Snapshots: Light in the Dark

This is the time of year when I feel we need more light indoors. That's why I don't wait until Christmas to put up the lights on the decorative iron thing in between the kitchen and dining areas.

We'll call them winter lights.

Those are the lights the MiL gave me last year when I said the old lights we found here at the house had started to burn out and I couldn't find any replacements that weren't bright white and glaring. She got these at Tractor Supply. They are certainly less glaring than most modern white lights, though not quite as mellow as the old lights. Then again, those old lights probably have some toxic ingredient that is no longer permissible in light manufacturing, so I'm happy with the new ones.

Thanks, MiL.

Of course, we still have our candles on the table.

Before Thanksgiving Day, the candles were complemented by this turkey my mother gave me twenty years ago, plus the pine cone candles my sister brought us.

On Thanksgiving Day, I put new candles on the table, along with a festive arrangement of dried weeds gathered on my morning run.

I took that run before the sun was even up. It was the only way I could get it and a shower done before waking everyone up for church at 8:30 a.m. It was nice, though, because I got to watch the sun rise as I chugged along.

Yesterday we had our first significant snow of the season.

Less than an inch, but exciting nonetheless.

Woodstove season has definitely arrived, which means the top of the stove is now covered in warming clothing in the morning for a toastier dressing experience.

Just make sure the clothes don't touch that stovepipe in the back, unless you want some pyrotechnics to enliven your morning. As I know from personal experience. Sorry about that scorched shirt, son.

Lastly, and speaking of the woodstove, I bought myself an early Christmas present.

Aren't log holders what everyone wants for Christmas?

We had been using one of the old drawers from the boys' bunkbed as a wood box, but it fell apart. I never liked it anyway. It took up too much room and collected dirt and trash from boxes and so forth. This rack looks much better. Handy for hanging damp snow apparel on, too.

There you have it! My life, snapshotted.