Chestnuts roasting...in a convection oven. :)

So currently I'm enjoying the roasted chestnuts that Lisa and I bought for the holiday season...something tells me it's winter. Oh wait! There's snow on the ground...and coming from the sky! And it's freezing! Oh boy, it's winter. I love here though! Recently we've been having lots of fun, all of the youth, in the snow. There's not much - only an inch or two in the last week - but it has called for serious winter coat usage. The wind makes it feel even colder, and the slippery ice has caused a lot of bruised knees as well...I'm enjoying it nevertheless! 

So I began getting cold:

And because I wanted to enjoy the last days of sunshine, I convinced Sharon, the kitchen supervisor, to let us go for a walk when we had nothing to do in the kitchen:

And I said goodbye to my special spot - a fallen tree that I've enjoyed sitting on so much in the forest!

  

I've been cooking lots of course...more indoor-time means more food. Uh oh :)

Bamboo rice and coconut curry

Wild rice (sent from my momma!), spinach, and chickpea stew

Vegan corn muffins! Bring on the chili now...

The youth also went to see Harry Potter #739582 on a Sunday night, and that was fun...but I'm waiting for the next one to see where it all goes...Harriet and I secretly took a picture in the movie theatre bathroom when we weren't supposed to have cameras there! Oops!!!

On November 23rd, we had to say goodbye to Harriet. But she's in Missouri and ready to study and go forth in this world with lots of enthusiasm and spirit! The night before she left, us three roommates stayed up chatting and she even knitted me a beautiful hair-flower. 

Flint Bishop Airport at 5a.m...tears were soon to come.

But Harriet and I will always be together. Right, Harriet? 

Thanksgiving was a blast! We all went to Cate's house (she's the administrator of Louhelen) and enjoyed the classic Thanksgiving dinner. We had everything, vegan and traditional. 

I made vegan pumpkin pie too! Mmm.

Thanksgiving was lovely. It started snowing super-quick after that. December 1st was wintery!

I decided to take down the fall decorations and put up winter ones on our window!

Lisa and I wrote messages to people in the snow...

And enjoyed our winter jackets very much:

And I've been loving the days after it snows when it's sunny and blue-skied. I can hardly keep my eyes open, it's so bright!

Well, I've got some knitting to do. I decided to make lots of hats and scarves this winter, and I think here is the best place to do it! I've got lots of time and people to keep warm! :) And Lisa and I decided to do online study courses through the Wilmette Institute to add to our personal spiritual-growth-time. I'm doing a course on Health and Spirituality! Woot! Love you all, enjoy your December :)

P.S....My dad caught his first steelhead of the season in the Wilson River in Oregon and sent me a proud picture! Go dad!