It’s time once again for some Friday fill-in fun, the perfect way to wrap up the week and kick off the weekend! 

From Ann of McGuffy’s Reader:

“The Friendly Fill-Ins are four fun and easy statements to complete. Ellen of 15andmeowing provides the first two statements and the final two are offered by myself. We try to make sure they will be fun to both answer and share. On Friday, the linky will be posted at or about 12:00 AM. Please come back, link up, and share your thoughts!”

And away we go! Here are this week’s statements with my fill-ins:

  1. My favorite herb or spice is… Ginger!

    gingerI didn’t love it until I started using fresh ginger, and realized it’s way better than powdered ginger. I know, right? So now if it works in a dish I’m whipping up, I use it as much as possible!

  2. An herb or spice I dislike is… Star Anise:

    StarAniseIt’s a pretty herb, but anything that tastes or smells like black licorice is on my “nothankyouverymuch” list. I’m just not a fan – of anything that tastes like black licorice, so Star Anise is not going to be added to any dish by me.

  3. Lately, I have been working on… Unpacking! The stacks’o’boxes are getting smaller, though, so there’s definitely progress being made. Moving sucks as a general rule, but at least unpacking is more fun than packing, though it does go slower, as I’m deciding where to logically put everything.


    The cats sure have been having fun with the boxes, though… In this picture, Shorty was battling with our puppy Reddington and kept trying to disappear inside this box:
    ShortyBoxesNo luck, though – but she did relocate to one of the highest boxes and snuggled with her sister, Nautica.

  4. This Winter was… Very cold compared to previous years! And it’s fairly rare for us to get snow here in the Pacific Northwest, so when it does snow, we relish the opportunity to enjoy it, because it makes the gray dreariness look so much better as we anxiously await the arrival of spring. SnowySunday3

Now it’s time to Celebrate the Small Things! I’m joining in this fun blog hop to join some awesome bloggy friends and meet new ones – click on the badge for more information and if you’d like to play along, too!

Celebrate blog hop

This week (and probably this entire year) I’m celebrating our new house. For those just joining in, you can check out the house tour here if you’re interested. The picture below are deceiving, as they make the house look smaller than it actually is.

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I absolutely love this house, and look forward to having everything unpacked and ready for its close-up in the coming weeks. God really blessed us with this gem! And I’m extra excited I’ll have a dedicated Craft Room and dedicated Winemaking Room – something I’ve wanted for years! Stay tuned for all the fun projects that will be happening around here!

That’s a wrap! Hope you join in the fun! Check out the other Friendly Fill-Ins participants and join in if you feel the urge for some fun!

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Fridays are more fun with these blog hops:

Follow Who? Social Weekend HopCelebrate blog hop

 

24 Comments

  1. It’s a real gem of a house. You’ll have a wine making room? I think you should invite me for a visit. LOL Enjoy!

    1. Thank you very much, Marilyn! Yes indeed – I’ll have a wine making room! AND a bonafide guest room with private bath – so you’re welcome to visit anytime… 😉

  2. Star Anise… nope! Fresh ginger might be worth a try again, I mean you never know! You have a kitty… yay! I can relate to you packing and unpacking. Before CH retired from the military, we did a lot of moving. The house is darling… it is one of those houses that when CH and I are out and about and I see a house I like I tell him, “I could be happy there”… he just smiles. Well, you aren’t close enough to Missouri to share Nisu but I enjoyed my visit here and I will be back to visit again!

    1. Star Anise will be a ‘no’ from me every time – no matter how pretty it is. Fresh ginger is absolutely worth a try again – take it from someone who avoided ginger all the time before being introduced to fresh. 🙂 Yes indeed I have a kitty! In fact, I have four! 🙂 That’s funny – that’s the same thing I said to my hubby whenever we’d drive by a place like this…so it’s extra cool that now we’re living in one! And the “I could be happy there” is now “I AM happy HERE!” 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by – you’re welcome anytime! 🙂

  3. Your house is beautiful! I too hate moving but have done it a lot. I become so obsessed with getting everything unpacked in a hurry that I don’t always find the best spot for stuff. Someone once said that where you put something in the beginning, even if not the best place, usually just continues to be the spot for said item. In my experience, that is so true. It’s better to take your time. It sounds like your pets are having fun. 🙂

    Ginger is a great spice! I don’t think I’ve ever used Star Anise but I’m definitely not a fan of black licorice.

    Good luck with your house preparations!

  4. What a stack of boxes! Unfortunately, Shorty will have to come down sometime, and puppies are incorrigible. I hate black licorice, too. They make anise into tea here and my hubs loves it. Sorry your winter’s been harsh. Great pic though! I took your house tour. Absolutely awesome!! I love every bit, especially the kitchen and bathroom. And that deck is enormous with a great view too. Huge congrats!

  5. What a stack of boxes! Unfortunately, Shorty will have to come down sometime, and puppies are incorrigible. I hate black licorice too. Here they make it into anise tea ans the hubs loves it. Ugh. Sorry you had a harsh winter, but the pic is great! I took the house tour and it’s awesome! I especially like the kitchen and bathroom. That deck is enormous! What a great house! Welcome to Celebrate & have a great weekend!
    (sorry if this posted twice)

  6. Shorty’s cute, assuming she’s the kitty in the picture.

    Never seen star anise before, but I like licorice, so I’d probably like it. I also like ginger… lots of time at sushi restaurants taught me that. It destroys the flavor of the wasabi… they rarely use real wasabi at restaurants, usually mixing hot mustard, horseradish, and green food coloring and calling it wasabi.

  7. I love ginger…and anise, too. Yum! I had to laugh at Shorty in the box; you have a very cute “helper”. It will so wonderful when you get all settled in. We continue to search for the right place UP North. This will be “it”. Good to see you here! Have a great weekend! Hugs.

  8. Thank you for participating in the fill-ins, great answers. I have never had star anise, but I dislike fennel because it tastes like licorice so I am guessing I wouldn’t like it either. I am glad you will finally have your wine room and crafting room. Have a nice weekend!

  9. I don’t like licorice of any kind. ICKY! But that star anise is really pretty.

    I love the pic of the kitty on the box. Our Angel Xerxes loved boxes, too.

    Your house is wonderful! I hope that you have many, many happy years there. 🙂

    Have a great weekend.

  10. It looks like the comment chompers got the comment that I left earlier, so I’ll try again. 🙂

    Your house is great!
    The kitty on the box pic is cute. Our Angel Xerxes loved boxes, too.
    The star anise is very pretty, but I don’t like anything about licorice at all. ICKY!

    Have a blessed weekend!

  11. I agree that’s one awesome house. I am very fond of ginger, grated and whole ginger, but you’re right grated fresh is best, especially in stir fry veges with a little meat. Anise is new to me. I’ve tried it once and I think the licorice flavor is an acquired taste, or maybe it’s just that I prefer my licorice in ropes and twisted. Have a nice weekend!

  12. Stacy, DD #2 likes fresh ginger. She makes a tea out of it and keeps encouraging us to try it. I’m going to have to break down and give it a go. I like ginger, so that’s a no-brainer but the long cooking process doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t like licorice, either! Oh, if I were in a new home I’d totally be celebrating for a whole year or longer. Hopefully, we can begin looking at some houses soon. Starting Monday DH will be a full-time employee. Yippee! 🙂 Have a good weekend, dear friend!

  13. I love ginger too!! I was just at a cafe the other day and they had this delicious creamy vegetable soup that was seasoned with ginger. So yummy!! Yeah, black licorice… it’s not horrible to me, but usually it’s a pass.

  14. LOVE your blog and your house. Will be looking forward to seeing inside on the tour.

    That is a gorgeous photo of anise…I never knew what it looked like. No wonder it smells so good…it comes from a beautiful plant. Thanks for sharing.

    I have never used ginger…I need to check it out.

    Thank you so much for coming by my blog. ENJOY the rest of your day.

    Elizabeth
    Silver’s Reviews
    My Friendly Fill-Ins

  15. LOVE your blog and your house. Will be looking forward to seeing inside on the tour.

    That is a gorgeous photo of anise…I never knew what it looked like. No wonder it smells so good…it comes from a beautiful plant. Thanks for sharing.

    I have never used ginger…I need to check it out.

    Thank you so much for coming by my blog. ENJOY the rest of your day.

    Elizabeth
    Silver’s Reviews

  16. Oh yes – packing and then unpacking boxes – we’ve been moved 2 years now and I still can’t find things!! Love your cat in the box – mine also enjoy getting into them and a lot more besides 🙂 Welcome to the Celebrate blog roll – I love crafts so will be looking forward to seeing pics of your craft room materializing!
    Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace

  17. Your house looks amazing and I wish you many happy years in it. My other half hankers after a wine room, too. One day…

  18. Congratulations on the new house! It’s gorgeous! Shorty is adorable. It I could, I’d get myself a cat, but dealing with my Lhasa Apso Sophie is about all I can handle. I have to enjoy my friend’s cat, Luna.

    I love fresh ginger, and although the star anise is pretty, I can’t stand black licorice. Good luck with getting everything in order. If I ever make it to the Pacific Northwest, we’ll have to meet up! Hugs. Eva

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