Currently

Reading ...  in the Bible, Ephesians.

In other books I am somewhere around a quarter of the way through Persuasion by Jane Austen. I felt this book started off slow for a Jane Austen book, which is saying something because none of her books start off in a gripping sort of way. If not for the fact that I determined to read  all of her books this year I would abandon it for something better.

I shall prevail. Hopefully by the end of the book I will think it was somewhat worth the time and effort it took.

Writing ... nothing exciting. More text messages, several letters, and a smidgeon of progress was made on my big project.

Watching ...  after organizing our DVD collection we discovered that we have several seasons of The Lucy Show we had never watched, so an episode or two have been enjoyed after lunch.

Listening ... to the noise of the ice falling off the trees. Everything was coated in ice this morning and now as the wind has picked up and the temperature has risen it is losing it's grip and falling in chunks taking lots of twigs and smaller branches with it.

Baking ... sourdough pretzel bites. They're so, so good! We've made four batches since Saturday. We shared batches two, three, and four with others, though we did sample some of each.

Cooking .. with the kind of weather that seems to be begging for soup it only seems right to be planning to make soup and grilled cheese for supper tonight.

Feeling ... a bit sore. I twisted my knee yesterday and it's still sore today. Regular walking is fine, but going up and down the stairs ... ouch!

Disliking ... mice. That's all I'm saying on this topic.

Loving ... the quick wit and ready humor that seems to abound in some of my favorite people.

Playing ... a variety of  games: Ice Cream Empire, Pass the Pandas, Top Trumps, and Uno No Mercy. We also did a 1,000 piece puzzle. Five hundred piece puzzles are my preferred size, but this one only took two days so it wasn't that bad.

Cleaning ... we are starting to deep clean the storage room today. I tidy and semi organize it quite often, but it's been quite a while since a proper deep clean has been done and I think it's time. 

Currently

Reading ...  this morning I read Psalms 107

In other books, I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. It is set in World War II

It has been a while since I read any historical fiction books in that timeframe, but something about the cover spoke to me and I decided to give it a go. I'm so glad I did. 

I also reread When Calls the Heart and When Comes the Spring by Janette Oke.  She used to be one of my favorite authors. It has been a number of years since I last read her books, so I was excited to have a reread. Obviously the books are still the same, but the enjoyment level of reading them was not. I'm abandoning this series after two books. Book one was simple, but okay, with only a few eyerolls needed. Book two ended up annoying me more than it should have.

I'm planning to give some of her other books a chance before too long. Hopefully they won't disappoint.

Writing ... text messages, a letter, and some progress has been made on a story that I'm writing because I want to be able to read it.

Watching ...  Steven and I watched the first episode of the newest season of Worst Cooks in America.  Seeing all the dreadful creations and general helplessness in a kitchen was both entertaining and helpful in building resolve that all our children learn how to cook well. 

Listening ... to the sound of the wind whistling through the pine trees beside the house, and the wind chimes chiming merrily. We didn't get around to bringing them in last fall, and at this point winter has progressed far enough that we may as well leave them outside and enjoy the music.

Baking ... sourdough bread was the latest thing we baked. Last week I had wanted to bake apple pie to take to Kenneth and Paige's, but while preheating the oven there was an explosion. The oven door flew open and the foil that had been lining the bottom of the oven was torn into smithereens. I don't remember the last time I was scared that badly!

The heating element had burned through. It has been replaced and I'm once again using the oven, but somehow I don't quite feel the same calm I used to while baking.

Cooking ... tonight I'm making a tater tot casserole and a romaine lettuce salad with cheese, dried cranberries, and pistachios 

Feeling ... thankful for the many little blessings in our life.

Disliking ... the tracks of a mystery man in our yard. Sharon saw him, and took a picture as evidence. We have no idea who he is or what he was doing, but his foot prints in the snow led him out of the woods and down the hill. He then crawled under the fence, and traipsed across our yard before vanishing mysteriously.

Loving ... the warmer temperature. It's in the upper thirties today which is a pleasant change from the -22º we experienced last week.

Playing ... Rummikub and Steven's favorite card game.

Cleaning ... other than the daily dozen, I haven't done any extra cleaning so far this week.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What's a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)? 

My fondest winter memories that I will always treasure are from my childhood. After supper dishes were cleared away, the kitchen swept and tidied, and the woodbox filled heapingly full we would all gather around Mom and her rocking chair near the woodstove while she read stories to us. We always read the Little House on the Prairie series every winter, and then random other books. We'd often crack nuts as she read. Most every night we would have apples to eat and occasionally we would enjoy popcorn as well. 

The wind could be howling around the corners of the house, and snow blowing into impressive drifts, but inside it was cozy, warm, and simply delightful. 

2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you've come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy?

Red tape = frustration even though I have come to expect the levels of incompetency it seems we always deal with.

The latest only affected me from the sidelines as LV dealt with the massive headache of it all. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say the levels frustration hit new highs before a lawyer stepped in and suddenly the things that state DOT claimed couldn't be done were done in a matter of 24 hours.

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What's your favorite fish dish? Ever been ice fishing? 

I love fish and cook it semi-regularly. My favorite fish being salmon. The recipe I use most often is for a Sweet Chili Garlic Glazed Salmon. I have never been ice fishing, and really have no desire to go ice fishing. It's certainly cold enough here to do so with it being -21º again this morning. There were tents on the ice on the lake the last time I drove past, but I can't imagine shivering out there trying to catch a fish.

4. Did you watch any of the US President's Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very very) how interested are you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics? 

I didn't watch any of the inauguration.. I could rate myself on the scale of interest that politics hold for me, but I have been trying to keep this little space free of all things political so I shall refrain.

5. What's the coziest thing you own and what makes it so? 

The coziest thing I own is a blanket Rosie gave me for Christmas several years ago. It's my go to when reading a good book or when ever the house gets chilly. It's the perfect texture, perfect softness, and well, as near perfect as I've found a blanket to be.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We have been enjoying feeding the birds outside our kitchen window, but yesterday something happened that I wasn't prepared for.  A hawk stopped by. He wasn't interested in the bird food, but instead helped himself to one of the birds. 

I know, I know. Circle of life and all that. But I didn't enjoy front row seats to it.

He did leave some pretty cool prints in the snow.

Currently

Reading ...  this morning I enjoyed some Psalms. 

In other books I am half way through Little Women and actually enjoying it. I tried it several times years ago and always gave up, but this time I will finish it.

I read News of the World by Paulette Jiles. I have somewhat mixed feelings on it. It was about a young ten year old girl who was being returned to family after having been a captive of the Kiowa since she was a wee child. The idea for the book was a good one, but there was something about it that I found a bit lacking. 

Towards the end of 2024 I created a list that I dubbed 25 in '25. On it I have 'Read all the Jane Austen books'. So far this year I have read three of them. Up next is Mansfield Park. I'm hoping to get it from the library this weekend.

Writing ... letters. I have this relaxed goal of writing at least one letter per week this year. Relaxed as in, I will be happy if I get it done, but if I don't I won't be disappointed in myself.

Watching ... some videos on baking different kinds of babka. 

Listening ... to classical music as I make this blogpost. The rest of the house is quiet as Sharon studies and LV and Steven are reading.

Baking ...  Sharon made a batch of our favorite chocolate chip cookies. They're Steven's recipe that he has dubbed Geronimo cookies.  

Cooking ... tonight I made turkey meatballs served with rice and a chopped salad.

Feeling ... relaxed, cozy, and happy. 

Disliking ... the cold. It's -2º right now, I can only imagine how cold it will get by morning. 

Loving ... how pretty the snow is, and how fun it is watching the birds and squirrels at their feeders.

Playing ... today it was multiple rounds of UNO No Mercy. We had dug out a few other games as well, but ended up not playing them. We'll try again tomorrow.

Cleaning ... bedroom closets. The one in the master bedroom didn't need much, but Steven's closet is another story. He is going through quite the growth spurt and it's already time to update and replace most of his clothes. It had been done in September, but here we are again already.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-

cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), sorry not sorry, skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period. 

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? How many did you have to look up? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. 

I don't think I use any of those words regularly, but I have used cringe, game changer, era, 100%, utilize, and period. 

I had to look up skibidi, and now that I know the definition I still don't see me using the word. 

A word that I think deserves to be on the list is unpack. I find it grating, annoying, and something inside me seems to shrivel every time I hear it.

2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

I actually don't care for any soup from a can. I love the idea, such a simple meal! But every time I try I find them lacking. It's been a number of years now since the last attempt.

I do love soup though and find it hard to choose only one as a favorite. One of them is a Creamy Ravioli Soup

I found the recipe here. I tweaked it a bit though to suit our family. Instead of using ground turkey I use the meat from an entire rotisserie chicken, I omit the spinach, and use four roma tomatoes instead of the canned diced tomatoes.  

We like it so well that it keeps making an appearance on my weekly menus every couple weeks during colder weather.

3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

I still love the feeling of leisurely winter evenings filled with books, games, puzzles, and various hobbies. The comforting food, and baking. The preparing of hot chocolate to welcome in those who were braving the snow weather by shoveling it or going sledding. 

But the roads ... having family members who have no choice but being out there on them. It kind of steals the joy of winter away.

I'm looking forward to spring and warmer weather.

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? 

I love browns and happily skipped over to the website to check it out, only to be disappointed. I didn't think there's a shade of brown I don't like, but this one isn't doing it for me. Maybe it's my laptop and it would look better in person, but I didn't care for the almost pinkish hue.

In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

I think I'd have to go with the cup of mocha.

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  

snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

I'm going with snowed under. In the literal sense though. We've been getting snow daily which has been making things challenging. It's still snowing this morning. Sharon is in nursing school and it's on a two hour delay this morning. If they don't end up canceling it will be her first day back since Christmas break.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

On Steven's and my latest grocery run we got everything we could at Aldi before heading over to Walmart for the remainder. Somewhere between the two stores I managed to lose my grocery list. We were in one of the aisles talking about what we need, trying not to forget anything. 

"You might want to get a bag of onions," Steven said chuckling a bit. "I think we're down to only one and a half bags."

I had to laugh at his gentle sarcasm.

An old lady was walking past us. "Shhhh!!!! she said shaking her head vigorously. 

We had not been speaking or laughing loudly, and we certainly weren't in a library, so I simply smiled at her and we continued on our way still discussing the things we need to remember to buy.

Currently

Reading ...  In the Bible this morning I read a few chapters in Jeremiah before reading my favorite Psalm.

In other books, yesterday I finished Will the Circle be Unbroken by Sean Dietrich. It's his memoir. I laughed and cried my way through it. Memoirs aren't my top genre of choice, but I enjoyed it quite a lot.

I started A Girl of the Limberlost last evening. It's been close to twenty years since the last time I read it, and as I'm becoming immersed in the story I'm wondering why I waited so long to do a reread.

Writing ... the only writing that has happened recently has been in my journals, planners, and text messages.

Watching ... the squirrels at their feeder. 

Listening ... to the birds at the birdfeeder. The feeder only has room for six, and there are dozens of them trying to have their turn. The finches especially, are being quite vocal about it. 

Then there's the comforting hum of the refrigerator, the wind whistling through the tree branches and around the corners of the house, and Sharon tapping away at her laptop. The weather is bad and her school has been canceled again, so she's doing it online today.

Baking ... I have some butter softening on the kitchen counter for a new recipe I'll be trying later this morning. Hatch Chile Chocolate Chip Cookies.

We love Hatch Chile but living where we do they're impossible to find in local stores. Instead, we order them from a farm in New Mexico. They always arrive frozen, packed in dry ice, but unfortunately each pack contains multiple peppers. So once I thaw a pack I have to make multiple things with them. 

I have four different recipes I'm using with this pack. One of them happens to be the cookies. I've never done a sweet or dessert recipe with them before and I'm eager to see how they'll turn out.

Cooking ... on the menu tonight I'll be doing a Spicy Chicken Risotto, Salad Cups, and biscuits and then the cookies for dessert. If Steven continues with his plan he will be making a fluffy fruit tapioca which will work nicely for those of us who enjoy fruit with cookies. 

Feeling ... happy and hopeful.

Disliking ... I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but here we go. The snow. I still like how it looks. I still enjoy the wintery projects etc. But I don't like that the roads aren't safe and what that means for us. And as a mother having your oldest child out there doing rescue, recovery, and repairs along the interstate it adds another layer or two of dislike to the snow and winter in general.

Loving ... grandbabies! We very happily welcomed another grandson last month.

Playing ... Steven received UNO No Mercy for Christmas from one of his siblings. We've been playing it daily. Multiple times daily. There's something about how merciless the game is that he finds hilarious, and for now it's his go to game.

We also played FickleFish, Stratego, and Dragonwood so far this week.

Cleaning ... I'm hoping to tackle the lazy susans in the kitchen this afternoon. I didn't take care of them in December and it's time. Somehow lazy susans are incredibly hard to keep organized at our house.