Hiya, friend. It’s so nice to see you! Isn’t it kind of crazy that just like that, in the blink of an eye, the rush of the holiday season is finally over? Yeah, yeah. I know New Year’s Eve is around the corner, too, but at this point, I’m tapping out of any further festivities until next year.
In my mind I’ve been calling it “cocooning.”
Maybe it’s because I’ve spent the last couple of weeks in a quieter state than usual. I know life will be changing soon, in a good way, in a couple weeks because of the new job.
I also knew this Christmas was going to look a little different with just me, El Hub and Connor (it’s a long story). Anywho, I anticipated it being a more introspective and a quieter holiday with just the three of us, and Rosie of course, and with us sticking at home and not doing any traveling. But it was one of the best holidays ever because we got the ultimate gift from friends and neighbors in our lives — the gift of time, attention and thoughtfulness.
We gave and got impromptu invitations to lunches and hang out sessions. There were snacks and chats and time spent with human and animal friends – so many dogs and cats!
It’s funny how food brings people together, and how meals with friends can teach you new things about yourself, too. I found out that I don’t hate arugula pesto and that Connor absolutely *loves* pomelo fruit.
Connor and I found out we’re obsessed with our neighbor’s rice porridge, aka burbur ayam, aka Indonesian chicken congee.
Our neighbor, Linda, originally from Indonesia, is the cutest lady and one of the best home cooks I’ve ever known. She sent her husband over with a huge bowl of this porridge with all the fixings yesterday morning, and seriously, Connor and I inhaled it in record time.
It’s kinda funny to me because when I was growing up, I had to eat the Filipino version of rice porridge over the holidays, and it was never my favorite. All these years I just assumed all rice porridge dishes were bland and gummy, but my neighbor’s version was life changing. I dreamt of Linda’s porridge last night, no joke!
Anywho, the last few days have all been so quiet and lovely.
I’m looking forward to cocooning even more today on the couch with a book, blanket, a cup of coffee and my favorite people.
Oh, so that this post is remotely beauty related, please note in the top pic the weird bun my hair is in. Have you had yours in a weird bun for the last few days, too? Eventually I might wrestle mine out of it, ha ha ha.
I may or may not put on some makeup, eventually. I’m contemplating finally removing the last remnants of the Essie manicure that’s been holding onto dear life for the last few weeks, but maybe not. I might just let nature take its course.
Sending you virtual hugs and good thoughts and good vibes. I hope things on your end are excellent and that you’ve had a peaceful and happy holiday season so far.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
That’s such a pretty photo you led off with on this article. The natural tree, nicely decorated. You, your daughter, and Rosie on the couch, reading your new books. Oddly, at first I didn’t see Rosie! Looks like a nice, cozy, and calm Christmas.
I’m still in mourning and in a kind of limbo situation, since I’ll have to leave this house when it’s sold, and this is not a good time to look for a new place to live (to put it mildly). I feel depressed, not just because of mourning but because of my age and the fact that I’m essentially alone in life (and to a great extent, I have always been alone – born into a large family, but always having to depend emotionally on myself, as a lack of real empathy was a defining characteristic of my family). I learned very early in life the meaning of the phrase “alone in a crowd.” One more holiday hurdle – New Year’s Eve/Day- maybe I should just go to bed early on NYE. At least I could go shopping on New Year’s Day – until the 1980s, almost everything was closed on New Year’s Day.
Edward Tulane is a fantastic! book! The writing and illustrations are exemplary. There was talk that this was going to be made into a movie. A lovely gift and a book to hold on to and re-read. Just a phenomenal book about life, gratitude and humility.
I can’t think of a better way of spending Christmas than sitting around with loved ones while reading books! Dear Daughter loved “Because of Winn-Dixie” and “The Tale of Despereaux” also by Kate DiCamillo when she was younger.
When I was in Tokyo I saw a ton of semi-cured gel nail color strips for sale. You rub them on and then file them to fit. You can either let them cure out in the sunshine or quickly cure them under a UV lamp. They’re supposed to be easier to remove than a traditional gel manicure. Was tempted but I don’t have a UV lamp and don’t want to buy one. I suspect they cure harder under the lamp.
Wishing everybody the Happiest 2024.
Bubur ayam is one of the best Indonesian breakfast dishes IMHO. Happy holidays!
Looks like a cozy Christmas for you and your family! I got an extra 2 days off of work because there was an ice storm here. It was nice to spend that extra time with my girls! I’m excited for you to start your new job, Karen! Happy New Year!
Happy 2024 to you and your fam, Karen! Your photos in this post look so warm, cozy and wonderful. 🙂 I also just read Lessons in Chemistry and loved it! Have you watched the miniseries on Apple TV?