What is in your cup?

[Stitchawl]

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Good morning, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday, doing the things you wanted to do, eating all the goodies, and, gosh, even if you had to drink old Scotch, I hope you enjoyed it. Now, sitting around a playing with your new toys... I was going to wear my new gloves but they make typing difficult.

But I'm drinking a big mug of "Yorkshire" tea, have a bowl of miso soup and a plate of veggies beside it to wake me up before we begin our walks, climbs, and chores. Japan is preparing to shut down for a few days, so there are things to do before the stores close. It used to be much worse 10 years ago. EVERYTHING was closed until Jan.4th. And I mean everything! These days all the convenience stores and supermarkets stay open, and many of the shops in the malls. But at least half will close, the post office and banks shut down, etc.

People here do their New Year's Cleaning instead of Spring Cleaning, and folks will travel to the home towns for big family dinners. The government makes all Expressway toll free regardless of distance and there will be 25km traffic jams all over Japan. We'll either stay home, walk, or take the bike!

Stitchawl

[poohbear_nc]

Pretty soon - a goodly slug of Lagavulin ....

Happiest of holidays everyone!

[CRussel]

Tonight, no Lagavulin. Instead, I seared some duck breasts, served on a bed of polenta, and we opened the last bottle of the 1999 BV Georges de la Tour Private Reserve Cabernet. This California Cabernet was one of our favourites when we lived in California, but is completely unavailable here.

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

We just watched Clarance get his wings too. If you can believe it, I've never seen it before! And of course, neither had my wife. Now I understand why everyone always talks about it. Good feelings!


Stitchawl

Wikipedia says that the cutting room floor has an alternate ending where Clarence visits Old Man Potter, who has no friends, and gives him a hard time about the stolen eight thousand bucks and the old bloke dies of a heart attack.

That sounds like a fitting end for the old bastard. But the movie wouldn't have had the "feel good" ending about it.

Just polished off a mug of Dlimah tea. Back to work in the morning.

[CRussel]

Peet's Anniversary Breakfast blend.

[Stitchawl]

Morning has broken, like the first morning.
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word.

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlight from heaven.
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetnes of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning.
Born of the one light Eden saw play.
Praise with elation, praise every morning;
God's recreation of the new day.

( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3xez0rnssI )

Good morning, all! 3° outside, hot Keemun tea inside. Better than the other way around... Sunny skies, good day for fast 10km walk, then a short motorcycle ride. I have to meet my Senior Citizens class later this afternoon, so can't really go anywhere special... Just feel the urge to get my face into the wind. But at the same time, I've still got 1.5kg to lose in the next five days, so I need some time for stair climbing and other exercise. I think I need a 'Calendar Stretcher.' I wonder if they sell them in Japan? A 'Day Stretcher' wouldn't hurt either...

Stitchawl

[pholy]

Morning has broken, like the first morning.
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word.

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlight from heaven.
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetnes of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning.
Born of the one light Eden saw play.
Praise with elation, praise every morning;
God's recreation of the new day.

A fine old Gaelic tune - Bunessan - with words by Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965); it's in both my Canadian Hymnals (Presbyterian and Untied Church(sic)). The organist hated it when I gave it the Cat Stevens trills.
I wonder where CS found it. I think it's one of the few he didn't write himself, but I could be wrong.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by pholy

A fine old Gaelic tune - Bunessan - with words by Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965); it's in both my Canadian Hymnals (Presbyterian and Untied Church(sic)). The organist hated it when I gave it the Cat Stevens trills.
I wonder where CS found it. I think it's one of the few he didn't write himself, but I could be wrong.

Wow! I never knew that. I assumed that he did write it. Thanks for teaching me something new! It's a real 'feel good' song to play on the guitar!


Stitchawl

[ProfCrash]

So I have my pretty purple cast iron tea pot, the one I have been craving for many a year, at the office with me. It holds two cups of tea so it is the perfect size.

Working on my first pot of Wuyi ShanTi Kwan Yin

[Stitchawl]

Well I left my happy home to see what I could find out
I left my folk and friends with the aim to clear my mind out
Well I hit the rowdy road and many kinds I met there
Many stories told me of the way to get there

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out

Well in the end I'll know, but on the way I wonder
Through descending snow, and through the frost and thunder
Well, I listen to the wind come howl, telling me I have to hurry
I listen to the robin's song saying not to worry

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out

( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMrNVB-zx0I )

Good morning, everyone! There really is so much left to know... What did you find out this year? I found out that I REALLY like this Ahmad "English Breakfast" tea! Along side a bowl of miso soup with pumpkin and onions, a little daikon... good stuff!

Just four more days until the new year... but this morning the scale gave me the good news... 80.8kg. I'M GONNA MAKE IT!

I really believe that if you never give up you just can't lose! But I've still got .8kg to get rid of, so no slacking off... today we walk. Today we climb stairs. Today we do PT. I WILL break 80 by the new year! I WILL!

Stitchawl

[orlok]

Well done Stitchy. As good a Christmas present as anyone could wish for. I have learned that I can diet and make a lifestyle change that is sustainable, and that maybe life isn't over for me just yet .

Rooibos just finished, black coffee to follow soon.

[vivaldirules]

Yer just doin' it all wrooong, stichy. Yer supposta eat like a lazy hog over the holidays and then re-solve the problem by resolving to lose weight (somehow magically) next year. Not *finish* on the new year. Dontcha get it?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

Yer just doin' it all wrooong, stichy. Yer supposta eat like a lazy hog over the holidays and then re-solve the problem by resolving to lose weight (somehow magically) next year. Not *finish* on the new year. Dontcha get it?

Well, I thought about it. But there are no good donuts here! What am I supposed to do?


Stitchawl

[ProfCrash]

Working on pot one of Frozen Summit Oolong. Yummy.

Did I mention loving the cute, 2 cup purple cast iron tea pot I got for Christmas? So cute. Even cuter was the Hubby's pout when I told him I took it to work. I have no understanding why he was pouting, every day it will remind me of him while I drink cup after cup of warm, healthy, yumminess. And the purple is Lucas' birth stone color.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Well, I thought about it. But there are no good donuts here! What am I supposed to do?


Stitchawl

Substitute a scone. Starbucks makes a good scone. And donoughts as well actually...