’twas the night before…

Tags

Christmas, life, nature, personal, snow, winter

…returning to work after a full week of staycation. I’m not going to deny it, there is a nagging dread of going back to work, with the option of sleeping in and then spending the first few hours of the morning with coffee and quiet time no longer there. Tomorrow will start with the 4:45 AM alarm, a 70 mile commute, and the reality of an email inbox that has not had my attention for over a week. I just planned out my week, the first three days a challenge due to knee appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday. That means I need to start work early each of my first two days back, since I need to be at the doctor’s by 3:45 in the afternoon on Tuesday — a nice 70+ mile drive from the office. Good thing I am rested up!

Our house is festive both inside and out. Friday, I spent a good portion of the day putting up the Christmas lights and yard decorations. Lisa and our granddaughter did a delightful job turning the inside of the house into a beautiful Christmas display. We all put the tree up and decorated it this afternoon, a warm fire crackling in the fireplace, Christmas Vacation (Lisa’s favorite) and A Christmas Story (my favorite) on the TV while we worked on the tree. Lisa and I put together a tasty Sunday lunch, something we do every Sunday after church. With our granddaughter here, I also had to whip up a batch of mashed potatoes (with cheese, sour cream, lots of butter, and bacon), her request for nearly every Sunday lunch.

Outside is a winter wonderland, the first winter snow of the season blanketing the lawn and trees. I’m not sure how much snow there was, but it looks like it must be around 8 inches. We woke up to the snow yesterday morning, which I loved until I had to go outside and clear the snow from the drive and walks. To my chagrin, the snowblower that I got over the summer didn’t work very well. The snow was deep and wet, so it clogged the discharge chute. I finally had to resort to using the shovel. My next door neighbor was grateful that I cleared his driveway and walks, which I was glad to do. He cleared ours several times last winter. Bill came outside to thank me, and later on knocked on our front door with a gift of Christmas cookies and hot chocolate mix.

Lisa and I spent the majority of this afternoon languishing on the couch, cozy and warm from the fire. We have enjoyed several fires in the fireplace the past few days. We will earn some more of those lazy days from our work this week!

Tree Talk

Tags

garden, gardening, nature, plants, trees

Thankful am I this day for plant recognition phone apps. My phone houses an app called Leafsnap, and lately it has been used a great deal. With a new abode comes opportunities to explore the plants that come along with it. Lisa and I are relishing the adventure of discovering the green friends that share our home with us. We are learning their names, and recognize the varieties of trees that surround us.

Trees are a distinctive feature of our yard. Front, back and side yards are shrouded in the varying shade rendered by the arbors. There is a nice magnolia next to the large picture window that overlooks the backyard, large dark pink blooms beginning to bloom at the top. A twin to that magnolia is directly opposite, in the same corner of our front porch, a large picture window in the front allowing us joy. Our living room has picture window bookends, with magnolias capping each. Our next task is to identify the type of magnolia, which we know can be done by the color and size of the blooms. I am trying to find out how to care for them, not wanting to do damage in my zeal. Tuesday evening, I pruned the lower branches and got rid of the cross branches, but managed to reel in my enthusiasm enough to save from giving the trees a bad haircut. Our back and front views from our living room are significantly better, as a result.

A large honey locust enhances our view of the pond lake behind us. Our back yard slopes down to a large pond that we prefer to call a pond lake. ‘Lake’ sounds so significant, ‘Pond’ so serene, thus our reluctance to restrict the description to just one word. Lisa likes the calming effect of the fountains used to aerate the pond lake. We both find the view through the honey locust an appropriate accent. Monday evening, while we lounged outside after a late dinner, a heron clumsily cruised over our heads to perch in the honey locust, a delicate outline on the horizon, wings outstretched while it settled in.

A tall river birch nestles next to the magnolia at the back corner of the house. There is a beauty in the paper like off white bark that seems to peel off the trunk of the tree. River birches are prone to pests, and the tall stump remains of an oppressed river birch stands at the far left corner of our back yard, a stark yet soft presence, and we can’t help but wonder what kind of beauty it added before it needed to be cut down. The squirrels like to frolic in the tall branches of the other river birch, use it for rooftop access, much to my chagrin. Squirrels are pests, IMO, but they are drawn to the many trees in our yard, and despite their pest status they are fun to watch. There have been plenty of squirrel encounters in the few weeks we have lived in the Warbler house. Our squirrels are spoiled brats with an entitled attitude, and they openly display that attitude when challenged.

There are three majestic, dense spruces living with us. All are as tall or taller than the house. Once again, they are a squirrel haven, but the squirrels have to fight for space inside the spruces with the variety of birds that also are drawn to our haven. I have yet to learn all of species of birds we see, but there are a number of doves that live in the branches of the spruces, and their soothing coos are heard each morning and evening. Cardinals also flit from branch to branch, something that is so fun to watch.

Other fibrous residents in our back yard include a white birch, poplar, black oak, several maples. Our front yard has another type of birch, a honey locust, and an oak. There is another spruce next to the driveway. The garage side of our house has an arch entrance that leads to the back yard, with a canopy of yet to be identified shrubs lining the sidewalk.

We love the house on Warbler, recognize the blessing God has given to us. Our dreams are filled with ways we can make our own mark on our surroundings. Lisa spends a great deal of time looking at other plant possibilities, has already order several different varieties of bulbs to plant for next year’s new arrivals. If there was room for new trees, there would be more to plant!

One thing I need to say in closing — I am brought to my knees before God in thanks for the blessings that have become so much easier to recognize. Six years ago, when I was in the doldrums of separation and divorce, the blessings were hidden from me by the dark cloud that surrounded me. How wonderful it is to be able to break through those clouds, to easily recognize what I have been given. It’s changed the way I approach God, has allowed me to see His glory and to seek His glory. I pray for that each day, want to give God the glory He created me for. To God be the glory, His mercy and blessings are great.