Ice Meadow

 

 Stopping by after a snowy evening, Jack Frost waved his icy brush and left behind a dazzling meadow frozen in time.

Ice Meadow is on view on the front door for a limited engagement. Hurry and stop by before it vanishes and is gone forever.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

A foggy start to the morning, but now snow in the front yard.

Highs in the 60s. Record breaking for February as these are the normal temps for April.

Finally, all the snow across the back Tundra is gone.

Watcher 1 as I was going through Storm Prep of filling the bird feeders

Himself moved the car to the storm position

Watcher 2 wanting to get into the action.

Red sky in the morning,

Sailor take warning.

Red sky at night

so much for the sailor's delight. The snow birds were enjoying the storm.

The depths of my tears

A little snowbird took shelter from the storm in the bushes in front of the picture window

4 to 8 inches of snow was predicted for my area. My measurement was 6 inches. We might have had more snow except for the fact that in my area, the snow turned to sleet. The sleet kept the snow totals down, but made for a heavy, pasty snow to move.

The day after the storm, the male cardinal found a sunny spot in the honeysuckle vine.

I shoveled the walk and stairs. The Plow Angel came to take care of the driveway.

After the plow, the only job left was to clear the snow  in front of the garage and off Moose.

Since we have no place to go this weekend, I decided to be lazy and to take advantage of the sun and let the sun melt some of the snow off the car.

How does your garden grow.

Saturday Morning at the Library

When I was 5 years old, I was forced to take dancing lessons while the Brother was forced to take accordion lessons. I hated dancing class. The Knights of Columbus Hall where the classes were given had no heat or it wasn't turned on. I hated wearing the pink beginner tights. I liked clacking around in the tap shoes, but Ma wouldn't let me practice inside the house on the wood floors. I spent most of my time in class being miserable and crying. Eventually, I was taken out of class.

While the Brother still had to endure accordion lessons, Dad took me to the library. He would leave me upstairs in the children's library where I could look at the books and choose to take some books home with my own library card. As I got older, I would go downstairs to the adult library and wander among the stacks enjoying the scent of the books before going to find Dad in the reference area consulting the law books and catching up on his work.

So for the next several weeks, a list of my favorite books, some I have read as a child, others as an adult and some  I have read more than once.

This week, The Shining by Stephen King. From Goodreads: Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

If you haven't read this book, you can read it at your library or favorite bookstore.

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. After dealing with the stomach virus, I lost 3 pounds!

2.  Made a boatload of chicken soup in the crockpot

3. So much soup, no cooking for the week

4. Finally felt a little better and was able to make it to the post office and to take the kitties to the groomer

5. Himself was sick of soup (me, too) so ordered subs from Tony's. We picked the order up on the way home from errands.

How was  your week?

Thought for Today

 Because a significant snow and sleet storm is predicted for Friday

Whatcha Doin?

Today is errand day. A stomach bug the past week kept me from getting to the post office to mail the Food Service Girl  the hand lettering book. The post office will be stop number one followed by

a trip to the groomer's to get Calli and Quill's claws clipped.

Whatcha doin?

T Stands for a Special Brunch

 

For Valentine's Day, when the girlies were little, I'd make some Valentine themed foods: heart shaped cookies, cupcakes decorated with hearts, heart shaped cake, heart shaped meatloaf. 

A month before Valentine's Day, I stumbled across a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cannoli Pancakes and knew I wanted to make these for Himself and I for a Valentine's Day brunch as neither of us had to work that day. It's not often our schedules coincide.

The recipe is time consuming with so many moving parts. Cream has to be whipped, egg white beaten, but the end result was so worth it. This recipe is sooo good if you have a special breakfast/brunch or dessert you want to prepare or if you just want to treat yourself a little special.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s blog to find out what the rest of the T gang is up to. If you want to play, include a beverage or beverage container in your post. Don’t forget to link your blog from Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s page.

By Design or Just My Imagination

I was waiting to pick Himself up after his chemistry lab classes at Worcester Polytechnic Institute were finished. Sitting, waiting, and waiting, I laughed when I saw it. Do you see it? Maybe if you're not from the area or a Geek, you wouldn't make the connection. 

The building was named after Robert Goddard. Goddard graduated WPI in 1908 and was a professor of physics. He is credited with being the "Father of Modern Rocketry" The first to use liquid fuel to launch rockets from the nearby town of Auburn. Do you see it now?

Here's a close up of the light fixture. Doesn't it look like a spaceship? I wonder if this is an architectural design element of the building or just my imagination?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

It was just supposed to be a dusting

I think 3 inches of snow is more than a dusting

A finely, hand-crafted drive and walkway

Moon rise in the East and

at the same time Sun set in the West

Record breaking temperature. 56 oF!

No snow on the main solar array

Still a lot of snow on the back tundra

Storm clouds, keep on moving

It's melting! It's melting

No snow in the front yard and then

a snow squall moved in. Deep sigh. Forlorn look.

Saturday Morning at the Library

 

Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon in "The Scarlet Pimpernel"

When I was 5 years old, I was forced to take dancing lessons while the Brother was forced to take accordion lessons. I hated dancing class. The Knights of Columbus Hall where the classes were given had no heat or it wasn't turned on. I hated wearing the pink beginner tights. I liked clacking around in the tap shoes, but Ma wouldn't let me practice inside the house on the wood floors. I spent most of my time in class being miserable and crying. Eventually, I was taken out of class.

While the Brother still had to endure accordion lessons, Dad took me to the library. He would leave me upstairs in the children's library where I could look at the books and choose to take some books home with my own library card. As I got older, I would go downstairs to the adult library and wander among the stacks enjoying the scent of the books before going to find Dad in the reference area consulting the law books and catching up on his work.

So for the next several weeks, a list of my favorite books, some I have read as a child, others as an adult and some  I have read more than once.

This week, The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. The first book in a series of historical novels. Sir Percy Blakeney an English dandy by day becomes the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel and rescues aristocrats during "The Reign of Terror" in the early days of the French revolution. 

First written as a play then turned into a novel. In 1934 turned into a movie starring Leslie Howard in the title role.

If you haven't read this book, you can read it for free at Project Gutenberg, or you may be able to find it at your library or favorite bookstore. The Baroness wrote a series of books about her Scarlet Pimpernel. Some of the other books of the series have also been digitized by Project Gutenberg.

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1.There was a conflict in my Spring schedule, and I can't teach the Thursday afternoon class in person, but can teach it online. My boss was able to make the change to the print catalogue and online. Zoom classes the upside of the pandemic.

2. Texting with the Eldest to see if she had gotten the Valentine package I sent to her. She did and she told me I should be getting something nice in the afternoon. Right then, there was a package delivered. Delicious chocolate covered strawberries.

3. A fun Valentine's Day card and a Felix the Cat animated clock from Himself

4. I attended a Masscribes guild Zoom weekly study group. I even got volunteered to be the host because the usual host couldn't make the meeting.

5. The Grandniece and Grandnephew sent a fun little valentine with the Grandniece's first school (preschool) picture

How was your week?

Illuminated Notecard

 

Last week, my students worked on illuminated or decorated initial bookmarks. Since my tablemate, L, sent me a valentine, I made her a notecard with an illuminated initial. Her artwork features pen and ink drawings of sheep so I illuminated her initial with a chubby lamb.  The centers of the flowers are 23K gold dots, but they don't show up well in the photo.

Whatcha Doin - Book Giveaway

 

I'm getting ready to mail this wonderful book to

the Food Service Girl from Da Tabbies o' Trout Towne

Whatcha doin?

T Stands for Valentine's Day Surprises

In the mail, a Valentine from my tablemate, L from the year long, 26 Seeds class we did with Reggie Ezell in 2017.

This festive, sweater design package from Nan arrived a day after L's valentine. What could be in it?

Holiday socks! Meowy Christmas socks, Llama Valentine socks, and Top O'The Meowning St. Patrick Day socks. And a cute notecard. In the note, Nan said she  was having 

 fun with these Vincent van Gogh die cuts

Not just any Vincent van Gogh die cuts, but images from the Doctor Who episode, "Vincent and the Doctor" The middle card is the Doctor's TARDIS painted in the style of van Gogh.

Nan also included my ticket to the tea party, this image of a bottle of water and a pretty glass.

Saturday, the Eldest sent chocolate covered strawberries.

And this sweet Valentine arrived from MB in California. Sadly, I didn't quite capture the shine of the iridescent paint she used.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s blog to find out what the rest of the T gang is up to. If you want to play, include a beverage or beverage container in your post. Don’t forget to link your blog from Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s page.

A Flourished Valentine

 

I hope you have a wonderful day.