The snow fort…

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Wow! It’s snowing! A lot!

Merry Christmas everyone! 

We are having a wonderful day here at the Garner’s!  Ralph and I are sitting at our kitchen table with our laptops looking out the window at the snow falling, and the birds at the bird feeder, and the ducks trying to navigate the slush in the river.  Our oak tree is beautiful.  Every branch is outlined in snow.  It is a study of thick and thin lines and shades of gray.  The American Holly tree, which is beautiful this time of year, with shiny green leaves and bright red berries, now has snow adorning each leaf and bringing an interesting brightness to what is usually the dark interior structure of the tree. 

Norfolk had 4 inches of snow when I got up this morning, which makes the roads pretty much impassable.  Any Northerners who are snickering condescendingly at this point should get off their “high snow plow” and realize that coastal sea level Norfolk, surrounded by the warm waters of the Chesapeake Bay, and bisected by the Elizabeth and Lafayette rivers doesn’t get snow.  The city doesn’t have snow plows, nor do the citizens of Norfolk purchase and install snow tires or chains each October.  Our children dream of snow and rarely see more than a flurry or an inch at a time.  When it does snow, it is a time of play, and rest, and slowing down. Sometimes against our will, but today, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do, than rest and enjoy the hand of God releasing his storehouses laden with snow upon my city, and do a little chuckling of my own about global warming… At 3 pm we are now at 11 inches in Norfolk…

Grace has been outside, then inside to allow her mittens to dry, and now is back outside make snow forts with the neighborhood children.  Ian woke up slightly before noon, and after inhaling the last of the Christmas Breakfast rolls is out supervising fort making. Ralph and I are feasting on leftovers from yesterday’s small but relaxing Christmas Dinner that we shared with his mother, Midge, and my dad, Gene.  Chef Ralph bribed the turkey in an Apple Cider Brine, then cooked it in an electric roaster on the back porch, (long story) and it was delicious!  We had an appetizer of Brie with carmelized pecans while the Turkey roasted.  We rounded out dinner with our favorite treatment of Brussels Sprouts – cooked with pecans, bacon, onions and celery and then topped with Gorgonzola – plus the traditional Green Bean casserole, Pear and Spinach Salad and Sage Dressing were other side dishes.  Papa Gene contributed a wonderful Apple Crisp Cheesecake for dessert that he received in the mail from Judy, a family friend.  Grandma Midge washed every dish, some of them twice!   

This blog has almost gone full circle.  I started Garner Goings On in January of 2010 on a Sunday, when church was cancelled because of snow and I had some time on my hands.  It languished forlornly as I worked on other projects.  Today, not quite a year later, Church is cancelled, again because of a huge amount of snow and I find myself working on the blog – catching up on a years worth of activities to share and the constant reminder of God’s blessings on my life and that of my family.  (If you are a subscriber, I am thankful for your patience at the emails you are receiving as I update my blog.  Some of the posts are backdated closer to the actual date of the events described.) 

Here are a few pictures taken today:

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Bethlehem’s Best…

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a Church Christmas play.  This year Grace was gifted with the opportunity to play one of the main characters in the play, Bethlehem’s Best, at Ghent UMC, and really enjoyed it!  She also did a wonderful job of acting and singing!  Ian also participated, reluctantly, as one of the three wisemen/kings. 

The Plot: A young girl’s mother, who happens to be Bethlehem’s best baker, has become blind.  Ruhamah tries, but can’t quite match her mother’s skill with the dough.  Still, it’s market day, and the census is in full swing, so off she goes to sell the bread, some of it a little “done.”  Her friend, Rachel, the Inn Keeper’s daughter, encourages her when she feels her prayers are not being answered, and at the end of a very busy day there is a bright star overhead, perfect for a “wish,” and a weary young couple looking for a place to stay.

Here are some photos!

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Art Class

While it is true that Grace is taking a wonderful Studio Art Class at Homeschool Plus, there is absolutely nothing like taking advantage of current events to provide enrichment to your child’s homeschooling experience.  Snow days are no exception! 

Here Grace worked on an art project – a sculpture of a cat with a ball of yarn – using snow as her medium of expression!  Which is fancy homeschool talk for making a snow cat! 

Note:  There are absolutely no printables, no lapbooking or notebooking pages, or other resources attached.