Reflections of 2016

1. What did you do in 2016 that you have never done before?

I am sure I did plenty of things I have never done before. I am still adjusting to this role of being a widow (single lady). The big thing for me in 2016 was having to deal with my car when the oil pressure gauge broke and I was spilling oil by the tankards. That might be a bit of an exaggeration! But it was a lot of oil. I had to find a mechanic, get a tow truck, and deal with no car. Thanks to my little brother and my son I made it through this crisis!!

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions? Will you make more for 2017?

I'll just say I worked on my goals this past year. Some were successful and some were not. I am going to look at things differently this year. This year I am just going to FIGHT!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

There is no one close to me who gave birth. I think I need to add "Thank God" here. 

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No one close to me died! Another 'Thank God' here. 

5. What countries or cities did you visit?

I did not travel at all in 2016. That might have to change this next year. I am sure I will not ever travel out of the country again. But there are people across the USA I would like to visit. Maybe!

6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?

A couple of things enter my mind as I ponder this question. I would like to have more peace of mind. I would like to have less clutter. I am going to really put an effort into down-sizing this next year!!

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

The biggest achievement was seeing Darian graduate from high school. It was a battle the past two years getting him to see how important keeping his grades up and walking across that stage! He made me proud!

8. What was your biggest failure?

My biggest failure was in the de-cluttering process. And in dropping a few pounds. I may have picked up a few pounds. I don't own a scale so I don't know for sure!! And to tell the truth I don't really want to know. I am not even going to make 'losing weight' a goal anymore. I am over it!!

9. Did you suffer any illness or injury?

I had a really, bad cold that hung on and on this past year. But no major injuries or illnesses. And for that I am grateful!

10. What was the best thing you bought?

I can't think of a single item that I bought which would fall into this category. But I am using the ClickList service from Kroger (Dillons, in my neck of the woods) and it is the best thing that has happened to me this year. I love shopping on-line and just picking up the groceries! Believe you me it is WONDERFUL!

11. Where did most of your money go?

Most of my money went where it always goes...to the grocery store. Hopefully, we will decrease that amount in 2017!

12. What did you get really, really, really excited about in 2016?

I got really, really, really excited when my son gave me a Mitsubishi Endeavor for Christmas. Are you kidding me? It was such a surprise and has relieved me of a tremendous amount of stress. I can't wait to get out and do some road trips in my SUV! 

13. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a)happier or sadder b)thinner or fatter c)richer or poorer?

I am happier, fatter, and richer! Maybe not money-wise but richer nevertheless. 

14. What do you wish you had done more of?

I wish I had done more cleaning and de-cluttering. I am going to change that this next year! You just watch me go!!

15. What do you wish you had done less of?

I wish I had done less sleeping and less bitching. I am going to 'fight' this year to change those things about myself.

16. What is the best book you read?

I have two favorites for 2016! I finally read Gone with the Wind. I loved it! Scarlett is quite a woman. Now I am looking forward to seeing it on TV sometime. I also loved A Prayer for Owen Meany.

17. What did you want and you got?

A different car, of course. But I never, ever thought I would get it in 2016!

18. What did you want and not get?

Peace in the family! We will continue to work on that. Who knows what will happen in 2017!

19. What kept you sane?

Things that kept me sane were: coloring, reading, new TV shows, my grandchildren (although they are also what made me crazy, but no one asked that question).

20. Who did you miss?

I missed Richard. I will always miss Richard. He was my husband, my best friend, my soul-mate! There will never be another. I will miss him until the day I join him!

FIGHT-2017 Word for the Year

For the past few weeks I have been thinking about my word for 2017! I have chosen a word thrice in past years: In 2014 my word was HOPE, in 2015 it was Change and in 2016 I chose the word FORWARD. All  of these words were chosen because of Richard. 2014 was the year he was so sick and then died. So I knew 2015 would be a year of Change. And this year I felt the need to move forward. Problem is, I don't really feel I moved forward very much. I am still grieving the loss of my soul mate. And I expect I will have a good ways to go until I find peace with this loss. 

I have toyed with several words on my way to choosing the word that fits me this year. I thought about STRENGTH because I will need strength to keep seeing me through this life God has chosen for me to live. I tossed around the word WALK. But I really need to RUN, not walk. Enough of this walking. POSITIVE is a good word for me because I fight with needing to be more positive, all the time. Yesterday, I added the word BELIEVE to the list. Who doesn't need BELIVE to be their word? 

But there was a single word that kept popping up whenever I was thinking about my word for 2017. I kept thinking about how everyday I fight little battles. We all do. I fight self-doubt quite a bit. I fight negativity. It is so easy to be negative in the face of so much loss. I feel like I am a "small boat on the ocean. Sending big waves into motion." I kept hearing this song, over and over, in my head. I moved to it's beat. It played on the radio today, on my way home from taking Harley to work. When I pulled into the garage, turned off the car engine, and sat there for a moment as the song finished, I knew I had my word for 2017. Sometimes the word has to find you.

Fight

That's it! My word is fight. I will fight for strength this year. Strength to get me through whatever obstacles get thrown in my way. I will be brave and fight the challenges that my life has become. I am a widow, a single mother (grandmother in my case), a retired lady who is living in a hard world on a fixed income. I will fight to survive. Because I am a survivor. I will fight the self-doubt, the negativity, the 'wrecking balls' because I still have a lot of fight left in me.

As the song says, "I'm taking back my life".

My Favorite Things of 2016

I feel like Oprah today. I am going to share with you my favorite things from this year. The only difference is you won't get one, and you won't get one, and no you won't get one either! LOL! Okay you know you want to laugh right now!

Anyway, let's get to going with some of my favorite things. 

For Christmas 2015 Justin got me a wonderful set of colored pencils and some adult coloring books. I am loving, loving, loving coloring. I need to remember to do it more often as it is so relaxing and such a wonderful way to just forget all the stress a granny can have with raising teenagers all by myself. So my first favorite thing is my coloring supplies!



Next on my list is my Amope Pedi in pink. Have you guys tried one of these?? I got mine back in 2015 but have really fallen in love with it this year. I have rough feet! I wear Crocs almost all the time. And this baby keeps my toes and my heels baby soft. You have to try one. Really!!


I have a couple of favorite TV shows on my favorites this year. We love to watch Dancing With the Stars. Harley and I share our love of this show. We have fallen in love with the same pros. Both of the  Chmerkovsky

brothers make our hearts beat a bit faster. Also, a show that was introduced by my fellow bloggers, This Is Us! If you haven't yet watched this Tuesday night show you must catch up. It is great. The acting is magnificent. I love the show.

  

I am continuing to love my Happy Planner. I have surprised myself with how I am keeping up with it and getting more done. (Okay that might be a stretch but I am keeping up with decorating my planner. And I have some great plans on how to organize my life in 2017 so this planner will really be getting a good workout. 

My favorite thing to eat this year has been salads. I have fallen in love with salads like Chopped Southwest Chicken Salad and Winter Fruit Salad. I could eat a salad every single day of the year and never get tired of them!Even when we get take-out I usually grab a salad. Taco Salad at Taco Bell is my favorite.  How about you?? You can find these recipes by clicking on the links!


And speaking of eating, my most favorite thing of the year has been ClickList. Read all about it in this post. I haven't stepped foot into a grocery store since the day I wrote this. The best part of my life. Ordering online and picking up the groceries. Now if I could just get them to carry them in the house and put them away, I would be in heaven.


Another of my favorite things this year is my iPhone! Yep, I jumped on the Apple bandwagon. The camera alone is superior to any other

phone I have ever owned.  And I am totally in love with the size. I got a 6SPlus. It is 6 1/2" long and almost 3" wide. I can still carry it in my pocket. (Sadly it doesn't fit into my Vera Bradley wristlet any longer). Being able to read texts, emails, blogs, etc. on this size screen is infinitely better than the tiny Android I used to own. I love my beautiful new iPhone.

Gel pens are my new favorite things. I ordered a set of colored gel pens from Amazon to use in my coloring. They are freaking fantastic. Some of them shimmer and that adds such dimension to my pictures. Harley loves them too. Sadly she has drained 3 of them already. But, that is what they are for. If you haven't used gel pens for coloring you have to try some. I will be buying another set in the future. The ones I got from Amazon were a terrific buy!
I paid $7.01 for this 40-piece set of pens. I also had a trial of Prime membership so the shipping was free. They are currently on sale for $9.99!

One of my most recent favorite 'things' this year was our fall weather.And today here in Kansas it was 60* outside. On December 28th! Unheard of.  When have we ever had such a wonderful fall?? (We paid for that wonderful weather recently with wind chills in the negative double digits) I don't think ever in my lifetime have I been wearing shorts during the final weeks of November. Let's give a hip hurray for this past fall weather.

Another one of my favorite things  this year has been my Kindle app on my new iphone. I can download a book (the printed one) and chose to purchase, for an additional fee, the audible book. I have jumped on the listening to books bandwagon. Love listening to books. Kids like being read to. And so do I!! A couple of my favorite audibles this year have been Dead Mountain (mainly because of all the un-pronounceable Russian names) and The One in a Million Boy! If you haven't tried an audible book yet, you should. 

At Home With Nikki and Cheap Crafty Girl have become a couple of You Tube channels I follow. Check them out. Nikki is so elegant. And CCG does so much with so little. And if you haven't watched Sundays With Lynda and Ross you are missing out. Many of you may know Lynda from LyndaGrace An Hour Away blog! I love these You Tube visits. I feel like I am right there with Ross and her. And I laugh out loud more than once.

Last, but not least, is my new ride!! A silver Mitsubishi Endeavor. Christmas present from my son. Can I smile any wider?? Or even begin to tell you how I love riding around in my SUV??

That's it. My favorite things of 2016. What are some of your favorite things??

A Post-Christmas Life List

LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW....
See that gorgeous Mitsubishi Endeavor on the left? See that big red bow on the windshield? That is what I see when I look out the window. It was my Christmas present from my youngest son! Could anyone ask for more??





AS I PONDER.... 

For all of you who know me well you will know that I have struggled with car issues this past year. Oil leaks, coolant leaks. New battery! Tires that have air leaks. A/C that doesn't work. I have worried so much about my old Oldsmobile. And wondered how I would be able to afford another car. I don't need to ponder that anymore. It is going to be a better year. Car wise!


WHAT I AM LEARNING...


I'm also learning that "into every life a little rain must fall." Just before Christmas this past week, Darian decided it was time for him to move out! He's 18 and he is wanting to test his wings. He wants to make his own decisions. He wants to live a little life. And who doesn't. So he left home on Thursday night! I'm sad. But everyone has to leave home sometime to start their adult life. We will love him and support him through this too! Because that is what families do, right?

WHAT I 'M CREATING...

I will be creating some leftover dishes from a lot of leftover food.


WHAT I'M READING....

Reading and listening to my audible book have taken the backseat with the holidays. I am sure that happened with all of you too!


WHAT I'M WATCHING...

I couldn't get into watching the holidays movies you all suggested for me. Not this year! But I will. I promise. I am thinking about getting Sully from Redbox for Harley and me to watch. 

WHAT I'M HEARING...

Currently hearing a rerun of The Chew. 


WHAT'S ON MY CAMERA...

We had some surprise guests for Christmas. My cousins from Oklahoma (and their fur-baby) came to share the day with us. It was a quick visit. One day here and gone!

Darian left before we got this picture, but he was here to eat with us. 

My first time sitting in my new car

When an Uncle/Dad photobombs your pictuare!

WHAT I'M DRINKING....

Justin brought over a gallon of the "best" sangria for Christmas. I will be sipping on it for the rest of the week. Yummy!!


WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE KITCHEN...

Lots of leftovers!!


A QUOTE I WANT TO SHARE...

A final thought...

We will soon be looking into the eyes of 2017!!

Merry Christmas 2016

Thursday's Question Is About Santa Claus

Hello Friends and Family! Christmas is just a few days away. I hope everyone is ready!! I am as ready as I will ever be! And ready to move on too!

Today's question is about Santa Claus! I love the jolly old man myself. And I am a believer!

If you are a parent, did you help your kids believe in Santa? If you are not a parent, did you help parents you know to perpetrate the myth of Santa? Is it harmful for kids to be told about Santa? Or is it really just a simple fun way to celebrate Christmas? Share with us your thoughts on Santa Claus.

And Merry Christmas to all!

Anne of Green Gables-A book review

This probably is not a book I would have chosen. But, it is on the book club's list for 2017 so I said, 'why not'! I must say I did enjoy it. I listened it instead of reading it. 

The story is about Anne, an orphan, who comes to the farm Green Gables by accident. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert are a middle-aged brother and sister who want to adopt a boy to help Matthew with Green Gables. But they end up with a girl, Anne Shirley. Anne is dissatisfied with everything. Her name, her hair, her freckles. But she has a very dramatic imagination and she never quits talking. It will be a challenge to Marilla and Matthew. The setting is Prince Edward Island in Canada. It sounds like a beautiful area.

The adventures of Anne was fun to listen to. She has much happiness and a bit of sadness in this tale. 

There are more books in the series. I doubt that I will read any more of them because I have such a long, long "to be read" book list. 

I will give the book *** three 

The Week of Christmas Life List

LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW....

The world is white outside my window. Like in snow-white. We got about 2 inches of snow on Saturday night. And it was very, very cold. We had an actual temperature of -9 with a wind chill of -22 degrees. I mean to tell you we don't get this kind of cold, cold temps very often and I don't know how you guys that live in places that do take it!!



AS I PONDER....

I am pondering Christmas! The things I yet need to do. I have groceries to order. A few $10 gifts for a couple of gift exchanges we have coming up! A trip to the bank for some crisp bills to give as gifts. And I am still working on some house cleaning!! Probably all the same things that you guys are doing! Right?
 



WHAT I'M READING....

I am reading Year of Yes, by Shonda Rimes and I am listening to Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. I finished Anne of Green Gables and will review it later. 


WHAT I'M WATCHING...

It was a sad week as I watched the final episode of Rectify. I really, really liked this show and I didn't want it to end. But all good things will come to an end! The story line came full circle. Daniel Holden was wrongly accused of a rape and murder and spent 19 years on death row, at which time he was released because DNA test results have shown that he was not the person who raped her. While the county is deciding to re-prosecute him, Daniel admits guilt so that neither his family or the family of his young girlfriend will have to go through that again. As part of the plea deal he is banished from his home state of Georgia. Now Daniel needs to learn how to live his life, away from his family, and deal with all the years of prison. A powerful show!! If you haven't seen it, I encourage you to watch it!! Fantastic acting!

WHAT I'M HEARING...

In the background I am hearing Married by Mom and Dad!

WHAT'S ON MY CAMERA...

My house as we are driving towards it

Today's French Vanilla Coffee

Just a bit of my Christmas tree

keeping track of my mileage

Harley

Baby It's Cold Outside
Saturday morning

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE KITCHEN..


Monday...Salisbury Meat Balls & Noodles

Tuesday...Chili dogs & Chips

Wednesday..Tacos

Thursday...Baked Potato Soup

Friday...Pizza

Saturday...Christmas Eve Spread

Sunday...Christmas Dinner


A QUOTE I WANT TO SHARE...

A peek into my week...

Darian has a new job. He starts tomorrow at GNC! 8:30 a.m. This will be very different from what he has been doing at Braum's. And I will be the taxi driver. We only own one car and he is NOT driving it! Period. He needs to work on getting his own car if he is not leaving soon for the military. (for those wondering, he is still in the enlistment process. I don't know why it seems to be taking so much longer. They want him to be sure THIS TIME, I guess). And I haven't decided if he is sure yet or not. Harley will only go to school for 2 1/2 days then she is on winter break until January 5. I cannot believe the first semester of her junior year is over!





A final thought...

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!

And Now It Has Been 8 years

taken the night they arrived!

Many of you have been with me here at Smidgens, Snippets, & Bits for a long time. Some may have remembered when it was called Paula's Place. But some of you are new and don't know this story. So I will tell it again today as we mark an 8 year anniversary!

It was a cold, blustery winter day. I was off from my job at the nursing home. Spending the day inside with Richard. I was also babysitting Paige after she was out of school. Richard was doing a puzzle in the reading room. That is something he liked to spend his time doing. He had now been retired from Eaton for 8 years, and had finally given up his part-time job at the Hutchinson News. 

The afternoon was interrupted with a phone call from granddaughter Katie. She is the big sister to Darian and Harley. She was living with the 'other' grandmother across town. (Along with another sister, Kelsi). I could tell that Katie was upset. She was 17 at this time. Still in high school. Soon would be turning 18.Katie and Kelsi had been living with their maternal grandmother for quite a number of years. All four share the same mother (I will refer to her as M) but only Darian and Harley are fathered by my son, Danny!

Danny and M have had a long history of problems. They have both been in trouble with the law for various reasons. And they both struggle with drug addiction. When Darian and Harley were much younger (Darian, 4 and Harley 2) they were removed from the home due to neglect and placed in State custody. We took them in as 'foster' grandparents at that time. We had them for 8 months. The State thought it would be better for them to live with an aunt of their mother, who also had Katie and Kelsi at this time. This aunt and her boyfriend were wanting to adopt all 4 kids! Richard and I fought it as hard as we could but in the end we had to let them go. They left here to live with their aunt.

During this first separation from their parents many things happened in their young lives. Their mom went to rehab! Their dad spent a bit of time in jail. And in the end (after some horrifying happenings) these two went back with their mom. Given back by the State of Kansas. They were living with mom, maternal grandmother, and two older sisters. We saw them off and on. And we saw our son off and on as well.

Now back to this December day in 2008. Katie, crying into the phone told me that mom had gone to rehab (again) and she feared that Dad was up to no good. (Both Katie and Kelsi called Danny their dad). She asked me if she could get Darian and Harley from school and bring them to my house. She was very worried about them. At first I told her 'no'. I couldn't do this again. Richard was getting older and I was still working. I just couldn't do it. She sobbed and said she would see what else she could do. I hung up. And there was Richard saying, "I can't believe you told her no" And there was Paige, after hearing me tell Papa the story, saying "I want them to come here". So I called Katie back. I told her to bring them to me. And she did.

They arrived on my doorstep with only the clothes on their back. And that wasn't much. I had nothing for them. I had to scramble to find clothes and beds and make what arrangements we could make. There were wonderful people around us who helped. Katie left word with Danny that the kids were at my house. And we did not hear a word from him. Not until mid-January of 2009 when word came that he had been arrested for cooking methamphetamine  in a local hotel. (I shudder to think these kids would have been with him and once again in the custody of the State). He went to jail for a longer time. Mom got out of Rehab, where she always goes when the going gets tough. She wanted her kids back. But we kept putting her off as long as we could.

And this time we didn't give them back. Instead we hired a lawyer and became their legal guardians. And here they are....8 years later! We are still a family. They are now 16 and 18. Almost 17 and 19. Their adult lives are just around the corner. These years haven't been easy. There have been many road blocks and twists and turns. Ups and downs. Good times and bad times. Very little contact with their parents (parents choice). 

I am glad they came. I am happy they are with me. I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Thursday's Question

It's the week before Christmas (10 days) and all through the house....

My house needs picked up, dusted, vacuumed, clothes folded and put away, some laundry needs done, and today is 'pick up the groceries' day. Yes, I am still using and loving Clicklist!! Thank you Dillons for the best gift in 2016.

Speaking of gifts that is what we will talk about today for Thursday's Question. I want to know:

What is your favorite kind of gift to give?

What is your favorite to receive?

Are you finished with your shopping?

Are you stressing? Or enjoying the season?

That's it! Share with me today in the comments. And have a wonderful weekend!

Pa Rum pum pum pum a Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday, friends. Hump Day! Head on over to see Joyce From This Side of the Pond and join the party!



1. Are you more task oriented or people oriented? Elaborate.

I think it is possible  I fall somewhere in the middle of these two. With a heavy leaning towards the 'task oriented' side. I am one of those people who thinks "I can get this done faster, better, cheaper, than anyone else" (my family says that I am a 'control freak') but on the other hand there are many times that I would rather include other people in getting things done. So somewhere in the middle! Is that cheating?


2. December 15 is National Wear Your Pearls Day...do you own/wear pearls? If you're a man answering the question, does your sweetheart own or wear pearls? Everyone share a 'pearl of wisdom' with us here today.

I do own a string of pearls. I can't tell you when I last wore them. Years ago! I am not a 'dress up and put on your pearls' kind of person. I wonder what they would look like with my sweats and my crocs? For right now they are nestled away in their little, black velvet pouch waiting for a granddaughter to say "oh aren't those beautiful". 

Here is my 'pearl of wisdom'. This quote is credited to Dolly Parton (and a variety of others) but I am going to give the credit to Dolly!

3. Speaking of pearls...oysters? Are you a fan or not a fan? If you answered yes, tell us your favorite way to eat oysters? If you said no, be honest-have you ever tried one or does just the idea of eating an oyster make you gag a little?

I love oysters!!! There, I said it! I love those little cans of smoked oysters. I open the can, pour them (oil and all) into a tiny bowl, get out my tiny fork, a few crackers and eat them all. I sop up the oil with the crackers and eat all of it too!! Love the taste. Love the smell. What's not to love?? My mom told me that when I was just a tiny one my dad would mash up the oysters from the Oyster Stew (love that too) and feed them to me. My first solid food. 


4. Time Magazine has named President-elect Donald Trump Person of the Year. Let's take presidents and presidential candidates out of the mix for a minute. If a political figure had not been chosen who would you name Man or Woman of the Year for 2016?

My handsome deputy!!

I would make the cover of Time Magazine all about the men and women who wear a police/sheriff uniform! These people go out their doors every single day to protect us! They never know whether they will return to their families after the end of their shift. This past year we have seen police officers put down, shot, hated, spit upon, and they still go out the door everyday for you and for me! They go out to 'protect and serve'. I am proud to be the mother of a deputy sheriff! And, just as he would take a bullet to protect you, I would take a bullet for him. Every day of the week!

5. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2017 has been announced, and it's a vibrant green aptly named-greenery. Your thoughts? Is this a color currently in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in this shade for the new year? Click here to see the color.

I don't really care for this shade of green. It has too much yellow in it for my taste. I prefer greens that are more 'sage-y' or more 'moss-y'. I don't think I will add anything to my home or wardrobe in the new green color!

6. Today I've had too much holiday cheer. I wish Christmas was quieter? 

I don't want to see anything Christmas in October. I don't want to hear about shopping and specials until Thanksgiving has passed. I don't like the stores that stay open on Thanksgiving day. And people feel the need to shop (to get the best deals) instead of spend time with families. I don't want to hear Christmas music until, at least, December 1. Not everyone finds Christmas to be the 'most joyous' time of the year and I wish we could just water it down a bit. 


7. Share a favorite lyric from a favorite Christmas carol.

I love The Little Drummer Boy! And I love the lyrics: "Pa rum pum pum pum. Ra pum pum pum! Ra pum pum pum" My favorite to sing along with. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Have you stopped sending Christmas cards? I pretty much have. I think, over the past several years, I have not send more than 20 cards out at Christmas. Seems like we just stay in touch with people by emails, texting, Facebook, etc. and the sending of Christmas cards are quickly becoming a thing of the past. What do you think?

My Fa La La La Life List

LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW....

Today, as I look out my window, it is partly sunny! The temperature is 28*. Thankfully no wind is blowing. This will be a normal winter week here in Kansas. Until Friday when it will be 57* Woot Woot. Then Saturday back to the 20's. Yep, that's Kansas for you.


AS I PONDER....

Oh there is much to ponder. I am looking forward to today!! Today is the first Monday in a long, long time when I have the house all to myself. What should I do? I will ponder that for a bit! 


WHAT I AM LEARNING...

The learning process never ends, does it. No matter what we are learning, we learn something everyday. Today I learned (because I GTS'd* it) what to use in the dishwasher to clean the inside. And my dishwasher sparkles like new. I ran it empty with a cup of vinegar on the top shelf. Sprinkled baking soda on the bottom and ran a short cycle with the hottest of hot water. Clean and smells great! According to Bob Vila (we all know that name, don't we) you should do this once a month. I will set an alarm on my Cozi calendar.

WHAT I 'M CREATING...

I did not get my Christmas wreaths made. But I found REAL wreaths at the store on sale for a cheap, cheap price and I jumped on buying two of them. I could not have purchased the supplies to make two wreaths this cheap. I love how they look. I love how they smell. I wonder if I should put them on the inside of the door instead of the outside. My house would smell like Christmas. 


WHAT I'M READING....

I am reading Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes. It is the January book selection for my book club. I am only into chapter 2 and it hasn't grabbed me yet. I am still listening to Anne of Green Gables and I am enjoying it very much. 


WHAT I'M WATCHING...

I haven't been watching much TV. I have fallen in love with You Tube! Just what I needed...another time waster. There is so much to see on You Tube. Right now I am into Christmas decorating videos and candle reviews. LOL! I know! I know! Who wants to watch videos about candle reviews. Crazy old ladies like me I guess. 


WHAT I'M HEARING...

Christmas music!! My favorite is Silent Night. What is your favorite?


Pictures I am sharing...

A blast from the past 2004

My newest Christmas decoration

Harley baked a cake

Paige and Granny with a Snapchat filter

A lot of this during the weekend

And a lot of this....Paige's feet in striped socks

WHAT I'M DRINKING....

Yum! A nice white wine with a interesting name. It is described with the taste of a "succulent, juicy peach and the golden sweet, slightly tart taste of apricots" I just tasted that it was smooth and ever so good. I drank the entire bottle (over several evenings) and it was ever so good!!



















WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE KITCHEN...

This week we are eating simple. It is going to be a busy week with Darian working lots and Harley with some school activities and a job interview!!

Monday...Hot dogs & chips

Tuesday...Grilled cheese & tomato soup

Wednesday..Sloppy Joes & French Fries

Thursday...Harley & I are eating out

Friday...Chili

Saturday...Green Bean Soup

Sunday...Baked Chicken


A QUOTE I WANT TO SHARE...

A peek into my week...

Getting ready for company at Christmas! Lots of driving kiddos here and there. Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning!

What I am coloring...

Such a fascinating picture. See the fish?

A final thought...

The view from my front door on Saturday evening 

The view from my chair!