Hope everyone is having a nice holiday break. I just wrapped up this year’s birthday list, a few days before #47 begins. Allen and I were in Concord yesterday, so we stopped by Verrill Farm.
The farm has been in existence for more than 100 years. Amazing. The farm stand was delightful. The produce was beautiful. We ogled at artisan cheeses and marinated meat and ready-made meals. We bought a frozen chicken pot pie and some chicken stroganoff. After we finished shopping, we bought sandwiches at the deli counter and ate in an enclosed greenhouse with a view of majestic Christmas trees on offer. The scent of the trees mingled with the scent of chainsaw gasoline made my heart swell two sizes too big.
And the bakery. I worked in a Wegmans bakery as a teen and also have a sweet tooth, so I swoon over baked goods. There were cakes, cupcakes, pies, cookies, brownies, AND five or six different types of scones. I really wanted to buy one of each scone, but I settled on two: mocha and white chocolate raspberry. We also bought a peanut butter cookie to split.
After we finished lunch, we perused the Christmas trees to see if there were any of small stature for our small apartment. We found a perfect one that was a lot cheaper than the one we bought in the city last year. I’m usually not one to buy a tree on Thanksgiving weekend, but when in Rome…
I’ve found it really hard to feel grateful over the past 18 months. Really hard. For multiple reasons. It’s hard to feel grateful when your friend has died of COVID and you’re grieving, and you are all too aware that millions of other people who’ve lost loved ones to COVID are also grieving. But my early New Year’s resolution is to work on recovering some gratitude.
The pandemic is not over yet, so I hope you stay safe during the holiday season. Get vaccinated, get a booster. My new birthday list starts on December 1, and I welcome any ideas!
fancenance.com 
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