Good morning! I hope you’ve had, or are enjoying a nice cup of something good. It got a little chilly here after our horrible winds died down. The early morning is when I take The Otter Pup for her walk but she’s been resisting because it’s a little too cold for her even with a sweater. She is a funny little pup pup.
Right Now:
Guys, it’s hard to get into the Christmas spirit these days but I am trying to relish the moments. I am off work until January 11th. I am very grateful for this time every year and this is the one year where my calendar is pretty wide open. I can actually participate in that Icelandic holiday everyone speaks of.
During the festive season, gifts are opened on December 24th and, by tradition, everyone reads the books they have been given straight away, often while drinking hot chocolate or alcohol-free Christmas ale called jólabland.
Doesn’t it sound nice?
It’s not looking like my son will be able to come for Christmas. Possibly a day or two before the New Year but we will leave it flexible. He has that new job plus he is moving into a new house since his lease is up where he is renting a room now. I’m trying to decide what our little three-person Christmas will look like. We normally see a movie in the theatre on Christmas night. Not happening, obviously.
This Week:
I have a work holiday party on Wednesday, a book club Happy Hour on Thursday, both on Zoom. It’s textbook return at the school as their term ends next week and it’s nice because the Girl can drive herself down there to do it. My husband and I have dental appointments this Saturday and my daughter has her PACE audition this Sunday. A busy week!
Reading:
You all know my struggles with reading for the past few weeks. I did finally finish the one book I was stumbling through. I was looking at my reading for the year and I am going to make it easy on myself and read just one more book for the year, Pride and Prejudice. It’s a book that has been on my list for so long. I have picked it up and put it down so many times. How can I be a book blogger without reading it? So, I am going to read it and then review it and be done with 2020. Ha!
Now, to figure out what my first book will be so I can join Sheila’s fun event. Will it be a serious book? A fun book? A classic? I am ending 2020 with a classic so probably not but who knows? I feel like the first book of the year sets the tone for the year. Last year I chose A Good Neighborhood and then all that civil unrest hit. Yep, I must choose wisely.
Watching:
I missed Dolly Parton’s TV special but she has her Christmas musical on Netflix, Christmas on the Square. Everything I’ve read about her indicates that she is a really good human. Don’t we need more of them in the world right now? I plan to watch it this week.
I also plan to watch, one by one, all the holiday movies I listed last week. The ones everyone watches this time of the year and a couple of new to me (classics) like Meet Me in St. Louis. My friends on Facebook said they cannot continue to be friends with me if I do not see that holiday classic.
Grateful for:
- Twinkly Christmas lights. Our neighborhood has more lights than it has ever had. I think people needed a little more cheer this year. I love it!
- Spiked eggnog. I mean, let’s be real.
- Birds. Birdsong, to be more specific. We have a lot of critters in our yard and that includes birds. On any given day I have a chorus of birds singing. It’s like a scene right out of Snow White.
Does it feel like the holidays are less than two weeks away? It feels kind of weird, huh? If you need to inject a little holiday spirit into your routine, try one of these:
- Put your jammies on, make or pick up some hot cocoa or hot apple cider (this, plus whipped cream tastes like apple pie) and drive around the neighborhood to check out the Christmas lights. Make sure to create your holiday playlist ahead of time.
- No big Christmas cookie baking going on? Then make this one cookie recipe. It’s like Christmas in a cookie.
- Put some Christmas potpourri on your stovetop to make your house smell like Christmas!
- We are missing Disneyland this Christmas. My local indie bookstore suggested this Main Street play list which kind of feels like we are at Disneyland! Enjoy!
Book Chatter 
Things are not going well here. I’m stressed out and the network issue over the weekend at work does not seem to be fixed. I have a feeling this week is going to be very trying.
I did have a cup of coffee this morning. I hear you on not getting into the Christmas spirit, but I watched a Christmas episode of The Love Boat last night. You’re the second blogger I’ve read this week that mentioned Pride and Prejudice. She never has read either.
I just picked up Pride and Prejudice for the first time this week. I’ve not been an Austen fan, but I’m enjoying how low-key it is.
Low key is just what I need.
How great that you will be off for nearly a month but, too bad that your son won’t be home for Christmas. Our area has more houses decorated for Christmas as well this year – so nice since people are home more this year. Even my son decorated his house outside. 2021, I’m committing to reading more books that I bought and have sat on my shelves far too long. My first book of 2021 will be something I own. This week I’ll be baking 3 diff kinds of Christmas cookies we hope to have a little outdoor get together over the weekend.
enjoy your time off.
We only put up a small percentage of decorations this year. Thought it was enough but the exterminator just commented that it’s pretty sparse. LOL.
Christmas is my favorite Holiday, but the Christmas Spirit is not as strong as it usually is. Well, my favorite church services not happening.
I feel the xmas spirit the strongest in church. Just a little more difficult this year
I hear you. My church just announced a drive-thru Christmas event and food collection for the pantry. It’s this Friday and Saturday night. Sounds fun. Our youth group had a little outside get together at the church but even with agreements signed, it’s hard to keeps teens separated. All that hugging.
Every week on Tuesday, I volunteer at Loaves and Fishes (a food bank), which was started by my church
That’s excellent. Every Monday I used to work homeless outreach (meals and clothing) but due to COVID that was shutdown. It’s such an important service and this time of the year especially with the cold weather hitting. I am glad you can still work at the food bank. Love the name.
All Loaves and Fishes started out as was just a garden, which then became a closest, which finally became more of a grocery store.
What tends to usually happen is that when a client comes in, they are teamed with one of the volunteers to help go around. Each section (meat, vegetables, fruit, grains, and extra)- the family size affects how much they get. They basically are picking what they want.
Now- we are packing boxes outside. Every week, what comes changes. The Loaves and Foods truck comes, and the food we get all gets assigned how much gets put in those boxes.
That’s wonderful. So glad that service can continue even though the method of delivery has changed a little.
I’m determined to be OK about this holiday season. It’s been a little tough, but my holiday playlist is helping. I’m trying to concentrate on the words to special favorites like Amy Grant singing ‘My Grown-up Christmas List’. Sorry about your son not being home on the actual day, but as a Mom of a daughter who has to work about every other Christmas (including this one), it can be when you say it is. We’ve adjusted a lot of things over the years to make things ‘merry and bright’ for our daughter and son-in-law and her work schedule. Those babies – they will insist on coming even when it’s a holiday. Ha! Take care, Ti, and hope your week goes well.
It’s been chilly here as well, especially in the early mornings and evenings. I was cold all last week and ended up wrapping up in a blanket while I worked most days.
I am sorry your son won’t be home for Christmas. That’s going to be rough.
This week my office is putting on 5 Days of 5 Minute Holiday Parties. They usually run about half an hour each, but I guess whoever came up with name thought it was catchy. Each day has a different theme.
Good luck reading Pride and Prejudice. I love it personally, but I am not sure I could read Austen right now.
I hope you have a great week, Ti.
Austen is a bit slow, isn’t it? I’ve tried to read P&P at least three times but man, I am gonna get that book read this year.
I’m glad you’re off till January 11. Nice! I could use some spiked eggnog about now. The holidays are stressful … are they not? At least Joe finally won the election (about 9 times) and now we can relax for about a nanosecond … that’s one good thing … about this horrible year … Enjoy your holidays …
I have to work through the end of this week, but will then have 2 weeks off. I know I’ll so some work during the holiday, but I am looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit and relaxing.
Enjoy your time off! We all need a little break.
We watched Meet Me in St Louis last night. Had never seen it before and thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards we checked out some of the behind the scenes facts and were equally entertained. I hadn’t realized that Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was written and debuted during WW II and that brings such poignancy to the song. Also some of the original lyrics were changed for the movie and again in 1957 when Frank Sinatra recorded it. Lots of great trivia about the lighting and beautiful sets too. A very beautiful and big budget movie for wartime. Thanks for the recommendation. 🎄
I am going to watch it sometime this week. Time got away from me. I am not sure Ryan will be into it so I may watch it while sorting books.