COZY COMFORT FAVES

FRIDAY FAVE FIVES time!!  Huge thanks go out to Susanne for hosting this each week.  

This is a time where we reflect back on the week and find 5 things that made it special....little or big, they are all blessings from the Lord!

My revolve around COZY COMFORT!  I am typing this on Thursday evening before my small group ladies arrive.  It is snowing. Yes. Here in the Capital Region of New York State the white stuff is coming down. It was raining all day until about 2 pm when the students looked out the window and shouted "SNOW". I told them I don't like the "S" word! It wasn't sticking.....it was more like wet, rainy snow.  Around 4 pm it started sticking a little bit to the yard.....a little pretty but much too early.  All week the temps have dropped into the 50s and the last 2 days into the 40s.  It has been a week of getting cozy to chase away the cold.

MY FIVE FAVES

Amish buggy in farmland

AMISH CULTURE  On Saturday, Claire and I visited one of my sister's for the afternoon.  We ate at a nice deli/country store in a small town (Salisbury Center) in Central NY.  The food was excellent!  It was a cold, damp, rainy day but that popcorn chicken wrap I ate was true comfort!  Claire enjoyed a burger and fries and ate every morsel.  We then shopped for some Xmas gifts at a little Amish store that seems to be the best kept secret of that county!  We were the only customers and since the woman running it is Amish, there was no heat!  My town was about 54 degrees with some sun peeking through on Saturday when I left my house.  When I got to my sister's about 1 1/2  hrs later, the temp there was 45 and it was drizzly.  After shopping at 2 places, we  headed back to Hope's house for the comforts of Maple Creme Cookies and Hot Coffee!  Claire had hot chocolate.  A fun, cozy day is always a fave......

HOMEMADE CHICKEN AND BARLEY VEGGIE SOUP!  Claire and I returned home around 7 pm last Saturday from our day out in Central NY, and thankfully, I had a steaming hot chicken soup in the crockpot waiting for us!  We each had 2 bowls of this true comfort food.....mmm....hot homemade soup on a chilly evening is always a fave.

  COMFY QUILTS!  On Saturday evening, Claire wanted to just curl up under quilts with me on the couch (Dave was away all weekend so it was just mom-daughter time!) and watch an episode of our fave crime show (NCIS) and then read our books.  We ended up watching a show, then reading for about 30 minutes, then another episode, followed by reading in bed.  She loves it when Dave is away on the weekend, because she still likes to sleep on his side of the bed curled up under the fleece blanket and heavy quilt.  So comforting and always a fave.....

BLACKBERRY VANILLA SHOWER GEL!  This shower gel by Avon is my new fave for the winter.  It's by Avon and wow.....it is amazingly comforting!!  It is a thicker gel than most of their scents, and it makes my skin feel so smooth.  The scent is amazing.....it really helps me to wake up on these cold, dark mornings......a nice fragrant shower gel is always a fave!

CHRISTMAS COFFEE WITH CLOVES!  This coffee (by Fresh Market) is one of my absolute faves.  Because I lead my small group on Thursday nites, and because it was snowing a bit before group started, I decided to serve the Xmas blend coffee I have.  This is decaf but the best decaf I've ever tasted.  (normally, the decaf coffees make me sick but not Fresh Market brand!).  This coffee was perfect for the weather and as the beverage choice for our dessert night!  Almost every friend brought over a dessert having to do with autumn.  We had pumpkin bread (compliments of Hope M), chocolate-maple bars (thanks to Carla), Apple Pie (yeah for Monica) and Maple Creme cookies that I had purchased at one of the Amish stores.  It was so much fun sampling the desserts and discussing our study.  Everyone stayed a little longer for prayer and fellowship....always a fave with me!

Work was pretty good too....as good as it can be with 1st and 2nd grade special needs students.......in fact, one boy actually inspired me to write a devo post which I will post sometime early next week!  

For now...have a cozy weekend!!