Winter wonderland

Since the last post some of what I/we have done:

Attended a home energy workshop where I learned that we (ahem, Louis) keep our heat about 3-4 degrees cooler than the average Minnesota home.  Bet we save more on our heating bills though, suckers!

We also got hit with a mega snowstorm (4-6 inches total, I'm guessing?).  Shoveling our driveway sure was fun!  Most St. Paul neighborhoods have alleys, but I do recall thinking our new driveway and extra-wide street were great in the summer.  Now...well, my right arm may be in for a winter workout.  Our next-door neighbor informed us that he measured his once.  Our driveway is over 150 feet long, people!  Needless to say, our piles of snow might melt off sometime by April.

I got a haircut.  Has nothing to do with our home.  Except for the fact that I have less hair that will fall out on the floors?  This is what an hour and forty five-minute haircut looks like (yes, OVER an hour!):

We also trapped ourselves in our own driveway.  Enter:  car with dying battery and one-lane driveway plus bad jumper cables.  Don't worry, we eventually got it started. 

We went to a craft sale and a letterpress studio opening.

We are almost done watching Home Alone (my favorite holiday flick, followed closely by Christmas Vacation).

I finally got the lights outside working!  One set wouldn't light up, and wouldn't you know it, had nothing to do with that set, but the one it was connected to (of course I discovered this only after un-stringing).  With some quick thinking and an extra set, we were good to go.  And Louis, my grinch, approves!

He snapped this photo for me (in his pajamas--he made it clear he wanted the Internet world to know the sacrifices he makes for me).  I'll have to get more photos soon.

This is what I was capable of without a ladder, and with snow on the ground here since mid-November (and promising to not overdo it this first year).  I can definitely see some bulbs on the gutter next year.  We are one of three houses on our block with lights.  C'mon, neighbors!  [Those snow piles are nothing compared to the back, just if you started to think I was a whiner...]

And with that, I'm back to more Christmas crafting!