“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
READING:
Books:
The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie — When tragedy sends Delphine Auber, an aspiring writer on the cusp of adulthood, from her home in Paris, she seizes the opportunity to embark on the journey she's long dreamed finding the father she has never known. But her quest is complicated by the fact that she believes her father to be a famed literary icon, Ernest Hemingway, a man just as elusive as he is iconic.
Here is a recap of my 2023 Goodreads Challenge — 30/30 books
Links:
National Geographic’s Guide to Saint-Malo — I love to go back one day.
Outline of Notre Dame’s Spire Once Again Visible on the Paris Skyline (France 24)
How to Apply for Global Entry (Travel + Leisure) — I need to do this.
30 Ways to Romanticize Your Life for Winter (The Every Girl - Healthy Living)
Christmas Movie Locations You Can Visit in Real Life (CN Traveler)
WATCHING;
The final season of The Crown - Part 2 (Netflix)
My favorite Christmas movies and specials: White Christmas, Love Actually, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown — Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack always makes me smile while Linus’ recitation of the gospel of St. Luke always brings me to tears. “That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!” We also watched Prep and Landing, Arthur’s Christmas, and The Holiday.
LISTENING TO:
My Christmas Playlist — Everything from Band Aid to Bing. Occasionally, I add something new, but this list has been my classic go-to for decades.
Smooth Jazz Christmas station on Pandora — I can never get enough of Vince Guaraldi and George Winston, especially at Christmastime.
December Mini-Playlist:
Red, Red Wine (UB40)
The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker)
O Tannenbaum (The Vince Guiraldi Trio)
Mon Beau Sapin (Carmen Campagne)
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Andy Williams)
When My Heart Finds Christmas (Harry Connick, Jr.)
Joy to the World (Julie Andrews)
All I Want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carey)
In My Life (The Beatles)
ENJOYING:
Ten days off — Although we don’t have any special plans for the holidays, I am so fortunate to be able to take a break.
Decorating our five Christmas trees: Our beautiful silver, white, and glass tree in the living room, a Parisian-inspired tabletop tree in the loft, a nautical tree with ornaments from our childhood in “the boys’ room”, a mini tree with vintage hand-blown glass balls and silver icicles from a flea market up north, and a woodland/Scandi tree on the deck.
Shopping for gifts and send Christmas cards to friends and family and lovingly wrapping packages just like Mom and Grandma Dodo.
Hosting friends and family: Nan and Mark came in early December to shop and dine. We saw Michael Pink and the Milwaukee Ballet’s new rendition of The Nutcracker — Drosselmeyer’s Imaginarium and The Commercialists play Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown at Lupi and Iris. Uncle King and the Larsons celebrated an early Christmas with us on December 23rd with lots of lovely appetizer and Champagne, two sleepy teenagers, and 3 adorable beagles.
Snuggling by the fire with Piper.
PLANNING:
My 2024 photos challenge, blog posts, and Instapuzzle — This an excellent creative learning experience for me and a labor of love.
Our spring break trip to Europe — 4 days alone in Paris as a couple (for the first time) before spending a week in Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, and Venice with PHS educators and music students. We leave in ten weeks.
