More Snow On The Way
Bird feeders filled, chores done, broccoli picked, fire blazing in the wood stove, and lentil soup filling the house with that good sort of winter day aroma that makes you anxious for supper time when the fresh bread will be out of the oven and apple pie cooling on the hutch.The sky is changing by the moment, a giant gray quilt so neatly quilted into tiny puffs all across the vast expanse of the sky. It is a fine winter day, one perfectly suited to reading or knitting and perhaps some spinning of some new brown merino that has been calling me from the basket it sits in.
I love this time of year when its such joy to cozy up by the fire and dream or think or just listen to the birds at the feeders. Its time for me to get out my old edition of The Long Winter and read it, just as I do every winter and count my blessings for food in the kitchen cabinets and think a bit about the "stuff" that folks so long ago were made of. Grit, determination and deep faith, that saw so many of them through the most difficult situations. I like that my husband is of that pioneering stock and I can see in him, that same kind of grit that makes him who he is.
Life is good.
Comments
I first read The Long Winter during one in Vermont that was particularly cold and short of funds. J. was tending the farm days and driving a fuel truck nights for some cash income. As difficult as our winter seemed, we had wood for the fires and we had eggs and milk from the farm, stores of grains and dried fruits, honey, flour and such from a local food coop, as well as the garden produce I had canned and frozen.
Years later I learned through my family research that Almanzo Wilder grew up a few miles away from my maternal g-grandfather in Burke, NY.
We've got more snow coming here, too. And I also like to read "The Long Winter" at times like this. :)