From My Heart

The temperature has become quite bitterly cold here.

So very cold that not only have they closed all of  the schools, but the banks,

many businesses and even our local post office has been closed.

 I don't remember a time when the mail didn't run due to weather,

 or any other reason for that matter.

Days like this just mean more hot tea and knitting for me,

 which is always good.

I have plenty of knitting that needs to be done.

 That was meant to be the main focus of my day today

 until I received a text from a close friend saying

 that she and her sister have both tried repeatedly

 to leave a comment on my blog and cannot do so.

Hmmmm…..

Actually, I should backtrack here for a moment.

This is the second time someone close to me has told me this recently.

So, I checked all of my settings and tweaked a few here and there and still their

comments are not posting. I have no idea why this is happening!

Another thing I discovered while doing all of this however,

really bothered me and I feel I need to let everyone know in a post today.

I found so many comments in my spam

that needed approval before being published.

So very many lovely comments and compliments
 from so many different people 

that I never realized were there!

I am SO SORRY!

It was absolutely never my intention to

 not publish your comments

 or to ignore you in any way.

I love reading what everyone has to say and responding. 

I hope you receive the replies that I post right here on my blog...???

Also, I even had a few people ask me where I got the web design for my blog

 and whether it was free or if I had to purchase it.

 I hope those who want to know about this will eventually

 read this post because here's the answer...

I purchased it, along with some extra's, 

such as social media buttons, 

from

Designer Blogs

Just click that link and it will take you right to the site.

I used the same designer for everything I purchased and I was very happy.

This is a great place to go if you want something beautiful and professional

 without having to spend a huge fortune to get it.

I also had a question about whether I use Wordpress or BlogSpot.

I use BlogSpot. It's all I am familiar with.
I purchased my own domain a few years ago,

which is very simple to do.

There are literally no words to say that can express

 what it means to me that anyone

would be interested in reading and following my blog.

 This blesses me so much more than any one

of you can possibly know. 

Truly.

 It's my heartfelt desire first and foremost, 

with every single word I put into a post that you all understand and feel

 that nothing in the world matters more to me than people... 

We all have real struggles in this thing called Life.

But I also believe in the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living.

I believe there is Beauty all around us.

In our World and in other People.

That is the main focus in Life for me and here on my blog.
It is always my desire and goal to sow positive things
into your days and give something of myself to you,
whether it's in the form of a pattern,
a recipe or words of encouragement at a time
that only God knew you needed them.

If I have offended or made anyone feel slighted,

please know it was an accidental oversight.
I believe deeply in treating all people,
without exception,
with kindness and respect.

Be Blessed,

Danette 

"Love and kindness are never wasted.

They always make a difference. 

They bless the one who receives them,

and they bless you, the giver."

Barbara De Angelis

Tea Time

Let's talk Tea...

As we continue to pursue more nutritious eating habits and seek out

foods that are more beneficial to our overall health,

we have discovered that tea is one of the things at the top of the list.

It shares the limelight with power foods such as soy, fish, nuts,

 seeds, powerhouse grains, green leafy vegetables and most fruits.

Many of us realize at this point that tea, whether it's black or green,

 contains naturally occurring, highly beneficial antioxidants.

Tea also contains the neurotransmitter theanine,

 which despite the caffeine content,

is responsible for that wonderful feeling of relaxation 

we enjoy as we sip our favorite brew. 

Another vitally important substance this delicious drink contains

 is polyphenols, which play an important role in fighting 

all kinds of diseases along with the aging process.

So I say make that pot of tea and drink up!

Here's a guideline for Brewing Temperatures and Steeping Times:

Delicate Tea - 160 degrees - 2 minutes

Green Tea - 175 degrees - 2-3 minutes

White Tea - 185 degrees - 2 minutes

Oolong Tea - 190 degrees - 2 minutes

Black Tea - Boil - 3- 5 minutes

Herbal Tea - Boil -4-8 minutes

Always use the purest water you can along with the best quality 

 tea possible to ensure peak health benefits as well as your total happiness.

Tea is a whole mind and body experience.

Whether you are brewing an individual cup or a small pot 

 for just yourself or you're getting out a large teapot to prepare 

for special guests, the entire process of tea time should be savored.

The choosing of tea, the setting out of cups and teapot,

sugar, honey and milk if needed, tiny spoons and sugar tongs, 

it should all begin to clear the mind,

soothe the soul and build the anticipation.

A nice cup of tea is the perfect start to your morning

or the best end to your long day as you seek out 

 a quiet spot to be at rest with a warm mug of your 

favorite choice steaming its way through your senses,

and smoothing out the tensions stored up in your spirit.

 For the most part I prefer my tea as is...

Without anything added to it.

On occasion I will add just a dollop or two of raw honey

if I'm drinking African Rooibos or Honeybush Tea 

because I think it actually enhances the flavor.

I love all types of tea but I am very particular about the whole process of it.

My favorite kind is always going to be in the Black Tea category.

As much as I adore most black teas my absolute first love is

Taylors of Harrogate China Rose Petal Leaf Tea.

If you've never experienced Rose Petal Tea 

you should give this one a try. 

It's a subtle, rather delicate tasting black tea.

Also you should definitely enjoy the pure pleasure

of loose leaf tea if you have never done so before.

I promise you won't be disappointed!

Personally, I drink tea throughout my day.

It's one of my biggest, truest , deepest delights in life

and I figure it's probably usually 4 o'clock somewhere...

As for the tea cozy, 

I made this one for a custom order and will be 

shipping it out of state this week.

The knitted body of the cozy is my own design,

 while the crocheted rose is a pattern I modify slightly at times.

I've made countless tea cozies like this one over the years

in so many colors with different flowers to suit individual requests.

The two things that never change are that they are always made of 100% wool

to retain heat and keep your tea nice and warm and that I absolutely love

the whole creative process of designing each individual cozy.

Crocheted Rose

Row 1:  Ch 55, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook.

*Ch 1, skip 2ch, (1 dc, ch2, 1 dc) in next st.* 

Repeat from *to* to end.

Turn

Row 2:   Ch 3, (1 dc, ch2, 2dc) into first ch-2 space.

*(Ch2, 2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next ch-2 space.*

Repeat from*to* to end.

Turn

Row 3:  6 dc into first ch-2 space, 1 sc into next ch-2 space.

(7 dc into next ch-2 space, 1 sc into next ch-2 space) 12times.

(9dc into next ch-space, 1sc into next ch-2 space) 5 times.

Leave long tail for sewing.

Fasten off.

Coil into a rose and stitch together.

This is the original pattern.

 I have no idea where I got it because years ago 

I wrote it out onto a large index card that stays tucked in a drawer.

The way I change it up as needed is to chain less than 55 for a smaller rose

or use different weights of yarn. The flower pictured was crocheted holding

a double strand of worsted weight wool for a bold effect.

I also at times alter the amount of double crochets I do in the last 5 shells.

For example, sometimes instead of doing 9 double crochet stitches

 in each I do 8 in the first couple then finish the rest with 7 in each.

I play around with it to see what looks best depending on

what the particular item is that the rose will be attached to.

I encourage you to enjoy tea by yourself for its many benefits

and to share it with friends and family as often as you can.

In my home it's the first thing that's offered to all who enter.

I find it goes perfectly with everything from food, to crocheting,

 knitting, laughing and the sharing of ones day

 or it simply stands beautifully all on its own

as the only company you need at times.

"Drinking tea bespeaks a quest that one offers

to his friends for the beauty of gestures,

of objects and of the heart."

-Sogaku of the Hayami School 

Fresh Friday... Paperless Post

Do you have a favorite tree somewhere in your world?

Do you take time to sit at your window and watch the wildlife

cycle through the seasons in its branches,

 nesting down with their young in the 

freshness of each Spring and growing fat

 off the berries through the cold Winter months?

Do you take time to stand beneath your beautiful tree,

to breathe deeply of the life that surrounds you,

no matter the season...

Do you take time to just be ?

In this world of so much to do and too many places to be 

in the span of just a single day,

I think many of us get to the end of an entire week

wondering two crucial things far too often.

The first thing many of us struggle with is...

Did I accomplish all the things I needed to this week?

The second thing is {or at least it should be} …

Did I have anytime to call my own ?

Because life in general seems to get busier for all of us,

as our families grow and the world beyond us continues to change and expand,

there are new concepts and companies developing

all of the time to help us in our endeavor to accomplish the things 

we need to in a way that satisfies us as individuals,

while fitting as seamlessly as possible into the many 

hectic moments we cram into a mere space of 24 hours. 

The end result gives us more time and space to

 live, love, create, enjoy, dream and enhance ourselves.

One of those companies is Paperless Post.

I cannot tell you how much I love this concept and this particular company!

There are just so many occasions when I want to send a note of some kind

to someone special and it falls through the cracks of my life.

I'm not as diligent about it as I was years ago.

This makes it so much easier for what's in my heart

to be put into words and their product is beautiful!

• • 
    

This is a sample of one of my favorite Valentine's Day cards from their website.

Once you make your selection you choose from a huge array of fonts.

Then you decide what personal message you want displayed.

 There's even a gorgeous assortment of envelopes and

 postage stamps to choose from.

 How fun is that? I mean seriously!

So far with my account I've chosen two cards.

The Thank You card pictured above, 

which I had so much fun personalizing for my parents,

and this darling Just Because card

 that my daughter loved receiving!

After you've designed your card you

 simply send it to the recipient's email

and Voila' …

You just brightened somebody's day!

The really awesome thing is this can be done on a much larger scale,

such as when you're planning an event or a wedding.

I know of a bride to be who has decided to go paperless

 for her wedding invitations.

She currently lives and works full time

 in a different state than her soon to be husband.

Not only will this save them time

 but it will be so much easier 

for them to choose and customize

 beautiful invitations together from long distance.

Another bonus is they will be saving money as well.

She has a guest list of just over 150 people and paperless invitations

 cost less money than the traditional kind do.

Who knows, at the end of her day she just might have time

 to put up her feet and drink a nice cup of tea...

maybe even enjoy the wildlife

 in a tree outside her window

as she dreams of her upcoming wedding day.

Oh...

And is it stating the obvious to say...

The more we go "paperless",

 the more of those beautiful trees

there will be not only for us,

 but for our future generations.

This just might be my favorite thing 

about the work they do at Paperless Post.

"I am glad I will not be young in a future without wilderness."

Aldo Leopold

*This post is kindly sponsored by Paperless Post.

All sentiments and card selections are my own.

Warm Woolly Mittens

Of all the countless things I have knit 

over decades now as a passionate fiber artist,

 mittens and fingerless mitts

 continue to reign supreme

 as my heart of heart favorite yarn-y makes.

For one thing, I love to wear them.

As the Summer begins to fade into Autumn every year,

the very first thing to get cold is my hands and they remain

that way until an early Spring thaw occurs.

If they have cables worked into them,

like this big chunky horseshoe cable in the pair of

 Cranberry Red mittens I'm wearing in the top photo,

or in the Cream pair I have on in the picture below,

then I am usually more inspired to knit them and down right 

excited about adding them to my own Fall/Winter wardrobe.

Both pairs are currently for sale on my shop 

and you can see the details or purchase either pair

 by clicking the individual link

I've provided for each color.

When Winter's at her coldest,

 snowing and blowing and lashing out at us,

these are the mittens to snuggle into!

They're thick and warm for playing in the snow or taking a brisk walk. 

You'll be able to stay out a little longer to build a snowman

 or catch snowflakes on your tongue

 when you're wrapped up in this cozy lamb's wool blend.

From a knitter's standpoint, these are big needle knitting at its best!

Although this pair of mitts is fingerless and has no thumb worked into them,
they continue to be a favorite item for me to knit
 and a popular one with my customers.
This is the classic braided looking cable
 that typically comes to mind when we think of cable knits.
 It's worked over eight stitches using a Heavy Worsted Weight Yarn.
The yarn I usually use for these mitts is Knit Picks City Tweed.
You can see some examples of them made in that beautiful fiber here.
This time I chose Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky
in this gorgeous color Fjord Heather and White.
Although it's categorized as a "bulky" weight yarn,
it really does not seem much heavier to me than the City Tweed.
This pair is a custom order for someone very special in California
 who has a birthday coming soon and loves this color.
 She doesn't live in the frozen tundra like some of us do
 so a bit of wool covering her hands and wrists
 with her fingers and thumbs still free to move about
 is going to be exactly the thing!

The final pair of mittens I'll show you today
 are knit on much finer weight yarn with US size 2/2.75mm DPNs
 and have much more intricate cable work involved.
They are an absolute favorite of mine!
So much so that this is the second time I have made them.
 I made the first pair for myself in January 2018 in grey,
which you can read about in this post.
As it turns out, you'll see I was also working on a pair
 of the chunky cabled fingerless mitts
last January for a custom order.
 It seems that my new year has started off the same.
I wonder if I'm stuck on repeat in some alternate knitting universe.
I guess we will have to wait twelve months to find out...

As I said in a recent post, I love tiny needle knitting.
Sometimes the end result is worn over your palm instead of held within it.
Either way, there's a place deep in my soul that calls me back to it time and again.
When a pattern requires the use of a cable needle,
I am definitely drawn to it with a force that's nearly magnetic.
 If said pattern just happens to be a pair of mittens...
well now...
my heart skips a beat.
If you would like to see my pattern notes on all three
you can find them by viewing my love knitting profile.

"Once upon a time,
there was a little girl who wore a pair of
 warm, woolly red mittens,
in her soul lived the spirit of giving."

from
The Red Mittens
by
Jaime Sommers

Fresh Friday...Knitted Pears & Quinoa Two Ways

Friday again already?!

Sometimes I don't know where the weeks go.

It seems it was just yesterday we were all dashing around

making ready for Christmas and here we are into mid-January.

We got that snow my heart was hoping for,

in a very big way!

I think we got a good 10 inches in the Peoria area.

Now we are expecting another big snow storm to bless us with

quite a bit more snow.

Well, ask and you shall receive.

{Sorry for those of you who don't do the happy dance over snow.}

I love the crunch of it underneath my feet,

the bright whiteness it gives the entire world around me,

the way it sparkles with the radiance 

of a million diamonds when the sun sets it afire,

and that incomparable scent it permeates the air with.

There's really nothing else quite like snow.

It always inspires me to knit...more.

Speaking of knitting,

these darling Knitted Pears were a Christmas gift,

therefore they were not made by me.

My cousin Kathy knitted them.

I love receiving gifts from another knitter's needles.

And aren't these too cute in their wire basket with a little

rag bow and natural cotton bolls tucked in behind them?

They're just perfect on my vintage red and white enamel table.

If you would like to knit some pears for yourself

or someone you love, you can find the pattern here.

Another thing cold, Winter weather makes all of us want is warm food.

This week I have two recipes to share featuring one of my 

absolute favorite health foods: Quinoa

.

Let's start with breakfast...

Quinoa "Oatmeal"

3/4 Cup Soy Milk

1/2 Cup Organic Tri-color Quinoa

3/4 to 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/8 to 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla

1/2 to 1 Tablespoon Raw Unfiltered Honey

1 Tablespoon Organic Natural Peanut Butter

Bring Soy Milk and Quinoa to a boil.

Reduce heat to low.

Add Spices and Vanilla.

Simmer, stirring occasionally till thick, approximately 15 minutes.

Add Peanut Butter and Honey at last.

Enjoy immediately!

Serves 2

Actual oatmeal has always been a favorite food of mine.

Being a lifelong fan of healthy, hot breakfast cereals,

 this has become a new go to recipe.

It's deliciously filling and makes the whole house 

smell like homemade love for hours 

after it's been cooked up and eaten.

 Perfect for a cold day!

You can easily substitute the Soy Milk with 

Coconut, Almond or regular Milk.

Sprinkle Spices to taste.

Drizzle Honey to taste or substitute with Agave Nectar or Raw Sugar.

Use as much Peanut Butter as you like or replace it with Almond Butter.

And now for later in the day...

Sweet Potato Quinoa Soup 

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes, diced

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1/4 Cup Onion, diced

1/2 to 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper {to taste}

2 Teaspoons Thyme

1 Tablespoon Organic Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper {to taste}

* I prefer freshly ground Black Pepper and Pink Himalayan Salt

First, saute' these ingredients in the tablespoon of olive oil 

for approximately 3-5 minutes,

just to blend the flavors nicely.

Then add:

4 Cups Organic Vegetable Broth

1 Can Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano

1 Cup Organic Tri-Color Quinoa

1 Can Garbanzo Beans/Chick Peas

Let cook/simmer till sweet potatoes are tender.

Enjoy while nice and hot!

Serves 4-6

This is an original recipe of my daughter Chelsea's.

It can be altered easily to spice it anyway you prefer 

and feed as many as needed.

Just don't leave out the healthy Quinoa!

If you've never tried Quinoa before 

you can read the top 11 proven health benefits 

of this wonderful tiny plant food

that is high in protein and actually contains

all 9 of the essential amino acids right here.

It's tasty, filling and oh so good for you!

If you live someplace where it's sunny and warm,

maybe even on the other side of the globe where it's actually Summertime,

I'll share a tiny piece of the Winter Wonderland from my front yard with you.

I took this picture in today's midmorning hours.

If we get hit with what we are expecting there's no telling 

what we will wake up to tomorrow morning.

I must admit, it makes me feel like a child on Christmas Eve...

"When there's snow on the ground,

I like to pretend I'm walking on clouds."

Takayuki Ikkaku

Fresh Friday...Winter Comforts

For today's Fresh Friday finds I have something lovely for all of you knitter's

 and a recipe for one of my absolute favorite wintertime comfort foods.

I am excited because here in Central Illinois

 we have the possibility of snow, and lots of it, in our weekend forecast. 

Last winter we seemed to be constantly blanketed in white.

So I had high hopes once I began to see my breath again.

We were off to a good start by setting a record for the first snow

 being the earliest for many, many years,

getting my hopes built sky high. 

 However, since then,I've been doing a lot of watching the sky 

and hearing my grandchildren dreaming of snowmen.

...if only...

Instead… as I wait...

I carry on inside the house doing all the things that one does during this time

when cold winds blow us into the warmth of the snug, coziness of home.

A part of each day for me is always taken up with knitting.

Although that is true year round, it is different during the winter.

During these weeks of near hibernation, 

I love to work on more intricate patterns,

 especially involving lots of cabling.

They often require the use of several stitch markers.

It's best when the stitch markers are slightly different so I know

 exactly what part of the pattern they are marking.

Back in the Fall I found a fantastic Online Shop

 that I have purchased from a few times now.

 I love the gorgeous handmade snag free stitch markers 

and the small tins the sets come in. 

They also have beautiful yarns and patterns.

You can find them at

Twice Sheared Sheep

I love how smoothly the markers glide along

 and the beauty they add to my work in progress.

That fun piece with all the number beads and the 

intricate Swarovski crystal on the end

is a row counter that you attach to your needles

and move along as your're knitting!

There's a video on how to use the row counter right here

The smaller sized markers are perfect for tiny needle knitting with their

reverse tear drop shape. I really love the one with the smaller crystal 

while knitting the thumb stitches, as I find anything too large

 cumbersome, causing it to be in the way in such a small area.

Summing it up, I've made three purchases with this company

 and have been extremely satisfied each time.

 Their product is top quality and they are very personable.

They have excellent customer service and even shipped a birthday gift

with a special note directly to a dear friend for me.

 Let me know if you give them a try!

As for the Recipe...

I'm going to give it to you TWO WAYS.

First the actual way and then the GLUTEN FREE way.

The photo shows them when I baked them last weekend in the GF version.

Cornmeal Drop Buscuits

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Bob's Red Mill Coarse Grind Cornmeal

2 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2 Teaspoons of Sugar

1 Stick, Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces

1 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Skim Milk OR Vanilla Soymilk {my preference}

In medium bowl combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt & sugar. 

Whisk.

Cut in butter till it looks like coarse crumbs.

Add milk; stir until just combined.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, if desired.
Spray with cooking spray.

Spoon 10 mounds, 1/2 cup each, onto greased sheet 1 inch apart.

Bake 20 minutes.

Cool on wire racks.

Serve warm.

Gluten Free Version

Simply substitute the All Purpose flour for Almond Flour. 

*But use 2 1/2 Cups Almond Flour {or as much needed}.

It takes more Almond Flour than All Purpose.

You can also make this recipe Vegan

by using Earth Balance Vegan Butter

in place of the butter.

However you choose to make these biscuits,

they are easy to mix up and delicious!

My entire family loves them in both versions.

They're delicious with big pots of homemade vegetable soup

or warmed up and drizzled with honey.

The perfect comfort food for a cold winter day!

Wherever you are,

no matter the weather,

may you always have 

the comforts of home

to warm your heart...
I'll be here...
 waiting for snow...

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,

for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:

it is the time for home."

Edith Sitwell

Winter Bliss

Now that another holiday season has been celebrated

 and the gift of a new year has been given,

holding its promise of secret surprises and wonders that lie before us,

 we still have the winter to settle into and savor. 

For many of us this is the time of year we find restful, 

reflective and sometimes quite productive inside our homes. 

Among the many other things I try to do, such as organize cabinets,

 tidy drawers and make note of projects that need doing in this beloved old house,

 I enjoy the hours spent inside this place I call home,

 with family bustling in and out, friends coming and going,

 and always another work in progress on my needles.

For Christmas I made a lot of chunky knitted items,

 which I really enjoyed.

As knitters, we all know they knit up quickly,

 bringing that instant sense of gratification we have to have sometimes, 

especially when time is of the essence.

However, my true love is for smaller stitches.

 Typically, I prefer patterns that require needles

 in the range of US size 1 to 5,

 with 7 or 8 being "Big" for me. 

Therefore, everything about these tiny Magical Fairy Mushrooms

 was completely enchanting.

 I loved watching as they came to life on my size 1{2.25 mm} needles,

 along with a very small cable needle.

Although I know how to knit cables without using a cable needle,

 having acquired a nice collection of them over the years,

 I actually enjoy using one.

However, for those of you who would like to try this technique

 but don't know how to,

 the best video I've found on YouTube for

 cabling without a cable needle is provided by Marly Bird.

I recommend you practice it on larger knitting needles until you get the hang of it.

The little pink tool in the picture with a hook on one end and a point 

on the other end is one of my favorite tools!

I use it to pick up dropped stitches or for picking up stitches 

when making socks or the thumbs of a mitten.

 This is the smallest of three different sizes.

You can find them at Hobby Lobby made by Susan Bates.

As for the whimsical mushrooms, 

if you are a knitter who wants to make some, 

use the link I've provided for the free pattern.

I would like to say how much I truly appreciate it when

a designer gives permission for the finished product of 

their pattern to be sold. It's an added bonus when the pattern is free.

If you would like to purchase some ready made you can find them

 for sale in sets of three on my shop...

Midsummer's Eve Trio

Woodland Sprite Trio

Pixie Party Trio

I really do love tiny knits. I enjoy the process from start to finish. 

Here are my top three reasons:

1) They are slow and mindful, forcing me to take more time,

which causes me to feel more restful and peaceful. 

Therefore they have a more meditative or reflective quality about them.

2) The stitches are tiny and compact,

 making them aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Stockinette stitches line up nice and tight.

Garter stitch rows pop in perfect ridges.

Cables are firm and stand out boldly.

3) There's a dreamy aspect of long ago childhood days

that washes over me when I hold

 anything miniature in the palm of my hand.

Sundrenched, cartwheeling, bicycle riding days

 followed by fire fly chasing evenings.

 Or winter afternoons spent 

lying on a snow covered lawn 

making angels with my best friend.

January seems to be a good time for my tiny needle knitting.

I usually find myself taking personal stock once again,

as so many of us do, at the beginning of each new year.

I believe anything that causes us to slow down 

while we're snugged up inside so that we can have

moments of introspection is a really good thing.

While the earth is having her time of rest, 

we can enter into our time of reflective thinking.

A time of contemplating our life; our experiences; 

our relationships with God, people and all of humanity

and how we can draw on all of these things

 to improve ourselves in the year ahead.

Another one of my Winter Bliss pleasures is

 the reading of and listening to many books.

My current read is this wonderful book 

that my daughter Hilary gave me for Christmas.

I start every new year, as odd as it may sound,

 reading a Christmas book.

It's been a long-standing tradition for Hilary

 to gift me a new Christmas book every year.

She goes on a hunt with great relish and I wait

 in even greater anticipation to open it.

If you are on Goodreads and would like to connect

 with me you can find me here.

I would love to see what you're reading.

As always, a blissful part of my daily life

 is to keep critters outside and inside fed and happy.

I love feeding my squirrels and am rewarded by some who eat from my hand.

And I'm thick in the throws of the antics of full blown "puppyhood" …

While I was in the kitchen, believing Percy to be napping in the living room, 

he was actually having a toilet paper party in said room.

 Just having turned six months old on December 26th,

 we have now entered into the toddler phase of life, it appears.

Whatever it is that brings happiness to the moments of your life

in these long winter months that are a fresh new beginning,

I pray you find them to be restful, restorative,

 peaceful and productive on an inward level,

and most of all deeply blissful.

"Life isn't about finding yourself.

Life is about creating yourself."

George Bernard Shaw