A Snowy Birthday

I like my January birthday.  It's unpredictable.  As a child, invited guests could sometimes count on sledding down the hill behind our house.  When noses were chilled, mother would break out a large thermos of steaming hot chocolate and, soon, we were ready to tackle the ride to the bottom and the trudge back up that great incline.  I didn't envy my summer birthday friends.  I still don't.

We had our first snow on my birthday this year.

Front Yard

January 12, 2012

Back Yard

January 12, 2012

The Baker is nursing a cold.  I defrosted the chicken soup (always on hand in the winter freezer) for him a few days ago and realized he couldn't be counted on to bake me a cake.  It was quite evident that we wouldn't be going out for dinner either.

Undaunted, I decided to give myself a day of being truly self-indulgent.  First a soak in a bubble bath replaced my morning shower.  I lingered so long that the dog started whining outside the bathroom door!

I wrapped myself in a cozy warm robe and, shod in fuzzy house shoes and leg warmers, it was my dress for the day.

Positioning myself between the fireplace and the front windows, I read The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson and 

drank hot chocolate laced with puffy marshmallows and watched the snow fall.

It was a very good birthday!