It has been a true Wisconsin December this year! (Which it often has not been in recent years!) We’ve been getting a lot of snow (and not just in a big storm here and there- we’ve been seeing frequent snow showers).
If I had to choose when to get snow, I’d definitely pick December! It makes the Christmas lights look so pretty and it’s just so much more fun when everyone is in the holiday spirit. Late February or March snow??? PASS.
It was super cold this past week, but it warmed up to a balmy ~30 degrees yesterday, so I took Charlie on an extra long walk after work. We were sort of “fair-weather dog walkers” this past week and many days just let him out to go potty on the tie-out leash or we’d open the back door and let him race around the snowy backyard for a lap or two to get a little bit of energy out. (Before he kept trying to go in the crawl space under the deck…. why?! I have no idea what’s under there and he has a tendency to eat weird stuff so when he starts doing that, it’s time to shake the turkey bites bag so he’ll come in. Haha.)
But he was due for a nice, long, actual walk, so I took him. No headphones, just me + him + some light snow + Christmas lights! 🙂
I usually take Charlie on a couple of similar routes every time we walk. Occasionally though, like last night, I’ll do a different, longer route, through the opposite side of our neighborhood.
I’ve noticed something odd. EVERY TIME we’ve walked on this one specific section of the block (where we rarely go), Charlie acts really weird! He puts his tail way down between his legs and like, “scampers” nervously, almost crouching down by the ground, like he’s scared and wants to get out of there.
The first time I thought it was just because he hadn’t been in that area before and was out of sorts. But I’ve taken him on other new streets and he hasn’t done this.
Anyway, we ended up walking through this area last night and the same thing happened! It’s so strange. There’s nothing, as far as I can tell 😳, scary about this area. It’s a quiet area, on a nice street near a nice park with nice homes. No off leash dogs, no barking dogs, no loud noises… I’ve honestly never even seen people out and about at these homes.
I told Ivan and he said right away, “Well, this means that YOU should not walk there! Dogs can sense things… maybe there’s bad people or something bad over there.” (Or…. ghosts….. )😳😳 Ahhhh, ok that’s creepy!
I feel like when he was younger we walked that way once on a very windy night, so I don’t know if he got spooked and then somehow it just stuck with him? Just to be safe, though, I think I will avoid!
When I got home, I had a VERY EXCITING PACKAGE waiting for me in the mailbox…..
Squeal! Best Laid Plans the book is here!!! I am sooooooo proud of SHU and I cannot WAIT to read it! (She emailed me the print version earlier this year, and while I’ll admit I skimmed some parts, I mostly refused to read it in advance because I just want to sit and really savor the real book version!!)
Ivan and I ended up going out for Mexican last night, despite a snowy evening, because we didn’t make it there last week and this Friday we have a swim meet + my volleyball Christmas party.
They had a taco special so we switched it up. Tacos al pastor, yummy!! (marinated pork). Plus pineapple + onion + salsa + lime + then extra cilantro in honor of Sarah. 😉 (hahahaha, she’s one of those people for whom cilantro tastes like soap. Fortunately for me, it does not!! I LOVE it.)
They have the restaurant decorated very cutely for Christmas, which I, of course, love.
Then it was a very snowy drive home, but it was truly gorgeous. We made it safely and Ivan even asked me what the Christmas music station is that I like. 🙂 The snow + the Christmas music had me feeling very festive!
I always have to share this favorite quote at least once a season:
And on the docket for tonight: make Christmas cookies!! (At least the ones I need on Friday night for my cookie exchange party!) I’m making my traditional Mexican wedding cookies.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for Sarah’s book!! It looks so amazing! I read Laura’s foreword this morning + the intro.
GRATEFUL KAE 
It’s been so snowy and I love it! The last 2 winters were such a drag. If it’s going to be cold, it might as well be snowy! I remember it was like 50 on Christmas 2 years ago which was kind of nice but I prefer a white world to a brown world at Christmas. Last night we got about 6-7″ of snow so I was very glad we have an SUV now. I feel like we are responsible for the light snow the last 2 years because we bought an SUV in Oct 2023. But this morning, an SUV was essential. There is no way we would have made it out of our garage/down the alley with a sedan. We even saw an SUV stuck in an alley! I am dreading the cold snap ahead, though. Our high on Sat is -1F. GULP. I’m taking the boys to the zoo that day so they can burn off some energy at the indoor exhibits.
I’m team cilantro, too! My dad has the soap gene – I am glad I did not inherit it!
And boy that is odd about Charlie being freaked out in that area. What spirits is he sensing?? Good call to avoid that block!
The lights in your neighborhood are very pretty! We are going to look at Christmas lights this Friday or next Friday depending on the weather. The neighborhood where Paul’s piano teacher lives has the most amazing lights. They must spend thousands hirings that out. My SIL said it’s $500 to have lights installed on their suburban home which is small compared to these huge estates! But I am here for it!!
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I agree, I think if it’s going to be cold, might as well have snow- although with teen drivers now, I still maintain that in almost 2026 we should have invented a way for the snow to not stick to the roads by now! haha. It never feels quite like Christmas when it’s sunny and 50 degrees in Wisconsin! I am not thrilled about the bitterly cold temps coming this weekend, though. I find that just SO unpleasant…
I used to love going and looking at lights with the boys when they were little. I can’t even fathom what some people must spend!
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I am so jealous of your snow. Here in the mid atlantic it has been so cold (often not getting above the freezing mark) but every time a storm comes through it warms up just enough that it rains. Boooo! So instead of everything looking bright and festive it just looks gray and drab. Sigh.
I cannot wait to get my book!
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Oh, bummer about your weather! I guess if it’s not going to snow, then I’d still prefer it to be overcast some days in December, because that at least still feels “cozy” to me. (I know some people will think that’s a crazy statement!) When it’s sunny and mild it just doesn’t feel like the holidays to me, though! We’re getting bitter cold this weekend which I could do without.
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Charlie can probably hear or smell something you can’t. Hannah used to do that with a corner in our neighborhood and during a windstorm, a tree fell over on the house there. I wonder if she could tell the tree was not strong and was always worried it would topple over. She also can tell when things have died (like a squirrel that was hit and run over and there’s no visible sign, but the smell remains). I trust Hannah’s body language and if she doesn’t like an area, I try to avoid it. She knows more than I do!
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Wow, that’s crazy about Hannah! I wonder if there is something like that here…. the whole thing gives me the creeps, and even more so now that I’ve thought and talked more about it! haha. Definitely will be avoiding that area, at least when alone/ at night!
Speaking of dogs knowing things, a few times now Charlie has been in the kitchen or living room (but NOT at the window or up on the couch), and all of a sudden he’ll start barking and run to his ottoman to look out the window…and there’s a raccoon or other animal on the driveway! Do they make noise?! Like, how did he know it was out there?! I never feel like his sense of smell is THAT great, because sometimes I drop treats for him on our walk and he doesn’t always find them instantly, lol!
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Oh lucky you that got the hard copy! I ended up ordering kindle version. I guess I’ll get a hard copy when I visit her or you next year.
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yes, you’ll have to get a real copy eventually! 🙂 it’s so exciting!
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We have also had a lot of snow here in Ontario. Not as much as you have but if it keeps coming down like it is right now we will catch up. When you said that about Charlie getting spooked I wondered if there are coyotes in the area? We have a hydro right of way behind us and there are coyotes there. I was walking my son’s dog and her ears would perk up right away. I usually couldn’t see anything but sure enough at some point it would go trotting out from the bushes. She is much bigger than Charlie so was definitely not scared, I still kept her on a tight leash though!
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Yikes, coyotes!! I don’t think that’s the case here… this section of the block is not along woods or anything. It does butt up against a park, but the park is just a community park with soccer fields, etc. and not many bushes or trees even, so nowhere for coyotes or animals to hang out really. I’d freak out of a coyote walked out in front of us!! Charlie tends to bark at bigger or ‘scarier’ looking dogs now (he started doing this after we boarded him, never did it before and doesn’t do it with little dogs….) so I’m sure he would bark at a coyote, haha, not realizing what he’d be up against!
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We live in SoCal, so a White Christmas is definitely not on the table. I love living here, but all the pictures of the snow and lights look magical. Exciting you got an early copy of Best Laid Plans–can’t wait to read it!
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I think I’d struggle living somewhere tropical or sunny/warm around the holidays! It just does NOT feel right to me, after living my whole life in Wisconsin, to have Christmas decorations up etc in a warmer climate! When we went to Mexico a couple years ago for Christmas it was great, but just didn’t feel like Christmas to me! But I’m sure I’d get used to it… and the weather in SoCal would be hard to pass up…. 😉
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awww thank you!!! I feel like you KNOW almost everything I am going to say in the book but I hope it’s fun to read anyway!!!! I am jealous of the SNOWWWWW!
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I do know it, but I feel like I have definite room to improve on my implementation! I’m excited to have it all spelled out in one place!!
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I haven’t gotten the book yet— or wait, maybe I have! A bunch of packages arrived yesterday and I assumed they were books I ordered for my husband for Christmas. Ooh, could one of them be Shu’s book??? Now I can’t wait to get home and open them!
Yes- December is the time for snow. It looks really pretty and Christmas-y. My son says he’s enjoying his first official winter- I wonder how he’ll feel about it when it’s still cold in March? Anyway- about Charlie. My daughter would definitely say there’s a ghost. She’ll always say that if one of the cats starts behaving oddly- obviously there’s a ghost in our house, ha ha. Anyway- yes, you might as well avoid that area from now on. Imagine how you would feel if something bad happened, and Charlie was trying to warn you all along.
I LOVE that quote. And you could substitute all sorts of other things for the “snow.” I’m saving that.
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Sorry-I didn’t specify, she sent me an early copy! I also pre-ordered one, but that copy has NOT arrived yet. Sorry to get your hopes up!! I believe my pre-order says it will be delivered 12/16, so hopefully yours will be here in just a few days, too! Perfect post holiday reading, if you can wait that long…
That’s so fun for Paul to be experiencing his first real winter! I’ve thought of him a few times and was wondering if he liked it or was like, WTF is this?! haha.
I’m like Angie, my mind immediately went to “ghosts!” or else….. something really disturbing, like, I don’t know, some kid who was kidnapped and is being held captive, or something horrifying. OMG! This is why I don’t watch scary movies or crime shows. Let’s hope that’s not the case.
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I just pre-ordered and am very excited for SHU’s book!
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I need to send that quote to my husband — poor guy, he hates snow. (I love it.) Where is my copy of SHU’s book?!?! Amazon says it isn’t arriving until Tuesday!!!! Boo!
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Snow in December must be MAGICAL. It’s sometimes very hard to get into the Christmas spirit when I’m still wearing shorts outside, sigh. And I’ve lived in FL my whole life! Oh well… it’s worth it to have very mild winters, but I feel like I need to experience a white Christmas at least once in my life!
That’s really odd with Charlie’s behavior! I wonder what’s up. I feel like animals can sense things that humans don’t, so I’d heed his warning!
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I love snow in December. It’s just a better Christmas with snow… but sadly, we won’t get any here, but we’re expecting two big storms (with possible flooding) instead.
I also preordered SHU’s book and received it in the mail last week. I am so excited to dive in over the holidays.
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