a peaceful night...

I've been wanting to go to the house and take some pictures of the snow we've had around here

since Christmas Eve.

First I was busy.

Then it was too cold.

Then it snowed some more.

Then it was really cold

and windy.

Then I got sick

and stuck around the house

because it was

really really cold.

Yesterday

I could not stand

being inside

one more minute.

We had planned to drive to Joplin

to run some errands,

but Jim wanted to keep on

with the paperwork

he had almost finished.

I whined and said,

let's at least drive out to the house

so I can take some pictures of the snow.

Boy howdy,

it's a good thing we went

because

this is what we found....

water water everywhere!

water spewing.

water dripping.

water soaking into things that were not

supposed to be wet.

Apparently,

since things were beginning to thaw

the water line into the house

cracked.

And the water came spraying into the basement.

It's not just the water on the floor,

becauase that was minor,

The spray must have created quite a humid environment,

because water seems to be on every surface on that half

of the basement.

While Jim scurried out to shut off the water

he slipped and fell into a hole of snow/water and hurt his leg.

Then he began dragging wet stuff over

to the dry side of the basement,

setting up fans and lights.

To complicate things,

the sump pump seems to have burned itself up.

We'll deal with that tomorrow.

Here is the site of the drama.

But enough on that.

Here is how things are looking

dusted with the lovely snow.

I think we are in for a heat wave and thaw this week.

It's supposed to get up into the 30's!

There were deer tracks everywhere.

And it was sooooo quiet.

Geese calling overhead.

Little birds settling in for the night.

Peaceful.

It is winter.

Winter is usually 

 just something you get through

around here.

But this year,

we enjoyed

our White Christmas.

We built things.

As usual,

there was a debate

about who should be wearing the Santa hat,

where the pom poms

should go

and what to do with the pink belt.

Olivia is please with the results.

Off to the slopes.

Or in this case, 

Slope.

Slopes are hard to come by in this town.

But we found one

and it was even within walking distance

from the house!

It is a bunny slope

for little snow bunnies.

This little bunny hitched a lot of rides

down the trail!

It's fun to watch the action

from the top of the slope!

And it's also fun to watch your big sister

do tricks!

It's also fun to watch

your parents

wipe out.

Woah.  What was that purple blur?

That was your Nana.  I think.

And a good time was had by all!

Travel Channel Wannabe

I've learned something about myself today.

Most of the things I enjoyed most

about my recent trip abroad

involved food.

Eating great local food.

Eating gourmet chocolates.

Eating chocolate croissants from a street bakery.

Drinking latte from a park vendor.

Eating in the evening on the cornishe with the sun setting behind us.

Eating shwarma from a street vendor.

Eating in a swanky French restaurant.

Eating in a pizzaria with Silent Night playing in the background.

One thing I really enjoyed

was shopping with Kellie in her

local grocery store....

just look at it!

I'd say that over half of the people in this store

were men.

Nice.

These are spices, people!

Can't you just smell the smells???

More spices, 

candies,

nuts 

nuts and 

more nuts!

These are olives.

tubs and tubs of 

olives.

And the produce! 

I took some pictures of produce

in some of the small neighborhood  stalls

dozens and dozens of beautiful 

fruits and vegetables

that I could not identify.

These pictures are lost

in cyberspace forever,

but next time I visit this beautiful place,

I will visit the markets

and take many pictures

of fruit and vegetables.

That's just how I roll.

Anthony Bourdaine,

you have met your match.

Bring it.

it's a puzzle!

Today is the first day of 2010.

I just noticed that I have 

been writing this blog

for almost a year now.

Wow!

I think I will go down memory lane

today.

Then 

I will read some of my favorite new blogs.

Then

I will eat some leftover

Black Eyed Pea Salsa

from Pioneer Woman.

Then I will take a nap

and read some more blogs.

Then I will start on 

a new library book.

Then I will try to figure out

why my computer

won't let me post any pictures

on my blog.

It is making a lot

of that clickety clack noise today.

Like it is tired of me

switching cameras,

or browsing all over the internet,

or trying to do two things at once.

Sigh.

But today is all mine.

I will  drink hot tea, watch the Rose Parade 

and wish I was in California.

Then I will watch some football

and take a nap 

and blog

and eat chocolate.

And look at more of my favorite new blogs.

Next week

I will clean this disgusting craft room,

and help clean up the mess that 

the heat and air guys made 

all over the new house.

But for now,

I have many things to do

that do not involve me 

getting dressed up 

in 6 layers of clothes and

braving the cold.

So I will blog,

and nap,

and eat,

and read...

on the first day of 2010.

Life if good.

Happy New Year!!

PS...today I am having fun reading this blog...

www.snowmanhill.com

lots of fun links there too!