Stella . . .

The neighbor's house this morning.

Buddha trying to keep his head above the snow.

Rapidly approaching a foot of snow.

Blowing snow.

My car.

Our front porch.  It's a covered porch but the wind is blowing the snow underneath the roof.

Curse you snow!!  Mr. Bigglesworth is not very happy that he can't go outside.  : (

Our chimney.

The back yard.

The yellow tie is marking off two feet.  That was the prediction for the county we live in.  The lawn chair and extension cord are for keeping the dogs from walking on the pool if it gets covered with snow.  Hubby put it all around the pool due to Brady walking into the pool during the last snow storm. 

Our street is completely covered with snow.

Mailboxes. 

Nor'easter Stella (now apparently we name snow storms) arrived a few hours earlier then expected last night.  When I woke up at three due to the insistence of my middle age bladder, there were already a couple of inches on the ground.  My husband woke up at 3:30 and thankfully made it to work safely.  He'll be there until probably tomorrow night.  We're blessed to be in our warm home, safe and sound, stocked with plenty of food and coffee.  The power is going strong and the firewood is stocked just in case.  Thank you for all of the kind words wishing us well.  Happy to say that all is well on the home front.  : )

Many blessings ~ Wendy  xo

A Sunday Saying and Battening Down the Hatches . . .

We're getting ready to batten down the hatches here in New York.  There is a rather LARGE nor'easter heading our way apparently, complete with snow measuring in feet not inches and high winds.  We're more inland so the wind won't be as bad for us but we're still piling up the porch with firewood just in case we lose power.  After spring like weather last week we're now in the midst of twenty degrees below normal temperatures.  I'm hoping the little buds popping thru the ground will be able to survive. 

Son number one, Connor,  headed out today to catch a plane to Wisconsin for his first ever business trip. He'll be gone for a week, including St. Patrick's Day.  : (   He's so calm about traveling alone.  I don't know how I'd feel about it.  I'm the first to admit I rely way too much on my husband when it comes to the details of getting to the airport and checking in and all the other things that go with it.  Since he was very young, Connor has been pretty much fearless when it comes to new experiences.  I've always tried to give my kids their freedom and their wings as often as I can.  It's so different from when I was a child and we were free to roam and not have to check in until dinner time.  We were safe and never really worried about bad things happening to us.  Not that bad things didn't happen.  We were just blessed to live in a town where we felt safe.   I made him promise he'd text when he was safe and sound in his hotel room.  Thankfully his flights there and back shouldn't be effected by the weather.  How ironic that he's avoiding a snow storm by going to Wisconsin.  BRRRR!!!

Now I'm off to pop a chicken in the oven.  I hope you're having a beautiful and peaceful Sunday!!


~ Wendy xo

First Snow and Other Things . . .

While much of the northeast is in the midst of a holiday nor'easter, our part of New York has barely two inches even after it's been snowing for the last six hours. Megan saw the first snowflake of the season and couldn't wait to go outside and play.  She tried to build a snowman but there just wasn't enough snow yet. 

Brendan joined her and thought it would be funny if they threw snowballs at me while I took these photos out the dining room window.  BRATS!!!  : )

And then, just like that, she was done.

I think the allure of hot cocoa with marshmallows was just too much for her!!  : )

I wish you all a happy and healthy and safe Thanksgiving with your loved ones.  I, for one, have so much to be grateful for and hope you feel the same.  The last couple of weeks around here have been a series of beginnings and endings.  Reflection and hope.  Love and light.  I'm not the same person I was a couple of weeks ago and I am thankful for the lessons I have learned and the people who have been put into my life.  I've also had to say goodbye to a wonderful friend who passed a week and a half ago from cancer.  His words to me were so profound and the bravery he had in the face of death was a true testament to who he was.  Never, ever to be forgotten.

My friend and his daughter.

Many blessings to you ~ Wendy

A One/Two Punch . . .

 Yes, it's snow!!  We're in the midst of a Nor'Easter here in New York.  This storm is packed with high winds (I'm listening to them as I type this) and dumped a couple of inches of snow upon us.  Our power went out for a couple of minutes last night but came back on quickly, thankfully.  Normally, I wouldn't mind this weather.  It is November after all and I live in New York.  After the lack of snow last year other then the Halloween storm, I'm actually kind of looking forward to seeing snow.  This time around though, I can't help but think of all the victims of Hurricane Sandy that have no place to live. No heat. No electricity.  Every time I start to complain about something small, I catch myself and remember. 

Buddha in my garden.

Our little maple tree in the front yard.  This was planted by my first husband not long before he passed away and has a lot of special meaning to us.  I said countless prayers for this tree while Sandy was upon us and it survived with flying colors!!  : )

Footprints in the snow.

Someone needs to pass Mother Nature a bottle of Midol.  She has a serious case of PMS right now!!!  : )


Many blessings for a happy and healthy Thursday ~ Wendy