Starting the year off...

We had a quiet New Years Day at home. Vicki, Dan, Jon and Brian left us early in the morning and that is always deflating after two awesome weeks together. We had a quiet dinner of homemade pasta and the Peas, Ham and Cream recipe from "Marcella Cucina" cookbook. The page from that cookbook is actually ripped out from use. You would think I would know the recipe by heart by now but I don't.



Afterwards, the kids cleaned up for us.



This week we had a very exciting snow storm that dumped 26 inches on us (or so). When we woke up on Wednesday morning the furnace was not working. My poor father in law spent a considerable amount of time working on it trying to figure out if it was the thermostat, the fan, the motor, etc. The furnace would flame on for about 3 minutes and then shut off. The fireplace became our source of heat on the snowiest day in CT since 1905. I was feeding that fire every 20 minutes, it was amazing to see how fast the wood burned, the wood we have is probably 8 years old and is super dry.

The next morning my in-laws had a broken furnace as well. Not good. But good actually because it led to Dad calling the the gas co. who said to check if the vents were covered with snow. Voila. The vents were covered, and the furnaces came on as soon as the vents were cleared.

It was like a Dr. House case for furnaces.

David vacuumed up the mess from the wood being carried up to the fireplace. Thanks David, you are a pro with the vacuum.



Bare feet.

Dog's life, seriously.

Lots of snow! Sapphire hates it!

She shamelessly hogged the fire.

Problem solver: