Sunday, December 15, 2013

Life: It Goes On - December 15

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Just today put the final touches on the Christmas decorating. Every year I do things just a little differently which always means I spend a lot of time looking at what I've got and thinking about how I can use it to keep things fresh. That darn Pinterest isn't helping speed things up!

Yesterday I baked the first of the Christmas cookies and today made the first of the candies. Today I'll also bake the sugar cookies that we'll decorate as a family. The rest will have to wait until I get through all of the gift making. One more gift to buy and my shopping will be done although I'm bound to end up helping the kids with their shopping.

Here's What I'm:

Listening To: Peter Mayle's A Good Year which I was surprised to discover (despite the fact that the same name should have clued me in!) was the basis for the movie by the same name starring Russell Crowe which I watched earlier this year for Paris In July.

Also, I finally turned on the Christmas station on the radio and broke out the Christmas CD's at home. As much as I love the music, I get so tired of it by the time Christmas rolls around if I start listening to it too early.

Watching: We rented Life of Pi this week and have been calling our big male cat Richard Parker ever since. What a beautiful and thought provoking movie. I'm thinking I really need to get around to reading the book soon - maybe before the end of the year.

Reading: Rachel Joyce's Perfect for an upcoming TLC book tour. Her writing is as charming as it was in The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry but there is a much great tension in this one.

Making: I finished my secret project Friday night. Since it is something that had to be designed and then ordered, I don't know what the finished product looks like yet and it's making me a little twitchy. I got the material for fleece blankets last week but have yet to start making them.

Planning:  On finishing the books about their parents for the Big Guy's siblings this week.

Grateful for: All of the help BG's been giving me with the Christmas shopping this year.

Loving: The aroma in my house right now. I'm simmering a pan of apple slices, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel. Yum!

Photo rights - Nile Kemble
Feeling: Very excited for my nephew - he graduated yesterday from the University of Missouri but even more exciting is the fact that he proposed to his girlfriend Friday night. She is a real sweetie and we are all thrilled to welcome her, officially, into our family!

Thinking: Christmas is going to be very different this year with my kids' crazy work schedules. Do. Not. Like. I have five days off; a couple of them have little more than 24 hours.

Looking forward to: Celebrating Mini-me's birthday tomorrow. After the scare with had this year, it's an extra special day. He and I will meet to go shopping then all five of us with have lunch together and frost Christmas cookies. It's going to be a good day!

What are you looking forward to this week?


9 comments:

  1. I'm sure your son's birthday will be extra special this year… sounds like you have a wonderful day planned. Enjoy every minute!

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  2. Some celebrations going on in your family - that's good! I'm looking forward to a couple of get-together meals this week. Lunch out with one of my women's groups and a bring-and-share
    with my book group then it's back to next week's Christmas holiday planning. Enjoy your week!

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  3. I can't wait to read Perfect! Hope you enjoy it. Have a great week.

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  4. I just finished listening to Life of Pi last week. Enjoyed the book but I wouldn't recommend the audiobook since there are scenes you may prefer to skip, if you are squirmy like me. :) But definitely recommended. I need to start reading Perfect soon.

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  5. I'm looking forward to the start of my Christmas break. Two full weeks off!

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  6. I am looking forward to Disneyland on Friday and then being off for almost three weeks. It can't come soon enough.

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  7. I love your varying approaches to decorating. I would like to do that too, I think. Maybe not until Mouse is older though, when I have more time to devote to giving it more thought--and attention.

    I found myself turning to talk radio today on my drive to the hospital because I wasn't in the mood for Christmas music. This is the first year I've found myself changing the dial when it's just me in the car to switch off the Christmas music. Usually I love it..

    Congratulations to your nephew on his graduation and happy birthday to your mini-you. It sounds like you have a wonderful day planned.

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  8. Congratulations on the upcoming engagement, hope the birthday party went well.

    http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

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  9. I so enjoyed the good year (the movie). It's a sleeper of a film, lovely.

    Tomorrow I will be sad to leave Vevey but keep thinking about the snow that's falling in Zermatt! We have an almost three hour train ride across the country, it will be nice to relax, read, look out the window. Bill will be on the phone (ha).

    I'm NOT ready for Christmas, haven't bought one gift for my family.

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