Thursday, December 10, 2009

Friday Fave Five

Welcome to Friday Fave Five!

It's time to check in with Susanne and share our favorite events of the week.
1. Back to back rainstorms. It is raining as I type. We really need the rain, and I do love the sound of the splattering drops on the cottage roof and gushing water overflowing the flooded gutters, although I don't love going out in it.

2. The rainstorms and colder temperatures provide an opportunity to wear warm sweaters. Southern California weather does not usually get cold enough to allow me to pull out my wool sweaters. I'm taking advantage of the dip into 30s and 40s to snuggle up in cold weather wool scarves and pullovers.

3. Christmas Goodies. Wow! From the looks of my crowded kitchen counters, I am not going to need to bake anything. My students (and their mothers) did my baking for me. And it's all yummy!

4. Because I sometimes work as a private tutor, my schedule has to be flexible to accomodate student needs. One student I've worked with for more than a year has had a hit and miss (mostly miss) tutoring schedule this fall. Today I finally had a very successful hour of helping with homework! I invest a lot in my students and when things are going well, it makes my day.

5. This past week, the last full week of work before the Christmas break, I've been thankful for quiet evenings spent at home with The Professor. We've shared mugs of nutmeg sprinkled eggnog as we sat and read or watched a movie. My knitting has given a calming constancy and rhythm to those few hours of relaxation.

It has been 'one of those weeks', and I realized this afternoon that I have hardly taken a single photo all week. Note to self: Find a remedy for that picture-less blog post syndrome. Take photos!

So, here is a random photo of what is blooming in my garden right now.
Variegated Camellia

To share in FFF by either posting your own or reading what other people have written, go to Living To Tell the Story. And check out the pictures of SNOW on her deck!

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your number 5 sounds wonderful. :) Rain Rain go Away LOL. What a great week you had. Have a wonderful Friday :)

Anonymous said...

Lovely quiet evenings - one of the benefits of this period of our lives, isn't it?
Mary P

Jientje said...

I often wondered about that. How you love to knit, but warm sweaters and Southern california sunshine do not go well real well, don't they? At least you get to wear some of them now. That Camilia looks so beautiful. I'm anxiously awaiting the blooms on mine. For now, they're only buttons.

Caroline said...

I agree with you about the rain. It so cozy to just sit inside and listen to it coming down...It's also fun to know that it won't keep coming down for weeks at a time as it does in so many other places.

roxie said...

I'm sure you've heard that here in Portland we just had three days in a row that did not make it UP to freezing. You know how our freezes work. Britgh days and cloudless nights with that bitter East wind, then a warm wet front moves up from you folks in the south, and the rain, falling through frigid air and hitting frozen ground winds up coating the world with ice. Glad I don't have to go to work till Monday when it should be thawed.

Enjoy that happy warm wetness and those cozy warm sweaters!

ellen b said...

Yippee you get to wear sweaters and scarves and hear the pitter patter of rain. No crowded counters here...
I'm thinking about baking next week :0)
Glad you can look forward to some time off. Your Camellia's are very pretty.
Blessings...

nikkipolani said...

Sounds like plenty of lovely Christmasy coziness around your place, Willow. I esp like that quiet evening feature. Where can I get some of that?

Jerralea said...

I love quiet evenings!

Glad you are getting some use out of your sweaters right now. It's cold in my neck of the woods, too, so I am using lots of candles and fleece throws ...

Tracy said...

We have had a lot of rain, cold and gray all autumn... It's very much a good time for knitting! :o) Glad you had such a good week, Willow... And those camellias are stunning...that pink! Happy Weekend, my friend ((HUGS))

Melli said...

WOW! All that's blooming in MY neck of the woods is twigs and dead leaves! I need to start to my holiday baking. I need to finish my holiday shopping. UGH! Well... today I will start my holiday wrapping! And I've got a pot of potato soup going right now - so dinner is cared for!

I'm glad your getting the rain you need! And getting to wear warm wooly sweaters really must be SUCH a treat in your area! Enjoy them! It's always a pleasure to visit Willow's Cottage!

Unknown said...

Wow way to turn rainy, gloomy weather into something positive....warm and cozy sweaters.
As a teacher, I am glad to hear about your student that you got to spend a good hour with. :) I know that means a lot to us teachers. Enjoy those yummy baked goods!

TXDidi said...

Oh boy, those quiet evenings at home sound wonderful. This has been a week of three holiday parties for us and I'm so ready to just snuggle down and (well, NOT chill) warm up with tea and a good book. The flowers look wonderful. It's all gray here.

Barbara H. said...

I almost put on my Fave Five the end of several rainy days! Even with no rain and the sun out, the yard drained into the driveway for days and there were mushy spots in the yard.

How neat to receive Christmas goodies from others! And I'm glad for the solid tutoring time with that one student.

Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog: said...

I'm with you - this is a great chance to wear our woolens!!! Such a treat to have cold rainy weather :)

My mother volunteered for years at an elementary school teaching English to Spanish speaking children who were a little slower catching on to English. She became so fond of the children and it was very rewarding for her.

Enjoy all of your goodies - with a nice cup of tea!

Lisa notes... said...

How nice to have Christmas goodies without having to bake them yourself. I'm sure you've earned them though! Good for you in caring so much about your students!

Your camellia is absolutely gorgeous.

Dorothy said...

Those camellias are gorgeous, Willow!

But wool sweaters for 30's and 40's? Never! That sounds like spring to me..hehe.

Hazel said...

Your quiet evenings with The Professor 'sound' picture-perfect. Yay for no. 4. I so relate with it. Have a happy weekend.

Brenda said...

I love the rainy weather as well. As long as I don't have to drive in it. Quiet evenings are so much nicer in the rain. Add to that steaming cups of eggnog and it just sounds perfect!

Faith said...

wonderful list. i like your comments about your students....i so enjoy working with my little ones...i see some progress and some not so good behaviors but...i find it an honor to try and represent Christ in my classroom....blessings to you and yours this holiday season!

Susanne said...

It amazes me that you talk of things blooming in your garden in December.

So glad you are receiving some good rain. It's always scary when things get so dry.

Quiet evenings with eggnog and movies sounds perfect. Especially with baking I didn't do myself. :v)

Elizabeth said...

Such camellias
all cold cold cold here.
Yes, the ornaments and the cookies.
Christmas is upon us.
You get to wear one sweater -- we wear several!
Much love from New York!

snoopydogknits said...

Sounds like a lovely week! Such a beautiful Camellia too. Enjoy the snuggliness of your woolly sweaters. We need them all the time at the moment, here in the UK. I have one more full week of school before the holidays. It's all Christmas now though. We've had reindeer visiting and Santa and concerts etc.Enjoy the weekend.ROS

Kari said...

I really enjoyed reading your list.
Helping students and quiet evenings made me smile. And enjoy your baked goodies.

Amber said...

Those flowers are BEAUTIFUL!!!

Thanks for visiting my blog!
Amber

Karyn said...

Flowers blooming in your yard, snow piling up in mine (and Susanne's). Quite a contrast.

Sounds like you had a lovely week - made me feel warm and cozy to read your descriptions.

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Your week sounds perfect!!! And I love your beautiful photo of the Camellias!!! I wish I could borrow a little of your California Christmas!! Sigh...simply lovely! ~Janine XO

Flower said...

What a nice week you had..! Off to the Lucia party.

sandy said...

Hi Willow, thanks for stopping in and dropping a hello at my blog.

I see you have four children, I do too. I have five going on seven grandchildren come this spring. I live in the Inland Empire in the foothills below Mt. Baldy.

I see you are in Camarillo. I love the coast and often travel up to see my sis in Arroyo Grande.

Nice meeting you.

Marg said...

You did it again...that flower is like Thom's sunset photo...
I love it that you had some quiet evenings. I finally have some wool in my hands again, learning to knit with circular needles...Fun and soothing when you add a bit of mulled wine.

Unknown said...

Wonderful fav 5 Kak Willow..especially..all those overflow of food in one's table :)

Bumpkin Hill said...

We too have had rain non stop for about a month. But now the temps have dropped and we had our first pretty, but oh so chilly frost today! Love your camelia flowering. Happy Christmas preperations, Catherine x

Knitting Linguist said...

I recognize that last-week-before-the-holidays craziness. I'm so happy to hear about your student -- that's such a reward. And your quiet evenings are a well-deserved, and wise, break from the chaos.