settling back home

We are shrouded in wintery clouds bearing snow and freezing rain. Ugh. I had barely unpacked and certainly hadn't finished the laundry before I started fantasizing about moving somewhere south, at least for the winter.

Maybe a beach vacation is better scheduled for the end of winter and not the beginning. Miserable months loom on the calendar…

After dreaming of sandy beaches, I started looking at flights and airbnbs for Rome at the end of April/beginning of May. I'll have to get onto it though as some flights had very few seats left, and there weren't as many accommodations in Rome compared to when I looked a few weeks ago. I swore off travelling on our flight home, but obviously it didn't stick!

We've not been up to much since we got home. I've been getting back into a workout routine which has been rough! I hadn't done anything other than walk since Graham passed and boy oh boy did I get out of shape fast!

We made an early trip into the city yesterday which gave us the opportunity for a bacon and egg breakfast, then Carm dropped me off at Mom and Dad's for a visit while he hit up Costco. Two hundred dollars later with a cart full of food he picked me up and we headed home - to continue my hibernation! I might not stick my head out again until April!

I'm still recovering from a few sleepless nights and too much fun! I look back at the photos in disbelief… could that have been us under the shade of a palm tree? And only a week ago!

I did take a few minutes and a package of batteries to push back the gloom… 12 pillar candles and goodness knows how many strings of tiny fairy lights have been arranged around the living room and kitchen, all set to come on around 4:45 when dusk settles around us. I make myself ooh and ah over these little points of light in an effort to enjoy the darkness - candle light dinners are nice and something that can't be done in the summer. I glom onto that little joy as if it were a life raft.

The snow has stuck around since last weekend, perhaps to never leave. We've got rain, freezing rain, and snow in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow so it's possible that we've seen the last of green grass until spring… honestly though, a green Christmas would be awesome ;-)

Tonight I made Cacio e Pepe Sautéed Cabbage from a recipe I got off FB. Of course I didn't make it according to the recipe but added garlic (because why not), white kidney beans, and crumbled pressed cottage cheese. I enjoyed it even though it had tons of freshly ground pepper, which I am normally not a huge fan of. It was around 350 calories per serving with 30g protein so a well rounded supper. I'll make it again!

Awesome!

"quiet days"

"discovering new music"

"hot tea on a cold afternoon, same could be said for a hot bath on that same afternoon!"

"low morning sun making rainbows on the hoar frost covered grass stems"