Amazing Grace, The Ethereal Beauty of Winter

7:45

7:46

Up at 6:45, fearing the worst, a foot of snow over night but we only got eight inches.  There's a silence to a heavy snow fall that hangs over the whiteness, nothing moves, only an occasional snow flake falling gently.  As the dawn lightens, I begin to see a frenetic tufted titmouse jump from rhododendron to feeder and back, as the day begins with breakfast for the birds.

Yesterday was a Sunday like many others, different only in that we had to shovel our parking space a couple of  times, the snow continually filling it like a bucket during the day.  We did get some exercise in, fortunately, as we drove off to the Chautauqua Institute to cross country ski.  It  was perfect for skiing, the roads snow covered, with three or four inches of new snow, some tracks as others had been out creating paths.  We walked our typical circle, counter clockwise, the best way, starting at the south gate, skiing as far as Packard Manor and back.  We ran into Jerry and Scott Grice, doing a few things on a house they are about to renovate, busy guys this time of year.  Evie stopped at the Chautauqua Bookstore to do some Christmas shopping and I continued skiing, picked up the car, and drove back to pick her up.

Art Nouveau Norton Hall

Path to Thunder Bridge

Thunder Bridge

I felt like burgers for dinner, so we went to the Lighthouse, picked up some ground chuck, bacon for breakfast, Italian sausage for ziti, and buns before heading home on a slippery road.  As we drove home, a car approached us,  started to slide as we passed and when we looked back, he had done a complete 360º,  into our side of the road.  We were lucky.

We spent the afternoon watching some football, listening to the Browns lose again in the last few minutes, reading, and relaxing.  Evie, however, was determined to get all the present and cookies packed, ready to mail, which took a good part of the afternoon.  At least they are ready to be mailed to our grandchildren today.

More Than A Foot

Later, I cooked the burgers outside in a snow storm, and Evie baked some frozen french fries, leftover no doubt from the summer.  The burgers were  done just right, medium rare, and with pickles, mayo, lettuce and ketchup, they were as good as any restaurant around.  We watched 60 Minutes which interviewed various heads of  NSA, a government agency much maligned recently.  It was interesting to hear their spin on what they do with their data which seems to contradict much of what the papers and Edward Snowden seem to be saying.  Who  can we believe?

We, of course, were merely passing time, waiting for the last episode of Homeland (SPOILER ALERT).  The ending was a surprise to most fans but when we thought about it, it's the only realistic way to end the year.  Brody has served his purpose for three years, somehow survived, but this time, there was no way out without turning the series into a cartoon.  Carrie ends up being promoted and will become Station Chief in Istanbul.  It would be neat if Istanbul became the setting for a new season of Homeland, as Carrie juggles motherhood with combating terrorism, a true modern American Mom.

Amazing, the sun just peaked out through the clouds, the first time in what seems like weeks.