Something I Am Good At

And getting better at all the time, if I might be so bold: Shoveling the car out of feet and feet of snow!
This time actually wasn't as bad as the last couple of times. The snow wasn't icy and hard and had already melted off the top so it went pretty quickly. Plus actually being able to see the car when you walk up next to it is an encouraging feeling.


The car's not hidden back there. This pic just shows how high the snow is piled (and more snow is coming on Tuesday?!?)


Here's the car.
Let's see, where should we start? And yes, there is a strategy involved with digging out.


First use a broom to sweep the snow off the car itself. Get the car completely clean before you start moving snow away from the ground near the car (doing this in reverse means you have to move the snow on the ground twice).
Next shovel out the street side of the car (the sidewalk side doesn't matter-- you'll have to crawl through the passenger's door to get in but everybody does that).


The above photo should look like the photo below if done properly:





Ahh, a job well done. And I got out on my first try! (For which the other shovelers around me literally cheered. You become close to the other shovelers, you know? As each one breaks free of their snowy bonds the optimism grows that you too will soon be free.)
Sweet Husband is ill. He was off the shoveling hook today. Feel better, Dear!

I'll be perfectly honest

I'm terrible at making snow men. I feel like if I set my mind to something I can accomplish it. I understand the mechanics and the process of making a snow man, I just can't do it. I'm blaming it on the snow, though. I think it was too fluffy and wouldn't stick together well. Also when rolling the snow balls around so that they can gather more snow they fall so far into the snow that they can't be retrieved so maybe I'm also blaming the fact that there's too much snow. (Too much snow to make a proper snow man? Is that possible?)
Here is the snow man Adele and I made yesterday:


He looks great right? Like every snow man you've ever seen, right?

If only he weren't in jeopardy of being crushed by dwarfs...

Family Photos

While we were in Mississippi for Christmas we took family photos with my mom and step dad and sister.
While the white t-shirt and jeans is a classic family photo move, we opted to shake it up a bit.
They turned out really well! I would highly recommend this photographer if you're in the Jackson area!

All photos taken by Ryan Wade.

Hevens to Betsy

I wonder how that phrase got popularized...
Anyway, like I was saying, Heavens to Betsy, we got about 15 new inches of snow last night. And when that happens I DO NOT drive. I take the train to work which is much easier and safer (for everyone I'm sure). So this morning's walk to the station was a bit hairy.



I love taking the first steps in fresh snow. And then I realized it was up to my knees. And then i realized I had mistakenly chosen short duck boots instead of waders today. (not that I have waders, but they would have been useful today nonetheless)


Not an inch of plowed sidewalk anywhere in sight. So I joined the herds of business folk who were taking to the streets.


This drift is taller than me!! By a couple feet!





Other than the lone tire track, can you find the road?



Since there was another snow day we ventured outside to make snow angels and ice chairs and Martha sunk completely under the snow when angels were attempted.


See Tiffanie? To the right? Behind the snow mountain? See the three foot fence on the left for reference.


Hi, Tiffanie!
Hope you're having a snow-riffic day today!

It's almost the weekend again

What a busy week it's been! I've been working a lot (design work!) and hanging out with the coolest 16 month old I know! On top of that is running, fighting the onset of a cold (or maybe just laryngitis) and battling through winter, snow, and ice here in Boston (12 more inches expected this evening- that's on top of the 50 we've already received)...
Oh, yes, and poor Bryan thinks the flu is taking over his body.

Heaven help us!

This Can't Be Real

...WIND CHILL WARNING... DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILL VALUES. 25 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN THE WIND CHILL INDEX IS LIKELY TO FALL TO -25 DEGREES OR COLDER FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS. A WIND CHILL INDEX BELOW -30 CAN BRING ABOUT FROSTBITE IN AS LITTLE AS 10 MINUTES. OUTDOOR EXPOSURE SHOULD BE LIMITED. IF YOU ARE HEADING OUTDOORS...DRESS IN LAYERS AND KEEP YOUR HANDS AND HEAD COVERED TO PROTECT AGAINST FROSTBITE

This is our current weather report for this evening. I was outside a few minutes ago and had on 5 layers and was still chilled to the bone. Frostbite?!
Summer, come quickly...

I ran four miles today

And nobody was even chasing me or anything! (then I fell down the stairs at my house, but you can go on thinking about how awesome I was for running four miles and not how lame I was for falling down the stairs).

And what did I do this evening to mostly negate my exercise?? Binged on the most delicious Chinese take out we've found yet!

Beautiful Things

With winter's fury in full force here in New England, I find my mind wandering to warmer places. In those daydreams are always popsicles and picnics and gardens. While our garden won't be immaculately abundant again this year simply because of it's small size, that doesn't mean I won't have ample opportunity to use my new cook book!

We saw numerous hand written wooden signs shoved into the ground advertising 'pick your own fruit' last year. I plan to take full advantage of those signs this year!

The book is beautifully written with stories and memories and is divided into months and what is in season in those months.

I can't wait to get started with this book!

All of the beautiful photographs are from "The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook" written by Rachel Saunders and photographed by Sara Remington.

Here and There: A Difference

This is a bag of coarse ground corn meal. I feel certain that it would not have the 'also known as polenta' part if it were being marketed in Mississippi.
I've encountered a few people who wanted to know what a grit was. You just have to say, "It's like polenta but better" and know that they won't believe you.

Also it snowed six more inches here today. Six. More. Inches. What were the pilgrims thinking??

An Inaugural Run

I broke in my new running shoes today. The shoe store girl said the lifespan of a pair of good running shoes is six months. It seems that my old ones were about six years overdue for retirement, and I didn't even know it!






We waited all day for the temperature to climb above ten so we could go running and I can't verify that it ever did especially after windchill. Yikes. Why am I doing this again??
Oh yes, it was resolution number 1... And while we're discussing resolutions, I saved $20 by using coupons at the grocery store today!! Not too bad for my first try. It can only get better from here!

1st Annual Mass-issipi Party

Laura threw the 1st Annual
Mass-issippi party last night at her place. It was a true melding of Massachusetts people and Mississippians (and a few other southerners). I think some of those northerners didn't quite get it. But there was moonshine (from Southern Living) drunk out of mason jars


and cornbread and black eyed peas so at least it was legit.


I also whipped up a batch of my great granny's hush puppies. So yummy!
We left as everyone started singing as a group so I can only deduce that the moonshine was a hit!

Resolution #1

Here I come!


Bryan and I are training (outdoors) for a half marathon!!
So far so good! I'm still excited about it so I think that says a lot.

But for now, it's the Friday eve of a long weekend and I'm so excited! A Mass-issippi party awaits and brunch and whatever else I want to do!

Happy Friday!

Snow Much Fun!

Martha had snow day number two today so we got to hang out!
She chose to bake a cake today so we had to go get eggs. As we trekked through snow and treacherous unshoveled pathways we discussed many new discoveries. Like how ice looks like water but is slippery and makes you fall and how icicles form from drips of water. Then she ate one.



We did some sledding:






We made some snow ice cream:





We all baked our cake and to make the requested purple icing we learned about what colors should be mixed to make purple.
And after all that, we danced!
We had snow much fun!

Snow Day

We've gotten over a foot of snow so far today. The city is mostly shut down, and I got a snow day!

I could think of no better way to spend the day than with my sweetie indoors and baking!

We started out with warm steel-cut oats with apples and cinnamon:

Then my first cake from the triple layer cook book! It's a Buttermilk Sponge Cake with Raspberry-Cranberry Preserves and a White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

 The yummy preserves... which I'll make lots more of to store in the fridge for biscuits and toast!

And now, the vegetable pot pie is in the oven... what a nice way to spend a very cold day!

A True Nor'easter

Boston has just been declared Blizzard Central and is now under a snow emergency. I decided if I get trapped indoors I'll want to bake so I picked up a few supplies and a few staples. Bryan already got the bread & milk.


Pay no attention to that Ben&Jerry's behind the eggs. Like I said, staples.
Well, 12-18 inches, here we come!