The Farmer’s Almanac has predicted a “cold and snowy” winter for the Midwest, and so far, the predictions are spot on. This weekend the expected overnight temperatures are 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Brrr!

From the basement (or is cellar a better word for a room you can’t fully stand up in, that sports a dirt floor, and several trees are support beams holding up the house? No kidding.) I hear the busy chatter of a local crew installing a new furnace…I’m so grateful that it will be in place to keep this 161-year-old farmhouse toasty before the winds howl and the snow piles up around the doors. And while the new furnace and a cozy fire are perfect for these shivery December days, they’re not all that will take the chill out of a month that can be bitterly cold. Both homes and hearts can be warmed by the glow of the holiday season.