Isn't it weird that December is still fall? It looks like winter, it feels like winter... let's just call it winter. I try to get out for a walk at least twice a week (Monday and Tuesday mornings, since I don't have to take Cora to school), and although there are a few scenic parts of my walk, it's mostly McMansions. I don't photograph them because who wants to look at those architectural follies? I dream for a beautiful walking route right outside my door, but that is for a future house. Until then, I will continue to fool you.
This post is just a jumble of random photos. They can't all be Pulitzer Prize winners, right? First, see Cora in the backyard doing something, probably thinking about what she is going to whine about next.
Next up are photos of the upstairs, where I have my office and library/quiet hiding room. Because I work from home now, I see an awful lot of these spaces. I'm always tweaking but I have gotten them to the point where I really like them, and don't mind staring at the walls 8 hours a day. It helps that I have wonderful light and greenery. The plant below is less than a year old and has grown several feet. Gotta love a pothos, they really are indestructible.
I am 94 books into my 100 in 2021 goal, which means that I've started thinking about my 2022 reading goals. I won't do 100 again - it really takes quite a lot of time (surprise!) and there are podcasts I've been putting off in favor of audiobooks. I've also been skewing the odds in my favorite by choosing short books. Next year I am going to focus on reading books that I have been wanting to read for a while. This includes books that I own but haven't read; I counted them up and have 44, which actually isn't too bad.
OC is always in the window, waiting for his children to get home. We really lucked out when he showed up, because he's the perfect cat for kids. Eternally patient, loyal, and maybe a little bit dumb. If you look closely you can see me taking the photo in the window.
A couple of weeks ago I helped out on a local flower farm in exchange for dahlia tubers! I helped them dig up tubers and clean them for storage. With 10 people helping it went pretty quickly, and I even came home with fresh eucalyptus, a variety of dried seed heads, and a dozen fresh eggs.
Finally, because it can't all be aesthetic and cozy, here is the recycled fire station and fire truck (Pontypandy from Fireman Sam, for those in the know) currently occupying the kitchen floor. I will likely not be able to remove this until my children go to college, because they hoard everything, including actual trash.
It's lovely reading your blog! First, the last photo totally resonated with me because it is the exact same way at my house. My girls have such creative imaginations (which I encourage!) but then never want to throw anything away.
ReplyDeleteI'm also super inspired by your reading goal and by counting how many books are already in your home to read. I'm not sure how many I would have, should I count them! We go to the public library regularly and I'm always bringing books home from my work library too...so we are always drowning in books. :)
Did you have a favorite book you read in 2021?
One of the reasons why I want to commit to reading more of my own books is that I always get so many from the library, and ignore what is right in front of me! I don't know if I have a favorite off the top of my head, but I am going to do a whole post about all the books I read and everything I gave 5 stars!
DeleteI live in Calgary, and it's currently snowing and minus 13 - so I have always just lumped December in with winter. November too. Also March, and sometimes October. You get the picture!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your reading goal!
Ok well it is 50 degrees still so I shouldn't complain. Minus 13 just sounds awful! You probably have special Canadian tricks to deal with it, though... I hope.
DeleteOne more vote for "December is Winter."
ReplyDeleteI love that fire station... even children hoarding "everything" has a sentimental space in my heart.
I'm a new reader and have to say: that window and the light streaming in - it looks so lovely!
ReplyDeleteI live in Canada. I have no tricks other than to survive. I loathe winter; the snow, the cold, the ice. I love everything about where we live, except the fact that winter arrives. And that's a pretty big "except" because, as Nicole points out, really October through to April can be "winter."
I try to put a positive spin on things (we have ski passes this year, so here is a fun family activity that we can only do in the winter)...it never really works. I just don't like the cold!
I love your bookshelves; a full bookshelf just looks so...cozy and inviting. I'm an underbuyer/minimalist, so tend to get most of my books from the library, so only have one relatively small bookshelf with books, but I feel like if I had a space like this I would feel compelled to just buy #allthebooks!
http://elisabeth-frost.com
It's too bad there aren't any tricks to survive winter; I also always try to embrace the season, but that usually peters out after Christmas when all the decorations are gone and it just seems frigid and gray. Thanks for your comment on my bookshelves! I'm actually pretty minimalist in most areas of my life, but I love these shelves so much. I have a one-in-one-out rule so that if I do get anything new (which means used, and not often), they don't start overflowing.
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