Cookie Season is Over

For me holiday cookie season begins the day after Halloween, pretty much when the Christmas music starts playing at the grocery store. I will not lie, when it comes to cookies I have absolutely no will power.  To make matters worse, a lot of my friends are great bakers.  Luckily I am not.

This year no one I know baked their usual batches nor did I. Did that stop me from gorging myself on cookies.  Absolutely not! The store bakeries and the Keebler Elves stepped up to the plate and filled in the gap.  That means our house was constantly filled with the smell of store baked goodies.  

On a normal year, I pace myself for a slow go but this year due to being stuck in the house almost 24/7 the pace picked up considerably.  When I had blood work done my results were absolutely scary. Damn COVID.  I blame this on you.

So this weekend I did a kitchen cleanse.  Any cookies and other crap got thrown out. Our kitchen is now a cookie free, junk free zone.  I feel like I accomplished something great.

While I did not make a New Year's resolution to not eat so many cookies, I think going forward I will definitely monitor my cookie intake. It is not realistic to think that I can stay away from cookies altogether but  I think I will set a quota of 4 or 5 cookies each week and adjust my daily calorie count to accommodate for it.  As I work the sugar out of my system perhaps I can go several days with no cookies at all.  Baby Steps.

Wish me luck!

Goodbye - 2020

 

2020 was not a good year.  In fact, it probably will go down in my book of years as one of the worst. Sadly 2021 may not start out much better.  One of my family members has COVID, one of my colleagues has COVID and someone I have known for 20 years is in hospice.  I am grappling with what to do, what to say and how to deal with this whole situation.  I am sure I will eventually work it out.

Since it is the New Year and the expectation is to make New Year resolutions I really thought long and hard on what mine would be this year.

Instead of the two that are always on my list, go on a diet and do more exercise, I wanted to take a different approach. So here are my resolutions for 2021.

• Eat less potato chips and junk food. I figure going on a diet has never worked so at the very least taking out these addictive and less healthy options can only be a good thing.

• I need to just get up and move more.  Be more mindful of getting out of my chair.

• Be more creative.  I work in IT.  That can make me a very boring person.  Sometimes I sit in front of my computer working and don't say a word for hours. So I want to be more creative.  I am not a crafter but I figure there are things I can do that will allow me to use a different side of my brain.  My Mom was a great knitter.  In her honor I am going to knit a sweater.  I found what looks like a relatively easy pattern so I am going to try it.  I thought if it came out ok, I might try it again with variations.  I don't want to get too ahead of myself so I will try the first one and see how it goes.

 

• Each day I want to end my day by looking back and finding something up beat or satisfying from the day so I end it on a good note.

• I will of course continue to read.  In fact, I have been reading many books that I have not shared with you.  But I will get you up to speed on my lists. I don't think I would ever sleep if I couldn't read before bed.

• Lastly, I am going to count my blessings and try to stay upbeat. 

   

A Beautiful Place to See during COVID and beyond

 

My daughter has been visiting from Southwest Virginia.  Actually this is her vacation.  Originally we had planned a mother daughter trip to France but life and COVID changed our plans. We are trying to remain optimistic in our hopes to go sometime in 2021 but you never know what is going to happen.

It was another beautiful day on Monday. Looking for a change of scenery and an escape from our house, we hoped in the car and drove to Brookside gardens.  

Much to my surprise, the gardens were even more beautiful than I had imagined. The balance between the vibrant fall foliage and the flowers still in bloom made our walk a delightful experience. 

This is a wonderful place to enjoy nature. If you are in the DC area add Brookside Gardens to your list of must see.  

Check out this video of Brookside Gardens.

Falling for Fall: A Serendipitous Sunday

 Autumn is my favorite time of year. The air turns crisp and clear—perfect sleeping weather. I have this amazing, weighted comforter, and when I slip under the covers, the warmth and gentle pressure lull me into a deep sleep.

Recently, my daughter—who works for a television station—came home for a visit. It’s hard for her to get away, especially in this era of COVID, so having her home felt extra special. Sunday was a gorgeous day, so we decided to escape the house and explore.

Driving along a winding back road, we spotted a sign for Butler’s Orchard. Intrigued, we turned down the path and found ourselves at a breathtakingly beautiful place. It felt like a hidden gem tucked into the countryside. The golden light, the turning leaves—it was the perfect setting for some fall photos.

 In addition to some stills my daughter shot some video and this is the link montage from the Orchard. Please check it out.

 

The Art of Her Deal

When this book was first announced I said I really wanted to read it.  Well I did.  It certainly gave me new insights into the First Lady of the United States.  FLOTUS definitely wants to emphasize that she has a mind of her own.

I am glad that was cleared up so I don't have to feel sorry for her. Not that I felt sorry for her before.  She certainly knew what she was signing up for when she married "The Donald". Apparently her marriage suits her and far be it for anyone to say what makes a good or bad marriage.  I certainly wouldn't pass judgement, marriage is way to hard.  If you find something that works go with it.

The only problem I have is she has not had a mission, no goal, no cause.  Up until now the first ladies had something they were passionate about and carried out that passion while their spouse was in the White House.  Not Sure Mrs Trump has done that.  

The position of first lady has always been for me inspirational.  Look who has  recently held the position:  Laura and Barbara Bush, Literacy, Hilary Clinton, women's advocacy and countless other issues, Michelle Obama Let's Move.  Melania had something going by her Be Best movement but she did nothing with it.

The book is very interesting and worthy of reading.  

Goodbye to the Summer during the Time of COVID

 

September has arrived bringing with it cooler days.  Labor Day is looming (September 7th).  Even with masks and social distancing I have managed to host a few small functions this summer where chairs were placed far apart.  We served some wine and beer, maybe a few cocktails and a lot of munchies. I have blogged about cocktails before.

I have dabbled in cocktail making but alas, I am not really that great at alcohol mixology.  For the Fourth of July, I attempted to make a festive drink with coconut vodka, coconut water, and blue curaçao. It sounded promising in the magazine, but on that very hot evening, the overly sweet concoction did not hit the spot. Lesson learned: not all recipes are created equal.  I found the recipe in a magazine.  Next time I see a recipe with similar ingredients I will pass.

My friend Martini Marge is a cocktail wizard and whenever she is in attendance, I hand over bartending duties. Always good to let a pro handle the alchol.

One To Watch

 This book turned out to be a much better read than I expected.

I have struggled with my weight pretty much all my life.  For many years I won the battle but after having a baby, having back surgery, having a hysterectomy and now possible thyroid issues, it seems my battle has become increasingly difficult.

This book centers on Bea, a highly successful blogger and plus-size design specialist. She works hard to keep body image in perspective and has built a large, loyal following.

One night she is watching Main Squeeze (the equivalent of the reality show The Bachelorette) she makes some very honest comments on her blog.  So honest in fact, that the producer of the show asks her to be the star of the next Main Squeeze. She weighs the Pros and Cons and finally agrees.  From that day forward her life changes forever.

Speaking about The Bachelorette, a bachelorette who thought she had found true love broke up with the guy she chose. They were together two years.  I say who cares I am not a big Bachelor or Bachelorette fan but my 93-year-old Dad is, go figure.

I think the author has done a great job capturing Bea's journey on and off the show her heartache and her joy.  I laughed and cried a little and couldn't put the book down. 

For More Info on this book, click on the image of the book cover above.