Tour of our Winter Home: Blizzards of 2011

You'll be entering our home most likely through the driveway and carport entrance since the natural stone front steps leading to our front door are buried under snow with a special hidden layer of ice underneath. The maze of bikes, strollers, firewood, leaves, shovels and ice is sure to inspire the thrill of having escaped a concussion by the time you reach the door.

Once inside, step over the mound of rain boots, leaves, gloves and sopping towel that is a poor attempt at keeping our creme tile floor un-muddied. Oh, um, remove your shoes, if you please. Now walk into a warm kitchen and eating area. It's bright from the large bay window that overlooks a bird bath and four young azalea bushes whose tips barely peek out the top of the snow. The window seat is a wonderful place to watch cardinals, sparrows, warblers and yellow-bellied sapsuckers eat bird seed, as well as observe the antics of the occasional Chippie the chipmunk. The window can also be used for rapping loudly to make Minty Maize Ruff Ruff stop barking at the neighbors while they're having a smoke.

You may notice that a pile of dirty dishes has been mixed with what precious mail has been gathered. The recycling bin and trash can are overflowing. This is because the Waste Management trucks haven't run in over two weeks. If you'll continue to follow me into the formal dining room, you'll see three puzzles out on the table. These are trophies of the young and they can't be moved. It took them hours to get those puzzles finished. No, no I'm sure that's not Christmas wrapping paper in the corner...



Anyway, come into the yellow room, formally known as the formal living room, and sometimes called the "clean laundry room". I no longer make excuses for the way laundry is put away in this home. Mrs. Oyler puts away the children's laundry. As she hasn't been able to come in a month, the children's laundry is out where they can sift through the piles of clean clothes and find what they need.

Continue to the right and you'll find the great room the cleanest room in the house, except for bark from the firewood and the misplaced diaper rash cream on the mantle. There has been a cozy fire in the fire place, except for the two days between blizzards when we were out of firewood. But we're not out anymore, and the fireplace has been occupied since, augmenting the warmth and keeping spirits high. That most basic of primal privilege has been my favorite part of winter. We like to watch the dogs out of the wall of windows. It's the perfect backdrop for playing Mario Kart Wii for hours on end.

We'll skip the bedrooms. Since all the closets and drawers are empty and clean clothes are in the yellow room, there are really just blankets and legos.

The playroom and guest bedroom are downstairs. They're orderly enough since we often have school down there. The temperature is about 60 degrees all year long since it's 4 feet underground. There is ample storage as well for many canned goods and boxes of hot chocolate to last us through about 4 more blizzards. Again, be wary of legos.

Visiting this winter is an experience you won't want to miss. No need to make excuses anymore for staying in your pajamas all day when you're pajamas are the warmest clothes you own. Drink hot coffee with coffee lovers, warm your soul with a bourbon night cap after the children are down, wake up to sweet sound of the pitter patter of little feet and the lone hen clucking for water that's not frozen solid.



Yes, friends, we're surviving just fine up here.