The paperwhites in the den will be opening soon. The beauties in the kitchen are open and fragrant and lovely. I even got a whiff of their scent while sitting in my chair here in the den.
I love when I hear bird song on these wintry days. I heard some this morning so I turned around and looked out on the porch and there were two chickadees, one of which which was singing. He/she spent a short time on the porch railing and then took off in search of food.
It really makes my day.
Speaking of the porch railing, I looked out there the other day and there was a big, fat cat sitting and relaxing on the railing.
That’s a first.
I’m sure it’s one of my neighbor’s cats because I’ve seen him before.
I’ve been falling asleep early in the evening lately. The moment we sit down together on the sofa after dinner to watch television, I can’t keep my eyes open – even when the movie we’re going to watch is one of my favorites. Last night, we were debating what to watch and I pushed for Casablanca, which was on TCM. So we watched that and I swear I missed half of the movie!
Is it a letting go? Is it the cocooning of winter, which is like a hibernation of sorts? I’ve had this happen before and it’s usually in the winter. Maybe I’m finally relaxing? I don’t know.
We’re taking it easy today.
Stay safe.
Happy Sunday.
Ironically, I am going to sleep earlier…maybe it is the stress of certain happenings this year…maybe it is the stress of ongoing situations…I still get up 5 or 6 am daily and enjoy that time to read, catch up on blogs…and get ready to teach online really early…the little boys in the south like to work early even during vacation…as we go to January and a couple of things going on in the nation, we continue to hope and pray for the best…I am awaiting the vaccine and my move…have a good good day…prayers to you and always always thanks to you for your blog…
Hoping you can move south as soon as possible, Brenda.
Stay safe!
hej, brendab …
when are you heading south?
i pray that goes well for you, that you are safe, well and having good days.
kathy in iowa
For son his wife and little boys
Been here three years helping to home school
Kathy this will be my 31st move
Grew up in urban area of WV but small town near small city
Moved to city when married
Moved to mountains of WV
To Ohio
Back to Wv mountains for hubby job. I owned Hallmark store there
Back to hometown
Then a small town for college in y 40s
To South Carolina to teach
Back to hometown to teach
To Indy for daughter
Now Florida
Those r just a few of the moves of course
I lived three cities in SC
More in Wv
Moving doesn’t bother me at all
Have a few more in me
so you must be an expert at moving! still, i will pray the move goes well.
brendab, i love the attitude in your last paragraph … “moving doesn’t bother me at all. have a few more in me”. good for you!
hope you had a nice Christmas and the new year will bring you great blessings, the fulfillment of dreams.
kathy in iowa
So sweet
I am quite old but not stopping.
:)
kathy in iowa
birds singing and resting on your porch railing. a cat resting on the railing, too. the paperwhites. a favorite movie, semi-watched on the sofa with your favorite person. more sleep. sounds good. glad for you! carry on!
trying to balance rest with easy movements here to help my sleep and my back. pain has gone down some … i no longer panic at the thought of going to bed (laying down has been very, very painful) and i don’t think i’m yelling and cussing in my sleep anymore. we are to get sleet, snow and ice tuesday and wednesday … enough to likely cancel appointments for my back (osteoporosis doctor consult on possible vertebroplasty, different brace) … newscaster said “the impact will be severe”. ugh.
if i may, i’d like to ask for prayers for my brother and the rest of my family. he has to travel tomorrow and then returns home on new year’s eve with this bad weather forecast. and he’s flying to/from nashville, where there was that awful bombing. thank you very much.
hope you have another good day. and stay safe.
kathy in iowa
Prayers have been said, Kathy. I hope you can get to the doctor, but it’s certainly not worth any risk re: weather.
Stay safe.
thank you very much, claudia!
it’s a bad time to fly for the obvious reason. add in new year’s eve and so much unknown about that bombing … all scary, so prayers help. thanks again.
agree … won’t be taking any chances. hope no one does!
hope you and don are having a nice day. stay safe!
kathy in iowa
xo
It must be a winter thing…because I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat lately. I must have hibernation tendencies.
Hope all goes well for your brother….and for you with the appointments. Sending positive vibes and prayers. ;)
hej, donnamae!
thanks for the prayers and positivity … much appreciated!
right now (with my back), i’m not sleeping much or well so if i feel sleepy, i let myself sleep. add in winter’s darkness and cold and, well, the dishes can wait (but they do get washed each day).
hope you and your family are well. stay safe.
thanks again.
kathy in iowa
Prayers are definitely being said Kathy. Such stressful times we live in right now. Glad to hear that your back pain is slightly improved. Are you flat on your back for sleep, or do you have a wedge pillow you use? So frustrating all the aches and pains we collect as we get older. I guess it is our badge of surviving an age of life that others don’t have the opportunity to reach. Hope the weather is not so bad that you can make your appointment with your Dr.
thank you very much, donna … especially for the prayers for my brother and the rest of my family.
yes, very stressful times we are in. i hope everyone has what they need and want, including good stress-relieving hobbies and habits!
for seven weeks i’ve been sleeping on my right side … all other options have been too painful … hard, because i’ve always slept on my stomach. no extra pillows, but i have a throw rolled up behind my back to hopefully keep me from sleeping on my back. though i keep trying different ways to lay down and test for pain, etc. when awake, and i can now lay a bit on my back, it’s not for long and certainly not overnight yet.
thanks. i, too, hope to make those appointments. it’s been a long seven weeks! plus, the clock is ticking on the option of that vertebroplasty … most medical websites say it’s best done within two months or maybe three. the doctor could say i may not be a good candidate due to that timing or my amount of bone density, etc. and i am not sure about having that procedure due to some of the risks (and the chances/ statistics of those risks). hard decision. anyway …
i agree … advancing age comes with pain and other troubles, but also blessings and is, overall, a privilege denied many.
hope you and your family are well, safe. hope you had a nice Christmas and the new year will be better for everyone.
thanks again.
kathy in iowa
I’ve been tired in the evenings, too. I’ll find myself starting to fall asleep while watching TV or reading a book. I think it’s a winter thing…the long hours of darkness, the cold and needing to cocoon.
I think you’re right, Melanie.
xo
I agree with Melanie. I think it is winter. I know I have always been a person to hibernate in the winter, and this year it is even more prevalent. We usually eat dinner sometime around 6 and by 6:30 I am usually in my Jammas!!! I struggle to stay awake, and after a brief nap, I usually stay awake until after midnight reading. It all works.
We don’t hear much birdsong at this time of year. Although, if something seems to be amiss by their feeders, the birds do a lot of scolding about it in long bursts, and I hear that. Our grass is green right now, but we do have a chance for an inch or so this aft and then more Wed and Thurs mixed with ice. yuck. It is my BD week, and there is nearly always some sort of storm during this week. 83 days til Spring!!
Have a good Sunday, and take care!
Yes, I think it’s winter, too. It happens as soon as the dishes have been done and we’re setting in for the evening.
Our grass is green, too. Amazingly green! I haven’t looked at the weather forecast but we often get your weather a few days later.
Stay safe, Chris.
It’s your birthday week? Well…Happy Birthday Chris! ;)
I shouldn’t have written that!! But it seems every single year….always… we have a boatload of snow this week. It never fails. And everyone knows my feelings about that 4-letter word, & it comes every year to help me celebrate. ugh.
Lol! I love that first snowfall…now, I’m over it. At least this week we will have a white New Years. Thanks for that!! (And have a happy one….no matter what day it is! ). ;)
hej, chris k in wisconsin!
happy birthday to you (sometime this week)! may it be a fun, easy day that begins a much better year ahead.
stay safe and well and warm!
kathy in iowa
♡
I climb in bed to read for 30 minutes before bedtime but I rarely make it longer than about 10 minutes before my eyes are drooping and I forget what I have just read. So I give up and turn off the light.
I watched Midnight Sky with George Clooney last night and I am sorry to say it was just okay. A bit boring and very predictable. Meh!
Stay safe (and warm)!
Interesting! We watched Midnight Sky and really liked it. We didn’t find it predictable – we were totally engaged. Compelling storyline, gorgeous cinematography, swell acting by one and all. It was – at least to us – haunting. I stayed awake for the whole thing, which tells you something!
Stay safe, Ellen!
Bird song? How nice. Cat on the railing….purrfect! Falling asleep watching a movie? That seems to be my specialty lately! I think it’s winter syndrome. You know the snuggling under a blanket, being all warm and cozy, full from a meal, and voila! Asleep before you know it! That’s the excuse I’m using, at any rate.
Stay safe! ;)
I agree – I think it’s winter syndrome.
Thanks, Donna.
Stay safe!
Love that you had animal visitors at the cottage today Claudia! I think all of us are completely emotionally and physically exhausted by the past 4 years. Jan. 20th can’t come soon enough as I find myself becoming angrier and angrier by the man child and his supporters. I am off to recite the Serenity Prayer again which has become my mantra!
Me too. I have to make a deliberate effort these days to stay away from the news. I know what’s going on, but I can’t linger there any longer!
Stay safe, Donna.
My paperwhites are opening too and they are so cheery! Just the tonic for winter. (In some ways, I wish I’d waited to plant them till January when winter really starts getting to me. Lesson learned for next year!)
Boxing day and yesterday were both almost lost days. For not hosting guests or traveling, I’ve no idea why I was so wiped out, but there you have it. Maybe today I can start getting things actually done!
I got a lot done yesterday but, oh boy, I have no energy today! I’m just going to go with it.
Stay safe!