Weekend Coffee Share....Come Sit with Me

It's another week of Weekend Coffee Share. I always love everyone's posts. Are you like me and try to visit everyone? It doesn't always happen but I try. I have loved getting to know different bloggers and I figure if they take the time to write a post, I'll find the time to visit, even if it's a week later. I truly enjoy what you all share and I often learn so much. 

Check out all the other posts on Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. I'm off to go visit some now. #weekendcoffeeshare.

If we were having coffee we'd probably talk about:

That I'm a dork....I knew that Natalie was taking a break but forgot, so now you'll get a double dose of coffee share. I also forgot to change the published date, so it published on the 12th and I couldn't change it to this weekend. 

The weather: Week of 1/6-12: We had a mostly dry week and then Friday woke up to rain, and it was cold. I thought..."you know, if it's going to be this cold, it could at least snow" and "you know, I know another state that could REALLY use this rain, much more than us"! Well, no, it's just rained the last two days, however, we are looking at a period of dry weather, and maybe, maybe, some snow...it will probably just spit, but oh well. 

Week of 1/13-1/17: We have had a dry week and a cold week, only to have colder temps in the coming week. I won't complain because I'm loving the blue sky.

What we're thinking about:  Week of 1/6-12: I'm thinking a lot about all those in California who have lost so much due to the fires. I have friends and a cousin who are safe but close enough to be able to smell smoke, etc. I think about how many had no chance to get anything other than what they could probably carry, and they lost everything. Memories, momentos, things they treasured. Yes, they lived and true, things are just things, but when you lose it ALL, so much of "you" is lost as well. Things you can't replace or get back. It's heartbreaking. I've listened to some really good perspectives. I follow one guy on instagram who's wife's 90 year old grandma lost her home of 30 years and everything in it. 

Week of 1/13-1/17: Over the last several years, my words of the year have been Breathe, Intentional, Shine, Delight, Cultivate, Unfold(ing), Savor, Nourish. I love each of them and they really spoke to me when I chose them, however, I have found that I didn't truly apply them or activate them the way I would have liked. I haven't chosen a word this year. I've thought that maybe I'll take each word from the past and focus on it for a month or so...we'll see. 

What we're thankful for: Week of 1/6-12:  am thankful for those who risk everything to go in and fight those fires. I'm thankful for all the people I see coming together to help people. Who offer their homes, their pastures, collect clothing and other things. I'm thankful I live in an area that does pretty good forest management. I'm thankful for the helpers. It has made me reflect on myself and if a crisis of that magnitude happened here, what would I do, how would I help. What could I offer. 

Week of 1/13-1/17: I'm thankful for the little things. I'm thankful for the cozy fire in the morning that I have been enjoying. I've been waking up, turning on the gas fireplace and just enjoying the quiet. I'm thankful that my coffee pot has a delay start so when I wake up in the mornings, it can be ready for me. I'm thankful for the love of reading. During this cold weather, I'm glad I can start my car remotely...haha. I've never had a new car so this is a treat. Same goes for summer..I can start it and set the AC to come on. 

Around the house: Week of 1/6-12: Christmas is coming down. I've got most of it down, I just have to take down the tree and a few larger outdoor decor items. The goal is by the end of the weekend, it's done. While the house always seems so bare, it's sometimes nice to start with a clean slate, to get inspired for what might work in spaces, what can go, etc. This past week we had our ductwork cleaned, our heat pump and furnace serviced and had our crawl space inspected. All looks good. A few minor things to do in the crawl space but nothing major. 

Week of 1/13-1/17: Christmas is all down but not stored back up in the attic, and we still have to take the tree down. It's not something I can do myself. I organized a closet space (if you can call it that) under the stairs. Costco has these rolling drawers that were nice so we bought two of them. I like how it looks. 

For the love of food: Week of 1/6-12: I tried a few recipes this past week. I know my hubby was a bit nervous about a few of them. One was simply a spaghetti sauce over spaghetti squash. The other was Thai zucchini noodles with a peanut sauce and shrimp. They both turned out pretty good. I also did taco soup and chicken soup with dumplings. I'm in the process of making the menu for next week. 

Week of 1/13-1/17: I didn't really try any new recipes last week. I kept it fairly basic. I'm currently making my menu and grocery list for next week. I'm off Monday, so I'm thinking, if I stick around home, I might make some homemade bread. 

For the love of books:Week of 1/6-12:  I finished the book Puzzle Me a Murder. It was a good one. I started a new cozy mystery, Fondue or Die by Korina Moss. One goal I have is to look through my kindle books and see which ones might match the prompts for the 52 book challenge. I'm still working on The Zookeepers Wife. I need to finish that one in the next week so I can mail it off to the next person. It's kind of a tough read. I don't remember if I mentioned that I thought it was a fiction book when I bought it but it's more of a re-telling of the story. It is interesting because it is a story I would have never heard about otherwise, but I'm having a hard time getting into it. I kind of feel bad that everyone else has to read it...haha. I hope at least a few people enjoy it. 

Week of 1/13-1/17: I am still reading the two books I mentioned above. I did receive an ARC copy of a cozy mystery of one of my favorite local authors so I will start that soon. The book comes out on the 28th so I'd like to have it read by then, though we aren't obligated to have it finished til February 11th. 

I did share my #WOYBS post.  You can read that here.

What we're watching or listening to:Week of 1/6-12:  I started a new audiobook Frontier Follies by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman). It fits the prompt "character has red hair". Works for me. I finished Tears of the Giraffe. That was very good on audiobook. I caught up on a few podcast episodes, but haven't watched anything on TV. 

Week of 1/13-1/17: I'm about 75% done with the Frontier Follies. It's a fun and easy listen. I have a few more on my list to read. I listened to a few podcasts. A new one to me is The Lazy Genius. The few episodes I've listened to, I've really enjoyed. 

Favorite quote:Week of 1/6-12: I came across this quote in the book I'm still reading by the Dalai Lama:

"What can you do to help change that situation? You might not be able to do a great day, but start where you are and do what you can where you are."

I thought that was so good. 

Week of 1/13-1/17: This was a quote from the book I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet

"One of my goals is to be a person who's easily delighted. Who can find great cause for celebration in most anything.

I want to live with an extremely low bar for delight. A good song, a ripe peace of fruit. You're allowed to love, tiny, daily, ordinary moments in your life."

There were so many quotes in that book I saved. This one spoke to me because it's so easy to celebrate and delight in the bigger things, but not the simple, ordinary, every day happenings. 

Favorite photo(s):Week of 1/6-12: My hubby and daughters had a daughter/dad day and they went axe throwing. Love these pics. 

Week of 1/13-1/17:

I just loved this view walking back to the car after preschool..She just looked like such a big girl. It was "bring a lunch day". They are done by 11:30 so usually just have snacks at preschool. 

We can come and made Sundays. Indy and I went to the store and bought toppings. 

Random or not so random things:Week of 1/6-12:  I have not chosen a WOTY and I'm not sure I will this year. I was thinking of taking words from the past years and maybe focusing one of those for a few months, setting intentions for each one, finding a reading or a song or something like that. 

I've been thinking a bit more on blogging, and wanting to find more time for it, but also trying to be realistic. For some reason it seems to take me awhile to write a post, so I can't pump them out quickly...maybe I get too distracted. I may have some time freeing up in the next month so that may leave a bit of room for this, we'll see. I love joining in with different challenges, but I think I've decided that if it's one that I discover no one comes over and comments on my posts, I am not going to take the time to join in. I'd rather use that time to write another post. 

Not a whole lot else to write this week. Off to decorate the tree. 

Week of 1/13-1/17: Last week I really focused on getting back on track with my steps and working out. I think I did pretty well. I think more than focusing on weight loss, I'm going to focus right now on being intentional with my movement and my eating..just being more aware. 

Well, I have misplaced my wedding ring. I don't always wear it because when I get too warm my fingers swell, and I don't like to wear it when I'm cooking, cleaning, etc. I have only 3 specific places I put it, and it's in none of those places. Part of me wonders if it got caught up in the Christmas decor but I just don't know. I've tried looking through stuff, but have come up empty. I think I would literally need to empty every container..which I may still do. In the 32 years we've been married, I have only "lost" it once and I found it. I'm hoping this is the same. 

I'm looking forward to having Monday off for M.L.K. Jr. day. Normally we would work, but because UPS decided to give their workers the day off, we decided to close that day as well...that usually means the following day is busy, but it's worth it. Since I work Mondays and then have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, this gives me a really long weekend. Yay! 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin