The First Snowfall by James Russell Lowell 

THE snow had begun in the gloaming, 
 And busily all the night 
 Had been heaping field and highway 
 With a silence deep and white. 

 Every pine and fir and hemlock 
 Wore ermine too dear for an earl, 
 And the poorest twig on the elm-tree 
 Was ridged inch deep with pearl. 

 From sheds new-roofed with Carrara 
 Came Chanticleer's muffled crow, 
 The stiff rails were softened to swan's-down, 
 And still fluttered down the snow. 

 I stood and watched by the window 
 The noiseless work of the sky, 
 And the sudden flurries of snow-birds, 
 Like brown leaves whirling by. 

 I thought of a mound in sweet Auburn 
 Where a little headstone stood; 
 How the flakes were folding it gently, 
 As did robins the babes in the wood. 

 Up spoke our own little Mabel, 
 Saying, 'Father, who makes it snow?' 
 And I told of the good All-father 
 Who cares for us here below. 

 Again I looked at the snowfall, 
 And thought of the leaden sky 
 That arched o'er our first great sorrow, 
 When that mound was heaped so high. 

 I remembered the gradual patience 
 That fell from that cloud like snow, 
 Flake by flake, healing and hiding 
 The scar of our deep-plunged woe. 

 And again to the child I whispered, '
The snow that husheth all, 
 Darling, the merciful Father Alone can make it fall! ' 

 Then, with eyes that saw not, I kissed her; 
 And she, kissing back, could not know 
 That my kiss was given to her sister, 
 Folded close under deepening snow.

Yesterday was our first official snow of the 2015 Season! We ended up getting a bit more accumulation than originally anticipated and the roads were a disaster. KJ had a 2 hour delay and then, moments before the bus was to arrive, they cancelled school all together. T-bone was happy to have seen some snow while she was home and the girls shoveled the driveway so Cosmo wouldn't have to do it when he came home. KJ, however, was a bit miffed. She had received a Keurig Mini as a Christmas gift but it was recalled so we returned it to Macy's last week. She was so mad becasue she really wanted to make hot chocolate with her Keurig!

It's beginning

to look a lot like Christmas in the Cos Casa!  Got the tree up late yesterday afternoon.  Lights and the angel are on but no ornaments yet.  We had such a busy weekend we just ran out of decorating time!  Dining room is 90% decorated and I'm tweaking the living room.  This year I've decided to go with a Red, Silver & White theme throughout the entire house.  One of the problems of having lived in several different homes (including a couple of transitional, short-term rentals along the journey) is that what looked good in one house, doesn't look good in another.  Our house in NY was the most contemporary house we had lived in -- a lot of glass and brass (don't judge!  It was 20 years ago!).  The house in Cincinnati was a little more rustic (not "country" but definately the most "homey" house we've had -- stone fireplace, wood mantel, medium wood cabinets in the kitchen and all the baths, parquet floor in the foyer, wood trim everywhere, etc.).  This house is what they call "traditional" -- white mantel w/ marble surround, white cabinetry, light baseboards and moulding, etc. 

So, I've decided to streamline and just go with a theme that looks good in each room.  My dining room linens are red with white snowflakes.  I have silver placemats and other than my Christmas china, all of the accent pieces in the room are red, white or silver with a snowflake motif. 

My mantel this year is kind of sparse (I prefer the term "simple elegance) but KJ isn't a fan.  I've got a lot of white taper candles, red glass and mercury glass.  KJ said it looks like a menorah. 

While the these are not photos of my house, below is some of my inspiration for this year's decor: