karismar

the busy part of the holidays are behind me and I’m feeling so relieved to be here at Dec 27th. This year I really tried to simplify some areas of the holidays and it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. I’m usually wanting to collapse from sheer exhaustion after the 25th so I thought perhaps I could buy dessert from the bakery this year to knock one thing off my ever growing list. Well, you would have thought the sky was falling…..the family was less than thrilled. I realize that I’ve never purchased a pre-made pie(or really anything else other than pizza) but these desserts were really quite good and from the local bakery here in town,not your local supermarket. I’m the one whose set these expectations for myself all these years so I suppose it will take a little time for everyone to understand why the change now. The other goof was I trusted the US Postal service to actually deliver a package priority mail in 2-3 days like they say, not 7!  The woman at customer service said I was supposed to read the small, fine print where it states it’s just an estimate. I guess next time I’ll offer them a lower rate of postage, an estimate on my part!!

I’m staying around the house this week. I’d like to avoid the public and their craziness about now. It’s not good for the psyche to be around so much stimulation and I’ve had all I can take. I get plenty from 2high schoolers, 1 college student and their array of friends….throw in a husband and I’d say that’s enough.  

Two of my favorite seed catalogs have already arrived and I cannot wait until school resumes and I have the house to myself again….I’m going to pour over those catalogs and dream of spring! My garden needs to increase in size this year, a few more raised beds are desperately needed and more earth if I can move things around.

Did I mention that our newfoundland puppy is pregnant??!!  Puppies should be here around the second week of January! gah!!  The father is a berniese mountain dog so these puppies should be BIG!  I’ll be sure and post pictures when they arrive.

I’d like to say how thankful I am for the wonderful people I’ve met here in the blogging world.  Connecting to each other exposes our humanity and offers life to our souls. It’s crucial to keep the connections alive, at least to me and I want to give an extra "I’m so glad to be your friend" out to my friend on the east coast, completely across the country from me……..you know who you are 

Word  came Friday that my daughter received early acceptance into the university of choice. She is so happy and quite relieved to know where she’ll be attending school in the fall. She has worked very hard and I’m happy for her that she is being rewarded this way.

I love this month of December. The dark, cold days of winter are upon us and I take comfort in them. The earth is buried under frost, snow and ice, taking a long quite time out….and I will follow it’s lead and try and do the same. The indoor projects that are easily ignored in the summer now take on new life. Hot teas and coffee are abundant and warm dishes emerge from the oven nourishing and warming us from the inside out. Every blanket/quilt we own is off the shelf and onto the beds. With this old house drafts are plenty but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Drafts are actually health for us. They give our homes breath. I love December not only for the holidays but it is my birthday month and this year is my 40th, which has brought new meaning to life for me lately. I wouldn’t say its a mid-life crisis but more of a recognition that I can do whatever I damn well please with my life and no one gets to tell me it’s childish, foolish or unattainable. That horrible self-doubt and self inflicted guilt that was so in my face in my 30’s is gone and I find myself really liking who I am and where I’m at.

This month brings much baking, cooking, decorating and such but I am really looking forward to celebrating Winter Solstice. I will be having a two day celebration…..the 20th for my birthday and continuing on into the 21st for solstice. I don’t quite have the details but when I do I’ll let you know.