Saturday Meanderings

Is your mid-December Saturday feeling restful—or a bit frenetic? I’m coming off a full, busy week, so today I’m hoping to catch my breath and slow things down just a touch. I’m running a little late with this Saturday Meanderings post, but I’m here—coffee in hand—and writing to you always brings me joy. If you can, take a pause, pour yourself a favorite beverage, and let’s spend a few quiet moments together chatting about the good things from this week.

Listening to Holiday Music

As a child, Christmas music was always playing in our home this time of year. I know I’m dating myself, but all five siblings would gather around the Mitch Miller Sing-Along Christmas album, belting out carols right along with good old Mitch.

The familiar voices of Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Andy Williams, and Doris Day instantly transport me back to those early years in Norwich, Connecticut—moments filled with warmth, laughter, and togetherness. They feel like simpler times now, and listening to that music makes me miss my parents deeply and all they did to give us such a stable, loving childhood.

Does holiday music affect you that way? So many of my friends are walking through this season without someone they love, and I hope their cherished memories can offer even a small measure of comfort. This time of year holds such a curious mix of joy and sadness, and for me, music seems to carry all of it—tender, beautiful, and bittersweet all at once.

I’ve been enjoying the background ambiance of AI-created images looping on YouTube while Christmas carols play. We have a small television in the kitchen, and I like having it on while I’m baking or cooking. One of my favorites shows a mountain cabin with a crackling fire and falling snow. There are several images to choose from, depending on your music selection.

Wrapping Up the Holiday Decor

There are days that I believe that by the time I get up my Christmas decorations it will be time to take them down. But slow and steady wins the race, right? This week’s holiday decor achievements include: all the mantels are finally decorated. The kitchen island’s tree and gingerbread display are up, and candles are on all the window sills in the front of the house. Even the hen house got some holiday cheer!

Today is my husband’s birthday and as traditions goes, we hope to get our fresh Christmas tree this afternoon. After an overnight in the pool (to get it hydrated and clean), we will start decorating tomorrow or Monday.

Annual Holiday Neighborhood Board Gathering

It’s always our pleasure to host the neighborhood’s December board meeting in our home and pair it with a holiday celebration. Some years we expand the guest list to include other neighborhood leaders, but this year we kept it to just board members and their spouses.

The gathering also gives me the perfect excuse to seasonally update the large aspen log that serves as the centerpiece of our outdoor dining table. To see more about that log project, click here.

Wednesday evening brought the perfect crisp winter weather, making a warm fire and a few space heaters essential on the back terrace. We served platters of hors d’oeuvres along with a variety of beverages for a relaxed, casual evening.

Of course, I never seem to take enough photos—I’m usually scurrying around at the last minute! Still, I’d say it was a success, as the last guests didn’t leave until 11:00.

Potentially Dangerous Blunder

When we have bananas that are ripe and past their eating prime, I freeze them for future banana bread. This week, while making the recipe, I realize I hadn’t defrosted the very ripe bananas. What to do? I pop them in the microwave and put the temperature on defrost for a few minutes.

When I opened the door, I was overcome by a horrible smell and the ends of the banana peels on fire. The odor wasn’t of burning bananas but something more toxic and chemical in nature.

Bananas produce ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone that speeds up the ripening process. The smell isn’t just ethylene; it’s the concentrated, volatile compounds released by the rapid breakdown of fruit tissue due to microwave heat, leading to an awful odor. 

So the lesson learned is not to microwave frozen bananas. I truly thought I might be creating an explosive situation. The good news is that the banana bread is delicious! Ha!

Christmas Movies

Are you watching any good holiday movies? We just saw Oh. What. Fun. with Michelle Pfeiffer—who, by the way, looks fabulous. It’s very much an adult take on Home Alone, and I’m pretty sure many moments in the film will feel all too familiar.

Christmas Luncheon and Open House

Our friends Janie and Rick open their stunningly decorated home for an annual Christmas party, and the first word that always comes to mind is abundance. Janie is a collector of beautiful objects, thoughtfully displayed throughout their home and enhanced for the season with ribbons, greenery, lights, baubles, and touches of snow.

Even their adorable dog joins in, sporting a festive Christmas bandana. Each of their ten decorated trees has its own theme—from angels to Santas to dogs—and Janie’s artwork, displayed in curated groupings, adds another layer of beauty. The entire home feels magical, and we are always grateful to receive an invitation.

As a new tradition this year, a small group of women friends and neighbors gathered for a girls’ lunch at Season 52 in the Biltmore shopping center yesterday. It was a welcome pause in the season—time to relax, enjoy one another’s company, and savor a delicious meal prepared and served to us.

Christmas Cards

Do you send out Christmas cards? Each year, we create ours through Minted and include a letter that summarizes the year. It feels a bit like keeping a diary. One project I hope to tackle someday is gathering our holiday cards and letters from the past 30 years and putting them into a binder. I’m sure there are many moments and milestones I’ve forgotten over the decades, and it would be such fun to look back and reminisce.

Christmas card project is complete and will be taken to the post office today to be mailed! Yay! One more thing off the list.

Hostess Gifts

This time of year is filled with holiday gatherings hosted by friends, family, and business partners. I like to keep a few hostess gifts on hand and try to match each one to the host or hostess. If they’re wine connoisseurs, a fine bottle of wine is always appropriate.

But sometimes it’s nice to bring something a little different. Here are a few ideas if you’d like to skip the standard bottle of wine or bubbly.

Natural beeswax taper candles feel like a luxury to me. This set of 6 8″ candles is only $16.99 at Amazon. Coupled with a pretty box of matches at $21.99 or this rechargeable flameless candle lighter for $12.99, this is a functional and perfect hostess gift.

One of my favorite winter scents is a Thymes Frasier Fir Pine Needle candle. It’s such a treat to receive one of these (thank you, Michele!) as a hostess gift. With quick delivery from Amazon, you can purchase this for $35.00 here.

My dear friend, Tevia, gave us something similar to this Sea Salt Sampler Set and I just love it. Here is one from Amazon that has 6 flavored salts and is available with quick delivery for $21.99

This time of year I use hand cream all the time. Here is the brand I keep by the kitchen sink. Thymes Kimono Rose Hand lotion is available for overnight delivery by Amazon. Priced at $16.00 for 8.25 fl. oz.

It’s been a very social week and I’m ready for a few moments of quiet… and more healthy food. But I am not complaining. The holidays are meant to be shared and appreciated.

I hope your shopping is finished and you are resting and catching moments of being still. Have a beautiful weekend and stay safe out there!