- Yoga and consent.
- I could easily fall down this rabbit hole of animated interviews.
- Non-book gift giving for book lovers.
- We’re pressuring kids to read too soon. YES!!!!!!
- How to reverse image search on google.
- Not for me, thanks.
- Love Dan Levy.
- And Dolly.
- Micromachines are coming back. (I remember that commercial!!)
- Politics aside, this is a pretty cool picture capture.
- How much rest do you need to prevent burnout?
- Pet portraits.
- Guilty (but working on it.)
- I would love a receipt like this.
- A wishlist.
Hope you are having a very happy weekend. We’ve had big beautiful snow and I’m getting so excited for Christmas!!!
Hi Kate!
I hope you had a good Thanksgiving?
The yoga and consent link has reminded me that you joined a yoga class a while back—how’s that going?
I was just in a bookstore last evening and have decided it was SO much easier choosing books for my kiddos when they were young! Loved seeing all the non-book gift ideas 🙂 .
I, too, would love a receipt like that; what a brilliant idea!
(How’s your Christmas knitting coming along?)
Hi Marian!! Weather/schedules impacted our Thanksgiving plans and instead my brother came over and it was a very low key and lovely meal. Today we’ve been putting up decorations and all sorts of twinkle lights because it makes this dark and gray time of year magical.
Oh goodness, I’m just SLOW this year with the knitting. Not because I’m slow. Just that I keep putting it down. I don’t FEEL like knitting. I want to read books or cross stitch or just about anything but knit. I used to worry when I would feel like this, but it’s happened enough that I know I’ll come around.
As for yoga, I’ve always liked it but haven’t always been good sticking with it. I’m trying to different styles of class right now – one is hard for me physically (a fast paced flow) and one is hard for me mentally (a restorative class that involves mediation). I like the restorative class better but it’s also a real challenge. I’m trying to build some more walking in my days too. Do you still walk in the morning?
Are you ready with your Christmas knitting?
I can kind of go in spurts with my knitting too—it’s hardest to find the motivation to knit when I’m about a third of the way into the first sock of a pair; at that stage, knitting a pair of socks always seems like a dumb thing to be doing! (And I say that even at this stage, when I’ve probably knit 20 pairs and know it’s NOT a dumb, insurmountable thing to do! I’m currently on the second sock of the last pair I need to finish before Christmas, and I think I’ll be able to get it done.) Are you still working on the American-themed cross stitch you had been working on a while back? (Was it the White House? Sorry, I’m now not entirely sure…) Or have you started a new project? (My daughter has recently taken up cross stitch and embroidery! She texts me pictures of her progress 🙂 .)
My walking in the morning has been hit-and-miss since my son started high school in September. Some mornings I walk to the grocery store, but I haven’t “exercised” since the summer. Sigh. I’m glad to hear you’re persevering with the yoga!
It’s funny you should say that about 1/3 into the first sock because I’m just a little past that point and I can’t bring myself to pick it up.
With the cross stitch, I finished NYC and have been working on Washington D.C. and when that’s done I’m either doing San Fran or Chicago. (The San Fran looks cooler, but I kind of want to do cities I’ve been to and I haven’t been there). Once they’re all done I’m having them framed together to hang. Washington is taking me a bit as I haven’t worked on it in months. I love that you can share that with your daughter. I hope someday I’ll have that too. Neither of my children is even slightly interested.
It’s wonderful that you are enjoying the snow, Kate! I wonder if you would get some with this wild weather that we are having from coast to coast.
I read a few links, but I don’t have anything of value to add. I liked the pet drawing of FRED. Mostly, I’ve been read a new book by Ann Cleeves. However, I took time to truly enjoy the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day as that is a tradition for me the past several years. The bull dog, of things, won best of show this year… Certainly a surprise!
The dog show was a family tradition when I was growing up! We didn’t watch it this year for lack of a way (we don’t have cable or antennae) but I miss it! I love all the dogs!!
We did get some and it sounds like we’ll be getting more. I’m LOVING it!!
Happy Thanksgiving! (I am thankful for your Friday posts. Always items that are fun and cool and thought-provoking.)
I love that article about the impeachment photo–like you, not because of politics so much, but because of its insights about how and why images matter. And the one about Dolly because: Dolly.
I love all the gift-giving inspiration here, even though my gift-giving is significantly less than it used to be. Part of that is having fewer people in my circle, but part is that it just hasn’t felt meaningful for some time and I’ve been making agreements with those I love to do less of it. I haven’t landed on the quite right place with it all yet, and several of these links have me thinking some new thoughts about it. Thank you for that.
I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday weekend!
Thank you, Rita!! It’s been lovely. Today I’m enjoying the warm and cozy of of fireplace, Christmas music and tree with the cold and snow blowing about outside. It’s pretty picture perfect.
I think evaluating gift giving is a great idea. Personally, I think a good long evaluation of all the holiday “requirements” is due. I love gift giving, but only if I can find or make the right thing. Before consumerism got its greedy little fingers in, the whole point was to create joy and light for the dreary days and long, dark nights. Adding more that feels like a chore, obligation, or drudge just feeds the beast and I’m ready to cut it from rotation. Winter is supposed to be a time of rest not stress! I’ll get down from my soapbox now. As you can tell, I’ve been thinking on it too.
I hope you’re having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend too!!
This: “the whole point was to create joy and light for the dreary days and long, dark nights.” I think this is going to be my litmus test for all things holiday.
And now I’m wondering about something: When it comes to dreary days and long, dark nights, December isn’t what comes to mind. It’s January and February–especially the dreary days part. In December, the dark and cold are new and feel cozy. In January, they feel old and grey and…dreary. I want to figure out how to have a better January more than a better Christmas.
As for Thanksgiving, mine has been so different from the usual. I am in San Diego visiting my son and family that I’ve never been very close to or spent much time with. It’s been really wonderful. Lots of long talks and walks and doing a lot of not that much. I’m missing home, but loving where I am, simultaneously. Your description of yours has me looking forward to next weekend, and creating a different kind of joy and light.
I’m glad you got to spend the holiday with your son. I wondered if you’d be able to see either of your kids and I’m glad you did – and had a chance to visit family you haven’t seen as much.
We’ve been gray and dreary since October so I’m ready for some shine and sparkle. I’ve been thinking of ways to brighten up January and February too, but at least days will start getting longer again – it’s DARK by 4:30 here which leaves me ready for bed by 6!! Now that my kids are older, we have stuff to DO. It’s a blessing in that it gets me out and a curse in that I don’t cozy up at home in jammies by 5!!
ANYWAY…perhaps we should brainstorm some ideas on how to add a little cheer to those drab winter months!!