My Everything Corner

This mug found its way to me from Whitehorse, a city in the Yukon territory.  Every time I see this mug, I think of the trip that my family and I took up to that northern part of Canada in 2018.  The North is beautiful in a way that resonates with me. Trees and lakes. That's where my heart is. I love the ocean and it's beaches and the view of a mountain from a distance. But, put me in the middle of a forest with a lake just a short walk away, that's my heaven. I live in the middle of the prairies now, with farmland all around me. It's beautiful in it's own way, but it's the forest I long to be in. Trees are becoming more scarce in my neck of the woods as farmers have to clear their land to make room for the huge machinery that does the job of feeding the world today. I'm always sad to see the new piles of trees that sit ready to be burned when they are dry, and I'm sure it's hard on the humans who have made that choice. But there is a huge population...

 I'm typing this up in the midst of a blizzard. Until now, we've had to look at a desolate prairie landscape. A large amount of fresh white snow that's just in time for Christmas is winter perfection. Of course, it's going to make my walks around the yard more challenging and I will most likely have to pull out the snowshoes.  Like most everyone, we are stuck keeping to ourselves for the holidays. It's more than a little bit sad, but there is something very comforting about not having to go anywhere at all. It leaves plenty of time for blogging and reading and drinking all sorts of tea. I did not send Christmas cards out this year, so don't be waiting for one. Perhaps I'll make up for that next year, as I did enjoy sending out and receiving some lovely cards and letters from my wonderful blog friends. Merry Christmas!

A coffee scented candle and a mocha treat me to a coffee shop experience without leaving the house. I should put on some chatter in the background to complete the effect. Did you know that there is actually a channel you can listen to all day long that is just the hum of  people happily chatting? Winter has, so far, been exceptionally kind to us in terms of its temperatures and I've been able to enjoy long periods of time outdoors. It's good to be out listening to the noisy birds that visit our garden in the winter. Our house house has been so quiet since our daughter moved out in August. I do like quiet, but this is a bit much. We visited her in November and she is doing very well, enjoying living on her own, even though she is working long hours at her new job. My son turned 15 in August and recently acquired his learner's license. He took us on our first drive to the city yesterday, and did a great job. Yesterday also happened to be our daughter's 18th birthday and m...