christmas – The Yuppie Homesteader

Snow days.

So, we’ve had snow on the ground since the day after Thanksgiving and we are coming off of a particularly defeating cycle of just enough snow each day that everything has to be shoveled once again. In our world, that doesn’t just mean the 120-foot-long driveway or the 500 square feet of decks. Nope, itContinue reading “Snow days.”

My winter “escapes”

I have two things that I seriously enjoy that can only be done during the dark, winter months. The first is Friday afternoon cross-country skiing with my sisters. That is sacred “sister time.” We go out for a quick 3-4 mile cross country skiing trip, then come into the warming hut for some soup, breadContinue reading “My winter “escapes””

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…”

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…”

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…”

Frosty mornings…

We finally woke up to a hard frost. It could not have been more fitting. Yesterday, we mowed for the very last time of the year, finished mulching leaves, cleaned out the woodshed (for today’s chopping session) and picked up the garden irrigation system. We transitioned as Mother Nature finally transitioned. And having said that,Continue reading “Frosty mornings…”