Cheery And Cheer

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Why Wait?

I'm referring to hot chocolate. I lamented and shook my head as I listened to countless people talk about the huge snow storm we had last Thursday as the day they should be curling up and drinking hot chocolate or just drinking it period. I heard this from several TV anchors and many people on FB and IG. People, why do you need to wait for a cold, snowy day to partake of one of life's greatest and most easily attained pleasures? Why wait for a storm? Why not start every day with a huge cup of this nectar of the gods and flood your cells with happiness neurotransmitters, antioxidants and several other health advantages, both physical and mental?

I took a picture of my empty mug the morning of the storm just as I read another's wish for a cup of hot chocolate. Like I have stated many times here on my blog and to those who know me, I drink hot chocolate every day regardless of the temperature or season or where I am in the world and have for most of my adult life.

Just so you don't think I am exaggerating about drinking hot chocolate wherever I am in the world, here's proof. I took this picture a few months ago from a hotel room and sent it to Gabe and Pignose so they could see my brilliant solution for having my concoction in any hotel room that doesn't have a microwave or refrigerator. I found a tiny electric skillet at a kitchen store that weighs next to nothing and I pack it in my suitcase along with my homemade hot chocolate blend, my red teflon whisk, my 3 cup capacity ceramic mug and an old teaspoon. If there is a refrigerator, I stop at a store and buy some type of cold milk (dairy or nut) and if there is not refrigeration, I buy small boxes of shelf stable milk that do not require it. I bet this sounds a bit loony but it's no less important or realistic than those who need and enjoy coffee making supplies wherever they go. Hot chocolate simply fills my tummy and my soul, it's what I prefer to have for breakfast and afterward I go forth with optimism and well being. Recently while staying at the house of a family member and after I had prepared and taken my hot chocolate in to another room to imbibe while I read my morning mail, this person asked my husband how I drink it every day and stay thin. He replied that I don't sweeten mine with sugar and I most often use 25 calorie per cup cashew milk as the base. Good cocoa powder has little fat, 10 to 20 calories per tablespoon and plenty of fiber. If I use 2 cups of cashew milk and a glug of water (which is so delicious and tastes mild like milk, unlike almond or soy which taste too strong and un-milk like to my taste buds) at 50 calories, 3 slightly heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder at no more than 75 calories total if I'm really generous and no calories in my few teaspoons of stevia type sweetener, that's 125 calories at most (less than a cup of whole milk) and it fills my tummy to capacity and I drink it super hot so I can sip it slowly and make it last until all my morning reading is accomplished. I feel like I have indulged in something incredibly rich and caloric yet I have not taken any sugar or anything unhealthy into my bod. I'm asking you again, what are you waiting for? Don't deny yourself hot chocolate while you wait for the snow bomb cyclone to hit as it did us.

Speaking of that storm, it was glorious! We had a fully stocked refrigerator and larder, plenty of firewood just in case, thermostats turned up, movies on stand by, books to read, bird feeders filled to capacity so we could watch the hundreds of them flitting outside our windows and feeling satisfied because we were taking care of their needs, art supplies brought into the house from my freezing studio, nowhere we needed to go and a couple new cookie recipes to try to keep the kitchen even warmer and some treats for our bellies.

I made a different version of the peanut butter cup stuffed chocolate cookies I had made in December. I made a tastier batter and added chocolate chunks along with the PB cup inside. I also made a cookie called Chocolate Mountains which were also chocolate chocolate chip but with lots of walnuts too. That's why you see two pictures of what seemingly look like the same cookie but if you look carefully, you will see the nuts in the first one.

I also roasted several pans of vegetables (potatoes and onions not pictured) and sauteed some delicious wild salmon with a soy-maple syrup-orange marinade.

I worked on a couple mirror abstracts in the category of what I refer to as kindergarten art but find incredibly joy inducing and dark corner brightening and it was just a really comfy cozy cheery and cheer day. Dan and Dane shared the snow day inside with me. In the evening we watched two movies; Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and the Harrison Ford version of Sabrina.

(Our garage - my upstairs studio - brrr)

The day after the storm it turned sunny but super duper cold - like unusually cold. We've been experiencing a several week stretch of way below normal temperatures. I love love love snow and winter but sub zero temps are a bit uncomfortable for everyone.

All kitted out to walk a block to the post office - you can't see the ear muffs covering my ears under my hat (thanks Gabe, I love this hat!). 10-15 degrees below zero with the wind chill.

Tomorrow we are told that the temps will be back to normal levels and even above later in the week, like high 40s and even low 50s in Boston. Whatever. I've got all my winter projects calendared and this coming week I will paint a stair runner - a before and after is forthcoming!

New abstract I completed recently hanging in the third floor stairway - it's a "potager" of color!

One more thing - when I was a child, I used to lie on the floor and imagine Beatrix Potter - like mice living in the walls and I envisioned a little door that I could open and look inside at their little table and chairs for eating, beds, couch and TV - you get the picture. I spent hours in this little mouse world. Well, when Dan and I were in the Canary Islands recently, we were at an outdoor market and one vendor had a table full of little mouse doors - I guess I'm not the only one who dreamt (or dreams) of baseboard mice dwellings. Unfortunately, we do have mice in our old house walls and occasionally they get stuck and die and then the most unpleasant odor emits through the wall for days and days. :(

To end this post - here's what I wore on my legs today to church - as well as a burgundy colored wool pencil skirt and a fitted plum/burgundy sweater jacket. And a parka, gloves, hat, scarf and a fat wool throw to cover my legs as I drove to and from church - it was minus two not factoring in the wind chill. And it was gorgeous and sunny with cloudless blue skies - lovely!

Monday, January 1, 2018

On I Go

I'm not a setter of goals type person when the new year rolls around - I barely note the passing of one year in to the next - the ground doesn't move, I don't feel relief, regret or resolve - I just go on like I do every morning, optimistically of course. If I set goals, they are seasonal like the ones that are written in colored chalk on the blackboard in the mudroom to do this winter when I am prone to indoor projects. This winter I plan to paint stair runners on both painted staircases, paint the front porch door, touch up some woodwork in the "smoking" room, paint the dining room ceiling, sew some living room drapes, paint the kitchen a fresh new color from the golden brown it has been since before we bought this house and paint many paintings in my studio. I'm giddy with excitement for projects! When spring and summer roll around, well that's a whole new list - all outside. And Dan and I have some travel adventures scheduled for the next several months to be eagerly anticipated. On so on for each season. As for personal goals, I don't have any new ones other than to continue with ones I stick with - staying healthy by eating healthy and keeping this body moving with productivity, worthy deeds, projects and exercise. I just finished reading the Book of Mormon for the umpteenth time and I'll keep reading my scriptures every morning as I drink my hot chocolate. Some goals are taking decades - I'm still trying to be like Jesus and love as He does which is the hardest commandment of all; I get really frustrated with the whole earth family, myself included and I can be very critical both vocally and especially in my head where you can't hear the ranting and complaining. I serve in my church and I'm sure I'll do that until I'm too old and feeble and that is probably my greatest challenge because I get asked to do things I wouldn't ever apply to do for a job. I'm socially awkward, prefer my own company in my own little world, desire to be left alone and not standing in front of others, but more often than not I'm asked to be the president of an auxiliary, at least for these last ten years and then a few times before that and that's how the Lord keeps me humbled, awake in the wee hours and in constant contact with Him. On I go, as we all do, hopefully in worthy endeavors both for others and my own good. In pictures (an adventure, a project or two and what I wore on a given Sunday in that month) and a few words, here was 2017 for my own record. Warning - having just read through this for editing - I hadn't blogged for almost 5 months thinking perhaps I was done with it for good and so this is more than three pics per month. I had to play catch up for journaling purposes for September through December so please read and scroll at your leisure, probably not in one sitting or you'll be bored spitless. Nobody should blog like this - I'll be better next year (if I keep on blogging)! Bippity!

JANUARY

Turks and Caicos

FEBRUARY

TULUM, MEXICO

MARCH

ST Barth's AND ST Martin

SCOTTY IN A BOX for Heath's birthday

APRIL

HAWAII

JAPAN

An Alma Thomas-like abstract I painted for the hallway

MAY

Healing after sinus surgery

JUNE

Two pics above - five days at Girl's Camp at Camp Zion in Raymond New Hampshire

Fifteen pounds lighter from April when I started a 1200 cal a day to lose a couple years of traveling fat.

I spent the month of June painting and prepping the Kingston house to go on the market.

JULY

My sister (foreground) Pignose's son Ian, standing next to his brother Nate as he waits for and watches his bride to be (Karen) walk up to him.

A couple hundred sausages for the church 4th of July Breakfast

Kingston lavender harvest

I'm crazy about these fringed blue suede sandals!

We saw Faith Hill and Tim McGraw in Boston

Above and below - Provence!

AUGUST

In Washington with my mom, Pignose, and my sister Leslie's kids for an afternoon on Brad's boat on the Columbia river

My brother Shawn walking his daughter down the aisle as she gets married - Oregon

PigNose and WeaselNose crying as our brother Shawn dances with his daughter who just got married.

My niece Lyndsay on her wedding day in Oregon.

I've been documenting my Sunday outfits for about three years now.

And finally, I have my first grand child from one of my own children born August 29th - William Glenn Davis!!

SEPTEMBER

Dan's first day as adjunct professor (private equity/finance) at UNH

Above and below - Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard with the Dan Man

In Cabot Arkansas for 12 days to hang out with my grandson, Gabe and Mark

She asked for homemade cookies on her birthday instead of a cake.

While Gabe and baby slept and Mark was at work, I dug into heavy clay and created flower beds and planted some shrubs.

I also painted their front door orange at Gabe's request.

OCTOBER

CREAM CHEESE stuffed pumpkin bread

I picked dahlias every day the whole month of October - it was glorious!

NOVEMBER

I concocted a divine face oil that I use morning and night after reading about the current face oil craze, especially Linda Rodin's Olio Lusso. I studied the ingredient lists of several face oils and measuring tips from apothecary sites and made my own recipe.

And I distilled pure lavender essential hydrosol and a tiny bit of oil from my summer lavender harvest.

We spent a week in the Dallas area; a few days with the Tanners (Norah Tanner is reading to us for her homework) and a few days with the Davis' for William's blessing.

As soon as we got home from this trip we packed and left a day later for the Canary Islands, namely Gran Canaria and Tenerife. I fell hard for those islands and never posted one picture on FB or IG so here are just a few of the hundreds I took.

This is a free public pool open to tourists and townies. So many of the towns had these located right next to the ocean

DECEMBER

It was a family reunion of sorts this 2017 Christmas. All my kids were together for the first time at Christmas since 2011. Above they are playing Harry Potter jelly bean game where Gabe ate a yucky one.