Hello friends, new and old! This little newsletter is my not-so-weekly version of a blog/personal update/way to share favorite links and recipes. I hope you say hi in the comments and let me know where to find you on the web.
I haven’t posted since early December, not that I’ve been busy necessarily (although the holidays do have a way of adding to the ol’ to-do list) but I just haven’t been feeling very inspired. I’m not sure I can keep calling it pandemic fatigue when it seems to hit every couple of weeks, but I’m definitely weary of the current situation, especially combined with colder weather here in the Ozarks, that makes it harder to see people safely outdoors.
Let’s get to the good stuff!
Listening - all the podcasts, as usual. I really enjoyed a recent episode of Unlocking Us (Brene Brown) with Dax Shepard and Tim Ferris. I don’t normally listen to either of their shows but I was very impressed with their transparency and thoughtfulness.
Cooking - Always so much cooking! We didn’t do anything special for Christmas dinner - fancy snack plate (charcoots) for Christmas Eve and pizza for Christmas day. It worked for our little party of 4!
Oh, I did make 3 batches of my grandma’s “Christmas Tree” sugar cookies, which she revealed this year are not an ancient family recipe, but actually Betty Crocker’s 1962 Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies. I know that sounds weird, but they’re delicious - they taste like egg nog!
Reading - I finished A Better Man (Gamache #15) by Louise Penny. I just love this series - it just keep getting better. I hope Ms. Penny keeps writing about Gamache, Beauvoir, and the Three Pines crew for many years to come.
Making - I got 4(!) embroidery kits for Christmas so I guess I know what I’ll be up to this winter! First up is a pretty small hoop with a succulent on pink fabric.
Doing - I have the week off work between Christmas and New Year’s… usually this week is spent visiting family and taking the kids to “fun” indoor activities like trampoline places and arcades. 😱 We’re not doing any of that this year, so I’m trying to get creative on what we can do. We may try the zoo (outdoors) or the local art museum (likely not very crowded), and I think there is a paint-your-own-pottery place that’s doing to-go project bags. Say a prayer for my sanity!
Planning - I’ve been playing around with various types of journaling this year, mostly to document this unprecedented year and to stretch my creative/artist muscles a bit. I recently stumbled across Shutterbean’s Currently notebook and Weekly intentions printable, and I think I will follow a similar format for documenting and reflecting on my weeks and months. I use a really structured, task-oriented daily planner for tracking work and house projects, but I have been missing something more freeform to journal or capture highs and lows for the month.
Reflecting - Tis the season for end-of-year lists, right? These were my top reads of the year.
(I made this graphic by screenshotting my highest rated books on goodreads that I finished this year. Someone always asks!) What were your favorite books you read this year?