Where Can This Go From Here?

I think I may have just started an escalating war of holiday-spirit treat-swapping with our neighbors.

So the snow fairy visited us in the night, blanketing our neighborhood in about 6-8 inches of sparkly white. This is beautiful and perfect for the season, but it also meant that my poor husband had to shovel a whole bloody lot, especially since our house is on a corner.

Blessedly, when he finished clearing our driveway, our sweetheart of a neighbor, who had been clearing his own drive, came over with his snowblower and cleared our entire sidewalk. Both sides of the house, without asking or hesitating.

Since I had been inside finishing up my holiday baking while the shoveling and clearing was going on, as soon as umbran let me know what he had done, I put together a plate of cookies and took it over to them as a thank-you. Neighbor and his wife were very happy, and I went back home smiling and cheerful, glad that both I had been the recipient of such a kindness and that I had been able to do a little something to repay such nice people.

About half an hour later, though, neighbor and wife knocked on our back door. Apparently, as a thank-you for the cookies, they wanted to bring over a share of their holiday baking - a box of homemade fudge. And it came with an invitation to stop by their house anytime, and a promise of future snowblowing aid.

I fully intend to take them up on their invitation, though I'm not sure quite what to bring as the next step in this swapping war. Maybe a loaf of bread; it's been way too long since I've made bread from scratch.

It's incredibly good fudge, too. I haven't had anything quite this perfectly rich and smooth and intensely chocolate in a heck of a long time.

I think I love my neighborhood.