I think last year at this time we had returned to Florida for Danny's memorial which meant we missed some really cold weather. This year during the middle of January it has been crazy cold although we have had no snow. Because David and DAnna are 1000 feet higher they woke up to a white yard. So while we have had no snow, we have had are some interesting skies with all kinds of clouds; having been out on walks many of those cold days I have seen them first hand!
On this walk, the temperature was low, the fog was heavy, and most folks were not out walking, however I am committed to doing more, so I go in spite of the cold
Rarely do I take selfies yet when I looked down and thought, I'm sending this to my daughter-in laws because they were responsible for my hat, coat and bag. I wanted them to know that I appreciate their generosity.
Do I look cold or excited because I had just seen a Pileated Woodpecker?
Truth be told, probably a little bit of both. Scanning in every direction, I look for contrast or movement and in this case I found contrast. A little research told me the largest of these is an oyster mushroom. How cool is that? My first find of this kind.
Along the river I need to keep my eyes open hoping to find a beaver because if I had to guess, that is what was gnawing on this tree all the way around.
Friends, I have got a lot to share so bear with me will you?
Foggy sky--check. Red sky, and I do mean RED, purple, orange, blueish, at night, a rare occurrence -check.
We are having a heck of a time with our mail delivery, sometimes coming at 7:30 at night in spite of the fact that we live two blocks from the post office. I was getting my jacket to check around 6:30 and the sky from the front porch looked like this.
As you can see it kept getting more colorful.
So good and a wonderful surprise. I believe that snow was predicted for overnight but I did not expect it because, as we all know, "red sky at night, sailors delight."
With that mail info in mind, I heard from Ann who told me that the Christmas card she sent was returned because she had a minor mistake with our address. I suppose without a regular carrier that can happen. I am so delighted that she persisted and sent another because it is a winner. Both she and Cynthia made their own cards and both were terrific. An interesting collage from Ann, while Cynthia's is paint and more?
I have some super talented friends!
Speaking of talent, that husband of mine has talent in spades. At a meeting in the fellowship hall, early last week, there was discussion about a table that needed to go away. A local charity was going to charge to pick it up was what we learned. While we were in Orlando we looked for a sewing table for me while we were shopping at Ikea, but nothing seemed right, so when I heard this, it caught my attention. Showing it to Bruce I asked his thoughts and his thoughts were positive. It was covered with water stains, had gum stuck to the sides, along with tape and in general did not look great, however, with difficulty we got it in the back of the Subaru, into the shop and he went to work.
Unfortunately I did not photograph the worst of it, in part because he got to it so quickly. It was meant to replace the folding table we bought as a stand-in and while it was serviceable, when sewing with any speed it shook like crazy. Note the table in this photo taken during Saturday's session to tidy up my fabrics.
Which reminds me, did I show you the new quilt that I finally completed?
Much softer than the other one and it is keeping us plenty warm on the cold nights, some going down to 19 degrees!!
When I want to make something I dig through the baskets because if I can't make something out of what I have, well, it is just silly. I just have to get creative as I did with the pillow covers I made for the front porch using fabric from what is fondly called in the sewing community, "my stash".
Before too much longer it will be time for spring pillows but for now I wanted something a little less cheerful. Covering the Christmas pillows is how I made it happen.
Oh look, my Uggs, which are getting their fair share of wear this January!
So back to the table....while I was sorting and organizing, Mr. Peck was sanding and I do mean sanding for hours and hours. Then he stained it and after recruiting another fellow after church on Sunday, they managed to wrestle it up the narrow staircase and here we are. On a side note, the fellow is a local and was actually happy to come inside as he said he had seen the house countless times and wondered what was inside.
And look who got to use it yesterday morning! (refer to photo above of quilt)
I ran the machine fast and that oak stood strong!
I think it was last Monday after we did yoga that DAnna insisted on taking me out to lunch for my birthday. Since a few of the others were going to play Mahjong and have lunch, we tagged along, neither of us having ever seen it played. Linda took this photo of me with the birthday cake.
I have to admit, that was fun having folks sing happy birthday to me. Our food was delicious, our company great and now we have seen it set up to play. The lady sitting beside me owns this set which is 100 years old.
In this year of doing new things, maybe I will try it? Third time at yoga yesterday and oh my word....tough sledding for me! On the other hand, I do know how to walk and I am getting better at the terrain although, trudging up this hill was still hard. I was standing at the bottom contemplating and a couple asked me if I needed a ride which I declined. Here's a fun fact I learned about this hill today and that is the locals call it "laundry hill" because it leads to what is now a decrepit laundry. It is so good having local friends who know the lore!
I'm including this because lemon poppy seed muffins and oranges just look nice together and taste even better.
Here is some food that looked strange, but was super yummy.
What are those rolls you ask? Not a cut of chicken I have ever seen before but after cutting one in four pieces I arranged it on the bun and it was surprisingly good! Bruce enjoyed the other one. We were eating here because I needed to use the restroom and the only way to do that was to eat here.
Bruce had french toast and he raved and raved. Decorated with old records and covers, I got a kick out of seeing the old Herb Alpert cover which my parents owned. That cover must have been seriously scandalous at the time.
We were in Andrews to play pickleball indoors because it was only about 20 degrees. The drive there never fails to delight me with frost on the ground, fog in the mountains, bare trees, and weak winter light.
That said, when we came out of the gym the sky was gorgeous and remember what I said about clouds earlier? Following our impromptu lunch, I had to check this place out. Look at that cloud? A flying saucer of a cloud!
So cute and to add to the excitement I was feeling, across the street were horses!
And weird goats with wild horns!
If you were this horse, do you think you would wonder if others were better looking?
Just a silly thought!
I took a lot of photos last week of birds, people, landscapes and food and you are seeing only a fraction of them because you will hate me if I go on for much longer! That said, you just have to see this crazy plant!
Beale's barberry is what AI is telling me, although quite often it is wrong and how do I know this? Because I can identify a number of birds and oftentimes I get the wrong identification. But you take what you can get. I tell you what the closest I am getting to this plant is with a camera in hand!
Final thoughts:
- What a game last night! Rarely do we stay up and finish watching a football game, but that one was so compelling for lots of reasons. Congratulations Indiana!
- Days are getting longer!! 5:00 pm comes and goes and there is still light in the sky.
- Detecting some tiny, and I do mean tiny buds on some of our plants is a joy.
- A dear church friend's sister was killed in an automobile accident Friday. Obviously we are sick about it as she was very healthy.
- Bruce is doing well concerning Cris. Staying busy and focused helps.
So there you are, but before I completely say goodbye, another sky photo!
And to think that all those bare branches will be drenched in leaves in just a few short months! In spite of times of sorrow, there are still the joys of everyday living. May you have many such joyful days!
your friend,
Gail
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