Sit by the Fire on a Black Forest Chair

It's winter in the Northwest.  Stormy weather, winds clocked at 98 MPH, major highways closed, 6  inches of rain in Nehalem.   It's just an ordinary winter storm here.   Gearhart, Warrenton, Astoria, Cannon Beach have 3/4 of the people without power.

In Portland, freeways had with water standing on bridges (how does that happen?).   My umbrella lasted about 2 seconds, and I got drenched in about 20 seconds.   Our local paper doesn't even give the storm a headline.

 So I was happy to get back home, crawl under my wool Pendleton blanket, and sit by the fire.   Oh yea, that was after putting out buckets and plastic waiting for the storm to subside.

http://www.dailyastorian.com/free/firefighters-escape-falling-trees----but-truck-doesn/article_8689f766-32c1-11e2-aa17-001a4bcf887a.html

Thankfully the firefighters jumped out of the truck and survived.

Sitting by the fire, I realized I haven't shared my Black Forest Chair.  It is likely Austrian-Swiss.  

Black Forest Chair with Edelweiss, dogs and deer

The chair back is really fancy, with carved branches, flowers, and then an inlaid scene of a dog.

The chair makes me smile.  The seat is hinged and has storage underneath it.  It's sort of funny, don't you think, a secret place to hide a treasure.

I don't always use chairs for sitting.  They're great places to stack books and magazines.

Tomorrow I head down to California - flying - on the busiest day of the year - to get ready for Thanksgiving there with family.  I can't wait.  I'll have a post on that pretty table I'm planning!

When I get back, it will be Christmas.  I'm ready. 

My little wooden nutcrackers - an $11 estate sale investment look cute on the mantel.  I especially like the wood grain on the large one.  Reminds me of the Williams Sonoma nutcracker from last year

2011 Williams Sonoma Nutcracker

You can still pick them up on Ebay.  I saw one for $189...    I think I like mine better!