5 thing Friday - time, Highlands, wine, itdoesn'takewhiskers, selfie

Today is Christmas Eve - how did that happen? The summer was over before it even got going good.  I don't remember having fall, except that Thanksgiving was yesterday.  Time is zooming forward while simultaneously standing still.  In a minute, a new year will start.

Weird.

There will be 7 of us at Christmas dinner - same as Thanksgiving.  Time to pull out the table leaves, the tablecloth, chargers, dishes, and silver for one more fancy dinner together until Easter.  {Which might be a week from now}  I found these tiny crochet snowflakes I forgot I had, and added them to the arrangement on the table.  

Spending time at Highlands is bittersweet.  But looking out over my "yard" makes me feel peaceful inside. 

Hello, cacti. Trees. Hills.

Hello, big sky.  I've missed you!

Nice to see you, canoe. 

I only wish I knew what to do about Highlands in the long run.  I know its a tomorrow decision, but I am thinking about it today.

The bluebonnets are already sprouting up - can't wait for them to bloom!

I miss weekend sunsets out here with Hubby, but maybe I will decide to spend the night in the spring.  There's no Mabel to bunk in, but I do have cots, running water, electricity, and a roof over my head.

These giant bottles of wine at Trader Joe's are ridiculous and I almost bought one for Christmas Day.  But I resisted and bought two normal sized bottles of a nice Zinfandel to go with our ham dinner. 

Yet another mystery: where the h*ll is the extension cord that goes to the hedge trimmer?  I will have to shift my mindset at Camp Rustown.  The Girl reminds me often that you can Google just about anything you don't know.  Figure out how to use your stuff.  If you need to order an extension cord to fit this thing, DO IT.

Hello, it's just me, Gina.  I really needed a new selfie.  

Felt cute, won't delete.

M E R R Y  C H R I S T M A S from The Cannary Family!

Gina

New life menu plan #13

 Mrs. Claus has been hard at work...

Both at home, and at her day job!

Monday - Baked Chicken breast, baked potato, rest of last week's spring mix salad that I don't want to spoil

Tuesday - Pick up a burger! Watch a Christmas movie!

Wednesday - Dinner at The Girl's apartment

Thursday - Omelette with O'Brien potatoes

Friday - Baked Crescent Sammies, relish tray, creamy tomato soup, chips

Saturday - Breakfast is Overnight French Toast, sausages, fruit, coffee. Dinner is Spiral Ham, Smothered Green Beans, Steakhouse Mac and Cheese, and we'll have birthday cake for Bubbie!

Sunday - Leftovers

Gina

5 thing Friday - cross stitch, bedroom Christmas trees, stained glass, wine pick-ups, guest room

As of this post, I made a whopping two handmade gifts this year.  That doesn't mean I wasn't creative. But I am giving myself grace this year.

I started this cross stitch before Hubby passed, then finished it just afterwards.  It was calming to sit and stitch with The Girl.  

My method to finish the back.

I never did buy a Christmas tree for the bedroom - just ran out of time and didn't want to spend a lot.  I will keep my eyes out for a skinny tree next year, maybe from a thrift store.  Meanwhile, I made a little vignette with table trees and added a battery candle by way of a nightlite.  I am getting used to falling asleep in an empty house and this helps!

My mother is determined that I have a stained glass window for my house.  I have nowhere to put it, but maybe I could get a small one to hang somewhere.  I do have that transom window in the living room, and this place in Bertram has fused glass classes.  Wouldn't it be cool to make my own?

Going to a winery alone for a pick up party is both good and bad.  You are essentially ALONE and must make an effort to introduce yourself to others who are often couples or people in groups.  But, you can come and go whenever you want, sit where you want, listen to music, enjoy wine and a lunch, and just be yourself.  I just need to invite my kids to come along more often.

There's no big reveal for the guest room, but I will say it is clean and smells nice and is ready for whoever wants to stay the night.  I ordered new sheets and a dust ruffle, dusted the heck out of those shelves and the ceiling fan, steam cleaned the carpets, added a nightlite and different lamp. I've been leaving the empty bedroom doors open so the room doesn't start smelling stale. 

Gina

Tuesday wasn't fun

Monday after work I got my Covid booster.  I thought my plan made sense: I would probably feel kinda low on Tuesday after work, so I would sleep it off, then Wednesday would be fine.  But what actually happened was that on my way to work on Tuesday I started shivering with chills, then my fingers went numb.  I asked if I could leave a few hours early, but only held out another hour.  The side effects from the booster are no joke!

I drove home as carefully as possible and lay in bed until I thought of making ramen.  I don't often get sick, but lately things seem to be laying me low.

I parked myself on the couch under my blanket for hours, going from chills to fever.  The Girl came over to make me a quesadilla and spend the night.  It was rough not having Hubby when I was so down for the count.  He wouldn't have fussed over me, but knowing he was there always gave me comfort.  And knowing The Girl was here helped me sleep a little easier.  

Gina

What the week holds and Christmas shopping

Mrs. Claus was busy this last Saturday 

I am 99.99% done.  Just a few tweaks to do here and there.

This week I am getting a menu together for Christmas and making out a monster grocery list.  I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday which I am tempted to cancel.  My little voice says "no don't do that, Gina, you've got to take care of yourself!".  But I know the hygienist will talk about Mark as he was her patient, too, and I don't feel up to answering questions with her hands in my mouth the whole time.  So in advance, I will practice setting a boundary.

Friday is payday and I will pay the taxes on Highlands.  Saturday I may run up and check on the property.  I also need a calm and quiet space to write a personal Christmas card to each one of my children.  Somewhere in there I will get to the store very early to buy groceries. My scrubs are clean, meals are prepped, my house is decorated and clean.

I'm ready for the week.

Gina

5 thing Friday - stitching, ramen, smoothies, coffee pot, cooking for one

One good thing came out of the pandemic for The Girl - she discovered a love for embroidery, crochet, and knitting.   

Many of the pieces she has completed, like this owl she stitched for my birthday, are so detailed and neat, you would think she had been doing it for years, maybe taught by her mother or grandmother.  Nope.  She learned from You Tube.

When my children make me gifts...its just the best.  Stitching by The Girl, homemade pumpkin bread from Scout, painted terra cotta pots with an aloe vera from Dutch and Scout...I love them all.

My birthday was a great day.  We did some things around the house, saw my sister and BIL who brought me a beautiful James Avery charm, and had ramen and potstickers at local ramen restaurant.

aaand beer, and I promise I was having a good time! 

Oh, and crispy cauliflower with pine nuts.

A cold front was blowing in as we sat on the patio.  Everything was so good, it makes me want to make ramen at home with my very own homemade bone broth from the Thanksgiving turkey.  On my list for lunch this weekend.

Smoothies for breakfast are perfect for when I have zero appetite but must be able to work without fainting until 12:30.  This one was a bit over-full!

My old coffee pot finally gave out.  It wasn't keeping the coffee hot, and I'm not sure the brew cycle was even using hot enough water.  But oh my goodness, the new one, a 5 cup space saver, looks like a child's plaything.  At least it works.  I'm keeping my cocoa packets here and will get some of those soft peppermint sticks to add to the holly goblet.

The freezer is stocked and has plenty of things for one person to eat.  Which feels very weird to me, as I have not fed just me since college. There's no point posting menus as they aren't going to vary all that much. I stocked up on protein and veggies, and I rounded it off with eggs, fruit, cereal and coconut milk.

Time for a little mealtime freedom.

Gina

Guest plans

On Sunday, The Girl packed up her remaining things and headed back to her apartment.  Both of us remarked that this scene reminded us of when she would return back to college at the end of summer!

It made me feel a little blue - I have not lived alone since just after Hubby and I got engaged, 37 long years ago.

Only this time. she's just a few minutes away and we have plans to have dinner together every Sunday, and happy hours every Wednesday.

In any case, here is where she has faithfully stayed for the last four months: 

Once her room, then Scout's, now the empty guest room in great need of a refresh.  When Hubby passed, she grabbed some things from her apartment and stayed with me - there was no time to freshen it up.  We have spent the last four months just trying to find our way, but gradually I am conquering some spaces in this house.

My plans are to vacuum every nook and cranny, add a fitted sheet to the bottom of the box spring (because, yuck), add a new dust ruffle and sheet set, rearrange those hanging pictures, put the director's chair in here, add some toss pillows, maybe some pretty or sentimental things on the shelves, clean out the closet, steam clean the carpet, and make it smell pretty. Next time she stays the night, it should be much nicer for her.

The Girl has been my rock - encouraging me, and listening to me, all the while grieving and adjusting to a move from Houston and a new job.  I think we did very well with this one.  Her Dad would be so proud.

Gina