Monday Musings: Almost-Christmas Edition!

Highlight of the week: Our new laptop arrived on Tuesday and it was very much needed. It was taking me 2 hours to put together blog posts that should take 45 minutes. So yay for that! Also, the package from my Broke and Bookish Secret Santa arrived and I had so much fun opening it. I love everything that Jennifer (of The Leaning Stack of Books) sent and I can't wait to participate again next year! (Post to come on my awesome box of goodies!) And, since we've been having an unseasonably mild December in Ohio, I brought some snow to my blog, which I thought was pretty damn awesome, not to mention sorta mesmerizing. (Pats self on back.)

Reading: I've read quite a bit this week! Right now I'm on volume 3 of the "Saga" graphic novel series (so good!) and I just started "This is Your Life, Harriet Chance" by Jonathan Evison. The main reason I picked it up is because it involves an Alaskan cruise -- one of my bucket list items -- but I'm really enjoying the story so far.

I finished "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates (not even going to attempt to review this book about the idea of race and being black in America today; I'm still figuring out what I thought about it -- but you should read it), "The Mistletoe Inn" by Richard Paul Evans (meh -- review) and "Still Life," by Louise Penny, book one in the Inspector Gamache mystery series (good!).

Knitting: I finished the hat for my Broke and Bookish Secret Santa partner last Sunday and haven't picked up a needle since! (Gasp!) But a friend just asked me to knit one of those nifty mermaid tail blankets for her toddler, so I'll get started on that this week.

Listening to: I've had the new Adele CD on repeat in my car. I think my favorite song on it, other than the ubiquitous "Hello," is "River Lea," followed by "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)." I've also been listening to a lot of Twenty One Pilots and Oh Wonder. And Christmas music (below is my fave holiday song).

Watching: Friday night we watched "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials." I don't fully remember what happened in the book, but I thought the movie was just ok. Glad we didn't go see it at theater.

Eating: Coconut Cloud cookies. I've made a lot of stuff to take into work the past two years and everything has been pretty tasty, but these coconut cookies were by far the best-liked. I got tons of positive comments on them, and I actually made a second batch yesterday because Jarrod and I wanted more of them! Here's the recipe. It says it makes 67, but that's nuts -- I only got 3 dozen. And you REALLY don't need two cups of toasted coconut for topping. One cup is plenty. (P.S. There's a photo on my Instagram if you want to see how mine came out. Just click the changing picture box in the upper left corner of the blog!)

Looking forward to: Well, Christmas, of course! We're going to Indiana to hang out with my Grandma, uncle, aunt and cousins. And Jarrod and I still need to watch "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," my favorite movie. Maybe we'll save it for Christmas Eve. Also, I only work two days next week, so that's a plus!

*Merry Christmas, friends!*