On a more positive note...

I don't like having yesterday's post as the most current one on my blog. We can all get enough of the news elsewhere (and likely you're all as sick of it as I am) so I decided to kick off the weekend with a happier post.

First of all, I wanted to show you the beautiful holiday cards I got this year. I couldn't bear to put them away with the rest of the Christmas stuff at the end of December. I also kept out some fairy lights that I put around them so that they'd glow and sparkle at night.

Next, here's something else that's making me happy. My orchids and my Christmas cactus are blooming. The orchids are my favorite.

The weather has been wet and cold this week. On Wednesday morning while working from home I started a crockpot of homemade vegetable beef soup and let it simmer all day. It's been our supper for the past two nights, and it's maybe one of the best batches of soup I've ever made. Delicious, and just the thing for the kind of weather we've been having. This is comfort food at its best.

Last of all, this sweet boy. He loves basking in sunshine as much as any cat. On bright days he follows the sun through the house and parks himself wherever he can soak up a few rays. This was early yesterday morning.

Wishing you all a weekend filled with comfort, content, and the happiness that comes from the little things in life. 

Back to work

It was my first day back at work after the two week winter break. Most of the teachers and staff seemed notably more relaxed and smiling than before Christmas, and the kids were relatively quiet and well behaved, too. Some time off seems to have done everybody some good!

Last night I seared two pounds of stew beef meat and started simmering it in the crockpot with beef stock, crushed tomatoes, sautéed garlic and onions, and two bay leaves. It went into the refrigerator overnight, and then I put it back on low heat before I left for work this morning. As soon as I got home I tasted it for salt and pepper (the meat was falling apart in the broth) and then added two bags of frozen soup vegetables and a generous splash of red wine. Now it's simmering on low heat, still, and will soon be ready. I'm looking forward to having soup for the next few nights! It will make my first few days back at work easier if I can come home to a tasty dinner that's already made.

Have a good week, everybody.