Taking a cue from nature

After the fun and frenzy of December, it's time to return to everyday living and routine. I think I'm ready to do that, even though that means no more staying up late or sleeping in.

This morning was the transition back to workweek routine and schedule, although our plans to rise and shine and hit the YMCA were hampered by a very warm and cozy bed, and temps in the teens outside. (Tomorrow will be a different story, and the warm bed will not win out.) As I stumbled to the kitchen and poured a cup of steaming coffee, I looked outside and realized snow was gently falling. Some big flakes, mostly small ones, drifted down silently...I guess someone forgot to tell them it's too cold to snow.

My eyes then caught movement toward the back of the property where several deer were slowly making their way across, nibbling on anything they could find to eat. That's always bad news for my young trees and shrubs, but it's still a very peaceful sight.

My first thought was pure whimsy: maybe nature was also struggling to get back in the workday routine. My second thought was an appreciation for the slower pace that is nature's routine. We humans would be well advised to emulate that slower pace instead of hurrying and scurrying about all day. My reverie was cut short when the dog tried to chase the deer and the cat tried to chase the dog. Fortunately, our "Milo and Otis" look out for one another, and the dog penned the cat in the greenhouse until she could be caught and brought back inside.

Yesterday I made runzas and a loaf of cinnamon-swirl bread. With a forecast showing nothing but cold temperatures for at least a week, I think a hearty pot of stick-to-your-ribs chicken soup will be on tonight's menu, with grilled cheese or runzas on the side. And I think I'll try moving at a steady - but slightly slower - pace today. And maybe even take a stroll across the yard while the snow is gently falling.

Dinnertime!

A new year is here, that means new recipes to try alongside the family favorites.

I spent a leisurely morning copying and printing off my favorite Christmas cookie and candy recipes for a new holiday notebook. Hopefully it will make me ultra-efficient next December when it's time to start the holiday baking. I'll have my tried-and-true recipes all in one spot, instead of having to remember which notebook or recipe box to peek in. (I didn't limit this to just sweets, but also our brunch and supper favorites, plus my Christmas card list, and even some holiday decorating ideas I snagged from here and there. My goal is to make this notebook function as my constant companion during the holidays, with everything I need at my fingertips.)

After the recipe books and clippings were all tucked away, I managed to finally clean off my desk. That meant a reward: my 2010 desk blotter is out and quickly filling up. And for now, it's still visible. Give me a few days of junk mail deluge, and it might be buried again. Such is life...

Tonight's menu includes this slimmed-down baby back rib recipe from Men's Health magazine's "Cook This Not That" column, plus our traditional blackeyed pea/avocado salad (recipe courtesy of my dear friend Pam), plus cheese biscuits like Jim & Nick's BBQ, and a pineapple upside-down cake. Confession time: I haven't made a P-U-D cake in....well, decades I guess. But I've got fresh pineapple left over from the holidays, and it would be a shame to waste it, especially when there are some really yummy recipes out there.

It's a good thing today's itinerary includes an afternoon run, then some prep time before tomorrow's Bible class where I hope my Powerpoint-backed lesson will impress the third-graders with a glimpse into first century life in Corinth and amaze them with details like the weight of Roman soldier tents (half a ton - who knew?)

Auld Lang Syne and all that.

Random thought for the day: will we say "two thousand and ten" or "twenty-ten?" It should be interesting to see how we mere mortals refer to this year as we usher in the second decade of the 21st century.

For the first time in a long time, I managed to start the new year off right - the Christmas decs are all "snug in their beds" until next December. Most years, I'm lucky to have them down by the 2nd week of January, but I decided to get on the ball this time around. I also accomplished another first - I ran 3.5 miles, and bumped up the pace, too. Now that I've got the 5K goal under my belt, I'm ready to tackle longer runs, and maybe a half-marathon isn't such a stretch after all.

We ushered in the new year with a quiet evening at home. After braving the grocery store, I served up New Orleans-style oyster stew to start things off and provide comfort to my discouraged UT fan/husband as he watched the Vols lose to Virginia Tech at the Chik-Fil-A bowl. (At least he didn't drive down to Hotlanta and buy a ticket to watch the game!) A couple big steaks fed three of us (middle child opted to spend the night with us), along with some spicy shrimp, baked 'taters and crusty bread.

I've never been good at making or keeping resolutions, but that doesn't stop me from making a run at it every now and again. So this year, I resolve these five things (it's easy to remember if I can count 'em on one hand):

1. Show more hospitality. I love spending time with our friends and I love getting acquainted with new friends. Entertaining guests is a great motivator to clean the house and an excuse to create a decadent dessert. All upside, no downside.
   
2. Run the race. My energy level and outlook on life have certainly improved by introducing running to my life last spring. It seems like a good thing to continue.
3. Become more purposeful. As a good friend once advised, everyone has 24 hours in each day and we all manage to find time for the things we really want to do. So my goal is to consider what it is I really want to do each day, and tackle it like there's no tomorrow - because there may not be.
4. Become more prayerful. That's what my knees are for. Well, that and gardening and cleaning behind toilets.
   
5. Finish reading the Bible through. I started it in 2009 and made great strides; there's no sense in starting over just because it's a new year. I just need to finish what I started and then begin again.