Life in the Snowglobe

Someone must have shaken our globe!

On Tuesday night the snow started to fall. I had already planned to stay home on Wednesday because after the first two hours of snow fall we had about 6 inches and it wasn't suppose to stop until Wednesday afternoon.

Jimmy and I had snuggled up for a movie when I received a phone call from my boss saying UW had cancelled classes and not to come in the next day. This was the first time in over 20 years that UW cancelled classes because of snow. At this point they were forecasting a blizzard with up to 16 inches when all was said and done.

When I awoke on Wednesday I looked outside and everything was white. I got Dash to take him outside only to find out he is terrified of snow and would not step off of the front porch. I thought how bad can it be. So I forced him off the porch. We both took a few step and sunk. He was basically swimming in the snow. It was up to his head.

So I quickly dug a path for Dash so we both could easily walk out to road for more clearance.

Once outside this is what I saw:

As you can see, the snow was really deep. Look at the level at Jimmy's legs.


This is me jumping into the big snow piles from the deck. It was like jumping into a swimming pool.

The path that we made in front of the house.

This is me jumping into a snow pile.

The back deck. Look at the grill.

Front porch.

Tree in the front yard.

Around 7am on Wednesday.

Let me tell you about my weekend

When I got back to work on Monday people were asking about my weekend and what I did. Some people went shopping, some stayed home, some went to grandma's and I went to Nashville.

We all traveled to Nashville to surprise Jen for her 30th birthday. All went well and she was very surprised and very pregnant too!

After the AppState v. Richmond game. It was close but at least we won!!

White Out

Looks like our first snow storm of the season is a few hours away. We are expected to get up to 11-14 inches overnight with lots of wind. Yippee....should be interesting. I will keep you posted.

What a difference a day makes.

No sooner did I post our first pictures of Christmas decor this happened. Enjoy.

Christmas Time Is Here!!

We bought our first real Christmas tree last night. I grew up with real trees but have had a fake tree during all of those years in an apartment. The lucky tree is a Blue Spruce, 6 feet tall. We bought it from a local boy scout troop. Here are some pictures that I took last night.

Goodbye Fall, Hello Tundra

It is that time of year again. I have been struggling to wear turtle necks and wool. This November has actually been really nice with above average temperatures. Just last week it was in the 60s but today the high is 36. The rest of the week will bring dropping digits with lows in the teens at night. Last year at this time we had already recorded a few inches of snow. No snow yet....but I know its coming.......

The Window Candle at Christmas

This may sound odd but for a long time the one lacking aspect of my Christmas decor were window lights. A small electric candle placed in each window of the house.

For my first house the window lights were a must! I quickly went to the store to find my window lights as soon as I saw Christmas displays in stores. They were hard to find as only a few of them existed in the store I visited. I found this sort of odd but then again it was before Thanksgiving and I thought most of the decor is not out yet.

I went home and happily placed the lights in each window. Mom and dad can vouch for this....putting up the window lights was my job growing up. I loved placing them in the windows, even though finding extension cords and new bulbs was frustrating the finished product was beautiful. The house windows were a glow...it was Christmas!

As we rode through our neighborhood last night I saw one other house with window lights. In North Carolina, Ruffin and Raleigh I see lots of window lights. Is this a southern thing? An east coast tradition? Irish? Colonial? Religious roots? What does it mean to have a light in your window at Christmas?

So being me I did some Internet searching and found out that window lights have very many origins. Irish, Colonial, Religious. The lights welcome strangers who need a room on Christmas Eve. They welcome Mary and Joseph, showing you have room for them in your house. The lights guide angels to the newborn son.

"Many homes in Ireland still today will show a lighted candle, or perhaps today's equivalent, and much safer, electric lights, in the window of their home on Christmas Eve. This stems from the custom that to show a light in the window lighted the way of a stranger out after dark. It goes back to most ancient times, when the laws of hospitality were stronger and not abused. To have a light in your window on Christmas Eve to welcome the stranger meant that you were welcoming the Holy Family too. To have no light meant that you shared the guilt of the Innkeeper at Bethlehem who said, "No Room"! " www.christmasarchives.com

In Colonial times the candle was lit to welcome home a loved one. It showed warmth and security. It was used not only at Christmas but also used to announce a birth or the visit of a dignitary. Or to just plain celebrate.

My other internet research indicates that window lights are more common in New England and the Southern states, which probably explains why I don't see many here. Do you see window lights where you live?

So I will enjoy my lights with a new meaning. Merry Christmas!