Life: Week 50

This week started with one of those days that make me desperate to get outdoors. Bright blue skies and puffy, white clouds. At least I have a great view from work, and got to enjoy the sunshine. By Tuesday night, I was sick with a short but miserable cold, so I spent Wednesday on the couch watching BBC adaptations of Jane Austen novels, snuggling with my cat, and drinking lots of tea, and occasionally a hot toddy. Thankfully, I was feeling better by the weekend — just in time for a packed schedule of holiday parties.

First up was my annual holiday craft party, which I spent most of the week baking for, with lots of help from Andy. I always enjoy having this party as an excuse to snack, watch Christmas movies, and catch up with friends I don't see often enough. I spent the craft party working on the socks I've been knitting, finishing the left sock just after everyone left. Now I just have to resist the urge to completely wear out the left sock before I finish the right one!

Sunday morning, we met family for another wonderful brunch at Stone House, then in the afternoon, headed to my parents for an early dinner with my extended family to celebrate Christmas. We ended the night with a steal-a-gift exchange in which Andy and I did very well, coming home with several bottles of hard cider and a large travel mug filled with chocolate. Hard to believe the holiday festivities are just getting started!

Life: Week 49

Wet. That is the word for this past week. There were a couple brief breaks of sunshine, but for the most part it was leaden skies and dripping foliage. We spent most of our time hunkered down at home, having lots of fires, getting started on Christmas decorating (including hanging the mitten advent calendar over the fireplace!), having friends over to play board games, binge-watching The Great British Baking Show (I want more!!), and eating lots of warming comfort food.

Over the weekend, I started baking goodies for a holiday party coming up soon. On Sunday, we headed over the mountains and off into the snow-covered woods to hunt for a Christmas tree! After a wet and chilly tree-hunt, we stopped for lunch at the 59er Diner, a classic stop along Highway 2, before heading home.

Life: Week 48

I love the stormy grey skies, wind, and rain we've seen so much of recently, but part of me always mourns the last of the golden leaves and sunny skies. Soon there will (hopefully!) be days of frost and snow, but these wet transitional periods can feel so long. Partly because of the weather, I've fallen into a comfortable slump of knitting and reading and hardly venturing outside at all. It can be nice for a while, but I'm definitely getting antsy to get back out in the woods and mountains. Of course, before I know it, Christmas will be here, with all the baking and family gatherings. If I want to get outside, I'll definitely need to do it while I still have the time!

Life: Week 47

Stocking up on candies for the Norwegian mitten advent calendar I finished just in time!

This week was packed with delicious meals, sunshine, and family. After work Wednesday, Andy and I hopped on a plane to spend a long weekend with his sister in the Bay Area for Thanksgiving. While there, I did a lot of reading and catching up with family, but most of my time was spent reading to and playing with my two year old niece. We had so many adventures! 

And the food! Before Thanksgiving, by brother-in-law cooked some of his wonderful Texas-style chili, then there was Thanksgiving dinner itself, with two turkeys, four pies, and all my favorite sides. The night after our Thanksgiving dinner, we mixed the leftover chili with leftover turkey and sides, something I would highly recommend. Overall, it was an absolutely wonderful way to spend the holiday. 

Life: Week 46

And then, suddenly, it's winter. Seriously, I didn't even have time to make the Game of Thrones - winter is coming reference. This week started with noticeably colder weather, then an intense storm that knocked out the power both at my work and at home. By the end of the week, the sunshine had returned, but Friday morning brought below-freezing temperatures and the first frost. After the storm, many of the trees are now bare, but there are still a few beautiful golden trees for me to admire - the last gasp of fall. I always miss the leaves once they're gone, so I'm trying to soak up all the color while it lasts.

The silver lining of cold and stormy weather keeping me indoors is that I've had lots of time for knitting. So far this month, I've finished two Christmas projects and my mini mitten advent calendar. There will definitely be more photos of that after Thanksgiving, once I start decorating for Christmas!