This is what it looks like around here this morning. Very, very foggy. We’ve been having lots of rain, more is expected today and tomorrow, with record-breaking temperatures predicted for Christmas Eve. What a strange mix of weather this holiday season brings!
Please tell me I don’t have to go to Target today. Please?
Unfortunately, I think I do. I’m going to try to get that little chore done as early in the day as possible. But not until the fog lifts.
Nothing all that exciting happening around here, my friends. We’re reading, playing the guitar (well, Don is), taking care of Scout, shopping for the makings of our Christmas Coffee Cake and Christmas dinner. We are giving ourselves a Christmas present this year; we already know what it is, though I am going to wrap it. There will be a few little surprises, but simple and stress-free is the order for the day.
The Christmas Coffee Cake recipe is here. It’s simply the best coffee cake we’ve ever had.
Book Review on Just Let Me Finish This Page of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. A lovely story about the power of books to transform.
Happy Wednesday.
Today’s photo would make a beautiful Christmas card.
I hope your Target experience is not too stressful. I have grocery store shopping to do today and am not in any way looking forward to it.
After checking out your link to the coffee cake recipe, I think Christmas morning will have a new addition this year. It sure does look yummy!
You will love it, Sue. I’ve been making it for about 15 years. Originally from a Whole Foods magazine. I’m so glad I found it.
You are right about the weather, when I went to Curves at 6am it was 56 degrees & foggy. Our forecast is for thunderstorms and possible tornadoes this afternoon! Your chair next to the pretty white Christmas tree looks so cozy! Enjoy!
Yikes! Tornadoes? Stay safe, Debbie.
Save yourself!!!! RUN from Target!!!!!
Can’t. Luckily, ours is rather small, so I’m hoping I can maintain my sanity.
Yummy looking cake – have printed the recipe for future baking day as we have already purchased our traditional Moravian sugar Cakes at the recent Christmas Tea – they freeze well and two are waiting and will be devoured during the next few mornings!!!
Yes, same weather here but probably even warmer. Lots of rain and a record high of close to 80F possible tomorrow evening. Doubt we’ll light the fire after all – with about 20 people stopping by, eating and drinking in this small cottage, a roaring fire on an already hot night just might be too much to take! I just pray there won’t be any serious weather conditions – especially tornadoes!
Take care dear – enjoy the precious moments of the season.
Hugs to you, Don and Ms. Scout – feel the love.
Best wishes from us both XXX
This reminds me of living in San Diego – not the Northeast! Such strong weather.
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Mary. Have a wonderful holiday.
I love the spooky fog (at least to look at, not to drive in). We certainly have our share of snow and cold here for a white Christmas.
I don’t need to go near a store for at least a week, thank goodness. I just wish other people would get organized ahead of time – work is absolutely frantic as we’re trying to close at noon tomorrow for a week. ‘Simple and stress-free’ is exactly how things should be.
Hope everything gets tied up at work so you can enjoy several days off and enjoy your holiday, Barbara!
As stress free as possible Claudia, that’s our motto this year for Christmas. We are expecting record breaking heat for the next few days. This weather is really something. My husband just went to pick up a few last minute groceries, I chose to stay home. Have a good day my friend.
I will. You too, Janie. I’m off shortly for a Target run and then – that’s it! No more stores until after Christmas.
What is the best way to reheat the coffee cake?
We put it in the oven on low covered in aluminum foil.
Be careful out there! I’m not going anywhere…I have to clean my house! And wrap a few presents. Tomorrow is cookie baking day…I’ve been procrastinating. Thunderstorms should be here within the hour….so, so gloomy….and so dark inside. Need the christmas tree lit to brighten things up! Jim has to run an errand, so I’ll do a quick mental check and hope I haven’t forgotten anything! Enjoy your day! ;)
It was crowded but not all that bad. If I go into the whole thing with a calm attitude, I’m just fine. Which is what happened today. Light your tree and let that sparkle brighten your day, Donnamae!
I also have a need for slow, easy, comfortable. The Christmas crazies have caught up with me and I wish I could just pause time and take a couple of deep breaths. Since I can’t, I just remind myself that I can only enjoy this Christmas during this one time so I’d better just rock in my chair and enjoy it before it is gone.
Exactly. Stop. Breathe. Take it in. Enjoy.
Your coffee cake sounds delicious! Here’s wishing you, Don and Scout a very merry and blessed Christmas dear friend!
Judy
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Judy. Love you.
I stopped in Target yesterday when we were in the “big city”, and I have to say…it was more crowded than a usual Tuesday, but everyone was very efficient and I didn’t see anyone scowling! They had many lanes open for check-out and it was quite easy. Same at Costco & WF. I actually was surprised because the afternoon was relatively painless! I do not plan on leaving the house now (except church tomorrow eve) for several days as guests are coming here over the next 2 days.
Your Christmas sounds very peaceful. That is something I think we are all striving for. Peace and coffee cake sounds about perfect!!
Same here. Very crowded but not unbearably so and I had a very zen-like attitude so nothing bothered me. Stay home and enjoy your holidays, Chris!
I think I’d rather have your rainy and foggy weather Claudia! I was out with the snowblower twice yesterday and once already this morning. And it’s still snowing. I have to head up the mountain to a doctors appointment this morning. My appointment isn’t for two hours but I’m leaving now. I detest driving in this stuff. Your Christmas sounds absolutely lovely. Quiet and simple.
Blessings, Betsy
I don’t blame you, Betsy! I complain a wee bit about the rain, but after the last couple of winters we’ve had, it’s so nice not to have to shovel and use the snowblower. I hate driving in the snow, too, Betsy. I’ll do anything I can to avoid it!
Merry Christmas Claudia – a quiet Christmas sounds lovely!
Merry Christmas to you, Vicki!
It looks exactly the same here in Minneapolis. It is dreary and rainy outside.
What an inviting scene in your cottage!
Claudia, enjoy a peaceful and happy Christmas.
Dreary and rainy, but no big snowstorms….so that’s just fine! Have a wonderful Christmas, Carolyn Marie!
We used to cheat by buying a Sara Lee frozen coffee cake you heated up in the oven on Christmas morning but I guess they quit making it. It had pecans. Your version is ‘way better; thanks for posting it today!
By the way, your tree is lovely. (I have a table-top one myself this year.) Tucked away so that it’s not an obstacle for Scout is important at this stage in her dear life. I know what that is, after having so many dogs and cats in the house (especially for one dog, who was blind; you can’t change things or move them or add pieces because the dog then loses her sense of navigation). I had another dog who could not resist getting up under the low branches of the Christmas tree and rubbing against them, taking in the scent; it was comical and sweet but, with our first Christmas as husband and wife, our precious knocked the tall tree down (not hurting herself in the process, thankfully) and I lost some of my best glass ornaments. From then on, we learned to tie the tree top to the ceiling!
We didn’t want the entirety of every evening in the den to be about trying to keep Scout away from the tree – which would actually be impossible, now that I think about it. We also didn’t want her hurt. And then Dad died, and suddenly, the tabletop tree sounded just fine.
This version is great and we’ve been eating it for, gosh, at least 14 or 15 years now!
The fog looks mysterious… A mysterious Christmas!
We are having a simple stress free couple of days too. Not even a tree for us. I’m steering clear of the stores as much as possible… We’ve been in the 60s with very mild weather.
That photo of chair and tree looks very cozy.
Merry Christmas Claudia, Don and Dame Scout!
A Mysterious Christmas sounds just my style, don’t you think? I’m glad your Christmas is stress free, too, Patricia! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Gosh, now you have ME excited about your Christmas present. I can’t wait to find out what you’ve got for yourselves! And wow, but is that photo of your little white tree gorgeous or what? Very “Christmas in Connecticut” – I can totally see it as a Christmas card or postcard.
PS – sorry to hear you have to go near anything retail today. You are heading into the “belly of the beast” – so may the Force be with you. Maybe you’ll luck out and get a really great parking spot – LOL. ?
I was strangely calm and accepting – I think that’s most of the battle. I knew it would be crowded and I took some nice deep breaths and all was well. Now I’m back home and, hopefully, all set!
Its a grey and rainy day here in Maryland but at least it is not freezing outside. Went and picked up a free 1/2 bushel of apples from a lady that was not able to use them due to health reasons. Right now I have crockpot applesauce making and I have made some homemade cranberry sauce. Think I might make an apple pie for Christmas.
I am going to make some apple butter also and I think I will take some to the lady that gave me the apples. Your coffee cake looks really good. I am going to have to try that. I decided to make your cloud biscuits for Christmas. They really sound good. Have a wonderful day!
Hugs to you, Don and Scout
Merry Christmas
Mmmmm…an apple pie sounds wonderful! I hope you love the cloud biscuits as much as we do, Nancy. I’m making them for Christmas, too. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I wish you the most peaceful Christmas filled with loving memories. Simple and kind is the way it is meant to be celebrated.
Thank you, Linda. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Claudia ,I love your fog photo. Ted and I some time wait to buy a gift for each other till after the holidays and then we hit the sales…to save more. LOL…yes, some times we are cheap. We had some fog early, then wonderful sunshine, then by 10:00 it was clouding up with the threat of storms and tornadoes. I’d like for it to be just high 30’s or forty no rain and no snow. LOL. Blessings to you and Don for a merry Christmas. xoxo,Susie
I would like it to be like that as well, Susie. When it gets this warm in the winter, there’s always rain and storms. Just cold weather and nothing else would be fine. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
My daughters and I are getting ready to spend a few days with my Mom….packing the housemade pasta noodles, and ingredients for Chrismas Eve and Christmas dinners. I’ll make the coffee cake for New Year’s breakfast. Love the photo of your chair and tree. No Internet at my Mom’s so an early happy Christmas to you, Don and Scout.
Merry Christmas to you and your daughters and your mom, Wendy! Have a wonderful holiday!
We are having the same kind of weather here in northern IL – warmer than usual temps (40’s & 50’s), tons of rain and fog. Even had a thunderstorm today. No last-minute errands for me, thank goodness! Starting to run low on almond milk and bananas though so might have to go out Friday. Which might just be worse than having to run to the store tomorrow morning on Christmas Eve! Hope you and Don have a nice, quiet Christmas together. It will just be Brian and I here on Christmas Day – at least in the morning. Then we’ll be going to my sister’s house in the afternoon. Tim has to work on both Christmas Eve and Christmas, so can’t come home until the afternoon on the 26th.
I think we’re due for thunderstorms today – what a strange Christmas Eve! I’m sorry Tim has to work, but I know you and Brian will have a lovely day. Merry Christmas, Melanie!
I love reading about life on the opposite side of our Country and your pictures make me feel like I am there. The bookstore is awesome! I’ve never been to New York and would feel out of place in the hub bub of busy. Not a crowd kind of girl..more of give me a country lane..but it seems there is a lot of energy there. Glad that there are those protecting others…a blessing.
I so enjoy seeing “your world” through “your eyes” and hearing about all that goes on with you and your sweet family.
Merry Christmas!!
much love…
always…
becky
I’m not a crowd kind of girl, either! But I work in the theater, so I have to be in NYC quite frequently. It’s pretty special, though, and worth the trip.
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Becky! I hope your holiday is simply lovely.