Today Is Thursday, January 8, 2026, This Is What Happened.

 

Today is Thursday, and I decided to take part in THURSDAY THIRTEEN . And I'm going to give my own take on 13 words that start with the letter G.

1. Grandma...My Grandmothers name was Olive Mary, and Elsie Beatrice.

2. Grain Bread...Bought some 12 grain and seed bread. The cost was $2.68

3. Grape...Grapes are okay. But it not one of my favorite fruits.

4. Green...I used the color of green in my art journal today. Not sure if you can see it. Or not.

5. Gravy...It been a while since I had homemade gravy. But our cook at our senior center make home made gravy. 

6. Garlic...We use a lot garlic around here.

7. Georgia ...Not sure when I will read this book, BOOK. Or If I will. But the author is from Georgia.

8. Germany...I have 18 books list that has connect with GERMANY

9. Greece....I have 5 books list that has connect with GREECE

10. Goodreads...I have 1,415 books that I'm interested in reading and here is my GOODREADS. I know I won't get to all of them, for different reason

11. Graveyard...I like walking in a graveyard.

12. Grant...Is one of our past PRESIDENT. Opinion time...He didn't have a good cabinet.

13. Goal... Complete my writing prompts. Here is one of my personal writing prompts...Write a gratitude list, than transform it into a poem. Plus I have an short pile of writing prompts that won't fit into the container. Our local senior center had talk about putting things in the THREE MILE AUCTION. I'm donating some left over writing prompt cards and some other items. 

Today Is Wednesday, January 7, 2026: This Is What Happen

 

This is Soup Hubby and I did up for dinner.

? Sausage, White (Navy) Bean & Mustard Greens Soup (Measured)

Base Ingredients

• Italian ground sausage: 1 pound

• White beans: 2 cans (15 oz each), drained and rinsed

• Mustard greens: 1 large bunch (about 6–8 cups chopped)

• Shallots: 2 medium, finely chopped

• Garlic: 4 cloves, minced

• Carrots: 2 medium, sliced

• Celery: 2 stalks, sliced

• Peppers: 1 to 2 (about 1½ cups chopped)

Fats & Seasoning

• Olive oil: 1 tablespoon (only if sausage is lean)

• Salt: ¾–1 teaspoon (start low)

• Black pepper: ½ teaspoon

• Red pepper flakes (optional): ¼ teaspoon

Liquid (Choose ONE option)

Option A – With Broth (recommended, deeper flavor):

• 4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

• 2 cups water

Option B – No Broth (still good, lighter):

• 6 cups water

• Add an extra pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil at the end

---

? Cooking Instructions

1. Brown the sausage
   In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat until browned. Remove excess grease if needed.

2. Sauté vegetables
   Add shallots, carrots, celery, and peppers. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
   Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds (don’t brown).

3. Add beans & liquid
   Add both cans of beans. For a thicker soup, mash about ½ cup of beans before adding liquid.

4. Simmer
   Pour in your chosen liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 20–25 minutes.

5. Add mustard greens
   Stir in greens and simmer 5–10 minutes, until tender.

6. Taste & adjust
   Add salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as needed.
   Optional but excellent: 1–2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice at the very end.

Today Is Tuesday, January 6, 2026: This Is What Happened.

 

Snowing here. It seem like our winters are starting much later, then they did in past. Well before we would usually have what people would call January melt. But a few years ago we had snow dump in February.

Start to take down the Christmas Tree. I will finish it off tomorrow. I'm clueless why, but I find it sad when I start to take down the Christmas tree. Murphy and I had lunch as the senior center. They served chicken pot pie.

Tomorrow, there having some type of pork meat balls. And water color class. I doubt I will go tomorrow because it look like the roads are going to be slick. Let me say, I had plan to go to Under the Sun and having coffee with my friend Quenella. Then before I was going to the Senior Center I had plan to get to over and have some laminating done. I mange to pay some bills. Still waiting for our Natural gas bill.

Murphy just got done talking to his sister Faith, who just turn 74.

Coffee is on.

Today Is Wednesday, December 31, 2025: This is What Happened

 

I decided to start this post in the morning. Plus some place in the world it already 2026. As for the political arena I hope it's better always around. We here in the United States has our mid-term. Maybe Maga will loose the majority. As many of us know. If Trump don't get his way. He will toss a tizzy.

The last thing I did was putting on was my shoes. I thought it would and interesting shot, for WORDLESS WEDNESDAY. After the shoes, got on my feet. I went down and ride the stationary bike. On so called odd days, like today. It seems like reasonable goal. Is to ride that 3 times a day. But for some reason I only do it once day.

Yesterday it was my brother in law, Earl Birthday. He just turn 65. And he has congestive heart failure. I don't want to be to hard on him. But he lived a hard life. Smoking and drinking. Now it caught up with him. I'm far from a saint, and not big time sinner. Simple we're all human.

I been doing some research on paper to use with alcohol makers. I have good amount of them. Even I use heavier paper to do my art on. But I have issue of soaking though when I use alcohol markers. Found out there paper just made for alcohol markers.

I was wondering if art with Greta. If we were going to new years goals and such in our art journal. Plus a word of the year. She said yes. But she doesn't give out details on what we're doing. For me that's fine. I do better. With less thinking on it.

One of my art journal is getting close to be filled. This is what I will be getting, ART JOURNAL Usually I split them with my friend Lolita. But she wants a heavier paper. The company I get my art journal though, does offer a heavier PAPER. I'm just not a fan of spiral note books.

Let just wrap up with my morning temps. I'm lazy and I'm going to have chat-gpt give me the numbers.

December Morning Temperatures (7–8 a.m.)

• Highest: 43.2°F (6.2°C)

• Lowest: 16.3°F (-8.7°C)

• Average: 32.3°F (0.2°C)

Coffee is on.

Today Is Tuesday, January 30, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 

Do I crawl in a corner and cry.

Do I stand in middle of the store, and laugh uncontrollable.

Do I locate a brick wall, and start banging my head against it.

I decided to go and take a photo with my Kodak camera. None of the photos will go on to my lap top. While back I also plug in this camera. And today for some reason none of my photos. I can get photos off my SD card. My Lumix camera I have no issue. After the first of the year I will have one of the people work at library help me.

I never know what to get my sons and there wives for Christmas. This year I got them a role of duct-tape. And their wives some hand lotions. I seen those photo book. I been quite impress with them. So I found monthly subscription one, called MONTH BOOKS. I have always want to take photo each and every day. I thought this would be good way to meet my goal.

Murphy and I went to senior center for lunch, and they had chicken Parmesan. But we stop at grocery out let, and they had slippers on sale. Before I bought them. I ask if I could return them. They said I could if I had the receipt. Fair enough. After we went and look around in the community thrift store. Got nothing. The main reason, between now and the 5^th of January my bills should arrive.

Look like only one package need to be send back to Amazon. They didn't send the correct amount. I never yet had any issue about returns with amazon. My complaint is I have to go into Sandpoint to do it. A little more than 20 miles. There places will handle shipping, but one needs to print out there own shipping label. I'm clueless how to do it. And I don't buy much and hardly send thing back.

I figure why not. I copied and paste my blog post into NIGHT CAFE.

Coffee is on.

Today Is Monday, December 29, 2025: This Is What Happened

Christmas is over. It was a good Christmas. Christmas day we went down to see Faith, who is Murphy sister. They were 10 of us. We had prime rib roast, with all the trimmings. Day after Christmas both of my son came up. So all my Grandchildren was here. I was dis-pointed in the photos I took. Something are like that.

Quite day. I went the senior center for lunch. They serve soup today. Our senior center is connecting up with THREE MILE AUCTION. I left some items off for the auction. It should give them some funding. And I took also some items over to the thrift store.

Coffee is on.

Today Is Tuesday, December 23, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 

I'm bad. I promised PENGUIN I would answer his question from his last Sunday, SUNDAY FIVE. But for some reason it kept slipping my mind.

1: Do you dance in public? No. I'm afraid of embarrassing other people

2: Will any holiday parties you attend this year include dancing? No

3: Tell us about the last time you danced in public?It been years.

4: Tell us about any dance classes you might have ever taken?  None

5: Should it be illegal to dance at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC? I would say no.

Talking about dancing. Some time in our pagan ceremonies there dancing. Yule, I was hoping part of there ceremony they would have been little dancing.

Got package from Amazon, and only half was place in the package. Here what I should of gotten 3 rolls, instead of SIX. After Christmas, I will do something. I had plan to divide the rolls up, between my the two families.

Got the art supplies wrapped up. And the only thing I need to finish up is the granddaughters. Main gift. It looks like one of the gift is in Spokane, should be here tomorrow.

Copied and paste different lines of my post from yesterday, and had Night Cafe make up four pictures. This is what it came up with. Blogging for three days in roll, and take break for 4 days, seems to work quite well. I should be back on Monday, the 29^th.

Merry Christmas.

Today Is Monday, December 22, 2025: This Is What Happened

 

Last evening the 21^st of December. I went to a local yule celebration. To welcome longer days. It was very nice together with like minded people.

There was simple service, food and conversation.

I took couple of photos of the place, where we meant. It's not safe for me to share the photos of who was there. I believe they was 15 of us.

Oh, I grab Liz and took her with me.

This is my two favorite card I got this year.

This morning I stop in pick up my stickers, which I'm not sure if I will do them again next year. Kinda of on the costly side. If I do. I will do a lot less of them.

Then up to the dentist. Had my teeth clean and no cavities. It's been a long time since I had a cavity. After the dentist, I went thrift store and got some rubber stands. A great place to get rubber stamps. I will add them to my granddaughter art bag. After that I went into Super one, and got my son and wives a little something. For my sons I got them each role of duct tape. And for the one wife I got some hand cream, and same for Sawyer ex wife. I have trouble of how to put her in my blogs, when it necessary. Her and my son isn't married. I understand that. She still two of my granddaughters mother. Then I stop Lolita and got gift I had her wrapped. She gave me an calendar, that she got free. Murphy likes the game calendar. It's of Norman Rockwell.

Wrap up a few gifts.

I been thinking what five and half things I want to accomplish in the year of 2026. Or take got stab at them. Let start with the half.

½. Finish up the area in the basement I been working on. I might even get done before the end of the year.

1. Seriously work on the quilt I been working on for a very long time.

2. Try to loose between 15 and 20 pounds.

3. Finish up my writing prompts

4. Work on my art prompts.

5. Clean and get rid of things in the shed and under the stair well.

Went over to chat gpt and had them match up the tarot cards that would match today's post.

1. The Sun

Why it fits:
This card directly mirrors the heart of your post: the Yule celebration on December 21st and the welcoming back of longer days. The Sun is about warmth, community, simple joy, and shared light—exactly what you describe in the gathering, the food, and the sense of being with like-minded people.

Theme echoed:
Renewal, returning light, gentle optimism, and being present in a moment that doesn’t need to be dramatic to be meaningful.

---

2. Three of Cups

Why it fits:
This card reflects the gathering itself—the shared meal, conversation, and quiet companionship. It’s not about spectacle, but about showing up and being together. Even your care around privacy and respect for others’ presence aligns with the emotional maturity of this card.

Theme echoed:
Community, friendship, chosen family, and celebrating life in modest, sincere ways.

---

3. Six of Pentacles

Why it fits:
Your day after Yule is full of small acts of giving and balancing: gifts for your sons, hand cream for the women in their lives, stamps for your granddaughter, thoughtful acknowledgment of family structures that don’t fit neat labels. This card speaks to generosity, fairness, and care given without keeping score.

Theme echoed:
Reciprocity, quiet generosity, and maintaining balance in family relationships.

---

4. Page of Pentacles

Why it fits:
This card beautifully matches the practical, hopeful tone of your plans for 2026. The Page of Pentacles is about starting (or returning to) long-term projects with patience: the quilt, writing prompts, art prompts, organizing spaces, tending health. It’s not about perfection—just steady effort.

Theme echoed:
Learning, persistence, small steps toward meaningful goals, and curiosity about what can grow with care.

---

5. The Hermit

Why it fits:
While the post begins in community, it ends in reflection. Thinking about the year ahead, naming what you want to accomplish, and acknowledging uncertainty (like the stickers) all point to The Hermit’s wisdom. This isn’t isolation—it’s intentional pause and honest self-assessment.

Theme echoed:
Reflection, inner guidance, and choosing what truly matters as the year turns.

Today Is Sunday, December 21, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 

Welcome Winter, and those south of Equator. Welcome Summer. Got the tree done, and yule cards out. This year I add a story. Which you can read it HERE and HERE.

I rarely place Christmas balls on my tree. I like individual ornaments place on them. To me, they tell a story the first one I place, was car carrying skies. I only been on snow skies ones. Now I been on water skies quite a few times. Now the fact is skiing is out of my price range. And my bones couldn't handle it. But the time I did it was both “scary” and “exciting”. Plus I should toss the word “fun” in it.

I had the plans to get the rest of letters, to match our first name. So you could guess “D” stand for Dora. 

This is my new ornaments. I made it at the senior center. Now the days here will slowly get longer. Today is the longest day for darkness.

I'm heading to a yule or winter solstice celebration and pot luck. I'm using one of ANGIES RECIPE. This is the recipe I used, MAUSTEKAKU FINNISH SPICE CAKE. I had chat-gpt put it in imperial measurements. I had no cocoa powder. So I put 2 tablespoon of molasses in it.

Put the laundry away, and I was hanging up things in the closet. And hanging things one the wire hangers. What came to my mind was from the movie “Mommie Dearest” and when the charter Joan Crawford said “No more wire hangers” as she beats her kids. Murphy making bean soup.

Coffee is on.

Today Is Wednesday, December 15, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 This Is the other card I had done up, and the story I included.

THE WINTER RIDER

In the deep stillness of Midwinter, when the snow lay thick as memory and the sun hovered low on the horizon, there lived an ancient traveler known only as The Winter Rider. Some called him Father Winter, others the Old Gift-Bringer, but he simply thought of himself as a companion to the turning of the year.

Every solstice morning, he saddled his loyal companion—a great wild boar, strong-backed and sure-footed, a creature whose bristles caught the faint return of sunlight like threads of gold. The boar was no ordinary beast; he was the embodiment of Instinct and Strength, the part of the world that could not be tamed but could always guide. Together, they walked the narrow path where the forest met the edge of dreams.

As they traveled, the forest whispered. Tall snow-laden evergreens stood as guardians of the Threshold, marking the passage between the old year and the new. From their branches, ravens watched with quiet intelligence. They were the Messengers, keepers of hidden knowledge. One called out in a rasping voice, a sound like a door creaking open.

“It is time,” the raven croaked.
The Winter Rider nodded. He already knew.

Ahead lay a village still wrapped in sleep. Its clock tower—proud, slender, and ancient—glowed with the orange kiss of the rising sun. Within its gears lived the archetype of The Timekeeper, a being who turned the wheel of the seasons with patient hands. As the sun crested the mountains, the tower bells rang, announcing the rebirth of the light.

Children—two small helpers bundled in red—heard the chimes first. They ran outside, leaving a trail of mitten prints in the snow, waving eagerly at the approaching silhouettes of boar and rider. These were the Child Helpers, symbols of wonder and renewal, reminding the village that even in deep winter, playfulness and joy endure.

When the Winter Rider reached the heart of the town, he paused. The returning sun painted his long shadow across the snow, stretching behind him like the story of a year now ending. He reached into the sack on his back, but instead of toys or trinkets, he pulled out something far more precious:

A small spark of the returning light.

Not a literal flame, but a blessing—warmth, hope, courage. The kind of light that lives inside people, quiet and steady. He handed this glow to the helpers, who carried it door to door, gifting it to every home.

And so, the village woke not to presents wrapped in ribbons, but to something deeper:
the reminder that even in the darkest times, the light will always return.

When his work was finished, the Winter Rider turned his boar back toward the forest. The ravens called their farewells. The clock tower hummed with the rhythm of another year beginning. And the sun, now fully risen, crowned the world in gold.

No one knew where the Rider went after that. Some believed he wandered the endless winter woods. Others said he climbed the mountains to speak with the spirits of the old year. But all agreed on one truth:

He would return again, whenever the world needed reminding that light, wisdom, and kindness never truly fade.

Today Is Monday, December 15, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 

It been raining all day, and for mid December is far from cold, for us here in North Idaho. The mail wasn't came and I'm not sure if I will go out to the mail box today or not. I hope we get no mail today. I'm made out of brown sugar.

Well I finish up a book I been reading. “The Trumpet of the Swan” by E.B White. It's the same person who wrote Charlotte's Web. Animal brought to life. I'm passing it on to my old granddaughter who is 9. Murphy and I are going to the senior center for lunch tomorrow. There serving Chicken chimi's, corn salad, Mexican coleslaw, Spanish rice, and pineapple fluff. But before we go to lunch. I want to get the book “The Bell Jar” by “Sylvia Plath”

Got the Christmas Tree up. Not complete done. Murphy and I strung the lights around it. The blue bird lights is pain to put on. These lights need to be pin up. If there not pin up, the bird fall over. Tomorrow, I will add the ornaments and iceicles.

Last night for dinner we had stuff peppers, with ground Turkey.

So I will be back on this up coming Wednesday. To share my other Christmas card and letter. My next round of blogging will start again on Saturday, the 20^th. I will share my Christmas tree than.  

It been raining all day, and for mid December is far from cold, for us here in North Idaho. The mail wasn't came and I'm not sure if I will go out to the mail box today or not. I hope we get no mail today. I'm made out of brown sugar.

Well I finish up a book I been reading. “The Trumpet of the Swan” by E.B White. It's the same person who wrote Charlotte's Web. Animal brought to life. I'm passing it on to my old granddaughter who is 9. Murphy and I are going to the senior center for lunch tomorrow. There serving Chicken chimi's, corn salad, Mexican coleslaw, Spanish rice, and pineapple fluff. But before we go to lunch. I want to get the book “The Bell Jar” by “Sylvia Plath”

Got the Christmas Tree up. Not complete done. Murphy and I strung the lights around it. The blue bird lights is pain to put on. These lights need to be pin up. If there not pin up, the bird fall over. Tomorrow, I will add the ornaments and iceicles.

Last night for dinner we had stuff peppers, with ground Turkey.

So I will be back on this up coming Wednesday. To share my other Christmas card and letter. My next round of blogging will start again on Saturday, the 20^th. I will share my Christmas tree than.