Monthly Musings, January 2026

Happy Thursday, friends! I'm joining in today for the Monthly Musings blog post with Patty. I'll jump right in! 

1. Describe your winter so far in one word. Long. 

2. What winter activities have you never tried but want to? I would love to try going down a snowy mountain in an innertube! 

My sister Debi did this last year with some family who came to visit them in Colorado. I would love to give this a whirl someday! I will say that I got on a four wheeler this week for the first time in 35 years. It was so much fun! 

3. Favorite winter beverage? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Iced coffee? All of the above. 

4. Least favorite winter chore? I don't necessarily have "winter" chores. I will say that I shoveled in front of my garage for a solid hour on Sunday. I had a mountain of snow outside the garage, and I was trying to make it flat enough to be able to drive out easily.

5. Soup or chili? Share a recipe if you'd like. I am team soup all the way! 

My favorite soup is chicken tortilla. Here's an old blog post where I shared the recipe. (This post dates back to 2011; I've been blogging for twenty years!) The other soups pictured are taco soup, potato soup, and clam chowder. I love them all! 

6. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate...both or neither? I love milk chocolate the most, but I don't discriminate, either. 

Of these pictures above, my favorites are the frozen yogurt and that cookie you see from Chick Fil A.

7. Share your Galentine's or Valentine's day plans. I have both! For Galentine's me and Kendra are going over to Marilyn's house for dinner, dancing, and a craft we've been talking about. I'm excited! For Valentine's day, I'll be with Chris, but I don't know what we're doing yet. 

8. Do you dress festive for Valentine's day? Is the air breathable? Is January long? Does my hair always look like a rat's nest? (The answer to all of these is yes.) I love to dress up for a theme! Here are a few samples. 

I love to wear pink and red any day of the year!

9. Do you make any sweet treats for Valentine's day? I don't now, but I used to when my sons were little! I used to have a "we love our kids" night each year on that day. I'd make their favorite meal, and then I'd make little individual mini molten lava cakes.

10. What is your love language? My love language is physical touch and quality time. They're equally tied for first place. Chris is great at both of these! I also love others in the way I need to be loved.