2015 In Review

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels the years are passing faster. The older I get the more it seems time is zipping by! I'm cognizant that I have more years behind me than ahead of me and feel somewhat desperate that I can't slow things down. I just have to try to concentrate on the "now" and cherish every moment and memory. It's amazing to look back and see all I experienced, accomplished and learned in 2015!

January:

January found us welcoming our fourth grandchild, and only grandson, to our family. I was able to spend almost a week with the new family assisting in any way I could.  A lot of time was spent in the kitchen, including baking these banana cinnamon rolls.

Later that month I hosted my family's 9th annual tea with a "Let It Snow" theme.  Our 10th gathering is coming up soon!

February:

Every February finds me transitioning from being a part-time CPA to working seven days a week. Dinners are minimal, very little sewing or crafting gets done. But I always try to prepare a nice Valentine's dinner for my Hubby, including setting a nice table. I plan ahead and make sure to have small gifts for my grandchildren. It's important to include all my loves for this holiday!

March:

March finds our gardens coming alive and the almond orchards in full bloom.  Vital to all this are honeybees. This cake, resembling a beehive, was fun to bake.

April:

Finally, April 15 arrived and I had free time again!  One of my favorite pastimes is spending time in the kitchen, with my youngest granddaughter, baking family favorites. These cookies never fail to please!

May:

Once again I hosted a Mother's Day luncheon for the women in my family. I used some new linens to set a colorful garden-themed table.

June:

The warm days of June found me in the backyard quite a bit, planting new plants and tending to the old. Animal water troughs became my solution to a root-infested (from the neighbor's trees!) area of our yard.

July:

In July I was able to check off an item on my household projects to-do list; painting a side gate red and curving the top of it.  We get so many compliments on this gate and it was so easy to do!

August:

I had been coveting an old wheelbarrow for a long time. Imagine my surprise when I found out my parents had one in their garage! It now resides in my flower bed!

September:

Late September found me, once again, knee-deep in gingerbread in anticipation of my annual Halloween gingerbread house decorating day with my grandchildren.  I absolutely love this day, the interaction with the girls, observing how their decorating skills improve from the year before.

October:

I love antiques and it's said that the best antiques are old friends.  I so agree!  Three of my high school girlfriends and I were able to gather in San Francisco for a weekend.  While there we attended a gnocchi cooking class.  It was a blast and I've been experimenting with gnocchi ever since.  We are currently planning a 2016 getaway to the Sonoma Valley.

November:

November found me venturing into quilt-making.  It's going slow, I only have four blocks done, but I can tell I am improving with each block that I do. A person is never too old to learn and I'm enjoying the process. 

December:

I finally found an old dresser that I liked for my craft room.  Taking a day off from Christmas preparations I painted it, using chalk paint for the first time. I now have two more projects waiting in the wings!

Thank you for visiting my blog this year and sharing in my crazy domestic ventures. Who knows what's in store for 2016!