first snow glow

 First snow!  First snow!!

The day before, it was so warm that I was still seeing bees and butterflies.  It was almost too warm for our bonfire!

you've got to have marshmallows!

Then...temperature drop, and winter wonderland.

Even as a child, I knew that there was something special about the first snowfall.  The crisp air, the silence, the clean white landscape...and now that I'm older, I love the atmosphere that it creates within the house.  This weekend, there were lazy late breakfasts with two cuddly kittens and homemade quilts...

...long knitting sessions...and there's nothing better than a good book by the fire.  Winter always brings amazing sunrises/sunsets, too.   

For me, winter is a time to recharge, to release expectations and to slowly form new intentions.  I have greater focus and more compassion for myself. Gone is the persistent pressure to go go go. I let myself read more...knit more...and take long afternoon naps if work permits.  I bake bread and make thick, hearty soups.  I've always preferred winter clothing and love my hand-knitted sweaters and jeans.  It's a wonderful time.  Then, when I start feeling restless...when the cold begins to wear on me and I'm tired of grey and brown outside...it's usually about time for spring.

We're all excited about what the next months will bring.

Have a great week!

makin' tracks

Todd has said that Indiana winters are grey and cold, with few evergreens to give relief from the relentless drab.  After living in South Carolina for 6 years, I have to admit that he's right...mostly.  But sometimes, you get one of those brilliantly sunny winter days, and everything is made right again.

Deeply blue skies...

...crisp white snow.

I took a walk to the back pond...

It was completely skimmed over with ice.  Lovely!

I'm always looking for wild animal tracks.  We had about 2 inches of snow, but I still couldn't tell who left these behind:

Of course, Claudia took advantage of my tracks to make traversing the path easier.

Borga came out to play...

...and left her own tracks.  What's interesting to me is that you can often identify snow tracks by the "tail swishes" left behind, especially with foxes.  Borga left a few of her own!

She frequently gets "droopy tail" because she's not a huge fan of the snow.

But she'll go wherever Daddy wants to go!

After our one brilliantly sunny day, we've had a series of grey days with intermittent sleet and snow.

Thankfully, we've got a bit of life inside that brightens things up.  I always plant paperwhites in January.  They're beautiful while they're growing...

...and once they bloom...sigh!

I repotted my ferns, and they're unfurling new, tiny fronds...

Begonias are blooming...

...and even this pot-less geranium that's been in my freezing garage revived after a 12-hour soak in warm water.  It's sprouting little leaves everywhere!

The cats, of course, are unimpressed with much of anything in the winter and are mainly focused on getting plenty of sleep.

Sounds good to me.  Have a great week!  

The Big Chill

Happy New Year!  Todd and I celebrated by putting on our pajamas early, hashing out resolutions together, and sharing olie bollen - one of our new traditions.  It's Dutch for oil sphere - think tiny, fancy donut holes.  I first read the sanitized version of the tradition: The round shape symbolizes the end of one year and the lucky beginning of another.  The real tradition, though, is much more interesting. Perchta, an evil goddess, would fly with her evil-demon posse to collect tributes of deep-fried dough (my kind of tribute!) from Germanic tribes.  Perchta had a penchant for slitting open human bellies, but those who proffered olie bollen were saved...the fat in the olie bollen was greasy and caused her sword to slip, which saved their lives.  I certainly don't need the specter of a sword-wielding demon goddess as an incentive to make donut holes.  Still, I was disinclined to fry, so instead made four small round sweet cakes in my mini pie pan.  They were delicious!

Winter has really set in here now.  No snow, but with temperatures dipping into the twenties or even the teens at night, it finally feels like a new season.  I love the cold.  In the early mornings, I open the french doors to feed Clotilde, and the cold air hits me.  It's so delicious and fresh.  I love my quilts, hot water bottles, knitting, flannel and fleece pajamas, cozy hoodies, warm gloves, hats, wool socks.  I love bundling up for chilly walks, like the one we took yesterday.  I have to grab this season while I can.  Already I see very early signs of spring, and know that we will probably start warming up again in 4 - 6 short weeks.

Some early spring bulbs are already coming up!

Early-blooming magnolias are already budding!

And more...

The paper bush shrubs have their flower heads already, and the branches are growing and splitting.  They'll be blooming in a few weeks.

Of course, camellias are blooming everywhere, dropping petals and flower heads in a very pleasant way.

At least lots of plants are in their "hibernation" phases.  I love seeing those dried leftovers, too.

And, of course, winter berries.

We have our usual suspects for this time of year...roving flocks of cedar waxwings!

Some of our old friends were just congregating outside of my office window...bluebirds, cardinals, chickadees, and so many phoebes!

It's always a pleasure to see them...and plentiful evidence of beaver activity, too.

Todd and I are going to get as much outdoor time as possible before the dreaded summer heat returns!

(Borga too!)

I've been doing some various textile work - a cross stitch winter scene, and making long, even lines on my sampler quilt.

Meanwhile, the Christmas decorations have come down and I'm looking forward to a chilly and peaceful January.  I've got my usual set of resolutions, more gentle and forgiving than my usual:  LOSE 'X' AMOUNT OF POUNDS!  OUTLINE THE WHOLE BIBLE!  LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE!  I'm focusing more on small, attainable goals that will help me to become a better person.  Todd and I anticipate making a great deal of changes in 2018, so I'm more focused on:  breathe, relax, focus on each day as it comes.  A few years ago, I made a 'vision board' that is very applicable to my 2018 goals.

Health.  Home.  Creativity.  Animals.  Textile work.  Self-expression.  Outside, outside, outside.

Here's to a happy and productive 2018!