Saturday Meanderings

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it’s been 26 years since the millennium. I’ve always viewed a new year as a natural reset—a time to sharpen skills, rein in excessive holiday eating, and clean, sort, and organize. Of course, those things can happen any time of year, but somehow they feel more attainable in that fresh first month. Welcome to the first Saturday Meanderings of 2026. This is my favorite time of the week, when we pause and chat about the good things that have filled the last seven days.

Completion of the Gingerbread House

I must admit, designing a gingerbread house to resemble our 1910 historic home was a bit ambitious. The process would have been far easier if I were technically proficient with AI or architectural design tools—but my approach is decidedly old school. Armed with a pencil, tape measure, and paper, I (with the help of my husband) measured and hand-drew the exterior of our home. Taking those measurements and scaling down, I drew and cut stencil paper for templates.

I plan to write a full blog post about the experience so that next year—when this “great idea” inevitably resurfaces—I can reread it and remind myself to choose a different path. Gingerbread house making of this magnitude is much like childbirth: over time, you forget the pain. Perhaps with deeper reflection (and selective memory), I’ll eventually master the design, stencils, and assembly process of turning our home into gingerbread creation.

As the holiday season comes to a close, I wanted to share the project and how it ultimately turned out. But before you consider attempting this yourself next year, please take the following into account: humidity can quickly turn a perfectly firm gingerbread structure soft; boiling isomalt in a Pyrex measuring cup can explode; and be prepared for royal icing to end up everywhere—hair, cabinet fronts, kitchen floors, and rugs included.

Unique Gift

We received such thoughtful gifts from all of our children this year. One especially meaningful gift came from our son, Benjamin—a subscription to Storyworth, complete with a bit of “homework.” It’s built on the idea that everyone has a story worth telling.

Each week for a year, we’ll receive a question by email to answer. At the end of the year, all of the responses and stories will be gathered and bound into a keepsake memory book—a gift that will last far beyond the holidays.

With both my parents deceased, I wish I had spent more time asking them about their lives. Storyworth is a good way to do that. The first question this week is, “What advice would you give to future generations?” How would you answer that? Check out their website here to learn more about how it works.

Another Gift Idea

The season of giving may be winding down, but here’s another gift idea that can be enjoyed year-round. My sweet friend Christine surprised us with a New Year’s Eve charcuterie board from Boarderie, and it was such a treat. They offer a wide variety of boards—you simply select your tray, and it’s made fresh and shipped overnight the very next day.

As you can see, it arrives beautifully packaged in a sturdy wooden tray, complete with bamboo forks, tongs, and a spreader. The selection was delicious: cheeses, salami, dates, chocolates, olives, and nuts—thoughtfully arranged and ready to serve. I especially loved the festive 2026 and martini glass cheese cut-outs, which made it feel perfect for ringing in the new year.

You can find the charcuterie board selections and their website here.

Finger Injury

About two weeks ago, I mentioned a finger injury courtesy of a dog and a leash. Well, it’s still swollen and hurting just as much. After a few hours of tree trimming this week, it was really aching, so I finally decided it was time to seek medical advice.

Well, it’s broken. Darn. And yes, I am left-handed. The good news? If you visit urgent care early on New Year’s Eve, there’s absolutely no wait. The less-good news is that I’m now sporting a rather large splint, which makes typing—and just about everything else—a bit more challenging. Here’s hoping for fast healing and a quick return to normal.

New Year’s Eve Tailgating

For the past six years, we’ve hosted a sit-down dinner party on New Year’s Eve. It’s also been years since we’ve stayed up until midnight. A typical NYE for us includes watching the ball drop in New York and heading to bed shortly thereafter. I’ve always preferred greeting the sunrise on New Year’s Day rather than staying up late the night before.

This year, instead of a dinner party, we packed up the pickup truck with a several (and relatively quiet) fireworks, some appetizers, and a bit of bubbly, and headed to the cul-de-sac just south of us. All the neighbors began to gather, and a simple—yet wonderfully fun—New Year’s Eve celebration unfolded.

Decorating the truck bed was half the fun. Using a coated (wipeable) French tablecloth from Amélie Michel (or Amazon here), battery-operated lamps, a glittery Pop the Bubbly sign, scattered balloons, and noisemakers, it became the perfect backdrop for champagne and snacks.

Everyone brought a beverage, and my wonderful neighbor Tevia contributed a delicious appetizer. With the tailgate down and well supplied, we ooh-ed and aah-ed over Scott’s fireworks display. We were back home in time to catch the East Coast New Year’s celebrations on television—and then off to bed.

A perfect New Year’s Eve, in my opinion.

Projects

Did I tell you how much I dislike cleaning out the refrigerator? I should probably seek professional advice to understand why this particular task is so deeply unappealing to me. After putting it off far too long—and faced with the post-holiday chaos of leftovers and random containers—I finally broke down and cleaned it out this week.

Now, every time I open the refrigerator, there’s a small sense of joy. Simple pleasures, indeed. Do you enjoy cleaning out your refrigerator?

Next up: the freezer, which I’m fairly certain is hiding more than a few outdated surprises.

One of my goals for 2026 is to finally devote some time, effort, and energy to our family room. For far too long, I’ve used the excuse that the animals dominate this space, so upgrading it didn’t feel worthwhile. But I spend time there too—it’s where our television is—and right now, it’s not especially enjoyable for me.

Next on the project list is re-covering the rectangular ottoman, which is in serious need of a facelift. Slowly—and somewhat painstakingly—I’ve been removing the thousands of upholstery staples from the underside, a task made even more challenging by my finger splint. The plan is to remove the existing fabric and use it as a pattern for the new one.

More to come on this project and I’ll share updates as they occur.

Adult Coloring Books

I find it difficult to sit and watch television without multitasking or working on a project at the same time. With a nice collection of adult coloring books, it had been quite some time since I last picked one up.

Recently, I started coloring again and was reminded just how relaxing it can be—and how easy it is to do while watching a show at the end of the day.

What I especially like about this Secret Garden coloring book, is that you can also frame the drawings after you’ve finished coloring. All you need is a good set of colored pencils and you are ready to go!

Thank you so much for all the fabulous comments on last week’s post! I cannot tell you how much I enjoy hearing from each and every one of you. Wishing you all a very happy, prosperous and blessed 2026. Stay safe out there!

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