Nature's Flu Shot

Chillin'

Snuggled under quilts by the fire---respiratory virus seems to be taking up lodging with me and Randy both...

Some pictures of our snow and ice storms last month

Happy Valentine's Day

February

"Here comes February, a little girl with her first valentine, a red bow in her wind-blown hair, a kiss waiting on her lips, a tantrum just back of her laughter.  She is young as a kitten, changeable as the wind, and into everything.  She can sulk, she can beam, she changes from one minute to the next.  February is a phase, a short phase at that, and she has to be lived with.     ...    It is sleet and snow and ice and cold, and now and then it is waxing sunshine and tantalizing thaw and promise.  February is soup and mittens, and it is a shirt-sleeve day that demands an overcoat before sundown.  It is forsythia buds opening in the house and skid chains clanking on the highway.  February is sunrise at 6:30 for the first time since November.   ...   February is a gardener pruning his grape vines today and shoveling a two-foot drift off the front walk tomorrow morning.  It is a farmer wondering this week if his hay will last the Winter, and next week wondering if he should start plowing."   Hal Borland - Sundial of the Seasons

Frigid

Man it is COLD this morning.  Not below zero but 15 deg with wind chill of 5 is just a tad too chilly for this ole girl.  So I'm posting pictures of PussyWillow and Corkscrew 'crooked' Willow branches that I have in the house that are rooting and making leaves.  Just a tiny reminders of Spring and warmer days to come.  :)

I Won!!

Marlee says 'what is it, Mom, something for wienie dogs?'

Look at these sweet sweet goodies that I won from Michelle and the Raspberry Rabbits.  :D  I am thrilled beyond words to have won these little 'rabbit' scissors---my oh my they cut sooooo goooood.  :D  Thank you bushels, Michelle and Bunnies.

Rain, and Rain and More Rain

The ground is so waterlogged that we are just holding our breath about the electricity going off again.  Pretty sure there are trees that are ready to come down in the winds that will probably have an electricity line to take with them.  :/  Having jumped right in to projection LOL, we were spared the worst of the storms that are howling around out there today.  We have had a LOT of rain again though.  We started the day with a high temp of 65 degs (can you believe that this is at the end of January with temperatures like this!!)  Then a high of 28 for Friday---crazy crazy weather.

Randy ran to the grocery store for a few things for us, so I won't have to go out for a few more days.  :)  I've been appliqueing more little baskets.  And I have to say I love having the sewing machine in here where it's warm.  I've sewn a bit each day, mostly on the scrappy log cabin blocks.  There are several sew-alongs going on right now that I'm eying but haven't started yet.  I have pulled my charm pack and yardage for Terry's Treasures quilt along.  Just haven't started cutting it yet.   

Sewing When I Should Have Been Cleaning

I started cutting scraps and working on a scrappy log cabin.  I keep admiring (lusting after) Jeanne's (SpiralJeanne) log cabins, and since it didn't look like I would get one any other way LOL, I decided it was time to start piecing one.  Kinda leader/ender on some days, other days lets just cut some strips and sew a block.  :)

The Downey(?) has finally found the peanuts and comes every day.  I smile every time I glance out the window and see this little beauty.  The Carolina Wren found them too but I haven't been able to get a picture of him yet.

I am doing Cheri Payne's (quiltsbycheri) sew along.  These are tiny little pieces. starting with 1-1/4" squares.  Tiny.  But fun.  I'm actually keeping pace with her.  LOVE it.  :)  My alternate squares are actually a very dark forest green---sure looks blue in the photo.

A stuffed bird I just had to make and an applique pattern that I'm getting ready to start

Santa present :)

It was REALLY cold but this little fella didn't care one bit---he needed a bath :)

A Clean Slate

"Old Years and New"
by
Edgar A. Guest

Old years and new years, all blended into one,
The best of what there is to be, the best of what is gone.
Let's bury all the failures in the dim and dusty past
And keep the smiles of friendship and laughter to the last.

Old years and new years, life's in the making still;
We haven't come to glory yet, but there's the hope we will;
The dear old year was twelve months long but now from it we're free,
And what's one year of good or bad to all the years to be?

Old years and new years, we need them one and all
To reach the dome of character and build its sheltering wall;
Past failures tried the souls of us, but if their tests we stood,
The sum of what we are to be may yet be counted good.

Old years and new years, with all their pain and strife,
Are but the bricks and steel and stone with which we fashion life;
So put the sin and shame away, and keep the fine and true,
And on the glory of the past let's build the better new.

January 1, 2013

Christmas Comes and Goes Faster Each Year