Snow is a four letter word

My guys in our winter wonderland, when it was still cute and fun.

Professor FatPants by the fire:

The dustbowl we woke up to this morning:

I am living as a pioneer woman - snow, snow and more snow has us trapped at home. Winter is long and hard. Cookie jar is now full. Pa is working hard, as I gaze at the Christmas tree and dream of spring. Coffee with Bailey's Irish Cream makes the day go by faster, and churning butter more fun.

Seattle is pathetic in the snow. I am even more pathetic than the city, with the whining and the fretting if I have to travel in it. I think it is the uncertainty - will I be able to get to work? Will I be able to get home for Christmas? No sense fretting now, when there are cookies to bake! Pecan Pie bars, peanut butter and chocolate chip bars, and coconut bars with a graham cracker crust, and chocolate and peanut butter top - if you're curious. We've been home together since Thursday, and the stir craziness is settling in. It was really romantic and fun at first, but now, its just annoying. Before the whining (too late) - here's the gratitude list. I am grateful that I have a home, heat, food, my husband and dog at home with me, and that my office was closed on Friday, so I could stay home and bake without guilt. Also, I am so grateful that I am not a bus driver, they have it rough. Especially these guys who nearly went over Interstate 5. I am so grateful that they did not and that everyone on the buses were safe.

We took a lovely walk in the snow with The Ding yesterday, and then for more fun, Mr. Black had to change a tire on my car - what is worse than changing a tire in the snow? I am so lucky he was willing to do it! Thursday we woke up to about 5 inches of snow, and then last night we had blizzard conditions - wind and snow together. The fence around our yard must have acted like a vortex, because all of the snow collected on our porch and roof and obscured the yard. This morning I went out to shovel the walk - and the top level of the snow was like a crunchy creme brulee. Thank goodness we have a gate to guide us to the walkway. I don't know how people in the Midwest live like this all the time. Probably because their towns have more than one snow plow, eh? I'm also lucky for a funny husband. Here are two of my favorite quips. When I suggested that I could walk to the store (1.5 miles away - one way) and Mr. Black scoffed, and then he replied "Well, keep a journal so when they find it in the snow I'll know what happened." and then when I was stressing out about not being able to go out and shop, and oh no, what if he didn't have anything to open on Christmas day? He suggested "Then I'd better have a lot of hott sex coupons to open." Oh so funny, that man.

Since we're not rehearsing the show, I've been gorging on home time these past few days. I've been cooking up a storm. I've discovered that having a lot of food around makes me feel safe. Even though there was plenty to eat, I walked to the 7-11 to pay $5 for eggs. I made chicken potpie and it was delicious, spicy black bean soup and tomorrow we're having beef stir fry. The laundry is caught up, the bathroom and kitchen are clean, and our WSU cheese was delivered yesterday. Hooray! I hope everyone is having a lovely winter and is safely gearing up to Christmas. Send warm thoughts that will melt the snow!