I am not a food blogger, but I’m sharing sub-par pictures of food because both of those salads were delicious. The beet salad I threw together with leftovers from the pantry and fridge. The chicken salad recipe I found here. Both are Whole 30 compliant and delicious. 

I felt like the expedition to get my haircut needed a selfie because those are the times we live in. (I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to wearing makeup, but I do wish I had more in the way of eyelashes.)

The picture of Molly and the hard-boiled egg makes me laugh. Two sounds bring her running – peeling an egg and a cheese stick wrapper being pulled open. I don’t know how she knows a cheese stick wrapper from another wrapper, but she always knows – even if she’s sound asleep on the other side of the house. I don’t believe in teasing animals, so I broke off a piece of the egg for her once I took the picture. I also don’t believe in animals on furniture, but you can see how that is going.

I deleted my FB account and deactivated the IG, and as a reward, I got myself a subscription to audible. It took me forever to figure out what book deserved my first credit, but I ended up buying Atomic Habits by James Clear. I had been reading it over the summer and couldn’t get myself to finish. Interestingly, I preferred the audio format. Now, I’m listening to Pride and Prejudice performed by Rosamund Pike (free with my membership), and I’m enjoying it. Rita has some great recommendations on audiobooks if you are looking for suggestions. 

I do have some things this week, so I should probably get started.

Watching: Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix. It’s a friend recommendation, and I’ve only watched one episode, but I’m sharing because that one episode was a delight. It’s a food/travel show, and I’m going to ration out episodes one at a time like candy. I binged the second season of Virgin River in two sittings. 

Reading: Do audiobooks count as reading? I’m counting them in my Goodreads challenge because otherwise, I haven’t read anything. For almost all of my life, I’ve identified as a reader. But lately, I just have had the worst time finding anything I want to read. I still have How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell and The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (a reread) and Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden in rotation, and my goal for the week is to get one of them finished.

Knitting: We spent last weekend up north. I thought I had packed all the tools for my current knitting project, but I didn’t. Past Kate deserves a nod because last time, she left me a pouch with two balls of dishcloth yarn and needles. I puttered away in front of the fire on dishcloths and then stashed it back for next time. Jesse’s socks are finally complete, but I need to block both his and Violet’s. I also added a few squares to my sock yarn blanket. If I finish that, it will probably be a decade from now, but I do love looking at the squares and remembering which ones I got in trade and which ones I’ve made into socks and for whom.

Making: I ordered a few seed packets and plants for things we’d like to try in the garden next year. We had plans to expand to a different section of our yard, but will probably postpone that until next year. I want to make sure this hobby sticks before we invest in more garden space. (And if it does, that I can’t convince my family to move to a little hobby farm instead.)

Abe’s school is doing a scheduled two week virtual plan so I’m hoping to get in some art or crafty thing with the two of them though I haven’t figured out exactly what yet.

So those are my things. What have you been -ing lately?

My favorite picture of this bunch is probably the reflection of me, sitting in front of the washer, waiting for the spin cycle to kick in. We’ve done that plenty since Christmas, when the pump on our washing machine went out, and have all impatiently awaited its replacement (holidays, COVID, shipping). If you ever doubt that a fully automatic washing machine is a luxury, tie yourself to it for the rinse and spin cycles for every single load for a couple of days. If you really want to cement it in your brain, do it for a couple of weeks. You’ll 1) evaluate whether every piece of laundry really needs to be washed and 2) renew the awe you feel at your grandmother who used a manual wringer washer until she was 35 (with six kids). We’ll be back to a regularly functioning washer this week and none of us are sad about it.

Almost a full week into 2021, I have a word (play) and some intentions. I’m using a workbook purchased from The Handwriting Club on etsy to be a bit more “analog” this year. Abram told me I needed one more to fill up my intentions checklist but I think I’m going to leave a little room for the universe and wait until I’m a little further in the year before I add that one. (I bought V & A their own workbooks too, but they aren’t as enthused.)

Let’s talk some -ings. I don’t have many, but that’s okay.

Reading: I have a few things going which is unusual for me (I tend to be a serial monogamist when it comes to books). How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell, a reread of The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, and Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden. I’ve been absolutely craving a completely indulgent Sidney Sheldon or Danielle Steele novel which is perhaps why I keep picking up and starting new books.

Watching: I binged Bridgerton on Netflix in a couple of days. Someone told me it was a cross between Gossip Girl and The Crown and I’m going to say that’s true – in so far as it’s a 95/5 cross, with GG being the 95%. It’s quite sexually graphic in parts (unnecessarily so in my usually not a prude opinion) and sometimes a little ridiculous, but it’s also fun and filled with eye candy (of the costuming, settings, and people kind).

Knitting: Still Jesse’s socks. I was in a mad dash to get them finished before Christmas which didn’t happen and while I’m only about 20 rows from the toe I feel like I’m on some weird knitting treadmill.

Making: All the food prep. Jesse and I decided it might be good to reset our tastebuds and try a Whole 30. We started January 2 and I can’t say all the recipes have been winners but these coconut curry meatballs were amazing, as is this hash which we’ve always liked. Be prepared for a whole list of linked recipes as the month goes on.

Listening to: The Stardew soundtrack on Spotify. My brother got me the game for Christmas so we could have socially distant hangs and I love the music. It makes me happy when I need to do some drudge work (like manually drain the washing machine, or wash dishes, or fold laundry). This is also my most played song in the last couple of weeks which is 100% my sister. (Any music that is even kind of cool is almost always a recommendation from one of my siblings.)

So that’s me. How has your 2021 started? Any intentions/resolutions/words you’d like to share? What are you -ing?

Today is Election Day. I’m living in a town with some of the fastest growing COVID-19 infection rates in the nation (adjusted for population). I’m so lonely I could just absolutely bawl (have bawled). It’s Tuesday so let’s talk things.

Molly is not allowed on the furniture because those are the rules. Molly gives exactly zero figs for those rules. And she’s letting us know. Speaking of rules, I’m a firm believer in Christmas decorations not coming out until after Thanksgiving. Except for this year. This year, I am bringing out all the twinkle lights, piles of cozy winter quilts, and every ounce of jingle-jangle-holiday-merry I can find. Because I need it. (I commissioned someone to make me that winter quilt and it arrived, along with a cozy throw pillow gift, this week.)

Playing Yeti in Spaghetti with Abram made me really want a set of old fashioned pick-up-sticks.

I broke my yarn diet. I get one skein of gorgeously dyed sock yarn every month from The Sleeping Bear Yarn Club (which has been a present to myself every year for the last 5 years) and that’s all I’ve been allowing myself. Recently, it came out that Hobby Lobby (those bastions of Christianity) has been stealing/copying color ways from one of my favorite indie dyers and so I decided to purchase a few extra skeins. I need to knit faster.

Knitting: I’m still working on the scarf and the socks. I’m almost done with the second sock. The scarf is languishing.

Reading: I finished Caste. The most frustrating part about recommending this book is that the people who most need to read it are the ones least likely to bother. It’s hard and uncomfortable and important. Now I have to decided between Tribe of Fatherless Girls and Addie LaRue.

Watching: Violet and I celebrated Halloween with a viewing of The Poltergeist. Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with the whole world and in need of mindless crap, I watched Holidate. It fit the bill. Has anyone watched Ratched? I can’t decide if I want to. I need something, but I want cotton candy.

Listening: Nice White Parents. a mellow happy little fall playlist, and my dance it out song right now.

Making: Kari’s romance waffles. A list of winter projects. And Christmas presents.

So that’s me. What are you -ing? Wishing you a safe and healthy and week!