December slipped in so quietly...

It is hard to believe that it is December already! There is very little snow and there have been very few cold days. An amazing fall that I'm very thankful for.
Now winter beckons.
Frost fingers spread about on the deck, in wonderful lacy patterns, the air is crisp, and the songs of the chickadees all make for a grand entrance into winter. Each season brings with it the artwork of God that no man can match.Spruce branches are tipped with white as if delighting in being dressed for the christmas season.The Blue Jays, Evening Grosbeaks,and Pine Grosbeaks wing their way back toour feeders. I love the lights,sounds, songs, and smells of December.
I will always cherish the childhood memories of Sinterklaas, when I was growing up. I'll never forget the delight of the one box of mandarin oranges that our (big) family got to share. One orange each, carefully peeled, carefully segmented, and then each little piece savoured to the last drop. Those oranges were so much better than the ones I gobble up without a thought today!! And the 'appleflappen','oliebollen'and fudge candy that mom made. Hers were the best! Memories make them the best, and I can honestly say, I've never tasted better.
I loved the days of hiding in one's room, making homemade gifts, or even pretending too, while getting some quality alone time, when you legitimately could tell others to stay out! I remember sneaking jello pkgs with a sister in the 'cold storage' room, and tearing off the corners and pouring a little powder on ones tongue to savour! Bad, but so good!!
One winter memory I will always cherish is, going deep into our back 40, and climbing up tall spruce trees, that were blanketed in snow then scrambling to the outermost branches and sliding down the snow and landing in the deep banks below the tree. Your faces often got whipped with the cold white snowy branches as they sprang back up, but it was exhilarating! The way the snow fell around the trees also made wonderful snow caves at the base of the trunk of those trees with the wider spreading branches. We had to dig tunnels to get in, but once in it was a ready little room, often blanketed with pinecone husks.
We didn't have the modern winter toys..but boy did we have imagination, and a grand forest to play in! The wonderful thing was coming home, if you were too early to go inside , you could go into the little barn, crawl into the hay with a cat or two or three, listen to the other animals contentedly munching and making soft noises. The cows, the sheep, the chickens, all in a small shed like barn. Kind of like a landed Noah's ark, with the chickens in an upper deck, above the calves, the cows in stalls beside them. Ok, so I stretch the imagination just a little...
Once inside, Mom would often make us hot chocolate, and always provide us with fresh baking!
This acreage at Linken Lodge also gives me those warm, protected and loved feelings.
Though my baking will never be like Oma's, please come visit and linger over a coffee or two, share some memories, and help us make new ones!