Just 3 Things | #12

The gifts are all wrapped and stacked near the Christmas tree. The Mister and I are snug here in the house as the bitter cold temperatures bluster outside. I'm content without having to go out, remembering the days when I did have to go out and tromp through the mud and frozen ground on the farm. Old age has started to catch up to Mike, I think. He makes a short trip out to check on his donkey and goats and make certain nothing at the barn has frozen or damaged and scurries right back in to sit by the fireplace. Now that he is feeling better, he is also making sausage. He ran completely out last week. So, he is scrambling to replenish before Christmas. I'm putting together a grocery order for next week and thinking grateful thoughts for those who are still delivering gift orders and groceries and such. Once again, I did every single bit of my gift shopping with online orders - even the tissue for inside the boxes and the ribbon tied around them, delivered right to my front door. Such is a luxury that I am ever grateful for - especially on days like these where the temperature barely creeps above the freezing point.

- What I've Been Watching -

We have been watching loads of Christmas movies this year. Mike had the creeping crud and felt rotten. So, he would sit in his recliner and watch and cough and doze and snore. I picked up a bit of the cruddiness from him but did not suffer nearly so bad. Maybe I headed it off before it tackled me completely. We've seen several of those movies where the main character saves the farm or the cookie shop or the candy store at the last minute with a miraculous feat and finds love with the most unlikely person. 

I don't recall the name of most of them and they all seem to run together and are predictable. I think that is part of the beauty of it. When one is feeling yucky, just turn on a feel good movie and let it run. If you doze off and wake up in the middle of the following movie, the story line is about the same. We haven't subscribed to a streaming service. So, whatever we have seen has been via Amazon Prime or Dish TV. 

- What I'm Loving -

I have subscribed to One Dish Kitchen. The author has posted a series of Small Batch Christmas Cookies. I have tried a couple of the recipes and it has been a good thing. The recipes are intended for one person and often there is enough for two. This works out great for the Mister and me because we don't need an entire batch of cookies anyway. It has been fun to give some new recipes a try and not have loads of leftovers.

   

I'm inspired to try some more of her recipes for one or two people. I highly recommend the two recipes linked to the photos above!

- What I've Been Working On -

Since we have both been feeling poorly, I've done a lot of scrolling through Pinterest, Instagram, and different blogs. I've seen some beautiful holiday decorations. I've discovered Homeworthy videos. (Of course, I speed them up to at least 1.5 speed so I don't sit through a 45 minute video - only about a 20 minute one. I can always pause, rewind, and rewatch. I've wrapped gifts till I could hardly stand. I'm so out of shape that bending over the table like that is hard on an old gal's back. I'm also working on finishing up reading the Callahan Garrity book series by Mary Kay Andrews. I've got an entire stack of books beside my bed, another virtual 'stack' lined up on my Kindle app, and I've even dusted off some of my old Southern Living Christmas books that I've collected over the years. 

I got quite a chuckle when talking to my son and daughter-in-law. They mentioned that Linley's wish list included loads of books this year and that she spends time reading books. They marveled at it but it really made me one happy grandmother. She is a second grader and I'm just hoping that her love of reading is never squelched. I was so fortunate to have folks who encouraged me to read all of my life - my parents, my teachers, friends. It feels like such a luxury now to be able to spend time with books after years of having to be a part of the rat race of work and not having time to read as much as I would like. If there is one thing I could do as an educator, I wish it would be to encourage and inspire folks to read more and more. I value how it expands horizons and perspectives. I appreciate how reading provides ideas that stick with the reader and can never be taken away. I love escaping to different places and meeting different folks all within the pages of a book.

I hope you have the opportunity to escape into the pages of a book within the next few days. I know that the scurrying and hustle and bustle of this time of year can really get to folks at this time of year. Even just a very few minutes might be helpful if you can fall into the right book. Stay warm and read on!