A Birthday Brunch & Winter Blessings
January 17, 2024
Hello, my friends and happy mid-month! How is your January going so far?
Now, I know January can be a tough month for a lot of people. It is, in fact, considered the most depressing month of the year if you can believe it - and I do. I mean, I myself don't find it depressing, but I understand why many would ...
The holiday parties are over - whereas the holiday bills have come due. The days are short and the weather is often uncomfortable (if not downright brutal). It's a long month of readjustment and melancholy as we return to "reality" after several weeks of warm greetings and good cheer.
As a January baby, however, I can hardly find fault with my birthday month! I happen to really enjoy the wintertime - with its frosted windows and frequent snowfall and quieter days spent hunkered at home. I need the downtime that winter provides between the busier seasons of the year.
When you stop to think about it though, there really are some lovely blessings that are enjoyed best in the wintertime ... such as sledding on a cold, bright day...
... and tending houseplants in sunny windows. (Such as our lemon tree which has finally blossomed after three years!)
And although they come early, the sunsets in winter are breathtaking ...
Surrounded by woods as we are, we only catch fiery glimpses of the setting sun. Still, I find it every evening through my kitchen window and it's always a magical moment.
Not to be forgotten of course, there is the wonder and joy of watching birds at the snowy feeders ...
*Mourning Dove*
*Northern Cardinal*
*Carolina Wren*
Fyi, the Carolina wren was my "first bird of the year!" Have you heard of this birding tradition? On January 1st the first bird you see may be considered "your" bird for the year. We do this every year and it's always a fun way to spend our New Year's morning. It's neat to look up the symbolism of the species and learn a little about its specific habits and needs. The Carolina wren, for such tiny bird, has the loudest and most beautiful song. I will link it below for you so you can hear it too:
Ok, so by now I have rambled on for so long you're all wondering what in the heck that top photo was all about!
Well as I mentioned above, my birthday is in January and last weekend my family gathered for a lovely birthday brunch. I had fun setting the kitchen table and buffet with my wintry pinecone pottery ...
... while my mum cooked up a wonderful meal.
Best of all though was my birthday cake! A dense and delicious butterscotch cake topped with homemade penuche frosting. Without a doubt, my favorite flavor combination!
Here are some pictures of my family on Sunday. I feel so blessed to have each of them in my life. (Sorely missed was Crackerjack who was too sick to come to brunch. We're hoping to have him up this coming Sunday instead.)
(Can you believe how big this little guy is getting?!)
Aw, poor Pups didn't get any cake!
Mum surprised me by brining some of my grandmother's recipe card collection for us to look through ...
Some of these are in my grandmother's handwriting, some were written out by my mum, and a few were penned by me. As you can see in my Gram's note at the top of the pile, she had asked me to copy some of these out for her. I remember when I was young I absolutely loved poring through my mother and grandmother's overflowing recipe boxes. I keep saying I'll set one up for myself, but I have yet to do so. Pinterest may be efficient and, let's face it, addictive - but it really can't compare to a collection of handwritten recipe cards.
Family favorites in this pile include peach cobbler, poorman's cake, cherries jubilee pie, lobster bisque (an old Boston Globe recipe my grandmother improved on), blue cheese dressing (so yummy on my grandfather's homegrown garden salads), and perhaps best of all - picalilli, typed out on a card several decades ago. It shows the battle stains of many years of use!
And here's another lovely birthday surprise - this beautiful drawing was mailed to me by my darling niece, Amelia.
She and I share a love of rainbows! I think of her every time I walk into the kitchen - which on any given day is about a hundred times. ;-)
And lastly, I spent a little time (and birthday money) at the bookstore and craft store, and found a few goodies!
Just some pretty "vintage" stationary supplies, a slim calendar booklet, and the latest issue of MaryJane's Farm.
And lastly, I felt like a dork but I took a car selfie, anyway ...
This was 11:45 a.m. precisely - the very moment I was born, 55 years ago! Gosh it's strange to type that number - how on earth did that happen? Wasn't I just a young homeschooling mom with three little kids under 10???
Sometimes it feels like those days were soooo long ago, and then somedays I could swear they were just yesterday. Life is funny that way isn't it?
(Side note: I absolutely love this scarf. It admirably combines two colors that wouldn't seem to go well together - the burgundy of my vest and the butter yellow of my favorite cardigan.)
So, another year gone, and another year to come - the best gift of all to be sure!
Thank you so much for allowing me to share a bit of my life with you all. And thanks especially to the very kind readers who have reached out in different ways to say hello, share a bit about themselves and let me know they're happy I'm blogging again. (I am too!)
I hope you all are doing well - keeping healthy and happy and enjoying your winter days as best you can. Thanks again for joining me here and I will hope to see you here again very soon!
Love,