The Treasure of a Walk in the Snow

This Florida girl made her first snowperson a couple of days ago and now I feel I am truly adapting to this Arctic chill. The snow doesn’t seem to be letting up so I decided that I was just going to have to venture into it and hope for the best.

Got my winter coat, gloves, boots and hat plus the mail and a library book to return and off I went to run errands on foot (well actually gingerly step and hope to not fall on the ice more than run).

It really is a treat to walk around our small town and see the sights from the quaint brick buildings with 200 years of history to the trees that were oh so green just a few months ago. Once in a while I even spy a bird or squirrel not ready to hibernate.

With snow so white covering the ground in a blanket of crunchy freeze, I enjoy the walk, but am so happy to get home and to a nice cup of hot cocoa.

My Homemade Hot Cocoa

12 oz hot milk (either heated in a pot or the microwave)

2 TBSP Naturally Unsweetened Hershey’s Cocoa

1-1/2 TBSP Sugar

½ tsp of instant coffee (it really makes the chocolate pop!)

Dash of salt

Mix all the ingredients and adjust to taste. Sip while warm, but don’t burn your tongue.

Optional:

* 1-2 TBSP Maraschino Cherry Juice (for a chocolate-covered cherry) with a shot of brandy or bourbon (for a chocolate-covered cherry cordial)

* Peppermint stick to stir the cocoa (for a chocolate mint cocoa)

* Melt a dollop of fudge (for a super chocolatey cocoa)

* Marshmallows, Whipped Cream (traditional)

* Crystalized ginger (for a ginger snap cocoa)

The list could be endless. Today I picked the candy cane for a hint of cool in my hot cocoa!

Snow Mornings – 40 Days of Thankfulness

Today is the second day this season of waking up to snow. Since it snowed on Oct 23, it is believed that we will have 23 days of snow this winter/fall. So this is day two and it’s beautiful.

And to top off this wonderful beauty is that it is a clear day with bright sunshine making the snow sparkle and gleam even more for a winter wonderland kind of feel.

It’s also the first day that I am working at the cupcake shop in town so I get to walk to work in the glistening snow and hopefully avoid the annoyance of ice along the way.

There’s just nothing like it. Growing up snow free, I really appreciate the purity of the perspective and the chill in the air, especially with the warming sun to counteract the shivers.

Thank you, God for such a beautiful day – it is such a treasure. 

My Letter Home - March 12

It has been a busy week with lots of ups and downs, literally. Paul and I explored a lot more of the area, including working in a date night at Mad River Mountain to go tubing. It was a first for both of us. Though I was nervous, I kept my cool since children, that were a quarter of my age, seemed to be braver than I when it came to sliding down the hill, but we did it together and after the first round, I was hooked!

It’s exhilarating, fun, dizzying and such a powerful experience. We went about 13 times, when the unlucky occurred. The guy who flings you down the hill decided to add even more spin to our tubes and the centrifugal force shot me clear out of the tube as I braved the hill on my back and then my front. No worries. I wasn’t afraid, nor hurt, and not even bruised, but that called an end to the night. I can’t wait to go back next year.

On Friday, we ventured out with our friend Cory who drove us around Columbus including OSU. We had coffee in Grandview, which is like Hyde Park. I had a lemon and cherry scone that was so delicious with a crunchy sugary crust and tender inside and a wonderful cup of coffee. Cory took us through downtown Columbus to show us the cool theatre (where we can catch documentaries and the independent of the independent films), German Village (where there is a walking tour of food and beer) and the Half Price Books Store (priceless). Paul and I want to go back and maybe catch a movie and dinner sometime to check out whatever else the city has to offer.

As I mentioned in last week’s letter, I was waiting for snow, and we got it – about 8 inches. Wednesday morning we woke up in a winter wonderland. Since we slept in snuggled warmly in our bed, we had to get to work as soon as we got up, shoveling our front sidewalk and driveway, as well as helping out at the church. I’ve never seen snowplows and told Paul that’s what I wanted for Christmas since it seemed like so much fun to push the snow around. After 2 hours of shoveling (which scored me a lot of activity points) I made a snow angel and a few snowballs until it felt like my fingers were going to freeze right off. The rest of the afternoon, I watched the neighborhood kids sled down the hill behind the house and enjoy their snow day. It was a wonderful day!

The weekend warmed us up with highs in the 50s and I could shed a layer and watch the crocus emerge from the snow.

What I Miss Most About Home: The Beach – “The beach is a place where a man can feel he’s the only soul in the world that’s real” – Pete Townsend.

What I Like Most About My New Home: Tubing!!!