Monthly Musings-December

Hello friends and happy Thursday. Joining Holly (Pink Lady) and Patty (Good Better Best)  for their Monthly Musings link up today, and mixing in some of our holiday home decor just because. Here are the prompts-

1. What holidays do you celebrate? 

In December-Advent, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. I'm not sure Advent counts as a holiday, but it is an important part of the season for me.

2. Scale of 1-10, how into the holidays are you this year? Be honest. 

I'm an eight. I'm excited to have my girls and their families all together this weekend. It's the 'in-law' year so we're having a little family Christmas here on Saturday. When your kids are grown and married and have children of their own, and those in-law children are also close to their families, well...some flexing and adjustment of your expectations as to how Christmas looks absolutely needs to happen. 

Not gonna lie-it may not happen year one, but we're ten years in now and it's all good. Different can still be wonderful. 

Firstly, I love that my girls have in-laws who love them and their children. That is no small thing. Plus hubs and I have spent our entire married life alternating Christmas between our two families due to geography, so we know the drill. I've told my girls if we can manage a get together sometime in December on the 'off' years then we'll make that happen. Personally I don't want to celebrate in January. My mindset shifts to quiet, low-key, and hey let's not eat cookies every night in January, so if we're going to celebrate Christmas together it needs to be December. 

3. Favorite things to make/bake during the holidays? 

I love to bake cookies, but haven't done very many this year. Both my girls bake and will bring their creations here so we'll have plenty. I always make cranberry bread too, and chex mix both the sweet and savory.  

4. Favorite holiday movies? 

I'm not big on the Hallmark movies, but I like most of what we think of as the traditional holiday films. White Christmas, The Holiday, Elf,  Love Actually, and The Christmas Story are all watched here. 

5. Most random holiday tradition?

A picture on the steps first thing Christmas morning, before coming in to the room where stockings have been filled and more presents added under the tree. It was torture when I was a kid, and I think my girls will say the same. Now their children have a picture taken on the stairs so yay for tradition! 

6. Are you hosting for the holidays? New Year's Eve or New Year's Day? 

We're hosting our kids and grandkids this weekend, and then will be with my extended family on Christmas Day which I'm also looking forward to. We haven't thought about the New Year celebration at all. We may have friends in impromptu, or it might just be us? We're okay with low key on the last day of the year. 

7. Favorite way to ring in the New Year? 

I'm not a night owl, but I do try to be awake when the clock strikes twelve to mark the start of a new year. #goals lol. 

Is just being awake considered ringing in the new year? 

Some years we're with friends, some years friends are here, some years it's just me and the hubs and I'm good with any of those. I don't like to be on the road on New Year's Eve. 

8. Any new year's resolutions or word of the year? 

There will be some goals set and many years I do have a word. This year mine was anchor and I'll write more about how that looks in hindsight after Christmas. I haven't given a lot of thought to the new year/new word yet and honestly I typically don't get it in gear in this department until about January 7th so stay tuned. 

9. Favorite holiday songs? 

The traditional hymns and carols from my childhood are still my favorite...

                '...a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices...' 

                '...God is not dead nor doth he sleep...'

                '...the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonite...' 

10. Favorite holiday memory? 

I could never choose just one. What I treasure most from my own childhood is the warmth and love I felt from my family and for my family on Christmas day. Those feelings bubble up every year and I feel so much gratitude for the people who grew me up. My momma made it all pure magic. 

A Holiday Hodgepodge

Welcome to December and to the weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and leave a merry comment for your neighbor there. Here we go...

1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'? On a scale of 1-10 how is yours this year? (10=off the charts, 1=still looking for it)

I think it's related to the sense of excitement and anticipation we feel this time of year. It's wanting to go the extra mile in terms of generosity and kindness. It's purposely slowing down to count my blessings in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. 

Some years that holiday spirit is hard to find, but this year I'm going to say mine is at a 7. There's so much to love and look forward to, but there's also a lot to do. 

2. What's your favorite character from a (December) holiday-themed movie, book, or TV special? Tell us why. 

Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch has always been a favorite. Hubs and I watched Home Alone the other night, and how can you not love Kevin McAllister? 

I love Linus from A Charlie Brown Christmas, the friend who finds the good in the scrappy tree and who when Charlie asks 'Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?' replies by reciting Jesus birth as recounted in the book of Luke. 

Linus, who carries his security blanket everywhere, drops it when he gets to the part that reads 'Fear not; for behold I bring you tidings of great joy". This little cartoon that first aired sixty years ago is still so powerful, so sweet, so loved. 

3. Do you like gingerbread? Are gingerbread houses part of your holiday tradition? 

I do like gingerbread. I don't think it was a favorite growing up, but I love it now. 

We have done gingerbread houses from time to time. That activity isn't on the calendar this year. 

4. Much of our vocabulary is determined by where we live or where we grew up. What say you-

sprinkles or jimmies? lightning bugs or fireflies? soda or pop? sneakers, trainers, or tennis shoes? sub, hoagie, grinder, or hero? freeway, highway, or motorway? frosting or icing? sauce or gravy?

sprinkles-lightning bugs-soda-sneakers-subs unless what I'm eating is an actual hoagie (iykyk)-highway- icing-sauce if we're talking pasta, but gravy if we're talking meat and potatoes 

5. Share a favorite holiday memory from your childhood. 

The season didn't start until December and I think it was definitely simpler. Most people had just one tree, and we'd go to the local nursery to choose ours. It didn't go up until closer to Christmas and we all helped with the decorating. 

There was a lot of cookie baking done beside my mom in the month of December. 

The feeling of anticipation on Christmas morning. My sister and I (we shared a room) waking up super early and the excitement we felt as we lay in our beds talking while waiting for the street lights to go off so we could wake up my parents. That was the rule-no getting up while the street lights were still on. 

Then sitting on the steps with my brother and sisters as we waited some more for my dad to start the fire in the fireplace, make the coffee, and take our picture. Finally walking in to the living room and seeing all the beautifully wrapped gifts and my stocking in 'my chair'. So many surprises...I rarely knew what I'd be getting. 

I had a doll I loved and every year my mom would take her from my room after I'd gone to sleep on Christmas Eve, and dress her in a new outfit. She'd be sitting beside my stocking when I came down on Christmas morning.

My mama made Christmas morning so magical. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  

It wouldn't officially be the Christmas season without me posting this song on my blog. This carol wasn't a particular favorite of mine as a child, but it has become a favorite in my adult years. The lyrics are so meaningful, so very relevant to the world in which we live...

'and in despair I bowed my head, There is no peace on earth I said, For hate is strong and mocks the song, Of peace on earth, good will to men...'

The story behind this particular song is a good one (you can read it here), and this Casting Crowns version is absolutely beautiful-

'Then rang the bells, more loud and deep, God is not dead nor doth He sleep, The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men...'

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 580

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share your answers. See you there! 

1. What's the best $5 gift to give someone? 

2. What's your favorite way to relax/unwind during the busy holiday season? 

3. How do you feel about gingerbread? Love it or no thanks? Are gingerbread houses a part of your holiday tradition? If you said yes, how does that look? Do you like ginger flavor in other kinds of dishes? 

4. December 5th is National Blue Jeans Day...will you be celebrating? Do you have a favorite brand? A favorite pair? Do you have a hard time parting with a favorite pair of jeans? Blue jeans-joggers-leggings-yoga pants...which one do you wear most often? 

5. As we head into this holiday season what's your biggest priority or goal for the end of the year? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Square One

I didn't mean to take a three week hiatus here but that's what happened and I'm not mad about it. Course we can't move forward without looking back so let's talk December. 

Christmas came. It always does thankfully. This year's holiday looked a lot different than the one I'd been imagining in my head all year long, but we are nothing if not resilient here so we adjust and adapt and carry on. The weather was fabulous so hubs and I started the day with coffee on the porch. Eventually he made us yummy bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches and we opened gifts, took the pup for a nice long walk, then got the house ready for company coming later in the day. 

We were so glad to have friends also on their own this year, and together we did the traditional ham dinner with all the trimmings served on the Christmas china kind of meal. A really nice afternoon and evening spent with some of the nicest people we know. 

We missed in person time with the cutest little men on the planet, but we did FaceTime and loved hearing about all their favorite moments of the day. Little ones are extra precious this time of year, don't you think? 

We did manage an early somewhat traditional Christmas celebration with Daughter2 and her hubs a few days prior to Christmas and that was loads of fun. They arrived the Sunday before Christmas and left for the in-laws on Thursday morning. 

We declared Wednesday our Christmas with them, and woke up to stockings, breakfast casserole, gifts, and a prime rib meal which the men loved planning for, talking about, cooking and eating. Emphasis on the talking about-ha! Men and their bbq! 

We took them into tiny town one night to see the lights, played darts at the local beer station, played mini golf in a light rain, and just enjoyed being together. 

Backing up to the week before their arrival when we spent a really fun Saturday night with a big gang of friends and strangers-now-friends at a Santa pub crawl in town. We all agreed we have not laughed that much in a long time and it felt great! 

So many Santas, but 'Santa Baby' was my favorite costume.

What else? Oh yeah...construction. Can't forget that. I mean we've only had this project on the books since May so of course the install is going to happen the week before Christmas. Still not done but well on it's way. The wood that's been in our garage for the past three months is now on the wall, waiting on the painter (mid-January), the electrician (sometime), the Murphy bed install (happening this week!) and just a few other small loose ends to tie up before we call it a day. We are loving the look of what's been done and think we might actually wrap this thing up before too long. 

'Too long' being a relative term, ahem. 

Neighbors invited hubs and I for an oyster roast one night about a week before Christmas and it was so much fun. And because there were so many oysters they invited us back two nights later for a repeat and we were happy to oblige. Another neighbor provided the oysters, fresh from their trek to the coast, and we had them raw, steamed, and Rockefeller style. 

Hubs and I had a night on the town in the nearby big city one evening, with dinner and a holiday show courtesy of the local symphony. It was fabulous and I'd definitely like to make this a regular thing going forward. 

My sister lives about an hour from us and since her birthday is the day after Christmas we made plans to celebrate both occasions at my niece's new home on the 26th. We had too many wonderful hors d'oeuvres and loved spending time with family. 

What else? Hubs gave me a new computer for Christmas (whoohoo!) so he and I trekked to the mall last Thursday to do some sort of transfer blah blah blah at the Apple Store. If anyone is wondering what everyone is doing, I can tell you...they're at the mall. Have mercy it was a zoo! I haven't been in a mall since before Covid and I guess I thought that wasn't a thing anymore (the mall, not Covid-ugh!) but it is most definitely a thing. 

We hung out at home on New Year's Eve which is our favorite place to be at year's end. It was absurdly warm and we grilled scallops and were asleep before the clock chimed 12, which is pretty much how our end of year always goes. I'm more about a champagne toast on Day 1 anyway. 

How many times can I mention the weather? My daffodils think it's time to pop up and it is definitely not time.

On the bright side, since the new year rolled in with 70-something degree temps and crazy humidity we made the little brown dog's day and let him swim. Nothing makes him happier than dock diving and we aim to please. 

Our neighbors joined us for dinner New Year's Day and we played some pool after dining on the traditional 'lucky meal' like all good citizens should. Pork tenderloin, cornbread, collard greens, and black eyed peas. I hope everyone reading here also did their part-ha! 

And I guess that catches us all the way up. 

Wait....did I tell you I'm going to be a Nana again?!?!? This is what happens when you neglect your blog. I'm going to be a Nana again!! Here's sweet daughter2, the momma-to-be, with the nightgown I gave her this year. Hedgehogs of course, because it's not Christmas in my house without a hedgehog wrapped up somewhere.

Never have the words happy new year been more appropriate. 

Happy new year!! 

Somewhat Current Events

I have a to-do list as long as my arm, but how 'bout let's blog instead? I want this space to catch up with my  real life space so I'm going to throw down some random words and pictures today in hopes of making that happen. 

Last Friday some 'NJ friends' vacationing in a neighboring state detoured to the lake and spent the night at our house. The Mrs. worked with hubs back in the day and we had not seen her in person since she came to visit us in England many moons ago. How many moons you ask? Well daughter1 celebrated her 16th birthday during that visit so very many. 

Let me not go down the England rabbit hole today, or the one where daughters turn sixteen and then get married, move away, and have babies either. Let's stick to the here and now and the absolute most picture perfect December weather in the history of weather. 

Our friends got to the lake just in time for us to boat over to lunch because that's what you do on a clear blue 77-degree December day. 

And because it was still spectacular after lunch we motored around a bit, showed them the nearby waterfall, and some of our favorite little coves before heading home. 

We then ventured into town (by car of course) for happy hour at a favorite local wine bar. We shared a charcuterie tray and talked and caught up and then went over to tiny town's little main street to see the Christmas lights.

We live in a sleepy little burg with not a lot going on other than the great outdoors, but let me just state for the record, the Christmas lights in this town are something else. They're set to music and it's fun to see people of all ages out enjoying holiday cheer. 

This year there were several fire tables set up in the street with a booth nearby selling s'more kits. We did not partake because we were headed to an Italian restaurant for a late supper, but maybe next time.  

Our friends caught the beauty of the early morning sunrise before heading home Saturday morning. Let's pause because I feel like we should. 

Photos do not do the winter skies here justice. 

Saturday evening was our neighborhood Christmas party which was a nice way to ring in the holiday season. I bought a pair of super sparkly pants for the occasion and it's impossible not to have fun when you're wearing sparkly pants. We had fun. 

Speaking of dressing for the holidays...this handsome boy had a haircut over the weekend and came back to us wearing a Christmas bow tie. 

He knows he's cute. 

In other completely unrelated-to-the-holidays-but-still exciting-to-us news, our carpenter came by on Monday and taped the stairwell wall where wood will be installed. 

Never mind that the wood's been at the house for a month, progress is progress and whoohoo for progress! They're supposed to start on my office wall on Monday, the electrician comes to wire for stair lighting on Tuesday, and then the rest of the pieces should magically fall into place to finally get this project done. I will update you with all the pieces once we're really and truly underway. 

In completely holiday-related news ours will be unexpectedly quiet. I know I want to write about how that looks or maybe I don't. 

Maybe today I'd rather just soak in the beauty of a lake that looks like glass and the beauty of a Christmas tree shining there.

Let's Just Call This One November

We've been trekking across and around East Tennessee for the past ten days so I'm going to lump all the fun into a single post before December rolls in and Thanksgiving is so last week. I know technically Thanksgiving really was last week but I enjoyed living and not writing about it in real time.   

Anyway, Thanksgiving

Wait, let's back the sleigh up to the weekend before Thanksgiving, which is when we loaded up the car and the dog and the everything and made our way to hubs brother's house in Vol country. Nobody is happier to road trip to visit my brother-in-law and sister-in-law than the little brown dog. My sister-in-law is one of his favorites and she does not spoil him at all. 

There's nothing quite like a game live and in person in Neyland Stadium and that's where we were (along with 100,000 of our closest friends) the Saturday before Thanksgiving. 

The Vols had an away game Veterans Day weekend so they were doing a number of things at this game to honor those who've served. Lee Greenwood was at the game with his son and they sang God Bless The USA while the big flag was unfurled on the field which was such a treat. Winning is fun too.

On Monday morning we drove another three (or is it four?) hours to Daughter1's house. She's an hour behind us which isn't much, but somehow it still messes with your head. 

We settled in and spent four days having all the fun with the sweetest little men we  know. That fun included building giant houses made of waffles...

 Reading stacks and stacks and stacks of books -

Playing lots of Go Fish and no less than seventeen games of Candyland which, if you know you know, ahem-  

There were also  lots  of snuggles-giggles-wiggles-and sloppy kisses given which will need to hold me over til the next time we're together. 

I helped in the kitchen and delivered my grandmother's china to her great-granddaughter (daughter1) and loved Facetiming my mom to show her the table set with her momma's well loved crystal and flowery plates. So so special. 

We left Daughter1's house the day after our feast and drove another three hours over to Daughter2's house so we could see the new digs. So so cute. We had a wonderful time visiting with her in-laws and it was nice to have a second Thanksgiving of sorts with them and also my mother-in-law.

Because my sons-in-law both have jobs that sometimes require them to be 'on call' (aka no travel) we were not able to have everyone in the same place, although we were in the same state. Daughter2 and her hubs moved into their home three days before Thanksgiving but she rallied and invited her in-laws and also hubs mom to spend the holiday with them in their brand new home. 

That they moved into three days before. 

My girls are awesome. 

Raise your hand if you've had a few too many carbs in the last ten days. 

Raise your hand if you're not sorry-ha! 

We left Daughter2's house Sunday morning to take my mother-in-law back home and spend one more night with hubs brother and sister-in-law. We were all pretty pooped so we chilled on the couch, napped, and caught up on everyone's holiday eatings and doings. 

While my girls are geographically the closest they've been to one another in many many years, and to us too, we will not have either of the 'big' holidays this year with both girls in the same house. This is the thing I long for most when holidays roll around, the thing I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for, and the thing I was expecting this year. 

I wait a little longer. 

I make a list of all I'm grateful for, which includes happily married grown up girls who've made loving homes for their growing families...

...for grandchildren who fill our hearts to overflowing-

 

...for the beauty of a late November sky-

A reminder of how deep and wide and high God's love is for His people.

Hodgepodging In Abundance

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. A gratitude theme felt appropriate today...thanks for playing along! If you've answered the questions add your link at the end of my post then go say hey to your neighbor. Everybody's welcome here on Wednesdays (and everyday) so why not take a break from all that turkey prep and join us? Here we go-

  

1. Tradition...how tightly do you cling to tradition when it comes to holiday gatherings and celebrations? For instance do you always do the cooking, never eat at home, always go to grandma's, never miss the parade, always watch football, never change the menu, always eat at 2 PM, etc.? Have you ever celebrated Christmas or Thanksgiving away from hearth, home, and family? How did that feel?

I used to hold tradition tightly in my iron clad fist, but you know life and all that. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and if I had my way my family would all be gathered round my dining room table each and every year. So how often does that actually happen? Rarely. Very very rarely. And I adjust and feel grateful for my many blessings, but I miss my girls in the kitchen on that day most of all. 

Cooking together opens the door to the very best conversations. 

I've spent very few Christmases in my own home, a factor of living far from family most of my adult life so I've learned to enjoy Christmas wherever we're celebrating. We spent two Christmases in England, and seven Thanksgivings and we absolutely cherish those memories. We spent our first Thanksgiving in the UK on the Eurostar to Paris eating a fish dinner which Daughter1 claimed was not very Thanksgiving-y, but then Paris so yeah. It's one of our favorite travel memories too because we were total novices and blundered a bit. We learned. 

The year before we moved to England we spent Thanksgiving in St. Thomas and had a delicious turkey dinner at the Marriott where we were staying. If I've got my girls I'm good to go. Not sure how it would feel waking up somewhere tropical on Christmas morning, but as I said a few paragraphs ago I'm an adjuster so I'd probably adjust. 

2. Help...is it easy for you to ask for help or are you a do-it-yourselfer? How is that a good/bad thing?

I'm a do-it-yourselfer and will admit that's not always a good thing. I've said it here before, but my mom and all my siblings will tell you my mantra even as a young child was, 'I can do it myself'.  I'm not talking about home repairs, or plumbing, or car maintenance...when it comes to that type of thing I'm all about asking for help. I'm talking about everyday life kind of stuff, and in my defense it's not always a bad thing either. 

3. Abundance...what is there an abundance of in your kitchen?

This is a tough one, because last week's Hodgepodge inspired me to rearrange my pantry and clean out that annoying overly full cabinet, so I got rid of a few things that fell into the category of 'too much'. Is abundance too much or just plenty? I found two unopened bags of Resees so let's go with that. 

4. Name...the smallest thing you're thankful for? the biggest?

The smallest?

The biggest? 

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

5. Key...What do you think is the key to living a more grateful life?

This may sound simplistic but... be grateful. We always have a choice as to how we see things and I think gratitude is a choice. Sometimes life is hard and we have to dig a little deeper to make that choice, but there is always something to be thankful for. 


6. State your own random thought here.

Are you cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year? We're having dinner with my sister and I'm making the desserts. Of course it's plural-ha! My niece requested a coconut cream pie and I've never made a coconut cream pie but I'm going to give it a try. I'm also baking an apple pie and making my mom's Thanksgiving Day fruit salad because that's the law. It's simple-sliced purple grapes, oranges, and apples with a can of crushed pineapple poured over all. So refreshing after a meal where you don't mean to eat too much but you always eat too much. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

In Sync With The Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then go say howdy to your neighbor there. Thanks for playing along each week!

1.  In a rut, in a jam, in the groove, out of sync, off balance, out of touch...which saying best fits some area of your life currently (or recently)? Explain.

Well I think we all know I was physically off balance back in August of this year, so that fits. My ribs took a good three months to heal completely and I hope I never experience that sort of injury again. 

More than off balance though I feel out of sync. We were away for a large chunk of October and then hit the ground running upon our return. Still trying to catch my breath, and seem to be always a step or two behind where I need to be. 

2. What is it about somebody else's style of work (coworker/employee/shared volunteer project/household chore) that makes you crazy? Why?

habitual lateness, laziness, being unprepared on a regular basis

3. What's a tradition that always makes you feel at home?

I think partly why I love Thanksgiving is because at the core it's celebrated in a very similar way all across America. Family and/or friends gathering, shared cooking, turkey and dressing, pie, parades and naps...this is Thanksgiving. Yes I know that's not 100% across the board true, but in general we celebrate this day counting our blessings and eating a little more than we should. 

I've eaten Thanksgiving in a country not my own and the smell of turkey roasting and the sound of my girls chatter in the kitchen as friends from various parts of the globe gathered round all said home to me.

'Forever on Thanksgiving Day

The heart will find the pathway home.'

~Wilbur D. Nesbit

4. A favorite song with a girl's name in the title or lyrics? Any reason why this is a particular favorite?

Just one??? There are so many I love... Georgia (Boz Scaggs), Aimee (Pure Prairie League), Amanda (Boston) Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac), Aubrey (Bread), Annie's Song (John Denver), Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond)...

I'm going with this one though because I've always loved the name. ahem. This song was written about a big Irish Setter (cue the waterworks).  

Shannon by Henry Gross-



5. Share a favorite quote, verse, or saying relating to gratitude or thanksgiving.

'Come thou fount of ev'ry blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise...'

~Come Thou Fount by Robert Robertson

6. Insert your own random thought here.

So much to love about this time of year-

SaveSave