The first blizzard of 2015 was truly a wind driven snow for over 24 hours.  Accumulation was hard to measure, but Beth says over a foot, easily.  The drifts are higher than her waist.  We fared well and did not loose power.  Watched lots of Netflix and played the piano.  The animals basically stayed in, especially the cats.   We have to go out later in the day and Beth gets to go in late to work.

I may start the new year by getting back to my posting.  I will start by sending this little short story that I wrote yesterday.

EDEN IS WHERE YOU FIND IT

Five year old Ella fled the old farm house that was shaking with the angry voices of her parents as they lit into another of their fights.  She fled past the chickens who scattered as she ran.  She left the back gate and past the outhouse toward the barn.  She fled past the barn and pig sty with tears flying behind her as she ran.  She was scantily clad in a feed sack dress and no shoes, but it was early summer and the  air was warm.  

Ella knew where she was going as she continued down a hill in the deep woods. 

Suddenly she came out of the woods to an area of bright blooming flowers.  She collapsed on the ground on a carpet of purple and white violets. Overhead twining among tree branches were fragrant trumpet shaped yellow jasmine blossoms.  The pink honey suckle bushes were heavy with their delicate blooms.  The gransom greybeard tree was also dripping it’s fragrant tentacles over the bubbling brook. 

Ella fell asleep in this nature filled bedroom and dreamed of finding a knight in shining armor one day on her doorstep to show her more beauties in this world, never dreaming that one day that would happen.  But for the moment, this beautiful piece of the world was her own garden of Eden and she would grow up loving the sights and smells of beautiful flowers.  

She awoke with a start and saw the sun was beginning to set.  The  cows would be in soon and it was her job to milk.  Children on a farm learn early to do chores and this was one that Ella thought was fun.  She liked to hear the milk ping into the pan and she always petted the cow first.  Jerseys were so smooth and firm.  The cows were her friends and they all had names.  She loved their big brown eyes as they would turn and look at her as she milked.  She sat on a tiny stool to do the milking and when she was done, she would hurry home with the bucket of foaming warm milk where her mother would pour it though a clean cloth to take out any impurities that might have fallen in during the milking.

We are in the midst of an ice storm and this photo shows our plow person stomping the frozen sand so he can sand our driveway.

Church was cancelled as was our Christmas cantata.  We'll try again to do it on Christmas Eve.  It is very nasty outside but we are cozy warm inside.  We still have electricity.

I never got hooked up in Florida to tell bout some of our trips.  We visited the Morse Museum of Tiffany glass in Winter Park, Florida. this has the most complete collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany1848-1933.  The collection includes many of the objets from his LOng Island home, Laurelton Hall. the home burned in 1957and all of the stained glass would have been lost except for the efforts of Hugh and JEannette McKean who rescued works from the hall and brought them to florida.
the marvelous stained glass panels from the home are displayed as in the home.  Each room was an awesome sight and I would go again tomorrow if I had a chance.

Then we visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of theUniverse which is a sight of more stained glass.  Each window depicts scenes from the Bible as do the bronze door panels A bronze of young Jesus learning carpentry at the feet of Joseph took Tom's breath away.

I have no photos because you couldn't take them in the museum and I forgot the camera when we went to the church.

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We are back home in Maine and waiting for the weekend storm.  We missed the big one while in Florida.
Among the nice things we did in Florida was visit our friend Eunice's college school mate, Lydia  from Bay Path College, both ladies being ninety years old. Lydia walked our legs off, but we visited the Tiffany stained glass exhibit and it was outstanding.  All of the glass that could be saved from their home that burned was on exhibit in a most glorious fashion.  Each room was cataloged so you could know what you were seeing.  I have no pictures as that was not permitted.  It is reputed to be the best exhibit of stained glass of this quality anywhere in the world and I can believe it.  the family had wintered in Winter Haven and that's why the daughter wanted it preserved in the little museum there.

Florida on Monday Went to see Eunice's college friend who lives on a lake. We took a boat tour of four lakes connected by canals made by timber men making a way to float logs from one lake to another. Much too hot for us and it sapped all our energy reminding us of why we live in Maine, and not down south. We are just having a good time resting either on the cool patio of the cool rooms.

Florida

We are in sunny Florida. Our condo has a nice screened in patio where I was just sitting and drinking tea. The resort is lush and we will be able to relax around the many pools or walk the lovely trails across the pond. It is 80 degrees.The barren trees in the back are hanging with gloomy looking Spanish moss and there are palm trees all around the grounds. We have a central cooking and eating area with bedrooms and baths on the far ends. We will be very comfortable.