A Favorite Childhood Poem, First Snow by Mary Louise Allen

Snow makes whiteness where it falls,
The bushes look like popcorn balls.
And places where I always play,
Look like somewhere else today.

Snow!!, Ping pong, Snow!!, Buche de Noel

1. Snowflakes twirl and dance in the lighted window.
2. I enjoy the sound of hoots, laughs and yells that emanate from the basement during a ping pong game.
3. Late, dark and still. The only sound outside is the "sssss" of snow falling. We are repeatedly drawn to the windows and doors in order to witness this spectacle of a snowstorm. We grew up with these in NY, but we've never seen this much in Virginia. The excitement builds!
4. The Buche de Noel plate returns home empty, with the story of the boy who got the last big piece and happily carried it around school, nibbling on it all morning.

Time, Dog Prints, Steinway

1. We have 5 hours between appointments and it's too far to drive back home in between. So, we take our time browsing the antique mall and our favorite used book shop, then out to lunch.
2. I find a copy of Real Tales of Real Dogs with etchings by Diana Thorne. I have been searching for her dog etchings, individually, for over a year and here is the entire bound copy at a bargain price! I have found a treasure today.
3. The Steinway baby grand sounds rich, beautiful and notably different than anything I'm used to hearing. It looks beautiful, too.

Gunner, Sage & Balsamic roast chicken, Wrapping gifts

1. Gunner-the-Lab has sleepy eyes when he wakes up in the morning.
2. Sage and Balsamic roasted chicken for dinner. THE BEST. Whisk 2Tbl. olive oil and 2 Tbl. Balsamic vinegar with S., P. and 1/2 tea. sugar. Gently put several sage leaves and 2 cloves finely chopped garlic under the chicken's skin. Brush all over with the oil mixture; pour remaining into cavity. Roast at 350 F. for 1 1/2 hours. Strain juices from pan, skim off fat and serve warm over chicken.
3. Coffee at my side, I spend the evening wrapping presents.

Red bottle, Choir, Happy

1. B. gave me the prettiest embossed glass bottle filled with red raspberry liqueur. It has a scene of pine trees, a deer and a log cabin on it.
2. Over one hundred children's voices blended together, singing Christmas songs. Beautiful music at the Singing School concert set me into the Christmas spirit.
3. Daughter #4's smile throughout the concert. Months of practicing, butterflies in the stomach, songs irritatingly stuck in her head, culminate into smiles.

Giving, Sunshine, Pooped

1. A car stops in the walkway to the store entrance. The driver beckons the Salvation Army lady to her car window and hands her a ziploc bag full of change.
2. This spring-like day is a nice reprieve from winter's blast.
3. After Henri's 3 mile walk, he lies around useless for the rest of the evening. I suppose 3 miles is a long walk for little 12 inch legs.