On The Outside Looking In

When I was in my 20's, living in Halifax, one of my favourite activities when dusk fell early in the winter was wandering around the the old neighbourhoods near Point Pleasant Park. Especially this time of year when the lights were lit, the trees were decorated, and as I walked past the beautiful homes, I would sometimes catch a glimpse of a person or a family inside. I liked the way the light mellowed and the way it was like watching a scene unfold in a book. Who were they? What were their stories? I suppose that, in a nutshell is why I write.

Two things today on this eve before Christmas Eve (yes, we are that family - the one who counts Christmas Eve Eve as an actual part of the holiday!):

1) I am taking a writing course called Story is a State of Mind. I heard about it through a friend, and though I don't make resolutions at New Year, I decided this year to make time to write more of a priority. Taking this course with some new friends is as much about accountability as it is about honing my own writing, although that will be fantastic as well. I'll keep you posted.

2) We have snow today. Sounds crazy, I know - I live in Canada where we should have snow - but there has been some doubt about whether it will be a white Christmas or not. Today I am hopeful and the scene outside all the windows in the house is like a Christmas card that says winter wonderland in big sparkly letters.

Kitchen Window (looking East)

Office window (looking West)

3) My children are amazingly happy, singing and dancing their way around the house. It's their last day of school today and I'm heading out shortly to the open house and Christmas dinner. I snapped these picture of our tree from outside last week, and when we talk about a snapshot in time, this is what we mean. I love the light. I love the fact that you catch a glimpse of Erik. I love the hint of hominess that they capture. It's exactly the kind of scene I used to delight in on those long ago walks through Halifax. Except now it's mine.

From Porch into living room

From porch into family room & kitchen (you can just see our huge century stone hearth in the background)