Snowpocalypse

I'm Canadian, so it is my birthright to comment/discuss at length/complain/ about the weather.

The Weather Network's outlook for today

I braved the outdoors again today to document the real life blizzard we are experiencing. I was out for less than 10 minutes, as it was too cold to be out much longer. The weather network puts the wind gusts at 69km/hr, and the air it was throwing at me felt like -25°C (that is really cold). My gloved fingers were very unhappy.

We keep our car under a car port, but it got snow covered anyway.

Giant snow pile from having the driveway cleared (with a tractor!)

Our road looking West.

Again, looking East.

Snow is starting to weigh down the trees.

Neighbour's (Grandma's) drifted doorway. It had already been dug out once this morning.

Even with my high boots I got covered in snow. It was up to my knees. I'm a tall girl, so up to my knees in big boots is a little over 2 feet. I wasn't even in the deepest part of the snow.

The old swing set is missing the bottom half.

Definitely snow covered. Time to get back inside.

Snowmageddon

This winter is trying to get itself into record books I think. So far we have had an ice storm, temperatures as cold as the surface of Mars, and now some massive snowfall.

And it's still snowing.

We are currently under a "Blizzard Warning" and a "Wind Chill Warning" and the Weather Network is calling for even more snow tomorrow.

Good thing I enjoy indoor activities.

200th Post of the Year!

Well I am ending the year on a high note: my 200th blog post of the year! I bested last year by 159, the previous year by 124, and my first year on the blog by 87. I kicked major ass in 2013 and I couldn't be happier.

Happy New Year everyone! I'm looking forward to more fun and more posts in 2014!

Reading ALL the Books

I joined Goodreads in January, set myself a reading challenge, and got excited about reading. My initial goal was to read 25 books, and I bested it by 6. I read thirty-one books! And many of them were over 400 pages long! I really surprised myself and certainly read a lot more than I expected to.

So in no particular order, here are the highlights of what I read in 2013. You can see my complete list here, as well as at the end of this post.

Harry Potter Re-Read (5 books)
Philosophers Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix (first five books) by J.K. Rowling

I love J.K. Rowling, so I started my first Harry Potter re-read. I have both the books and the audio books, so I read them before I went to bed and also took them on walks with me. Listening to Harry Potter while walking is like walking with a warm hug.



The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
I loved this book and I love J.K. Rowling. Her writing completely works for me. Can't wait for the next one.

Lord of the Rings (3 books)
The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

I tried to read this 10 years ago and stopped around page 50. I'm so glad I tried again, as I got completely obsessed with it. The Lord of the Rings is actually pretty great! I have re-watched all the movies since reading it and love to discuss the differences between the book and the film versions.


 
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

My first walk into Middle Earth was with the Hobbit. I liked the movie so I thought I should try the book. This book definitely made me appreciate Bilbo Baggins. He is a pretty neat dude.



 
An Astronaut's Guide To Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
I have a really strong appreciation for people who are passionate about what they do. Chris Hadfield is one of those people and what he does is actually really amazing and inspiring. More than just an astronaut, Chris Hadfield is a real life teacher and I have definitely learned from him and his book. A must read.

 Wild by Cheryl Strayed
A memoir of a woman who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail after the loss of her mother. This book really hit me in the feels and I highly recommend it.




Freaky Deaky by Elmore Leonard
I hadn't read any Elmore Leonard before he passed earlier this year, but I am happy to say I've now read Freaky Deaky. It was a fun one to start on. It was fast paced, the main character was a 'one-step-ahead of the bad guy' bad ass, and it was a satisfying tale where the bad guys got theirs in the end. Highly recommended.

The Feeling Good Handbook by David D. Burns, M.D.
This is a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy self help book and I couldn't recommend it more. The book is filled with exercises to work through as you read about how your thoughts effect how you feel. I will probably read this book over and over throughout my life.





And the Rest:

Raylan by Elmore Leonard                        How to Archer by Sterling Archer
Nueromancer by William Gibson              Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn                         The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
The Tempest by William Shakespeare    

Joyland and The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
Cold Days, Side Jobs, The Furies of Calderon, and Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher
Naked Heat, Heat Rises, Frozen Heat, and Deadly Heat by Richard Castle

According to my Goodreads stats I read over 12,000 pages this year. Right on!

Mom's Pecan Pie #FoodPicFriday

Mom hosted us for Christmas dinner on Wednesday, pulling out all the stops and making a fantastic roast turkey (as always). Instead of just the usual desserts, she tried a new recipe for Pecan Pie that called for honey instead of corn syrup. She also used a no fail crust recipe she got from my Aunt Joline. This made for one pretty amazing Pecan Pie. I was too full to taste it on Christmas, but I got to take half the pie home with me. Yay! I love a pecan pie and the honey made it taste extra delicious. It was really, really, good!