A homely* kind of day

I'm off work this week thanks to Winter Break. Besides appointments with the dentist and doctor (both simple routine checkups) I didn't make any plans, other than just enjoying myself doing whatever I wanted. So far, it's been really nice. 

On Saturday morning I met up with two friends from book club for breakfast. The place we went has the most wonderful Eggs Benedict, a favorite of mine, so of course that's what I ordered. The next day, I made a big batch of homemade vegetable soup, which has been simmering on low in the crockpot more or less ever since (it's had one overnight in the refrigerator). Today the weather's turned frigid again with the possibility of freezing rain and snow flurries tonight, so we're looking forward to that soup. And as I type this, two loaves of homemade bread are just about done baking. Between the bread in the oven and the soup simmering in the crockpot, my house smells wonderful right now.

Added a little while later while finishing this post:

I added an egg wash and sesame seeds to the bread this time. I hope it tastes good!

In other news: I am a domestic goddess!! HAHA. :) No, but seriously, in between making the bread, I finished a knitting project! I've been wanting to start knitting again, but it had been a loooong time, and I wanted something quick and easy to start with. Gregg has been pestering me for a while now to make him a new hat, so that's what I did! Nothing's any quicker and simpler than a hat and I didn't even need a pattern. I'm happy with how it turned out, and he really likes it. It's thick and warm. Just in time for our winter weather over the next few days!

I only talked him into letting me take his picture by telling him I'd take a side photo. I don't know why he hates having his picture taken, but he does.

To finish off a good day, I have book club tonight. That's always a fun time and I'm looking forward to it. I'm only about halfway through the book, but I'm not that invested in it, so I'm not worried about finishing. Seeing my friends is the main thing, although the drive home might be a little bit icy. Depending on the weather I may need to leave a little early, but I hope not.

Have a good night, friends!

*Homely in the British sense.

Tuesday Round Up

Today has been slow and easy, just the thing after a busy weekend at work.

Dear husband's birthday was very nice, even if we were both busy all weekend. There were presents (mostly new clothes) and a nice steak dinner. There was a sinfully delicious Italian Crème birthday cake purchased at the bakery down the road. On the birthday evening, it finally got cold enough to light the fireplace for the first time this year, which is always a treat. And as promised, here are some pictures of the hat I knit for the birthday dude. It's just a plain-Jane, no-pattern hat, made of good wool in a silvery grey color that this photo doesn't capture at all. I apologize for the picture quality here, it really doesn't do the hat justice:

Today has been a lazy day. I'm still sleeping at lot. I suppose it's the shorter days, but all I want to do lately is burrow under the covers of my warm, cosy bed and sleep whenever I have a day off! Once I dragged myself out of bed today, I took Ginger for a walk to our neighborhood park. It was a beautiful afternoon. Here are a couple of photos I snapped while out.



It's hard to get a photo of anything but Ginger's backside when
she's on the leash. This is the road in front of our house.

 



The entrance to our little park.

 

 



Headed home.

 

Shaking it off, and birthday prep

I'm finally beginning to feel normal again after the ER trauma the other day. For some reason I've slept an incredible amount since then (possibly from all the drugs they gave me). I'm just beginning to feel like I'm shaking it all off, and just in time, too.

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday, and I've been too distracted to do anything yet, so this afternoon will be spent shopping for a couple of small gifts and the ingredients for a special birthday dinner. The dinner will take place tonight, since I have to work until late tomorrow. Grilled steaks and rosemary-garlic new potatoes are standard birthday fare around here, but I haven't had the time (or felt well enough) to plan anything more creative this year.  And instead of the homemade cake/pie/dessert I had hoped to make, I will be picking up something from the local bakery. There will be one special gift for my honey: I've almost finished knitting him a new wool hat! It's still on the needles, but should be ready by tomorrow morning. The pattern is nothing fancy, just a super-simple stretchy ribbed band, followed by a plain stockinette body. The wool is a soft silvery grey, and it's going to be subtly pretty. I'm grateful I didn't attempt a complicated pattern when I started it last week. I would never have finished in time if I had, what with getting sick and all. I'll post pictures of it after it's been given to the birthday boy.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!