Merry December

Good Monday morning friends. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Ours was lovely and I'm linking my weekend recap with Holly and Sarah as per usual here on a Monday.  

We spent Thanksgiving with Daughter2 and her family in Tennessee. Technically it was the in-laws year for Thanksgiving and it's our year for Christmas, but she asked us to join them and we all enjoy one another's company so it was nice. 

I baked a loaf of pumpkin bread in this cute dish a friend gave me back in October and this recipe is really good. I added white chocolate chips mainly because I thought the bag in my pantry was semi-sweet, but  turns out they were white chocolate and it also turns out white chocolate chips in pumpkin bread are a winning combination.

My daughter always makes the trip to her grandmother's the day before Thanksgiving to collect her and bring her back to her house for the holiday. This makes my heart so happy and I hope one of my grands does the same for me and the hubs someday. Hubs mother lives about an hour and a half from my daughter which means three hours of driving with her two littles in tow. She loves doing it though and my mother-in-law really enjoys it too. 

This thought reminds me I was mostly a photo failure because I don't think I have a single picture of my mother-in-law. 

Hubs got one. Whew. 

We just do not seem to manage the family picture taking thing very well. We try, but not too hard. Littles this age have places to go and people to see and sitting for a posed photograph is way down on their to-do list. We snagged this one (barely) the day after-

We did get a fun picture with our girl on the actual turkey day-

She bought these shirts for us at least four years ago, but we all decided to pull them out this year for Thanksgiving morning. My older daughter who is currently living in the UK and thus not celebrating Thanksgiving with the family, saw it and asked for one to wear next year. I cannot wait to have everyone on the same continent once more. 

Hubs and I drove over to Tennessee Thanksgiving morning. It's about three hours but we left early and arrived before 11. There were charcuterie style snacks and my mother-in-law's cheeseball, and we all just relaxed and caught up on life and baby girl snuggles. She is scrumptious...

 So is this one-

He is so smart and so funny and so chatty and we love him to bits. Nana had to bring him an early Christmas present because that's what Nanas do. He's a big fan of the Grinch. 

We ate about 4 PM and shoutout to my girl who made a fabulous meal with two under two, not only in the house but also under foot or, quite literally, on her hip. My son-in-law smoked the turkey and it was so good. He also cooked the brussel sprouts on the Blackstone because oven space was at a premium. 

I brought the dressing I'd made at home along with the cranberries, and Daughter2 did the rest-green bean casserole from scratch (no canned soup for her), mashed potatoes, the most scrumptious sweet potato casserole (recipe linked here-trust me, it's a keeper)-

There were homemade!! yeast rolls, plus two pies from scratch. Oh and there was a glazed ham too, which was yummy. 

Somebody 'helped' whip the cream.  

Friday we were back at it, the eating I mean, and we pulled out all the leftovers for lunch. My son-in-law was on call this weekend and ended up having to go in for a mostly minor work emergency Friday morning, and didn't get back to the house until almost 10 PM. 

Luckily there were four grandparents and a great grandmother in the house to keep everyone entertained. 

Hubs wonders why his back aches???

We spent the day mostly just chillin'. We read a lot of books to sweet baby J, watched Sugar trying hard to take her first steps, went for a brisk walk around the neighborhood...

And we set up a big jigsaw puzzle which kept us all occupied...

J couldn't wait to get into this 1000 piece puzzle lol. It had been sitting in the box on their dining room table the week before Thanksgiving, and every time we spoke on the phone he would tell me we were going to work this puzzle. 

Hubs and I headed home Saturday morning after dropping his mama off at her house. It's a challenge to get from our house to hers just now as Hurricane Helene continues to be a problem. The interstate we normally take is gone and the rebuild is going to take at least a year which means a work around for us. 

We found the Vols-Vandy game on the radio, and man the Vols like to keep you guessing until at least the third quarter. A win though so we'll take it. We stopped for lunch on the way home and ended up skipping dinner. 

We.were.full. 

Sunday we pulled out all the Christmas decor and made a dent in the decorating. Technically not all because we're not hosting and I won't have kids in the house, but can you decorate just a little? I'm finding that challenging. 

I've got a full day today so the dining room table will remain a mix of beads and baubles and Christmas cards waiting to be stamped. There are ornaments waiting to be hung, still in boxes in the family room, and we can't remember how we hung the garland but it will all get done eventually. I'll post some pictures here soon because I realized today I posted very few last year and a picture would sure be a help with that garland right about now. 

Happy Monday everyone! 

THANKS For The Hodgepodge

Welcome to our Thanksgiving edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. I'm truly grateful for all who participate here each week and for the friends I've made, both online and in real life, via my little corner of the Internet. 

1. Talking turkey...are you cooking the turkey this year? Does ham belong on a Thanksgiving day menu? When it comes to gravy do you pour it over your whole plate, skip it altogether, or land somewhere in between? Cranberries-homemade or jelled right out of the can? Do you look forward more to the main course, the savory sides, or the desserts? 

*I know there are at least a couple of bloggers who participate here who live outside the US and won't be celebrating Thanksgiving. If that's you feel free to adapt the questions to your December (or any) holiday meal.

I'm not cooking the turkey this year. We'll be celebrating with my daughter and son-in-law, and he'll smoke  the turkey on the grill. He's got skillz. I love ham and am not opposed to having one at Thanksgiving as long as there's also turkey. I've never served ham at Thanksgiving, but my son-in-law's family always has both, so we're having both this year too. 

 As far as gravy goes, I'm not a huge gravy/sauce person. I like to keep it light. I like gravy on my turkey and maybe just a tiny bit on the dressing but my plate definitely won't be swimming in it. I like both homemade and straight out of the can cranberry sauce and we'll have both this year. I definitely look most forward to the savory sides, with dressing being my fave. 

2. Holiday movies...tell us your favorite and what it is about the film that makes you love it. Is it the film itself or a memory it stirs? 

White Christmas. Partly because I love the story and the music and especially the dresses (swoon!), but also because my girls used to love to recreate the Sisters song whenever we watched, and that's a sweet memory. Daughter1 might have even sung the first line of that song in the toast she made for Daughter2's wedding. Pass the tissues please. 

3. A favorite way to give back and help others? 

I volunteer in a local soup kitchen every week and I really enjoy that. We make a hot lunch and I enjoy the team I work with and interacting with the folks who come in. It's generally the same crowd so you get to know some of them a little bit. It's not my reason for doing this, but one of the effects this weekly task brings is the way it shifts my perspective about so many things in my own life. 

Besides the soup kitchen we support several organizations with our dollars and our prayers too. Samaritans Purse, World Vision, Compassion, Young Life, and St. Judes. I also like to donate the cost of an ultrasound to pregnant moms considering abortion. Seeing and hearing their baby's heartbeat is often a game changer. 

4. Name a place or setting you encountered this month that made you feel grateful. 

We had friends visit a couple of weeks ago and the Saturday weather was sheer perfection. The sky was a brilliant blue and we were outside most of the day. 

There's something about a beautiful sunshiny blue sky day that stirs my soul. Beauty in the great outdoors stirs up feelings of gratitude for me. 

5. Knowing what you know today, if you could redo yesterday what would you do differently? 

I'm answering these on Tuesday so yesterday was Monday. Would I do anything different? Yes, and I'm just gonna leave it at that. 

6. Spill your own random thought here. 

Let the games begin...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 579

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Guess what our theme is? Answer the questions on your own blog, then waddle back here tomorrow to add your link 'to the table'. See you there!

1. Talking turkey...are you cooking the turkey this year? Does ham belong on a Thanksgiving day menu? When it comes to gravy do you pour it over your whole plate, skip it altogether, or land somewhere in between? Cranberries-homemade or jelled right out of the can? Do you look forward more to the main course, the savory sides, or the desserts? 

I know there are at least a couple of bloggers who participate here who live outside the US and won't be celebrating Thanksgiving. If that's you feel free to adapt this question to your December (or any) holiday meal.

2. Holiday movies...tell us your favorite and what it is about the film that makes you love it. Is it the film itself or a memory it stirs? 

3. A favorite way to give back and help others? 

4. Name a place or setting you encountered this month that made you feel grateful. 

5. Knowing what you know today, if you could redo yesterday what would you do differently? 

6. Spill your own random thought here. 

December. But First Thanksgiving.

Just doing my usual post Thanksgiving post. In December because that's how I roll. 

First things first...the little brown dog is doing very well. He celebrated Thanksgiving in the Animal Hospital following his belly surgery and is happy to finally be home with his person. 

fyi-his person is the hubs. Daughter1 is his second favorite, followed closely behind by my sister-in-law. I think I'm number 4 lol. 

This is his second time around with belly surgery, and hopefully his last!. This one has gone much more smoothly than the procedure two years ago, he's healing well, and the only real challenge is keeping him 'low-key' for a while. 

Because the pup had to stay in hospital for a few days we were able to travel to daughter1's more or less as planned. We left Tuesday morning and what should have been a seven hour drive max, ended up taking ten. It was raining which didn't help, and the traffic was insane. There's a part of the highway near Asheville that hubs and I swear has been under construction since my oldest started uni in 2006. True story. 

We finally arrived safe and sound sometime after dinner, but before the boys went to bed so there were hugs and squeals and whew, so glad to be here. We didn't see Little Miss until Wednesday morning as she'd already gone to sleep. 

Yes. I'm going to give an absurd level of detail because details help make the memory. 

Wednesday my son-in-law had to work, but the rest of us piled into the car around noon to grab lunch out. Let it be noted for the record that I climbed in and out of the third seat of a minivan at least eleventy million times during our visit, which is no small thing. Grandparenting is not for sissies. 

We went to lunch in a cute little place not far from their home, then ventured into the city to see the model train exhibit at Union Terminal. 

Later the Mancub and I kicked off a five day UNO tournament (the mancub came out on top), then daughter1 and I started prepping food for Thursday's feast. 

One of the things I most look forward to and enjoy about any holiday is spending time with my girls in the kitchen. We all like to cook and bake and it's always a sweet time of chatting and just being together. 

Thursday the men kept the littles entertained while we cooked and then we cooked some more and then there was more cooking. That's Thanksgiving, right? My daughter invited another couple and their children to join us for dinner and they arrived around 3 PM with the most delicious baked brie appetizer and a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. 

The entire meal was wonderful, and we had so much fun that at the end of the night my daughter said, 'Mom! We didn't take a picture of us in the kitchen!' Or at the table either for that matter, so we grabbed the phone and recreated our pretty mimosas to snap one for the books.  

These were yummy-pomegranate juice with a small piece of orange, some cranberries and just a smidge of rosemary, frozen together in an ice cube tray, then topped with champagne when ready to serve. 

Friday we stayed close to home until my son-in-law got home from work. Then we bundled up and went to the Cincinatti Zoo to see Zoo Lights.

It was cold but lots of fun. We got there before dark so were able to see some of the animals, and enjoy the lights too. 

Little Miss just goes with the flow and is pure sugar. She has grown so much since last we saw her, and it was especially fun to have lots of time to get to know her better. 

On Saturday hubs, daughter1, Little Miss, and I left the boys home with Daddy so we could meet up with some friends from 'the Maryland years' who live in Cincy now. 

We had the best time catching up in person and again, Little Miss was good as gold. 

Sunday we went to church followed by brunch right after. Then it was home to decorate the Christmas tree, open new pj's and ornaments from Nana and Pawpaw, and start amping up all the excitement little ones bring to the month of December. 

After 34 hands of UNO it was time to go. We were up early Monday to make the trek home with just one quick pit stop at the Animal Hospital to collect the little brown dog. The drive home was thankfully a breeze and while it's always hard to leave it's nice to come home too. 

And now here we are. Advent. The season where we prepare our hearts for Christmas. Honestly the other day I had a moment of anxiety about all there is to do then caught myself when I realized it was still November. Everything starts so early and is so full on and so buy this!-don't miss that!-do all the everythings!-that it's easy to lose sight of what it is we're actually preparing for.

I saw a quote recently that said, 'Let's approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush'. Not an easy thing in the times in which we live, but I know I want to try. 

Wishing all the weary souls in this world peace in this season of hope and Advent.

It's Hodgepodge Time

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge, our final HP in the month of November. Not December. Next week we're in to December but let's not hurry, k? If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and leave a comment for your neighbor there. Here we go- 

1. Does anybody really know what day it is? Last week we skipped the Hodgepodge and I just assumed this week would find us in December, but nope. Still November. Do you wear a watch? Use a paper calendar or strictly electronic? What's your favorite hour of the day? Why? 

I'm really off track with what day it is because whenever we're traveling on a Monday it feels like I'm a day behind at home. Do I wear a watch? Not anymore. I had a watch for many years that I absolutely loved. It was a gift from hubs decades ago and I had it tuned up/repaired a couple of times through the maker (Raymond Weil), but there was no more fixing. I thought I'd get another watch, but haven't so far. I use my phone, but I do miss my watch. Hubs wants to get me an Apple Watch but I'm not sure. My watch was jewelry and I'm just not sure I want to 'wear' a device. 

I use a paper calendar, because I love paper. I love stationery and beautiful fonts and pretty papers and colorful pens, and while I do keep appointments on my phone calendar I operate mostly from my 'day timer'. It's not a Day-Timer product, the one I like best is put out by Our Daily Bread, but it's the size I like, it's spiral bound, and it has both week and month at a glance.

My favorite hour of the day is the first one. 

2. Tell us something about how you celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. 

I'm planning to dedicate a whole post to recapping Thanksgiving, so for now I'll just share how the day began-

With these apple cider donuts my daughter made from scratch. Yum! 

3. What's a sound you hate to hear? 

Loud chewing.

4. Where do you not mind waiting? 

Honestly now that we all walk around with hand held computers waiting isn't quite the annoyance it once was. I don't mind waiting at home. If we're not ready to go I can find something to do. 

5. I really wish____________________________________. 

hmm...many things...do I go deep or stay on the surface....

I really wish I had a beach trip on my calendar. 

Surface it is. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We had friends over for dinner recently and I made an Angel Pie for dessert. I don't know if that's the official name, but that's what it's always been called in our house. It's been a long time since I've baked one of these and I'd forgotten how completely scrumptious the taste. Our version of Angel Pie has a meringue crust-

...filled with a delicate vanilla cream-

                     

...topped with fresh whipped cream and shaved German chocolate-

This pie doesn't travel well, so it's best to make and serve in your own home. It looks like it weighs a thousand pounds, but y'all it is so light and so delicious. 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 528

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. Here we go-

1. Does anybody really know what day it is? Last week we skipped the Hodgepodge and I just assumed this week would find us in December, but nope. Still November. Do you wear a watch? Use a paper calendar or strictly electronic? What's your favorite hour of the day? Why? 

2. Tell us something about how you celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. 

3. What's a sound you hate to hear? 

4. Where do you not mind waiting? 

5. I really wish____________________________________. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Learning To Count

Hello Friends. And also any strangers who happened to land here today. Happy Thanksgiving. I know we have a few days still but let's be honest, the holiday starts when the cooking starts and that's usually today. 

If you're cooking. 

Which I'm not, but if I were I'd start today. 

Today. Whew. Actually it's been a whole entire weekend+ Monday, which is why there won't be a Hodgepodge post this week. I know technically this post is all over the place and feels very hodgepodge-y, but there's no official Wednesday Hodgepodge this week. The Hodgepodge will be back next week when we'll be in full on December mode.

Even though it will still be November. 

Life here is not dull. I feel like it should be a little bit dull because we're retired. Shouldn't there be days where we ask each other what do you want to do today and hubs says I don't know what do you want to do today? Yeah, that doesn't happen here. 

Saturday we awakened to a dog throwing up. Now I know this is something dogs do occasionally, but not our dog. Our dog is the Superman of dogs and has a stomach of steel. He was sick several times, and I gently suggested to hubs mid morning that maybe we should think about taking him in to the ER vet, but Tennessee was playing Georgia at 3:30 PM and hubs was not missing it. 

Except of course he did because the pup was pathetic and is his best bud. He made the 40 minute drive to the ER vet, then spent the next four hours waiting, seeing the doctor, and having the dog's blood drawn and belly x-rayed. Basically he missed the entire game which, if you're a Tennessee fan, wasn't such a bad thing. ahem. 

They did not see a blockage but of course nobody knows this dog like the hubs knows this dog, and he suspected the pup had eaten a paper towel (or two) when he was cleaning the grill on Friday. I read online paper towels can become like papier mache in a dogs belly but the doctors saw nothing on the x-ray. They did give him something that coats the stomach so when the dog seemed worse and not better on Sunday morning, it was back to the ER vet for another look. 

Offering here 1000 bonus points for anyone who can explain to me why these things always always always happen on a weekend or after hours. 

Sunday's visit revealed a blockage, which we were sure was a paper towel (or two), but as it turns out was a baby sock, size 12-24 months. Y'all my grandson was here two weeks ago which is a long time for a sock to be stuck in your dog's belly. 

All that to say, the dog spent Sunday night at the ER vet, so instead of getting ready to visit our daughter and her family this morning, we were waiting to hear how surgery went. Ugh! ugh ugh ugh. The worry. The irritation. The aggravation. The money. And of course the biggest ugh of all was the idea that I was not going to see my girl and her littles as planned. I was not going to be side by side with her in the kitchen as we chopped celery and made dressing and pulled out the good dishes. 

I wasn't going to get to see my grands open their Christmas pj's or help decorate their tree, or read stories snuggled up on the couch, or get great big hugs around the neck, and I'm going to be honest and tell you that on Sunday I had myself a little pity party. Maybe more than a little. 

But God is so good to give us new mercies every single day, so  I woke up this morning and I got a grip. I reminded myself the world is full of tremendous sorrows right now and this is not one of them. I talked to my sister who suggested we get a dinner to go from the grocery store and I had a new plan and a new outlook. Then I read this prayer first thing and it truly helped reset my outlook. And my 'in-look' too. It was posted by @cleerlystated on Instagram, not sure if I can share it without permission, so here's the link- A Prayer for Thanksgiving Week. 

Before too long the the vet called saying surgery went well. They would need to keep the dog for a few days because he also has a completely unrelated but significant skin infection and all that to say Thanksgiving is back on. 

I mean it was never off, but I let my mind travel down a road we are not meant to travel, and for a minute my normally grateful heart felt so completely Grinchy. Why is that so easy to do?

Making a list and checking it twice now...

I'm grateful today for modern medicine, for animals who worm their way into our hearts, for a husband who doesn't say 'snap out of it!', but instead lets me feel what I feel and offers hot tea, scrambled eggs, and a fuzzy blanket if I think it would help. 

I'm thankful for sisters who share my disappointments, who walk me through a plan B, who tell me I'm not being ridiculous when even I know I'm being just a little bit ridiculous. Sisters who love my girls and understand all the ways holidays and family go together. 

I'm so glad God loves me in spite of myself. That He keeps growing me up and into the person He created me to be. That He's not through with me yet. 

Grateful especially for this season that reminds me to count my blessings. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Ten On The Tenth

There's a blog link up every month known as '10 on the 10th' (hosted by Marsha In The Middle) and I never participate, because normally by the time I realize it's the 10th it's already the 11th. Not this month! The theme for November is easy peasy-'10 things you love about Thanksgiving'. I'm going to throw a few recent pictures into the mix too because it's my blog and they gotta go somewhere. 

What do I love about Thanksgiving? 

1.Everything. I mean what's not to love, except maybe the slightly tighter waistband the day after? 

2. I love that in a world where everything under the sun has turned into an Event (yes, with a capital E) with themes and decor and planning starting months in advance, Thanksgiving remains relatively simple. 

3.You don't need to rack your brain trying to come up with an original menu, because what you're eating is (wonderfully!) pretty much the same year after year. I mean my family better not be messing with the sides too much because they're what I like best on the day. 

4. Dressing. Stuffing. Whatever you want to call it, is the best part of the meal in my opinion. It's not something I make any other time of the year so feels like a treat on Thanksgiving. I make my mama's cornbread stuffing and my girls do the same. I'm not cooking this year, but there will be dressing. 

5. Leftovers. I'm not a huge fan of leftovers normally, but somehow a turkey sandwich with dressing and cranberry sauce, eaten the day after, doesn't feel like leftovers. 

6. Family. And if you can't be with your actual family you can have a wonderful meal with friends who feel like family. One of our favorite Thanksgivings was spent in England where it's not even celebrated. We shared a traditional meal with another American family, some Canadian friends, and our two Young Life leaders. I have such warm memories of that day. If you can't be with family, or friends who feel like family, there are lots of places to volunteer and serve a meal to folks who need one, which is also gratifying. 

7. No gifts=no pressure. 

8. Naps are for everyone. 

9.Thanksgiving lands in the middle of my most favorite season of the year-autumn. Ours has been particularly lovely this year, and every afternoon for the past couple of weeks I've been taking my cup of tea and my laptop out on the back porch and enjoying the afternoon sky. The color, the temperature, and the light....it's pure gold. 

10. Perhaps what I love best about this day is the way we pause for a minute before December comes barreling in. This holiday is a gentle reminder to count our blessings, and acknowledge there's an awful lot to be thankful for. In these troubled times it's comforting to stop and recognize God's goodness...to rest in the knowledge that He holds the future. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! 

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!"
1 Chronicles 16:34

Joy To The World

In the past 60 days we've been out of town 30 nights, had people overnight in our own home another 6 nights, I've broken my elbow, hosted two dinner parties separate from the aforementioned company, done the usual grocery shop-bill pay-laundry-haircut-volunteering things on my weekly to-do lists, and all of that to say...we've been busy.  

We are in serious need of a recharge before the holiday crew rolls in, which if you're counting happens in something like 25 days. We have five holiday related events in the next two weeks which will be loads of festive fun, but also, where's my nap gonna go???

The thing about this season of the year is there is always something you could be doing and maybe even should be doing, but I'm including times of rest and quiet on my to-do list too. If I don't, by the time my family arrives I'll be like Bumble the Abominable Snowman before his tooth was pulled. 

Less is more, right? Except stuff needs to get done and somebody's gotta do it. 

There's shopping, wrapping, mailing, addressing, meal planning, meal shopping, meal cooking, baking, cleaning, decorating, and whew! December can exhaust and overwhelm and most especially it can distract from the baby in the manger. From the simplicity and the beauty and the peace that is ours if we don't allow ourselves to be derailed by the modern world, social media, and some unwritten expectation that things need to look a certain way. 

Talking to myself here but perhaps you feel it too? 

Hey, remember Thanksgiving? Remember how for the entire month of November everyone was focused on their many blessings instead of their many to-dos? Let's keep calm and carry on this way, k? 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Daughter2, her hubs, her darling little boy, and my mother-in-law. Daughter2 trekked over to pick up her grandmother earlier in the week and then we took her back home when we left on Friday. 

Four generations right there which is so, so special. 

It was a relaxing couple of days. My son-in-law smoked the turkey and we had all the usual sides. I was in charge of the sweet potatoes which I forgot to bring from my house to hers so had to run up to the store soon after we arrived. 

Told you I need a nap. 

Little guy had his first taste of 'real food'-cereal, and he was all in. He loved it once he realized what was happening, and watching a baby take their first taste of anything is a day brightener for sure. 

We left Daughter2's house Friday morning to take my mother-in-law home, with a stop at Benton's ennroute. Have you heard of Benton's? They have a great story, but basically it's the best, smokiest bacon, ham, and country ham you'll ever eat and you should get some. They ship but it's also served in many higher end restaurants around the country. 

Actually Mr. Benton came out and chatted with us because it's that sort of business and he's that sort of man. We bought some bacon to take home and we ordered a holiday ham for Christmas which hubs will pick up in a couple of weeks. Mr. Benton himself told me how to cook it and I'll be following his instructions for sure. If you want to read a little of his story check out the article he was featured in a while back for Garden and Gun magazine (On The Iberico Trail) 

We spent Friday night at hub's brother's house, enjoyed their leftovers, watched football and basketball, then got on the road to head home Saturday morning. We were hoping to avoid the nightmare holiday traffic that was sure to happen Sunday and we mostly did. Traffic was light and we stopped for a lunch break at Sierra Nevada because they have a great patio and we had the pup with us. He was a model guest. 

We got home late afternoon, unpacked, and then I left hubs with the leftovers we'd brought home while I soaked in the tub for an hour. In my opinion, a long hot bath is almost as restorative as a nap. 

And now we're here. The first Sunday in Advent. 

While it may feel like we've been talking about Christmas for weeks now, today is where it begins for me.  Advent is the season where I make a conscious effort to quiet my heart and my brain and my need to do-do-do, and listen instead as heaven and nature sings. 

May we all make room.