Cold Winter morning, but not in the house

Much of the nation is experiencing a frigid temperatures....Melissa is experiencing single digit temps which makes our 20's of the morning seem like a heat wave. The wood stove is working over time for me this morning, that metal creaking sound that comes from the expanding and contracting of uneven heat is breaking the silence of the morning. Blue morning sky provides nature paintings extraordinaire framed by my window frames. The smell of freshly brewed coffee has filled every corner of the house....such a welcoming kind of smell, a beckoning, a calling to sit a moment and savor the moment for all that it is. I love mornings like this. There is an easiness to them, a freedom to just stop and look out the window at the birds at the feeder, or the wind blowing old leaves here and there. I think I will plan an indoor picnic for tonight. Spread a blanket on the floor by the stoves copper flames, french bread, cheese, candles lit all over the room, soft music, wine, no I think Champagne sounds better, tall flutes filled with millions of tiny bubbles. I will pack a picnic basket, silly but fun. The cold winter weather will not steal from me the joy of packing a picnic. Life is good, isn't it !

The stove is doing its job, its over 90 in the living room, plenty warm for a picnic : )

Our fuel

The Picnic basket ready for tonight, the strawberries, brie and champagne will stay in the fridge until tonight !