Snow Day!! ... and a half!

We. Got. Snow. A lot.

Monday morning.The power is out. Work is cancelled. It's freezing cold. First thing in the morning, Michael decides to brave the hilly roads in his Toyota Corrolla to get to school, so Dad loads him up with a 48 hour kit, chains, emergency radio/flashlight/cell charger, rock salt, shovel, extra coat, gloves, and strict instructions to call when he gets to the freeway. Thusly burdened, Michael sets out to find his car...Dad found it for him.

He never did call us to say he'd gotten to the freeway. Michael found that both Buck Mountain Road and Grassy Run were blocked by fallen trees, got his car stuck, so he hiked back up to the house. We had a good day together, the four of us stranded at home with nothing to do but decorate for Christmas. Yay! I had been complaining that I wasn't feeling the holiday spirit, but I can't say that anymore. With snow on the ground, a fire in the stove, and a Christmas tree up, I feel it now! Christmas is here!! Michael and Dad left at one point to get Michael's car, which was the highlight of thier day. Dad and I both enjoyed wandering around taking pictures. We could hear branches snapping all over the hill. We're going to have quite a mess to clean up in the spring... if I'm here for spring, that is. Ha ha!! Nyah!

Michael and Dad get warm after rescuing Michael's car.

We got super bored once the sun went down. Since she couldn't quilt anymore, Mom talked to Anna for a while on my cell phone, then we called Natalie to hear Zuki count to ten, insist that she's a happy girl, and tell us what a Kangaroo says. (Boing! Boi-oi-oi-oi-ing!) Candlelight has a soporific effect. Mom and Dad went to bed at the impossible hour of 9:00, while Michael and I ended the day with homework and Jane Eyre.

I ventured out to go to work about 12 the next day. We didn't get electricity back until 6 or so, but I came home to a fully-lighted house with Christmas lights a-blazing!! It was a relief. Candles are fun for a night, but I wasn't looking forward to another evening spent in a tiny sphere of light. Its oppressive. I had a hard time getting back up the hill, so Michael and I walked down the steepest part of our street and sprinkled the rest of our rock salt on the ice. "Heavenly Father, bless this salt, that with it thou mayest blow the ice to tiny bits, in thy mercy."

Yes, this post is a mess... It doesn't look like it did in the compose mode.  Why does blogger do that!?

 You can click on the images for a better view.

I'm a Novelist!

Yay! I finished writing my 50,000 words last night (50,055)!! I have been officially informed that I kicked butt this month by Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month and inducted into the winner's circle at NaNoWriMo.org, a place where fireworks burst overhead in the November sky to celebrate my victory. I cried.

My story isn't all written yet. I'm a long way off from "the end" but I got an awesomely spectacular start.

Chris Baty gave back my Inner Editor last night, which he confiscated at the beginning of week one. I'm planning on deleting everything my Inner Editor would have if it were with me during my 30 days of literary abandon, reorganizing my chapters, and continuing from there. I don't know how many words that will leave me with, but I'm not counting anymore. I like my story and I want to see it through to the end.

I don't know if I'm ready to show it to anyone... I don't even want to post a synopsis. Yet.

Side note: Isn't the winner's badge above hideous!? I got a winner's certificate, too:


It says: "One brave Writer. One impossible deadline. One crazy month where 170,000 people set out on a journey to the furthest reaches of their imaginations. Most turned back along the way but not you. You had the vision, dedication, and creative drive to make it to the 50,000-word finish line and beyond. You did an amazing thing this November, novelist, and the Office of Letters and Light congratulates you for it. Your victory shall be entered ino the official records of National Novel Writing Month, where it will stand for all time." (awww...)

Working on my NaNo Novel

I just passed the half-way mark in my NaNoWriMo novel. That feels good, but I only have a few days to get to my 50,000 word count goal. I'm still having an incredibly good time writing my story. Its an interesting experience to stand by and watch what comes up on my screen. My characters are not who I thought they were, and the story line itself could go any where at this point.

I have no illusions. This is one "craptastic" mess of a novel, but I don't care. I'm writing, and it feels gooood. I set my sights on 50,000 words and even though I'm discovering new levels of "suckitude" on my way, I'm going to get there.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Pumpkin cake!

Here is the yummy pumpkin cake recipe Dad made for Mom's birthday. Give it a try if you're looking for something unusual and tasty.


Halloween Sweets and Treats

This link will take you to a slide show at countryliving.com. Skip over a few slides until you get to this one. SO good!