Faux Snow Bunny

I like Thanksgiving.

Like so many

I have much in my life that

prompts a spirit of thankfulness.

 

Thanksgiving evokes tradition and

a nostalgia unmatched by other holidays

even though it seems to be increasingly overlooked

in our accelerated commercial

holiday season.

Regardless of personal preferences

and health-driven choices

we many of us I tend to revert to certain traditional

patterns and indulgences.

Or maybe I'm just weak-willed and

susceptible to peer pressure...

 

 

Today's outfit was pulled together to

match the retro vibe of the day.

With my "stretch" pants

tucked into snow boots, turtleneck, chunky cable sweater

headband and sunglasses

I felt like I had just stepped off a

vintage travel poster.

 

Over the river and through the

woods, indeed.

 

Hope you enjoyed your day.

 

 

 



Memorial Day Weekend

 

We arrived in the Cities on Friday afternoon.

Tim studied the tree and devised a plan.

The first supply run was made that night so he

could make an early start

the next morning.

 

Last year - this same weekend - we helped move

 Naphtali and Aidan into this house.

A tree suitable for a tree fort

was on their list of non-negotiables.

 

 You're looking at one happy kid!

 



The injury to my foot kept me off the ladders

and on the periphery for this project.

They worked hard and nearly

non-stop through Saturday and Sunday. 

There was a neighborhood

gathering scheduled for 6ish Sunday night.

The tree fort was complete and

Tim had manned the grill by 5:30!  

 

Unfortunately there is no photo of the finished project.

Naphtali created a charming focal point

by hanging a few accessories

and arranging a table and chairs under the platform.

I've been told a rope and bucket has been added

to serve as a dumb-waiter.

 

We'll be returning to build a deck

under the upper-tier,

but Phase 1 is complete.

 

 

 



and so it goes...

This was the view on December 5:

 

Decorating for Christmas had begun. 

 

Tim decided it was time to tackle a project

that we had been discussing all summer.

I told him he could have 2 weeks.

If it couldn't be finished in

2 weeks - don't start.

He started.

 

 December 12

 

 December 16

 

December 19

 



December 21

 

 

December 22



For Valerie...

...because she asked so nicely
and because it's too early to go to bed.

 

Tunic length sweater, knit pants worn tucked
 into boots and my blazer.
Unless I can work some real magic on that
blazer this winter will be its last.
I can now wear it (buttoned) with both a long sleeve shirt
and my fisherman sweater.

 

 This is one of the cashmere cardigans we bought during
that long-ago shopping spree.
It is one of my few "old" pieces that still fit
and I love wearing it with this
striped shirt.
Here it is with skirt, tights, boots and pearls

and here with grey jeans, and different shoes and necklace.

These trousers have been versatile

 

 as the grey jeans are proving themselves to be.

I do love a flannel shirt

and this one is tunic length so it

presents less casual than most.

 

This worked well before the cold settled in

but we're forecast to hit near 40 this week

so it may make another appearance.

 

And the red coat continues to delight.

 

I haven't made straight-line progress

with Christmas shopping

because I keep finding things for myself.

This week  (THIS week)

I came home with new

(well, some of this was thrifted)

yoga pants

a plaid skirt

2 tops

1 sweater

and a wonderful pair of

berry/burgundy jeans.

Oh - and a new pair of

"alligator" booties.

They look so good with the new jeans.

Can you tell I love those jeans!?

I'll include a picture of them soon.

 

I'm still experimenting to find a reliable way to

take these pictures.  Often it

just doesn't occur to me

until the clothes are in a pile at the end of the day.

 

I have a haircut scheduled for Tuesday. 

It is truly amazing to see

how much my hair grows in six weeks.

 

My to-do list is pretty reasonable

for the week before Christmas.

The gym every morning.

Some last minute shopping tomorrow.

Hair on Tuesday.

Baking and cleaning as it fits

 throughout the week.

Charlie has a bath scheduled on Friday

so any last last minute

shopping can happen then, too.

Jacob flies into Minneapolis on Friday night

then he, Naphtali and Aidan will

come down Saturday.

The Jordisons descend on Sunday.

Fort Dodge on Tuesday.

Kids leave Wednesday.

Naps and sanity resume Thursday.

 

How is your week shaping up?

 

 

 



It's Beginning to look a Lot Like Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow holds so much expectation.

 

Traditions,

while supplying a context

for our observations and

expectations,

can sometimes benefit from an

occasional update.

 

 

 

For many of us, of a certain generation, 

Thanksgiving traditionally marked

the beginning of the

 "holiday season."

 

In recent years we've seemed to carom from

one event to the next

with barely a pause for breath,

let alone time

to actually enjoy or reflect

on our holiday traditions.

 

Thanksgiving

can become lost in the holiday

shuffle fueled by

magazine spreads, Pinterest and other

media options that bring images,

 wish lists, and DIY projects to our

attention with dizzying speed.

 

There is no shortage of blessings

 in my life that

could/would/should

prompt my thankfulness.

 

Tomorrow

will be a day of celebration.

 Norman Rockwell's

universe rarely

-if ever -

aligns with mine

but it doesn't make my family

any less special

or my thanks

any less sincere.

 

I hope your day will be spent in

the company of those you

hold dear.

 

 

Change of Plans

 

Charlie and I are waiting for it to warm up a bit

before we take a walk

and as my run to Webster City has

been cancelled,

I have what amounts to a free day.

Yippee!

 

What to do!?

As with any free time - it will fill

much too quickly

and seem much too short.

 

It struck me, yesterday, that we

are half-way through November.  How that

happened is a mystery, but it

means that I need to get started

on Aidan's advent calendar which is

traditionally delivered

at Thanksgiving.

A tradition that started when we lived hours

 and hours away

as a way for me to share the

holiday anticipation with him.

 

One year he received fancy envelopes

containing a carol for each day.  His dad

sang them at bedtime.

 

Another year it was the pages

of a lovely story of a pine tree

 rewarded for its

kindness to other forest creatures.

 

His own tree and ornaments one year.

 

Last year his reading skills

allowed me to mark off

pages for him to read everyday

from a schmaltzy cute paperback

about a homeless dog looking

for a family during the holidays.

 

Other years have been a combination

of whatever

school supplies

trinkets

gum

coins

bills

games

puzzles

will fit in the chosen container.

 

Pinterest

 

It's time to choose a container and theme -

a task that gets harder as he grows older.

If I want to keep the containers manageable

the content is pretty limited.

He doesn't like chocolate

which eliminates an easy default.

He's a boy - cute stuff only goes so far.

 

So today will be dedicated to strategy.

Making plans and lists.

Sorting through materials on hand.

Necessary groundwork

for productivity

if this Christmas project

 is actually going to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A new favorite

February is almost over.

The check-out period at our library is three weeks

so we have been saying March this or that for

several days already and

it makes the time go so fast!!

 

The last two weeks were fun as

I indulged in my traditional

valentine saturation for Tim.

  He was on the look-out for a particular

stunt that has become a standard, I was able

to mix in a few new ideas and

we both had a few laughs along the way

which is always good.

 

This is what I found last night when I returned from work:

 

 

Aren't they lovely? Thanks, Tim!

Happy Valentine's Day