An Epic Two-fer — November AND December Wrap-up and a CONTEST with multiple winners!
January 2, 2022
Happy New Year! What’s up, peeps? I’ll admit I’ve been pure SHITE at social media the past 3 months. Been in me own world, you know, dealing with…oh nothing major…besides figuring out a direction for my writing career…
But I’m not here to chat about that today. I’m here to share what went on in Lorelei’s life in November and December. I won’t be separating them out because to be honest, the months kind of ran together for me. I did a crap-ton of crafting; I have pics of some, and others, well, I didn’t manage to snap pics before I presented them. So here are the crafts I managed to finish and photograph:)
WHAT I CRAFTED
Like I said, LOTS of Christmas ornaments. Let’s just assume these are all from kits, since I’m not to the stage yet where I’m making my own designs…I actually did 3 versions of this reindeer ornament — this Scandinavian themed one, a red and gold one and a green and silver one — all turned out super cute 🙂
The unfinished aspect of this kit bothered me, so I ended up painting the wooden part, one sparkly green and one sparkly silver and it improved them tenfold!
Again, these were plain wooden ornaments I found in my Christmas stuff that I’d purchased in Germany, but hadn’t put together. I opted to paint one traditional green (with sparkles of course) and one a mix of silver and white. I’m super pleased with how they turned out and I kept them for myself. Each side has 4 coats of paint so they took time.
These wool embroidery kits are great to work on, on planes. I finished this one on the return trip from Houston — although I’d started it in September. I have all of these funky 70s inspired images stacked up in my craft room and I don’t know what to do with them. Maybe make a wall hanging?
I’ve shared my love of silk ribbon embroidery and thought…I should make Christmas ornaments with silk poinsettias. Rather than mess up a bunch of silk ribbon, these were my practice attempts with polyester/cotton ribbon. They mostly gave the the shape I was after, but they’re about the size of a silver dollar and I knew I had to make them smaller.
And because I can’t seem to make just ONE of something, here are the 7 ornaments I made, on various materials, with different colors of red and green. Since the frames where just cheapo wooden ones, I painted them a variety of red and green and one is gold. I had a ton of fun with these. Just for reference, here’s a close up and the length of the entire ornament is 2 1/2 inches..
This is the biggest ornament I beaded — it’s 4 X 5. It is really pretty and the beads shine much more than the picture shows. I also snapped a pic of it next to a regular pair of scissors for comparison. Yes, this one took me a LONG time. So the other 3 in this series will have to wait until next fall to get finished.
I also did 3 different patterns of this tree, again, love how the gold and red look together. Also adding a pic with scissors for size comparison.
I honestly don’t know why I didn’t take pictures of everything, maybe because I did multiples? Anyway, I did 2 other versions of these stars, one of which was my own design.
I wish I was a better photographer because the shininess of the beads doesn’t really come through. The left one was a lovely purple and it looks blue even next to the blue ornament.
Here’s the pattern/kit for the bird one I did for my bird loving friend Tammy 🙂
Um, yeah, I might be obsessed with these kits from the Ukraine. Here’s another different tree!
I beaded these fridge magnets for my girls and my mom for their stockings, cute, huh?
I found this wooden ornament at a local store, but again, I was unimpressed with the plain wood. So I painted them. Since none of our girls live here, I got one for each of them and painted them all a pearly white with the word sweet a different color.
I have a couple more that I didn’t get sent off in time for Christmas that I’ll share next month after I’ve mailed them!
WHERE WE TRAVELED
In November, we got to spend 6 days in Houston with our youngest and her husband. They were on Thanksgiving break so we had an epic boardgame marathon–we played 27 games! Really relaxing and so much fun. We even designed and painted a rainbow mural on the baby’s nursery wall 😍so excited to meet this baby girl in March. Since my son-in-law and I were the only drinkers, we did hit a couple of local breweries 🙂
We also visited Johnson Space Center (fully masked) and it was AMAZING. As always the trip ended too soon, and we hate that D3 lives so far away, but they have a good life in Texas, and that’s comforting to see first hand.
In December we traveled to Denver. It’d been TWO MONTHS since we’d seen the grandbaby and we were jonesing for Lolly and PopPop time. The other reason we went was for an Avs game! PopPop volunteered to stay with the precious one, while D1, her hubby, and I went to the game. I got us killer seats, mostly because I had a credit from March 2020 when Covid hit and I was finally able to use it. (Side note: we were also supposed to go to an Avs game on Dec. 29th with the Houston kiddos on their way back home, but the game got postponed which sucked) And it’s always more fun to be the winning team on home ice! Great view, huh?
WHAT I COOKED
Mr. James smoked some pork in early November and because we’d purchased a small turkey breast on one of our shopping trips, he decided to throw that on the smoker as well. Full disclosure: neither one of us are crazy about turkey. BUT WOW. Smoking it….whole different story. I ended up making hot turkey sandwiches two times that week and they were outstanding.
Not hard to figure out we didn’t do a traditional turkey dinner when we were in Houston, instead we made a prime rib. I like to make a different dessert every year so I was eager to try a cranberry orange pie recipe. It was super easy, a perfect mix of sweet and tart. So good, in fact, that we made it again for Christmas eve! If you’re looking for the recipe just type cranberry orange pie into google 😁
Now we’re to the Christmas cookie fail portion of the post. I found these cookie tins in my Christmas dishes and wondered why I’d never used them.
So I took them to Denver for some cookie making fun with the granddaughter. Mixing the dough went great. Baking the cookies…well, this is how they turned out:
HIDEOUS. Flip them over and none of the detail showed. I threw the tins in the recycle bin. No need to keep them since I now know how crappy they were.
I had leftover roast meat, potatoes, carrots, gravy and onions so I thought…how about making a pot pie? I added a small can of peas, used packaged crust, and TADA — a super easy, super delicious supper that we stretched into two nights.
When we were in Houston, I discovered D3 is into the Great British Baking Show. As we’d never seen it (I know, I know, where have I BEEN) I immediately got hooked on it and watched the first two seasons 😯
And suddenly, I wanted to bake ALL THE THINGS. Fancy things. Alas, I’m not set up for fancy, and I have no patience, so I decided to play baker’s roulette with what I had. A brownie mix, strawberry preserves and butter. I created a two layer brownie with a strawberry lime filling and lime butter cream icing. Apparently I AM good at buttercream icing because OMG I could’ve just sat down and eaten the entire bowl with a spoon. Here’s my effort, and we all know that Paul would knock off major points for presentation , especially how the middle layer somehow looks like…meatloaf? 😂
I used to make orange rolls every Christmas morning — and then Pillsbury bought the Cinnabon name and started putting tons of cinnamon in them (they never had it before) so I’ve had to come up with my own version of orange rolls. These turned out great. Yes, I bought plain crescent biscuits and didn’t make mine from scratch.
The only other pic I managed to snap in December was of Mr. James prime rib. Yes, it was every bit as delicious as it looks 😋
WHAT I READ
I’ve kept my reading to right before bed, so it seems to take me FOREVER to finish a book. Plus, my memory ain’t what it used to be, so in two instances when I’ve purchased a new installment in an existing series, I can’t remember what the hell happened, so I have to go back and read the first book to remind myself. Sigh.
The Scholomance Series, Naomi Novik
I reviewed book 1 last year and LOVED it. So much, that I paid full price of $13.99 for the 2nd book in the series when the kindle edition released. I got about…10 pages in and decided to skim book 1 to remind myself what it was about. Umm. Yeah. Ended up rereading book 1, which took forever and when I finally got to book 2…it also took me a MONTH to finish it. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t great. D3 felt the same way when she read The Graduate, so I didn’t feel like I was alone in my assessment that it was SLOW. And it ended on a fucking cliffhanger, and since this author releases one book a year…yeah, not happy I have to wait until OCTOBER to finish this trilogy.
The Saint of Steel Series, T Kingfisher
I reviewed book 1 and loved it. But again, I couldn’t remember it, so I did a reread before I started book 2. I also really enjoyed this one, the series is so unique. I bought book 3 and it’s on my list to finish next before I forget what happened in books 1 and 2…
Not to be a tease…but I read an ARC and loved it, but I cannot share who wrote it. However, I will review it the month it releases 🙂
WHAT I WATCHED
When I look back, it seems that I spent a bunch of time in front of the TV. Hmmm. And believe it or not, I don’t craft in front of the boob tube.
The Witcher, season 1 AND season 2
It’d been a couple of years since season 1 debuted, so we rewatched it in preparation for season 2. I LOVE this series. Henry Cavill as a hot, badass with a sword? YES PLEASE. But the storylines are so good, and the all the characters are so fascinating. Can’t recommend it highly enough!
Free Guy, digital rental
I ADORE RYAN REYNOLDS, seriously. I’d debated about actually going to the theater to watch this one, but alas, I waited until it released digitally. It was funny and sweet with explosions and bad guys and just awesome entertainment.
Red Notice, Netflix
RYAN REYNOLDS AND THE ROCK? Sign. Me. Up. This was a super fun action movie with great one liners and a kickass female in addition to the 2 hotties. Looks like there will be a sequel — hooray!
The Hating Game, digital rental
I might’ve mentioned a time or twenty that THE HATING GAME is one of my favorite books ever and the fact it got made into a movie? SO happy. And I really loved this adaptation. Some things were different, but the heart and soul of the movie were still there, with the funny moments and the poignant ones as well. The casting was spot on. Seriously adored this one and I highly recommend it!
Wheel of Time, Amazon Prime
I’ve never read any of the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan — I don’t know why, maybe because there are so many installments? Anyway, I decided to give the TV series a try. And while I liked it, and I’ll definitely watch another season, it seemed a little uneven. Lots of action in one episode and lots of dialogue in the next. But I LOVE me some Daniel Henney as the fierce warrior protector. And maybe this sounds weird, coming from an author, but I still don’t have any interest in reading this series…or the Witcher series. I’d rather watch.
Matrix Resurrections , HBO Max
I was a huge fan of the original Matrix trilogy so it was a no-brainer to watch this newest installment. I loved the story concept, loved the acting and the new faces that are part of the franchise. A big hit for me. And also…Keanu. Enough said.
Nobody, Netflix
All you need to know about this film is it was created by the people who did the John Wick series. It is very violent, very funny, with a great lead character. If you liked the JW movies, you’ll like this one too.
The Harder They Fall, Netflix
One of THE best westerns I’ve seen in a long, long time. I cannot tell you how much I LOVED THIS! And Idris Elba as the badass? Sign. Me. Up. Seriously, if you haven’t watched this one, you NEED TO.
Fantastic Fungi Documentary, Netflix
Such a cool, informative movie! Made me want to delve deeper into the mushroom culture. Super weird, cool sidenote: If you watch Star Trek Discovery, you know they have a “spore” drive which fuels their interspace jumps. And the scientist onboard who pioneered the spore drive? Paul Stamets — who is the main topic of this documentary! It is awesome that they used the leading mycologist in the world as a real character in a fictional world
HOCKEY — since I paid for the NHL package this year, I’ve watched lots of Avs games. Fingers crossed they continue to do well🏒🏒🏒
AUDIOBOOKS I LISTENED TO
Since I did so much crafting, and audiobooks are my jam, I got a ton of listening time in.
Immortals After Dark series, books, Kresley Cole, Audible purchases
Okay, so I make no secret that I’m the biggest Kresley Cole fan EVER and when I read that she has a new book MUNROE coming out in January, I FREAKED OUT. Then decided I needed to listen to all 19 book in the series before that one releases. This is as far as I’ve gotten, and in compiling this list, I realized I LISTENED TO THEM OUT OF ORDER. I hate that. UGH. But Robert Petkoff is the best narrator out there, and these have been a joy to listen to. I’d forgotten how much I love this series.
Here and Now and Then, Mike Chen, Apple audio purchase
This is a time travel, sci-fi tale that’s a little twisty, but good. First time read by this author and I enjoyed the narrator.
The Grey Bastards, Jonathan French, Chirp sale purchase
Because I like to mix up my listening, I bought this one that has Orcs as main characters. Yes, Orcs. It’s violent, it’s funny, it’s unique, it’s got great camaraderie between the characters. I liked this one so much I plan to finish the trilogy with the next 2 books. Awesome narrator, too.
The Girl Before, Rena Olsen, Apple audiobooks purchase
This book disturbed the hell out of me and it takes a LOT for that to happen. The story is told in present day and flashbacks about a 6 year old girl getting abducted and then being “groomed” by her abductors. It highlights how clueless a young girl is when she’s isolated from society and lied to and abused. And I don’t want to “yuck anyone’s yum” but after reading this book, I have no idea how readers can stomach the “kidnapped to be a sex slave” fictional books. At all. Especially after reading this book that is so damn real that I can’t believe it’s fiction. The story is heartbreaking and awful and so well done that it lingered with me for days after I finished it. I recommend it only for people who can deal with traumatic storylines.
Getting Real, Emma Chase, included in Audible Plus
I’d listened to the 1st two books in this series and when I saw this one was included in my Audible Plus account, I downloaded it. And I needed something funny and light after the dark book I listed above. As always, Andi Arndt and Zach Webber were outstanding.
Cake, J Bengtsson, Audible Purchase
It’d been a while since I’d listened to a rock star romance, and if I would’ve known it had an abduction element (after reading The Girl Before) I probably would’ve skipped it. I’m glad I listened to it, and I love Joe Arden and Andi Arndt so that made it worthwhile. I know there’s more books in the series, but I’m not sure I’ll continue.
Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage, Jennifer Ashley, Chirp purchase
I shared last time how much I loved the MacKenzie’s series, and this book just proved I need to keep going with it. Funny, sexy, sweet, with great characters and excellent narration. I have the next 3 cued up.
Good As Dead, Susan Walter, Audible Purchase
I don’t know what prompted me to buy this book. The narration was great, but the storyline….really had a hard time believing it. Like super hard, and I read paranormal.
ODDS AND ENDS
I had oral surgery on December 6th and it knocked me down more than I thought it would. I don’t get the actual implant until…April I think. Couple that with my stupid, mysterious knee injury, which has been diagnosed as arthritis (really? I believe it, but why the hell are my MUSCLES so damn sore and they haven’t gotten any better at all?) and I can complain about getting older with a straight face.
D1, D2 and I had a baby shower for D3 on December 23rd. We had such a good time and the zoom portion of it went very well. Here’s the diaper cake my mom made (the shower was Winnie the Pooh and Rainbow themed)
I was so fortunate to have all the girls home for part of the holiday. D2 had to fly out on Christmas morning and her connecting flight in Denver got cancelled but I managed to get her onto another flight, so she was one of the fortunate ones that didn’t spend Christmas in the airport.
We had so much fun with our granddaughter. 2 1/2 is such a fun age! She is obsessed with fire trucks, so we took her to the Firehouse Restaurant, where they give kiddos plastic firehats and the girl was in heaven! Pictured here sitting on her uncle’s lap…check out the stickers on her face 😆
I mentioned this on IG and FB, but we’d scheduled a teeth cleaning for Copper on the 28th and also had the vet remove a couple of lumps at the same time. She called me when he was under and said they found another lump under his chin and it concerned her enough that they sent it off for testing. Crossing our fingers that it isn’t anything serious, but we are worried about our beloved doggo…here he is chilling on the couch and you can see the 3 places where he’s been stitched.
ONWARD TO 2022!!
I’m not one to make resolutions, but I do have a few things to change about myself and my attitude this new year. I refuse to let fear of failure keep me from working on various writing projects. I plan to sharply curtail my crafting and audiobook listening to focus on getting my career back on track. I needed a sabbatical, but I’m not ready to retire: I’m ready to write!
I’ve also decided to curtail my spending for this year. It’s too easy to make excess online purchases, so I’m unsubscribing to my go-to sites. If I don’t see it, then I won’t be tempted to buy it, I’m even limiting my book purchases with a couple of exceptions. I have enough books on my TBR pile and enough unfinished craft projects to get me though at least 5 years, if not more.
Anyone else making a few changes this year?
CONTEST!!! Okay, I totally forgot that I FINALLY got mass market paperback copies of SPUN OUT! Isn’t it pretty?
Yes, they released last year, but the publisher didn’t send me any copies until the first part of December. So that’s the contest — comment and you’ll be entered in to win ONE OF THREE copies I’m giving away! The more comments I get, the more inclined I’ll be to give away more copies!
So share your memories of November and December with me and my blog readers. I love hearing what you’ve all been up to and I have made it a goal to try and figure out a way that you all can post pics in your comments so I can see what you’ve been up to.
HAPPY NEW YEAR and thanks so much for sticking with me for another year 💖💜💗💙💚💛
XOXO
L~
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Jeannette Cox said:
You have been busy. When is D3 due?
Patricia Lyn Beard said:
Unfortunately it was a weird holiday , family members with Covid so my Christmas with my grandsons was not until New Years Eve ! But still a great time !
Devon Hensley said:
The Cake series is totally worth listening to
K. A Bylsma said:
You were certainly productive during the two months!
I’m very proud of what you’ve accomplished and so should you be!
Love the cooking bits…I used to be a dab hand, too, but I can’t stand long enough to even fry eggs any more.
Love Bengstroms books but the can get very intense!
I don’t watch anything anymore and do not listen to audible but I forward your discoveries to friends.
All I can say about me,other than family stuff: recipe and cooking advice, planting instructions, health advice etc. , is I’ve been diligently pursuing my LT course so that I can rejoin the land of the living.
Happy New Year! And congratulations on the imply new arrival!
Desiree Meats said:
I spend a lot of time doing crafting too. I do diamond painting and did all the Christmas cards. It took hours per card but the results were worth it. Loved the pictures of your crafts. I too did baking with my eldest grandson who at 3 loves to bake Dutch stuff with his Oma. We live in the UK so I make stuff they don’t usually get. It wasn’t the best looking but we made a good effort. Have a good New Year. Can’t wait to see you in Edinburgh for RARE or are you not going this time. I met you In London at RARE19 and loved having a chat, autograph and picture taken.
Happy New Year
Desiree
K. A Bylsma said:
Oh gollies, I forgot to tell you I’m 🙏🏻🙏🏻 for good news re the doggie… Corgi?
And your projects are fabulous!
Chrissy said:
I love the crafts you’ve done. I’ve added a couple new shows to my watchlist. We loved the Witcher too.
We have had a rather quiet couple months. My husband and I did manage a weekend away from the kids. They got to spend some time with their grandparents and cousins and we got a chance to rejuvenate going into the holidays. It turned out to be a good thing because all our holiday plans got cancelled due to covid outbreaks. Now I’m just looking forward to getting back into the routine of work and school.
Mary Preston said:
I made all my Christmas crafts months before. Loving all of yours.
I’m reading a lot of thrillers/mysteries right now.
I have the new season of THE WITCHER on my list to watch.
Teresa Green said:
Finally got to sit back for Thanksgiving and leave it to my daughter and granddaughters to do the cooking and baking. Getting older isn’t quite as bad as I thought!
But, Christmas is my time to bake and cook for everyone. At least I got my husband to vacuum for me – only took 45 years of marriage. But, I’m not complaining!
Allison said:
This year we finally was able to get all of the family on my moms side together which is huge there are 10 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren plus the aunts and uncle so it total there where 36 people that got to see each that haven’t seen each other in two years it was an awesome Christmas. I love all your books
Pamela Gomes said:
Happy 2022!
November, December, and January are all recuperation months from my knee replacement in early November. I’ve never had so much time off before! What I was able to do was binge watch shows. My list includes Emily in Paris (waiting for this week to watch season 2), The Wheel of Time (why only one episode a week?!), the entire series of the Good Place (brings on philosophical musings), and all sorts of things on Discovery +.
Bad part about knee replacement? Not getting to chase around the little dude (our grandson). I did get a bit of holiday baking in, and have taken back much of the kitchen duties since I have more standing than sitting time now.
With my final month of recovery, I’d like to revisit my jewelry beading. I did no crafting this past fall.
Wishing you a happy New Year!
Dar said:
I just discovered the Grest British Baking Show this past summer, so right there with ya!
DaLana Marie Rigby said:
I’m so glad you had a great holiday.
The last few months have had me wishing there was a Family Pack of Bubble Wrap. Between my Dad’s kidney surgery, my Mom falling and breaking her face, my Brother, sister, cousin and Uncle all fell. Not to be out done, my Dad fell on the ice the day before New Years Eve and broke his leg.
I opted out of a DJ event New Years Eve due to Black Ice and well all of the above. Figured Why anger the Gods at the end of the year. I stayed home, read books and snuggled on the couch after cooking a seafood supper, Lobster Tails, Coconut Shrimp and Blackened Salmon (sorry no pictures)
My nephew is an over achiever, He & his fiancé get two tax deductions in the same year! Surprise! Baby Meredith was born in February at 6lbs and her Baby sister Eleanor made an early appearance in Nov, a scary 8 weeks early at 3lbs 5oz. Meredith is growing like a weed, crawling on everything. She is so beautiful and cuddly. Baby Eleanor Rigby (yep after the Beatles song) is blessedly at 5lbs 10oz and thriving. She is such a peanut.
I spent most of the Nov/Dec months either working or working. But between daycare and In-home health care, you work, no excuses. Someone has to do it. The people are more important. Thank you Lorelei for giving me reading material to keep me sane.
Here’s to a Healthy 2022!!
bn100 said:
Thanksgiving with family
Juli Hall said:
My brother and nephew came up for Thanksgiving, nice to see them. My niece and her little boys came to visit for the week after Christmas, loved seeing my great nephews
Karen Lauterwasser said:
Happy New Year to you in 2022 (yeah, it rhymes). Your Christmas ornament collection is remarkable!
Take care and stay safe!
Debbie Rice said:
We had an awesome December and November and all of it with our Family I can’t ask for anything more than being with my family.
Heather said:
Wow!! You certainly were busy!! I love that you posted what you read and what you watched!! I often wonder if you have time to enjoy that sort of thing!
Diane Amato said:
Both months are a blur for me too. Thanksgiving was hosted by my son and daughter in law. Just a great day with tons of food. When my daughter got out of work on Black Friday (she’s a critical care nurse) we did our traditional shopping. December 4 a group of us went to a Rangers game. It was my one year old granddaughter’s first trip into the city and her first hockey game. We had a lot of fun and the Rangers won!
The rest of that weekend sucked. A very good friend had a stroke and is now paralyzed on the right side. He’s making a slow recovery thank God. After I heard about the stroke within an hour I got a text message that one of my cousins passed away. As I said the weekend sucked with the exception of the game and the trip.
The rest of December wasn’t too bad I did lots of baking which I love for me it’s therapy. I also actually read a couple of books I’ve been kind of very slow on the reading lately.
The day after Christmas my daughter-in-law‘s mother and I took our granddaughter shopping always a lot of fun and then we met up with my daughter-in-law for lunch. All of our husbands went to a football game together along with a couple of their friends and my daughter went to the football game too!
I agree in January I want to make some changes maybe spend a little less but take care of myself a lot more.
I hope your dog does well.
Happy new year everyone hoping 2022 is far better than 2021 was.
Kristi said:
I loved all your ornaments!! Love homemade ones! This holiday season was really busy for me! I work 2 jobs, took my son on a road-trip to Green Bay WI to watch his favorite team play in Lambeau field for his Christmas present. It took 14 hours to make the drive from PA! On Christmas we all just relaxed and enjoyed being together!
Donna said:
You do such pretty crafts and the food you cook looks so good! I’m not a crafter or cook. I’m good at putting together various things to make a meal and am a pretty fair baker.
This Thanksgiving was the first in decades that I was with family. We were all at my sister’s for a wonderful meal. I had everyone here the day after Christmas. My living room was full of those I love the most. Both my niece and my nephew’s wife are pregnant, due within 5 weeks of each other so there’ll be 2 more next year.
Jennifer Leigh said:
In mid-November, I had a major surgery to repair some old broken ribs that interfere with my shoulder blade and cause me a great deal of pain. I read many books while recovering. In December, I was still recovering and couldn’t bend, twist, or lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, so I mostly read books and did my shopping online. This was the first Christmas since my Dad passed away from cancer, so it’s been a bittersweet season, but the whole family gathered together, which helped.
Anne Fortunato said:
I haven’t done counted cross stitch in a few years and seeing yours has made me anxious to start again. Then I received this for Christmas “Super subversive cross stitch, 50 fresh as F*ck Designs.” I’ll let you know if I do any.
Patty said:
November and December were busy months with working on and attending Book Lovers Con. It was great to see old friends and make a few new ones.
I hand delivered a finished counted cross stitch project that is now hanging in a friend’s home office so she can enjoy it daily. We love the way it turned out.
I always look forward to seeing your updates. Your crafting encourages me to do more of my own.
Jenny Black said:
We did Friendsgiving with 3 other families. We didn’t smoke the turkey this time because of my husband’s schedule, and he’s the one that does it. We did advise the person who roasted the turkey how to brine it, and it was delicious. Just before Christmas we went to Walt Disney World and Sea World. It was one last family trip down there before we move to Japan this summer.
Jenny Black said:
PS. Since you like British Baking Show, YouTube has the Canadian one, and the Kiwi (New Zealand) one, probably others as well. Hulu has a couple seasons of the American version.
Erin Dixon said:
Well I had gastric sleeve surgery in October so I was off from work for a month. A well deserved break because I work in Radiology and with the last 2 years I was beginning to be burned out. I have been back to work for 7 weeks now and I’m settling into a new way of eating and living. And now a new wave of covid. I’m just so over all this mess and I pray this year everything will even out some for us exhausted medical people because it’s not just nursing that is getting slammed. Us Radiologic Technologist and Lab techs are the first ones in but you sure haven’t heard about us just all the nursing. Ok my rant is over😂😂 I sure hope everyone has an amazing and blessed New Year.
Sherry Mason said:
I turned my daughters old bedroom into my craft room and I’ve spent the last two months making ornaments and other crafts with my cricut, etc. I am big into crafting too! I also have 2 granddaughters currently living in Hawaii since their dad is a Marine. I am working from home since March 2021 due to covid which I love and hate lol. My other favorite hobby is reading romance novels. Your cowboy series is my all time favorite! I hate cooking but love eating lol.
Isabella Cerulli said:
Reading your blog makes my life boring. Lol. Had great family time for the holidays. Decorations, cooking and eating
Denise Schenk said:
I love your needlework. My sister and I were talking recently that we sure didn’t get the crafting gene.
I love to cook so I made 2 batches of chocolate fudge and 1 of peanut butter fudge. I made one pound cake as a gift. It was nice to be able to get together with family. My SIL did Christmas day and all attendees had to be vaccinated.
Katrina Dehart said:
I had a birthday in November. Pretty much just stayed home both months because of my car being broken.
Julie B said:
Love your crafts! I’ve been on a quilting binge, along with trying to organize my fabric stash. It’s starting to resemble my TBR pile, hahaha. Nice quiet holidays this year.
Diane Sallans said:
I did a good sized counted cross-stitch for one great niece this year and have to get one done for great-niece #2 – I’m inspired by your crafting to get it done. Then back to clearing an accumulation by generations so I can sell & move.
Stefany said:
November kinda sucked… I got 2 false negative tests… and worked a week (w symptoms under the impression it wasn’t covid) with my high risk student. I was isolated for my son’s 4th birthday. BUT December brought good things! I am officially at my pre pregnancy weight!
Roxanne Farrington said:
I put up my Christmas decorations 10 days before Thanksgiving. It was hard to do my first Christmas without Joe. But the grandson’s did a really good job of gift giving. Also unusual for me al the Christmas decorations were down and put away on the 26th and 27th because I had a right total knee replacement surgery on the 28th! Happy New Year!! I wasn’t expecting it to be as painful as it is, but I’ll get through it! Thank God for all my friends who have taken turns staying with me! Just a blessing!
Brandi Forester said:
I love all the crafts! My two daughters and I spent most of November working on our Christmas crafts. We always do homemade foam/felt ornaments for our tree, so we spent most of our time working on those. My 3 year old is very mischievous, so we haven’t had “real” ornaments in years. I hope everyone has a great year!!
Deborah Wilson said:
You inspire me. I feel like I have gotten nothing done this entire year. It’s been the year of languishing.
Jenn Donald said:
December was a bit of a blur for me as I decided to make a big job change but I’m definitely excited for new opportunities and did get to enjoy some much needed time off! Happy New Year!
Diane Ball said:
My November and December were as boring as could be. Just stayed home cooked and watched tv Christmas shows with GS1 who is 16 yr old and is driving me crazy learning to drive. Did all my shopping online this year. Missing D2 and gs2 and gd1. Had a great Christmas with D2.
Happy New Year’s everyone
Heidi Harris said:
We had company for the New Year so it’s been crazy! I’m definitely ready for 2022! It was great to read your newsletter!
Happy New Year to you!
Jodi W said:
Was busy catching up on all backlogged emails and still working on them. I have also been decluttering, donating and selling some items to make more room in new apt that i moved into in October. I am getting ready for the birth of my 1st grandchild coming up in March <3
Petra Rae Crutchfield said:
That’s a lot of content but looks like you finished up the year happily!!
Sandy Marlow said:
Wow, you’re so busy! I love to craft too, especially crochet, but I haven’t been able to get back into anything after a medication failure in Jan 2020 and two knee surgeries, one later that year and the other in early 2021. But I have been visiting friends in the Monterey Bay area, also house sitting there as well as at home in Central CA, bought a new-to-me car, and finally got back to the two libraries where I volunteer. So things are looking up!
Thanks so much for the giveaway
Nicole said:
I finally got to meet my oldest’s girlfriend at Thanksgiving. He hasn’t had a girlfriend since junior year of high school so it’s been a long time. She’s wonderful and I love how he is with her. He came back alone for Christmas. My other son decided the girl he was seeing is girlfriend material so now both are happy. My daughter is riding the wave of college and work. Hubby was promoted to Assistant Chief for his fire house on Christmas Eve. So stinking PROUD of him!!!
Arlena Ellis said:
I wanna win. i hope this year is better than the last 2 years. Have a happy New Years. Keeping y fingers crossed to win a copy.
Arlena Ellis said:
Keeping my fingers crossed
Shannon Capelle said:
Wow you have been busy!! My daughters birthday was right after Thanksgiving and my husband and I celebrated our 24th anniversary on December 19th. We had a great Christmas and New Years with our parents and 4 kids! Lots of baking and newest recipe was a yule log because of Hallmark movies lol, turned out so good so well add that every Christmas!
Tammi Doran said:
Teenager turned 15 on 12/21. I am not sure where the time went. We had a big wind storm earlier in December and it took out a neighbors tree that took out power lines and ripped boxes from the house. With a friend (Angel’s) Help we got it fixed and power back on in just over 24 hours. Thank goodness it was not that cold! Christmas was quiet as was New Year’s. Getting ready to start the new year with a good attitude and new books.
Debra Wolsleben said:
I love all your crafting! I haven’t gotten much in the way of crafts done in so very long. This year I did make Christmas candy and everyone said it was quite tasty. I made 6 batches of fudge, some French Chocolates, some white mixed nut clusters and some dark mixed nut clusters. I ran out of energy for anything else. Maybe this year I’ll get some crafts done.
Kathy Partridge said:
Love your crafts! I’ve been reading some and listening to quite a few audiobooks. Had quiet holidays at home with family.
Anita Mallari said:
I don’t even know where November and December went one day I was planning a baby shower and boom she’s 6 months WTH! Possibilities of returning back into the office end of January depending on COVID numbers I’m really not sure how I feel about it. Second week in December received shock of news of a coworker passing and still can’t wrap my mind around it. It’s been a rough ending so walking into 2022 with hope it’s a better year. My lil sunshine is what gets me through every time I see her smile sweetest thing ever. 😊
Arlena Ellis said:
Happy a happy new years. i hope everyones 2022 is better than the last 2 years.
Michelle Holden said:
I hope Copper will be fine and that you had a great visit with your girls and grand daughter.
I worked on a couple of crafts too and read a bit.
About a week before Christmas my sciatic nerve decided it wanted to make a grand entrance and had me down for about 10 days before I was told by a friend what she used and I sent off on Amazon for it, it arrived 2 days later and within 1 1/2 days the pulsating pain stopped all together. My hip is still sore. I have put off a knee replacement for over 2 years. Should have done it, but I didn’t want to not be at work and put my co-workers in bind…
My sister in law called me to tell me she and her Fiance are flying out here to Las Vegas from New York on Wednesday 1/5/22 so my other sister in law from Maine is flying out here too but she is staying with me not at a hotel, she also arrives on Wednesday. My sister in law from NY is bringing us bagels and pizza so yum! They are getting married on 1/8/22– not sure if by an Elvis impersonator but they were contacted by the local news since it’s Elvis’ birthday… She asked my son to walk her down the aisle 😀
They are both excited to meet their furry nephew, my beloved basset hound aka Basshole, Murphy. That dog is gonna be so spoiled, some how more than he already is.
Jennifer Beyer said:
I love the wooden Christmas tree ornaments from Germany! They look great after you painted them. I am totally making a cranberry orange pie. You sold me on it!
Terri Doughty said:
Love the crafts you did. They should become ornaments that are passed down with stories. Most of my November and December was spent working (driving Uber), trying to make up the money I lost not working when I had covid. Christmas was great. My sister and her husband came up from NC. Youngest son and his significant came in from SC. As everyone was well, my mother and mother in law joined us for dinner. We had 5 generations with my mom as the oldest at 91 and the youngest my great granddaughter, Cassidy, at 1. Lots of love and laughter for the holidays.
Latifa Morrisette said:
I don’t have any good memories of November and December. I’d rather just forget them.
Linda Herold said:
I became a first time grandma in October! We welcomed Benjamin into the family. I had a birthday in November. I had successful eye surgery in both eyes. Then we celebrated the holidays! Happy New Year.
Wioletta Slyk said:
Spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with kids
Amanda Prigge said:
Wow! You were seriously busy. I love the ornaments and crafts you made. My daughter loves doing things like those. My Christmas was spent with family and we had a great day.
Sharon Leigh Sommer said:
I love Wheel of Time and also The Witcher, I plan on finishing craft projects from 2019, I am a craft hoarder.
Sharon K said:
Wow what a busy couple of months! I hope you think about writing more mysteries. I really love reading them and must admit to keeping an eye out. Sounds like you had lots of family time. Love seeing all the crafting .
Julie E Anderson said:
It’s been a hard month me and my youngest had the flu A bit made it through. Good note is I moved my middle son to his own apt. It’s exciting to see them venture out on their own
MarcyJo said:
I am so impressed with your artistry not only with words but all your crafts. I have a quilt in pieces waiting for me to finish going on 6 months. I got to meet my newest grandson in November. He was adopted from Bulgaria in July but Covid kept us apart until November when we went down to celebrate his 3rd birthday. He is in poor health but has the greatest smile and disposition. I wish you well in the coming year.
Elizabeth said:
November started out with my elderly father’s death and funeral. He had said goodbye to all of us and been on hospice care. So while it’s hard on my 95 year old mom, the family time was good. And Thanksgiving and Christmas were with 2 of my 4 brothers and their families. I was especially blessed to have my daughter come back to visit from her current home in Europe.
All this family time means that I have read less than usual!
Kaitlyn Hanberg said:
Happy New Year!!! It was a more quiet holiday for me, my kids and husband! But it has been nice! Love the blacktop cowboys, been rereading lately! Love Spun out 😍
SARAH TAYLOR said:
Love your projects and Love the cover of your book! Had my children and their families home for Thanksgiving and Christmas I have been enjoying my New Granddaughter who is crawling and going everywhere! Happy New Year and Congratulations on your new grandbaby they are amazing!
Caroline said:
Where do you get your kits? They look like fun!
Ruth said:
Christmas was quiet as we all had the Flu. Got over it and my Husband of 52 years wound up in the hospital. After testing, he will be having his Aortic and Mitral Valves replaced this Tuesday or Wednesday. He has struggled with the knowledge one valve would be replaced one day, now it’s two. This will greatly increase his quality of life, so thoughts and prayers are welcome. I love your crafts and your sharing your time with us. Have a Wonderful
2022! 🏒🏒🏒💕💕💕😎😎😎
Bobbie Sue Kearse said:
Let’s see November, nothing big here just baked, got Christmas read and had a horrible stomach acid test. They stick a tube down your throat for 24 hours but please live life normally. Then Dec was great till Betty died
Tiss Johnson said:
I had craft/vendor shows in Nov and Dec. Did really well. Getting ready for calving, so I’m hoping to crochet a towel a day, so I have inventory for the spring and fall shows this year. If I do extra I’m doing good.
Getting ready for calving. Had one already. Not supposed to start until Jan 8th.
One of the things I want to NOT do this year, is pay for any of my games on my phone. I”ve spent a lot of money on online games this last year and it’s got to STOP.
Spent Christmas Eve with my cousin’s, Christmas Day with Morell’s friends and New Years eve we went to town for supper, then home. -21 is too cold to be anywhere but home.
Not much else going on.
Lea said:
Happy New Year <3
Stacy Marie said:
Happy New Year!!
Hope said:
Thanks for the movie recommendations! I love seeing the pictures of the crafts, too!
I spent November and December subbing at my old school. It was fun to see the kids again!
The best part of the holidays was spending a lot of time with the 4-year-old and 2-year-old granddaughters. It’s so much fun to see Christmas through their eyes!
Shaun Brinkhurst said:
WOW!! You’ve been so busy but it looks like and sounds like you have had a wonderful time crafting, cooking and also trying new things.
I wanted to wish you a very Happy New Year, and bring on an awesomely, fabulous 2022!!
Xo
Shirley J Grimes said:
My daughter and I made Christmas cookies and banana bread for Christmas Eve. Then we made lasagna for Christmas dinner. New Year’s Eve we made nachos,cracker& cheese platter.We had soda for drinks. I made ham, turkey, garlic potatoes,glazed carrots.I for got on my other comment sorry.Thank you for this giveaway.
Amy Perrault said:
I’ve been very busy too. I really want to read that book
Debra Guyette said:
I love the projects. They come out beautiful
Amanda said:
I stayed for thanksgiving and Christmas I was sick most of December so I just didn’t have the energy to go any where. I read a lot of books. I didn’t much time from work. So I just hung out with my son watched movies and read.
Happy new year.
Amanda
Susan L Craig said:
Lovely cover! I wonder where they find the models. There seem to be so many beautiful/handsome cover models.
Crystal S said:
I love the wooden Christmas tree ornaments I collect them. November & December was a lot of doctor visits and testing with my husband.
BJ said:
Wow! you have been very busy! You and I are a lot alike. I love to craft, but my choice is normally with yarn or thread. I quilt, cross stitch and crochet. I work from home, so I do quite a bit of crafting all year long. I have the best life ever. I am also a very avid auidobooks listener and reader. I set my reading goal last year at 50 and I ended the year at book 80. I have already read 2 books so far this year. I listened to 75 books during the year. I would say that I got in some good reads. I am very eclectic with reading, everything from you Ms. Steamy to James Patterson and Sarah Maas. I love them all. As long as I can imagine it, I love it.
Nov & Dec were pretty quite in my house. Both boys no longer live at home so we are empty nesters with no grandbabies yet, just grandpuppies. S2 and wife came home for a week at the beginning of Nov so it was nice to spend time with them. It just made the holidays pretty mundane. We went out for Thanksgiving dinner and I cooked a small prime rib for Christmas.
I’m very happy to hear you are going to continue to write! I love your books and would miss them.
Here’s to a Very Happy 2022!
Kathleen O said:
November and December were pretty busy months, I have had to go back and forth to the eye specialist with my brother, who is in a nursing home and this is not easy feat, as he is in a wheelchair and has MS, so only half of his body works. But the last part of December was amazing. I had a great Christmas, despite COVID/OMICRON.
Happy New Year.. Wishing you a great year.
Ginger Connatser said:
Have not really been up to anything. Got a lot of reading done.
Ginger Connatser said:
Have not really been up to much. Made some bacon cheddar cheese bread. Got a lot of reading done.
Rita said:
YOu were very busy but you made and bake very nice and good things.
:)):)):)):)) Happy New Year!!!!!
Nancy Jones said:
Spent the holidays with family. I have been busy purging,packing, and cleaning. We are going to downsize.
Jen Humphrey said:
I had all the plans, bought all the stuff to make cookies and candies – and then my stomach went wonky. Spent my birthday (Nov 14) in the ER – boo! After several Dr appts, had upper scan and colonoscopy 2 days before Christmas- yay me! NOT!! We celebrated Christmas a week early with my parents and our daughter, she was going to spend the actual holiday with her boyfriend and his family.
Needless to say we had a very laid back Christmas and New Years! I got lots of reading in and a Welcome sign made for my mom. Thank goodness for online shopping!!
Gelene said:
Happy New Year! I’m so glad 2021 is over Covid has been hard I spent my holiday with my mom in the hospital and my Grandfather celebration of life was on the 26th so we didn’t have a Christmas. I pray for everyone that 2022 brings them health and happiness.
Shirley Long said:
I do not mean to be a downer and unload all my grief/problems on you or your followers but……………..I hope each and every one of you took time to be with your kids/grandkids/family members and tell them how much they mean to you. Because, you never know when it could be your last opportunity. And here’s why.
My 24 yr old grandson, Michael Gage Johnson, disappeared 5/31/21. And by disappeared, I mean just vanished, like no where to be found. Needless to say, our holidays were difficult. We made it thru and all survived but it was hard. So people, love your kids/grandkids/family every single day and never take them for granted.
I know this is probably not the right place to talk about my problems, but my goal is to make everyone aware that you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Thank you for listening. I wish you all a fantastic 2022 filled with lots of good books and many hours of reading time. And Lorelei, thank you for doing what you do. Looking forward to who/what you give us in 2022.
Kim B said:
November wasn’t great. Hubby got covid from his co-workers luckily I didn’t. We missed Thanksgiving with my Mom which sucked since it was first holiday since my brother passed. December was better, we were able to be with my Mom. New Year’s eve was spent remembering how to play pinnochole. I also got to play Whovilleopoly, which is based on the Grinch. Read a lot of series books on Kindle. Favourite was series by Riley Edwards.
Sarah DeLong said:
Wow! You’ve been quite busy! Love all the ornaments and the food looks delicious! Unfortunately, we had a few deaths in our family. First, the matriarch of our family, my husband’s Grandma Carol, passed away unexpectedly the weekend before Thanksgiving. Needless to say, none of his aunts or uncles wanted to take over hosting family dinner so each family group did our own thing. Then, our dear cousin lost his six year battle with cancer so we had his funeral two days before Christmas Eve. We’ve been going through both estates, getting belongings sorted, closing accounts, etc. I’m hoping to be able to spend more of my time escaping into reading .
Heidi said:
November and December have been ok here in Indiana. Missed a Thanksgiving with my son who is in grad school
In Arkansas. Sad but it worked out ok because he got home for Christmas about 4 days earlier than originally planned. So far we are all staying healthy but we all had Covid for Christmas 2020. It was nice to be together this year.
Just today at work two of my coworkers asked me about your books because it popped up that I like you on Facebook. I have referred both of them to start reading and be prepared for everything 😍. They may never look at me the same again. 🤦♀️🤷🏼♀️
Amy R said:
I made 20 dozen cookies to give out for Christmas and watched season 1 and 2 of The Witcher.
Melinda Hennies said:
I make homemade cards and ots take-over my living room thanks to COVID but it keeps me Dane! I also semi retired Sept 1..My job was too stressful and injust did kit feel safe with all the shootings in the areas I must be jn all the time..I took a 15hr a week job jn Human Resources and work M, W, Th for 5 hours…
I turn 60 on 1/15 do a bunch of us are having a long weekend to Florida!
Life is too short. Just be 😊 Happy!
Ellen Bartel said:
Happy New Year!
Thinking back to November, I can only think of Thanksgiving. My family was able to make our annual Thanksgiving weekend away in the white mountains. It’s a large family and we’ve been doing this for 40+ years so not being able to play year was tough on a lot of us. This year we got back to it and it was a blast!
December was a bit more eventful. My husband had a birthday a week before Christmas so we celebrated him. I made a cheesecake and gifted him with a smoker! That weekend we went out and bought a new car… that was a little unexpected but exciting. Then there was Christmas, and again, big family, we had to have a get together safely so I rented a hall and we had our Christmas eve party. Christmas day was icy and rainy and we stayed home and relaxed. For new years, we had another couple over, I smoked a chicken and we played games and had fun.
Janet Kalsem-Perry said:
Christmas was pretty normal. My house is too small and he shows everything’s everyone gets together. However it was a unseasonably warm day in Iowa and after opening presents the grandkids could play outside. The adults enjoyed visiting and actually seeing what was in each gift. Everyone brought food. I think a good time was had by all.
April Pawless said:
My November and December were pretty much the same it was on really long month, LOL. Here in the south we have kicked off Cheer season, so there where tons of Football games, than basketball games, and we even already had our first Competitive Cheer competition in Atlanta. The daughters team didn’t win but they did really well. We will be at our next competition in 2 weeks in New Orleans.
Angie said:
My dachshund mix gets little bumps that don’t seem to bother her, but also a skin tag under her left eye. The skin tag does bother her, and we’ve had one taken off before. She was about 5 when the first was taken off, and she’ll be 7 in April. The only issue we’ve really had is that she has doubled in weight since then, so I’m guessing it is some sort of inflammation response. Home cooked food isn’t even help her lose some of it.
Stacy G said:
Wow you had a busy 2 months. Those ornaments are fabulous. And I had to laugh because I too am re-listening to the whole IAD series and yes I thoroughly agree, Robert Petkoff is phenomenal! Myself, I crocheted a blanket for my Aunt, am halfway through another, tried a couple of new cookie recipes that tasted better than they looked and was happy that I was able to spend time with my family.
Erica B said:
I spend the last two months re-reading all of the Immortals After Dark – in order, lol. I tried to do the audible thing, but there’s too many squirrels running around for that…
I grew up in Denver, so also an Avalanche fan. I’ve lived in Houston for that past 17 years and hear we might be getting a minor league team – Fingers crossed, I do miss live hockey! Cheers to 2022
Elisa A said:
Holy Cow, wow! Your crafts are so cute and creative! And your granddaughter is adorable! Sending good thoughts for your dog. I hope he’s better soon.
I don’t remember much of November. I just recall raking A LOT of leaves! My neighbours across the road have 70′ oak trees on their property. The wind generally blows from their direction. And we have a fence at the back of our property. So we get not only all of our own leaves, but also the forest of oak trees from our neighbours’ properties. We mulch as much as we can, but it gets to a point where it completely covers the lawn and starts to choke it out. Then we rake the rest. This year we raked every day for 3 weeks. I swear, there were way more leaves this year than last!
I started my Christmas baking towards the end of November. It usually takes me 3 weekends to get it all done. We’re at that age where our friends and family have everything, so I put together huge tins of my baking and give them out as gifts. This year I made: Christmas Fruit Cake (Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! I used to hate fruitcake. Because all I’d ever tried was store bought. The first time I tried a home made fruitcake, I was converted! And now I have my own recipe that I’ve been perfecting for over 25 yrs!), Chocolate Mocha Truffles, Gingerbread Houses and People, Shortbread, Nanaimo Bars (I think in the USA you guys call them New York Special), Pfeffernusse, Chocolate Marshmallow Roll, and little Christmas themed chocolate shapes for decoration. As usual, they were a big hit! 🙂
Also in the kitchen (Nov and Dec): I’ve been using up some of my produce from the summer garden. I’ve made a lot of pasta dishes with my stewed tomatoes, pork and baked beans (but I actually make them in my pressure cooker rather than in the oven – so much faster!), and I made Lamb tagine, chicken tagine and pork tagine, Beef brisket, Pulled pork, and tried my hand at making my own Pita bread (because my sister in law gave me a handful of dill. So I made Chicken Souvlaki in pita, with homemade Tzatziki sauce). I received a Sous Vide for Christmas last year and have been having a blast working up new recipes with it. This week I tried making a Prime Rib Roast. I use the Sous Vide for 2 hrs at 53°C. (Best part: it takes 5 mins to set up, then you just walk away for 2 hrs!) Then put it on the rotisserie on the BBQ for 20 minutes to caramelize it. Let me tell you, it was THE BEST prime rib I’ve ever had!!!!
What I read: I’m still working my way through the JD Robb In Death Series. I’m on Book 8. I still love it. She just released #53. So I have a lot of catching up to do! I’m reading on avg 2 per month. LOL. I’ll be at it for a while!
That’s it for me.
New Year’s resolution – I’ve never done that. I just always try to be the best that I can every day. No regrets. I say I’m Sorry when I’m wrong. I always try to say Thank You and mean it. I answer the phone with a smile already on my face. I hug and kiss my dear hubby as many times as I can each day. And I try to make us laugh as often as I can.
All the best you you, Lorelei, and to everyone here in this blog. May the wind always be at your back!