Take Your Pick.

Which one of these speaks best to you? 

1. Wishing you a year filled with new hopes, joys, and beginnings. Happy New Year!
2. May the coming year bring you peace, happiness, and prosperity. Cheers to a wonderful New Year!
3. Here’s to 365 new chances! May this year be your best one yet. Happy New Year!
4. As we welcome the New Year, may your life be filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable moments.
5. May the New Year bless you with health, wealth, and happiness. Cheers to new adventures!
6. Out with the old, in with the new! Wishing you a fabulous New Year ahead.
7. May each day of the coming year be vibrant and full of joy. Happy New Year!
8. Here’s to a year of making memories, achieving dreams, and embracing new opportunities. Happy New Year!
9. Wishing you a year that’s as wonderful as you are! Happy New Year!
10. May your New Year be filled with magic, joy, and laughter. Let’s make it a year to remember!

I'm not too exciting about what's coming in this new year for our nation. That last sentence in #10 may come back to haunt us all.

For me I'm looking forward to celebrating the birthdays of the four granddaughters in February (2), July, and September, spending time with them and hearing them laugh, visiting my youngest sister and her husband and enjoying the warmth of Florida in February, celebrating the wedding of a nephew in PA, planning for and exploring new places in locations yet to be determined, and sitting down to meals and games with the entire family as we vacation in the Adirondacks for a week in August.

Happy New Year 2025!

GONE!

 The snow we had on Thanksgiving that was added to over the weeks by a couple of inches at a time …

View from window on Dec 24th.

is now gone.  Rain and warming temperatures have melted just about every bit except the piles.  They will likely go if the forecasted 50 degrees is attained.

Backyard today.

We are thankful we are not on a dirt road.  It's mud season there already which makes driving treacherous.

Hope

This is what hope looks like. 

This is my pot of amaryllis.  It bloomed two winters ago.  Last year it was just leaves so when spring temperatures warmed I stuck it outside under the side porch and left it there until just before our first frost.  I brought it in and placed it in the basement and let all the leaves die down.  Just before Thanksgiving I retrieved it and placed it on the kitchen window sill.

It did nothing until this week when the first bit of green showed.  Something is happening and it may be there will be flowers or just more green leaves.

I can hope for flowers, can't I?

 

Two Gifts

 

This is the second winter for our soapstone wood stove.  It has made a big difference for the primary living area in our house since this wing of the house is the farthest from the furnace.

Dan brings in the wood and I make the fires.  Sometimes more air is required so I'd crouch down and blow in the side door to get the coals to ignite the kindling or wood.  

For Christmas Emily and Matt gave me this bellow.

It works great.

They also gave Dan this oscillating fan.  It sits on the soapstone and the heat generates electricity to power the fan.

Here's a video.  The sounds you hear are the stove.  I had just closed it down which means it's burning more of the gasses through a catalytic converter of sorts.  Don't ask me how that works but it does.

[The video seems to slow down the blades.  When I look at the fan it's a blur.]

What surprises did you get for Christmas this year?

Christmas

The Fathers Christmas are ready and waiting. 

Snow will be falling. 

The skinny tree, all of 8 years old, is decorated and gifts are wrapped. 

Decorations abound including outside. 

Partridge in the wreath has been hung. 

All things are ready here. 

What’s left?  Oh yes,

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you!

 

Brrrr!

 

Below 0 here. Got as low as minus 7. 

Laughter is Always the Best Medicine

 

Thanks to Marilyn for sharing these.

My Big Day

 This is the day I turn 74!

Dan said this was a hard birthday for him and I understand why.

I'm starting my 75th year on this planet.

Wow!

Here's what I looked like a very long time ago.

I don't look like that now. Below I'm all dressed up for my nephew's wedding in October.

Nothing special planned for this day though we are going out for breakfast to celebrate.

Cookie Baking Day

 

This was the third variety I made today. The last round and square shaped cookies will be iced with melted chocolate chips and dip in coconut or slivered almonds. 

I also made peanut butter and molasses cookies this morning. No photos taken. I was too busy. 

I’ll try to take more photos when I make up the gift plates for neighbors. I still want to make biscotti. 

ERA

 Remember the ERA - Equal Rights Amendment?  Apparently there is something that President Biden can do now to put it into the Constitution.

Got this action to take from Americans of Conscience.

I am writing my postcard as soon as I post this.  Will you join me by doing the same, calling or emailing the President?

Here's the link to AoC webpage.

Getting Ready

I found a spot for the large nativity set.  It's on the buffet.  I purchased this set maybe 20 years ago after seeing it in a window in a shop in Marietta, OH one summer vacation .  I love that it is so intricate.

Below the backs of the donkey and the sheep have a quilt square.

More elaborate quilting on Mary and Joseph though the shepherd only has striping.

The wiseman have the most intricate quilt designs.

And even the babe is covered in a quilt.

The main figures also feature scenes in the story with Mary having the skyline of Bethlehem,

the shepherd having the angel appearing bearing the glad tidings,

Joseph features the journey that they made to Bethlehem,

and each of the wise men have more of the story.

This was the last decoration to place.  I'm glad I made room for it here.

You asked for it

 Well those who commented on yesterday's post. 

Here’s the recipe for Dutch Baby from this cookbook. 

Note: I used microwave to melt butter for the mixture.  Also used a whisk to mix it up in a bowl and substituted almond extract for vanilla.

 

The recipe says it serves 2 but I halved the recipe for just us 2.

Let me know if you try it.

Enjoy.

Breakfast on a Cold Morning

 

20º with a very stiff wind calls for something special for breakfast - a Dutch Baby.

Update

I know I said I was taking a break until the New Year and will likely have few posts between now and then.  But wanted to share where my head is now.

I stopped reading the Washington Post.   I stopped the subscription but because I pay a year at a time that won't end until May. 

I glance at the headlines on the New York Times but not as frequently as before.  No more morning email with all the breaking stories for me to read and worry over.

I've limited my participation in causes to Moms Rising,  Americans of Conscience and Faithful America so get their emails which are not frequent now.

****

We had a snowy Thanksgiving here. Daughter and family from Buffalo arrived Tuesday night so no snow issues for them.  But niece and family from Boston suburbs drove through snow on Thanksgiving morning. The 6 cousins enjoyed the snow once dinner was ended.  

And dinner was delicious.  Everyone contributed multiple items.  The locally grown turkey was exquisite!  My fears of whether it would fit in the refrigerator to dry brine and then whether it would be done in time were for naught.  In fact it was done 30 minutes earlier than expected which was fine.  Everything was ready at 12:30 instead of 1:00. 

I didn't manage to get a photo of roasted turkey.  But my plate dished up is below.

Addendum: Despite Anonymous comment below there was gravy on the table.  I hadn't poured it on before the photo was taken.

It was one of the best Thanksgivings we have had in a long time. Everyone got along, games and conversations and just wonderful family time carried the day.

My daughters with niece in center.

The grown ups table above and cousins table below.  Age range of kids: almost 3 to 12.