It's Cold Outside

                 And warm inside. Here's our fireside on a cold evening. All of my homemaking finesse finds a different place to live in the winter... not by the fireside. Three unmatched catch rugs: coals, firewood chips/dust/dirt, and the door mat. Cords, in a living room with only two electrical receptacles, and the important fan, finish off our winter cabin decor wonderfully. It's cold outside! When the stove is keeping our house warm in sub-zero weather, we don't mind this mess. We rather enjoy it even though it requires a daily vacuum so that we aren't wading in it and dragging it all over the house.
  

Fresh flowers on the dining room table is a highly recommended expenditure around here during cold weather.
   I bought a bag of chocolates, too, but Brad sat by the candy dish and methodically worked half way through that stash. So no picture. At seventeen and having no "schpeck" on his frame, nobody minds. Cookies would be cheaper, though.
So I baked up a big batch of the usual oatmeal, chocolate chip variety and parceled them into sandwich bags and they're in the freezer for his use. That will last a few days.