I will be transparent and tell you that since I've been doing these posts about the little pleasures, I plan to indulge in each month I don't always get around to each one...but I do hit upon enough of them that I feel it's worthwhile continuing to plan each month I'm in. My lists keep me mindful that I have things to be enjoyed in each month and sometimes only in that particular month.
I've written my list of resolutions which are all personal goals this year. I'm not planning projects or to push myself much in any direction except in personal growth, improved health, and spiritual growth. They are about the same sorts of resolutions the average woman might make so I won't bore you with mine.
Reading
However, one thing I did say towards the end of the year that I wished to do in 2026 is to re-read the books and stories that impacted my childhood (and early adult) years. For Christmas, I chose to read the Fairy Tale, "The Little Fir Tree".
I recall sobbing over that story as a girl. I'll tell you now that as I read it, I wasn't moved to tears, but I could see the wisdom in it. That little tree was always rushing things along, spending all of its days regretting the season of life in which it was and wishing for something more, almost always disappointed in his now, right until the day it realized that his life was over and done.
For this month, I have pulled An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott, and Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney. I thought I'd commit myself to just the two books, although I've quite a few more on hand which I might read but perhaps I'll want to read other books, as well. So, I'm starting with just those two.
I'll add any other books I choose to take up to individual posts throughout the month.
I also plan to read through the Bible. I'm not going to make this big push to read it through in a year. I've done that many times over. What I do want to do starting this month is to read a little Old Testament, a little Psalms, a little New Testament each day and sort of just absorb what I'm reading. It's not about chapters but about verses or paragraphs and sitting with them for a full day before I move on.
Coffee of the Month
While I very much enjoyed the Gingerbread coffee of November, my December coffee blend just didn't cut it. I tried a second creamer mixture, and it didn't do much for me either so I reverted back to plain half and half.
I have mixed up a special coffee creamer for January. I found it online on Christmas Eve and went right ahead and gave it a try. The recipe is as follows:
Peppermint Creamer
2 cups half and half (or 1 cup cream and 1 cup whole milk)
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
2 teaspoons powdered cocoa
3 tablespoons Maple syrup
Mix well and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
I use about 3 Tablespoons per 8-ounce cup of coffee
The original recipe called for half the amount of peppermint. I didn't find it to be quite enough, so I doubled it. It is not a strong peppermint flavor but there is a certain coolness I recognize as being minty in the creamer.
The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of cocoa. It might seem the amount of cocoa I used is not quite enough, but I assure you for me it is just perfect. I'm no fan of mocha anything. You'd think I would be since I love both coffee and chocolate, but Mocha just is not my favorite. The smaller amount of cocoa adds a depth and richness to the flavor of the creamer that suits me.
Winter Music:
Any relaxing jazz music suits me quite well this month. Slow paced, peaceful, lovely clear notes. I like this mix and the ambience of this playlist here.
Winter Pleasures
On cold but sunny days, we've made it our habit for the last few years to put chairs on the sunny end of the back porch and simply sit in the sun. Even if it's windy and we must wrap in blankets, we'll sit facing the sun, absorbing it, for at least 20 minutes each afternoon. It's amazing how well that works at lifting the mood and how much better we sleep if we have that bit of fresh air and sunshine daily.
In December, I found myself making less soup. And then one night we had a lovely slow roasted pot roast, and I filled a bowl with that rich broth from the pan and felt so comforted and so nourished that I wondered why on earth I'd stopped making soup in this season.
I'm going to resume my soup making. One of the issues I run into is that most recipes make a huge pot. While I don't mind freezing soup, it does mean that I'm limited by how much I can fit into the freezer at any point. This month I'm going to make Brunswick Stew which is a longtime favorite of mine. I generally end up sharing this stew with Katie and Sam's households. I also want to make a pot of black bean soup. The one at Ina Garten's site looks really good to me. And I think a creamy potato soup is pretty hard to beat if it's frigid outdoors. I like to make a smaller pot of this, just enough for the one meal, and serve it with a sandwich, either a toasty Reuben or a Sloppy Joe.
This being the month that we are fresh out of a sweet laden Christmas season, I don't have plans to do any baking of cookies or cake or pies. Besides we're running right into February which is laden with birthdays and cakes. We can nibble on leftovers from our Christmas treats if we're desperate for a bite of sweets. This month is heavy with a variety of citrus fruits to enjoy, and I do love oranges, mandarins, tangerines, lemons and grapefruits. Honestly, citrus is my second love after summer peaches.
Over Christmas I started saving apple peels and drying them, as well as citrus peels which I mixed with cinnamon sticks and cloves and allspice to make a potpourri which added a lovely natural aroma to the house. I thought for January I'd mix rosemary and cedar with that potpourri to make simmer pots to use throughout the month, especially if we have to run the heater.
I'm going to look for something to snuggle under when I'm watching tv or reading or playing about on the computer. Back when John was working, I made him an extra heavy fleece blanket to throw over him when he was sleeping at work, since the place came equipped with the hospital issue sheets and blankets (not nearly warm enough!). He's kept it all these years and pulls it out every winter. I, on the other hand, have never found a throw that works for me. I've been trying to use what I have which are either too heavy and bulky or too flimsy. I'm sure if I were to actually look, I might find something that has the softness and lightweight warmth that is perfect for me.
I'm going to purchase some pansies and flowering kale, plant some parsley and cilantro and possibly snapdragons in a couple of my larger flowerpots. They do well as winter plants for us in this area and if it does freeze it seldom is cold enough long enough to kill them. The amount of pleasure I get from seeing those happy little flowers is worth every penny.
I'm also planning a trip to Lowe's (here at the end of December) where I will purchase reduced price Amaryllis bulb kits. They usually will bloom about mid-February and add so much color and loveliness to my home.
And lastly, I plan to hang and fill the bird feeders. I want to move the second feeder to hang where I can see it from the west facing windows in the living room. I get so much pleasure watching the birds come in to feed each morning and afternoon.
Especially this time of year, I enjoy watching sunrise and sunset. Fortunately, sunrise occurs closer to the time I naturally awaken in the winter. I am, however, prone to set myself a task along about sunset each day and miss it entirely. I thought for this month, I'd mindfully set aside a half hour each evening to sit and simply watch the day close. I find it is a lovely ritual to watch the sunset and then go about the house closing the blinds against the dark and snugging in for the evening.
That's what I plan to do to savor January...
