The Pre-Christmas Snowstorm

This is what I woke up to this morning. A winter storm, cold tempetures and wind. I flipped the switch of the prepared ahead coffee maker and curled up on the sofa with only the tiny Christmas lights creating a glow in the dark room. Enjoying the peace and quiet of the early morning, when my husband walked into the room suggesting we drive to a nearby town, to one of our very favorite cafe's for breakfast...in the snowstorm. So, a half hour later we were on our way in our trusty four wheel drive vehicle...in the snowstorm. It was so beautiful! Not many cars on the road...afterall who would venture out in the biggest snowstorm of the season for our area of the country!

As we drove, I thought about the many things that I should be at home doing. No, my tree is not totally decorated...actually it only has the tiny lights strung on it. I thought about the gifts that were waiting to be wrapped, and the food that was waiting to be baked and frozen for Christmas. Yes, I only wished that my tree and living room looked like the picture above. It is from a past edition of The Country Living British Edition magazine. I really like the look of this festive room! But...no, my room and tree do not have the completed look that this room does, and yes, instead I was on my way to breakfast, in a snowstorm.

It was a beautiful drive in the snow, with the world just waking up on Saturday morning. The little cafe' was bustling with town folks. The fire was burning in the fireplace, the coffee was hot and refills were abundant, the friendly server had a great sense of humor, and the staff of the restaurant and the familiar faces of the patrons made this a very special before Christmas event. It all made me forget the many things that needed to be done on my list at home.

After breakfast we made a few stops. One of them was at our daughter and SIL's home to spend a few precious minutes with our grandchildren. For some reason, our daughter is always thrilled when we stop in on Saturday mornings and spend time with the children. It gives both her and her husband a much needed break and gives their grandpa and me a better workout than the day at the gym. Trust me I know whereof I speak.
I love this picture! When we back out of their driveway, they stand on the chair at the window and wave goodbye to us. This morning with the snow flakes coming fast and furious, their little faces show a bit of sadness. They didn't want us to leave.





Upon arriving home, I stretched out in comfort in front of the fireplace. Just kidding! But, when I saw this picture in the Country Living Magazine, it made me wish for the exact setting in my home, especially today. Isn't it beautiful?




Each of these pictures are ones that struck me with their beauty as I looked through my treasured past copies of the Country Living(British Edition) Magazines. I am sure you each come across pictures in magazines that strike a chord within you. Here are a few that I would list as my favorites;






If my tree looked like this one, I would post pictures of it everyday of December.

But, can I tell you that this is one of my very favorite magazine pictures of all time. It is really how I dream of my tree and home looking. It reminds me of our dear friend's log home that they built years ago. The visits to this unique and rustic home have provided special memories for my husband and me. This picture also closely resembles the log cabin blog that I visit quite often. If you want to see what I am talking about visit "buildingalogcabin.blogspot.com/" This talented couple build beautiful log cabins. Their room with the Christmas tree looks similar to this dream home of mine. It is fun to dream once in a while.


Snow adds beauty to everything it touches.

The snow continues to fall creating an amazing white winter wonderland, with much more snow in the forecast for the rest of the afternoon, evening and through the night with predictions of 24 inches from the weatherman. I am home now, the gifts will get wrapped, the tree decorating will be completed, and the baking will get done. Thank you for joining me on this special Saturday morning before Christmas. May your day today find you experiencing moments of joy in the ordinariness of life.