H ~ Handkerchiefs

    Pretty handkerchiefs were treasured among Amish girls. There were no rules pertaining to them unlike almost every other aspect of our life. They provided a tiny bit of self expression which was a welcome change. 

    Both boy and girl toddlers often had handkerchiefs with fun designs. My brothers each had several with various barnyard scenes, while I had one with bunnies. 

    I was probably three or so when I traded that one in for something more grown-up when my Grandma Swarey gave me my first real Sunday handkerchief. Up until then I would play with Mom's pretty handkerchiefs at church. To be able to tuck my very own grown up handkerchief in my pocket to take to church felt so special!
    On a side note, does anyone have any idea how to restore fabric that has developed spots from being stored? It looks a lot like foxing in old books. I'd love to take care of it if possible.

    It wasn't too long after my first pretty handkerchief that I received the one I used to play with and fold into things while I sat next to Mom during the three hour long church services.  

    It was used to make a "mouse". It was always satisfying to create it, but even more satisfying to pull its tail and have it turn back into my handkerchief ready to be made into a mouse again. 
    Unlike the twin babies in a cradle that I used to fold it into and rock and play with for a while, there really wasn't much to do with a mouse other than give it to my baby brother and let him pull the tail to undo it, and then make another one for him to repeat the process.

Example of the twin babies in a cradle.

    On my tenth birthday I received another handkerchief. That Sunday I carefully tucked it into the pocket of my new "grown-up" style dress. I was now too old to play with a handkerchief in church and started sitting with the big girls instead of with Mom.
    I had no reason to use  my handkerchief that day, but the knowledge of it being in my pocket felt good. 

    I had quite a collection of handkerchiefs by this time, and I always enjoyed choosing just the right one before leaving for church. 
    Mom encouraged me to save my prettiest ones until I turned sixteen and joined the youth. I was glad I had and by then I started matching the color of my handkerchief to the dress I was wearing. Except when I wore black, then I always paired a pink handkerchief with it. 

    Unlike some of my cousins who lived in different communities where the youth girls would fold their pretty handkerchiefs in quarters and pin them to the outside of their pockets where they could be seen through the lightweight while organdy aprons they wore, mine were always tucked into my pocket because our aprons were all heavy weight enough nothing would have shown through.

    

    The last time I recall choosing my handkerchief with special care was on our wedding day. Having a blue wedding dress of course needed a blue handkerchief to go with it.

G ~ Goals

     I always enjoy making a list of fun goals for the year. Usually I have twelve things on my list and pick something to do each month.
    This year though I made myself a 25 in '25 list. So far I have been able to check several things off the list, and I'm looking forward to accomplishing the remaining.

25 in '25

1. Do a 1,000 piece puzzle ... complete

2. Play 52 different board games ... in progress
3. Eat at the new Japanese restaurant.
4. Have a girls day in Morgantown WV and eat at the Kome Asian restaurant
5. Read all the Jane Austen books ... complete
6. Celebrate everyone's half birthday
7. Do paint pouring ... complete
8. Do the Zentangle course by Wow Art on Patreon
9. Cook a 12 course meal
10. Do a tablescape
11. Paint rocks
12. Bullet Journal ... in progress
13. Illustrate Steven's knock-knock jokes
14. Make marshmallow fondant
15. Junk journal ... in progress
16. Photo-a-day for a month ... complete
17. Reread all L.M. Montgomery books ... in progress
18. Make entremets
19. Study a course on herbs ... in progress
20. Make something with sourdough
21. Grow gladiolus
22. Make homemade cheese
23. Cook something from a different country
24. Visit Phipps ... complete

25. Read 100 books ... in progress, over halfway there.

F ~ Freckles

     Kneel on dew covered grass at dawn, using your hands gather as much dew as you can and wash your face to remove the freckles.
    Do this for seven days and your skin will be soft and clear.
    I read those words several times and then ran to a mirror and inspected my face.
    The freckles sprinkled across my nose and cheeks had never bothered me before, but now that I knew there was a remedy I was determined to get rid of them.
    The next morning I was up and outside at the crack of dawn. I knelt on the wet grass and tried to gather as much dew as I could to wash my face. It was much more difficult than I had thought it would be. The dew could not be "gathered" My hands got wet, but that was all.  I wiped my hands on the dewy grass and then on my face multiple time until I decided it was enough.
    I returned to the house with the skirt of my dress wet and cold. Mom took one look at me and wanted to know what had happened. 
    I felt rather sheepish when I told her what I was trying to do.
    She told me not to be disappointed if it doesn't work, but didn't discourage me from continuing. 
    I did it faithfully for four days. On the fifth day there was no dew. The grass completely dry even at dawn. 
    Thus ended my attempt of ridding my face of freckles, and I learned that no dew in the morning is a sign that there is rain on the way for later that day.
    

E ~ Embroidery

     Hand sewing was always a bit painful for me, but I semi patiently sewed buttons on clothes and did the little bit of hand stitching that needed to be done on the inside of shirt cuffs and apron belts.
    But embroidery ... it was its own special kind of torture.
    In some Amish communities proper young ladies were expected to have some kind of embroidery to do when visiting. Most of my cousins on my Dad's (large) side of the family lived in such communities. Therefore Mom thought I too should have something to work on whenever we spent time at each other's homes.
    T'was an awful idea. 
    The floss would knot and snarl. I could not maintain the proper tension on my stitches no mater which ones I tried. Mom introduced me to all kinds of different special stitches, but I enjoyed none of them. 
    My cousins sat there creating beautiful embroidered things. Meanwhile I learned that peroxide removes blood from fabric, and I get a break from embroidering while the fabric dries after being treated with peroxide.
    My cousins homes now have lovely embroidered quilts and pillows in them. Not surprisingly, our home has nothing embroidered in it.

D ~ Dreams

     Most mornings when I wake up I can only remember fragments of my dreams, but occasionally some will stick with me for much longer.
    Such as the dream I had when I was in first grade. It was such a delightful one that I had to share it with my schoolmates while we were eating lunch the next day. Our teacher overheard my story and I got thoroughly scolded for it, but I felt quite unrepentant about dreaming it, or sharing it. Even now when ever I happen to think if it it still gives me a bit of the same thrill it did back then.
    I was out in our garden and spotted a huge red flower that towered above everything else in the garden. I ran into the house and grabbed my favorite little chair and dragged it outside, setting it down next to the flower. I stood on it but it was wobbly as one of the legs was sinking into the dirt. I grabbed onto the flower petals and stretched as much as I could to look inside the flower, and suddenly I was sitting inside the flower, I was looking at everything from my lofty perch when I started moving and I slid down the inside of the flower stem, plopping out into the middle of a beautiful field filled with happy children and all kinds of nice things. 
    Before I could go join them I woke up.

    ~~~~~

Another dream 

    I was driving home. Next to me, in the front seat was an armload of hay. The best hay available; a nice soft, third cutting alfalfa hay. I approached the next road I needed to turn on just as three police cars came speeding up the road. One of them headed up over the steep bank into a field and started driving after a bull. The other two parked across the road to block traffic and keep the bull from getting away. Wanting to get out of harm's way, I grabbed the hay, and ran over to a nearby house where an old family friend was sitting on his front porch. He smiled in welcome as I dashed up the stairs. "I brought your cats a treat," I said and proceeded to fill the cat bowls with handfuls of hay. 
    "They probably don't think it's a treat," he said. 
    Embarrassed at what I had just done I gathered up the hay and started walking across the porch to leave, and then I noticed Grandpa sitting there smiling and watching me. He didn't mention the hay but said, "Mary Ann, do you remember where to find the verse I like so well "'Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits."'
    "Yes!" I said excited. "It's in Psalms 103." I quoted the first four verses for him and his smile grew bigger as he sat there listening. I couldn't wait to have a nice long talk with him and went to sit next to him.
    And then my alarm clock went off. 

    I don't know why these particular dreams have stuck to me so long, but I still find them interesting.

C ~ Cloud Watching

     As a child, lazy summer afternoons were perfect for lying in the grass and watching the clouds. My brothers and I enjoyed seeing all the different things you could spot in them. 
    

    I still enjoy trying to see things in the clouds. This one appears to me to be a hand reaching for something.

    This next one provided me with a number of different pictures. A taco, the spout and part of a teapot, a man's face with his mouth open, a possible elephant trunk. 

    Apparently I am easily entertained.

B ~ Butterflies

     I have always loved butterflies, and always try to capture a picture of them whenever I happen to see one.

     Among my memories involving butterflies, I have three that stand out above the rest. 

    1. One lovely summer day I was in our backyard when I noticed some movement on one of the tree trunks. Upon investigating I found a butterfly sitting there gently opening and closing its wings. And then I noticed another butterfly emerging from under the loose bark. It was followed by another, then another, I sat on the grass as dozens of brown and blue, flecked with some orange butterflies emerged fanned their wings for a while before fluttering off, some landing on me before they journeyed on. 
    I had never heard of such an event before, and have never seen it happen since, but I treasure the memory of that special day!

    2. One evening our family went on a short drive on a narrow dirt road. At one section it was lined with trees, and the air was filled with dozens of white butterflies. It was one of those moments where everyone fell silent and simply looked at the beauty surrounding us.
    As we continued on our way one of the girls whispered, "That was magical!" I couldn't have summed the experience up better.

    3. Last year LV took me to a Butterfly Conservatory. It was everything and more I had ever thought a place like that would be with hundreds of butterflies flying and posing everywhere. Utterly delightful!

    

A ~ Arrowheads

     Every once in a while when Dad was reminiscing about his childhood he would tell us about how he would roam the bottom fields of  their farm and find arrowheads and beads. 
     He had quite the collection of both, but when he was fifteen they moved and his collection didn't make it.
    It used to be one of my goals while traipsing through our fields and playing at the creek to find some arrowheads to start replacing his long lost collection.
    I never did find any.
    Several years ago some of our history curriculum included a nice handful of new arrowheads.
    We looked at them and then tucked them away.

    I now wish I would have at least sent a few of them to him even though they aren't the real thing.
    I could send them now, but with him being steadily consumed by dementia, I'm afraid it would be unwise.
    And so I simply look at them and try to envision a barefoot little boy roaming the fields of his home searching for arrowheads to add to his treasured collection.

Currently

Reading ... in the Bible I read chapters 25 through 34 of Jeremiah today. 

In other books I have been on a bit of a classics kick, but I'm getting to the point where I'm almost classic'd out. 

I'm halfway through Jane Eyre, and once I'm done with that I'll be taking a break and enjoying some lighter reading. 

Earlier this year I had read The Last Bookshop in London which I had really enjoyed. In it the main character found her love of reading after being introduced to the book, The Count of Monte Christo. Because of the way she enjoyed the book it made me want to read it too. It turned out to be a hefty tome and the story not something I would usually choose to read, but I didn't mind. It kept me entertained the entire time. 

Writing ... I've been concentrating on doing a rewrite for a first draft. I have an epilogue in mind that I'm looking forward to writing, but I'm making myself do the rewrite first.

Watching ... the birds at the feeder outside the kitchen window. Seeing the goldfinches turning brighter and brighter yellow is a sure sign that spring is here, and I'm enjoying watching them before we pack the feeder up for the warmer months.

Listening ... to sweetly singing birds.

Baking ... most recently we enjoyed some sugar-free peanut butter cookies. We all liked them quite a lot. Using a combination of honey and maple syrup worked great instead of sugar. I can see us making them again.

Cooking ... on tonight's menu there will be Baked Pollock Filets, Copycat Red Lobster shrimp, coleslaw, and baked potatoes. 

Feeling ... decently good.

Disliking ... whatever this virus thing was we contracted. It had us in its grips for almost the entirety of March

Loving ... all the happy little signs of spring. The daffodils are budding nicely, the Coltsfoot flowers are blooming, the trees around the house are filled with singing birds, the air feels soft, and the temperatures so pleasant.

Playing ... Steven and I decided to go through all the little games we used to play often, but have somehow been pushed aside. Each one is making it to the table at least once and then we decide if we want to pack it away, or if we still enjoyed it enough to play again. 

So far the majority are still enjoyable enough to want to play occasionally when we're in the mood for a short fun game: Sleeping Queens, Top Trumps (all of them), Spot-it, Fruit Punch, Clack! Skyjo, Pass the Pandas, and Dragonwood.

The more educational games such as Bumper Car Math, and a few grammar games get to be packed away. It was okay to play them once for old times sake, but it's time to close the chapter on them.

Today ... I had to take our vehicle to my favorite mechanic to have the tires rotated. Did the Saturday cleaning a day early, and tapped away at my laptop.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 The weather ... is lovely this morning with the sun shining brightly and the temperature already in the mid-twenties. According to the forecast we should be getting a bit of a break from the cold, cold weather we've been having.

Outside my kitchen window ... the squirrels are enjoying their feeder.

Right now I am ... writing this blogpost while sitting on our ancient rocking recliner. I'm guessing it saw its best days over thirty years ago, but it is still comfortable even if its hopelessly ugly and outdated.

Thinking ... about some dreams I had last night. They were so vivid and interesting. Most mornings I remember only faint wispy bits of my dreams but occasionally they will stick around a bit longer.

On my reading pile ... The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin, and The Shady Hollow Mystery series by Juneau Black are next in line to be read.

My to-be-read pile is always quite large and I keep adding books to it.

Yesterday I read People Pleaser by Jinger Voulo. It was a quick read, had some food for thought, but I don't see myself wanting to read it again or adding it to our home library. 

On the menu for this week ...

Monday - Cream of Chicken Soup, Herbed Dinner Rolls
Tuesday - Meatballs with Orange Glaze, Asparagus Casserole, Ranch Potato Salad, Dinner Rolls
Wednesday - Mashed Potatoes, Sweetcorn, Potsticker Salad
Thursday - Jailhouse Rice, Loaded Salad
Friday - TexMex Potatoes, Lamb Burgers, Green Beans
Saturday - Hotdogs and Chili
Sunday - Meatlovers Pizza (homemade)

On my to-do list for today... clean the refrigerator, cook up a batch of tapioca pudding, do laundry, grocery shopping, and take care of the daily dozen.

Listening to ... Sharon play the piano. She plays beautifully and I could happily listen to her for a long time. Most of the time she's too busy studying to play, which makes it even more special when she does.

I'm thankful for ... red light therapy. LV has suffered a lot of pain with his ankle and foot since his accident almost three years ago. He would come home from work hobbling. On harder days it would be black and blue and swollen. In December we decided to give a red light therapy boot a try after hearing good things about it. 

The difference it has made in less than ten weeks is amazing. He no longer has constant pain. We are very thankful!

A simple pleasure ... playing games with Steven. This past week we've been pulling out Mancala quite regularly.

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.