This New Life: Ready for the new year

This morning I cut my finger (again!) while chopping veggies for a soup and I burst into tears. I just need some space! I wailed as I wrapped by wound in a paper towel and kept chopping. Ian vacated the kitchen with the girls and shut the swinging door so that I could have a moment. I could still hear them through the crack in the door, right on the other side of the wall, because space is not something in our vocabulary these days.

Just now I wrote the most scatter brained post I can imagine. Recipes and gift fun from Christmas, long paragraphs about my new yarn winder and trying to settle in after break. Yada yada yada. It's all just a mushed up blur really.

This time of year is the same for us all, yes? It's crazy. We're usually all a bit overtired and not feeling well, frazzled, but trying to enjoy these precious days "off" before real life starts in again soon.

The cold front coming has the whole midwest talking. I went to stock up with Ainsley today and chatted with all three checkout clerks about the impending freeze. Other than the girls' school being cancelled monday and Tuesday it honestly won't change our days much. It's quite hard to get out for more than a half hour snow romp anyhow. I'm almost looking forward to the hunker down. Keeping the stove humming and the candles burning. Enjoying fully all those wonderful new toys and books and games. It won't be so bad.

I'm excited about food this week. I was definitely in a sugar rut from the holidays and am excited to get back on a better track with meals. My stand out favorites are the new soups I've made from Moosewood. Lentil and Split Pea. Both just simmered in water with herbs and the beans. I was quite dubious but they are delicious. I've also been itching to try out a few new recipes from Flour, a cookbook my sister gave me for Christmas. The girls and I made the bran muffins this morning and they are great, and healthy! Who would have thought.

I'm excited about knitting too. I finally cast off for Ian's vest and now need only sew seams and finish the edges. Now I get to delve into some new things for the kids. A late winter vest for Felix, booties and a bonnet for a new baby due this spring and a little something for my girls that I'm VERY excited about. IT's all made all the more exciting by the ball winder Ian gave me for Christmas. No more spending hours sitting on the floor winding yarn around my feet. I'm pretty pumped about that.

And because a post is hardly fun without some photos...

New Years Eve fun.