmas with them over Thanksgiving and they had the in laws with them in Massachusetts this year..Hubs and I had a lovely time recalling Christmases of our youth together and the Christmases when we were young parents and working so hard to keep the magic aflame!
4 It is "tradition" to leave the tree and decorations up until after January 6th, to honor the Epiphany. When will your boxes be packed and put away until next year? I always wait until Epiphany or sometimes longer... especially any decorations that evoke a wintry beauty, or snowmen...Are you, like me, thinking about doing it right now? No, I like to prolong Christmas or else I can begin to feel rather sad it is over for another long year! It is my favorite holiday!
5. Looking ahead to New Year's Eve, do you have plans? None for it particularly. Have you ever celebrated big in New York's Time Square? No! Would you even want to be there? No, I agree with Terri, our host, I would feel lost in that crowd!!!
6. Tell us something random about your week so far! Even though we didn't get to share with our 'beloveds' we make time with dear friends who in some cases do not have a lot of family.. We had Dottie and Bill over to watch The Christmas Chronicles and eat pop corn one night, and we are having two couples in for this weekend for a No More Christmas food, Spaghetti dinner... I do enjoy having folks visit since we have taken so much care to decorate and enliven the home... it is sweet to share the ambiance around the table!!!
I am sitting here thinking how marvelous we do not have to get out in that after Christmas shopping melee!!! But I do think a couple of in home visits would be nice for us to do today!!! Have a great day and God bless!!
It has been a very merry Christmas so far and time is surely closing in on us... We were out today taking care of last minute business and hopefully from now on it will be a relaxed joyous time with just the two of us... we celebrated Christmas with our children over Thanksgiving.. And I do plan some festivities between Christmas and New Years... but it will be a quiet contemplative Christmas and I am looking forward to it!!!
I really enjoyed creating my Christmas table this year.Nancy's Daily Dish posts on facebook really inspired me with all of her red transferware photos, like this one !
So I chose my Churchill red transferware and coupled it with Royal Stafford Black Christmas pattern..all upon a black check table cloth! I think it looks festive and a bit country shabby!!!
Other red transferware patterns are displayed throughout the room
I love using battery operated fairy lights on the table along with luminaire candles
They glow so beautifully as dusk overcomes the light of day
This year as I decorated the small seasonal tree in the archway, I chose ornaments hung with black and white check bows and red and white striped ones...
Absolutely love that color!
