Monday, December 21, 2009

Snow Day!

So the urchins are skipping with glee as we sip our hot chocolate, enjoying the first snow day of the year. We should be digging out from under the nearly two feet of snow that fell on Saturday, but do you really think that's how we roll?

Check out our back deck over the course of the storm:

Midnight -- Friday into Saturday

9:00 a.m. Saturday

1:00 p.m. Saturday

4:00 p.m. Saturday

Midnight Saturday into Sunday

Our final total was nineteen inches, which of course shut the entire region down. I know that this snowfall total makes us seem like pikers to folks who live in New England, or the Great Lakes area, or the Rockies. Whatever -- don't be a hater!

We used the time to get the lights on our Christmas tree. Yes. I know that the Big Day arrives momentarily. Did I not tell you that we like to saunter into the Christmas season? -- which Catholic purists will tell you doesn't actually begin until December 25 anyway. I have friends who don't even put their tree up until Christmas Eve -- on purpose! Now that's counter-cultural!

I don't have political reasons for waiting to get my tree up and my Christmas trinkets displayed. I am just intrinsically lazy -- and I have plenty of things to stress out about without adding decorating angst to the list.

My husband and I perfected the "one person wears the lights while the other person strings the lights" technique years ago -- and this year the oldest girl learned from the master.

He believes strongly in the squint method for making sure lights are spaced properly to ensure that perfect, even glow. Try it -- squint at your tree so that your vision is a little blurry. Glasses wearers -- just take your glasses off! If your lights are placed well, your tree will glow evenly. Gaps in the lighting show up very clearly. Don't thank me -- I'm just glad to help.

The decorations might actually get put up today, but stay tuned because it's noon and I'm still in my pajamas. Because (you guessed it) that's how we roll on a snow day!

9 comments:

  1. Lovely! It looks like the "squint" method proves successful!

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  2. that is wonderful!
    great decorating - i saw you got some on the tree too!

    We don't get that snow these days in n.AL :)

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  3. Your tree is beautiful. We are such slackers...ours is still not up. We do have our village out though.

    Love the snow photos too. So pretty after it falls!

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  4. Two inches compared to your 20...You win...Hands down! On another note...don't know if my tree would be up yet if my sister-in-law and nephews (also from Woodbridge) hadn't shown up on my doorstep!

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  5. The snow pics are beautiful. We didn't get much of it. Only 3 inches or snow and it melted quickly. The kids were very disappointed.

    I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

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  6. Merry Christmas. Your tree looks lovely.

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  7. Hi Liz -
    Great pix! I have been absent from the internet because my laptop has a virus that prevents me from accessing the internet! (I have snuck - sneaked? - onto Andy's computer)
    Great pictures of the grand snowstorm. We are getting the arctic blast.
    I am eager to hear about your upcoming teaching ventures. We can chat by e-mail if you'd like.
    Mo

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  8. Love the snow! You have snow furniture...are their snowmen to go with? Putting on tree light is an art form...I remember watching and waiting for my dad to do it. Beautiful tree.

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  9. Looks like a very productive snow-day! Wow, 19"! The photos of everything blanketed in fresh snow are lovely. I love your original technique for putting up the Christmas tree lights!

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