I wasn't sure if I should bother decorating the house for the holidays this year, since no one was coming. No parties planned, no holiday dinners, no gifts or outings. I did put up the decorations on schedule, which is the day after Thanksgiving in our house, and I was glad I did. The little lights and sparkle gave me a lift. It is usually difficult for me at this time of year, because of our short, dark days with near constant cloud cover and rain, but the holidays provide a needed respite from my routine. Especially this year, I needed that break.
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Festive fireplace with the one gift we got in the mail.
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I have a natural, pine cone and nuts theme.
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My mom and I made the pillow cases years ago.
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With no tree, I put ornaments into decorative bowls.
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The kitchen window.
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A side table with our basket for holiday cards.
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I've continued to cook better meals at home. This time of year tends to feature comforting soups and stews. My mom couldn't resist and made a full Thanksgiving dinner that we picked up from her door (my brother got one too). Russ and I had a Zoom call with his family after dinner. My Mom and I have a Christmas baking tradition, so it was sad this year to make the cookies by myself.
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Thanksgiving (no turkey for me)
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Ramen with hedgehog mushrooms and bok choy.
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Shrimp and grits with Swiss chard.
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| Lasagna |
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Black bean and sweet potato enchiladas.
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Fresh spinach pasta with chantrelles and pesto
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Breakfast yogurt with mandarin oranges, granola and pumpkin bread.
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Orzo "risotto" with winter squash and Brussels sprouts
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Zucchini-Carrot Casserole
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Pasta with kale and fake sausage. The wine is a fav.
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Fresh Almond Thumbprint Cookies in the jar.
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Squash soup with cheese board.
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Christmas Butter Cookies.
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Seafood chowder (local Dungeness Crab and salmon)
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Christmas Cheese board and pumpkin bundt cake.
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Harvest vegetable pie for Christmas dinner.
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It is a pain to make, so I don't do it often.
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We are still trying to make it out for walks at local parks when the weather allows. I really appreciate exploring some of the less visited areas close to where we live.
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The Sign says it all.
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Still a few golden leaves.
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Russ on the (short!) trail.
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This used to have some sort of brick fundraising patio.
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On a car in the supermarket parking lot. So perfect.
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We've driven past this for years. It was good to stop.
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Mushrooms after the rain. Typical for here.
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A nice wooded area by Paradise Pond.
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Curran Apple Orchard Park.
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Kopachuck State Park.
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Great views from Kopachuck.
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Lots of trails here.
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Everything was so wet and the leaves were slick.
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Russ waits for take out at The Red Hot.
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It has been a long and weird year. New Year's is my favorite holiday. I love the idea of starting fresh and making plans. I usually write in my journal, evaluate the past year, and decide on a theme for the coming one. Last year my theme was "Travel." That clearly did not work out for us. This year I am going with "Creativity." I plan to learn to play the hammered dulcimer and learn to draw (sketch). This theme also doesn't depend on vaccine distribution, but can be done regardless of circumstances. I considered "comfort," but I feel like that was what this year turned into, so went with something more active. Happy New Year!
