It’s the first Saturday of a new year. How will you spend it? We get just 52 of them in 2026 so it’s best to spend the time wisely.
It’s also the first weekend of my No Spend Challenge so I’ll be home, doing home things and hopefully reading. I’m in the middle of a page turner. In fact, I fell asleep reading last night, waking up to the book hitting my face.
How lovely it is to fight sleep in favor of just one more page!
It’s also lovely to have a furry little friend to check on you and curl up close. Scout will be glad to keep me company while we relax today.
This is how I want to spend this day. It’s a choice and I’m glad for it. Wherever you are, I hope you are choosing to do something that brings you joy and peace as well.
Snow came fast and heavy yesterday, prompting me to cancel plans and stay home. I made a pot of tomato soup and watched the birds attack the backyard feeders. Renee Zellweger’s depiction of writer Beatrix Potter played while I idly flipped through a magazine.
This was my first day in I’m not sure how long when I wasn’t required to carry on a conversation, go places, or even use my brain for much.
All my internal batteries have been badly drained lately. There’s been no time to recharge and I’ve been venturing into treacherous waters as my nervous system is lit up like Times Square most of the time.
So, yesterday was absolute, immeasurable, and pure bliss. Was I sad for my cancelled plans? Yes. Was I happy to do what I was doing? Also yes.
This morning dawned cold. After breakfast I ventured out into ankle deep snow to check the bird feeders and snap a few pictures. It was gray then but the afternoon has since transformed into a gorgeous blue sky day. After my walk, I came in for a hot shower with peppermint scented soap and promptly curled up with a book and cup of hot chocolate.
I write to you from a soft perch on the couch where I can see the Christmas tree indoors as well as the snowy day outside.
Classic Christmas music plays in the background while Scout luxuriates in a patch of sunlight.
This is what I needed and I am grateful for two slow days in a row.
Make no mistake, there are a million things that need my attention. I brought home a work proofreading project. Gifts need wrapped and Christmas cards need attention. My house needs a good scrub and I need to pay a couple of bills. I have got to make a list of last minute gifts, stocking stuffers and a plan for baking and cooking.
Things need done and a little planning goes a long way toward simplifying life later.
For now though, I’m going to continue relaxing and simply enjoy being. I hope you will do the same.
Decluttering has been an ongoing project around here for a while. That’s because I’m moving at an absolute glacial pace without any real hope for improvement in this lifetime.
While motivated to not suffocate under the weight of my own stuff, I’m stymied by two things:
I realized this week that I own so many black socks there is no reason to ever again wear an uncomfortable pair of socks. Slidey socks are unwelcome here.
Scout isn’t all that helpful. I emptied this fabric box earlier this week and he has laid claim to it. He seems to believe it’s the nicest box he’s ever set paw in and hasn’t been receptive to my suggestions that we move it. We certainly can’t give it away since he’s discovered the creature comforts of having a fabric box of one’s own!
I did drop off a carload of donations a couple of weeks ago and have another bag started already. Progress is progress, I guess. Even if it is slow!
In the original 1964 Adams Family television show, daughter Wednesday Adams uttered one of my all-time favorite lines. It’s so nice and gloomy.
I thought about that statement a lot yesterday as rain settled in across southern Ohio. As the sky darkened, folks scurried down the street, pulling their jackets tighter from beneath their umbrellas.
It was a perfect rainy November day and I was all for it. My only complaint was that it wasn’t a weekend when I could be home to enjoy the whole thing.
So I went skipping home after work, lit the Christmas tree and put on warm pajamas before doing a few chores. A hot dinner plus cuddle time with Scout while I watched the Ken Burns documentary made for a delightful ending to a delightful rainy day.
It’s sometimes a little surprising to me how different I am from other people. Dark, gloomy days are invigorating to me. I breathe better. I work harder. I’m happier. The small comforts last night – warm pjs, a good baked potato, some twinkle lights, time with my cat – were like a big ole dollop of whipped cream atop my proverbial mug of hot chocolate.
I’m fortunate to be a weirdo who welcomes the rainy days. I’m also lucky to understand the value of making the best of things and of having a place of one’s own to feather a nest and to rest and recharge.
Enjoy your day, friends. I hope it brings something that will make you happy.
Introduce the topic of Christmas decorating to any conversation and you will quickly find that people are unexpectedly passionate. Early decorators typically are just happy doing their thing and others can like it nor not. They’re doing it for themselves and are satisfied with their life choices. The Not-Before-Thanksgiving folks can be pretty passionate about their belief that we should give that holiday its own space and wait till December.
When I was a kid, we always decorated the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was tradition. First, we would give thanks on Thursday for all we had before heading out to forget gratitude and bargain hunt on Friday. Then on Saturday we would embrace Christmas as we had finally crossed some imaginary line on the calendar.
When I was the marketing director for my county, I was responsible for the Christmas event in our county seat. That meant organizing businesses, nonprofits and crafters for an afternoon of fun on the first Saturday in December.
It was a lot of work in addition to my regular job and I typically started planning in July or August. Friends, it is hard to think about Christmas trees and hot chocolate on a sweltering summer day so I would often begin listening to Christmas music just to make those planning days more enjoyable, By fall I was watching Christmas movies and by Veterans Day I was decorating at home.
This year, I started decorating last week and put up one of my trees yesterday.
I typically don’t host for Thanksgiving so I’m not ruining anyone’s holiday with the greenery and lights on my mantle. The tree I put up yesterday celebrates winter more than Christmas as it’s loaded with berries, pine cones, wooden mushrooms, little primitive churches and birds.
Before that I spent some time adding small festive touches to bookshelves and corners of the house that could use some brightening up.
Personally, I don’t mean to rush Christmas so much as I want to have more time with the beautiful decorations and white lights that I enjoy so much. Christmas can wait while you all eat your turkeys. Personally I’m thankful to be vegetarian so I don’t have a bird’s demise on my conscience. That’s one of many things I’m thankful for as I enjoy the warmth and light of my fortunate life.
Besides, it is a lot of work so it’s nice to stretch out the enjoyment as much as possible.
Friends, I hope you will do what works best for you. Cover everything in tinsel and baubles as early as you like or….wait till the week of Christmas. Whatever makes you happy works for me.
Life has felt dark and uncertain lately. Personally, I’m happy for the comfort and joy I feel in the presence of the warm glow of Christmas lights