What I’m Loving Right Now

Hello all. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything here but I know you’ll understand when I tell you that on October 1 we had my daughter’s wonderful (twice delayed due to COVID) wedding and three weeks later we lost my dad. It’s been the busiest time, filled with both great happiness and great sadness, which I’m learning is the nature of life.

Lindsey and Morgan’s formal wedding photos just came back and we’re having such fun going through them, but one of my favorite photos was taken by our wedding coordinator right as Lindsey and Tom were about to walk down the aisle.

I have it framed on the chest in our entryway with the rest of my favorite family pics.

Here are some other things I’m loving right now.

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My small book group recently read Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House and it generated so much discussion that we’ve considered getting together a second time to keep talking about it. If you’re an audiobook listener, the audio version of The Dutch House is narrated by Tom Hanks, and I’ve heard it’s terrific. Nothing I read by Ann ever disappoints. I’ve asked for her new book of essays for Christmas.

I knew these ramekins would be good for all kinds of entertaining purposes, but what we’re using them for mostly is snacking. They’re the perfect size for single servings of dips, nuts, chips, etc.

Although I always have my toes painted (usually in OPI’s Cajun Shrimp) I rarely paint my fingernails and when I do I’m often running out of the house on my way somewhere. These OPI drying drops work well and (mostly) keep me from making a mess of my freshly painted nails.

My friend Vicki has an amazing shoe collection and when she was giving me a tour of her new home I took special note of how her shoes were organized in her closet. She uses these stackable shoe organizers and, despite the fact that my shoe collection is much less impressive (it’s really not a collection at all), I ordered a set right away. I recently put them together and discovered that twelve was not enough so I ordered a second set and put them in stacks of four on a shelf in my closet. Tom calls them my “shoe garages” and I love them so much that I made Lindsey and Morgan come into my closet to look at them when there were here on Sunday.

Speaking of Lindsey and Morgan, they made steaks for Tom’s birthday and they served this Pioneer Woman Twice Baked Potato Casserole with them. It’s maybe the best potato dish I’ve ever eaten.

Right before Thanksgiving, I re-ordered these take-out boxes, which I always keep on hand for sending leftovers home with family and friends after dinners or parties. Having them stacked in my pantry makes things easy for me, and no one has to worry about returning anything.

Finally, Brian Branton’s Instagram account is always a treat, but never more than at Christmas.

P.S. My favorite books of 2020 and a Christmas table setting by the numbers.