two snow days in a row + winter wonderland

If you're a West Michigander, you are probably quite aware that the January snow has arrived. From shoveling to snow plowing to slipping on those white-covered roads, winter is here. For awhile there, I thought we might not get any snow but I was definitely mistaken.

I'm sure the local children started jumping up and down and wailing when they discovered that school was cancelled Tuesday and today, but when I got the memo, I was unfortunately not as excited. I remember as a child watching the news station flip through the cancellations, crossing my fingers and toes in hopes that we had a snow day. As an hourly employee at the school now, I was a little disappointed. I actually enjoy working with the students everyday, hearing their extravagant stories, and watching them grow.

So, for the last two days, I have been bundled up, trying to keep myself busy as the wind blows outside my window. Who knows if we'll have a third snow day tomorrow but for once, I hope we do because my dad will be having surgery on his back tomorrow and I wish I could be there for him. We shall see.

I did venture into the cold abyss to capture the beauty of freshly fallen snow with my free time. Sadie, my black lab shepherd mix, loves to dive into the fluff. She is adorable with all those flakes on her black fur.

snowflakes a' fallin'

snow looks so beautiful perked on the branches

i borrowed my mom's boots and i definitely got some snow in my socks

sadie looks like she's stalking something

the boughs were sagging with all that snow hanging on them

 close your eyes, let the snowflakes fall on your face, experience winter firsthand

Lovin' the sun

I'm not sure how to say this without bragging, but Washington has had perfect weather the last few days - warm, sunny, and blue skies. Back home in Michigan, from what I hear, the snow has been debilitating. The Oceana County Sheriff's Department has been repeatedly urging people to stay off the roads and use caution when braving the storm. A deputy even had to abandon his police cruiser in the extremely cold conditions after being stranded for 7 hours. 

Here on Bainbridge, spring has sprung. There have been a few conversations over lunch at YES! about how warm this winter has been. Usually, Bainbridge gets at least a little bit of snow, but this year, we've only been dusted once. Although I can't complain, I wonder how it will affect the crops and if this will have consequences. Nonetheless, I'm going to enjoy the sunshine.

The last few weekends, I've taken a stroll down to Eagle Harbor and sat on the driftwood watching the ferry dock and depart. With the shore being very rocky, it's better to just sit and listen to the water slosh up rather than brave walking on the slippery stones. I've done it, and it's not as fun as walking on the smooth, sandy shoreline of Lake Michigan.

The flowers are blooming on the island.

Look at all those rocks. Very hard to walk on them.

Glass bottle on shore.

Eagle Harbor

My dad keeps asking if I've gotten any pictures of the mountains. Here's a pic of the ferry coming back from Seattle and the mountains in the background.

Blizzards and Gizzards: Thanksgiving from Michigan

Like I said here, my mom is a decorator/holiday event extraordinaire, and she sent me some pics from her Thanksgiving table. I had to share because it looks wonderful.

I saw her ideas brewing on Pinterest with every Thanksgiving pin, like this adorable cornucopia made with sugar cones and stuffed with candy to make a holiday-themed place card. Don't miss the other details like the jute around the silverware.

My mom has been talking about amber glass for years and she finally found some goblets and other dishes on one of our antique/flea market adventures.

We might have a jello addiction at our house. Every year we make jello eggs and jello-beans for Easter. While I was away at college, my mom would send me jello molds for every holiday, and now she has found a jello turkey!

Thanks, dad, for teasing me! My parents sent this pic with the message at the bottom. Sorry for the vegetarians out there, but turkey skin is so delicious - moist, juicy, kinda crunchy, the most flavorful part of the turkey.

When I was little, my dad's side of the family would get together for Thanksgiving dinner. I would see my grandma sneak away to the kitchen and steal pieces of the skin. Now every year when I hear the electric knife start, it's my cue to wander into the kitchen for a piece of skin. It's kind of like my me and my dad's tradition because when I get there, my dad has left a pile for me.

I keep hearing that it's snowing a lot in Michigan, but it just goes in one ear and out the other because it's always snowy in Michigan. I guess I should have realized that it was bad when numerous people said they went in the ditch, but it didn't hit me until I looked at this picture of my backyard.

Washington is warm and rainy. When I look at all that snow, I'm not sure I'm ready for blizzard weather three weeks. But I have to admit, it does look like a beautiful winter wonderland.