Meandering Mind

We had our Thanksgiving dinner on Monday due to my daughter's work schedule. It was a lovely day, but I was tired out by the half-way point.  I've limited the number of dishes I make over the past several years, with my children picking up the responsibility for more ... a good plan I think. We had eight people for the day, including the three of us.  After my folks died in 2018 (Mom) and 2019 (Dad), suddenly we went from a group that varied between ten and twenty, with me doing ninety-five percent of the cooking, to the three of us.  The first couple of years we had a simple day of the meal and a movie at home.  I was so worn out and heartsick over the losses and exhaustion of caring for my parents, the trust,  and the drama of now-estranged family members that it was a good transition time.  More recently, I have 'the kids' invite a small number of friends who could use a seat at our table.  It works well for us, and there are generally games played after a leisurely meal.  I exit stage right pretty quickly to put my feet up and be quiet.  It's nice hearing the muffled conversation and laughter.

Thank goodness the leftovers are gone or in the freezer. I went to the grocery store yesterday, figuring it would be sparse as most would be eating leftovers ... nope! It was quite crowded. I picked up just a few staples ... potatoes, fruit, fresh veg.  My reward after putting away groceries was a nice hot bowl of soup; I save my poultry carcasses to make nice stock-base. I put in six ounces of white wine and onions roasted with the chicken with the carcass to make a nice stock. Then I  throw celery, onions, carrots, and whatever other veg I need to use up.  It was a delicious and  simple meal during this season when all the meals and treats are delicious but rich.  (The placemat is from my favorite artists' collective in Flagstaff.)

Our weather is still making the transition from autumn to winter. This week the predicted highs/lows are in the 60s/30s. The last two or three weeks brought quite a bit of rain, wind, and snow (snow to the surrounding mountains, not our high desert valley). We had temperature variations ... some days cold enough for snow, others both highs and lows were in the forties.

I've been having a lazy day; stayed up much too late last night. I operate better with early to bed and early to rise. I'm aware that a certain amount of anxiety mixed with procrastination leads to this late-night followed by slow-moving behavior, so am praying about it and taking my learned practical steps to deal with it.  I'm so much happier when I feel productive in my days.

Happy Saturday. 💋💕