It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

With the snow swirling around us it certainly seems a lot more like Christmas than it did just a few days ago. 

I started to get my Christmas buzz a week ago, when we went to the Toledo Zoo for our annual Lights Before Christmas expedition. Often we pick wildly improbable weather scenarios for our visit. We have been there in sub-zero temperatures (which has its benefits as everything is really deserted), on cold days with wind that created sub-zero wind chills (somewhat better, because you could still seek shelter in the aquarium, museum or the Carnivora Cafe), or worst of all, the year that it was 60 degrees on Thanksgiving weekend (that was a really bad idea). This year, it couldn't have been more perfect weather, except that there had been absolutely no snow as yet. To me, snow is really required to get in the holiday mood. That, and the lighted trees pulsating to the Trans Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas Eve in Sarajevo."  Last weekend I was able to get halfway into the mood without totally freezing my ass off. 

Tonight I got the rest of my Christmas spirit with a vengeance. Yup, we've got snow all right. Way more than is needed on the night of the Cantata for which we've rehearsed for two months now. I was convinced that it would not happen tonight because the roads were so treacherous ... but it did. And while I hate being out on the roads in this kind of weather, I'm very glad that we did have the cantata, because it has become another essential part of getting ready for the holiday season. And it was beautiful. The church was especially breathtaking, lit primarily by candlelight. The hand bells and hand chimes were awesome, especially in "Carol of the Bells," and our choir did a lovely job on the cantata music. We are very fortunate to have a talented, dedicated, and well-connected musical director in Carolyn Dicks, and her addition of a marvelous conductor and chamber orchestra added so much to our performance! CDs of the performance will be available for those who missed out due to the weather :-)

And now to finish the shopping. Unfortunately, given my recent blog about shopping locally, too many of my items are being purchased online. But that's the reality of living 25 miles from the nearest stores and having only one vehicle to boot. I try to make up for it by shopping locally the majority of the time, year-around. 

Tomorrow is officially a snow day in The Center of the Universe, so all the kids are rejoicing while the moms are scrambling for child care. Very glad it's not me, although I do long for a "snow day" myself once in a while. Maybe I could finish my baking as so many moms are trying to do today!

I will have to tell everyone about my too-short visit to Gotta Scrap Inn this weekend ... but that's another blog for another day.