By the grace of God, I am in Vermont today—a place I’ve dreamed of for so long!  The home of Tasha Tudor!  The setting of Holiday Inn and Baby Boom!  A month ago, I simply mentioned to my sister that Vermont was my dream destination.  She said she had to travel here on business and invited me to come along.  God blessed us Texas girls with the gift of snow during our visit!  It hasn’t stopped gently falling for a day and a half!  I am happy to report that the Vermont of my dreams is real.

Vermont is:

Snowflakes cradled on tree branches

Old inns that creak and welcome

A red barn in a snowy meadow

A fireplace crackling with gentle orange warmth

A deep quiet . . . whispering inspiration

Clay roads on which cars slip and slide

Working farms

Deer leaping through snowy woods

Snowshoes hanging in hallways

Healthy, locally-grown food

A black bird, waving wings over fields of snow

625,741 people

Picturesque buildings (even the gas stations)

Maple syrup slathering pancakes

Moose tracks in the snow

Many an artist’s haven

Softly rounded mountains

Painted farm houses dotting the landscape

A waiter singing “Pa rum pa pum pum” in springtime

Christmas lights that stay up to brighten dark winter nights

A quaint shop, where cats curl on blankets, while the owner stops painting to chat awhile

Round barns

No roadside billboards

Nary a fast-food restaurant  (We haven’t seen one, but we hear they can be searched out in Burlington.)

Old covered bridges, wide enough for only one car at a time

Frozen ponds and snow-banked rivers

Windows that keep the cold out and let the snowy landscape in

Waking up to a pink sky

A Christmas card come to life!