"White Christmas" is an understatement.

I spent Christmas Eve and morning in Marshall, N.C. this year. Nope, it wasn't at all my plan. I had a flight scheduled to return me to Denver on December 19th, but thanks to a blizzard hitting a town that doesn't handle snow well, I was not going anywhere quickly. I couldn't have been stuck with better people, that's for sure, and I learned a thing or two about wood stoves, propane, and kerosene lanterns.

Three and a half days with no power meant there was plenty of time to play rummy, sing and play guitar, read stories, and enjoy eggnog chilled in the snow off the back porch. It also meant that we would go days without showers or heat in the bedrooms. Good times!

Christmas eve was spent with a cabin filled with warm, but unfamiliar faces, and Christmas morning was slept straight through. Fortunately, my family was gracious and understanding, and celebrated after I was finally able to make it home. We had a beautiful celebration filled with laughter. (Baba even bought and wrapped gifts for himself that he labeled as being from us kids. Classic!)

Thank you to Cindy and Kelly for housing me three times longer than they expected to, and for such an adventure! I wanted an escape, and that's exactly what I got :). I would do it again in a heartbeat.

(The town before the snow.)