January Days

Happy Friday everyone!  I trust you all had a good Christmas and New Year.  This is one of my favorite times of the year -- after the Christmas holidays are over and we can catch our breath again.  I love putting out my new calendars, which are like lovely, clean slates, and knowing that I have a new, promising year ahead.  Amazingly, the temperatures here in North Carolina stayed below freezing from New Year's Day until Monday, January 8th.  It made being inside the house really cozy.  The sky was blue most of that time, and I loved seeing the long shadows of the leafless tree branches.  There is beauty to be found in every season, isn't there?   I have some catching up to do for sure.  First of all, I was saddened to read about the death of Sue Grafton, author of the alphabet mystery series.  I thought it was somewhat poignant that she made it all the way through the letter "Y", but didn't make it to the end of the alphabet.    

   I downloaded her latest, and final book, "Y" Is For Yesterday, onto my Kindle, and I read it fairly quickly.  Once I start one of her books, I have a hard time putting it down.  I will probably re-read the other books at some point; Ms. Grafton really knew how to craft a good mystery.  Her family has stated that she never allowed ghost writers to assist her, so the "Z" mystery will remain unwritten.  She also never allowed her books to be made into TV shows or movies, and I have to admire her for that.  The stories almost always get changed when they're adapted for screen and television. I also got a new cookbook for Christmas, which I'll be sharing with you a little later.  The author is another blogger, and I was excited to get her book.   What have you been doing to entertain yourself during this cold time of the year?  We've been doing a little bird-watching.   

    Hal made another batch of the homemade bark butter and we had blue birds almost right away.     I gave him a new suet feeder for Christmas, and we hung that outside, as well.  This is perfect reading weather, so in addition to the Sue Grafton book, I'm enjoying the winter issues of my favorite magazines, Southern Lady and Cottage Journal.  I tried out an issue of The Magnolia Journal, and I liked it, but maybe not enough to subscribe to it.   After searching everywhere, I finally located my Cuddl Duds® -- have you tried these yet?  I bought mine years ago, and I just love them.    

   They're so soft, and they're perfect to wear underneath jeans when you're outside (or inside) in those below-freezing temps.   I found a new-to-me show on Netflix, a BBC production called "Escape To The Country."  It's a fun alternative to the American "House Hunters" show.    

   In addition to pretty country homes, you get to see the British countryside and learn some of the history of the region.  This is a good way to while away some cold winter evenings.  :) I'd love to hear what you've been doing to while away the cold winter days.  Thank you for your visit and have a wonderful weekend. Hugs,