Celebrating the first snow!

Outside Mr. winter has been swirling through.  And there is snow!  Oh, not enough to cancel school, but enough to make me happy again not to be going!  It's so pretty in the 9° sunshine...  My thermometer had 9°!  Mom was scheduled for an appointment today, but we canceled.  Something about icy sidewalks and walkers don't really mix in a good way.   The last of our decorations go up today, but here is a sneak peek at our tree.  It was fun to load it down with new and old ornaments this year.  The painted wooden ones were made 40 years ago by "a young college student" sitting patiently on her bed and fashioning holiday gifts from almost no money!  40!?!  Can that be right?

"She" also surprised her dad with an embellished resurrection of his army blanket.  The rips and holes---  she added a rosette or embroidery of gold felt.  The edges of military serge?  Too boring for this miss.  She used her trusty blanket stitch in gold, fuzzy yarn for a decor touch.  I'll never forget the little cry he made when he opened it on Christmas morning...  Not really an exclamation of joy, but more like a little bird whose wing just got hit with a BB gun...   He quickly smiled and never let me know how shocked and actually disappointed he was to see the army blanket he used through WW2's harsh conditions turned into some frilly tea cozy...  Years later it dawned on me I'd never seen it out on display.  Mom just shook her head, shrugged.....  And I was older than that college sophomore I had been...  I realized he missed the old, manly blanket!  Poor Daddy. Oops!

Anyway, I hope to make a batch of graham cracker toffee cookies today...  Enjoy the season!