gmayeaux

Bayberry candles burned to the socket…

Every Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, my mom made sure she did one thing: burn bayberry candles. As a kid, I really didn’t get it. Honestly? I still don’t. She would always say, “A bayberry candle burned to the socket brings love to the home and luck to the pocket.” So, it appears that theContinue reading “Bayberry candles burned to the socket…”

My reindeer games…

So, this sabbatical is sliding into its glorious finish – the holidays. At this point, the house is as clean as it’s going to get, and honestly, that’s pretty clean. My hubby made a huge pot of homemade chili last night which means dinner is done for tonight and outside of trimming cat nails today,Continue reading “My reindeer games…”

Getting ready for the final push…

So, the holidays don’t just signal the most wonderful time of the year. This year, they also signify what I hope will be the end of the end of interior renovations. Truth be told, there are enough dribs and drabs that need to be completed and enough projects that will run consecutively that I’m notContinue reading “Getting ready for the final push…”

Vacation, Sabbatical or Retirement?

So, major turn of events here: it turns out I’m not built for retirement – or at least not yet. Even sabbatical was a little hard. At the end of the day, I feel like I need to use my brain. As fulfilling as taking care of my family is – and it genuinely isContinue reading “Vacation, Sabbatical or Retirement?”

It’s officially Christmas!

So, I heard that song last night. If I’m completely honest, it’s not my favorite. However, the statement? Yep, one of my favorites. It is – officially – Christmas for me. I’ve now got 24 days to celebrate the holidays with no work obligations – that’s double the 12 Days of Christmas. Whoo-hoo! In trueContinue reading “It’s officially Christmas!”

Settle down!

Goodness, life spiraled out of control. As we drove through a Lake Effect snowstorm to get home from the airport the Saturday after Thanksgiving, it would become a harbinger of things to come. It ended up snowing for five of the next six days. The stress of the drive and then the physical demands ofContinue reading “Settle down!”

That holiday feelin’

It’s about this time that I get worried that the Christmas season will somehow pass me by and I’ll forget to enjoy it. I’ll think that I’m squandering days and that I really need to focus. Yep, that’s me. Slightly crazy and owning it. After traveling home from New Orleans on the second busiest flyingContinue reading “That holiday feelin’”

By the light of my desk lamp…

I didn’t exactly work late tonight – my call ended at exactly 4:03 p.m. But what happened next, made it feel later than it was. It was pitch dark by 5:24 p.m. In June, it doesn’t get dark until almost 10 p.m. But by the end of November, it gets pretty dark pretty early aroundContinue reading “By the light of my desk lamp…”

Slow roasted

So, I have one secret when it comes to cooking a beef roast, whole chicken or turkey: slow roasting. Going “low and slow” as my Mom used to say does some magical things. Typically, the chicken will debone itself as I attempt to pull it out of the pot. The flavors of homegrown garlic, onion,Continue reading “Slow roasted”

Lists and lights…

I live my life by a “to-do” list. Sometimes, my to-do lists are actually excel files with multiple sheets. Okay, let’s stop lying here: almost always my to-do lists are excel files with multiple sheets. I like my lists. They make me feel organized and in control. As I’ve been on sabbatical, my to-do listsContinue reading “Lists and lights…”