Hello January! I’ve really been enjoying a slower pace this week … easing into this new month and new year, reminding myself that Christmas just ended yesterday!
Thinking about … this year’s One Little Word and accompanying intentions. Words I’ve considered and discarded include with, curious, wonder, wait, connect, home, and (yep, another re-do!) December felt hectic; and the relative calm of early January is giving me space to see where my heart and head really are right now
Grateful for … longer days. sweater weather. getting back to a morning routine (that’s quite different from the one I had before Lucy). my knee and shoulder feel better now than they have in months. eating dinner with Marc at the table (a resolution for both of us this year … except for Saturday nights when it’s snacks and TV).
Inspired by … the upcoming Sunday Series at church. Ryan is a former member (his wife is also a former Associate Pastor), an Old Testament scholar (Hebrew is his specialty), and a fantastic speaker.
We were planning to record the sessions, but … now I’m grateful that our church is even open in spite of major damage from the Christmas freeze. Pipes in the sprinkler system in the multi-purpose room burst and flooded the education wing where we typically hold classes. The fire department closed that part of the building; we had to relocate dayschool classrooms which meant cancelling or moving most of our other classes and small groups off-site. The damaged space is dry and repairs are now underway … with a bit of luck (and no more hard freezes) we should be open by February.
Fun … we are reviving our Cookbook Club! with Ina Garten’s latest Go-To Dinners and we are adding Katie & Sara (so we’ll be six with me, my mom, my sister, and my sister-in-law). The fun thing about having that many people is that you get a month off after you host and you get to try a lot of recipes! I’m hosting our first meeting – which means I choose/prepare the main course and provide wine – and my mom gets the evening off since she hosted our last meal (way back in February 2020!) The others will fill in with an appetizer, sides, and dessert. We’re planning on the 4th Sunday, so it will be a while before I report back … stay tuned! of course if you’ve tried any of those recipes and have recommendations, please share!
What are you T-G-I-F-ing this month?
mere-et-filles 
I love the cookbook club idea! And the slower pace of January is a very good thing
I had all sorts of things to reply to here–but I’m so smitten with Reclaiming Sabbath, I can hardly move past your letter-“I”! All I have is…Oh! I can’t wait to hear about that! I hope you’ll share some treasures as you see fit when the time comes. Curious if it will come with reading recommendations? Wink 🙂
ENJOY…!
I love the slower pace in January. I muddled around with a word this year before I landed on delight. The cookbook club sounds like lots of fun.
Definitely like the slower pace that comes with January. I got tons done during my week off and I feel ready to face 2023
Your cookbook club sounds like so much fun! I have tried several of the recipes in Ina’s new cookbook . . . so I bet you all will have a hard time choosing what to make. (I can’t wait to hear how it all turns out.) XO
Hooray for the return of Cookbook Club! Ina’s newest book was one of my Chanukah presents this past year, and I’ve only just flipped through it so far. I’ll be looking forward to hearing about what everyone makes and your opinion (I can’t imagine anything from Ina being bad, of course!). The overnight mac and cheese sounds amazing — but also like a heart attack in a dish! I might try to make it a little less rich.
Cookbook Club sounds “delish!” Enjoy. I love mac-n’- cheese … always been a fave. I may try if/when I ever get a functional kitchen …
Yay for the return of the Cookbook Club and with the addition of Katie and Sara – should be loads of fun, not to mention tasty!
Wow — I am so sorry to hear about the frozen pipes at church. What a disruption and I’m impressed that you’re still able to make things work. That blue sky in your opening photo is gorgeous and your cookbook club sounds so fun!
I’m hoping to get back to gathering for some stitching in the new year with my family once a month. The holidays put that on the back burner.
I can’t wait for the Cookbook Club report!! That’s such a great idea and I love that you have so many wonderful members! I’ve made “Creamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon & Thyme” and we loved it!