First Snow of 2012

Our first snow of the season began yesterday and really picked up this morning. 

Clover, our youngest cat,  has ventured out into it a few times but always returns to his favorite heater vent.

The other two cats have experienced snow many times over the years and want nothing to do with it.  They're content to stay inside our cozy house.

That's my plan for the day, too. 

Cindy

Thoughtful Beginnings

photo by Laura Tabacchi

The start of this new year, for me, is a time of thought.  It’s a time for reflecting on the past and dreaming about the future.  I haven’t made any resolutions.  I’m still considering my goals for this year.

It might be simpler if I jumped into 2012 with a list of projects to complete or a new weight loss plan to begin.  I do need to lose weight, and I have a number of projects in mind.  But first, I need to think.

Before I jump into a flurry of activity and try to do too much, resulting in exhaustion, I’m considering my priorities. I am evaluating my resources, especially time and energy.  I’m factoring in my need for rest each day.

Last year was busy.  Bryan started college and Fred started working on an MBA. 

We adopted a rambunctious kitten, who is seen here under the file cabinet keeping the world safe from dust bunnies.

 I pushed helped Laura to finish the classes she needed to get her high school diploma, and we so enjoyed having family visit and join is in celebrating her achievement. 

 We adopted a dog and took her to dog training classes and worked with her until she was able to barely pass her "final exam".

I refinished our dining room table, developed new recipes for my family and Wheatless Foodie, and continued selling digital art at Sidetracked Artist on Etsy.

Our year began winding down with my parents’ visit at Thanksgiving.  The following weekend, Fred and I took the ferry to Victoria, B.C. to see Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café Christmas show.  There were days of shopping, gift making, wrapping, shipping, and holiday baking. 

Then it was New Year’s Eve, and as usual, Fred and I watched the ball drop in New York on CNN at 9:00pm and went to bed.  Don’t judge.

So here it is, 2012, a leap year. 366 days.

I wonder what this year will hold.  I know that I will do things to improve my health, like eating more fruits and vegetables and moving more. I will help Laura, with all the love and encouragement I have within me, to move forward with her life.  I want to paint, and knit, and sew a little, and work in the garden.  I would like to have more organization and routine in my life.  I would dearly love to be able to spend more time with family and friends.

I hope to live each day more thoughtfully and intentionally and contunue focussing on gratitude. And I have so much to be grateful for.

Have a wonderful and blessed 2012!

Cindy

Linked with the Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now

A Busy Time of Year

Life can be so hectic at this time of year.  In addition to the usual day-to-day living, we have those additional activities related to the holidays.  I almost wrote “burdens” instead of “activities”, because sometimes that’s how it seems when I’m tired, which is a great deal of the time.

Just to be clear, I love the holidays and look forward to them every year.  I just find them exhausting.  I wonder how many other people feel this way.

Nevertheless, I am grateful to be able to participate in our Christmas traditions.  Shopping, wrapping, gift making, baking, decorating, etc. have been a big part of my days this month. 

Meal preparation and housework?  Not so much, but that’s OK.  There will be time again to catch up on all of that later. 

The cats think that having a tree in the house with that nice red velvet “blanket” under it is the best idea ever.  They especially like the big water bowl at the base of the tree which clearly was put there just for them.

It’s been a busy time of year for the dog, too.  Sophie’s been trying her best to scare away delivery people with her barking, but they keep stopping at our house anyway.  She also has to bark at any jingling bell sounds coming from the TV that kinda sorta sound like a doorbell. 

Thanks to Laura and Bryan, the Christmas tree looks lovely.  The house is decked out with lighted garland and assorted decorations throughout.  They did a great job with the outside lights, too.

Laura and I made these gluten free Chocolate Brownie Cookies for Fred to share with his co-workers.  They were slightly crispy on the outside and filled with chewy chocolate goodness. 

We made homemade Peppermint Bark for the first time.  It was so easy!  We just melted dark chocolate chips in the microwave according to the package instructions and spread it out onto a parchment-lined baking pan.  After it chilled in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, we melted white chocolate chips and spread them over the hardened dark chocolate then pressed crushed candy canes into the surface of the white chocolate.  After it hardened in the refrigerator overnight, we broke it into pieces.  Yum!

Now it’s time to rest, relax, and enjoy spending time with my family.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and a joyous holiday season!

Cindy

Printable Gift Tags

click here for printable Christmas tags

It's been another busy week of shopping, gift making, wrapping, and shipping.  I just have a couple more gifts to buy and I will officially be finished with Christmas shopping.  Yay!  I have a few more boxes to ship next week, also.  Laura has been really helpful with the shopping, wrapping, and shipping and I really appreciate her help.  Plus, she's a better gift wrapper than I am.

We purchased a fresh cut tree from a nearby tree lot.  No trudging through ice like last year - it's just too cold out (for me, anyway) with temps earlier today only in the 30s.  The tree has been hauled into the house and set up in the stand to be decorated tomorrow.  The fresh pine makes the house smell so good.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Cindy

Only Three Weeks?

Really?  There are only three weeks left until Christmas!

It feels like time is racing.  It was just Thanksgiving, then Fred and I went out of town for a couple of days, and I've spent the past few days thinking about Christmas preparations.  I've purchased a few things at the store, a few more online, and I'm working frantically on the gifts I'm making.

When it's time for a break, I like to spend a few minutes cruising around Pinterest.  Here are some of my favorites:




 





And finally...


Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Cindy

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Melody Beattie

Wishing everyone a blessed and joy filled Thanksgiving.

Cindy

How to Wear Scarves

This video is amazing, and not just for the information being conveyed. I'm impressed with the way in which it was all put together.