An Unexpected Gift

There was a stillness in the air like sometimes happens when a heavy snow is falling.  I stood for a few minutes and watched it fall, heavy and white against the trees, blanketing everything with a crystal sheen.  Beautiful!  I drank in the few moments of stillness before I went inside to begin my work day.  In the midst of the usual Monday morning chaos - that unexpected stillness was a gift.

May your Monday be filled with the peace of silent nature!

Old Man Winter Drama

"What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."  Author unknown.
 
The winter winds are howling across the US, in places where they are certainly not welcome.  My sister who lives in the north Georgia mountains said they are expecting 7 to 10 inches today on top of the several inches they already have.  She lives in an area of winding mountain roads with steep ravines on either side, so travel is treacherous.  Luckily for her she can work from home and not have to travel the 70 miles commute to her job in Atlanta. 

Here in Iowa we have certainly had our share of snow, but not as much as other years.  The extreme cold has put us in the deep freeze for weeks though. Listening to the wind howl puts me in mind of the early settlers who huddled in their log houses or soddies, bundled against the wind and snuggling close to the fire, while their hands kept busy braiding rugs or making quilts to keep the family warm.  Hardy people, they must have been. 

 Their form of transport was the horse and wagon, or a team of oxen plodding slowly through the snow.  Even in our modern age, when ice is on the road, we are still plodding slowly.  This particular day the ice was so bad on the roads I despaired of ever getting home!










 
I am so thankful for our warm home and crackling fireplace.  It is a good time of year to snuggle in and knit, or pick up that hand quilting and enjoy the warmth.

 My granddaughter pieced this Dresden Plate block for her teacher.  She did a good job.  I am proud of her. 














So I'll snuggle into the warmth and keep on stitching because each new sunrise brings us closer to the end of winter.

And the dreams of spring!

Winter Imaginings

There is something magical about a fresh snowfall.

 Standing out on the front porch looking at the neighborhood blanketed with a cool crisp look, I am taken back to the winters of my youth.  Sledding, ice skating, cold red cheeks and warm mittens.  How many hours were spent building snow forts and snowmen, while freezing my toes and feeling the flakes land delicately on my face.  

A new snow seems to be a time when anything is possible.  I was able to conjure up an old photo or myself at seven years old with my cat Maverick.  I really was a child once.  It wasn't so very long ago - in my mind at least.

That photo sent me digging for a poem I wrote a couple years ago that I wanted to share.

Snowfall

  

I stepped on the snow

what a wonderful feel

it crackled and popped

with a wintry thrill.

Above and around

the snow circled and fell

it coated the branches

the porch and the well.

The ice from the storm

glittered bright on the trees

I knew I should hurry

or my nose it would freeze.

But the world was now silent

a beautiful white

and the sight of the cardinal

filled me with such delight.

The flakes swirled and dipped

and skittered ahead

for a moment I pictured me

on that old sled.

With visions of ice skates

and scenes from my past

I stepped on the snow

and  fell flat on my ass.

Whatever your age I hope that you are finding magic in a world covered in white.  Stay warm!

Football, Knitting and British TV

Yesterday was  a bright sunny morning here in central Iowa even though today a winter storm is ripping across the state. 

Sunday was a busy day starting with church with the family.  After lunch we finished some much needed house cleaning.  I don't know where all that dust comes from!  When we were finished  I sat down with a cup to tea to relax for a few minutes and was immediately struck with the way the sunlight filtered into the house, bouncing across the carpet  and sliding across the furniture.  I had to get up and take a picture.  

I finished knitting my shawl and got it blocked on Saturday.  I was pleased with the way it turned out and happy with my choice of color.  I wore it to church and got lots of compliments.  The picture below doesn't show the true colors, pale green, yellow, teal and eggshell.  I have already started on another one that is a very open weave design in a golden tan alpaca.  Very pretty.  The one downside of knitting that I don't like is the way the wool dries out my fingers as it glides across the tops of my hands.

Tomorrow I will get out my fabric and hopefully finish the last border on my quilt.  I have decided that I am going to hand quilt it in circles, using various size lids and bottles to draw my design.  I got that idea from Tim Latimer's blog.  Can't wait until I can put it together and start the quilting!

While we waited for the start of the Super Bowl pre-game, Polly stretched out in the afternoon light and took a nap. She was exhausted from all my housecleaning and the noise of the vacuum cleaner.  

I wasn't impressed with the game.  I am still holding a grudge that my 49ers didn't make it.  Hubby didn't even spend time hollering at the screen because the score was so ridiculous.  It would have been nice if Denver had put up more of a fight.  The commercials weren't all that entertaining either.  What a complainer I am! 

It was a relief to switch over to Downton Abbey at 8:00!  I love all the wonderful characters, but just adore the zingers that Maggie Smith throws out at Isobel!  Which reminds me......Larry was out shopping and brought me a gift,  

He's such a good guy!!!

football knitting and British TV

The Magic of January

I hope everyone has had a great January so far.  My intentions were to post New Year’s greetings but here it is mid-January and I am just sitting down and putting my thoughts to paper, or should I say the keyboard?  This winter weather with its cold gray skies and icy streets has made me sluggish so far.  I know I should get out and take the dogs for a walk and exercise all of us, but I want nothing more at the end of a work day than to snuggle up with a good book and a cup of tea, especially if the fireplace is cracking.  I am not much of a television watcher, but I have to say that season four of Downton Abbey is keeping me very entertained.  I used to hate British shows until I stumbled onto the cast of Downton and I love, love love them!

 

Before Christmas I had to clear off the dining room table of all the fabric scraps that were waiting to be turned into quilt borders.  I have it all back out now but have not made much progress because I realized first thing that I had measured incorrectly and so spent quite some time with the trusty seam ripper.  I am happy to say that I am now back on track.  My goal is to have the quilt top finished by the end of January so wish me well.

 

While the fabric was tucked away I have been busy knitting.  I am making a shawl with lovely ruffled edges out of Ty-Dy wool in assorted cream, taupe, green and aqua.  It is turning out rather nicely.

On one of the blogs I read someone was suggesting this applique quilt book.  My wonderful hubby bought it for me for Christmas.  I haven’t decided yet which block I shall start with.  It’s been quite a few years since I did any applique.  I am looking forward to another start.

Last week my sister and I helped mom clean out one of those storage closets at her house where you stash things and then promptly forget they are there until you pull them back out years later and say “what was I thinking?”  It was one of those “magic of ordinary days” times though as my sister, mom and I laughed while we pulled each item out and the Salvation Army pile grew higher.  I did end up with an ice cream maker so my time was well spent!

 

I hung this Dresden Plate wall quilt back in my bedroom after I put away my Christmas quilt.  This one is made from scraps that my Great-Grandma gave me when I was about twelve years old.  “Someday you’ll make a quilt,” she told me.  I highly doubted it at the time but each time I look at this quilt and see the fabric that was Grandma’s aprons and curtains I am reminded of her and the faith she had in me.  This one has beautiful feather quilting.

Winter continues to blow.  It took me four hours to complete the normal 20 minute road trip home from work last night.

  It was a horrible drive!

Blizzard road conditions will keep me inside for a while and it’s good to know that I have patterns and a stack of fabric to turn into something beautiful while I wait for spring.

But in the meantime Oscar is having fun in the snow.

I hope you all can kick up your heels in the snow, and enjoy the magic of an ordinary winter day!