France has better food.

The French work a 35-hour workweek and get an average of 37 vacation days per year.

France’s healthcare system consistently tops the list of best in the world.

Oh, and the French are better parents, too. (Watch the video and tell me those American women don’t sound crazy.)

The Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, crepes from street vendors, the Louvre. And don’t forget Provence, fields of lavender, Marseille, Versailles, Julia Child, the ex-pat literary figures of the 1920s, Van Gogh, Pasteur. Croissants.

Tomorrow’s high temperature in Paris: 26.

Tomorrow’s high temperature here: 64.

…

Well, then.

North Carolina for the win!

I swear, there was nothing in the egg nog. No, really!

Mom and I decided to take silly self-portraits. At first, she didn’t get the “make silly faces” memo. But, she’s a quick learner…

Mom and Dad have a “small local farm” radar, and they manage to find every place in a 75-mile radius that sells fresh eggs, milk, produce, citrus, etc. This time, they found goats Mom could pet. Happy day for Mom!

This was our 11th Christmas together. Say it with me now: Awwwww!

I finally got a shot of my parents both smiling at the same time. A Christmas miracle! (It was so cold that day that Mom and I had to wear light jackets. Oh my!)

On New Year’s, we celebrated my in-laws’ anniversary. Thirty-two years and counting. Say it with me now: Awwwww!

One added benefit of keeping the house on the chilly side (besides the energy savings) is how cuddly the cats become. You can’t sit for more than two minutes in any location in our house and not have a cat on your lap. We’re huddling together for body warmth. It’s kind of pathetic, really. But, oh so cute.

Most evenings these days, you’ll find Jesse and me on the couches, watching some silly Christmas movie, a cat in each of our laps. I’ve usually got Oliver, and he’s usually got Gracie. (Their choice.) Jesse and I are most likely drinking hot cocoa; I’m probably bundled up in one of the fleece blankets my grandmother gave us. And though the room is a bit cold, we’re all cozy, warm, and happy.

Sunset at Mallory Square, Key West

People are telling me spring’s coming, but I can’t feel it. Winter has been long this year.

Not pictured: giant book, iPod, bottle of water, peaceful smile.

Oh dear heavens, I can’t wait for winter to be over.

It rained last night, and this morning everything is covered in ice. Herman’s face is glazed over, and his charcoal eyes look like glass. Jesse’s car is dripping icicles. Warren took him to work today. This morning before we ate breakfast there were already six or seven accidents on the bridge into town. The bridge Jesse and Warren are probably driving over right now.

(A little humor, because I don’t want to think about that: Our local news came up with this headline about the ice, “Freezing rain tapering off; icy bridges remain.” Phew! I’m glad to hear that the rain didn’t take out the bridges. Perhaps “bridges remain icy” would have been a little better? But not nearly as fun.)

The sky is gray. The ground is slush. The air is still.

I’m staying in until the afternoon, when I need to venture out for groceries and library books (just the essentials). Oliver has decided that my lap is his own personal heating pad. I can’t say I mind that much.

Sure, he needs some dental work, but he's a plucky, optimistic fellow.

That’s right, we’ve got several inches of snow on the ground. (The snow around Herman is gone because he needed some, shall we say, work done.) Freezing rain is supposed to be on its way this afternoon. Our neighbors across the street made a snow lady, and I think Herman has a bit of a crush…

Disney…

Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot in one day--crazy? Yes. A ton of fun? Yup!

Presents…

Oliver inspected each box.

Strange, old records in thrift stores…

Don't ask me!

Nature…

Breathtaking

Canaveral National Seashore

A pelican dives for lunch.

An alligator takes a nap. (We hoped.)

My grandmother…

Ninety-one and counting...I hope I got her genetics!

My mom…

She likes to make funny faces while cooking.

My dad…

He always gives up his seat on the couch.

My dad catching an armadillo…

Don't worry, we let it go right after taking this picture.

Jesse’s family…

Ein (brother-in-law), Becki (sister), and Vicki (mom)...not pictured: Tom (dad) who decided that running around multiple Disney parks on a cold and foggy Sunday wasn't his cup of tea.

Holiday decorations…

Christmas morning.

And lots and lots of food…

Making Christmas breakfast.

What a lovely holiday.

• The most delicious tomato-basil soup I’ve ever had at a cozy little French restaurant.
• Driving in SNOW in the crazy city traffic and not dying.
• Thai food for Saturday’s dinner and then Turkish coffee and chocolate mousse cake for dessert with another dear friend, Heather (we both collected Nancy Drews as kids–did you know that collecting Nancy Drew books is one of the early signs of exceptional brilliance? Hmm?).
• A flare-up of class anxiety that was calmed and corrected by a great church service at North Point. (Will write more about this later.)
• Inheriting a new black dress from Simona.
• Getting to wear my big fluffy calf-length fake-fur coat (even if I could afford it, I wouldn’t wear real fur)–because, again, let me reiterate: SNOW.
• Coming home! There’s nothing better than being reunited with your hubby after a weekend away.

Of course, my big homecoming present was a busted hot water heater. When I got home, I was exhausted and feeling icky from being in the car all day. So, I brushed my teeth and got into a bathtub full of really hot water and bubbles. Bliss. After a good soak, I got out, put on PJs, and was all set for a little nap before we had to run to our small group Christmas party that evening. Then Jesse came home and discovered that our hot water tank was spewing water all over our garage, so my nap time became: “Time to sweep the water out of the garage and move everything sitting in puddles.” Boo. But, Brandon came over and saved the day, and today we have a brand-new hot water heater.

Ah, homeownership. There are many, many days when I miss renting.

But, this post is about Atlanta, about leaving and coming back. Oh, and SNOW. Did I mention that the weekend was cold, really really cold? Brr.

Oh.

Sad.

But, there is time off on the other side of that, and that time off includes a trip to visit Simona in Atlanta and it also involves time to tackle the book (once again) and clean my house (really, really clean it). Oh, and Christmas, my favorite time ever.

So, to celebrate those things, last night Jesse and I went to dinner at a local Tex-Mex place we love. I ate way too many chips and then way too much dinner and after dinner the wait staff had to roll us out the doors. (Not really, but wouldn’t that make a funny sight?)

The topic of our dinner conversation: following your dreams. It was a lovely, but at times difficult, conversation.

This morning, the temperature outside was freezing. Actually, below freezing, to be accurate. I bundled up in my purple scarf and sweater boots and watched A., who now answers everything with “Cause why not?” I don’t know where that came from, or what precisely it means, and I’m not sure he’s clear on that either.

Example dialogue:

“A., let’s put your shoes back on.”

“Cause why not?”

“Yes, exactly, why not.”

He is now speaking in remarkably full sentences, regularly proclaiming his love for both milk and juice. (Erin: “I like milk.” A.: “I like milk. I love milk. I love juice. Yes.”)

It’s nice to know that even though the semester is wrapping up and in about a month I’ll get a whole new batch of students, some things remain constant, with only progress and new vocabulary to adjust to.