Back in the saddle in Hartford.
I drove back here yesterday morning because I had some coaching to do yesterday afternoon. I can’t complain! I love my work, so it’s nice to be back. And, I was lucky enough to get two and half days back home.
We had a lovely low-key Christmas, which is just how we wanted it. Christmas Eve was full of chores; doing the laundry, cleaning the house (because even though I know Don cleans, he doesn’t see what I see…) wrapping presents, and listening to Christmas music. We watched It’s a Wonderful Life in the evening and we cried, as we always do. Side note: Old Man Potter is the movie version of a certain all-too-real man who shall remain nameless, but you know who I’m talking about. I can’t tell you how many times we turned to each other and said “It’s him!”
We lazed around on Christmas morning, finally getting around to opening gifts around 11 am or so. No, we didn’t have coffee cake because it’s full of dairy and decidedly non-vegan. At some point, I’ll figure out how to adjust the recipe, but I was tired and it was Christmas Eve and we decided to forego the cake for this year. Don did find two vegan turnovers at a local bakery and they were delicious!
Dinner? Don decided to throw caution to the winds and we ordered Chinese take-out. All in all, a perfect day. We ended it by watching Eight Days a Week, Ron Howard’s new documentary about the touring years of the Beatles. The DVD was one of my presents to Don. Excellent and full of footage never seen before.
I didn’t take many photos, though one of my presents from Don was a camera lens I’ve been wanting for a long time: a long-range telephoto lens that will be perfect for capturing bird life around the cottage! I’m thrilled with it.
Photo courtesy of Don’s iPhone. I played around with it only for a short while, as I quickly discovered my camera battery needed charging and the charger was back in Hartford. I try to avoid posting Christmas morning photos as I’m always still in my flannel pajamas, with messy hair and no make-up. As you can see.
Goodness, I look like my mother!
I did manage to get this shot of a nest high up in one of our maple trees.
One day when I have some spare time, I’ll visit the park across the street from my apartment building and see what I can capture with the new lens.
Don’s big gift was given to him in November – a new guitar. Under the tree for him this year: five vintage editions of the Hardy Boys, a vintage Big Boy ashtray and a book of Bob’s Big Boy matches in pristine condition with an ad for Death Valley Days on the back! We both got a neat little battery charger for our cars that will also charge our phones. And he got the DVD.
For me: the long-awaited lens, earrings and a necklace from Nest Pretty Things, a fabulous Etsy shop, Mary Oliver’s newest book of essays, Upstream, two beautiful handmade stone coasters by a local artist that show a view of our local mountain range, and a photo book that Don made for me, full of photos he’s taken on his iPhone, many of them at the Protest March we attended in NYC. He included some quotes about strong women/his wife and I, of course, cried.
Priceless and utterly beautiful.
All in all, a beautiful day.
I’ve told you about the strange way in which little mirrors and canvases are hung on these walls. Much too far apart to make any sort of statement and, in this case, too far apart to adequately cover up with this quilt I brought from home. Nope – neither horizontally or vertically. I tried.
So I hung this right below the canvases. I don’t feel I have the right to take them down because doing so would make it impossible to hang them up again. Just know that there is one 12-inch square sort- of-modern-art canvas at the upper left hand corner of the quilt and one at the upper right hand corner. I’ve cropped them out of this photo. The quilt does draw my eye away from the canvases, which is a good thing.
Okay. We’re all caught up. Little Z had a fabulous Christmas and hearing the excitement in his voice as he was gearing up for Christmas Eve was heaven. His new red wagon is “loud!” and he is having a great time with it, as well as the plethora of Paw Patrol toys and accessories that he found under the tree.
Happy Tuesday.
It seems like the perfect day for you and Don. I’m excited about your new lens, you will enjoy it very much I’m sure. All my excitement was wonderful but now I’m having some quiet days…VERY quiet as I’ve totally lost my voice. I am in a bit of a panic since I’m to do a program at church in a week. I’m drinking lots of water, using Ricola echinacea honey lemon drops and praying. Any other advice?
Hugs!!
Rest. Don’t whisper – whispering is hard on your vocal cords. You can hum gently as it sort of massages the cords. Steam. Honey and lemon. But mostly, don’t talk. It will come back! Feel better!
Your day sound lovely and cozy…and I love the jammies photos. It’s just how Christmas morning should be. Just kissed my kids and Booboos goodbye. Next wave of company tomorrow.
My offer to “veganize” any of your recipes still stands, by the way.
Thank you, Shanna! I’ll take you up on that as soon as I’m back home from this job and can gather the recipes!
Sounds like a perfectly wonderful 2-1/2 days at home and lots of lovely gifts you both can enjoy. Best wishes for the rest of the week.
Thank you, Tammy. I hope you’re having a wonderful time with everyone in the family home for the holidays!
I love your red ski monkey pj’s, Claudia. At least, I think they are skiing sock monkeys? Your gifts to each other will make you happy all new year and beyond!
They are skiing sock monkeys! Don gave them to me last year – I think. Hope you had a happy day, Wendy!
One daughter and I had a quiet Christmas day, as she’s trying to recover from a bad cold complicated by allergies. She’s miserable, but watching two of our favorite movies, Miss Potter and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, was an entertaining few hours. My other daughter visited with her grandparents and stayed overnight. We opened presents together Christmas Eve, and then again on Boxing Day.
I hope your daughter feels better soon, Wendy! Poor thing. Do you know, I’ve never watched Miss Potter and I should!
When did you go vegan?????
Very recently and I’m not quite 100% yet. But I’m working on it. I went to the Catskill Animal Sanctuary and heard more details about the factory farm treatment of cows and goats and chickens and that was what pushed me over the edge. There are posts about it – sometime in early December.
Sounds like y’all had a perfect Christmas. Being together first of all, and then even wonderful presents and yummies. I love the idea of Chinese takeout for Christmas dinner. Very original, plus there are always leftovers! Twas the same for me & my sibs, SIL, niece & nephew. Much too much yummy food actually, as it usually is with us. I guess when you grow up in a family of 8 scaling back on food is something at which one is just NEVER going to be skilled. We just can’t do it. Everyone of us said “I just wanted to be sure there was enough!!” Our family doesn’t do major gift-giving now that even our “little kids” are all grownup. Just useful things like car wash tickets, grocery store gift cards, haircut certificates etc. And fun gadgets. My brother & SIL gave this really handy emergency car tool that has a bright flashlight, can slice a seat belt or break a car window. Another sib gave the nicest metal backscratcher you ever saw, with a strong long telescoping handle [but it folds up to just 6 inches]. Only having our lost family members there, both human & animal, could have made Christmas better. I know you can relate. My brother’s cat Marley [caramel-colored coat & matching eyes] provided lots of comic relief though – & he loves getting cozy with visitors too. PS – you look FAR better than I do straight from bed – maybe having longer hair does it. Mine is quite short & I can achieve some stunning “bedhead” looks with no effort at all – LOL! 😉
That tool sounds great (the one for the car.) I’ve seen a couple that cut the seatbelt and break the car window, but I don’t know if they had a flashlight as well!
My hair is usually held back in a ponytail holder when I go to bed at night, but I look better without it, but as for the rest….! Sounds like you had a great Christmas with your family, Janet.
Sounds like you folks had a lovely Christmas! Did Little Z like the dollhouse & furniture that you wrote about some time ago?
I haven’t finished it yet, Barbara. I’ve been too busy prepping for this job and I just didn’t have the time to finish painting the furniture. I’ll work on it when I get back home and he’ll get a big old present in the New Year.
Your Christmas sounded wonderful! Lovely gifts from Don. I know you’ll have fun playing with the new lens.
I’m really looking forward to it, Melanie. I just wish it was spring and the birds were coming to the birdbath – I must be patient.
Sounds like a perfect Christmas! We all enjoyed ours…except we were missing two. They were visiting the Scottish clan on the Isle of Man. But we got to FaceTime with them…and that was great! Good food and family…don’t need much more in my book! Anxious to see you use that lens this Spring! ;)
Glad you had a lovely Christmas with family, Donnamae! I’m looking forward to using the lens as it gets greener (that seems a long way off!)
Your Christmas sounds perfect. Absolutely.
I hope you two will be together for New Years Eve.
And I am so glad to hear that Little Z is doing well.
I really like that quilt. I don’t make them but I do
have many. I love quilts. That’s what I collect, I guess
you could say.
Peace, Monica
Quilts are worth collecting, Monica. I love them, too. So many possible colors and blocks/patterns!
It sounds like a wonderful Christmas for you two! You will LOVE the new lens! I can’t wait to see the photos you share. (I have a Canon camera as well-it was the last birthday gift my husband gave me).
It’s a lovely camera, isn’t it? This lens is the only thing I was missing – and I waited a long time for it!
Sounds like a very lovely Christmas, indeed. Can’t wait to see the pictures you produce with the new lens.
Ours, too, was a lovely one. It just seems like it comes and goes so quickly, though.
Glad you made it back safely. Just a few days til Don comes! I’m sure you will have a wonderful time together bringing in the New Year. It has been several years since I have made it until midnight. And I can live with that!!
Oh, midnight? Impossible! I just can’t stay up that late anymore – especially if I have to work the next day. And I do!