Days Gone By

It was sixty degrees here yesterday so hubs and I (and the little brown dog of course) took advantage of the warm weather and hiked out to a nearby waterfall. We hadn't been on this particular path since Hurricane Helene hit, but she definitely left her mark. 

The rangers and crew have done a good job clearing the trail of most of the enormous fallen trees and they've made work arounds where needed.  

I do some of my best thinking while on a walk in the woods. I don't know if it's the quiet or the beauty or the freedom from distraction but I feel God especially near when I'm out in nature.  

As we walked yesterday I found myself thinking about this next new year getting ready to roll in...what I'm hoping for...what I need to do-untangle-notice-cherish. 

What will this new year bring? 

No clue, right? I mean we all hope for lots of goodness, but know most years are a mixture of both sorrow and joy. Every year is filled with the comfort of familiar, yet the unexpected will be woven in there too. 

There will likely be some muck along the way.

So much beauty too. 

There will be things to work out and things to enjoy. 

Time to play. 

And time to pray. 

A walk in the woods reminds me I don't have to think too deeply about the year I'm leaving behind. That it's okay to just let it quietly roll away and instead turn my gaze forward. 

To let my heart fill with gratitude for the way God goes before me into each new year. Each new day in fact. 

To rest in His unfailing love, knowing He'll show me the path I should walk. 

Creation reminds me to keep looking up. 

'The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him." Psalm 28:7

In the words of my grandson, 'Happy new you!'

Merry Happy Monday

Recapping last week's Christmas fun today, and linking it all with Hello Monday hosted by Holly and Sarah. 

We got to Daughter2's house Monday lunchtime and spent the afternoon playing with the grands. My daughter made this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner that night and it was so good. I will definitely be making it myself someday soon. 

I feel like this post might be heavy on the food mentions, but c'est la holidays.

On Christmas Eve we had a nice breakfast courtesy of my son-in-law who made us sausage and eggs on the Blackstone. He grilled the hot Benton's sausage we'd picked up on our way into town and it's delish. I'd never purchased their sausage before but my daughter wanted the hot so we grabbed some to bring home too. It's not overly hot, just super flavorful. 

After breakfast we bundled everyone up for a walk, with a stop at the playground for sweet baby J to show us his tricks on the slide. 

This one y'all...

She's a mover and a shaker and we laugh and say when it comes to the grands it's the two little girls who are gonna give us all a run for our money. I cannot wait to see them together soon. 

My sister and her hubs sent my daughter a wonderful charcuterie gift from Gourmet Gift Baskets, which we enjoyed for lunch. The dried fruit and nut tray is amazing and there was a separate tray of cheese, sausage, and crackers. There's not a lot of dining out with littles this age but we didn't miss it. 

The babies both nap in the afternoon which gives everyone else a little time to relax too. 

For dinner my son--in-law cooked a prime rib that had first been slathered in garlic butter, and we had twice baked potatoes and broccoli to go with. Our family tradition used to be new pjs for everyone to open on Christmas Eve, but now that we have grandchildren I like to give the jammies earlier in the month so they can wear them all of December. I got all the grands and their parents the same set of the Christmas Cookie pattern from Caden Lane and they were so cute. 

And appropriate. My daughter the baker-

We didn't get to church on Christmas Eve as their service was at 5 PM and that's just a tricky time of day for a two and a half year old and a ten-month old. The little people manger helps with the telling of the story in a way the 2-year old can understand and that's the important thing. 

Christmas day dawned bright and early and it was so much fun to see the little man take it all in. You never know what they're going to remark on first, but he slayed us with his initial observation in a room full of gifts and an uwrapped t-ball set that, 'Some of these presents have bows. And some have no bow'  

He is so extra y'all. 

He was overjoyed with every single gift he was given and we leisurely opened presents, added batteries, worked new puzzles, tried to figure out how to turn off! the train when it needed a rest, enjoyed homemade cinnamon rolls and an egg casserole, and thoughtful stocking stuffers for all the adults too. 

We have loved adding trucks and trains and cars and legos to our supply of toys in the house but it's fun to now have some little girls to buy for too. 

We Facetimed with the UK contingent and we're all looking forward to being on the same land mass when Christmas comes round again next year. 

Thursday we had a slow morning then went to a nearby park for a nice long walk. It felt good to move, and while I enjoy all the holiday-ing I also look forward to cleaner eating and less indulging. After December 31st I mean. 

Thursday night hubs and I were left in charge of the littles while their mom and dad had an honest to goodness date night. They went to a nearby Italian restaurant where Momma was able to enjoy a whole entire complete meal uninterrupted. Happy new year to her! 

It's the little things, right? 

Christmas is still up at my house and will come down sometime after the first of the year. I hate the thought of putting it all away, but I do love the thought of a clean house. Hope your Christmas was merry and bright! 

A quick p.s. for anyone new here...I host a weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge on my blog and you are most welcome to join the fun. It's a random Q & A with room for a thought of your own too. The questions will post on Sundays this year, and the link-up will still go live on Wedenesdays. Happy new year everyone! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 583

Happy almost new year Hodgepodgers! When the link goes live it will be 2025~whoohoo! Here are this week's questions, which you should answer on your own blog and then pop back here Wednesday to add your link to the party. 

I know many bloggers who participate here regularly would prefer for me to always post the questions earlier than I do, and maybe I'll manage that this year. Questions on a Sunday with the link up still going live on Wednesday. Otherwise we'd have to change the name and that's all too much. We'll see how it goes. 

See you back here Wednesday, January 1 to share answers in a brand new year...

1. Oxford's Word of the year for 2024 is 'brain rot'. Are you familiar with this term? Do you suffer from the condition? Ha! This is a term used to 'capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media'. If you were choosing a word to capture 2024 (for the nation/world, not your own life personally) what word would you choose? 

2. It's National Polar Bear Plunge Day (January 1)...will you be participating in one of these events (or even your own)? How will you spend the first day of this brand new year? Do you have a traditional New Year's Day menu? 

3. What's something that brings you joy and how will you do more of it in this new year? 

4. Do you struggle with the January blues? What's one thing you can/will do to keep them at bay? 

5. Will you choose your own personal word of the year for 2025? What about a goal, resolution, or maybe even a bucket list? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Merry Monday

Hello Monday. It's still Monday right? The days are a blur this time of year and you just have to roll with it. I'm linking with Holly and Sarah for the weekend recap party they host every Monday. Here we go-

We had a fun weekend spent with hubs brother, sister-in-law, and his momma, not counting of course that Tennessee football game, which was possibly the worst game played in the history of ever. Let's speak of happier things. 

It's not a straight line from our house in SC to theirs in TN these days, due to the wrath of Helene. The interstate remains shut down so we have to take the long way around. 

Long but absolutely beautiful I will say. The road that runs across the mountain from NC into Tennessee is one of the prettiest in all of America. Dusted with snow it was just breathtaking. 

As we came in to Tennessee we saw more remnants of the hurricane. Yellow piping is piled high all along the highway from a plastics plant that was destroyed by rushing water. 

Lives were lost here and it's still such an incredible mess. 

We picked up my mother-in-law on our way to the lake where my brother-in-law lives, and got there just in time to see the Clemson-Texas kickoff. We were rooting for our hometown team, but they ended up losing and then things sped rapidly downhill from there. 

That Tennessee game. Whew! It was painful. My sister-in law had ordered Chicago's famous Lou Malnati's pizzas for dinner and that was the highlight of the evening. 'Nuff said. 

Sunday morning we all went to church together. Their church choir performed their cantata which was so lovely. 

We had a charcuterie style lunch, then spent the afternoon chatting, soaking up some Vitamin D on the sunny back porch, and watching the women's volleyball championship on TV. 

Sunday evening we took hubs mom out for a delicious meal at one of our favorite Italian spots-Bella.

Hubs passed a shop window with a prop that goes with his suit and we had to snap a picture. 

This suit brings out the best in everyone. People stop to wish us merry Christmas with a big smile on their face, and to tell us how much they love it. An easy way to spread holiday cheer. 

Monday morning hubs and I headed south about an hour and a half to Daughter2's home near Chattanooga. We take a back road so it's a country drive with pretty farms dotting the landscape along the way. We made a stop at our favorite smokehouse Bentons, home to the world famous Benton's bacon, and still made it to Daughter2s by lunchtime. 

Sweet Baby J literally jumps up and down and claps his hands when he sees us getting out of the car and it is the best thing ever. Truly. Whatever is weighing you down dissolves at the sight of this precious little boy so happy to see you he can't contain it. And baby sister is right behind him, giving us her whole body smile and showing off her newest skill-walking! 

The excitement level is at a ten with littles in the house and we are here for it. 

Merry Christmas Eve Eve everyone!

The Hodgepodge Is Coming To Town

Hello Hodgepodgers! I hope you're enjoying all the blessings of this most wonderful time of the year. A reminder there will  not be a Hodgepodge next week (December 25th) since Christmas lands on a Wednesday this year. 

There will be a Hodgepodge link up on January 1st BUT!! I'll post the questions on Sunday (December 29th) to give everyone a couple of extra days to get their answers written.  

December 25-NO Hodgepodge

December 29-questions posted for the first HP of the new year (Volume 583)

January 1-the link goes live

Okay, back to today...here we go-

1. What's one thing you want to get done before the calendar flips to a new year?

Not a big deal, but I do still plan to tackle my pantry clean out and reorg. 

2. What's something that brought a smile to your face this year?

This little ray of sunshine, our newest granddaughter who's dubbed Sugar on my blog because she's pure sweetness and the smiliest baby I know-

3. What do you like on a cracker? Do you have a favorite cracker variety? 

I'll answer the second part of the question first since that's easier. My favorite is a Carr's Water Cracker, the cracked pepper variety especially. What do I like on it? Lots of things. I often have crackers with pimento cheese or chicken salad on top for lunch so how 'bout I don't overthink this one, and just go with that as my answer. 

4. Do you have plans for ringing in the new year in a fun or special way? Are you typically awake at midnight on the last day of the year? 

On a normal day I'm sound asleep at midnight, but I try to stay up to ring in the new year on December 31st. This year some neighbors are having a few of us over for a get together and we'll go to that, which should be fun. Bonus we can walk. I don't like being on the road on New Year's Eve. 

5. What are three words that describe your year? 

Is spendy a word, because I feel like this has been a spendy year. My three words are- 

spendy, tender, full 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

I bought this Williams Sonoma advent baking calendar for my daughter2 this year because she loves to bake. Tanya (The Other Side Of The Road) shared several Advent calendars on her blog in November, and when I saw this one I knew I had to get it for my girl. Thank you Tanya! 

The calendar is so cute and really well-made. A French patisserie where the doors open and you find numbered boxes inside, each one containing some sort of baking tool or accessory. Many of the boxes hold holiday cookie cutters, one had pastry bags, pastry tips, another had the little shaper tools you use to smooth, shape, and texture cakes, etc. 

I took the calendar to my daughter when we went for Thanksgiving and she Marco Polos me every day to let me know what was in that day's box. Most boxes are small, but there's a bigger one close to Christmas we're curious about. This gift was a win. 

I'll be blogging some between now and Christmas, but in case you're signing off the Internet for the holidays I want to wish you much peace and joy as the year winds down. 

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