Showing posts with label trees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trees. Show all posts

Monday, December 16, 2024

A Holly Jolly Weekend Recap

Another weekend in the books and it was a good one. Lots of holiday-ing with friends and some much needed down time too. I feel like the last quarter of the year was a literal sprint to December, but December is proceeding at a manageable pace, or at least it is for me. 

I've got to hit one more shop today to finish up my gift buying, and look forward to having that done. Almost everything is wrapped, except for the two or three packages expected to arrive this week, and the decorating is done too. I'm looking forward to lots of tea sipped by the tree from now until January. 

I was going to include some of our holiday decorating in this post, but instead I think I'll make that a post all it's own here tomorrow. Today I'm linking with Holly and Sarah for their Monday morning weekend recap. This was ours-

Friday night hubs and I went into a nearby little town to see their Christmas market. The town square had a beautiful tree right in it's center, the restaurant on the square had a little tavern set up where you could buy mulled wine or spiced cider, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus were set up in the cutest little cottage on the opposite side of the square. 

There were musicians adding to the festive atmosphere and it was chilly which is how I like my Christmas season to feel. The market was small, and I'm sure will likely expand going forward. We browsed the stalls, then grabbed dinner at one of the restaurants on the market street. 

Saturday hubs and I made a trip to Hobby Lobby as he needed something for his evening's 'costume' and I of course always need something from Hobby Lobby. We shared a plate of nachos for lunch at a favorite Mexican spot before heading home. 

Saturday night was our annual Santa Pub Crawl with ninety of our closest friends lol. Everyone dresses for the occasion and while it originally was almost all Santas we now have quite the mix of elves, reindeer, Grinches, snowmen and more. 

It's so much fun and we raise money for a local charity at the same time. We missed it last year as hubs was under the weather, but the year before that I wore my leg lamp costume (from A Christmas Story) and it was a big hit. 

I also froze and my feet ached by the time we got back to the hotel lobby where the band was playing so I opted for warmth this year. Hubs wears his leg lamp suit every year and it's extra. This year I had three layers on under my Mrs. Claus dress and wore my favorite furry boots. We had a great time with the whole gang. 

Sunday was gray and rainy all day long so I made a big pot of vegetable beef soup Sunday afternoon and we sat by the fire and the light of the Christmas tree. So nice!

What did your middle of December weekend look like? I hope it was merry! 

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Still Glad Tidings

Joy to the world! 

How is everyone? Busy? Angry? Excited? Sad? A little bit all of the above? The noise of the world presses in at an ever increasing volume, but let's all whisper joy to the world and ponder that instead. 

So often lately I'll start writing a blog post and go off on a little (sometimes not so little) rant. Then I read it back to myself and delete delete delete. While it feels good to put it on 'paper' I know hitting publish would feel less so. 

Christmas reminds us that joy is possible in spite of the heaviness of this world. In spite of the ongoing war in Ukraine, people streaming across our border unchecked, bullies on the internet, the price of groceries, drag queens performing for children while so many of the people in charge shrug their shoulders as if to say, 'Oh well, what can we do?' 

Joy to the world. Joy to the world. Joy to the world. 

Our tree is up and decorated but I haven't taken any pictures yet. Unless you count these-

Hubs and I had a lovely day recently, driving over the mountain to a little tree farm in North Carolina-


A hay wagon takes you out to the trees and then you sip a cup of hot cocoa and visit with the donkeys while the guys wrap and load your selection onto your vehicle.  

Christmas cards and letters are arriving in our mailbox daily and I love it. One of my favorite things about the season is seeing friends and family names on envelopes in the post. 

We've watched our favorite movies, shopped some, wrapped some, and had many fun nights out with friends and neighbors including this past weekends Santa Pub Crawl for charity. Absolutely everyone dresses in some sort of Santa suit or related holiday costume-  

Here's me and the hubs...if ya know ya know. 

If you don't then you need to watch A Christmas Story. 

Hubs and I have a date this weekend to see a holiday musical performance in the nearby small big city and I'm looking forward to seeing the festive lights and decorations there too. 

And then comes Christmas. Time with wide-eyed little boys who can't be quiet because it's all too thrilling. Time with brand new babies who hold tight to your finger and give sugarplum smiles. Time with matching pajama clad daughters sleeping at home like it was yesteryear. 

Luke chapter 2 and o holy night. 

Let heaven and nature sing. 

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy. 

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

A Bright and Merry Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Comments make the blog world merry and bright and the blog world needs more merry and bright. Here we go-

From this Side of the Pond

1. 'Tis the season to be jolly....so are you? 

In a word, not really. I know that's two words but eh. 

I have a pretty little carved nativity set I bought once upon a time on a trip I took with friends to the Christmas Market in Cologne. 

Remember travel? sigh. Anyway, this year I set it in my kitchen window, a reminder to keep my focus on the main thing. 

This is the main thing. 

2. Do you trim a tree this time of year, and if so is yours all done? What's something in your home-closet-life that needs to be trimmed in the new year? 

We do, normally more than one, but we're having a very low key holiday so just putting up one tree this year, and it's done. 

Something that needs trimming? My closet always, our file cabinet at the start of a brand new year, and my waistline but let's not think about that today. 

3. Are you 'dreaming of a white Christmas'? Is that a possibility where you'll be celebrating? According to this site the top ten places in the US you can count on for a white Christmas are- North Pole Alaska, Crater Lake Oregon, Yellowstone National Park, Winthrop Washington, Aspen Colorado, Ketchum Idaho, Mt. Washington New Hampshire, Whitefish Montana, Duluth Minnesota, and the Lake Tahoe town of Truckee California

Of the snowy spots listed which would you most like to visit? 

I do love a white Christmas, but in sunshiny South Carolina that isn't likely. For the record, a sunshiny Christmas is a-okay too. Honestly I wouldn't mind a trip to any of those spots but since it's Christmas I'm going to say Aspen. I'm sure it's especially beautiful this time of year. 

4. December 8th is National Brownie Day...will you be celebrating? How do you like your brownies-chewy or cake-like, frosted or plain, nuts or no nuts, a piece from the middle or give me the corner? As a child were you a member of a brownie troop? 

Brownies are one of my favorite desserts...chewy-no nuts-no frosting-and gimme a corner please (p.s.-I won't turn down the middle either) I don't think I'll be celebrating because we've had an abundance of treats lately and brownies in the middle of the week feels like something I should miss. See question #2. 

Yes, I was a member of a brownie troop, and at least one year my mom was the leader. 

That's me on the left and my baby sister keeping the tooth fairy in business on the right. I just noticed we're holding hands and is there anything more precious than sisters? 

 My girls were both brownies too, and I was a leader for Daughter2's troop. 

5. Share a favorite line or two from a Christmas carol or holiday tune. 

Every year on my blog I post the Casting Crowns version of I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day. I normally like hymns as they were written (this one is based on the Longfellow poem entitled Christmas Bells), but this particular song has been made better for the tweaking. I love the lyrics so much, this line especially-

'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.'

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

If I  listen to this song a couple of times I might have to change my answer to #1....

'Do you hear the bells, they're ringing? (Peace on Earth)
The light, the angels singing (Peace on Earth)
Open up your heart and hear them (peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men'



Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 444

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then skate back here tomorrow to share answers with the whole wide world. See you there!

1. 'Tis the season to be jolly....so are you? 

2. Do you trim a tree this time of year, and if so is yours all done? What's something in your home-closet-life that needs to be trimmed in the new year? 

3. Are you 'dreaming of a white Christmas'? Is that a possibility where you'll be celebrating? According to this site the top ten places in the US you can count on for a white Christmas are- North Pole Alaska, Crater Lake Oregon, Yellowstone National Park, Winthrop Washington, Aspen Colorado, Ketchum Idaho, Mt. Washington New Hampshire, Whitefish Montana, Duluth Minnesota, and the Lake Tahoe town of Truckee California

Of the snowy spots listed which would you most like to visit? 

4. December 8th is National Brownie Day...will you be celebrating? How do you like your brownies-chewy or cake-like, frosted or plain, nuts or no nuts, a piece from the middle or give me the corner? As a child were you a member of a brownie troop? 

5. Share a favorite line or two from a Christmas carol or holiday tune. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Thursday, May 28, 2020

The Merry Merry Very Very Month Of May

It's funny how there's so much time to blog, but not a whole lot to blog about these days. Thursdays were made for lists of thirteen, but can I even come up with thirteen things today? It's almost the end of May so let's go with thirteen randoms from the longest May ever.

1. Seriously. Normally I feel like if you blink you miss this month, but not 2020 May. I keep looking at my calendar thinking surely it's time to flip to June, but nope. Still May.

2. The weather isn't helping. I cannot remember a gloomier grayer spring than the one we've had this year. On the bright side the grass is green (and soggy), my knockout roses are falling over from the weight of blooms (and water) and my tomato plants have tomatoes so whoohoo! Trying to keep them from drowning is the new obsession round here.

3. There are bigger problems in the world I know.

4. How about some happy news? I got my hair done this week and feel like a new woman. My appointment was first thing Tuesday and the shop had been closed for two days prior due to the holiday weekend, so I felt good about the timing.

The 'new normal' way of doing things is you wait in your car until the stylist texts and when you do come in you take your temperature with a side of hand sanitizer for good measure. We both wore masks and she wore gloves and it was just the two of us in the shop the entire morning. A day brightener for sure.

5. In other happy news May-June means we have three nephews, a niece, and a daughter all marking birthdays within forty days of each another. That's a lot of Amazon-ing.

Besides the other Amazon-ing I mean. ahem

We have ordered more than a few things online this month including our drug store essentials, a cap for the Septic tank, a new pair of pjs, a filter for the ice maker, a door mat, phone chargers-cases-and cords, dog food, replacement cereal bowls for my everyday dishes, binoculars, a photo canvas, an herb garden stand for the deck, baby gifts, engagement gifts, a hammock stand, and this that and probably the other too. I'm thankful for online shopping and the US mail right now.


6. Also during this season of not making plans my niece is making plans. She got engaged about a month ago so we're going to look at some venues together tomorrow. At an appropriate distance while wearing a mask because it's 2020 and that's how 2020 rolls. They won't be getting married this year because bless their hearts, brides everywhere y'all.

I know people are struggling with so much serious stuff, but we know more than one bride who has had to cancel, postpone, or hugely adjust plans and deal with enormous disappointment in the past few months and it's hard. We understand this sort of sadness very well and I do hope the heaviness of navigating what should be a joyous time will lift and people can celebrate all that should be celebrated.

7. I do think the wedding industry is in for some changes, and couples are spending more time thinking about being married as opposed to the wedding itself. A silver lining take away perhaps?

8. We've had a lot of storms this spring, including a couple of tornados striking tiny town, although not our particular neighborhood. About a week ago we noticed one of our ginormous pines was seriously leaning. It sits beside a rock wall, the construction of which we knew disturbed its roots. The tree was holding it's own until it wasn't so removal was in order.  


9. These tree guys are amazing. This tree was about 100 feet high and he scampered up there like it was no big deal. Sometimes they can just fell them, but because of the proximity to the house this particular tree had to come down in pieces. It was fascinating to watch them work.


10. Truthfully my stomach was in knots and I couldn't watch the whole thing, but hubs gave him his camera and tree guy helpfully snapped a photo of our house from on high. Hubs was green with envy and if there'd been an extra pair of spurs? tree climbing shoes? he'd have been right up there with him. Another reason I had to wait in the house.


11 Quick topic change...Blogger has changed it's format. For once I think I might like the new better than the old. Once I  get used to it of course. Technology always gotta be changing but I guess that keeps us on our toes.

12. Speaking of technology my teacher daughter made an end of year slide show for her class, and y'all it made me so teary. Three quarters of the year spent with big smiles on their faces, doing all sorts of learning and growing together in the classroom, their best buds beside them, and then the last quarter pics of at- home learning that parents sent her. The contrast tugs at the heartstrings.


Parents have rallied in this season, and truly they've done what needed to be done, but it's just so different and strange and you could see so clearly some of what's been lost for these little ones. I pray they can return to the classroom come September.

13. Hubs and I were enjoying our coffee the other morning when we spied a beautiful blue heron on the shoreline. He started making his way across the width of our property with his eye on something we could not see.

We thought maybe a snake, but then all of a sudden he plunged his head into a tiny hole and came out with a chipmunk in his bill. He quickly got back to the shoreline and proceeded to prep his breakfast.


By prep I mean drown it before he ate it because this is what they do. I always thought herons were pescatarians, but evidently I thought wrong.


Guess I was also wrong about not having anything to say today. Ha!