The Meaning of the Season

Just a little more than a week until Christmas and the holiday season hustle and bustle in surely in full swing. It came to me today how much Christmas has changed in my lifetime and how commercial it’s all become.

It seems most families spend way too much money for items their friends and loved ones probably don’t really need. Weeks and months of shopping and preparation turns into a few minutes of present opening frenzy. My immediate family takes a laid back approach to the holidays and mostly just enjoy a nice meal and the time together. I’m also sentimental enough to believe that Christmas should be an attitude we have in our hearts all year.

Thanksgiving

A holiday that I really love is Thanksgiving. I love all of the traditional foods and the time spent with friends and family. This year the tribe will be gathering at my home and I really can not wait. I have started cooking the pies and some of the breads already and will be ready to pop the turkey in the oven on Thursday morning.

My sister will be arriving the day before and will be staying with us, I can not wait it has been forever since I have seen her and I am excited to be hosting her family this year. Get ready the turkey is on it’s way, loosen your belt and sit down at the table.

Chill in the air

It is in the mid 30’s this morning. It seems awfully early this year and it has me thinking about snow. We had a mild winter last year after multiple snow storms the year before. It has me wondering what is in store for us this winter. The year before last I purchased an Electric Snow Shovel so I feel a little more confident then if I only had a shovel. I have moved since then and I have a lot farther to drive to get out of my neighborhood. I always worry about not being able to get out to go to work. I hope my new neighborhood has a good snow contract with a dependable company. Oh well, I guess I will see whats to come, no use worrying ahead of time.

Pasta Tonight

With this cold weather and all this rain, I have a craving for comfort food. I think I will stop at the grocery on the way home and pick up what I need for a nice pasta dinner.

I especially want to get a loaf of fresh baked Italian bread. My favorite grocery bakes the bread right there at the store and it often goes on sale for 99 cents a loaf. I like to cut thick slices of the Italian bread and spread a garlic butter on it, then pop it under the broiler for about a minute to heat the bread and toast the edges. Sometimes I even toss some grated cheese on top of the bread before broiling it.

That garlic bread plus the pasta and a small green salad make a nice dinner.

The Best Gifts to Give for Your Anniversary

It’s been years since you first tied the knot with your special somewhere. You’re celebrating your anniversary, and you know you want to show them how much you love them. Choosing a gift can be difficult, however. What type of gift will show them how much you truly care and accurately encapsulate how happy you are to be with them? Fortunately, there are several different types of gifts that have shown time and time again that you really do care.

Anniversary gifts come in many different types. You can give your significant other anything that you wish for your anniversary. The below three gifts have been found to be the most meaningful and well received anniversary gifts.

Jewelry is always an incredible gift. It helps show your loved one that you care enough to spend a significant amount of money to help them look their best. However, a lot of jewelry can end up looking the same. One of the best ways to ensure that you provide a unique piece of jewelry is to purchase handcrafted items. A pair of handcrafted earrings are guaranteed to be one of the best. And if your loved one is or has been in the military one of the wonderful Joy Jewelers military rings would be perfect.

One of the great things about having a long term life partner is that they will appreciate any gift that you give. You do not need to overly stress about what to give them. Simply put a fair amount of thought and effort into it and your gift will be appreciated. It doesn’t hurt to give them something truly unique and unforgettable. Put some time into considering various gifts that will make this anniversary one to remember.

Pumpkins

While at work today I saw the very first sign for the many pumpkin farms in this area, and I can not wait to take David to let him pick out his pumpkin for our porch jack-o-lantern. It has become a family trip and party to pick the correct pumpkin and to get it carved and set up on the porch, just right.

I like to pick one smaller pumpkin to make us some pies and we will get this done on this trip too. I love this time of year, the weather has cooled off and we have so much to do this time of year.

Evil black insects

The other morning I decided to get a jump on my gardening that I has been neglected for the last couple of weeks.  The one thing I didn’t expect to have meeting me outside was a little black insect; hundreds to be exact.  There are multiple measures next time that I know I need to have in place.

The season is young and I didn’t expect to have such an encounter.  I was only outside for two hours and I was completely bitten from head to toe.  I was miserable afterwards.  In fact, I still am itching.  The next time I decide to do dome landscaping I will have to be sure to not wash my hair first, wear a hat, put on some bug spray and equip myself with knee pads!  Maybe this is the magical combination to reduce being attacked by black flies!

At any rate these bugs are evil and I wish I could garden in a bubble.  Unfortunately that will never happen so I must arm myself the next time I decide to go outside in order to fight their army.

Juicy goodness

Usually I dread going to pick up groceries every week.  However, this week I was pleasantly surprised.  While shopping the produce section I discovered watermelon!

Watermelon is extremely nutritious, not to mention delicious.  I have always been surprised at how thirst quenching this melon can be.  Personally, I have been known to eat watermelon to not only quench my thirst but also my hunger.  The major reason for this quality is that most hold 92% water by weight.

The watermelon does have a large number of carbohydrate,s but next to no fat.  The fat that does exist merely comes from the natural sugar found in the fruit.  I highly recommend this fruit to anyone who wants a refreshing and versatile fruit.

Christmas Shopping

Although it is still summer, I can’t help but think about how winter is right around the corner and all of the things that come along with the winter months. I am not a fan of winter. The cold, the snow, the icy roads and then of course there is always all of the holidays that come along with winter. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.

Now is a good time to start thinking of who I am going to feel obligated to purchase Christmas presents for and how much money I plan on spending on it all. I am going to start now. There are a lot if things on sale right now because stores are trying to get rid of their summer stock and make way for items that are needed for back to school and for the cold weather that we all have to prepare for.

Last year I managed to purchase every single gift online. I got a lot of my shopping done at musiciansfriends website since so many of my friends and family are into playing music. I didn’t have to actually go to any of the old brick and mortar stores, except for the food items that I needed for the various family holiday dinners. I would love to be able to brag about doing the exact some thing about for this year’s celebrations.

Looking Chic On My Bicycle

One of the best parts about riding my bicycle around town is that I’m able to wear a lot of my cute clothes and not worry about messing them up. It’s not like  I ride that far to work or anything because most of the places are nearby my  home. I’m really into fashion and love the opportunity I have to show off my personal style when I ride my bike.

I almost feel sorry for people who ride motorcycles and have to wear special gear on them just for safety purposes. Well, I don’t really worry about that. I do have a helmet, but it looks pretty cute and matches my bike so it looks good, not dorky. I found it online a few weeks ago at a really good price, actually. While I was online looking for helmets, I came across the website for Wild Blue Deals  I looked through it a little bit and after that I decided to sign up for an internet package that I found on that website.

I’m excited about this weather because I’ll be able to ride my back a little bit more. I hate it when it’s too darned cold for me to ride. I’m just sad I live in an area where I can’t ride my bicycle comfortably all the time.