xtcian

suuuuch a cute picture - lucy is getting so big, i can see her feet sticking out of tessa's jacket...

It has just stopped snowing this morning for the first time since it started on Saturday - 72 hours non-stop. The poor Thai consultant who was due to fly back to bangkok on Saturday has been stranded here - and they just cancelled her flight out again today. The rumor on the street is that all outgoing flights will be cancelled until the end of the year...

Yesterday my colleague and I roasted almonds on the woodburning stove (boukhari) in our office that is our main source of heat. Today we made espresso on it... and accidentally burned a hole in the carpet when we set the pot down there.

I hate cold toilet seats.

Surveying the rooftops from my window I see at least 10 men out shoveling snow off their mud rooftops to prevent them from collapsing. Kabul is so clean when it snows and the Hindu Kush are stunning - the sun is finally out and it's one of those perfect ski days; I imagine the overcrowded city buses that go by are full of skiers... and the American military patrol vehicles with gunmen sticking out of the top are snow groomers.. if only...

My nose has already taken to bleeding from the dry heat; on my way out for a run yesterday, I was nearly blown off the stoop by a gust of wind and promptly went back inside to change into warmer clothes; and I'm finally getting to wear my new leather jacket with the soft, fuzzy lining that I bought on excellent sale at Macy's a month and a half ago. In other words, bring it on! I like cold weather (within reason).

Snow yesterday. Gone by last night.

The most amazing "snow moon" Sunday night, directly overhead... huge white circle around the ice-white moon. We stood in the street without jackets, shivering, staring up at it.

Clanking of steam radiators in our house.

The annual malfunction of the antiquated heat system at work; parkas recommended as office attire.

Scarves and mittens scattered around our house. (grrr)

My recent successful quest for the old-fashioned kind of ear muffs that go over the top of your head, not around the back, was just in time. (LL Bean has them. So does eBay. Yay.)

The air snaps with cold and sparkles with Christmas lights. This is the upside of living in a northern climate.

Your "girls" are adorable.

Larger and more frequent Gingerbread Lattes.

Cute shoes on Lucy!

Now willing to get my Christmas on - installed huge, fragrant wreath on the front door.

We don't have miserable winters (or even, winters in general) in Atlanta, though its gotten down to the 20's this week. But I'm a southern wimp when it comes to temperatures <50 degrees. Though I'm a baby given Jif's boukhari, I'd like to give a shout out to Garages. I love my garage in winter. No scraping ice off the windshield, no warming the car up. Just hop in my car in my 55 degree garage and roll out in the morning. Simple pleasures.

I love winter, especially around Christmas in New York. And the city under a blanket of snow is so muffled and wonderfully out of time that I don't even mind the giant lakes of grey slush that accumulate around the catchbasins at the streetcorners.

Spending my first Christmas in LA...I miss snow...

I love watching the horses at my barn grazing on frosty grass in their matching blankets.

First big snow here in Chicago. Snow doesn't really melt here; it just takes up semi-permanent residence until the spring thaw. I've been felled by a wicked case of food poisoning, so I'm behind in my shoveling/de-icing duties, and things are a tad treacherous on my back porch steps right now. I think it was 13 degrees last night. My dogs sleep pretty close to me on nights like we're having here.