Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 130

Today's Daily 5:

1. a trip to the library
2. finding a book I'm 300th on the list for in the 2 week, no renewals "New and Notable" section
3. back to my own space after the holidays
4. planning, thinking, dreaming
5. lit candles all around my room
6. candles reflecting off of the tiny icon card that I bought at the Vatican in Rome
7. snapping a few glowsticks left in my craft stash, and enjoying the glow
8. belgian chocolate seashells
9. the comfort of curling up in my own bed
10. tv on dvd

Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 129

Today's Daily 5:

1. The best kind of day for an introvert - quiet, alone, and then a few close friends
2. playing Apples to Apples (one of the few games I somewhat tolerate) with the kind of friends who actually make it funny and totally worth playing
3. learning some fascinating facts about how chocolate is actually made
4. dark chocolate (NEVER something I buy) that was actually quite brilliantly good
5. an event where the proceeds of our tickets went to a charity I care about, and the purpose was to be educated about the process of chocolate making, sample all sorts of artisanal chocolate, and then experience chocolate and wine pairings.  Oh my goodness!  Such a great girls night out!

Regularly Scheduled Programming...

I'm taking this week off from the regularly scheduled posts around here (other than the Daily 5, of course). I might be here, I might not.

I have a bunch of last minute details to take care of this week.

And the need to embrace some quiet and rest as I plan and contemplate the year ahead.

So the regularly scheduled programming?  It'll return next week.  And I'll be here when I have time, or the inclination to this week.  And every night for the daily 5.

See you when we resume the regularly scheduled stuff!

Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 128

Today's Daily 5:

1. Sitting in a comfy chair, in sunshine, not in a basement
2. time alone
3. making lists
4. puttering quietly
5. an afternoon spent cooking
6. the appreciation of family (and a couple strangers) when they ate the meal I prepared
7. Peanut butter fudge brownie trifle (new recipe, thank you pinterest, that made me look like a goddess in the kitchen!)
8. Watching the laughter as my parents interact with new friends
9. the fun of a day that felt perfect to me
10. curling up in bed at a decent hour, with little to accomplish but a daily 5 list, and a bit of recreational reading

Boxing Day

My parents went snowshoeing with some friends today (I love the Canadian Boxing Day holiday that falls on the 26th!), so I have their home to myself.  It's lovely to have a place to myself, especially after the holidays and their busyness and people.

And how, you ask, am I filling this lovely time to myself?

Well, I slept as long as I possibly could (which I think was around 11am today - I didn't check the clock all that closely).  I'm eating a few leftovers.  I'm watching some episodes of Monk on DVD.  I'm reading.  I'm enjoying quiet, and I'm making lists.  Lists in my journal of things like music to check out in the coming days, foods to eat more of, movies to see, and books to read.

And this "To Do" List, which includes all the tasks to prepare a meal for my parents, their snowshoeing companions, and my brother and sister-in-law tonight.  (Which means I'm doing another of my favorite things - cooking quietly, great food and even a couple new recipes, alone in the kitchen!)  So, these are the things I'm working on today:

• empty the dishwasher
• make rice
• make Chicken Madras Curry
• peel and boil potatoes
• make Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle
• Heat and prepare naan bread
• take a long, hot shower
• catch up on some emails
• write a few Christmas cards
• ponder One Word for 2012
• list making
• magazine clipping
• reading
• play bingo
• prep a couple of posts for my blog this week
• decorate and set the table for the evening
• clean my laptop