The Joy Of Home: Wintry Evening Reflections

There's a method to this madness - I start w/books that stick out more than others from left to right!

As the snow began to fall at sunset, blanketing us in sparkling white, my first loaf of banana bread from scratch went into the oven, bringing warmth and comforting scents to our home.

For nearly a week now, we've been in a deep freeze, with frigid temps from the single digits to the teens and 20s without the wind chill. Our first normal Winter temps in at least a couple of years! When the wind hasn't been gusting, I've enjoyed the crisp, brilliantly clear weather.

Today though, I haven't been able to shake the chill and desperately did not want to go out into the cold, snowy night with Hubbs for dinner at the VFW.

It's a mostly weekly ritual that I sometimes need a break from. He had to go regardless, needing to take care of some American Legion business. (For those who don't know, he's Commander of a local AL Post).

I normally love being out in the snow! Nothing soothes my soul more than falling snow. (Not even gardening!) But, aside from stepping out onto the porches to take a few photos, I wanted nothing more than to watch the snow from inside while drinking copious amounts of hot tea and getting those overly ripe bananas made into bread!

A 'me' evening.

While the bread baked, I flipped channels and settled on the (awful!) 80s movie, "Valley Girl" and finally finished organizing 5 of the many bookshelves in our livingroom that have been in half disarray since I purged them last week.

Purging and re-organizing my bookshelves also soothes my soul!

Waiting for that banana bread to cool once I took it out of the oven seemed to take all evening! For a first try, it's not bad. I see many more loaves from scratch in my near future as I try to bake the 'perfect' for me loaf!

Yes, I stayed home on a Friday evening to bake banana bread, watch a bad 80s movie (followed by an episode of the old tv series Rosemary & Thyme) and re-organize my bookshelves! :-)

I needed the quiet.

It has been a week filled with many "ah ha" moments. On Monday, I realized with clarity and conviction that when I was younger, I was intent on being all that I am *not* and now I'm intent on being all that I indeed am. On Tuesday, I also realized with clarity and conviction that I have spent much of my life stifling myself so as not to offend my mother. Two "ah ha" moments within 24 hours had me barreling through the patio door out into the frigid air, practically gasping for air!

But, it's all okay. I'm feeling better about certain things than I have in years and my outlook is Good!

As I type this, the snow has stopped falling, the sky has cleared and the Moon is shining.
How do you spend a cold, wintry evening at home? What do you do during your 'me' time?

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®