Snow Day

Tuesday was a snow day (....seems a long time ago now that we are on Friday!) and I couldn't resist the urge to don the snow boots and get out to the snow...ventured to the porch and then garden. We really only had snow and cookies to report on for Tuesdays snow day but it was fun and here are the pics of it.

In addition to those pics, I managed to get a great shot of the early morning "warning" as in Shepard's warning, red sky in the morning........... this morning and it doesn't bode well for the weekend but soup makings are in the kitchen and we are prepared. I even managed to get snow pellets to freeze stuff. It does feel after seeing that sky we are bracing.

 

But what I would say about the weather,  it has brought the child out in Isaac and he couldn't wait to get out there in the snow. So I have snow battle Royal with the brothers! on film!!!There was a casualty though, as Isaac's "dumb" phone was in his pocket...........it got snowed! Any way no one was worried as they (the boys) put it in a container with rice. Amazingly it has dried out but as we came closer to the reveal moment of would it work or wouldn't it. I had to admit (just can't keep a secret the guilt undoes me!) that I had indeed plugged it in when it was wet. Amazingly it just buzzed (or maybe that was an electric shock treatment, that I just gave the phone) well anyway the phone is working!!!! but not holding it's charge at all..........oh well I didn't really kill it. And cue the photos..................

 

Snowy garden scenes

Snow coming down hard.

Miss Beech looking lovely in white

So pretty holly

All was quiet on the street

 



My pigeon statue just perfect carrying snow

 

Ok time for the outdoors

And really another picture.........

Trudging through the snow

Ah the wonder of snow (I couldn't have made him pose like this...)

Springing into action

Now I am outside too.........

I love my bench under the tree.

 

These berries are just so red.

Battle ready!

First things first........snow angel

Yes it is an angel

And onto weapons

He is gathering in his snow.........weaponry

I just happened to look down the lane as the boys were negotiating snow ball fighting rules. It looked so amazing and snowy.

Negotiations continue

 

And we are off...

Lobbing first shot

 

Oh...I'm falling!!!!!!!!

OK now I am down.

Wind it up and let it rip!

Did I get you?

 



Take that! big brother

And that!

I'll get you yet Louie!

 OK maybe you have me down

But not out!

Round two in the snow bunker

Isaac in his lair. It was at this point that I gave up and left them to it. I think on balance Louie won!

 

But this is the shot of the day! wow happy and snowy and ready to play. Ah snow days...what fun

 

Little sparrow just caught my eye

If ever there was a Shepard's warning....this is it!

 



Oh and look a Cardinal........I was lucky getting this shot. Those winter berries sure are tasty.

 

Don't you just love Cardinals...I do.

Knitting and lights!

 December here means instant Christmas. Thanksgiving is so over by Black Friday (the day after) that you almost forget it ever was, which is a shame. Now obviously I have not had a life time of getting excited by Thanksgiving and Turkey. But that doesn't mean that I don't understand it's importance and I recognise that it is a big deal and mostly for that ideal of a family gathering with less pressure than Christmas. Unfortunately they have decided ie corporate America that Thanksgiving should mean queuing all day to buy late at night, stuff that you don't need and thus spoilt a rather lovely tradition.

 

For us this year Thanksgiving was spent in Philadelphia with Isaac's friend and his family and we also had the opportunity of joining in on thier first day of Hanukkah and a birthday too. It was very interesting to be part of that. I also realise that I hadn't quite had my fill of the feast and as luck would have it in the form of wonderful Russell, we managed to squeeze a second meal on Black Friday. It was just so good to be back in the company of good friends. It was perfect. Thanks to Russell and Mary for sharing and we will gladly have the left overs again...brilliant!

All of this has caused me to be mindful and thankful. I have been reflecting on all that we are lucky to enjoy in our lives and for me the most important thing it sharing the journey and the company that you have to do that. I am lucky that I can talk to my family far away by email and phone and the friends that I have gathered here. So thank you one and all. You make the journey less painful, as we all know how that can be!

So in the blink of an eye, everyone decorates for Christmas and away go the turkey decorations and cornucopias and out comes red bows and wreaths. We have been low key in our decorating with lights and I managed to rescue the Damian from a perilous mission.........luckily I logged it on the camera! Damian had mentioned that again he would attempt to decorate the lovely Blue Spruce that we have by the corner of the porch. This is a lovely tree about 16 feet high! Last year it looked like he threw the lights in the tree as far as they would go.........that's fine if you leave them off no one can see the error. But nooo Damian put them on a timer and every time I came home in the dark down the lane, I would see this badly planted lights. He vowed that he wouldn't do it like that again and that he had another plan. Well I hadn't been around for the first attempt only came in after the deed was done. So this year I didn't make the same mistake. He said it was a fail safe plan. This meant he climbed into the tree and up it! Yup up the tree, which to me looked a little spindly for that carry on. I did ask him to come down and maybe do plan B. (At that point I didn't have plan B. But I knew I didn't want to see him wobbling at height poised to drop on two carefully produced off spring!)

Plan B was make our own Longwood Gardens light. It is a tree formed of lights. I have no idea if this will work but fingers crossed! So I have some snaps of all of this. Plus Louie decorating his tree house.

The other thing that I have been doing is knitting........and Isaac is the recipient of this. I made him a jumper(sweater), to replace his jolly roger sweater that is getting too small. He is delighted with his new garment and in fact it was prised off him today for washing! He has worn it everyday. So worth the effort and the nightmare of making the teeth for the skull!!!!

This is a Louie project to make K9 (the dressing gown is essential wear for this activity)

K9! it is absolutely fantastic

I'm trying to get the photo to show the red light....yes he managed to light him too. My photo does not do this justice at all.



Still wearing that sweater!

This is outside and our Christmas door....

I laugh inside every time I read this sign. (We first saw this on a trip to Toronto...just priceless. So I was pleased to get my own!)

This is Damian in the tree!!!!

Cherished boys in the "drop zone!"

\

Teenager at work

Plan B! (update, this worked and looks great!)

as does Louie's tree house.

 

For all those who don't get to come to mine for Christmas, here are some Christmas touches I have added around the house.

We call this decoration Christmas in a box! It has it all going on. The bright blinding light is that of the electric candle.

Love my ceramic Christmas Tree. It is a special one and plays silent night.

 

Advent calendar and Nativity........Christmas favorites

 

A host of angels landed on the bookcase! Damian said the sheep is the ba ritone!

This would be my Danish corner with the lovely Nisa people. Always makes my Christmas if I have some Danish decorations and I can think of all of you in Denmark.

 

I tried to show this wreath and trumpeting angel but this is as good as it gets, although quite groovey with the reflections





Tried to get some night shots

 

From the sidewalk it looks quite effective. Not a bad plan B at all.

 

The tree house in it's night time glory

 

 

 

And goodnight from K9

 

 

 

Well done everyone. Disaster averted and lights up. Now we can relax........oh wait a minute it's December no relaxing here! Have a great month everyone and love from us all.