Day Two

I think I gave myself this writing assignment at the best possible time. An epic proportion ice-storm is happening this very second. I, of course, absolutely love it.

It's two minutes till 10 a.m. as I write this. Eric is stoking the fire, the girls and their "spent the night for the very first time" buddy, Tessa, are sitting on the couch with their kittens watching The Grinch, I just downloaded my "icy dead flower pics" onto Flickr.

I don't recall a time in which the weather was so bad, that Eric stayed home from work. This is a grand day, indeed. I've been taking more pictures today. The ice on the clusters of oak leaves look like chandeliers. I hope to bundle up and walk the neighborhood with my camera.

I think I'll revisit this post and add to it as things happen. I have the luxury of doing this on such a stand still day. Oh, and Happy February!

I've decided to finish this even though it is a bit before 4p.m.. My poor husband was called out to work. One delivery, and he is back home with us where he belongs on such an foul (even though I think it's glorious) day. It has sleeted all day long.

I've been out in the yard snapping more pictures. My hands get so cold that they start to hurt quite quickly. I just discovered the hydrangea bush on the front side of the house and its leaves are curled into pointy ice-cream cone shapes. I'm going ga-ga over them. I think I may go take some more pictures once a thaw.

I made my mother-in-law's brownies today. She gave me a super simple recipe a few years ago. They are cocoa and you bake them at a low temperature for an hour. I also decided today was the day to redeem myself after my January icing failure. I successfully made the icing to, Dorie Greenspan's, Devil's Food White Out Cake. The icing itself is simple-just five ingredients. The trick is patience. You have to bring water, sugar, and cream of tartar up to 242 degrees. It takes a while... I waited it out, and sure enough, once I added it at the PROPER temperature to the beaten egg whites and vanilla, it turned into a airy marshmallow consistency. I slathered it on top of the brownies to create a masterpiece.

Well, I may still revisit this later. I think I'll grab the camera one more time and see if I can capture whatever it is I'm looking for. Right now, Eric and Ava are playing Mario Kart and Audrey is shoveling driveways with her friend Sydney. What a lovely start to a brand new month.