A New Year Beach Walk

Good morning, friends, and welcome 2023! 

                             

The new year has dawned bright, sunny, and warm! [my neighbor is wearing shorts w his puffer vest! Another neighbor has set out a planter box of real poinsettias on her front porch!]. What a change from Christmas's frigid temps, from sub zero wind chill to now 50 plus degrees. Mo thinks it is a great day to sit out and sew but my friend came before the Christmas storm and helped me bungee and weight down all the deck furniture,

...so instead let's enjoy our annual New Year beach walk.

The dunes are scraped and tattered by the hurricane force winds last week. I was scouting for pretty weeds and pods to draw if I do a nature journal, but no. HERE

A few tenacious bayberries are all I found.

Some fluffy weed heads. Not really inspiring or attractive, are they.

Tiny bird and animal tracks.

The shell garden and Par Ducks. 

I will have to paint a few shells to bring.

Maybe a ladybug? A pug? A motto...

                           

Back home: I brewed a hot cup of Earl Grey and examined my pocket junk finds.

These are stainless steel not copper, photo is misleading. The larger hoop is a motto bracelet, a gift from a friend not a street find.  At first I thought the water hose clamp was a similar bracelet and the smaller hoop an earring, but No, just junk.

On my morning table, the Christmas books are put away. This will be my January read, along with simple knitting.

I marked my new calendars today.

 One is hung prominently for pleasure viewing, the other, also loved, but used to mark birthdays, holidays, and an alarming number of medical dates, ick.

The beautiful seascapes cal came with a word of the year card. I am choosing BEACH, as it embodies so many aspects of health and joy and positivity. Not that I am a fan of Word of the year, but it is here so I used it, will add to my journal.

I kept my Year in the Coutry quilt out for now, because it makes n=me think of calendars and the passing of the years. [you may note I got new lamps for Christmas, hooray!] 

I  wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy New Year.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

last sunset of 2022.

PS when do you put away your Christmas decorations? All my life I put everything away on Twelfth Night Day, as my family tradition was the holiday began mid-December and lasted til January 5. [if that's the wrong date, oh well, it was OUR date and tradition.] But now Christmas begins right after Halloween or maybe die hards like me after Thanksgiving!~ And most everyone I know was mad-busy  on December 26 putting all the worn dusty tired ornaments and decorations away. 

Your thoughts? Your tradition?

Made me sad. But I have a medical clinic treatment upcoming fast and so I did everything this week. The cottage is again blue and white. Looks barren, but I'll add as the winter goes by. 

Happy New Year!

 Best wishes to all my friends and family, hopes for a wonderful 2023!

love

lizzy

Hi everyone! Counting down to Christmas here---it's a very dark first day of winter! Rain and wind may come and as we await the storm I am filling the cottage with the warm and homely smell of baking and cooking. 

New cooky recipe: HERE   Pistachio shortbread, half with cranberries [how festive], half with tiny dark chocolate chips.

I made a simplified version Martha's stew. here

I like cooking things slowly in the oven, warms the house but this could be slow cooker too I suppose. If you make this recipe, very flavorful!, beware of the saltiness of the bacon, do NOT add any more salt.

Served with wide noodles, pappardelle in this case, warm and buttery. And garlic sauteed cabbage from TJ's.

I got out this week to Trader Joe's, a special treat.

In my family [perhaps because my parents were usually very frugal in day to day living?] it was always a tradition to go to a special market or gourmet store for Christmas Eve provisions and flowers and fresh greenery. Even in college I haunted the the historic market in that city, recently rediscovered by my brother who lives in that area now. Trader Joe's had no pine or holly, and NO red tulips!?, my holiday signature flower, so I settled on this beautiful eucalyptus and white tulips.

I have never seen eucalyptus with smooth pointy leaves, like olive branches, or the other variety with the tiny green berries or buds.

This won't be their final placement, I just stuck the stems anywhere to keep them fresh.

Aren't the flowers just a joy! Summer in December.

They even had ranunculus, but I stuck with my tulips. When I lived in Brooklyn years ago, I always filled my Art Deco black-and-neutral loft with bunches of Christmas red tulips everywhere, and would bring more home to the beach where I did a red and white Nordic Christmas, oh so fun and all so lavish.

Wonderful cheeses and salamis for charcuterie platters when friends and family stop by, I hope. Or good provisions to enjoy if the power goes.

 Gifts arrive! 

And one evening I went with friends to see the display of Magic Lights at the beach. Amazing and glorious among the pitch black dunes and ocean.

[edit: next morning- storm is passing but winds are high and temperatures are ''plummeting''. Must do the un -fun thing of trying to seal window drafts now.

Our deck/ sewing space doesn't look inviting, does it!

Wsihing everyone a warm and cozy holiday.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

last sunset of autumn 2022, as the solstice marks the shortest and and grey winter arrives.

Brave zinnias continue to bloom, so hopeful. Six more months til summer.....