SNOW Yet AGAIN!!!!

After a day and a half of gorgeous sunshine, albeit subzero temperatures, I looked up to that the distant fields and hills were obscured once more by heavily falling snow, accumulating fast once more. I retreated to my bed--this cold being worse--my having gone outdoors to enjoy the sparkling wonderland of our yard yesterday. Hot tea, several episodes of Lark Rising to Candleford and continuing snowfall outside the bedroom window. As darkness fell I could see the lights of slowly crawling cars on the road across the fields. Even the plows, which came several times, moved with snail's pace. Eventually, I heard icy tappings on the darkened windows and knew that the soft snow had turned into a wintry dangerous mix. At 9 pm all signs of vehicles had ceased and the snow had stopped. Now I await my husband's return from work--nervous and dry mouthed.

Winter's Artistry

Is there anything more beautiful than the early morning shadows cast by the trees over undulating fields of snow under a cloudless azure sky? What at first appears to be a monochromatic world --shades of white and black--upon further examination proves to be much more. The yellow tinge of the butternut bark and buds, the red of Indian corn, the browns of the last clinging oak leaves, the burgundy of the apple tree and maple buds and the blues and purples of the shadows cast by those trees all celebrate the palette that Mother Nature uses even in -22 F weather to please the eyes and souls of the storm weary housebound. It inspires one to dress and go out, camera in hand, to explore the rest of the Winter Wonderland before the next onslaught again forces one indoors.

Sick Day !

When I was teaching we had 10 sick days a year, cumulative to 180. I never managed to accumulate that many but wasn't often out sick, either. If I were teaching now, this would be one of my 10 for 2011. Stuffy nose, sore throat, fever and generally crappy feeling. Some days drinking tea, reading a mindless book and sleeping whenever you doze off is the only way to go. I want some ice cream she simpered wearily. There goes my diet!

Goodbye Tannenbaum--Hello Blizzard

Froggie sat on the porch as the snow came down all night and all day and on into tonight. So far we have about 24 inches and the driveway has been plowed once. The house is warm, since there is no real wind and the temperature has been well above zero--having reached about 15 F at 4 pm.

I am NOT Sally Forth--I am her husband and daughter! I'd leave the tree up til April if I could!

My husband and daughter are the ones who would take it down by the Epiphany.

But since the storm was raging today and we couldn't go anywhere and the tree really was getting very dry--it seemed a good time to put the ornaments in their little boxes and the little boxes in the bigger boxes and the bigger boxes into storage until next December. The room looks naked, and dark and the tree looks so forlorn in the snow but little creatures will use it for shelter now--so it has been repurposed! LOL

Before and After

Snowing really hard today, February 1st, soft fine snow but the kind that accumulates fast and is slick on the roads. Cancelled eye doctor appt and shopping plans. So the nicely written list already had to have adjustments made. Decided the counter was just too much of a mess--I don't know how these things multiply so fast---so, not wanting to read or watch TV etc, I decided I might as well get a start on organizing the house for Sharon. While I was at it I paid all February's bills---that was on today's list of things to do. Was going to take the tree down but just can't part with it--so it will stay up one more day. Tomorrow, since we are going to have a blizzard supposedly and we've cancelled the appointment to have the windshield replaced, the tree and other decorations WILL come down and get packed away for another year. Sigh :(

Making Plans

January 31--Sharon came for dinner of pan fried chicken, hash brown patties and sweet baby peas. Afterwards, while relaxing with some nicely chilled Viognier, we talked over Sharon's house sitting duties while we are gone. She has taken care of the girls before, in 2008, which was also an incredibly snowy winter in the Northeast. For the first time we had our roof shoveled that year. We went to Montana that year also but took the Canadian route to Sault Ste Marie and then the upper peninsula of Michigan. We are going Stateside this year and traversing Kansas and Nebraska in an effort to stay as far south of lake effect as possible. Not sure that is going to work the way this winter has been so far but we'll take it slow and hole up if needs be. Hopefully, the weather will settle down a bit with the lengthening days and we'll have clear roads!

Check out another book giveaway by KayesPenguin

Head on over to kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com for a new giveaway of a cozy mystery book,Stitch Me Deadly by Amanda Lee. Looks really good--a young woman who owns an embroidery shop in Oregon becomes involved in solving a crime. Check out Kaye's synopsis and enter to win..