Just got back from a walk with Pepper and have constructed a fire in the wood stove, that is taking off very well, and it will soon be warming up in the house.  There's about 3 inches of snow now, and I believe I may be safe from having to blow more leaves this year.  It's snowing sideways, the wind is roaring in the upper branches of the barren trees, and I'm loving this weather, of course.  I bought some "barn boots" awhile back for only $12.00 at Walmart.  They have a lug sole, plastic toes, fake felt sides and are lined with fleece.  I bought them a size or two big for me, and I like the extra room-iness they give me.  I got them big so I could just stick my feet in when I want to go outside.  As I walk along, I pluck twigs and dead branches, and old birch bark off dead wood, and bring it home with me for fire-starting.  Works very well. 

Soon I will be eating the chicken noodle soup I made the other day for my lunch.  I love home-made soup.  Browsing through the frig, I found a head of cauliflower that is recent, so I'll make a cheesey-cauliflower soup again today, using some smoked turkey brats I bought (low-cal stuff), but don't like at all.  I'll put those turkey brats right in there with the cauliflower.  My daughter keeps trying to steer me to the turkey brats, but all I could find was these smoked ones.  I hope it tastes all right.