Eclipse

We were looking forward to catching a glimpse of the lunar eclipse early this morning, but it was snowing. Good thing there are a lot of cool pictures on the Internet today from people who did see it.

Wintery

Well the snow has fell, leaving us somewhere about 10 inches worth, although it is hard to judge with the drifting. Last night our power was knocked out for a few hours. For about 2 hours before the power cut out, the lights were flickering, so we were ready for the darkness.

The winds are gusting to 45mph right now and its expected to stay windy through Monday, with temps dropping and wind chills down to -20F. This morning Maggie and I checked on our chickens and sheep and shoveled around the house. Maggie wasn't too happy to be outside, so we were quick.

First Snow

We got our first real snow on Thursday, about 3 inches worth. Its been cold like winter for a couple weeks now, but not white like winter. Today and tonight we have our first snowstorm coming too, forecasting 8"-12" inches. A little late this year, but winter has finally arrived.

A Night Out

Last night Zach and I marked our nine years together with a night out. We hold our dating anniversary with a little more meaning than our wedding anniversary in June. Although the first date awkwardness was missing, the brisk winter evening reminded us of our first date at the Milwaukee Art Museum along the lakefront. It is hard to believe we’ve been a couple that long already.

(photo from website)

We went to a restaurant we haven’t been to before called, Cena, in downtown Appleton. We have been looking forward to the date for a few weeks, excited to try out a new place and new culinary tastes. Boy, we were not disappointed at all. Zachary had the Filet Mignon with prosciutto, gorgonzola, and red and yukon potatoes. I had a Smoked Pork Chop with wild mushroom risotto and apple chutney. Wowzers... We sampled each other’s dishes, after we would brag to each other how good our own plate was. After licking our plates clean, we were tempted with dessert of Tiramisu and Pumpkin Cheesecake. Even after that, our server offered us a slice of homemade chocolate cake, since it was the owner’s son’s birthday and they were having a cake. We really wanted to indulge some more, but our stomachs had already surpassed capacity for the evening.
For an after-dinner treat, we visited a bookstore. Zach picked up a few novels and I chose a new cookbook for the kitchen.

Bit of Magic

Zachary and I have taken up a new game lately, Magic. It is a card game that has been around for about 20 years, and we decided to give it a try after seeing it at our local nerd store.
Turns out it is a real fun game. It is a nice change of pace for us, going low tech with our entertainment. Something we can enjoy together without computers, the internet, and the TV to distract us.
Of course the cats have noticed our sitting around the dining room table lately, and insist on being part of the action.
And inch their way onto the battlefield for a chance to bat at a enticing stray game piece.