December 2024 Project Life

Another month has come and gone...heck, another year has come and gone!  Can you believe it is 2025?  Remember all the Y2K hullabaloo? That doesn't seem like it was 25 years ago! Wow!

Well, this month was good and busy...but busy in a good way..

I attended many holiday events...my friend Pam's annual party, Rudolph the Red-nosed reindeer puppet show, Alecia Witt Christmas show, a sing-a-long around the Christmas tree, a Christmas concert by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, saw the Hot Toddies (a local Christmas band) and I even sang in the choir at our Church's Lesson's & Carols service....which you can watch HERE, if you want to.

I found out that I purchased what turned out to be a FAKE Christmas Vacation Advent calendar, but I decided to just enjoy it and go with the flow.   tfzxghgb411

I saw The Castellows, Sugarland and Little Big Town in concert (not a Christmas show).  I hadn't seen the Castellows before and I just loved them!

I visited my mom for Christmas and we had a nice, small Christmas together.  On a somber note, I had another MRI and didn't get the best news but I guess I will know more when I see the Neurologist.  

As always...click on the photo to enlarge

2024 Year in Books

I read 18 books this year!  I see on Goodreads that some people read 60, 180, even 486 books a year...I will never read that many books in a year, basically because I have a life outside of reading.  I mean if you are reading 486 books, that's more than one a day, unless the books are like 100 pages, you'd be reading practically all the time.  I mean who has time for that? No me!  

18 books may not be a lot for many but it is for me!  Goodreads only list 17 books but they didn't count the BIBLE. Yes, I read the complete Bible this year...what a great feeling that is.  I've started it in the past and made it as far as October, but never made it completely through.  I'm going to try again this year, although I am already a few days behind in my daily reading, but I can catch up pretty easy.

I always read a classic novel each year and this year I picked two..."Flowers for Algernon" (so good) and "Island of the Blue Dolphin", which I think I may have read when I was younger, but I didn't remember much about it so I'm glad I read it (maybe, again?)

So....

My two favorite books this year were "The Women" and "The Wedding People".  "The Women" was historical fiction, which I don't usually read but it was so, so good and very eye opening to hear about the nurses that served during the Vietnam War and especially to hear about them once the war was over.

"The Wedding People" was just a super fun read!  

I don't have a "least favorite book"...I enjoyed ever single book I this year.  Some, I don't even know  how I found out about them, it's like they just popped up in my email or maybe on my Goodreads' feed..I honest don't know.  Some I found out about when the author was doing the promos on them by going on talk shows and such.

I'm looking forward to 2025 reading.  I have so many that I want to read already! 

Did you read any of these books this year? Which ones?

Happy New Year

 

Happy New Year

Wow, it feels so weird and kind of futuristic to say the year 2025.  When I was young, that really sounded like space age future!

As typical, I do have a few things I want to do this year, while I don't call them resolutions, there are some habits I want to develop and goals I want to reach.

Healthier eating, exercise and weight loss (doesn't almost everyone want to do this?)

Daily Bible Reading (continuing this from last year)

Flossing my teeth daily (I'm bad about not flossing as I should)

Brushing my teeth at night (I often skip it)

Daily journaling...I only journaled like 4 times last year so I bought a daily journal to help me this year

Meditate/pray daily

As you can see, many of these new habits are daily, but they are small and easy things to do.  

I know I may have a health challenge in 2025, based on recent tests, but I also know that God is holding my hand all the time and whatever I face, He'll take care of me.

Project Life ~ November 2024

 Can you believe November is over & there is only one month left in 2024?

This month, I crocheted a Cat Christmas tree for my sister, America elected a new president, I sang in the choir during Sunday services, sadly lost my friend Anita’s sweet pup, Tito, moved out of our office building, visited my mom & cooked Thanksgiving dinner, saw Home Free & met Maggie Baugh.

You can click on the photo to enlarge 

No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

I'm the first to admit that when it comes to sweet treats, I am not usually a big fan of no-bake items.  I just like my baked goods, well...baked.  

But my sister requested this No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake for her birthday, and it looked good and was simple enough and I certainly wanted to fulfill her wishes.  Plus, I mean, I totally love peanut butter!!

It's made in 3 parts, the crust, the filling and the topping:

No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

For the Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar

For the Filling:

2 cups heavy cream
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup Reese's Pieces candy

For the Topping:

1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup Reese's Pieces candy
1/2 cup assorted mini chocolate candies


Instructions:

Prepare the Crust:

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Mix until well combined.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Place the crust in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling.

Prepare the Filling:

In a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until well combined.

Fold in the mini chocolate chips and Reese's Pieces candy.

Pour the filling over the chilled crust and spread evenly.

Add the Topping:

In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the top of the cheesecake filling.

Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces candy, and assorted mini chocolate candies on top.

Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to set.
Remove the sides of the springform pan, slice and serve

Project Life - October 2024

Can you believe October is finished?  I mean we only have 2 more months left in the year.  October was a busy month for me. I made a trip to Rome, GA to get info about next year’s insurance, we bit good bye to our Pandas, we moved out of our office building, I made a trip to the Florida and celebrated my mother’s (and my) birthday with my sister in law, I voted and recreated my week with cat pictures only, I took a trip to Jekyll Island and went to my cousin’s wedding.  Oh yeah, and I started choir rehearsal for the church’s Christmas program…me…singing…who knew?  

Click on the photo to enlarge.

Busy, busy but good !!

 

Chemo Hats & Prayer Shawl

I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to finish some WIPs before doing new projects but I didn’t totally stick to that.  I know you are shocked - NOT!

One of my WIPs was a prayer shawl & I did finish it! I really love it. It is made with Lion Brand Scarfie in Ice Gold.

After I was done, I decided I wanted to make at least 5 chemo hats for the Emory Winship Cancer Center.

So, instead of working on other WIPs, I knitted 5 hats.  I admit, I really like how they all came out.  They were all made with Caron Simply Soft yarn.

So…now the WIPs, Prayer Shawls and Cancer Hats are on hold for a bit.  I now want to make a couple of gifts.  I’ve made progress on the WIPs and not exactly as far along as I had hoped but at least I finished 2 and I’m glad I also made this prayer shawl and hats.