Christmas IS Coming!

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On my to-do list this month are a number of Christmas-related items to manage.

Advent wreath form.

The first task was to turn a plain metal wreath form into an Advent wreath.  I actually made this wreath last month since Advent began on the 28th of November this year.

Cedar and boxwood create a casual Advent wreath that should stay green throughout the season.

I almost forgot to add some fragrant rosemary sprigs from the garden.

Trying to keep it simple.

Next is the tree which I have decided to polarize this year.  As we get older our gifts become more expensive but take up less room under tree.

Our cheeky boys — Sug’s Rory on the left and our Dash on the right.

We always make sure there is something for the pups, too.

Polar bears stick their noses out through the lights and branches of the tree.

I spray painted some bare branches from the yard to scatter among the blue and green ornaments and my polar bears.

I like white lights in the house while the porch is warmed up with yellow, green and blue lights.

Since we’re planning a party on New Year’s Day I decided to add some decoration to our porches. A potted cedar tree from the yard is adorned with yellow/green/blue lights. Extra lights were put into clear glass cylinders.

I’ve sked Charlie to procure at least double the plumes before Christmas.

The front porch holds a stack of firewood so I just put a tall vase with plume-like grasses on the porch for some color and movement — they sway in the breeze.

I can never have too many candles.

I’m in a wintry mood.

The mantel holds a dreamy scene of tiny trees.

A small tree on the kitchen island.

Having a bunch of small trees all over the house has been one of my goals for a number of years.

The straw ornaments are from our recent trip to Iceland.

This year I have have finally begun my collection of evergreenery.

Jo

December, 2021: Plans

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December — the last month of 2021.  Hard to believe.  I plan to end this year with a grateful heart and renewed energy to begin 2022.

The Christmas decorations will be edited once again and used to create the adventure of Christmas.

Here are my plans for December:

  1.   Celebrate Christmas.
  2.   Prepare  Crème Brûlée .

    Crème brûlée is my favorite dessert.

  3.   Decorate for Christmas.

    This year I’ll feature my Mexican creche.

  4.  Wrap and mail all gifts.
  5.  Send out invitations for New Year’s Day Party.

    Next year is coming quickly.

  6.   See a movie: House of Gucci. 

    I’m a fan of Lady Gaga.

  7.   Read a book:  Scarpetta. 

    Patricia Cornwell is a favorite author.

  8.  Alter blackwatch plaid trousers.
  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: GRATEFUL.
  10.  Write a goal list for January, 2022.

Jo

Iceland: No Lava, Fog, and an Unusual Excursion

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On our final full day in Iceland we had been planning to visit the volcano that had started erupting in March, 2021.

The volcano looked something like this on the day we wanted to see it.

Unfortunately on this day there was no spewing lava and, more importantly, the area was obscured in fog.  We could see from the live web cameras  that we wouldn’t be able to see anything more than a few feet from our face.  We had used our good weather days here and here.

I had avocado toast with my coffee.

We stopped for coffee and a bite to eat at Reykjavik Roasters.

We were never really sure what the signs said.

Then we drove to Ikea where we browsed and shopped and Charlie got something to eat.

The display at the entrance seemed familiar.

Ikea in Iceland is both like and unlike Ikea in the US.  We bought some Christmassy souvenirs and noted how the furniture was more compact.  I picked up a few brochures written in Icelandic to see how kitchens and bathrooms compare.

Surprisingly, Charlie had a good time at Ikea.

I would suggest that the price and quality of food at Ikea are outstanding.  This was a fun outing, especially on a rainy, foggy, cold day.

We really enjoyed this seafood soup near Reykjavik Harbor.

We finished the day with lobster (langoustine) soup at Sægreifinn (The Seabaron).

Iceland:

Jo

November, 2021: Checked

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We have had another full month including some of my 101 tasks in 1001 days checked off.  The 15th of the month arrived before I was ready for it.  November passed very quickly but we made some planned and unplanned progress.

In addition to my planned list:

  • Charlie and I attended a concert of the Annapolis Symphony.

    A wonderful evening in Annapolis.

  • I gave a beginning “life” lesson to some young people.  The subject was simple sewing – buttons and small tears.
  • I went to a concert featuring a tango quartet followed by a dance lesson.

    Our tango instructors.

  • At my request, Charlie changed the smoke alarm batteries which I like to do when we turn the clocks back from Daylight Savings Time.
  • Charlie cleaned the leaves from our gutters.
  • We stored the sun umbrella and Adirondack chairs in the shed for the winter.
  • Our programmable thermostat died so I replaced it myself with a new model.  Since the brand and size changed, a little paint touch up is needed.

    The wall near the thermostat needs a lick of paint.

  • I saw the movie Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

These were my plans for November:

  1.   Celebrate Thanksgiving.  This was Charlie’s first attempt at making the entire meal.  It was a treat with the best crab cakes I’ve ever had (and I’ve had many).

    We fried the crab cakes in a mixture of vegetable oil and butter.

    I took care of setting the table.

    Nothing fancy — white roses and a few greens from the yard.

  2.   Prepare a month’s worth of keto meals.  I tried it; it was a real chore; I doubt it will ever happen again but having food pre-prepared has been great.

    At least 50 meals prepared but not worth giving up a Saturday morning.

  3.   Go through Christmas decorations and eliminate broken lights and never-used items.

    We have more lights than we use. They need to be tested every year.

  4.  Begin gathering gifts. I have a short gift list but have tried to make this a year of creativity.

    Hmmmmm????

    I’ll give a detailed report after giving/receiving takes place.

  5.  Make an Advent wreath.

    Cedar and boxwood create a casual Advent wreath that should stay green throughout the season.

  6.   See a movie:  Algiers .This old black and white classic was extremely interesting to watch.

    The Kasbah today.

    While it is dated, the explanation of the Kasbah and the quintessential movie stars were a treat.

  7.   Read a book:  Jews and Christians: A Troubled Family. 

    Not a light subject.

    I read this book for a class I’m  taking.  It was slow going and written in a dry academic style.

  8.   Get rid of 10 pieces of clothing.  I have actually weeded more than 10 items from my wardrobe.  Some vintage pieces will be gifted and others are ready for the rag bin.

    Some of these clothes are perfectly good but are rarely, if ever, worn.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: CALM.
  10.  Write a goal list for December, 2021.

Jo

The Northern Lights on Our Own

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Having been on a guided tour to see the Northern Lights, Charlie, Sug, and I were ready to go on a self-guided expedition to see if we could see them again.

The orange splotch in the middle of the green means high aurora activity expected.

Our chances seemed pretty good since the sky was clear (free of clouds) and the aurora forecast was favorable. (We were in Reykjavik.)

Parking near the sculpture was convenient and free at this time of night.

Around 9 p.m. we drove to the Sun Voyager sculpture in Reykjavik Harbor.

The strong light at the right of the photo is the “Imagine Peace Tower”.

As we looked across Faxaflói Bay we could see the Imagine Peace Tower located on Videy Island off the coast of Reykjavik, an outdoor art piece by Yoko Ono dedicated to the memory of John Lennon. The wishing well monument which symbolizes peace and joy, emits a shining beam of light into the sky and features peace prayers in 24 languages.  Unveiled in 2007, the Imagine Peace Tower is lit each year from October 9th (John’s birthday) until December 8th (the anniversary of his death).

The pale green light is the Aurora Borealis. (Photo taken from my iPhone 6.)

We knew from experience that we needed to face north in order to see the “northern” lights.  So I opened my phone’s compass app and discovered true north to be about 30 degrees to the left of the Peace Tower.

The green streak is the Northern Lights. The white area above the NL are clouds.

We did, in fact, see a wonderful display of the Northern Lights without leaving Reykjavik or waiting until after midnight. We were chuffed. (Sug took much better photos than I did since she had a much newer phone.)

Iceland:

Jo

Iceland: COVID Testing and the South Coast

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We had a long day on Sunday — church and the Golden Circle, but it was not over until we completed our COVID testing to return home.

We carried these test kits with us from the US to Iceland so we could test before our return home.

The 3 of us each had appointments on Monday morning with the Iceland health department but I was concerned that would take a bite out of our day for which I  had planned the longest drive of our trip.  So on Sunday evening we each took our turn in front of the computer to tele-test Abbott’s BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag At-Home Test Kit (which I purchased in the US and brought with us).  With few hitches we each took the test and received our results and were accepted for our return to the United States so we were delayed on Monday morning as we left Reykjavik for the south coast of Iceland.

Inside the building of our first stop was this fabulous map where we overheard a tour guide describing what we were planning to see.

About 20 miles from Reykjavik we made our first stop in Hveragerði  at Almar Bakery,  for coffee and breakfast.

Almar Bakery in Hveragerði.

This was a great way to begin our day’s journey.

Our first stop included a post office where I dropped off 2 postcards headed for the US.

The bakery building also housed one of the few post offices we saw in Iceland.  I dropped off a couple of postcards I had written previously.

We stopped at Seljalandfoss.

About 50 miles later we stopped at Seljalandsfoss waterfall.

My pathetic attempt at a selfie in front of Seljalandsfoss.

We had finally figured out that foss on the end of a word means waterfall.

Some people braved the slippery rocks behind the falls.

This one was special because hikers and tourists could actually walk behind the falls. The weather was a little cold for us to take the plunge but plenty of others risked getting wet from the spray.  I imagine the view was awesome.  Each of us also bought a welcome bowl of hot soup at the food truck near the entrance.

Note the steep path to the viewing platform at the top of the waterfall.

Our next waterfall, Skogáfoss,  did not disappoint.  This one could be seen from both the top and bottom.

Iceland is the land of rainbows.

We did not ascend the almost 500 steps to view Skogáfoss from above.  The rainbowed ground-level view was heavenly enough.

One of the world’s oldest and purest breeds of sheep, the Icelandic sheep have been the only sheep raised in Iceland for over 1000 years.

An added attraction were the Icelandic sheep in a nearby meadow.  Their pre-winter fleece was abundant.

The road to Reynisfjara.

Finally we were back on the road to our true destination, Reynisfjara.

Reynisfjara

Reynisfjara is a world-famous black-sand beach found on the South Coast of Iceland.

Reynisfjara

Shooting into the light returned this dreamy nightlike photo.

So glad we didn’t miss this stunning scenery about 116 miles from Reykajavik.

Glaciers are visible on the ride back to Reykjavik.

We returned to Reykjavik to rest and eat before our final surprise of the day.

Jo

Iceland:

Jo

A Month’s Worth

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For a long time I have been wanting to try my hand at preparing a month’s worth of meals in a weekend and then reaping the rewards later. (#22 on my 101 in 1001 list.)

I checked my spices against the grocery list and found I had most of them.

I finally took up the challenge making meals following a keto menu.  I found tips and recipes here.

While checking my spices I also totally cleaned and rearranged my spice cabinet.

I took the shopping list from Olivia Wyles’ Meal Prep Package 01. It was well laid out and I followed it to the letter except that I don’t buy pre-shredded cheese and I exchanged some brand names for similar products.

Keto meals call for mostly meat and cheese.

I got started on a cool fall Saturday morning since I was going to be running the oven for a couple of hours.

Stove top recipe.

I just kept working until everything was cooked.

Crock pot recipe.

I divided the recipes into servings — some are in refrigerator, most are in the freezer.

Oven recipe.

I can’t wait to just have food prepared when I get home from work.

At least 50 meals prepared but not worth giving up a Saturday morning.

Takeaways:

  • Planning is key.
  • Don’t wash cooking utensils and pots and pans between recipes.
  • Don’t hurry.
  • Make food you like or that fits your diet.
  • Get a helper. (Charlie shredded cheese and cleaned up dishes.)

In the end it took more time (about 5 hours) than I usually spend cooking.  I probably would NOT do something on this scale again.

Jo

Iceland: The Golden Circle

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After attending church on Sunday morning, we headed out of Reykjavik to self-drive the Golden Circle.

The Golden Circle was our destination.

The original plan was to see the volcano but since the weather was bright and sunny and the forecast was iffy for the rest of our stay we decided to make a clockwise tour of the Golden Circle which included Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall,  Geysir Geothermal Area, and Kerið Crater Lake .

A boardwalk at the top of a set of stairs hinted of a brightness in the distance.

Charlie was our driver and I was the navigator.  This trip Sug enjoyed the sights.  Our first stop was the waterfall at Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park.

Öxarárfoss waterfall

Öxarárfoss waterfall can also be seen from the top if one is willing to make the rugged hike.  We were not.

Having not eaten since the porridge at church, we stopped at a cattle farm, Efstidalur II, to have a bite of lunch in their restaurant.  The downstairs was only serving ice cream and the upstairs only served a soup buffet.  While the soup was delicious it was the most expensive bowl of soup any of us had ever had.  And although the cash register receipt said buffet we were limited to one bowl per person.

As is often the case in Iceland a waterfall will display a rainbow if watched long enough.

Our next stop was Gullfoss Waterfall.   The small specks on the path on the left of the above photo are people.  Everything is bigger than it looks in a picture.  We had an opportunity for a rest stop and some coffee at the souvenir shop.

The geysir at this hot springs erupts about every 4 to 10 minutes.

My favorite stop on the Golden Circle tour was Geysir Hot Springs Geothermal Area, from where we get our word geyser.   Waiting then watching just never gets old for me. (I’ve rewatched my video of the eruption many times since returning home.)

While we were driving to our next destination a paraglider crossed our path.

Alas the sun was beginning to go down and we had one more item on our list.

Kerið Crater Lake

The last site we wished to visit on the Golden Circle was Kerið Crater Lake.  

An explanatory sign at Kerið.

One of the really neat things about all the places we visited in Iceland is that nothing was “off limits”.

Charlie on the top edge of the crater. (Note the stairs near the center of the photo.)

In addition to scaling the top of Kerið crater Charlie also descended the stairs that led right down to the lake which, by the way, was cold unlike the boiling water in the geothermal area.

Sunset on the Golden Circle.

As we drove back to Reykjavik more paragliders filled the air in front of us.

Iceland:

Jo

Iceland: Hallgrímskirkja

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Our fourth day in Iceland was a Sunday so we planned to attend the 11 a.m. morning church service at Hallgrímskirkja, a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík.

Hallgrímskirkja is a VERY visible landmark in Reykjavik.

At 74.5 metres (244 ft) tall, it is the largest church in Iceland and an easy-to-spot landmark in Reykjavik.

The church is the blue spot. Note all the cafes nearby.

We arrived early and parked alongside the church in its parking lot. (The parking lot is free everyday and we caught on that it is one of the few free parking spots in the middle of the city.  We always were able to snag a spot.)

We wanted to see Reykjavik from the top of the tower.

We wanted to climb into the tower before the service began to see Reykjavik from the heights.  The first ascension was by elevator.

The windows surrounding the clock faces on 4 sides of the tower allowed some nice photos of the harbor and distant mountains.

We exited the elevator at the clock level where there are windows from which we took our first photos.

The views were breathtaking especially for Charlie who does not care for heights.

I suggested Charlie NOT look down.

Then we climbed a short set of stairs to the highest area in the tower.  The view was 360 degrees and there were no barriers through which to take photos.

No chance of falling through these narrow bars. (The dark spear is a shadow of the church’s tower.)

However there was no fear of falling or jumping since the window openings were barred.

The organ pipes are over the entry door at the back of the church.

After descending the tower we entered the sanctuary to attend a worship service (in Icelandic) and especially to see and hear the  Klaisorgan, the largest in Iceland.

The front of the church was bright with sunshine which is not often the case in Iceland.

The pews are unique in that the back may be flipped on either side of the bench so congregants can face either the front or back of the church depending on the program.

Björn Steinar Sólbergsson at the Klaisorgan console.

The organist, Björn Steinar Sólbergsson, was excellent.

Björn Steinar Sólbergsson engaged the children of the church (and, frankly, us also even though we could not understand one word of Icelandic).

Not only did he play a prelude and music during the service but he also had a teaching session with children after the service where he answered their questions and they answered his.

The plaza in front of Hallgrímskirkja.

This would have been enough of a perfect morning to set us up for the rest of the day.  Then the piece de resistance , we were invited to enjoy porridge and kleinur (donuts) with the children and their families.

The Golden Circle was our next destination.

We left church ready to explore.

Jo

Iceland:

Jo

101 in 1001 #5: One Year More

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My new (5th) list began February 6, 2020. It will end on November 3, 2022. Fourth list started May 10, 2017 (first list ended 11/13/2011, second list 8/11/2014, third list 5/9/2017) until February 5, 2020. Completed items are in blue, black is the color for original post.  Pink items are plans.  Red items are cautions due to the COVID situation.

Here’s my progress with just a year remaining.  A number of items were planned then cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  They’re still on the the list but the possibility of executing them in the near future is unlikely.

  1. Go over Legacy documents with family. Complete! 8/21/2021
  2. Take a trip to Assateague/Chincoteague. Complete! 8/31/2020
  3. Find the North Star, Polaris. Complete! 8/21/2019 

    Charlie and I found the North Star together. Now I see it almost every day.

  4. Visit Rawlings Conservatory – Complete! 4/7/2021
  5. Visit Brookside Gardens Complete! 8/19/2020
  6. Attend Master Gardener class Complete! 2/29/2020
  7. Tour U.S. Capitol —  Planned then cancelled.  Still closed to the public.

    I remember using the underground tram system from the Capitol to the Senate Office Building many years ago.

  8. Tour Bureau of Engraving and Printing  Closed to visitors.
  9. Visit the National Archives  Closed except for timed tickets to the Rotunda.  Should be planned as an add-on to another DC activity.
  10. NYC long weekend  Planned for Winter, 2022
  11. Go to top of Empire State Building Planned for Winter, 2022

    I’ve been to the top of the Empire State Building twice in my life — now I want to go again with Charlie.

  12. Visit 9/11 Memorial Plaza  Complete! 3/23/2021
  13. Take a trip to Hawaii. – Maui and the Big Island 2024
  14. Visit Greece 2022
  15. Get rid of 50 books. Complete! 11/9/2020
  16. Visit New Orleans Complete! 2/22/2021
  17. Redecorate Conservatory – new rug and seating
  18. Create a nice office and guest room in the pink bedroom. Started 4/28/2020
  19. Host a swap meet – soup, books, CDs, cookies
  20. Hang photos in upstairs hall
  21. Host a dinner party for 6
  22. Make a month’s worth of meals one weekend. Plan for November, 2021
  23. Get new mattress for king-sized bed.  Complete! 11/24/2020
  24. Make a home maintenance calendar.
  25. Fly in a helicopter 2024
  26. Set blogging goals.
  27. Sort out things in attic by attaching children’s names, give away, sell, etc. Give heirlooms to children Making headway
  28. Build daybed nook in Grace Cottage Complete! 9/18/2021
  29. Learn to copyright (watermark) photos
  30. Make a photo album of Mommie
  31. Travel to Iceland to see the Northern Lights Complete! 9/9/2021 

    We spotted the illusive Northern Lights on multiple occasions while in Iceland.

  32. Visit New Orleans 2021 Duplicate of #16 so changing to: Plan a cruise.  Planned for Spring, 2022.
  33. Write a novel based on work
  34. Increase net worth by 25% Up 24%
  35. Paint landscapes/seascapes on canvas/wood
  36. Memorize a poem.
  37. Make a household inventory with photos
  38. Finish laundry room
  39. Finish painting trim in pink bedroom
  40. Make a master menu for 14 days of meals
  41. Wash all the windows in the house Complete! 11/27/2020
  42. Paint dining room table Complete! 6/28/2020 

    An old dark table lightened and updated.

  43. Use my God box.
  44. Build bench for mudroom.
  45. Finish shelves in master bedroom. Complete! 5/3/2020
  46. Design Etsy boutique packaging
  47. Achieve my personal weight goal  Complete! 8/10/2021
  48. Get rid of 5 big items from the house:
  49. Design and print business cards
  50. Organize papers, bills, and contracts from renovation
  51. Attend 5 concerts:  US Army Field Band,
  52. Build a structure for trash cans and recycle bins
  53. Install all trim Started 5/1/2020
  54. Paint all trim
  55. Repaint exterior parts of house that have weathered.
  56. Clean out car
  57. Clean up all paint cans
  58. Clear out the basement  Tile has been organized
  59. Remove 10 boxes from the attic Complete! 7/19/2020
  60. Build frame for full length mirror
  61. Give 5 parties  Lawn Party 8/14/2021, Anniversary Lawn Party 9/11/2021, Masque Party 10/30/2021, Pop Over New Year’s Day 1/1/2022, Dash’s Birthday Pawty 2/5/2022
  62. Coffee table for conservatory Complete! 5/7/2020 
  63. Paint secretary.  I gave it away instead.  Maybe the new owners will upgrade it. Complete! 7/11/2020
  64. Dye hall rug Complete! 7/18/2020
  65. Paint green vanity
  66. Hot air balloon ride Complete! 6/9/2020 

    Our hot air balloon ride was magical.

  67. Refinish tall dresser
  68. Clear out mudroom closet
  69. Whiten my teeth Complete! 5/8/2020, 8/18/2021
  70. Fast for 24 hours Complete! 2/28/2020
  71. Work on side hustle
  72. Teach Dash a new trick Complete! 8/9/2020
  73. Buy a winter coat
  74. Plan retirement January 31, 2023
  75. Throw away/donate 30 things and do not replace them Complete! 7/19/2020
  76. Play guitar again

    My guitar.

  77. Take ukulele lessons Complete! 2/25/2020
  78. Drink 70 ounces of water each day for a week  Complete! 3/21/2020
  79. Try 5 new restaurants  Complete! 2/25/2021
  80. Get a manicure
  81. Build deck onto conservatory
  82. Upgrade dollhouse castle
  83. Paver patio at bottom of new deck
  84. Host a book club Summer, 202?
  85. Clean up pond 

    Plants are good but maple trees will need to be removed.

  86. Learn 5 new songs for performance.
  87. Clean up all tile in basement Complete! 4/28/2020 
  88. Stain shed Complete! 6/9/2020 
  89. Renovate shore house bathroom Complete! 2/27/2020 

    Finished!

  90. Paint shore house sheds
  91. Paint shore house kitchen cabinets  Complete! 10/17/2020 

    Before

    Everyone loves the new kitchen color.

  92. Visit 5 significant local churches
  93. Paint bump-out  Complete! 4/19/2020

    Before

    After

  94. See 5 theatrical productions
  95. Put outdoor shower at shore house
  96. Take down screen porch Complete! 1/23/2020

    Before

    After

  97. Install dual system — heating and air conditioning — in master bedroom in shore house
  98. Install foundation plantings at back of Glade house  Complete! 4/28/2020 

    Small hedge is planted.

  99. Get together with Sister
  100. Upgrade security system at home
  101. Private

This new list has been challenging since some of the items have been unfinished on the last three lists and the Covid epidemic had all but stopped our travel and entertaining plans.  Now that the world is opening up we’re still cautious but trying to move forward.  I’m hoping to be more productive this time through.

Jo