quiet joys

Got some Mason jars to store all the soups that I make. 

Maybe the depth of winter isn't the best time to experiment with making a sourdough starter, but here's the difference between Day One and Day Three!

Sunrise is best viewed from bed!

I just discovered that my new boots have a credit card slot in the side!!! This is genius.

fairyland

Very grateful that I got myself out the door in time to use public transportation this morning!

The snow started coming down around 1 and we got to close school early! 

Huge flakes coming down for a couple of hours.

I love twilight at any time of year, but it's a bit more magical with the blueish light from the snow.

Here's hoping that tomorrow is a day off.

nuclear fusion?

For endless renewable energy, scientists ought to be studying the toddler/K crowd. I could not believe the energy of 7 four-year olds who gathered for a party this morning.

While they rampaged through the house, I got to hang out with my little CupKate. She's standing now and juuuust on the verge of walking.  She's also growing her teeth and is feeling a bit fussy, so she seemed to enjoy being in a quieter space in the house.

Someone's very excited about her doughnut cake.

Action shots.

Always helpful to have a sibling who opens presents with for you...

Enjoying the bouncy ball from Nana and Boppa.

Someone wouldn't hold still to pose on her gift.

When my counter resembles deconstructed salsa, I know it's gonna be a good week. Even if more snows come mid-week.

bits of bliss

Ready to party tomorrow!

The inside is filled with rubber stamps in dessert shapes, a hot pink ink pad, a itty notepad and all the pink-wrapped Starbursts for sale.

I love any kind of _____________of the month items. I've done StitchFix and Taste the World (when I lived in the wilds and had no shops). Right now I'm trying an Austin-based coffee/travel deal.

And Penzey's, per usual, is doing the gift thing. Looking forward to trying this with the next snowstorm~not that I don't cook otherwise, but chili takes a long while to simmer.

nesting right on in

Maybe it's weird to be happy to be at home on Friday night with the washer and the dishwasher running. I find it soothing and cosy. 

Celebrating one month in this spacious and quiet home.

Still moving things around a bit and seeing what I like, where.

Still so grateful to have found this place!

sprigs of hope

First penny found in quite awhile; really need to get back to my walking lifestyle. 

When your vitamins make a face at you, you cannot help but be amused.

A colleague's mother just returned from an Australian visit and supplied us with some fresh chocolate!

And per usual, the students bring the party to school.

I really want to take a vegetarian tagine cooking class. Plus, I feel the need to go to Morocco to get a beautiful pot of my own.

Feasting~and sadly, it was pretty much just olives to me to try~but they were tangy and spicy!

Arrived home to find one leeeelte sweet pea poking its head out of the dirt. A lovely thing to see as the temps just plunged back to polar level.

It might be too cold when your slider is frozen shut; although, it was pointed out to me what a great security measure it is. 

Loving one of my new kitchen toys~so far I've zested a lot of lemon and a far bit of Parmesan.  

And the Peacock of PlacidityTM arrived on my door to supervise my second foray into air fryer cooking. 

Happy to report that the polenta was a much better experience than the concrete tempura a couple of weeks ago. Dipping sauce of Romesco spiciness~a perfect way to wrap up the weekend.

The only downside to this particular unit is that I only have windows on one side and therefor miss all the weather/sun/moon that's happening on the other three sides. I had this phenomenon in my Seattle hilltop flat. I finally got to see the full moon this morning as I was leaving for work. (What? You thought I went outside in this weather at 11:30 p.m. or whenever the eclipse happened here?)

And continuing to breathe gratitude~for friends that get help when they need it, for a friend's cancer diagnosis caught early, for medical staff taking care of my aunt far away, for a fair boss, and for a pj's & pancakes birthday party this coming weekend! Onwards we go.