November Gratefulness #5
Monday, November 28, 2011 | 1 Comment As the month draws to a close, I have much to be grateful for--not just now, but all year round. Here are a few of the things that have me sighing with contentedness these days.
A freakishly organized pantry
We purchased another 15 OXXO cannisters and moved every dry good (with the exception of some oddly-shaped crackers) into the clear storage.
To make it even more organized, I broke out the labelmaker--purchased last year and never opened--and created labels for each and every thing in the pantry. My OCD was shuddering with pleasure.
Christmas decorations
Our seasonal decor is somewhat limited--at least in comparison to my mom, who has a box of wreaths, table linens, and random "stuff" for nearly every holiday on the calendar. This year, we made a point to get what little Christmas stuff we do have in place.
Rather than spread one item per room, we opted to focus efforts on the entryway and main living/dining area. We got a tree from our local provider (love living in the historic downtown area!) and decorated it on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Everything was in place and tidied up by Sunday, with Bill managing the bannister garland on his own while I sneaked off to catch up on work.
It was also our first opportunity to use the Weihnachtspyramide that we purchased on our vacation to Germany in April. My family had one of these when I was growing up, and I'm so pleased to have one for our home. We have it in a place of honor in the dining room--where we can carefully watch to ensure that the candles don't inadvertantly light the whole thing on fire.
Keeping up the momentum, we even designed and ordered holiday cards tonight. With any luck, we'll have them addressed and mailed by December 10. Having eschewed the holiday card routine for years, I'm delighted to tackle it this time around.
Winter Gardens
While I am professionally obliged to bemoan the state of global warming, I have to admit that it isn't 100% bad. Tonight I was able to harvest a bell pepper, Swiss chard, and bok choi from our garden. Two of the three are actually summer vegetables that should have been well past harvest date, but due to our unseasonably warm November they are still chugging along.
The produce went directly into the peanut satay stirfry that I whipped up with Thai noodles and leftover Thansgiving turkey. It was delicious, if I do say so myself.
And last but not least...
Yesterday we purchased a new car. I am grateful for the financial success that allowed us to pay for it with cash. I am grateful that the foster/adoption approval process is coming to a close, making it possible to realistically need a car with that third row of seat. And I'm grateful for my dear husband, who (at least today) took the old car and left me with that gleaming machine for errands around town.
Reader Comments (1)
Your house looks lovely! Where is the picture of the car?