I opened my eyes a little before 5a.m. this morning. I did not feel tired; only refreshed. Keeping the fire in the woodstove going is an important chore in winter, so I rose to fill its big black belly and tended the fire until it was blazing once again. The early morning sky was gray blue. Mysterious. Enchanting. Reflecting off of the pines dusted with fresh snow. I lit a candle and decided to bake.I made banana bread with chopped walnuts and mini chocolate chips, topped with cinnamon sugar before baking, making for a nice crispy crunch. The sweet, comforting smells from the oven, mixed with hints of woodsmoke made me happy. I made coffee, read some by the fire, practiced my French lesson and got lost in the beautiful images on Pinterest. Soon the scents of baking bread and coffee wafted up to the bedrooms, enticing my family out of bed.The blue light turned to white with a tinge of gray. A hole in the clouds let the sun in for a little while. We have not seen much sun lately, so it felt especially good. The kids couldn’t wait to get out into the snow!…Ah, Sundays! So nice to have you stop by. XO