The In between Days...

It's definitely winter here in the Inland Northwest.  I took this picture on Christmas Eve and Dennis was out "playing" with the snowblower.  We had just finished clearing the walks and driveway when the snowplow came by, leaving a 2 1/2 to 3 foot ice berm at the end of the driveway.  This is only the second or third time the plow has come by in the 13 years we've lived here even when there has been more snow than this on the ground.  Usually we just drive over the snow and pack it down that way.  I almost prefer that because of the nasty ice berms the plows leave behind.  It took Dennis and I almost an hour to clear it away on Thursday,  After finishing our driveway we went across the street and cleared the three neighbors driveways there.  We always do the sidewalk from one end of the block to the other on our side and the triple car driveway of our neighbor to the south.  She's single with no snow-blower so we like to help her out.

It is pretty though isn't it?  We've gotten about a foot more snow since I took the above picture on Christmas Eve.  Today was my turn to use the snowblower because Dennis had to go back to work.  I cleared away another five inches of the nasty white stuff this morning.  It kept snowing off and on the rest of the day too.

This afternoon I ran a couple of short errands and about a mile from home I stopped to snap a few pictures for those of you that are snowless.

Cold, but so beautiful

This was about two blocks from home.  Three o'clock in the afternoon and you can see my headlights reflecting on the snow.  It's dark by 3:30 and the sun comes up a little before 8 a.m.  The days are getting longer now though.

Miss Piper in her Christmas dress.  Right after this picture both her and Mandy got very sick with horrible colds and fevers.  They still don't feel well.  I feel so sorry for them having such a miserable weekend.

I received an envelope in the mail with thank you cards from the teacher and students that I took the first batch of mittens to.  Each card had a picture of the child wearing a pair of mittens and a handwritten thank you.  The teacher also wrote a very nice note.  This was a very nice surprise.

I spent a quiet day at home today.  Snow blowing, vacuuming, laundry.  We got a rock chip in the windshield on Christmas Day from the gravel the plows put on the roads.  I called the insurance company about 11:00 this morning and at 1:15 Safe Light Repair was at our house repairing it!  That is what I call amazing service.  And we didn't have to pay a penny.  Glass repair is covered under our policy with no deductible!  A nice surprise.  I also called to let the oven repair place know that the cheap part fix didn't work and now they're ordering the $300 part.  I sure hope that is the problem because I could almost buy a new stove for what this repair is costing.  The doctors office called to let me know that they are going to do a MRI on my back as soon as they can make certain I can have one with my pacemaker.  

Lots of little things got done around here today and I even got two pair of mittens knitted!  I hope you're all having a great time of rest after the business of the holidays.  We plan for a quiet New Years Eve.  Dennis has to work and then our friends Neal and Jenny are coming over for dinner and to play dominoes.  I'm going to make my homemade chicken and noodles and Neal will make his prize winning biscuits.  Along with cranberries and green beans from my summer garden I think it will be a good meal.  We don't party much and will be in bed long before midnight, especially since Dennis will have worked all day.  

New Years Day we plan to try to recreate our summer Friday's at the lake and we're getting pizza and meeting Larry, Nita, Paul and Lori for dinner.  The days are getting longer and we'll be back at the lake before long.  I have to tell myself that in order to survive the snow.  I detest snow.  And it just keeps falling!

Have a lovely day my friends and a most blessed New Year!

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Isaiah 1:18

Blessings,

Betsy