Christmas is coming up quickly, and I still haven’t put together our Christmas menu. I really need to sit down and plan it out. I’m thinking of keeping things a bit simpler this year, definitely smaller than Thanksgiving if I can manage it. Maybe something classic: a main meat dish, some potatoes, and a good veggie on the side. I’ll start with that rough outline, though I already know someone in this house will chime in with an extra dish or two. It always happens! But at least having a base plan will make it easier to build from there.
I’m baking apple cinnamon bread right now, and the whole house smells so good. I’ve been meaning to use up the Granny Smith apples before they went bad, and I really didn’t want to waste them. It feels good to turn them into something delicious.
At the same time, it’s a little bittersweet. We’ve been trying to lose weight, and the holidays make that so hard. Everywhere you turn, there’s something comforting and sugary calling your name. So I’m trying to enjoy the moment while also staying mindful.
For now, I’m just going to appreciate the smell of cinnamon and apples drifting through the kitchen. The bread takes about 70 minutes in the oven, and because we’re at such a high elevation, it always needs a little extra time to bake properly. By the last ten minutes, I’m usually hovering near the oven, checking it constantly to make sure it doesn’t overbake.
I hate to admit it, but I have the plastic dome from my hearing aid stuck in my left ear again. I’m definitely getting a new dome; there’s no way I’m putting that one back in and risking it getting stuck a third time. On top of that, my right ear might be infected, so I made an appointment for tomorrow to get everything checked out and to have the dome removed. I can’t believe this keeps happening. Maybe I should just order a bunch of replacement domes and start swapping them out regularly.
Kel is taking the truck tomorrow, so I’m hoping Kel’s dad can drive me to the appointment. I really don’t want to miss it.
On a brighter note, I finally finished coding the RPG project on FreeCodeCamp! Now I’m working on a background color changer. Right now, I’m planning to switch over and study some cybersecurity. I want to review the first few chapters, make sure I’ve got the terminology down, and maybe try one of the Professor Messer quizzes.
I took a break and finally put the clothes away. I must have only done laundry once last week because it felt like I had three full loads waiting for me. Now I’m going to make myself some hot tea, study cybersecurity a little longer, and maybe watch some YouTube before Kel and Tommy get home.
