no unnecessary travel!

...the storm has arrived.  We have had freezing cold temps here in NY state, and now the snow comes...before tomorrow morning, we should have 18-22 inches of new snow.  So today, we're hunkering down and staying home.  Everything is cancelled, and the roads are slick, when it's so cold out the salt doesn't work.  

It's cozy and comfy and the girls have helped clean up.  We're thinking of baking some artisan bread today, to warm it up in here and make it smell yummy, but oh dear, I'm not sure I want to be snowed in with fresh bread.  

Yesterday was a wonderful day, one for the books.  Suzanne came and spent the day here.  Jonathan and Rosi had arrived in the night, traveling back from their vacation down south, to pick up little Juniper.  They settled into the guest room for some much needed sleep, for a few hours.  Sonja came over with baby Kaia, so we had quite a nice gathering.  Sonja also brought Chinese food, so it was a proper party.

Rosi, Suzanne, Sunny, Juni, Winston (Suzanne and Zech's dog, he looks so much like Suri, we can almost not stand it, but he's a huge sweetheart of course!)

Sunny and Orange Guy.  I don't know why it tickles me so much that they're friends...

Miss Kettler is very happy that Juni has left, she was here for ten days and stole Kitty's prized spot on my lap.  Orange Guy and Juni were hilarious together, they actually chased each other and played.  Kettler was much more hissy and hesitant, but came around eventually and realized that Juni was no threat.  

Char is working on a sweater for Kaia (Suzanne made a beautiful lavender wool blend pullover with a matching headband, so sweet!).  Cam is looking up recipes, she wants to make pies or tarts or something.  Paul is working out and taking care of the cardboard.  (we separate it, and every week or so, he puts it in the burn pile out back, the joys of living in the country!  All those Amazon and Target boxes...)

I wish I could say that my walking has greatly improved.   I can say that it doesn't feel as awful when I put weight on the new knee, and I am doing lots of exercises here at home.  I am managing to get around, but not without some pain and discomfort.  I'll take it though, and power through it, because I really want mobility back.  It helps to remember how hard it was to get around before surgery, when I would be on my feet for a while, and my knee would start screaming and lock up.  There were times I could barely get into the car, the leg didn't want to straighten.  There were times I could barely sit in my chair, it didn't want to straighten.  Now, I can't be up and about for too long but it's getting better.  I don't know why this has been such an uphill battle, but the therapist says, "If it were easy, everyone would be doing it."  Well.  It seems to ME, that everyone IS doing it, and they're doing so well, but comparison being the thief of joy and all, we won't go there.  My battles are my battles, and whether it's because I'm doing things all wrong, or it's how my body is, or something is a little off somewhere, I don't know.  But.  I am okay.  :)

This day is going by so fast.  I helped Camille make pie dough, she is making mixed berry pies with merengue topping.  We made extra pie crust so we can make chicken pot pie tomorrow.  This fine evening, the girls might make a pizza, and we're having crispy chicken thighs.  Our grocery order got frozen, some of the food, just because it was zero degrees and some of it spent the night in the car.  Sonja would have carried all of it in, but I didn't want her to have to do that.  So the stew beef is in the freezer, and the burger and chicken are in the refrigerator, I will have to be creative in how to use it all without refreezing it...thinking to make pot pies, then use the rest of the chicken Wednesday.  The ground beef, I'll make burgers Tuesday, then cook up all the rest and make taco burger, freeze in freezer bags.  

It's been snowing out all day long.  It's different than our lake effect snow, this N'oreaster snow.  It's coming from the east, and the flakes are smaller.  It's piling up though!  By the time it's done, and we add on the extra lake effect that usually follows this type of storm, we'll have much more than two feet.  

Now football is on, and the Broncos are doing fine, although I don't care much...it is growing on me.  I do wish Sam were here to watch it with me!  

Orange Guy wants to attack Char's yarn!

You all have a really good day....stay warm!