Inside the globe, From nature and firends, Now reading...

1. The sky shook the snow down in fits and swirls. Today we lived in a snow globe.
2. From the kitchen I could hear the lathe and smell the walnut that Steve is cutting and shaping into a table for our growing family. The huge walnut log was given to us by a friend, the lathe borrowed from another friend and Steve's labor is...he'll kill me when I say, "free".
3. Scrapped the other book I was reading and started, Peace Like a River. Much better.

Playing with my Christmas gift

For Christmas, I received this cupcake kit. In typical Saturday fashion, I cooked and baked the day away, in preparation for Sunday lunch. I thought this kit adorable in the brown bag with the cellophane window, but it's even cuter displayed on the chocolate frosted cupcakes! (The gift-givers will get to eat them tomorrow :)

What we crave, Fred, At the end of the day

1. At the market, I choose Brussels Sprouts of uniform size from the display. I move on to green beans, tomatoes, red pears, and grapes. I am thankful that we can eat such fresh foods in mid-winter.
2. An elderly neighbor came by, looking for a mutual friend. He was involved in a horrible tractor accident last summer, yet here he stood in my kitchen, all healed and with a twinkle in his eye.
3. I felt chilled all day, so this evening I fixed a cup of hot coffee with a spot of Kahlua to warm me from the inside.

Hubby in the kitchen, A new recipe, Party time

1. Chad stopped by this morning for my Carrot Cake recipe. He was baking one for Chelsea's birthday.
2. B. gave me this recipe for turkey meatloaf and it is delicious. I planned on serving four for dinner, but two and then three more plates were set as unexpected kids and friends arrived. I had exactly the right number of little, individual loaves to serve everyone.
3. The young folks invited us to the birthday party, which conveniently took place at our friend's house just down the road. (In the country, we consider 4 miles to be in the neighborhood.) There was a big crowd of the kids' friends, Chad's Carrot Cake was perfect and we didn't feel old at all.

I'm here, Satisfying, With a blanket

1. When Mom phones me, she calls, "Hello?" into the phone like I'm a million miles away.
2. Delicious beef minestrone for our winter dinner. Tender beef, zucchini, cabbage, carrots, celery, garbanzo beans, and macaroni in a tomato based broth. Served with Parmesan and breadsticks.
3. Settled in for the evening with a good book.

Our neighbor, Winter walks, Goal #2 after the holidays

1. Mr. Mockingbird darts from shrub to shrub, one step ahead of me as I round the corner.
2. Henri and I go for a brisk walk. The little guy is so eager to explore, his energy is catchy.
3. I was a bit overwhelmed after I emptied all the glassware from the cabinets onto the counter top. Then I put on some music and got everything sorted out, cleaned and organized.

Empty house, First project for 2011, Sweet combination

1. Everyone went back to school and work today. As sad as we are to end the holidays, it feels good to have a routine back.
2. Sewed curtains for our bathroom. I made three tiny pleats along the bottom of some white linen fabric. The curtains are feminine and airy, adding a fresh touch to the window.
3. A little dish of Starbuck's vanilla frappuccino ice cream with slices of banana, stirred until slightly soft.