Hello!! I hope this week’s “Whatnot” post finds you well. As you can see from the photo above, I have been spending much of my time outside. Our cold, windy weather turned into early summer weather with temps between 75-82 degrees. It’s been glorious.
My daughter and I pack lunches and head to the park. Different parks depending on mood. I pack Pride and Prejudice and she packs her acting books or her laptop if she needs to review scenes/music for an audition. I love to read at the park. Sure, there are kids making all those happy sounds and lots of pups that distract me but the fresh air has done wonders for my mood.
On the way back from the park yesterday, I stopped at the market to get a rib roast. Since my son is not coming home for Christmas, I was having trouble finding just the right size. The butcher, who resembled Pete Davidson from Saturday Night Live motioned to me to follow him behind the counter. It all felt very secretive but he produced for me the most beautiful standing rib roast, cut just perfectly for three people. It was a Christmas miracle! Haha. Nice guy. Told him so. You know you are old when you get excited about a rib roast.
For the meal, since people like to meal plan, we will be having a standing rib roast with rosemary, garlic, peppercorn crust, brown sugared carrots, cream of spinach, garlic mashed potatoes and rolls. I am going to make a pie for dessert. We still don’t know when we will eat this meal. Either Christmas Eve or Christmas. Depends on whether we try to see my son on Christmas day or not.
My house is feeling a little cluttered lately so I may throw a movie on and just sift through junk drawers and organize a bit. There is nothing more relaxing to me than organizing things and we can’t really do much else with the COVID numbers as high as they are so might as well tidy up a bit.
Are you doing okay? I know some of you are already seeing snow but please go outside to get some fresh air. I know many who are struggling with being cooped up inside. It’s so important for your mental health to get fresh air and sunlight (if possible).
In case we do not connect again this week, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that. Take care of yourselves!!
Book Chatter 
Take care of yourself and your family. We’re cooped up mostly because it is cold, but last week we went to a mid-week socially distant ice skating party for one of my daughter’s best friends all masked up. Exhausting talking through masks and skating with masks, but the kids had fun.
The Poetry Reading Challenge is up on my blog (late this year), if you are interested: https://savvyverseandwit.com/2020/12/poetry-reading-challenge-2021.html
We finally made gingerbread house (had to buy some since I had no clue you had to wait days for gingerbread to be stale enough to use) and we baked cookies!
It’s starting to feel like Christmas. But alas I have yet to watch my favorite movies — I have watched a bunch of Hallmark ones. And I cannot wait to have some days off from work after all our systems were down for 2 weeks.
I saw your post about the gingerbread. It has to be stale or overcooked to be usable, as you found out.
I hope you enjoy your break and line those movies up. I have been watching at least two a day but I probably won’t view all of the ones I have lined up by Christmas. I don’t know. Maybe Christmas day as we will just be lounging around anyway.
The daily park trips with your daughter sounds perfect. I miss not spending time with my kids since COVID. Fresh air does improve the mood yet, here with low temps, it’s hard to motivate oneself. Your Christmas menu sounds wonderful. Have a special day.
It is back to cold and windy today. Still got out. I must say the clouds rolling in made quite the sight.
Unfortunately the weather isn’t going to be extremely conducive to getting out over the next few days, with heavy rain expected tomorrow, and sunlight? We’ve got some today so I guess there is that. 🙂 I’ll enjoy maybe a little as we take books out curbside at the library. Tonight we’re celebrating the beginning of a short break for me until Monday with our annual watching of Die Hard (merry f-ing Christmas? 😉 ) and tomorrow night we’ll have our Christmas dinner with leftovers on Christmas. Hope you and your family have a merry one whatever it is you choose to do and at least it sounds like you’re going to have some good (nay, great) food, enjoy!
My son got his work schedule and is off two days next week so we will most likely visit him on one of those days, spend the day and then make the drive back.
I jinxed myself with the weather. Today, it’s back to windy and 58 degrees. Still took a long walk though. It was difficult to navigate all the falling leaves and branches. The pup thought she was in a war zone. Ha!
I’m happy you are enjoying beautiful weather. I try to get out every day, once for a walk and once just to sit outside, even if it’s just on the front porch.
Your meal sounds fabulous. We will have Christmas breakfast with our son and his family (safely, of course) and then we will try to social distance outdoors with my dad as soon as the weather isn’t cold or rainy.
This morning the wind picked up and clouds blew in. It’s supposed to rain on Monday. I still went for an extra long walk. The pup thought she was in Alaska or something. She is such a drama queen.
I didn’t mention breakfast but it will be simple. Cinnamon rolls for the Hub and Daughter as I have Celiac so will have to skip, bacon and then I got these mini crustless quiches at Trader Joe’s so will make those.
I think the plan now is to drive up the coast on Monday or Wednesday. My son is off those days. It’s a three hour drive but we will go up, have a meal, give him his gifts and he can visit with the pup for awhile and then we will hit the road to come right back.
I agree about the fresh air; it has done wonders for me to sit outside in our courtyard each day for a break and to take walks with my daughter.
I’m guessing you were as excited about finding someone willing to really help you with your Christmas meal as you were about finding the perfect roast. Sounds like you have been doing exactly what you need to stay mentally well through the end of this year – good on ya, as my Australian friends like to say!