We wake up to a thin coating of snow. It's odd how everything changes with that half inch cover. The brown colors no longer dominate. We are a landscape of dusty white, with the sheep shed adding that needed splash of red.
The cheeper habits change as well. Even though it's nearly 30F, they refuse to leave the barn. Ed brushes away some of the snow at the entrance but it's not good enough for them. They hate the feel of snow and the confusing absence of visual texture.
We eat breakfast by the front room window. The pines just outside always look their best after a snow fall. Winter no longer sags your spirits.
And still, even this light snow cover comes at a price: the roads are slick. You have to be vigilant! And we do take the car out for a quick trip -- to the library (a book is due!), to the forest (for a walk in the Arboretum)...
...and to our closest Indian Restaurant, where we pick up Shrimp Saag for dinner. Hot Saag on a cold day. It's fitting. Winter as is should be.
The cheeper habits change as well. Even though it's nearly 30F, they refuse to leave the barn. Ed brushes away some of the snow at the entrance but it's not good enough for them. They hate the feel of snow and the confusing absence of visual texture.
We eat breakfast by the front room window. The pines just outside always look their best after a snow fall. Winter no longer sags your spirits.
And still, even this light snow cover comes at a price: the roads are slick. You have to be vigilant! And we do take the car out for a quick trip -- to the library (a book is due!), to the forest (for a walk in the Arboretum)...
...and to our closest Indian Restaurant, where we pick up Shrimp Saag for dinner. Hot Saag on a cold day. It's fitting. Winter as is should be.
As happens every Christmas, I'm still feeling a residual fullness from all the unusual Christmas foods, but hopefully I'll soon have some space for some good Indian food. DH and I love Indian food!
ReplyDeleteYour breakfast tablecloth looks very familiar, Nina. Is it vintage? I can't help but think I have a similar one in the linens I inherited from my grandmother.
Yes! Now that I've looked twice, I think I have one so much like that one, packed in the cedar chest, from my Prague grandmother.
DeleteAnd yes, Nina, it was pleasant to be out yesterday. You're my inspiration to kick myself off the cozy couch. I have a whole stack of books... I still have the TREES up! Their white lights are so cheery on these dark days. The live one will have to go this week, though.
DeleteBack to school tomorrow, just in time for a week of deep freeze and indoor recess. Nevertheless, I don't consider retirement yet...I'm eager for school tomorrow - have dreamed of my kids - lined up for playground, checking their zips and giving each a kiss! Which of course I'd never do! I have my rolling cart heaped with new books, I've worked on their fabulous portfolios, the car is loaded as if for a trip. <3
Well now, we all may have tablecloths from one product line! It's "vintage" alright. My mother got it for a present from a friend -- a thank you gift for giving a few English lessons back in 1959 in Poland. So ours is that old and was purchased in Warsaw. It may be Polish, but it could be Czech since those countries had good trade relations then. I've always loved the colors and when I moved to the farmhouse i decided to quit using it only for special meals and put it permanently in the front room where we often eat our breakfasts.
DeleteSnowfleurry -- Residual fullness... I like that! Problem here is that the cold makes it seem natural to feel satiated and so I don't let that stop me from further indulgence. In the summer, feeling full seems wrong but in the winter it feels comforting and warm.
JoyD -- if you have no big project you'd rather be doing I can't think why you would want to retire. I had a real urge to do more writing and, too, I had a tipping point. The Law School was once again asking me to teach a whole new subject matter. I'd just learned one and they wanted me to fill yet another void. That's a seven day a week work schedule. I had had enough working weekends to last me a lifetime. I was so ready to move on! Your situation is entirely different.
I also love the tablecloth but your lemon one from France is my fave... do you wash that heirloom one in the machine every week? I'd be afraid it would fall apart after a while. But then again, it's probably such good quality fabric that it won't.
ReplyDeleteI also am in love with your assortment of table decor... namely the poultry contingent... superb!
Since we only eat breakfast on it (no spills!), I actually hardly ever wash it. If there is an accidental mess -- sure. But otherwise, I do as the Poles of yore did: spring washing! (The dinner linens on the other hand see the washing machine all too frequently...) It is remarkable how good it looks after 55+ years of rather steady use!
DeleteWe have yet to have much of a winter. It's been overcast for many days, but warm and misty and foggy.
ReplyDeleteMy children grew up with cloth napkins. I've probably mentioned it before, but even if I had served P&B sandwiches for dinner (which I never did) the table would've still been set with cloth napkins and lit candles. The napkins invited civility, the candles invited calm. We used napkin rings so that at the end of each meal the napkins were rolled and stuffed back in. We reused the napkins for several days and then replaced them. David and I did this when he visited this Christmas. I like cloth at a table.
I have to modify that with Ed: he is like a very large child and a table cloth always moves around under his massive arms. So yes, we use cloth for the breakfast table, but I've given up on keeping a table cloth on the kitchen table. It shifts too much! Unless there is a celebration, we stay with cloth place mats.
DeleteThat sounds lovely. The five of us always had the family dinner together, all the way through high school (which began to be adjusted for sports, etc) with cloth napkins (environmentally friendly) but no candles. I used to think that if you had candles every night, they wouldn't be special for celebrations. I was wrong. It's the company that makes the " special occasion" special. Now that it's just the two of us, we always have candlelight, always so pleasant, and you're right, calming.
DeleteNice memory to share, Irene.