Currently

I've decided to do things a bit differently today. Not only will I be sharing what's happening currently, I will continue yapping for some of the prompts and share a bit of recap of 2025.

Reading ... in the Bible, I'm still in Luke. 

In the past year I read the entirety of the Old Testament, most of the New, and did an additional read of different books from both.

In other books I read The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf yesterday. I ended up feeling very indifferent towards it. For starters it isn't a genre I gravitate towards at all. It's marketed as a chilling thriller. The only chilling thing about it was the setting; a winter snowstorm. The plot was not plotting. The twists didn't twist. The surprises didn't surprise. The reveals I had already suspected. The final reveal of "whodunnit" barely got an "oh, that makes sense." from me.  There were so many eye roll moments that I simply couldn't take it seriously. 

Over all, it was not a horrible book. I didn't hate it. But I'll be surprised if I remember it by the end of the year. I read it because of a 2026 reading challenge I'm participating in. One of the prompts is to read a thriller so I decided to get it checked off first. As far as thrillers go, it wasn't very thrilling, and I'm okay with that.

I surprised myself with my 2025 reading year. I logged exactly 150 books on Goodreads, plus I did rereads of an additional 29 books that I didn't log, and then several books that were so bad they don't deserve to be on a record that I ever read them. 

I really enjoyed books like The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin,  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, and Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin. I'm hoping to find many similar books to read this year. I also read At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon, I will be continuing that series in 2026.

I read quite a few classics, most of which I'll probably never read again. The Count of Monte Cristo, for example, I liked well enough, but at 1,200+ pages I don't see myself ever picking it up to do a reread. I did not finish Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky I made it about a third of the way through and was having such a miserable time with it that I decided to quit reading. I'm not sure if I'll ever pick it up in the future to give it another attempt. 

I read all of Jane Austen's books for the first time. I had attempted Pride and Prejudice several times over the years, but this was my first completion.  A few of her books I can see myself picking up again in the future. I also read Little Women for the first time and absolutely loved it. It is definitely going to be read again.

I read four books that I connected to like no other books I have ever read. From the first introduction of the main character in book one I understood her completely. It was as if I was reading my own life through slightly different circumstances and a completely different setting. So though the cringe factor was high with a lot of things the side characters said and did, I continued reading. These books will remain with me for the rest of my days, and yes, I will probably do a reread at some point even though I still remember everything.

I read quite a few memoirs, but I'll only pick my top three to mention here. 

Will the Circle be Unbroken by Sean Dietrich. I will read everything he writes. With this memoir I laughed, I cried, and I can see myself doing a reread. 

The House of my Mother by Shari Franke I found thought provoking and disturbing. I'm still confused and frustrated by the Dad whenever I think of this book.. 

Life from Scratch by Sasha Martin, I really enjoyed all the food related things in the book, but there was also so much heartbreak. 

My last read of the year was Powerful by Lauren Roberts. It's book 1.5 in the Powerless series. It gave me all the feels. It was so, so sweet, with a side of devastation. The Powerless series is a Hunger Games meets fantasy type of read. I read Powerless, it was good. I liked the main character's best friend Adena who is a sunshiney seamstress with a love of sticky honey buns. Picking up Powerful and seeing it is happening at the same time as Powerless but from Adena's point of view I knew I was going to love it even though I already knew what was going to happen at the end.  I was right, five stars and counting! 

Writing ... I'm still working on setting up my journals and planner for the new year, which there is a lot more to that than simply writing.

Sharon gave me a lovely journal for Christmas. I have decided to use it for my 2026 reading journal and have been having fun creating spreads I want in it. Here's a sneak peek of a few of them.

Some months this past year have been much more productive in getting actual writing done than others. For the most part though I find if I don't have a contract dangling over my head it's easy to push writing to the back.

Watching ... the pictures on my digital photo frame. It was a Christmas gift from someone who wanted me to be able to have our grandbabies' pictures displayed in an ever changing and updating way. It was such a thoughtful gift and I've been enjoying it a lot. 

Listening ... to the chitter chatter of an annoyed squirrel in the tree outside the kitchen window. The hum of the furnace in the basement. And the satisfying clicking noise of my laptop keys as I type.

Baking ... some sourdough bread. Sharon bakes a loaf every week. She's quite talented at it. LV absolutely loves it. I always eat some as well, being determined to learn to love it, but it tastes exactly like the name suggests, and so far I haven't learned to appreciate that sour tang to my bread. She also bakes other sourdough things, and I have no idea why those never have that lingering sour taste that the bread does and I actually quite enjoy those creations.

We really cut back on desserts this past year, but even so we got to try some new recipes that were quite the hit, and also one unfortunate peach cobbler that shall hopefully be forgotten by all who tried to eat it.

Cooking ... tonight I'll be making roasted cauliflower steak, meatballs, and the family's favorite potato wedges.

A few minutes ago I set my laptop down and ventured into the kitchen to pop a giant sweet potato into the oven. I needed it baked and cooled so I can slice and fry it up for part of our lunch. 

It had been on the counter beside the refrigerator.

Entering the kitchen I could not find the sweet potato anywhere, However, on the counter next to the refrigerator was a container of leftovers Sharon was going to take to work with her today for her lunch. I am very curious to find out tonight if, as I am beginning to think, she truly happened to take the sweet potato instead of her lunch in her rush to leave the house this morning.

Feeling ... like there is so much I want to do, but only one little ole me to do it. 

This past year I have been tackling many of the new things I have been keeping only in my impossible dreams files in my mind for years. I have discovered that breaking big dreams down into manageable small goals is making things happen. 

Disliking ... sickness.  LV was quite miserable yesterday with some kind of stomach virus.

We have been fortunate in not having had to deal with a lot of sickness this past year, and for that we are thankful. Hopefully this bout of stuff will be the main event of sickness for 2026.

Loving ... tea.  A lovely set of holiday tea was acquired over Christmas. The flavors have all been delightful and I have savored every cup so far.

Playing ... last night LV, Steven, and I played Phase 10.

It has been one of our main go-to card games ever since even before we were married. I lose a solid 95% of the time, but somehow I still enjoy it a lot.

It should come as no surprise that I lost last night as well.

We played a lot of games this past year, and we're hoping to play equally as many or more this year.

I'm setting up a game journal as well. I think it will be fun to look back at the end of the year at all the games we played and being able to track the stats of who won the most, what game got played the most. plus including some fun challenges that I'm borrowing from my reading journal but converting them to work for games instead. 

Cleaning ... today I'm deep cleaning the bathroom. Not the most fun way to start off a new year, but a certain sense of satisfaction for sure!

This past year I did spring and fall house cleaning, deep cleaned the basement after it flooded, did multiple deep cleanings of random rooms and certain areas of the house throughout the year, but somehow I never cleaned the attic. In fact I don't recall so much as poking my head into the attic the entire year.

Last night Rosie called wondering if she still has a certain box of things in the attic. So today will also be the day I finally venture up there again. I'm hoping seeing it won't make me put it on the needs to be cleaned soon list.

Currently

Reading ... in the Bible, Luke. 

In other books I'm about twenty-five percent of the way through How to Tie a Tie by Steve Denlinger. It's memoir of growing up Mennonite and then leaving that culture. 

I'm seriously considering doing a soft DNF on it. 

It feels like a right book, wrong time type of thing. Tucking it away for a later time seems like a good idea. In fact the simple act of writing this has convinced me to do just that. 

Writing ...  detailed goals and plans for the upcoming year. After writing the initial list of goals I have been breaking things down into doable chunks so I can work things into my plans in order to actually get everything accomplished.

Watching ... right now there's an episode of Storage Wars playing, but I'm really not invested or paying any attention to it.

Listening ... to the noise of the show, and Sharon and Steven talking.

Baking ... nothing sweet. My most recent use of the oven was to roast brussel sprouts for one of the side dishes for our Christmas dinner on Sunday, and earlier that day I had also baked some dinner rolls.

Cooking ... tonight I made turkey burgers with Shichimi Togarashi for seasoning, mashed potatoes, and a loaded salad,.

Feeling ... tired but satisfied. I got the house de-Christmased today. I enjoy Christmas lights and decorations, but it feels lovely having everything back to pre-holiday mode.

Disliking ... when appliances need to be replaced. Our washer and dryer unit has been acting up, and we finally ordered a new one. This one served us well for almost twenty years. I'm rather sad to see it go.

Loving ... the time we got to spend with family. Having grown children coming home with their children is the best!

Playing ... once again we haven't been playing as much as usual. We did play Munchkins, UNO Show Them no Mercy, and one of Steven's favorites.

On Sunday we talked about playing Pictionary and Skyjo, but instead we ladies pulled out our washi tapes, stickers, and journaling supplies and enjoyed an afternoon setting up planner and journals.

Cleaning ... two shelves in the storage room were leaning badly under their weight of books, games, and other items. I was concerned they were going to fall at any moment. On Tuesday Steven and I removed everything from the shelves and turned them so they lean towards the wall. 

I don't know that it's a permanent fix, but it has solved the problem for now.

Currently

Reading ... in the Bible, a few Psalms.

In other books I read Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. I read the Hunger Games series ten or so years ago. It's a series that has stuck with me even though I've never done a reread. When I heard about this book and that Haymitch was going to be the main character I knew I had to give it a read.

I heard it's a really emotional read and everyone I heard talking about it was saying how much they cried while reading it. I tend to get teary easily while reading. If something is sweet, if something is sad you will find me reaching for tissues. Some books have me sobbing. Knowing myself and knowing the Hunger Games I made sure to have a box of tissues within easy reach and settled in to read.

There may be something wrong with me, because yes, it was sad. Yes it had some emotional scenes, but I shed nary a tear. My breath didn't catch, there was no rapid blinking, no lumps in my throat, just nothing. 

It was a really good book, but I think I emotionally distanced myself before I started reading and as such never got truly immersed in the story.

Writing ... menu plans, grocery lists, and working on brainstorming and scheduling some projects Sharon and I want to tackle after the holidays.

Watching ... an episode of Restoring Galveston almost every evening. It's one of our favorite house flipping shows. We had a ton of them recorded and we're finally getting to watching them. The couple who is doing the renovations is so sweet. Not only is it fun watching the old houses transform under their talented vision and craftsmanship, but their relationship with each other is also a pleasure to see. All around a feel good show.

Listening ... I would love to have some Christmas music playing, but Steven doesn't like music on a normal day, and Christmas music takes it to new heights of torture for him, so I'm choosing not to play any when he's in the house.

Baking ... not exactly baking, but I used the oven to soften Rolos and then pressed pretzels into them. They are some of our favorite Christmas treats. Besides making the Rolo Pretzels I also made quite a few batches of rice krispie treats, but that's all we're doing for this year's Christmas goodies.

Earlier today I delivered a celebration cake. I was nervous doing the hour long drive with a cake riding in the back of our vehicle, but it all turned out okay and I was able to deliver an intact cake.

I did breathe a huge sigh of relief once it arrived at the venue, and was safely handed over.

Cooking ... I get to have the night off of cooking thanks to the birthday party we will be attending. 

Last evening I made turkey burgers and seasoned potato wedges. 

Feeling ... content and happy. 

Disliking ... ice. There's a freezing mix happening right now and the roads are getting interesting. I'm glad I get to be in the passenger seat tonight when traveling to and from the birthday party. LV is better at bad weather driving than I am.

Loving ... books. That I love reading is no surprise I'm sure. Seeing my TBR pile makes me feel happy everytime I look at it.

Playing ... our week has been somewhat chaotic so far and time to sit down and play a game did not happen that often. The only game that made it to the table so far this week was Munchkins. 

Cleaning ... other than the daily dozen and weekly seven, the only additional cleaning was washing all the bedding. 

I was going to tackle several shelves in the storage room today, but then the cake delivery request came up, so I did that instead.

Currently

Reading ... in the Bible, Ruth. Plus a few Psalms, and other passages from various books of the Bible as I'm doing a study.

In other books I read Once Upon a Christmas Carol by  Melody Carlson. It was only a novella, but somehow it felt loooong. 

Writing ... it's that time of year when I start writing out goals and plans for the new year. There are a few items on my 2025 goals that I didn't get completed, so I'm carrying those over into my goals for 2026.

Watching ... various YouTube videos of what people are getting their children and teens for Christmas. I can't really explain why I like them. It's not as if I needed the inspiration for gifts, having already planned what we will be doing. But somehow I find it rather enjoyable.

Listening ... to my 2025 recap playlist. I was surprised at how little music I listened to this year. Even so, I'm enjoying listening to a lot of my favorites in one playlist

Baking ... that idea I had for a new cookie invention last week. It was successful, but I want to make a few minor tweaks to the recipe before sharing it. They turned out to be what I call a delightful tea cookie. It had a snap to it while still being somewhat chewy. Exactly what I was looking for to enjoy with a cup of my favorite tea.

Cooking ... my menus lately have been on the boring side with hamburger, potatoes, and salad. Made different ways, but still very basic. 

Time to pull out my cookbooks and browse my Pinterest boards.

Feeling ... excited. Some of the plans and goals for the new year has me feeling excited. I would start now, but the holidays are already a busy time. It seems wise to wait to be starting some new time consuming projects until things slow down a bit.

Disliking ... badly plowed roads that are slick and slippery with slushy snow.  So far ditches have remained Mary Ann free. My goal is to keep it that way, which means allowing more time to get to my destinations.

Loving ... a clean kitchen. It never stays spotless for long, but those few minutes a day when it is, it brings me a soul-deep feeling of joy

Playing ... a word salad type of game with Steven. 

We've also been pulling out the fast little games that can be played in only a few minutes. Somehow that seems to be all the time we have for games these past few days. Especially when sledding is an option.

Cleaning ... repeatedly sweeping the front porch and porch steps to try to keep it free of snow.

Currently

Reading ...  in the Bible I read Esther. 

In other books, I'm reading The Christmas Basket by Debbie Macomber. I find Christmas books are usually light little fluff reads. They're a good time, but quite forgettable. 

I am also in the middle of doing a reread of a series that I already read twice this year. 

Steven is also doing a reread of one of his favorite series and it brought up a discussion on how we would rate books. After some debating we came to an agreement that the following star ratings is the most accurate way to sum up the books we read.

5 stars = perfection. Would not change a thing. Will definitely read again.

4 stars = loved, would read again

3 stars = don't regret. Had a good time, but it was forgettable and will not read again.

2 stars = did not like. Will not recommend.

1 star = loathed it.

Any books we abandon or can't make ourselves finish we will not rate.

But then there are some other books that don't fit into that basic 1  to 5 star rating system. We went ahead and added two more categories.

6 stars = that top tier feeling. The books that mean so much to you that the characters feel like close friends. They're everything. Multiple rereads will have you feeling the same things you felt the first, second, and third time you read them. They don't grow old. 

0 stars = burn it, try to forget it ever existed.    Only two books fit in this category for me. I couldn't burn them because I had borrowed them from the library, but I'm trying my best to forget they ever existed.

Writing ... addresses on the envelopes of the Christmas cards we are sending out. I've already sent the majority, but still have a few here waiting until tomorrow when I can pick up some stamps for mail sent outside of the United States.

Watching ... Sharon and Steven sledding. Sharon had the day off work yesterday and Steven convinced her to join him sledding. He didn't have to put forth much effort in the convincing part before she was bundling up and heading outside to join him.

Listening ... to the wind, and the sound of traffic passing the house. Both sound cold. The wind has a sharper whistling sound, and whatever they put on the road to treat it for ice and snow gives traffic a different sound that I associate with cold.

Baking ... I haven't baked anything this week, but I have some plans that I'm actually quite excited to try.  I want to try making some new cookies that so far only exist in my head.  I know baking is much more of a science than cooking, but I kind of understand it, and Rosie Mae is really good at creating new recipes so I'll have her check it before I waste ingredients. If I'm successful I'll share the recipe here on my blog, if not I'll only talk about the results in a future "Currently" post.

Cooking ... last evening I made glazed lamb meatballs and a side of cauliflower sautéed in bacon drippings instead of butter.  A salad would have been a lovely addition, but Aldi and Walmart lettuce were both rusty when I did our grocery run, so we are having a salad-less week.

Feeling ... somewhat cozy and festive. There's something about being in a warm house, with a lit Christmas tree while there's snow right outside the window that makes everything feel delightful.

Disliking ...  Amazon. I do like Amazon to a certain extent, but it has been a headache this year. Completely losing a package. Resending the order in multiple packages one of which claims it should arrive by the 23rd when it was originally supposed to arrive towards the end of November. Another item arrived yesterday, but they sent the wrong thing so I have to deal with doing a return.

Loving ... peppermint tea. I'm not the biggest tea drinker, but I've recently been loving a daily cup or two of peppermint tea. 

Playing ... I dug out most of our winter and Christmas themed games and brought them downstairs. We've only played one of them so far since sledding seems to have replaced board games for now.

One afternoon Tim and Rosie Mae stopped in after having had other errands in our area, They saw the stack of Christmas games, Santa's Workshop caught Tim's eye and he was immediately interested in playing. We've never played it before so the setup, reading the instructions, watching a video on gameplay all took some time, but once we got it figured out it was quite fun. Certainly a game that we'll be playing again and again. Especially during future Decembers. 

For anyone who likes strategy based games or has played Everdell or Forges of Ravenshire and enjoyed them, I think you would love this one too. Worker placement and resource management are a big part of this game.

Cleaning ... on the agenda for this afternoon. I want to do a deep clean and update to our medicine cabinet. The update will have to consist of simply a list of things we need to get to have the cabinet properly stocked. Hopefully we can get those items tomorrow.

I know there are some expired items in there, and other things that need to have their stock replenished. A recent injury reminded me of how important a properly stocked medicine cabinet is.