HAPPY WINTER

 

Pot of Thyme on Craft Table by Door

Finally, real snow in the Piedmont. Thank goodness no power outages!  We undecorated the tree weeks ago and put it outside sans ornaments.  It looks so cozy out there, the cold air keeping the needles fresh.  Shall I leave it up till Valentine's?  Then maybe snip the branches to use in the fireplace.  Last year the fire pit was such a staple of Covid outdoor get-togethers, we about wore it out.  

I hope you're warm and comfy where you are.  We have Florida family--no winter there; New Jersey family--winter frigid and long; St. Louis family--snow and ice (Midwest winters can be brutal); North Carolina family--a little of this and that.  On the North Carolina coast the sun drops into the ocean this month.  Friends and strangers gather on the beach at sunset to watch the magic, then drift off home for early dinners. We do it too when we're there. 

When we lived in a drafty Illinois parsonage the wind blew right through the walls.  This is factually true.  The temperature of the walls was only a few degrees higher than the outside air.  No insulation at all.  I would speed-dress the babies.  Best to be young in those conditions.  But here,  the snow makes the house a snug harbor. 

What do you like to do on a day like today?  Of course, if there are children, play in the snow:  sled on it, build with it, lie on it, tromp in it, throw it . . . .  Something besides shovel it.  Cold fingertips and toes often mean warm spirit and heart.  

Early Snowfall

But also a bit of light:  sunlight by day, moonlight after the sun sets, starlight and candlelight as the night deepens.  A comfortable chair, comfort food, something to read or watch.  Today is Sunday, a day for slowing down anyway.  Hopefully, if they're not snowed in already, even the hardest workers get a day off.  For many it is today.

Earlier this week our family had a health scare that did not materialize.  All is well, the tests said.  With my penchant for waiting for the other shoe, I was sure the news would not be a comfort.  But it was.  You know how it's said, if you're not depressed everything is enjoyable.  Well, that's how this snow day is for me.  I'm wishing for the same and more for you.  Happy winter!                  Nina Naomi

 

 

 

GRATEFUL FOR A SNOWY DAY!

I woke up to a beautiful new fallen snow.  It kept falling all day.  Still at sundown it falls.  Our power flickers but we are ready with flashlights, candles and matches.  We baked apples and roasted a chicken earlier in the day to eat hot or cold.  We have left-over beef/bison/lamb meatloaf for cold sandwiches. And chilled cranberry sauce that goes with everything. We've cozied-up in the bedroom with an aromatic cedar fir candle burning.  

We brought in Mr. Wiggles' bed so he will feel safe when the power goes out and all the devices start beeping--smoke alarms, microwave, printer . . . .  We're ready for a cold dark night. 

I have socks by the bedside, a Shetland cardigan, a robe and an old wool shawl.  We will read and write until the power goes out.  

After all-day flickering we know the routine.  The snow that has been weighing down the power lines turns to ice.  Somewhere, somewhere a line comes down and 350 homes lose power.  Then another and 350 more homes lose power.  Then another. Just like dominoes. 

We have enough wood for a fire.  

But it's the North Carolina Piedmont.  Our floods and hurricanes are worse.  Snow is temporary and most of us love it.  By day-after-tomorrow the sun will shine.  The snow, the dark, the food, the candles, the warm duvet, the wonderful men and women who work on the power lines--for all this I am grateful.  For all this I am glad.  

I am betting there is joy in your winter too!