All in a Winter's Day

Coffee.

It's the first thing of every day but it's especially important in the cold winter mornings. That first hot sip warms you from the inside, all the way down to the curled, cold toes in your slippers. Then it's time to layer up. A base layer of fleece, followed by cashmere, and rubber rain boots to navigate the melting snow. A hat, a scarf, and two gloves are the final touch to prepare for a morning outside in February.

Today we went to the farm where we took our wedding portraits. It is a very different place today than it was on that warm September morning. We're hoping to see lambs but there aren't any now. We see the sheep though, cozy in their natural wool sweaters. They are shy of us, heavily bundled strangers, so we stare at them from across the yard. We walk through the trees, down the white and brown slush-snow paths, and look for the green accents. The green of the Virginia woods that never goes away--not even in winter. 

Cold toes drive us home. Home to delayer, first the hat, scarf, and gloves then the now wet rain boots. Leave on the fleece and the cashmere, even inside it is necessary to layer. He brews a fresh pot of coffee while I heat the leftover soup. The warm mugs thaw out frozen fingers and the soup satisfies our growling stomachs. Then it's time for a sit in front of the wood stove. Curled up on the couch with a pile of dogs and a bit of knitting through the afternoon.

All in a winter's day.