November 27, 2012

And a short pause


{or How I spent a few days gearing up for the coming of December}

skimming Poetry books and watching Larry David make a mess of things in old episodes of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'
























cooking up a batch of turkey noodle soup













































hanging a few wintery/holiday things























trying to be Alicia Paulson (it's hard! dang, she's good)












 











 
doing dishes while Izzy lays at my feet (there's a heat vent under the sink kickboard)






































enjoying my new oil lamp (purchase inspired by my pilgrim obsession of last week)







































walking by this downtown apartment window (just as it asked to be photographed)

impulsively purchasing some deliciously retro fabric — vintage Santas and folks strolling festive city sidewalks — then grabbing some polymer clay because I suddenly felt like making tiny snowmen

~

I'm easing myself into the Christmas season. If I rush in too quickly I tend to grow weary by the time the actual day rolls around, so I'm taking it slow . . . humming along with the tunes in the stores, browsing the gifts, but not buying too much yet.

I'm also decompressing from watching the entire 2nd season of 'Downton Abbey' while my mom was visiting. I was in a British WWI-era fog for several days, dreaming of wearing exquisite gowns and attending dinners with Matthew Crawley. Oh dear. Thankfully, the effect has worn off and I'm back to my old self again.

~

See those poetry books? Remember my "Poetry Workshop" class? Well, let me just say this — analyzing poetry is kinda hard and boring. It seems the more I think about HOW to write it the WORSE I get at actually writing it! Aaack!

BUT - the Ken Burns documentary on the Dust Bowl was on last week and it was really fantastic. Thus concludes my class on the Dust Bowl. I gave myself an 'A' for participation, effort and knowledge retention. :)

What are you up to these last November days?

10 comments:

  1. Thank you notes, Christmas cards, a Christmas letter?, crocheting a Christmas sock, finding where we stored the outside Nativity scene, finding where we stored the little tabletop artificial Christmas tree, making squash pie, lighting pottery liquid paraffin candles on the mantle, listening to the Classical Christmas station on Pandora, watching old Christmas movies, and loving my family around me...I love this time of year :)
    ps. I sooo agree with your AP comment I LOL...and I have not finished my ornament kit from last year yet :(

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    1. I've been listening to Christmas music on Pandora too! I love it.

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  2. Looks like my kind of winter at your house! Homemade soup, fabric, embroidery -- AP kit... :), Dust Bowls, yarn and clay. I want to come over to play! I enjoyed the Ken Burns series as well.... the photos were amazing, as always.

    I'm dying for some retro Christmas fabric and will have to resort to buying online. No good fabric stores here, sniff sniff. My crafting time is limited at the moment anyway, so is my list of projects. Enjoy yours!

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    1. JoAnn's is where I got my fabric.

      Too bad Canada isn't a bit closer. I could help with the flooring and then we could try out your new sewing machine!

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  3. Looks like you've been having a lovely last few days of November. I have and still am, nursing a rather nasty throat/chest infection that has knocked me sideways. Not good as I still have a couple of Xmas gifts to make.

    Here's hoping to see the back of it soon x

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    1. Sorry to hear you're sick. Hope you're feeling better soon.

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  4. Lovely post Jenny - I like this peek into your life. Those Norton anthologies take me right back to my first year at University. Your December build up looks calm and cosy and gentle. I am frantically trying to complete Christmas gifts that I am making while running around doing 100 other things. Can I come over to your house? It looks much more peaceful!

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    1. You are such a busy gal Gillian. I could never have done what you do when my kids were little. I used all my free time to nap and stare blankly at the wall. Go girl!

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  5. I too am trying to ease into the Christmas holiday, I refuse to put up my decorations until Dec. 1, but I am thinking of just getting ready to decorate tomorrow cause I want to put away Fall-I keep seeing all the marvelous Christmas ideas on blogs and Pinterest and I want to get started!
    I've also been watching a lot of British Manor house type shows-most recently Gosford Park, twice in the last 2 days-I love it! It's Downton Abbey with a murder mystery thrown in (written by the same man). I can't stop humming "land of might have been", have you seen it? If not watch it asap and let me know what you think?!
    We watched the dust Bowll as well-amazing pictures.
    Love your doggie, we are still dogless :(

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    1. Oh I love Gosford Park! So good.

      Today I will get some holiday stuff out and we plan to go cut down our tree this weekend, so by Sunday things will be full-on Christmas in our house.

      Perhaps Santa brings puppies? ;)

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