not much, how about you?

It's been awhile since I posted. There's not a lot going on. Kind of like Groundhog Day around here. I thought I'd at least pop in and talk about some bits and bobs.

I think today was the millionth day in a row that was cloudy and dreary. First thing I do when I wake up is to turn up the heat. Then I walk around the house, raising all the blinds. The beautiful sunrise this morning as seen out the window of Brian's office brought a smile to my face and a silent "thank you".

I'm trying to find small ways of bringing cheer into these gloomy days.

Sunshiny flowers help.

So does some pretty nail polish.

Other ideas: Wear a pair of sparkly dangling earrings - even if you're staying home. Do it for yourself. Buy yourself a new, bright lipstick. Part your hair a different way or wear a cute headband. Try a new tea. Hang a brightly colored hand towel in your bathroom. Diffuse lemon essential oil for a fresh, clean scent in your home. Send a hand-written note in a pretty card to a loved one. It truly is the little things that can lift our spirits.

 

I used to be more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants dinner person. I've been consciously working on weekly dinner planning and have made some tasty dishes lately. Chicken pot pie in a cast iron skillet really hit the spot on a cold night.

I made a pork butt in the Crockpot one day, which gave us a ton of meat. With some of the leftovers, I made a pork posole...onions, garlic, white hominy, diced tomatoes, green chiles, salsa verde, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and oregano thrown into a pot and simmered for a few hours. The rest of the shredded pork was put into freezer bags to use at another time.

Veggie cashew stir-fry over brown rice...

My Thanksgiving cactus is finally blooming. I always called this plant a Christmas cactus and then I read that there are different varieties: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

 You can tell which one you have by the leaves.

I've never seen another one like mine with the coral blooms. I usually see varieties of pink.

My blogging friend, Claudia over at Mockingbird Hill Cottage mentioned Rosamunde Pilcher's book, Winter Solstice. I had the book on one of my bookshelves but had never read it. I figured January and February were the perfect time to read books with winter titles. Here's what I dug out from my bookshelves. Simple Abundance is a book I read every year. And that small Barbara Kingsolver book you see is her newest. It's a book of poetry ~ a new genre for her.

I see from our weather forecast that tomorrow will finally bring some sun. How perfect on the day that brings us a new President. I pray for peace for all of us...for an end to all this violence and the pandemic.

💓