60 Days Till April!

It feels like SPRING today.  And I feel like myself today!  I was beginning to wonder.  But God answered prayer and sent me a reprieve.  I feel like I just might make it through the next 60 days without ending up totally crazy. 

The sunshine has been sporadic but accompanied by the warmer temps it is wonderful.  I left the stove on but opened windows.  And did not feel one bit guilty about it.  THAT should tell you I feel much better!!!!  I have felt guilty about everything lately. 

I realize winter is not over.  We could get snowed under yet.  And I also know that April can be a real pill sometimes.  We can have snow.  BUT...in April you know it cannot last very long.  And when it turns cold in April you know it won't last long either.  So.  I've made it through January.  It was the worst it's ever been.  I truly hope it's not going to get worse every year.  If it does I WILL have to find somewhere hot to escape to.

I washed a couple windows this morning so the sun could come through all clear and sparkling.

I had a desire to dig into the spring cleaning.  Were we where I wanted to be in school we would have taken the day off to clean.  But we are NOT where I want us to be so we are doing school.  We also have piano in the afternoon.  So the cleaning will wait a little longer.  But the fact that I actually had the desire and felt the energy to do it felt really good.  The past few weeks have been hard.   On all of us.  We will take a good day anytime!  We know there are still 60 days till April.  I will still have bad days.  But at least we know the bad still goes away.  And we would prefer to say it's ONLY 60 days till April!

{A few more Paperwhites}

This one is at my kitchen window.  Which made photographing it interesting!  I had fun with editing even if they aren't the best ever.  Thought I'd share.

A Tad Bit of Valentine's Decor

I don't go all out for Valentine Decor.  Sometimes I don't do any at all.

For some absolutely adorable crafting fun go here.  Tutorial is great!

And just might get you into the Valentine card making mood!

Since my china cupboard needed a deep cleaning I had The Teenager help me with that on Saturday.  When we got everything back in and I had arranged it well enough to do for now I added just a couple touches of red and hearts.  The heart picks are vintage, I picked them up at an antique shop somewhere.

The detailed Annie Oakley card was from a friend years ago and I kept it.

This little valentine was purchased at McMaster and Storm when their Brick and Mortar was still open.  It makes an appearance almost every February.

(egg from my sister - via Andrea Singarella)

Technically an egg and labeled an Easter decor item, this made its appearance early.  It's pink so it fits right in with any Valentine's theme.  And it's cheery.  Cheer is desperately needed right now.  It is gray and gloomy outside.  (If you will notice I spelled it 'gray'.  If you are very astute and know me very well at all you will recall that I spell it 'grey'.  I like that spelling better.  But since I don't like what it looks like outside I am spelling it 'gray'.  Yes, I'm going crazy)

61 days till April.

Paper Whites (and having fun with editing)

I love having paperwhite bulbs in the winter.  Mine were started around Thanksgiving time and are finally blooming.  A few already bloomed and are done but most of them are just now really opening up.  I had 3 bulbs in one pot that are all done now.  3 more bulbs in the same pot are just now blooming.  Go figure!  I never claimed to have a green thumb:)  I'm just happy they have all finally bloomed.  I think they took longer than normal too.

I am having fun with my editing software:)  Finding more stuff it will do all the time.

If I ever buy and learn photoshop I will not resurface for months!

Have you ever 'forced' paperwhites in the winter?

Do YOU like how they smell?  My kids don't.  I kinda do.

Do you have a green thumb?  If so what kind of plants do you grow?  Houseplants or all outdoors?

Is anyone else ready for spring?  63 days till April!!

Grandma Bussey's Cranberry Salad

 1 cup cranberries 2 oranges, 3-4 apples, 2-3 stalks celery

Wash all, core apples, peel oranges, trim celery ends.

Use food chopper to chop all fruits in small pieces.

You will also need one can of crushed pineapple.

Place 2 pkg. of Raspberry jello in a bowl.

Add two cups HOT water and mix well - till jello is dissolved.

Add one cup cold water.  Using an Italian glass measuring cup is optional but does make the whole process much more enjoyable and photo worthy.  Find yours here.

You also need 3/4 cup of sugar.  I used my new china 1 cup measure and just didn't fill it all the way to the top.

Add the chopped fruits, pineapple and sugar to the jello mixture.

Stir.  Stir some more.

Pour into a beautiful bowl.  Photograph it with your Italian Glass Measure just because.

Cover Cranberry Salad, place in refrigerator overnight to set.  Mine always sets up!

Serve with a traditional Thanksgiving meal - you know, turkey, dressing, potatoes, gravy...

To me a turkey dinner is not complete without Grandma Bussey's Cranberry Salad.  YUM.

Sometimes Loving Hurts

Star, Janie, and Sophie 

They posed for me like pros... first all turning one way...

...and then back the other.

Middle Sister

Janie is her cat.

Little Sister and Star

The Teenager with her much loved cat Sophie

These cats began their life as all cats do - as adorable, cuddly kittens.

They originated here.  With three girls I really had no choice but to bring all three kittens home!

They grew quickly.  And became big, sleek, pampered, beautiful cats.

Very much loved by The Sisters

The girls very much loved their kitties turned cats.  And sometimes loving involves saying good-bye.

And it hurts.  We lost Sophie yesterday.  One of the great risks of having cats in town - the road is just too close and too busy.  You can't really tell in these photos but Sophie was long-haired and very fluffy.  A very beautiful cat.  She was the favorite.  She had a purple collar The Teenager had bought her and she wore it proudly.  Yesterday afternoon a very sweet neighbor lady brought the collar over and asked if the cat had been ours.  She said it was hit on the road and she couldn't stand to see it out there so she got it and buried it in her flower bed.  She even said a prayer over it.  Then she washed the collar and brought it back.  What a blessing to have such a sensitive and kind neighbor.  It was rather sad here for awhile after she left.  Tears were shed.  A little collection of 'Sophie things' was made, put in a tiny box, and her collar wrapped around the box.

And though I'm not an animal lover myself  I love my girls.  And they loved that cat.  And they were hurting over her loss.  Therefore I hurt for them.  Yes, sometimes loving hurts.

Till He Come

Lately my days are filled with just getting done what HAS to be done.

Inspiration and Creativity have departed for warmer climes.

I so wish I could have gone with them.

Jesus told a parable in Luke 19 about a man giving talents to his servants and telling them to 'occupy till I come'.  Occupy did not mean to sit back idly as the one servant did.  It meant to work, stay busy, do the ordinary life things, make increase, etc.  Just till he came back.

He didn't tell them how long he would be gone.  Neither did Jesus tell us how long till He returns.

But the parable applies.  Occupy 'Till He Come'.  Go about daily life.  Even if it means just getting done the things that are absolutely necessary and nothing extra.  Brighter days will come.

We heard a quote recently at church: 'If all you do in this life is praise God then you have done what you were intended to do'.  So if I can just praise God even in the midst of winter I am doing all that is required.  (along with cooking, laundry, school... just keep praising Him along with all the things that are needful)

Till He Come.  This too shall pass!  He is coming again and heaven will be our reality! That is reason enough to praise Him!

Natural Decor

This was another after-Christmas find I bought while my sister was still here.

Gotta love those 1/2 off sales:) 

Adorable little drawer pulls out.  Now what should I put in it?

Would you display it open or closed?

What would you do with it if it were yours?

Taking the drawer clear out you could stand it on end and fill use it as a vase.

That was the suggestion of the shopowner.

Anyway, it adds some texture to my lacking-for-inspiration decor at the moment.

(67 days till April)

{New Fabrics}

I recently ordered a stack of fabric samples from fabric.com for an upcoming project.

And while I was at it I added a few pieces of fabric to do some creating with.

Anna Maria Horner velveteen.

Very soft.  Middle Sister wants a blanket out of this.

I was thinking I'd make me a skirt.

Which would you recommend??

Some ruffled fabric.  All three girls want these!

Skirt?

Dress?

What would you make (or have made) out of these?

And since it was on sale I also got this piece of laminated fabric.

They all got added to my stack.  Which looks like fun but I have yet to find the energy to get at it.

I think about it and that's the first step right??

Spring is coming...

68 Days

Today it is warm.  Compared to what it has been it is warm.  The sun peeks through the clouds now and then.  And though a watery sun, still it's the sun!  It rained last night.  Poured is more accurate.  Complete with lightening and thunder.  And this morning the snow is as good as gone.  By aiming your gaze high or squinting you can completely ignore the fact that there are a few traces left here and there.  And I am glad.  Even knowing that we have 68 more days till April and we could well have more snow, ice, cold, and knife-like wind.

Still.  IT'S ONLY 68 DAYS TILL APRIL!!! 

WOO-HOO!