Monthly Musings - Winter Fun and Valentine's Day

Patty at Good Better Best hosts this monthly sharing of tips, tricks, and conversation starters. Here are this month's questions about winter fun and Valentine's Day. 

1. Describe your winter so far in one word.

It's very tempting to say "cold" but that would be more about the past week. Let's go with . . .

EVENTFUL

2. What winter activities have you never tried but want to?

I have never tried cross-country skiing but I wish I had done that when I was younger. I'd still like to try. Growing up in Calgary, with all those ski resorts in Banff nearby, it was kind of obligatory to ski, but the couple times I tried downhill skiing, I hated it. But cross-country always seemed like something I'd enjoy.

3. Favorite winter beverage

My favorite beverage any time of year is coffee! But in winter I like a good Irish coffee, or a really creamy hot mocha. Hot cocoa is the drink of choice when coming in from the cold.

4. Least favorite winter chore

I rarely have to shovel snow myself, and generally don't mind doing it, and that's the only chore that's specific to winter I can think of at the moment. I can think of a couple chores that I especially dislike doing during the winter or that I don't mind other times of the year but are a pain in winter. First is washing dishes. I don't care for that job, and thankfully my husband usually does the washing while I dry and handle the dishwasher which I don't mind. But in winter, I especially dislike washing dishes because my hands are even more susceptible to getting chapped and itchy, even when I wear gloves. Second is taking out the trash. I usually don't mind doing this job but when there is snow or ice to deal with I am always scared that I will slip and fall while handling trash bags or bins.

5. Soup or chili? Share a recipe if you would like

Yes to both soup and chili! I love soup, and wish I had time to make it from scratch more often. I also love chili, and do make a big pot of that a couple times during the winter. The most recent soup I made was Creamy Cubano soup (recipe from Ellen at The Happy Wanderer) - we love it because it's very simple and quick to make but a hearty comfort food for cold days. I'll share my chili recipe too.

Kym's Chorizo Chili

1 lb ground chorizo sausage

1 lb ground beef

1 sweet onion, diced

2-3 red or orange bell peppers, diced

28 oz canned diced tomatoes with chilis (Rotel or similar)

dark chili powder

oregano, basil, cumin, bay leaf

14 oz can black beans

14 oz can pinto or red beans with chili sauce

14 oz can great northern (or other white) beans

Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce

Fry up the chorizo and transfer to a dutch oven or crockpot, then do the same with the ground beef (I use a slotted spoon or spatula so I can leave the drippings in the frypan). Saute the onion and peppers in the drippings, drain and transfer to crockpot. Stir in the canned tomatoes and all the seasonings. I don't measure the seasonings but I estimate at least 6 tbsp chili powder, and a couple tbsp each of the others, and 2-4 bay leaves. Stir in the beans (drain and rinse beans that aren't in chili sauce). If cooking on the stovetop, bring it to a low boil, then cover and reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45-60 minutes. If cooking in a crockpot, cook on high for 1-2 hours or on low for 4 hours. Stir and remove bay leaves before serving. Serve topped with shredded cheese and sour cream.

6. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, both or neither?

Dark chocolate for me! Milk chocolate is fine, but if I have a choice, I will always go for dark chocolate.

7. Share your galentine's or Valentine's day plans

At the moment, we haven't made any plans specific to Valentine's Day. We have a couple of dinners out and a game night with friends planned over the next couple weeks, but haven't planned as far out as Valentine's. 

8. Do you dress festive for Valentine's day?

I don't really. I guess it depends what day of the week it falls on. When I was teaching or managing the coffee shop and worked on February 14th I would try to wear something Valentines-y. I've never had much pink in my wardrobe, so a lot of times, my nod to Valentine's Day would be the jewelry.

9. Do you make any sweet treats for Valentine's day?

I don't have any cookies or other treats that I make specifically for Valentine's, but usually wind up baking brownies or something fun. Just not a recipe that is traditional for Valentine's.

10.  What is your love language?

I'm a Quality Time gal! I consider spending a day doing something fun together a good date, and spending time with family or friends is the preferred way to celebrate any special occasion. It can be just hanging out and playing games, going for a walk or hike, exploring something touristy, or even a shopping trip.

 How would you answer any of these? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm linking up with Monthly Musings hosted by Patty at Good Better Best.

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 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

 

Five MInute Friday - Cold

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

baby, it's cold outside

Shut the door not that it lets in the cold but that it lets out the coziness. ~Mark Twain

********************

I suspect that this week, the vast majority of Americans are thinking about how cold it is. Relatively speaking. Those of us in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and northeast have been experiencing temperatures well below freezing and wind chills that are in the double digit negatives. But I have friends in Florida and other parts of the south where it's not sub-zero, but it is considerably colder than what they are used to. 

There's part of me that thinks, "guys, it's winter. It is cold in winter and it snows. It literally happens every year" and that is true. But it sure doesn't stop me, or anyone else, from discussing the weather like it's so unusual, or from commentaries on just how cold it is and how miserable it is. After all, the weather is a standard topic to begin small talk conversations, and very useful for building a common ground and shared experience as a starting point with almost anyone we interact with. 

It is indeed very cold as I'm writing this, but I'm writing it from the safety and warmth of my home, where I have food and clothes and electricity. I'm not actually suffering. Few of us who complain good-naturedly about how cold it is are. For most of us it's uncomfortable and inconvenient, and prompts us to count the days until the cold snap is over or until spring arrives.*

In the cold dark days of the winter, dream about the flowers to get warmed up! ~Mehmet Murat Ildan

We know that relief from the cold is coming, because we can count on the seasons running their courses, and sometimes we even joke that it won't be long until we're complaining about how hot it is.

Thus he gives snow like wool,

scatters hoarfrost like ashes,

sends crystals of ice like crumbs of bread ―

who can withstand such cold?

Then he sends his word out and melts them;

he makes the winds blow and the water flows.

~Psalm 147:16-18~

The cold weather is a very small thing to complain about in the grand scheme of things*, but even these seemingly little things can be reminders that our inconveniences are only temporary. Spring and summer are coming, and hopefully we'll appreciate the sunshine and flowers even more after an especially cold winter. Believe it or not, even our big troubles will someday seem trivial in light of eternity. Just as we tell ourselves spring is just around the corner as we scrape our windshields and shovel our walks, let us encourage each other that heaven is our home when we go through times of pain and grief here on earth.

For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

~II Corinthians 4:17-18~

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~John Steinbeck

*this is not intended to trivialize suffering in any way, or to imply that extreme temperatures don't have horrible consequences to those who do not have adequate shelter

********************

This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Cold"

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 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. 

Everyday Images #80

Welcome to my ongoing challenge and reminder to myself to take photos somewhat regularly. I'm not a photographer, but I enjoy taking everyday photos of things I find interesting or want to remember later, and I'm more likely to notice interesting things when I'm intentionally watching for them. Having some prompts that are open to interpretation has helped me pay a little more attention to what's around me. Here's how it works: Every two weeks I have a few words and phrases to focus on, and I try to find opportunities to take pictures of these things each week. The link-up post will be here every other Thursday, sharing my photos and offering a link-up for participants to share theirs. Right below the link-up is where you'll find the next set of prompts. 

January Prompts - Everyday Images #80

~~~~~

out for a walk (quarterly)

logo

at home (monthly)

inside and/or outside

good food

curlicues

texture

~~~~~

out for a walk (quarterly) - Okay, I had no idea that this would happen during a week Winter Storm Fern hit us. We did go out for a walk though.

logo

at home (monthly) - the dining room table was pressed into service as a puzzle table over the past couple of weeks.

inside and/or outside - views of the snowfall

good food

curlicues - this was harder than I expected! Turns out I have almost nothing with curlicues on it in my house. I finally noticed that my socks might qualify.

texture - I think these kinds of blankets are called jacquard. They are the softest and coziest in my opinion.

 And a few bonus photos:

Another hockey game, the last one we had tickets for until after the Olympic break.

Do you see faces on inanimate objects like cars? I do. And the day I made mac and cheese for my granddaughter, I couldn't resist getting a picture of the face that appeared in the saucepan.

A wintry Ohio sunset:

And on Sunday, the snow arrived. We went for a walk in the late afternoon, when the snow was letting up a bit and before the temperature really plunged.

clearing the sidewalk with a hockey stick
because we don't have a shovel

Goofy selfies at the end of the walk:

Come in and get warm! Perfect day for hot cocoa.

The outside temperature was MINUS TWO degrees when I left for work yesterday!

These are good days for staying home and enjoying a hot cup of coffee and a good book.

I am sharing my photos every other Thursday, along with my prompts for the next two weeks. You can use all or some of the prompts for your own photo posts, or none of the prompts and just link up a post featuring your photos. Simple rules: Your posts must be family-friendly; the photos must be your own; and the post must be mostly photos. If you do share I'd appreciate a mention and link to A Fresh Cup of Coffee on your post.

The Everyday Images link-up is posted every other Thursday, and is open for two weeks.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

January/February Prompts - Everyday Images #81

~~~~~

pink

middle

at work

shadow

weathered

current project (quarterly)

sweet

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©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

 This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Speaking of the Weather . . .

A hodgepodge is a jumble or assortment of things that might not appear to belong together. Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly link-up called Wednesday Hodgepodge that is a little collection of questions for bloggers to answer just for fun and to get to know each other. I always look forward to chatting with friends over coffee, so pour a cup of your favorite and let's visit for a few minutes!

Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1.  I live in the south so we're pretty much only talking about the weather right now. Give us a weather report from where you live. Does the kind of weather you're having today affect your mood in some way?

 

It's cold. Very cold. We got about a foot of snow on the weekend, so pretty much everything was closed on Sunday and Monday, and we had a Level 3 Snow Emergency in the county. That means no one allowed on the roads except emergency and first responder personnel. I think the road crews did a great job getting everything cleared, and we also were lucky that we never lost power in our area. Does it affect my mood? I don't feel like snow and cold affect my mood nearly as much as gloomy, rainy weather does. I think the snow is pretty and and if it's clear like today (writing this on Tuesday night) I find the brightness cheerful. The cold, though . . . it's cold enough to make me achy. Having to drive on roads that might be slick or slushy makes me tense physically and mentally, and I also am unreasonably fearful of slipping and falling with the footing is uncertain. I think it balances out though, because I don't have to work outside so generally I only need to be out in the cold for as long as I want to be, so my mood is still pretty easygoing.

 

Some goofy selfies while we were out for a Sunday walk in the snow:

2. Avocados, kale, cauliflower and cottage cheese have all had their time to shine. 2026 brings us the year of the cabbage. Is this a vegetable you like? If so, what are some of your favorite dishes that call for cabbage?

Ugh, I hate cabbage. I can barely tolerate the little strips of purple cabbage in some mixed green salads. Once, several years ago, my husband talked me into trying a recipe he'd found for smoked cabbage. Basically, you cut out sort of a crater in a head of cabbage and fill it with some combination of onions and barbecue sauce and then smoke it. I tried it but couldn't choke down more than a couple of nibbles. On another occasion my husband decided he was doing some cabbage soup diet. Well, I also needed to lose some weight, and I do like almost all soups, and will enjoy vegetables IN soup that I wouldn't like otherwise. And there were other things in this soup, it wasn't ONLY cabbage. So okay, we made a big pot of this soup and day one of the diet, that's all you get to eat is the soup. It was gross. I did not like it one bit. But I thought, I can do anything for a week. I'll manage. Day two my husband came home from work and we were supposed to eat the soup for dinner, and I fell apart. I did a full hysterical ugly cry in the kitchen because I hated that soup so much and I couldn't bring myself to eat one more bite. And my sweet hubby held me while I cried and told me I didn't have to eat any more soup. It's funny now, but I was a hot mess at the time.

So all that to say . . I hate cabbage and can't think of any dish I like that has cabbage in it. Sorry for the rant! 

3. Was a Cabbage Patch Doll a part of your childhood? Or maybe your children's childhood? What's a toy trend from your childhood you remember wanting for your own?

 I was in high school when Cabbage Patch Kids were popular, so no it wasn't part of my childhood or my kids'. There were a lot of games that were popular that I remember wanting, and I wanted Barbie dolls in general. The only other toy I remember wanting so much was the Crissy doll. Do you remember her? She was larger than a Barbie, and the gimmick was that her hair "grew". I never did own a Crissy doll. 

4. Something you've spent a lot of time doing lately?

 Over the last few days stuck at home I've spent quite a bit of time cleaning up and purging all the paper and files and stuff in and around my desk. I hadn't been keeping it tidy for a long time, and kept putting things on a pile to "sort out later" and it was embarrassing. At the time of writing, it's pretty much all cleaned up and properly filed - and only what is necessary to keep. I had to order some hanging folders and once I have those, I think the job will be done.

Being stuck at home and inside more the last few days means I've also spent more time baking, and that's definitely a more fun thing! I've baked a couple loaves of bread and some sweets, and I have bread dough mixed up ready to bake again tonight.

 

5.  Somehow it's the last week of January . . . sum up your month in just three sentences.

 I can't believe the month is over already! The first month of 2026 was mostly positive and got the year off to a productive and hopeful start, and I hope that momentum continues. I'm glad for the things I did get done and progress made, but there's still a lot on my to-do list.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I shared this little story on my FB page and it got some good laughs, so I hope you'll enjoy it too. On Sunday night I prepped everything for a workday morning like I usually do, including setting the coffeemaker to come on automatically. I knew we wouldn't be leaving for work at our usual time, but I assumed we'd get up at the same time. Monday morning rolls around and I woke up about two hours later than the usual time! I groggily reached for my phone, squinted at the time, and the very first words I said were: "Oh no!! The coffee will be cold!"  My husband didn't even miss a beat. He responded in a very matter-of-fact voice, "You have a drinking problem." 

Coffee does tend to be my motivation to get moving in the mornings! I don't think I mentioned that in my contribution for the current Wednesday Quotes link-up: WQ - What's My Motivation? Stop by and share a few thoughts and quotes! The next Everyday Images photo link-up will be up tomorrow and I hope you'll join in there as well!

What's the weather like where you are? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm sharing in this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email. 

 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

 This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.