FOOD – for
the 2021 Holiday Photography Challenge (See sidebar for full list.).
Duck and cover! It’s the annual holiday food orgy, and it
goes on for months!
The whole thing starts with Halloween and all those tricky
treats. Then we have a family birthday or two, followed by Thanksgiving’s
abundant feasting. Next up is the whole Christmas, filled with innumerable
indulgences. New Year’s Eve follows fast with additional tasty temptations. Not
long after, we face Valentine’s Day. (Can you say “Sugar coma”?). St. Patrick’s
Day is quick on its heels with still more calorie counts.
Eventually, Easter arrives, bringing jelly beans, chocolate
bunnies, and more.
No wonder we roll our eyes over the annual approach of
swimsuit season!
Whoa. Christmas is almost here, and I’m just getting to
this! Here’s my November/December entry for the Simple
Woman’s Daybook. (I can surely see why our SWDB blog circle hostess merged
the two months!)
Looking out my window
…
The sun is shining, at least for now, with its rays bouncing
beautifully off the freshly fallen snow. It’s so bright outside that it’s hard
to believe we are receiving extreme chill warnings. The actual temperature
measures zero degrees (F) today, with the wind-chill coming in at about -15.
Public domain artwork
I am thinking …
How far off is spring? That sounds like a trick question, as
winter itself doesn’t officially arrive for three more days (according to the
calendar). Oh, boy.
I am thankful …
This year has been filled with what seems to have been an
unusual amount of losses for friends. Dear ones have said goodbye to passing spouses,
parents, and children. Others have lost beloved pets. All over, people appear
to be bidding 2016 farewell more eagerly than I can remember in past years and pointing
to 2017 as a time of promise.
Life is as unpredictable as any old saying may claim –
perhaps even more so. I am reminded with gratitude of my many loved ones and
the health they enjoy. I appreciate that this is an unusual and remarkable gift. And I remember fondly those who have gone on ahead.
Family photo/All rights reserved. This was taken a few years ago, and two of these dear ones are no longer with us.
OK, I’ll probably crank out a couple of miles on the
elliptical. I’m
doing a holiday mile challenge thing, for which I committed to do at least
a mile a day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.
I am watching …
On Netflix, I am about to begin watching The
Crown. Friends recommend this highly – especially those who loved Downton Abbey.
This is sort of a hot-button for me, particularly as we now
attend a church that espouses hierarchical complementarianism. (I confess: I am bristling a bit at it,
particularly after spending more than a decade in a church that willingly lit
booster rockets under women who were gifted and willing to serve.)
I am listening to …
Right now, YouTube is playing continuous Christmas carols,
as I type.
I am hoping …
Yikes! I
am hoping to run 2,017 miles in 2017. That’s a tall order for me. It would average
5.5 miles a day, if I run every single day of the entire year. That’s not
really feasible, especially in the Upper Midwest. That means I’ll have to do at
least twice that on plenty of days. But I am trying to push myself a bit, to
stay in shape, and to keep MS at bay (as much as possible).
So here we go!
Public domain artwork
I am learning …
Recently, I auditioned and joined a local chorus. This is
already a lot of fun, and it has jettisoned me into learning some music theory.
It’s been a long time since I sight-read sheet music! And my own ear has
required something of a tune-up. But I love the challenge, and it is refreshing
to be using my brain in a wholly different way.
Plus, this group of wonderful new friends has welcomed me so
warmly. I find myself grinning, just at the thought of them.
LAN photo. All rights reserved.
In my kitchen …
Although I hosted a Christmas cookie swap less than a week
ago, I am getting the itch to bake a few more kinds of holiday treats. We have
a few family get-togethers coming up, and I haven’t yet made my perennial
gingerbread horses. (Nope, I didn’t say “gingerbread houses.” It’s a horse-girl
thing.)
I noticed a hawk, flying way up high overhead. I’ve been a
little under the weather, so to speak, facing a stretch of low energy. Guess I’m
glad it was a hawk, instead of a vulture.
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
I am thinking …
This may sound funny, but there’s a little garden gnome in
our yard (dressed in Chicago Bears colors), who mysteriously moves from place
to place on random occasions. Is there more to this story, if does this occur
simply because someone in our home recently retired and finds the need to
fidget with details?
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
I am thankful …
Sometimes computer glitches seem to resolve themselves. At
least, I’m kind of counting on that, right about now. After all, this sort of
message is never exactly welcome.
Screenshot - fair use
One of my favorite things …
Flowers are favorites for me. Gerbera Daisies are one of the
blooms I like the best. I have a pair of patio pots that still sport fresh
blossoms, even as September slips by.
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
I am creating …
This week, another new Kindle eBook was added to my author
list on Amazon. I wrote this short volume (10
courtesy tips for taking a pet to a host's home) to help animal lovers and
those who may host them at some point (such as the upcoming holiday season) to
deal with the potential complications of pet guests.
Having experienced some rather delicate situations in our
own home, with extended family members and others bringing their animals for
occasional visits and overnight stays, I understand the concerns. And I hope
this book will help others in similar situations.
Book cover / fair use
I am wearing …
Right now, I am sporting a running race tee (from a past
event) and a pair of jogging shorts. I have not laced on those sneakers yet,
although I (groan!) know I will have to do so soon. (Actually, I was all revved
up and ready to go … until I realized my phone needed charging first. Hey, I
don’t want to miss the chance to keep track of those miles.)
I am watching …
My dog is doing laps around me, as I sit at my desk. Based
on our regular routines, I am pretty sure she knows it’s almost run-time.
Most of the time, she and the cat practice their Couch
Pet-Tater acts. But not at run-time. (You might say she’s got my number.)
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
YouTube is playing, and I’m hearing “Grace Wins,” by Matthew
West.
Gotta love these lyrics:
“Words
can't describe the way it feels
When mercy floods a thirsty soul
A broken side begins to heal
And grace returns what guilt has stole.”
Bless the Lord. How I need that every day!
I am hoping …
One of these days, the professional crew will show up at the
stables to fix an ongoing drainage problem that has allowed the many mid- and
late-summer storms to flood the indoor riding arena at the stables. I feel sorry for the owners, who have pumped and shoveled and brainstormed, trying to
fix this issue. It’s also a concern for the barn staff, who slog through mud daily to care for the horses, for the boarding customers (as an important part of the facility is out of commission), and a trainer (who has faced more than a
few lesson cancellations).
The covered arena has been flooded almost every day since late July. Fortunately, there is also an outdoor arena, which has been super for working horses on non-rainy
days. For that, we are thankful.
Honestly, it feels a lot more like April than September at
the farm. But the hay field looks lush and lovely, so the horses will
have plenty of delicious hay all winter. (See? A silver lining!)
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
I am learning …
Have you heard the perennial warning about praying for
patience? It’s sort of a source of ouch-y humor among people of faith. Why?
Patience seems only to be learned through difficulties and disappointments and
longer waits than we’d like.
But I’ve been in that school, so to speak, for a while. A
couple of long-term heart-rending prayer requests are prime examples.
On another note, I’ve always chuckled that one of the most
popular and colorful annual garden flowers is called impatiens. It’s easy to
grow and simply satisfying. Don’t you wish patience came the same way?
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
In my kitchen …
I’m trying to eat healthier foods. But I’m still something
of a carbo-holic. I crave crunchy, salty, starchy snacks too often. So I’m
making it a point to shop a little smarter. Now I have a cupboard filled with
low-calorie rice cakes and popcorn, instead of chips and crackers.
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
It’s been fun to see friends and loved ones posting
first-day-of-school photos on Facebook in the past week or so. I don’t have
anyone heading to class this fall, but I love seeing all these dear ones’
youngsters growing up.
Despite having no students in the house anymore, I am as
busy as a proverbial bee. So there we are.
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
In my garden …
Most of my plantings
are growing end-of-season tired. Some fall colors are popping up. As the sun
sets earlier and casts a more muted glow over nature, it’s neat to see the
flowers changing as well.
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
Last weekend, I
transplanted several leggy-looking annuals from patio pots into the garden
beds, filling in spots where I’ve already cut back some spent perennials. A few are just reaching their prime, like the Autumn Joy Sedum.
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
I also washed out several the pots, so I can pack them away for next spring. A few remain on the patio, as the geraniums and marigolds are still producing.
Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.
I need that reminder (preaching to the mirror), again and
again.
Vintage / public domain photo
Post Script …
Here we go,
marching into September. What’s on the agenda for this month? I’m working on
another book or two. (Multi-tasking keeps me going.) I’m looking forward to a couple
of early fall running races. And I’m planning a cross-country visit next month.
(Maybe I’ll tuck some trip photos into my October edition of the SW Daybook.)
Shared Quote …
Autumn doesn’t technically begin for a couple of weeks.
Still, with Labor Day behind us, it feels sort of like unofficial autumn
already. So here we are:
Autumn
is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
Albert Camus, French philosopher (1913-1960)
Closing Notes:
Thanks for stopping by! Cheers for a sweet September.
. It’s a compilation of
articles by several well-known evangelicals (Stuart and Jill Briscoe, Tony
Campolo, Bill and Lynne Hybels, John and Nancy Ortberg, Ron Sider, and more),
discussing women in leadership in Christian ministry. 
