Happy 2026 to you my dear Friends!
I wish for you a healthy, happy, and blessing-filled year ahead.
Please know I'm so grateful for the gift of your friendship here. And I look forward to sharing another year with you all in this blogland space.
Matt has had downtime from work so this holiday season has been filled with such fun quality time together. We had a quiet New Years Eve. We were going to be doing things with our friends - the C's...but Mr. C and his daughter were sickies. So Matt and I had a fun order in dinner, played some games, and then hung out by the fire with only the Christmas lights on. It was so cozy and snuggly and a wonderful way to ring in the 2026 (we did make it to midnight!).
Then New Years Day we watched the Rose Bowl parade and some football and had a wonderful chat about our goals for the year ahead. Our individual ones, as well as some together, home improvement plans etc.
I like to have a word for the year. It helps encompass all I would like to achieve without feeling like a resolution. A resolution to me always sounds rigid or like a setting of rules. Whereas, I think of a word as something fluid and flexible that will adapt with all that life may throw at me in 2026. Something that can grow and improve, as opposed to something that is only success or failure (if that makes sense?)
My word for this year is FAITH. Here are some ways I want to grow in this word for 2026:
1)to literally grow in faith and dive deeper into Scripture
2)to continue to grow in faith in our marriage (sharing in faith, literally, with Matt) but also in our faith in what we have and how we can grow even closer and stronger as a couple
3)to grow in faith in myself and my ability to improve my health habits and my work habits (including a new endeavor this year). To take some real leaps of faith in 2026.
4) to grow in faith in humanity - meaning to focus on the good in the world. It gets so easy to get caught up in the news and sad parts of our world. I want to focus on the beautiful things going on in this world - and in my own community, and contribute to it all in any ways I'm able.
Do you set goals in the new year?
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
A wonderful neighbor friend of mine often makes lefse this time of year - and she brought us some. If you're not familiar you can read about lefse here. It's basically Norwegian crepes...almost tortilla-like and made from potatoes. I had a little part of one with melted butter and cinnamon sugar on it and rolled up. So good with my coffee!
ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:
out to lunch with Mrs. C., get things ready for girlfriend Christmas I'll host here this weekend, groceries and errands, work projects and clean up before party, hospice work
THINKING ABOUT:
How it was my blogaversary back in November. But as it's become my routine - I'm always so busy this time of year that it escapes my brain until now. And I want to do a giveaway because I think it's fun, and also because I want to thank you all for being such wonderful friends. 💗 I appreciate you and your visits so very much! So I've been accumulating some goodies and when I'm all set I will do post for you to join for the giveaway. So please stay tuned!
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:
going for a lovely lunch out and catching up with a bestie (food for the belly and soul) 💗
CURRENTLY READING
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden Still reading (it's really good!) and then will watch the movie with Matt (it's a thriller) when I'm done.
ON THE TV TODAY:
Jeopardy, old seasons of big brother, Junk or Jackpot on HGTV, some cooking shows, still watching old episodes of the Office too, movies (we recently watched Roofman based on a true story and it was pretty good)
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY - cashew chicken sheet pan dinner
TUESDAY - maybe leftovers? maybe breakfast for dinner?
WEDNESDAY - pork soup dumplings and veggie spring rolls, fruit & fresh veggie plate
THURSDAY - homemade chicken pot pie
FRIDAY - out for dinner?
*Girlfriend Christmas on the weekend - doing Italian theme this year and I will put out build your own naan flatbread pizzas. I will also put together a fun charcuterie with some fresh fruit and veggies. Making something fun for a little treat too. One of my friends is bringing spinach and artichoke dip & stuff to make bellinis. Another is bringing an Italian pasta salad. And another is bringing an Italian dessert. We never starve if you can't tell. Lol I look so forward to our time together every year. They will come in the afternoon and stay until late into the evening. We gab, graze, and exchange gifts. I treasure time with these sisters of my heart more every year that goes by. We have been doing this gathering for over 30 years now!
TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:
read book, color, watch a movie with Matt
TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:
I recently made a pasta meal that we had tossed with pesto and some parm cheese. A few days later I thought a fun way to use more of the pesto up was to make sandwiches with it. We had some sun dried tomato deli turkey and I layered that on a sandwich along with some mayo and pesto as a spread on the inside of the bread. Some cheese and some spinach layered inside too. Then buttered the outside of the bread and grilled them like grilled cheeses. When I took them out of the pan, while still hot, I sprinkled a little parm cheese on top of the buttery grilled bread. They were so tasty! And a great way to use the pesto up.
I think another fun way to use it up would be to make an egg bake, omelette, or scramble with it. Make the egg dish with Italian flavors (peppers, feta or mozzarella cheese, tomato etc) and of course the pesto in there too. Yum!
FROM THE CAMERA:
I was back on duty at the hospice house right after New Years and I found this surprise on my car door mirror. I sure love that Hubby of mine! ❤️❤️❤️
New Years moments. New years eve brownies = yum! We're still enjoying the pretty glow of decorations over here as I host my girlfriend Christmas this weekend and I like to leave everything up for it. New Years Day lounging with the Rose parade, Ruby and Bubba snuggles, football and maybe a nap or 2. :)
PRAYER LIST:
For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence. For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace.
For the Lord's love and peace to fill 2026. ❤️
For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way to loving our neighbors as ourselves. 🙏🏻