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

From our home to yours....

Merry Christmas!!!!   Yes, we have even more snow!  Six inches more yesterday !  

About 20 inches on the ground.

Do think there is enough snow for Santa to land his sleigh?  It IS pretty.  More snow is predicted for today and Christmas Day!

We will definitely have a white Christmas!

I am so thankful for each one of you.  I hope you all have a lovely holiday and cherish the time you spend with family and friends.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the Heavenly host appeared with the Angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest Heaven, and on earth, peace to those on whom His favor rests."

Luke 2:8-14

Merry CHRISTmas!

Blessings,

Betsy

Have I already said, "Let it Snow?

Happy Monday morning everyone!  it's the week of Christmas and everyone I talk to seems to be in a frenzy of last minute Christmas preparations.  Not me.  I'm pretty much snowed in today...again.  This is the second time in four days that we've been put under a winter storm warning.  Last year no snow at all to speak of.  This year so far at our house we've had about 10 inches in the last 5 days with 5-8 more predicted today.  And snow every day for the next 6 days.  Yuck!  We're in a snow belt here at our house that seems to run down the middle of the city.  You can drive just one mile south of our home and there is literally half the amount of snow on the ground.

It has given me the opportunity to use our new snowblower a few times already and I'll be firing it up again this afternoon.  I just took this picture out of the back door.  You can't really get an idea of how deep it is here because of the way it's blown and drifted, but can you see the fine flakes falling?  It's definitely going to be a white Christmas in Spokane.

I have been knitting away on mittens and this is what I've finished so far.  Would you believe I got all the way to the end decreases at the top of the last green mitten and I ran out of yarn?  I had to go buy more just to knit the last 4 rows!  Oh well, I'll just make more green ones!  Notice there are four pair of dark pink mittens.  That was from one skein with a little ball left over.  The green I ran out of and the lighter pink I didn't even start the fourth pair because it was obvious that I wasn't going to get another pair out of the leftovers.  These are all supposed to be the same yardage skeins.  A bit frustrating.  I m still enjoying making these though.  More to come!!!

There is a nursery just a few miles from Brad and Mandy's that we visited while back east.  I have never seen anything like it.  Mandy said that they decorate it, over the top decorate it, for each holiday.

This is as you drive up.  Blocks and blocks of white lights and decorated trees as you drive up the highway.

So pretty.

Inside they have individual trees decorated with different themes.  Surrounding each tree are other decorations that go along with each theme.  This place is beautiful and huge.

Part of the winter woods theme.  It makes me homesick for the lake and my camper.  :-)

This one was gorgeous.  Tree are so many trees decorated so beautifully.  I wish I could show you the  details of all of them but there were just too many.

What could make this place even better?  Trains.  Piper loves trains and she and Papa loved looking at all of them.  

Villages set up throughout the train display.

The Hershey car.  The train was moving and was hard to get a good picture of it.

Most of the year this is a big Thomas the Train display.  Piper loves Thomas!

One more display by the Christmas trees.  I showed great restraint and only bought an angel for our Christmas tree out of the myriad of choices.

And finally.  Mandy sent this picture to us Saturday.  She looks 3 going on 16 doesn't she?  Very rarely does she wear her hair down.  She always wants a ponytail, or when Grandma is there, a French braid.  (We braid our hair into matching braids...she loves that!).   Papa couldn't stop smiling when he saw this. Goodness, we miss this little girl.  It's like we left part of our hearts on the east coast.

I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and lots of love and laughter throughout the holiday.  I also would ask that you would stop and ponder the reason we celebrate this holiday season.  His name is Jesus.

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."  Matthew 1:21

(The angel was talking to Joseph in this verse.)

Blessings,

Betsy