Life: It Goes On - December 7

Happy Tuesday! If I’d written this Sunday, I could have reported that it was a sunny, warmer than normal day which was giving me the incentive to get things done (except that instead of writing this, I was actually spending the time looking for a new tree topper – but that’s a different story!). Instead, yesterday brought in winter - grey, cold, windy. Which is a good time to discover that you didn’t get your wool coat cleaned at the end of last winter and that a button is dangling from it. Add that to the to-do list! 

It didn't help me get to this sooner that my desk has been covered with Christmas bins. Even now, they are just moved to the sofa. More on that later. 

Last Week I: 

 Listened To: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, my book club pick for January. I’m really enjoying it so far but only about a third of the way through it.

Watched: I’m a little embarrassed to report that our first Christmas movie of 2021 was “Bad Santa.”

Read: Working on My Monticello. It’s very good but maybe not the book for me right now so it’s work to read.

Made: Mushroom risotto, bacon-wrapped asparagus, and a Christmas fruit salad for a potluck dinner with friends on Saturday night. Lessons learned – do not use thick cut bacon to wrap asparagus, bacon cannot be cut lengthwise not matter what the recipe claims, and stirring risotto for an hour right before you put on your face to go to a dinner is a good way to melt your makeup right back off.

Enjoyed: That dinner with friends. All day Saturday I felt like my mood was lighter, like I had more energy. As an introvert, my batteries are best charged in quiet but these friends are some of the few people who can also do that for me. 

This Week I’m:  

Planning: On finishing up the decorating in the next couple of days. I had all of the bins up last week and had gotten started but just wasn’t feeling it. Then the first tree I put up fought me every step of the way (seriously, that thing leaned one way and then another no matter what I did!). Note to self: do everything the same way next year and life will be much easier!

Thinking About: Finishing up my shopping this week, the soonest it's ever been finished. 

Feeling: Overwhelmed, both by life’s events and the kindness of others. An angel sent my dad, myself and each of my siblings an ornament with my mom’s picture on it. We have no idea who was so kind but I hope they know how much it touched each of us.

Looking forward to: Going to an annual Jane Austen Society tea on Saturday. Which I'd completely forgotten about because that's how my brain works these days!

Question of the week: How long does it take you to decorate your home for the holidays?