I apologize for being out of touch. Life has been too busy! I am looking forward to my trip to Connecticut; I leave DC on Thursday night. And then, to warm up before returning to the grind, I am heading to Siesta Key, Florida to celebrate the New Year! I promise to put new batteries in my camera to document the holidays.

The holiday season. It just doesn't last long enough.

Considering the way this year has flown, I feel I have to make every moment of this holiday season count. Already, I've put up a Christmas tree, hung stockings, strung lights, started my shopping, written out Christmas cards, and planned for holiday baking. But the four or so inches of snow that fell on Wednesday was the icing on my holiday cake.

After watching the snow turn from a consistent but lazy descent, to a heavy downfall, I pulled on my boots, tightened my scarf and considered my trip home. Normally I walk to and from the office, but Ryan suggested I take a cab to avoid the icy sidewalks and bitter cold. Aside from the fact that I only had a few dollars in my pocket, the minute I opened the door to the snow, I knew I would walk.

There is nothing like the hush that blankets the city with the fall of snow. At rush hour, stillness reigned over a neighborhood normally bustling. The crunch of my every step on the undisturbed snow was audible. As the scene changed from high-rises to brownstones, pedestrians lingered, talking to neighbors, walking with children or playing with dogs. (I love to watch dogs in the snow. Sal buries his snout, snorts, and comes up with a tiny pile of flakes on the tip of his nose.)

I knew I looked ridiculous. The snow had accumulated on my coat, sticking to the wool and covering it completely. Flakes had stuck in my eyelashes, melted, and had run down my cheeks. I may have been mistaken for a snowman, if seen from afar. And when I arrived at home, I had a small pile of snow sitting neatly atop my head.