January Musings

There is something about cold, rainy weather that allows me to reduce my expectations for myself enough that there is room for introspection. It's sort of like new years resolutions, but different because I'm not actually making any promises to myself for behaviours, just reviewing how its worked out with the way I've been doing things.

This past year was a good one as far as art is concerned since I finished both the large sea paintings and the smaller portrait. I've already decided on at least two projects for this year and will probably start next week.

Although the photo above is from a few years ago, we do have these sheep and a few others eating the rich green grass that is the result of all the rain we have been having. We are fond of them and, except in the morning when they are hungry and want their hay, they are quiet and lovely to have around. With additional fencing recently installed and provided by G & AM (the sheeps' owners) Sweetie will now be able to skip mowing the hillside facing the back deck, so it is a win-win. He feeds them a half flake of hay in the morning, so the sheep are very fond of Sweetie, too.

This past week has been a study in putting Christmas away. One day it was clearing the greenery and apples and pomegranates, another day taking down the tree and storing the ornaments, another day the garlands on the front porch, another day the wreaths, another day (today) taking down the Christmas cards and cutting off the fronts to send to a friend who recycles them in cards for next year. She is a true artist and so they don't look recycled at all when she is finished. Somewhere in there the contents of the liquor cabinet that were moved to the hutch for the holidays (since the Christmas tree would have made it impossible to get into the cabinet) were moved back into the cabinet. Still need to update the changes in the Christmas card list when we found that a few people had moved without our knowing about it. There might be one gift to return or exchange, too. When I was working this would all have happened over one weekend, but now I have the luxury to spin it out over a whole week! One of the joys of retirement. Of course part of the reason is that it seems to take twice as long to do anything as it used to.

This coming week will include the baking of a new bread and maybe a cake. The Bread Baking Babes have a good one for January and the Cake Slice Bakers are starting on an new book! I've also transcribed a recipe that Charlie wants a taste of from the Great British Baking Show master classes.

 I've also been having fun looking through travel books about London as I prepare for a potential trip there this year. With Brexit looking very volatile, it's hard to know when the trip will happen. I was hoping for May but if the UK does a 'hard' Brexit at the end of March with no 'divorce agreement' then it may be months and months before it makes sense to visit. They are projecting shortages and employment problems and other upheavals that don't make spring in England very appealing. Still, it's always fun to see what is recommended and to plan which sights I'd like to see and activities I'd like to do when I do get there.

Cooking has been pretty much already posted recipes like Turkey Pot Pie, Pizza (and I still haven't found a good non-dairy replacement for pizza cheese), Split Pea Soup, along with plenty of green salads. Sweetie continues to lose weight and only has five pounds to go to reach his goal. I've lost a few pounds myself and find that I have to keep hoisting my jeans up when I get out of the car or get up from a chair because the waistline is too loose now. A nice 'problem' to have.

Hope to have a recipe for you in the next post. Want to share what you have been up to the last 10-12 days?