On my mind...

Outside my window...  It's 6:30pm and it's dark and has been dark for hours now.  It's this time of year, early December, that I start to remember fondly the long days of summer.  I look forward to the solstice because, although it's the shortest day of the year, I know that every day afterward will be just that slightest bit longer.  It's a good time to celebrate the return of the sun... as well as the Son. 

I am thinking...  about lots and lots and lots of things, but the most pressing and most exciting thing to think about right now is the upcoming birth of my newest niece or nephew.  My sister goes in to the hospital tomorrow for a planned c-section, so we'll know who this new family member is in just a little over 12 hours!!
I'm very excited!  It's like an early Christmas present.  :)

I am thankful for... again... so many things, and we can start with the new baby, but also... I'm thankful for this season, for the fun and excitement that it brings. 

I am going... to be making some cookie dough soon.  We're compiling the grocery list and getting the kitchen cleaned up in order to mess it up again with all the cookie prep. 



I am hoping...   that my husband will have a safe trip across country this week.  He's taking his car and all of his favorite belongings out to Washington state this week as he checks into his new job out there.  I'm hoping that he has fun and enjoys the trip as well as getting there safely without any car issues or stranded in the snow issues.  (He'll be flying home for Christmas.)


I am wishing... that I could be traveling with him, but I'll be saving my cross-country trip for the summer after the kids are out of school and my oldest has graduated from high school.  

I am excited about... this upcoming trip and I have to keep reminding myself to live in the moment because I tend to want to think only of this summer and the trip and the move.   I can't decide whether we'll go by plane, train or automobile (really those have all been considered) and if we go by car, which route will we choose.  There's always the straight line approach, but we've never been straight line kind of people. 

Around the house... okay then, back to reality... the house is fully decorated for the holidays.  We may add a few homemade additions as we do a few Christmas crafts.   

One of my favorite things...  

 ( dug this out from last years pics)

Sour Cream Cookie Cut-outs. 

We use this recipe instead of sugar or gingerbread cut-outs for Christmas... LOVE THEM!

1 C shortening or margarine
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
5 1/2 C flour
1 C sour cream

Cream shortening and sugar.  Add eggs.  Beat well.  Add dry ingredients, sour cream and vanilla.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  Turn onto floured surface.  Roll to 1/2 in.  thickness.  Cut with cookie cutters.  Bake at 375 for 10-12 mins until just done.  Do NOT brown.  Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting or other favorite decorating icings etc...


A picture I would like to share...  

Pictures are a little tough for me right now.  I felt like I had just figured out some fun things with my camera and now with the weather, and the early darkness and all the very drab brownness around me, I feel like I have to totally switch gears.  I'm still taking pictures, but I'm not particularly thrilled with many of them.  This winter will give me plenty of time to work on indoor and *gasp* flash photography.  Got to learn how to use a flash sooner or later, I guess. 

 This picture was a reflection in my sliding glass doors. 

I liked how the double paned glass gave each branch a twin.

 This one is a very highly edited version of a pretty boring and over exposed photo.  

I had fun with the editing.