Friday, December 20, 2019

A Good Friday and End to the Week

Just as fast as our recent cold weather spell seemed to arrive, it's now gone and our temp today was up to 32°.  No noticeable melting occurred but the fact that rain and snow and ice were predicted (never materialized) kinda kept us on our toes.

It was very dark and gray all day.  At 3:45 p.m. it looked as if Mother Nature was setting daylight on the lowest dimmer switch.  Well, only one more day before we start gaining minutes (technically anyway) of daylight each day.  Makes one look forward to the usually lighter and brighter days we get in January.


I wrapped presents yesterday afternoon and placed them under our little tree.

This is the third year we've had our artificial Christmas tree (best decision I ever made) and I still keep thinking about adding water to the stand so it doesn't dry out.  (Some of us apparently are slower learners than others.)

My plan was to attack the pantry today, do some rearranging, wipe down the shelves and make note of anything we might be short of to make it through the remainder of the winter.  Didn't get to it.  I did manage to get the top of my desk cleared which feels really good.  Happily, I didn't find anything such as an overdue bill I had neglected to pay.


Early this morning, all the tins of the various Christmas cookies were brought out to the kitchen counter from the pantry, and I made up five plates to be given away as a holiday thank you or "just because."

Speaking of goodies of the unbaked kind, I'm a lover of pears and I've been eyeing them in our co-op for a while now but have hesitated buying any because we have plenty of our own apples in the root cellar which should be eaten as our fresh fruit.


However, a friend stopped by today to share with us (yippee!) part of a box of pears she had received as a Christmas gift.  They look like "real" pears, not hybridized for cosmetic purposes.  I can't wait to taste them.  On the last piece of property we owned in Illinois before moving up here, we had two old, old pear trees.  One bore luscious, juicy fruit we ate almost right off the tree and the other one produced a harder pear that turned out delicious when I canned them in a light syrup for a good, simple dessert.  Yep, I really like pears.

Enough jabbering on for this post.  Seems like it will be a good night to get all ready for bed and then spend some time on the couch knitting.  Of course, an open wood fire will add to the relaxing ambience.  Cozy, cozy, cozy.  A good Friday, a good end to the week.

9 comments:

SmartAlex said...

I haven't made a single cookie yet, but I did go to the store and buy enough ingredients for all eventualities (cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream,toasted baguettes, butter and eggs, blue cheese etc) which I will have to find a use for somehow. Wednesday was absolutely awful here. A wall of white. The weatherman promises that it will warm up enough this weekend for me to dig horseradish for New Year's Eve cocktail sauce

NanaDiana said...

I promised to make cookies for Christmas Day (ginger dreams) and take the ham and party potatoes. It has been dark and dreary here for days on end but at least our cold/cold snap. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. xo Diana

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Yum, I would make a ginger pear pie for sure if I got those yummy pears. We haven't baked any cookies yet this year. I think we may bake some next week, but very limited so there are no leftovers lingering around here.

Mama Pea said...

SmartAlex - I know your area has been getting smacked with lots of snow so far this winter season. Makes you wonder what the rest of the winter will be like, doesn't it? We are still short on snowfall but often ours doesn't begin until right around Christmas. Sure doesn't look like any snow is in sight for a week or so though as we had a low over night of 30° with a high of 37° forecasted for today. Oh, we still have a snow covering, but also a heavy layer of ice underneath which this warm weather probably won't help. I say go ahead and make some of your special holiday foods. (Dig that horseradish!) It will add to the festive atmosphere of the coming week or so!

NanaDianna - You're contributing a big part of the holiday meal! Our daughter and I will be combining efforts on ours. Hope the weather is good for you this coming week. And very happy holidays to you, too!

Kristina - Yep, holiday baking really brings on a kind of dilemma for those of us trying very hard to watch the sugar (of all kinds!) intake. Probably a couple of Christmas cookies for your husband won't be too bad . . . it's just so hard to put a limit on the consumption!

wisps of words said...

A very pretty tree!!!!!!! We went 'artificial' a long time ago. For me, it is relaxing. I used to worry myself silly, about water-in-the-tree-stand! Silly, but that was me.

Now a picture of your tree... Lets please continue on. With a picture of your wonderful wood stove and around it? Please? Pretty please... Pretty please with sugar on it?

'Course after making all those delightful cookies, maybe you are tired of sugar!!!

Sounds like the perfect plan.... Getting ready for bed and getting cozy in front of the stove, and knitting for a while. Yes! Would be perfect for tonight too.... The Eve of Yule. The Eve of Winter Solstice.

Happy Eve of Yule!
Happy Eve of Winter Solstice!
🌲🌞🌲

Hill Top Post said...

I love posts that jabber on about everyday things! :~) I always look forward to the lengthening of the days, but at the same time I do enjoy the quiet peacefulness of winter days inside by the fire.

Elizabeth said...

21 degrees here now, way colder than it should be. Overnights have been 5-7 degrees.

Pretty tree! And yummy looking cookies.

Funny you mention pears - just yesterday hubby was like "what's up with the pears"? I've never seen you eat so many in all the 30something years I've known you. I've really enjoying the red anjou pears, sweet and juicy. I never ate pears like I do now and I'm really enjoying them :)

Lynne said...

I guess you have everything under control for Christmas, and sitting by the fire and knitting makes it all worth while. I bet it's fun that you and your daughter share with the food prep. Enjoy your day together!! xo

Mama Pea said...

wisps of words - Since you asked so very nicely (you're such a polite, good girl!), I will show a picture of our cozy living room wood stove (perhaps with me on a bearskin rug in front of it -- no, that would hurt your eyes) in a post soon. ;o)

Hill Top Post - Thank you for your kind words. But you best not encourage me too much about my rambling posts of everyday life because I might start posting my grocery lists. ;o}

Elizabeth - You ARE having cold weather! What will the rest of the winter bring for you??

When one eats more than usual of a certain type of food (well, except for sweet confections!), I always think there is something in that food are systems are lacking and we need. Vitamins? Minerals? Natural sugars? Go, lovely, juicy, flavorful pears, go!!

Lynne - I have everything under control for Christmas? (Insert hysterical laughter.) But I do feel almost, nearly, kinda sorta on top of it right now. Maybe because I've had the (unexpected) good sense to scratch that one other knitting project I thought I might maybe get done! :o\