Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks...

Teddy and Lily worked hard to earn stellar grades last semester. That's no easy feat when you are a freshman adjusting to so much change or a senior with eyes on the horizon.

 Christmas with cats. Never a dull moment and plenty of photo ops. I took more pictures of the Tres Amigos than any other subject

 Another long weekend.

A quick trip to Chicago at the end of it.

It will be a good day for a long walk tomorrow.

Grandpa took Ted shopping for his Christmas/b-day gift on Christmas Eve day. He helped him pick out a new sport coat as well as some other big boy clothes for his job that starts in January. He is going to be looking quite spiffy. 

Grandpa likes fashion and spending time with Ted. Ted is learning to like fashion and he likes bumming with Gramps. Ted treated Grandpa to lunch after his shopping spree. Someone is growing up.

A Wisconsin Christmas.

Family.

Magic, peace, joy and love.

It's a Wrap

 

Christmas 2022 has come, but still lingers. That's one of the things I love about this holiday. It lasts. I have enjoyed a slow quiet week of little work, leftovers and lots of movies. Now we're gearing up to do it again for New Year's...a mostly quiet night in with old friends and a new game.

This was one of the best Christmases I can remember. The whole family is feeling that vibe. I hope that lasts too. Christmas Eve eve we spent at my brother and sister in law's after a day of prep for our party the next day. It was a cozy night around the fire and then around the candle lit table for homemade pot pies. There were some presents, a game, dessert and a festive after dinner egg nog. We were home in bed at a reasonable hour.

  

I was the first to rise and shine Christmas morning. I prepped the Eggs Benedict and made some coffees and finally lured the rest of the house down. Never mind that the cats were busy unwrapping their presents under the tree (for the fifth time)! Opening took longer than I thought. Despite my committeemen to buy less, I bought more than I thought. In that loot, were things that were needed like new really warm winter coat for Lily for surviving on the Isthmus this winter. And boots. Ted asked for a steamer. He bought his sister the perfect outfit and I know it wasn't cheap. Meryl had to have helped him because Lily loves it. She reciprocated with an equally generous and well received gift for him. That warms my mama heart.

 The family arrived on time (!) and the kitchen became chaotic. Lily poured the champagne cocktails and the boys helped unload cars. Initially we planned to do a sit down dinner, but the consensus was for an appetizer buffet. That's actually more work, but it was delicious and I had a great deal of help getting things in and out of the oven. My dad and brother kept me entertained while exchanging jokes and playing cribbage at the kitchen island. The Packer game was on in the family room. Gus was the life of the party...no surprise. It was just a cozy chill day.

 

  

And it was a Christmas miracle that the family stuck to this year's rule of no gifts other than white elephant. I was sure that there would be more than one violator. It was time for a reset as things had gotten out of control, but we'll see what next year brings. My aunt once again found the most obnoxious noise making creature. This year it was a 4 foot rubber hug me chicken that literally sounded like it was dying and even sent Gus into hiding for a bit. Thankfully he went home with my brother.

We celebrated at my mother in law's the next day. We received a card from her yesterday. She said that it could have been a sad holiday without Paul, but it was mostly happy. Having a big family, a full house undoubtedly helps with that. Everyone was there...all the cousins and some of their significant others. A big family getting bigger. It is a beautiful thing.

Tuesday I woke still exhausted after a solid night's sleep. The holidays were catching up with me. I spent the day busy at home getting sorted and doing laundry so Ted would be ready to leave for San Diego the next day. Luckily his passport was here or else he would have been heading to Madison and maybe Chicago to retrieve it instead of playing basketball with his friends. He's leaving from CA for Canada. I love my son and he did turn 22 on this day, but I don't always understand him and I sure cannot keep up with him. He really thought he was going to pack in a carry on for 10 days in two polar opposite climates.

  

We met some family and a bunch of Ted's friends out for a little birthday celebration. I love Ted's friends. We paid the tab and then let them go to the casino on their own. I tasked Nathan with getting Ted home by 12:30 as we had to get to O'Hare for an 8:30 am flight the next day...arrangements he made without consulting me. He was a bear to get up after only 2 hours of sleep, but we were on the road by 5 and at the airport by 6:45. He chatted the entire ride. Adrenaline? Excitement? Alcohol? Likely all three. I drove home in silence. As I left Chicago behind, the most beautiful sunrise teased me from the review mirror. I spent the hour and half ride home in quiet reflection. I needed it.

Later that day, Ted sent a picture of the sunset from the beach. It was the perfect ending to the day.

 

 

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Teddy is home. He made it to the bus with 4 bags of belongings after his exam. He said there were 4 other passengers. I had a pot of my spicy ramen on the stove to warm him up. He was talkative Ted. We had much catching up to do.

  

All 4 of us under one roof again. My heart is full.

Baking with Lily. It is my favorite to be in my kitchen on a stormy day. Having her there is just a bonus. I rolled, she dunked, I sprinkled. We spent the first half of the day rocking the carols and then the second watching Below Deck while we baked our hearts out. Today we have to decorate the sugar cookies and then it's a wrap.

  

My other girl.

 

The snow was no big deal, but baby it's cold outside today. 

 

I don't think that's going to stop Candace from coming for a little holiday cheer this afternoon.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

 

Light

 

Yesterday was the shortest day of the year. Today we begin the return to light. It's a long, slow process. One I welcome because the darkness invites self- reflection and interior glow. My word for 2022 was light. I didn't honor or manifest the word as powerfully as I hoped. There are covert reasons that it was incompatible with the year and clandestine causes too. There in lies the work.  As the days imperceptibly lengthen and then noticeably linger, I hope to be enlightened.

It's snowing as predicted, but it's a soft, playful scene out my window. I suppose the blast is coming as well as the drop in temperatures. That has me pondering a trail walk, but I have the trees on and am deeply in the mood to cocoon. I bundled up for a late afternoon walk the other day and was reminded how beneficial getting out (even in the chilly air) is good for my mental health.

I planned carefully to stay put for the next 48 hours. I was shopping for groceries by 7:30 yesterday morning. I cannot remember the last time I was even up that early. I had the store to myself. That meant no cashiers either, but in one of my past lives I was a cashier. I got the job done. I did some pick ups and drop offs and then got things squared away at work until the new year. Linda and I exchanged gifts and then went for a holiday lunch. A lunch we'll laugh about for a long time because of the meal we put together. A delicious meal. My dessert was a nap with my girl Hazel.

Lily has her last exam today. She'll take it in her room. Ted's FINAL final is tonight on campus. This is not ideal because of the weather. He may be stranded a little longer than planned. That's a bummer, because we really want to celebrate our college Grad. He's only home for a few days as he leaves the 28th for San Diego for NYE with Meryl. From there, he'll travel to BC to ski in the Canadian Rockies with buddies. Not a bad graduation gift. He'll be walking with his friends in spring, which will be nice. Sharing a birthday with Christmas is quite enough.

I'm looking forward to slowly getting ready for Christmas the next couple days. I have a few more batches to bake and goodies to deliver to neighbors. My Christmas menu is a little unconventional and that's okay. Think a menagerie of homemades with everyone's favorites in mind. There are some more gifts to wrap, but this year we have cut down on our Christmas consumption and I feel good about that. I greeted the UPS driver in the driveway yesterday to collect my packages and assured him that would be the last. He full belly laughed. Eventually, the house will be tiddied.

This liminal space is where much of the magic happens for me. be.here.now

 

Weekending Before Christmas

This time next week, we'll be done celebrating Jesus's birth and on to celebrating Ted's 22nd. Not at all wishing the in between away...just keeping it real with where I am at. I've been very zen this holiday season. Zen as in not getting worked up in a frenzy about anything. Until today. This morning's ominous weather forecasts promising a snow bomb cyclone within 48 hours for 48 hours gave me a panic. I'm not even sure what a snow bomb cyclone is, but I am sure it's not good for last minute shopping and traveling. 

Lily talked about this storm over a week ago. It was the buzz in her weather class. I wish I'd listened to her. If only I'd done the rest of my chasing last weekend instead of enjoying...really enjoying...a very chill weekend at home. Ted and Meryl stopped by late afternoon to have a quick bowl of Chicken Wild Rice Soup and pick up the keys for Chicago where they were spending the weekend. We finished decorating our tree Friday evening and then settled in to watch Spirited, which we adored. I love me some Will Farrell. 

Saturday was designated baking day so Lily, Gus and I got busy in the kitchen while the sweetest flurries fluttered all day. She is such a help and a joy to cook with. Gus not so much. We got a later start than I had hoped and only got about 5 batches done before the sun set. We decided to skip our plans to go out for dinner and instead invited Jess to come over for tacos. Tacos never tasted so good after a day of sweet sampling. We had great fun playing our new family fave, Blank Slate. Jess stayed past midnight so I think she had fun too! We sent her home with a box full of cookies.

Sunday I was up early and baking away all day. Again it snowed and the sun stayed hidden. My kitchen was cozy and I was in my happy place. My brother and sister in law stopped by for a quick catch-up and we sent them home with a cookie sampler. This is why I bake btw. Sunday was de ja vu. Leftover tacos and another movie. Knives Out. It was entertaining.

This week's plan is in limbo because of the weather, but I'll just keep plugging along until I cannot and then I'll happily shut in and watch the snow fall in my warm, cozy house. 

30 Days in Pictures and 1 Video