Thursday, December 4, 2008

Ahh... breaktime

Today I'm taking a bonafide break... I'm sitting here on the couch eating a lunch of cheese and crackers, tomato soup and a clementine. I have my knitting closeby and I'm watching my guilty pleasure... The Hills episodes on MTV.com. I'm so hooked on this teenage drama. Haha! Does anyone else share this passion? 

We're thinking about canceling our sattelite service. We love the DVR but between the internet and Netflix, I think we could easily get rid of it and not notice very much. It's a thought...

I made beef stew this morning and it's simmering away in the crockpot. I have a loaf of 'take and bake' multi-grain bread that is so yummy. What beats a cup of beef stew and crusty bread on a frigid night? Not much. Comfort food for my guys... it's their favorite. 

The other day my husband had an exam for his life insurance policy... it was scheduled at 8 AM. The gal doing the exam showed up at 7:27! I was pretty annoyed. I let her in and let her know that I thought it was unprofessional that she was so early. She was pretty taken aback. But c'mon! I mean, it's one thing to be early to a 10 o'clock appointment, but first thing in the morning? I was still in my jammies, my kids were still half asleep. Heck, so was my husband. 

We have several inches of snow on the ground. We are expecting more snow tomorrow night and apparently there's quite the storm brewing for next week. I wonder if it'll be white like this until March like last year? It was a tough, long winter for all of us last year. I'm trying to shift my thinking and embrace winter and it's hard. I feel like I'm at loose ends without puttering around in my gardens, walking through the grass barefoot, drinking coffee at sunrise on the patio out back, drinking white wine on the porch out front at sunset, bbqing, homegrown tomatoes. I'm wistfully missing summer already. 

But what is there to love about winter. let's see... how about the show that the squirrels put on in our crabapple tree out back. It's always entertaining. The fresh blankets of snow that sparkle in the sunlight and the moonlight. The crisp cool air. The thrill of sledding ... this one I've already appreciated numerous times. I'm addicted to sledding. I think i'd love to ski. The reason to knit and wear handknit woolly goodies. The beautiful silvery moon, stars and planets in the sky. The wind that whips through the trees that clatter their branches and sound completely different than when they're swaying with leaves. The holidays. The new year. The promise of spring. The white puffy clouds. 

.... I've got to keep reminding myself of all of these things. Last year I didn't get outside during the winter months much at all. My baby boy was very baby last year and immobile. I spent my time indoors looking out and it was wearing. Now I'm lucky that he LOVES the snow and is fully willing to tromp around in it at least once a day. It's easier to deal with the cold and snow when we can at least get out in it and reconnect with the outdoors. That's the key. We're just not meant to be shut in for several months. Plus, even in the cold, the sunshine is still warm on my cheeks. 

OK, i'm off to knit and nosh and watch The Hills some more... I can't stand that Spencer! Blargh!

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