Winter in Vermont

Hi folks, I hope you've all had a magical Christmas with family, or friends, or both. I'm back from  a truly beautiful Christmas with my family in the Northeast Kingdom, and in case you haven't heard, they've gotten a little snow. But Vermonters are used to it, which is why you'll find their pantries well-stocked and shovels ready. While it makes driving a challenge, it has a nice way of slowing everyone down a little and sheds a peaceful calm over everything.

I have a lot of neat things to share over the next few days; among them a new collaborative blogging project that you'll hear more about later and that I hope inspires you!

Stay warm!

Dreaming of a White Christmas

I've been on vacation and have been taking it easy. REALLY easy, actually. Our cat has been sick, and five years into kidney failure, we can expect these peaks and valleys in his health and have learned how to manage the valleys with a variety of medications. The reward is a resilient creature who still loves life.

We're also getting ready for Christmas, which includes driving to Vermont to see my family. My family is not exchanging Christmas gifts this year. With the economy the way it is, it seemed a nice opportunity for everyone to focus on more important things like spending time together. Instead of exchanging gifts, my sisters and I are having a stylish white elephant exchange, which includes anything we haven't worn in some time and that we deem worthy of a continued life. My offerings? A red embroidered satin dress, an ivory shantung silk mandarin jacket, to name a few. I'm really looking forward to this!