This Week

• My Christmas cactus burst into bloom. Absolutely gorgeous. And amazing - a houseplant of mine is actually blooming rather than shriveling up before my eyes.
• The weather has been grey, dull, and rainy/misty until today when the skies cleared and the sun came out, instantly lifting my spirits.
• I have been preparing meals from whatever is leftover in the pantry and the fridge. It feels good to use some things up, and save a little on the grocery bill...
• I have become completely obsessed with working on my Cozy Stripe Blanket. Every night has gone like this: dinner, girls to bed, me in my pajamas settled on the couch crocheting....
• I've begun wrapping the presents. It always amazes me how time consuming this task is, but I find if I do it a little at a time then I can relax and enjoy the process. A small glass of apple liquor sipped slowly while wrapping also helps with the relaxation aspect of things, just saying.
• I am feeling more organized and ready for Christmas this year than ever before, likely because I worked on my Christmas Tasks a little at a time, and I have simply said 'no' to some things (and therein lies a very valuable lesson learned)....
• My favorite pajamas - with giraffes on them - have ripped beyond repair.
• Tomorrow is the last day of school before Christmas break and I am looking forward to not having to pack lunches for two weeks.
• I've been considering choosing a word/theme for 2016....more to come on this, maybe.

I hope you have had a lovely week.

This Week

There have been sunny days and there have been grey days. It goes without saying that I like the sunny days better. It is the dark days, along with the fact that it is pitch black outside by five o'clock, that I dislike most about winter. If it is cold and sunny I can handle that, but dull and dreary, no thanks.

I have been making pom-poms for a garland which I may put on the Christmas tree or may simply string across the top of the mirror in the front hall; at this point I am undecided.

The girls are learning how to play chess at school (a life skill??). Some very intense games have been happening at the kitchen table...

My Christmas cactus is going to bloom. This is nothing short of a miracle as I have been having a pretty terrible time with my houseplants lately....

And I have my Christmas cards all ready to mail. I'll wait until December 1st of course, but it feels great to have this task checked off the list.

Hope you have had a wonderful week.