And now, back to our normal forecast!

Well, the winter 'honeymoon' period is over! After almost 2 months of little to no snow in western Newfoundland, the weather seems to have reverted to normal.Our senior's cottage community has a local man who shovels the pathways from one cottage to the next to the parking lot: he shovels when he feels like it, and he warned me it could be the middle of the night.I don't normally hear him: but last night, I woke at 2 am and again at 5 am to the scrape, scrape, scrape of shovel on concrete.Yet when I awoke at 7 am, you couldn't tell anyone had been here! I'm grateful that I no longer have to make my way to work but can nest safely in my little home.I'm also grateful that I took an extra long walk yesterday, not only for the health benefits and fresh air in my lungs but because it's part of how I spend all the new-to-me hours in my day.

It was very cold and crisp yesterday, one of those days when the light is somehow different and in the midst of all that snow, everything seems to have a bolder outline.I took the path by the brook like I've done a few times, but this time, I crossed the main road to what used to be the old road before we had a highway.I walked on the bridge we always crossed back in the 60's when my family would head to our cabin at Big Bonne Bay Pond.It brought back such memories: Mom and Dad in the front seat with baby on Mom's lap, 4 kids crammed in the back complaining about who's touching who, and the dog on the back window! (The days before seatbelts!!!) But somehow, we all survived.

I spent a good hour outside and my legs were happy to be home again.I made myself a gourmet hot chocolate with frothy hot milk (I love my milk frother!).And I also had some apple crisp that I'd baked earlier.The week before, I'd bought some raisin oatmeal cookies on sale, but I didn't really care for them.

Being on a fixed income and not wanting to waste money, I turned them into crumbs, rubbed in some soft butter, added some chopped walnuts and used this as my crisp topping.It was delicious!I have no plans for this snowy day other than a little puttering ......and the remainder of that crisp!How's your day going?Namaste!