January nesting

50 degrees

8 degrees

It's a strange January.  50 degrees one day and 8 degrees the next.  Rain one day and snow the next. I guess this is El Nino in the Midwest.

Enjoying road trip to Dunkin' Donuts in the Jeep

And you know what snow means???  A trip to Dunkin'' Donuts!  We started this tradition a couple of years ago.  A new snowfall gives you "permission" to eat donuts.  What can I say?  We try to make the best out of winter.

Breakfast with Foghorn Leghorn

Preparing a meal

We started the new year with our friend Stan visiting us for several days.  Stan joined us for a  great New Year's Eve party with our friends Brian and Stacy.

We cooked meals together, watched a lot of football, and Stan and Mike completed a few chores around the house.







I may have a slight case of cabin fever as I continue to fight this crud(cold? pneumonia? sinus infection?).  I decided to tackle a few projects that have been waiting for me.

 I added rug binding to a latch hook my mom made for me.

Cutting mesh to 1 inch wide

Folding mesh over and using iron on rug binding to secure

Finished latch hook rug ready for hanging

I also pulled out a needlepoint project that I'm sure I haven't touched for at least 20 years.  I've been working on it at night while watching television. Somehow that makes me feel productive and less of a couch potato!

Side view

I asked Mike to make me a wooden box for the mantle.  I saw this idea on the Thrifty Decor Chick blog, and I thought it would be fun.

Mike used leftover pieces of red cedar from our screen porch to build a 37 inch long box.

I found these silver balls on sale at Pier One, and they add some great texture to the mantle.

Box on mantle

And I've been in a cooking frenzy this week.  Chili, barbeque pork chops in the crock pot and banana bread to name a few.  And this morning we had steel cut oats in the crock pot, a recipe from the Nita Dances blog.  Yum!  Here's the easy recipe if you want to try it.

Crock Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal
3.5 cups of water
1/2 cup milk
1 cup steel cut oats
Put in small crock pot (at least 6 cup) overnight on low heat.
In the morning stir the oats and serve.
We added brown sugar, cinnamon, dried cranberries and pecans.

I've also been enjoying reading more this month.  I finished the book "Trident" by Jason Redman.  He was a Navy Seal in Afghanistan and Iraq, this is his story.  I would highly recommend this book for an inside glimpse of a true American hero.

Winter sunsets are amazing!

So, here we are. Half way through January.  And a few projects await. I'm getting ready to start sewing some valences for my mom.  I purchased the fabric this week, and it's been pre-washed and is ready to go.  And then there's a book in progress and my 20 year old needlework project.  Hopefully that will get me through this longest month of winter...

Have a great week!
Diane

Holiday musings...

Happy New Year!

Mike and I enjoyed a quiet New Year's Eve and a busy New Year's Day which is the opposite of our usual plans.  Recovering from a frightful head cold, I didn't have the energy to attend a friend's New Year's Eve party.  Instead we nestled at home, making a pot of potato soup and playing Scrabble.  I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that  after winning a game shortly before midnight, I declined a rematch so I could end the year on a winning note!

Front wheel off the ground. Gotta love it!

And this afternoon we enjoyed Indy's annual auto show.  We aren't really in the market for a new car, but we enjoy cars.

The highlight was Camp Jeep where we got to ride in a new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited as it traversed various obstacles including ramps, logs and a 30 degree hill that was 13 feet high.  It was a blast!  Makes us want to sign up for another Jeep trip in 2013.





Even though the holidays are ending,  my mind wanders over those special, funny  and crazy moments of the past month...

It was a great musical holiday with Mike playing piano at several events.  Mom told us about song her dad played on piano when she was a small girl, and after finding the sheet music on the Internet,  Mike played the song for her.  It was a moment I'll never forget...

In November I described my "graceful" fall on a hickory nut.  Well, last week I finally got an answer on why it was still hurting 6 weeks later.  It was actually a fracture of the elbow radial head, which showed up on last week's x-ray.  It will take 3-4 months to heal, and there's a lot more physical therapy in my future.  But you know, now that I have an explanation of why it still hurts, I don't feel crazy (just  klutzy)!

At our local bagel shop, "Gino's table" is reserved for a group of men who get together regularly for breakfast and coffee. Well, one of the regulars at this table is our Catholic priest.   Last week while eating our bagels, we overhead the men anxiously awaiting the priest to show up so they could give him a Christmas gift:  a calendar of the new Pope.  Somehow that just made us smile...

I learned about new kitchen gadgets from potato chip makers(which don't work so well) to "chargers" which I don't totally understand.  Basically a charger is a large plate that you set under your dinner plate.  They look cool, and I'm guessing they may be designed to protect your table from a hot plate, but I'm not really sure...

My friend's college-age son sent me a copy of a screenplay he wrote.  I was very impressed at his writing, and I was honored to read it.  He is currently making it into a short film.   I think he is very talented, and maybe we will someday see his work at Sundance...

On New Year's Eve day we stopped at Walgreen's to pick a few things, and I tried NOT TO SMILE  at the  young man ahead of us in line.  He was buying tooth whitener toothpaste, mouthwash and condoms.  I just loved his optimism...

I made some Christmas gifts this year, and I was thrilled to watch people opening the gifts.  People seemed delighted and surprised (which I hope this was about the gifts and not surprise that I actually made them).

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  Small handbag

  
  

  

  Coin purse

  
  

  

  My version of "industrial chic" jewelry 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The best moments of the holidays were those with family and friends.  We were fortunate to get together with the important people in our lives (though I am a bit homesick for my Iowa friends)...
  
  
  Mike has a resolution of doing a better job of opening doors for me (which I'm not sure he ever did before).  I could definitely get used to this ...

I wish you health and happiness in the new year.  I am so grateful for all of you who read this blog.  I am finding my way as a writer, and this blog has been such an important outlet for my thoughts about retirement.  Thanks for your interest in my little corner of the world.

Our "tradition"of getting donuts after a snowstorm...

And as we head into another winter snowstorm tonight, visions of donuts dance through my head...

Have a great weekend! Diane

Donuts in a snow storm.

No, we did NOT eat all 6 donuts! We have leftovers...

Joy. Donuts in a snow storm.  

Our latest holiday tradition is to head out for donuts if there is a snow storm overnight.  So when we awoke this morning to several inches of snow, we were compelled to jump in the Jeep and head to Dunkin' Donuts.

I guess it's kind of like school kids getting a snow day.  You don't have to go to school (or work), you get to play, have fun and eat snack (junk) food.

Now the only problem I foresee is the frequency of  snowstorms this winter.  We've already had two donut trips and it's only mid-December...







Here's a quick tour of our world on Saturday:

Gotta love a Jeep in snow!

Lights and snow

Front yard

Armillary in snow

Backyard

Where have all the flowers gone?

My newest flower bed, planted last summer...

Ho! Ho! Ho!  What's up with the snow?

We enjoyed our snow day with hot tea and coffee at the kitchen table, addressing Christmas cards and watching the beautiful snowfall.

I hope you can take a moment to relax with a hot beverage and enjoy the beauty and peace of the season.

Diane