The week that was -

 

I was up with the sun on Saturday. A mild morning with such a fiery sky it

 took my breath away for a few fleeting minutes. 

Followed by scattered bird songs from around the garden, I sat down

 to listen on the front porch, wrapped in a chunky cabled throw, coffee

 mug in hand, hoping this would be a good day.

I picked up a lovely bunch of mixed fresh cut greenery from a nearby 

garden center - today I will arrange it on the mantel and hopefully 

it will remain pretty through Christmastime.

Now it's already Sunday with a little rain from the night glistening 

on the shrubs and grass, but the sun breaking through and a pleasant

 day reaching 68F predicted. . . . . . .perfect for me!

Yesterday this bluebird was caught showering in one of the backyard

 baths - always a sweet bird to see.

Cooking this weekend included a tasty cauliflower soup - and although

 not shown here, I added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard noted in a French

 recipe, and it did give an extra flavor layer which was really tasty.

I also made that good spinach quiche again - it's delicious right out

of the oven but, for me, the leftover portions reheated gently are actually

 my favorite when the ingredients seem even more tasty.

At long last the city leaf collection truck showed up in our

 neighborhood on Friday - here they are working on our pile. 

Fortunately the leaves were dry and sucked up quickly - of course

 there are still more to come down but hopefully a second clean up

 will happen in January.

The 'Apple Blossom' amaryllis continues to bloom - four flowers

 open fully now, one more bud just beginning to open this morning.

This has been a stunner.  

The old bulbs are showing a bit more green but it will be 

some time before a stem and buds appear - if ever! Fingers are

 crossed for them, also for the Christmas cactus which hasn't 

done much despite my care in the year since I was gifted with it.

 

When it comes to Christmas mail, I love to discover envelopes

 with beautiful stamps waiting in the mailbox at the end of the

 driveway. So far, this year, my favorite is this one on my card

 from my family in France. It's not actually a Christmas stamp but

it's a lovely illustration of the facade of Notre Dame Cathedral.

All snail mail cards are so welcome, especially with the

exorbitant cost of postage for overseas mail.

I had a health scare last week which included having to return for a 

second (diagnostic 3-D) mammogram when my annual screening one

 showed an abnormality. Thankfully it was determined by the radiologist

not to be anything resembling cancer - and I walked away from the 

clinic feeling free and so grateful after several days of nervous thoughts.

Always have your annual check ups even if, like me, you are older. 

I was going to skip my annual due to COVID and having to go

 to a medical facility - thank goodness I didn't.

They can save your life!

Here's to a good week ahead for everyone.

Hope your 'different' plans for Christmas this year will go smoothly.  

January notes. . . . . .

The first week of a new January is long gone already. 

This month brings mixed blessings, including a tidy (although not yet spiffy clean) 

house after 'un-decking the halls' and packing away the storage boxes. 

No, I didn't get rid of much after all and, if blessed, with Bob's assistance,

will be able to drag them out again eleven months from now.

Time was also set aside for a haircut and a doctor appointment. 

Hair shorter again, torn rotator cuff surgery moved to the back burner!

The leaves are down and raked and the garden is sleeping. For a while

  no real work required in the cold mornings. . . . .other than to make sure

the feeders are filled and the bird baths not frozen.

The Carolina wrens are chirping merrily on the front porch today, 

the squirrels are back and forth drinking from the fountain in the sunshine.

Puff pastry Granny Smith apple tart - baked yesterday and shared with my neighbors.

When checking the photo I wondered about the dark flecks then realized

they were ground allspice added along with a pinch of cinnamon to the sliced apples.
Top was brushed, after the bake, with apricot jam laced with a couple 

of teaspoons of regular old cognac as I'm out of Calvados (apple brandy) 

called for in the recipe.

Cooking and baking take up much of my stay-at-home days. 

Along with the tart, I also roasted a pan of butternut squash, parsnips and 

potatoes, sauteed a mix of mushrooms, and made a pot of spicy

  Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice (from the amazing

 Teighan Gerard at Half Baked Harvest).

This is delicious served just as a healthy soup with a small portion of Basmati rice, 

but I like serving it as a 'stew' over more rice with extras alongside such as the 

roasted veggies and mushrooms. Tuck in a lightly toasted brushed 

with melted butter naan, and you have a one bowl delicious meal.

Comfort food at its best.

Organizing this precious life uses up the rest of my time - which of course

 I never seem to have enough of!

Three pretty flowers out today, one more to open. . . . . . . but wait, there's more!  

Another stem shooting up from the bottom with a healthy bud so perhaps more to come.

Meanwhile the second bulb now pushing taller, opening and displaying four lovely
 buds also!

Looks like I hit the jackpot with these delightful Apple Blossom amaryllis.

I received some beautiful Christmas cards as always.

The one which delighted my heart was this one 

from my cousin's dear daughter in England.

Very simple, with lovely Christmas greetings inside,

and the sales proceeds benefitting two worthwhile
 charities according to the back of the card.

English robins are very different from American robins.

Small, chubby and quick, whilst ours here are large and 

slow, often standing stationary as if listening to the ground 

 beneath them and wondering what's hidden there. . . . . hoping 

for a juicy worm to pop up perhaps!

Where do your holiday cards end up? I cut up many of mine, trim
with deckle edged scissors held onto from my scrapbooking days,
and recycle as gift tags for next Christmas - punch a hole add a
 pretty ribbon or string, perfect.

JANUARY days can be slower and there is time to catch
up with friends. . . . . . . .which I will do today. 
I do have lists, held by an array of refrigerator magnets from travel
 times to colorful places around the world. You know, those TO DO lists
with projects, wishes and dreams. Some will eventually be addressed, 
others may just have to remain dreams!

Enjoy this January day dear friends.
As always I appreciate your visit here.

It's all about HOME. . . . . . . .

I thought today I would chat a bit about home. 

This is a garden house for the birds, and probably my favorite with the tiny china bird 

on a nest perched on top. Birds have yet to nest in this home, maybe this will be the 

year, who knows.

It's a holiday for some, Presidents' Day, the day on the calendar now honoring

all American Presidents. It used to be a celebration of George Washington's birthday,

 things change! As this is not and never will be a political blog, I rest my case.

Staying home today is just like many other winter days. It's dreary, cool, raining off

 and on, but tomorrow and the rest of this week promises to be warm and sunny again. 

The weekend was fabulous and I did some required garden chores in hot sunshine

 under a cloudless deep blue sky.

Yesterday, early evening, we enjoyed a glass of wine of the front porch with a

 neighbor - sharing travel stories - until the coolness of dusk arrived and I had to

 reach for a sweater.

Yesterday I actually saw a pair of wrens flying around the gazebo with dried leaves

 in their bills - goodness it's much too early to be picking home sites and building nests! 

This winter I hung some of my bird houses in the fig tree out front - along with

 feeders and a few lanterns with battery operated candles which light up at

 dusk - and fortunately they've held up well through the drastic weather changes

 this season brought.

So, off to do some Monday kitchen chores - making leek and potato soup

 (a good day for soup of any kind), and trying a recipe I recently found for

 mushrooms and polenta. I'll share later if it turns out to be as tasty as promised.

Tonight is my Tai Chi class. It continues to be very interesting. . . . . and difficult!

 Practicing alone between classes is hard but I'm enjoying the class and will continue.

 I'll miss three March classes whilst in Patagonia so will have a lot to catch up with

 on my return!

Yes, going away again soon. Always fun, but thoughts of home will

accompany me on this exciting expedition adventure. . . . . . .as always.