Monday, December 13, 2010

Giving In To Winter

I shoveled three times yesterday. I don't mind it, honestly. Doing it several times when it is only two or three inches a shot isn't so bad (though I could use a shoulder rub). But isn't it gorgeous? This is the tree in front of our house. The people we bought from called it a Chinese Apricot though I don't know if they knew anything... whatever the case, I love the tree. The leaves are small and blow away, so we never have to rake, but it gives nice shade and is pretty... and I love how it looks coated in snow.


If we look across the street, the woods, likewise, are coated. Those trees are oaks... It's fun to have wildlife central so close—the inner-city woods have mostly benign wildlife—racoons, skunks, woodchucks... though at times there are bigger things (deer) or more worrisome (foxes or coyotes). Those woods have made two of my books now... they sit between us and the high school and it is just a nice set-up... woods next to a high school...


Inside we are getting Christmassy, too. I made the Christmas stockings the year I had maternity leave after my son was born... my last great hurrah as a crafty person... I've never had the inclination to do a LOT of that, but I made that pattern myself... the satin lined, velvet outside... they didn't turn out too badly.

So why am I REALLY rambling?

Snow Days

As I write this I am crossing my fingers that they will declare it 'too lousy to leave home'. Why? Who would want lousy weather?

Only every KID on the planet!

As a grown up (by technical definition), I don't actually get a snow day very often, but I can still dream about it... So...


If I had a snow day today I would:


1)  Bundle up and tromp around in it for a bit to pretend I'd gotten some exercise.
2)  Take a long hot bath with my book to get my body temperature back to normal.
3)  Check on my bloggie friends (I do that rain, shine OR snow storm).
4)  Get out LEGACY and spend a little time editing.
5)  Drink cocoa and complain about being out of marshmallows
6)  Consider baking Christmas cookies but pass it up.
7)  Watch a Harry Potter movie or two with my kids

All in all, it would be a VERY good day.

So here is crossing my fingers that by 5 am they've declared it too lousy to leave home!

Hope you are all keeping warm enough, or at least having fun!

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

TWO UPDATES

1) Kids get a snow day. I don't. POO! It is 12 degrees (F) but 'feels like -6) (BOO!) but hubby is giving me a ride to work, thereby assisting in my slug transformation process, so that's something. I didn't want to by a slug-cicle.

2)  I AM A FINALIST IN MICHAEL'S HARRY POTTER BLOG FEST!!!  The WINNER will be selected by voting on the five finalists. All stories are 500ish words, so it isn't much to read. I'd love it if you'd go read and VOTE!!!!

33 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Hope you're snowed in!

Love the Christmas stockings you made. A talent I didn't know you had! :)

Sue said...

It sounds magical. The kind of thing we can only dream about. Hope you got to stay home and have fun being a big kid.

Al said...

Sounds like a plan for a great day!

Rachael Harrie said...

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Did you know, I'm about to move to the one place in Australia where (slight exaggeration for effect) it actually snows a couple of times every few years!!! Yes, I kid you not, I may one day wake up and find a couple of flakes of snow on my front lawn, WOOT!!! :P

It looks so pretty. I'm not a cold person myself, but it would be kind of neat-o to have snow once in a while. And I'd love my daughter to actually see it in real life not on tv. Though we'll take her to the ski slopes perhaps so she can see it there ;0

Hugs,

Rach

Anonymous said...

Only three inches a shot.... now there's a cause for sympathy.
Beautiful photos.
Thanks for this fun post. I really enjoyed it.

All the best, Boonie

Hart Johnson said...

Ack! No snow day, and it is COLD! The kids are off though--lucky ducks!

Rachael-you're in South Africa now, yes? Have you ever SEEN snow? A couple days every few years sounds LOVELY! That would be the southern end, yes? I have a very good friend in Adelaide--though they are sending her to an island...

Boonie--Oh, NICE use of innuendo, my friend!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations that you're a finalist! We don't get snow here often, so when it happens, the whole town gets a snow day. Yeah for me!

Su said...

Those all sound like fun things to do... hmmm...

Old Kitty said...

Oh kids have it so better when it snows than adults! Booooo!!!! So not fair *stomps feet* and growls at anyone younger than me! LOL!!!!

Congratulations with being a finalist!! So so so so so excited for you!!!! Good luck!!

Awww these pics are great - I feel most chrismassy now - you live in a beautiful area!! Take care
x

Sarah Ahiers said...

hey! We had to shovel mutlple times this weekend too! But we had over 20 inches of snow and a blizzard so every time we shovelled it was like 12 inch drifts and was just terrible. And as for snow days, our high is 1 today, but i work from home, so no snowdays for me. boo.
And congrats on being a finalist! You rock!

H.B.Markor said...

Sorry you didn't get the snowday you wanted. I really like your tree, very pretty.

Carol Kilgore said...

No snow day for you - boo, hiss. But it is so gorgeous. I'm with you about woods next to a high school. The possibilities are endless!

lisahgolden said...

Yay for your kids! Boo for your work!

I was pulling for your snow day.

Luna said...

Good luck with the Blogfest! Sorry you didn't get that snow day.

These pics are so lovely and magical! It's wonderful when everything sparkles like that.

Colene Murphy said...

Boo! To no snow day for you!! It's about 11 here but no snow. It could at least be as beautiful here as it is there if it's going to be this frikkin cold! Gosh, your neighborhood is AMAZINGLY lovely!! You snow day plans sounds a lot like mine...huh...;)

Hope you get one soon! And congratulations on being a finalist!!

Hart Johnson said...

Alex-thanks! And it just seems you SHOULD get snow. It's only fair, right? Never mind that we never crossed 100 this year...

Su-I wish I was DOIING them!

Jenny-So not fair AT ALL, ne? You'd think they'd let us go by the age we ACT...

Sarah-I KNEW you guys were buried! Love to see how Yvie is adapting!

Maria-thanks! Could be worse--I could have to work outSIDE in this--oh wait...

Carol-yeah, I can't pass up the setting... These urban woods were my first inspiration for writing stuff besides fan fiction.

Lisa-you needed to pull HARDER! teehee

Jamie-thank you! (and it IS gorgeous... just wish I was sitting at home reading and writing instead of in my office where I can't SEE it!)

Hart Johnson said...

Ha! Colene, you snuck in there on me! I agree with you there--cold with NO snow REALLY sucks! I don't think I know where you are... I need to look! (and thank you!)

Terry Odell said...

I'm still waiting--we just moved from Florida to Colorado, and we've been experiencing a very mild winter (so we've been told). But I'm looking forward to it. I'd rather be stuck inside because it's snowing than because it's too dang hot to move.

Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

Jessica Bell said...

Ha! Yeah, anything that has 'oven', 'mess', and 'dishes' as a consquence I generally avoid. LOL

Ella said...

I had my fingers and toes crossed for you! Everyone needs a snow day~ It is snowing here and not suppose to amount to much, but...who knows.
We don't have many snow days here in NC. The kids were so hoping~ I suspect you will soon have one. I predict this is going to be a memorable winter. It was a record breaking summer!

Loved your snuggy,Snow day ideas...keep'em handy, it will happen! I will check out the link.

Deb and Barbara said...

Love the stockings. My own last hurrah as a crafter was making our (velvet) stockings. Which we all loved until they got so many little holes (you see, bad sewing skills) and had to be retired. Stefanie made the second "batch".
No snow day :( but will go vote for you :) !
B
The Middle Ages

CA Heaven said...

Your winter looks great. Grab your skis and get out in the snow >:)

Cold As Heaven

Hart Johnson said...

Terry-I like some heat if there is water to hide in, but I like the snow days too--you will get some!

jessica-I know, right? Flour all over the table from cutting out those suckers? No thanks!

Ellie-it was a pretty great summer here, and a GORGEOUS fall, so we are probably due for some serious winter. I don't mind BIG winter. It is LONG winter that wears on me.

Barbara-funny that we had the same last big project! teehee--I like that! I think my sewing is pretty solid there--and because they are lines, the place where velvet might fray is tucked away...should last, so long as the cat doesn't notice them...

CaH--I really need to learn how to cross country, because you see... Michigan has no hills for the other kind...

Southpaw said...

"Drink cocoa and complain about being out of marshmallows" - made me laugh out loud!

Congrats on being a finalist, but boo on no snow day.

Golden Eagle said...

It looks like a winter wonderland there. :)

You're not alone on the no-snow-day thing; being homeschooled, I don't get snow days, either.

Congrats on being a finalist in the HP blogfest!

Abby Minard said...

A snow day sounds fun! We had some snow on Sunday and my daughter and I went out and played in it. Beautiful pics!

LTM said...

ooo! I'm running to vote right now! You rule... And look at you crafty! Those are very nice stockings~ :o) <3

Rachael Harrie said...

LOL, nah that's Rachel Morgan. I live in Sydney Australia at the moment, moving to Canberra in January ;)

Rach

Helena said...

Congratulations, Ms. Finalist!

Isn't there something gorgeous about snowy days spent inside at home and NOT at a job? While the snow falls I'd love to bake some scones while watching an old (as in 1930's) B&W movie. Make me feel like a young kid again when all we had was a B&W TV.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Lovely pictures. I'm actually envious because we haven't had much snow in my corner of Colorado yet. As a matter of fact, it was warm enough today that I didn't need a coat when I ran my errands. We might not even have a white Christmas, so the thought of a wonderful snow day is very remote.

Jane Kennedy Sutton said...

Too bad about the snow day. I like looking at snow in pictures, but I have no desire to experience it anymore.

Now I’m off to read your story and vote. Congratulations on getting to the finals.

Arlee Bird said...

You got my vote and now you're even more ahead than you were. Today in L.A. it was sunny and somewhere in the 80s--no snow, although your pictures look nice.

Lee
Tossing It Out

Unknown said...

Congrats on being a finalist in the writing contest! Off to go vote now.

And it FINALLY snowed here in the Hudson Valley. We were the last ones in the WORLD to get some white stuff. ;)