Merry Christmas and All That Jazz

 No belated in there, as it's still the Christmas season. But I hope whatever you and yours did in this different Christmas time, you were able to embrace the season, no matter how different.

We had a fairly low key Christmas (although we usually do these days since the larger family no longer does the "big day for twenty people" thing). I went to my daughter's on Christmas eve night when I did laundry and we watched Star Wars and had pasta (I did midnight mass in the bedroom on my tablet, so thankful for virtual church options).

On Christmas day we had stockings between the three of us, ate brunch and then relaxed and chilled..naps, TV, games, knitting, interacting with all the puppies..until early afternoon. We zoomed with my son, I phoned my sister for a long chat, and then there was more relaxing while SIL made a slimmed down Christmas dinner of smoked prime rib, potatoes, creamed leeks and roasted brussel sprouts. There may have been pecan pie and ice cream in there somewhere. We played a game after dinner, and then I looked up and realized it was nine in the evening, so spent the night again as loading the car and then unloading the car with gifts and food and two huge bags of laundry in the dark was not something I wanted to do. 

My son in law gifted me with a really good set of knives (that is supposedly dishwasher safe), much nicer than I deserve at my not that great a cook level. I probably will never use a boning knife. But I really needed knives, now I can cut down that pork loin that is not a pork tenderloin temporarily frozen in my freezer. My son got me a new watch tracker as a replacement for the Fitfort that I know some of my readers have which did not work for me. It was only in the thirty dollar range, but I am loving it so far, even with the larger face. I wore it to sleep two nights but will not every night. I also got macrame supplies and a good macrame book (like I say, new hobby every year), a rotating quilt mat and a few gift cards which I will use mainly on the kitchen area of the apartment-downsized appliances, more dish cloths that I can get rid of disposable stuff, that kind of thing. Oh and also a small electric skillet that is like eight inches around.  

In theory today should be a quiet Sunday as always, with dinner being pasta casserole sent home from DD's house. But I should break down some boxes and get rid of wrapping and tissue and at least store it or put it aside, and since we have rain coming for three days I should try and get an outside walk. Maybe, perhaps. It may be that knitting on the patio will suffice for my outdoor time this lazy Sunday.

Mainly I am finalizing the annual budget and making sure I have everything I need in my annual planner for the coming year (which includes months and weeks, and then a section of things like books to read, monthly budgets and so on. I have a journal that stays by my bed for writing). I will share the budget (probably still a moving living thing) next week, as well as my start on what my creative or "making" goals will be for the year.

For January I am going to experiment with a monthly rough menu plan. No way I am shopping for a month, ten days is about my limit, but I want  rough it out for budget purposes, so it'll be an experiment in progress. The grocery budget was about $300 this month, which is not terrible plus some specialty Christmas baking stuff. I just did a large Target drive by pickup that included vitamins, pain killers, dish soap, hand soap and all that good stuff, so January's food budget should literally be just food. Onward and forward and all that.

I'll be making some changes to my sidebar, possibly letting go of a couple blogs but definitely adding a few more, some of which are mentioned on Kathy's current post on retirement blogs. I like to keep the list not too long, but I also wanna include allt he blogs I love or think other people will love. Some of the new blogs will be frugal, crafting or food blogs, and not just on the topic of retirement.

Happy Sunday and 3rd day of Christmas to all...........