Week-End Update: Orchard House in Winter

We kicked off the week with a Superbowl party and the third snow day of the year. At this point, the snow piles in the front yard are up to the car windows. However, the extra blanket of snow gave me the opportunity to cross another item off of my Boston Bucket List, which is to visit the Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House during each season of the year. I drove to Concord after work on Tuesday and found the house untouched by plows or shovels. As the sun set, a few puffs of friendly chimney smoke created a cozy scene that reminded me of the scene in Little Women when the sisters huddle together next to the fireplace to rewrite Jo's story after Amy fell through the ice.

(I drove past Walden Pond on the way home.)

Little Women was a favorite story of mine growing up. I remember watching the movie with my mom, each of us huddled under a quilt, exchanging quiet sniffles when Beth makes her final moving speech about being brave and going ahead of her sisters. I remember playing "Little Women" with my sisters and cousin in our playroom, bickering for a few minutes with "Amy" about who would get to marry Laurie in our version. And I remember listening to the soundtrack as I drove home from college before Thanksgiving or Christmas vacations, getting myself into the holiday spirit.

While Orchard House was definitely a highlight of my week, I was also excited to hear that Harper Lee's companion book to To Kill a Mockingbird is scheduled for publication in July. I've already pre-ordered my copy! Here's a link to the NPR story about the novel's release.

We wrapped up the week with a trip to the Boston MFA (another item on my Boston Bucket List) and even more snow, which turned this weekend into a 3-dayer. I hope you'll all be thinking of me from pool-side come June when we're still in school to make up for these snow days!

What's on tap for this week? My goal is to finish reading Chocolat and to add another post to the blog. Then I'll be tackling 2 recipes that have defeated me in the past: a vegetable soup and homemade biscuits.  Wish me luck!