“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts

Thursday, December 2, 2021

December Thoughts

My first thought is, where's the snow? We have no snow and it's still very dry here. Crazy warm temperatures and the ducks and geese just won't leave until the lake freezes over. Seems weird to have them still here at this time of year. I hope we get rain or snow soon as our plants and lakes are suffering.

 


Meanwhile, it's time to get out the Christmas decorations and we might even have a very small gathering at our house this year. Everyone we are close to has had their vaccines and booster shots, so we feel relatively safe.


My Etsy shop is closed until January this year. I didn't want the stress of having to worry about late deliveries and standing in lines at the post office. I'll use this time to work on other projects. Most of the items in the picture below have already sold. People shopped early this year!

Vintage Christmas Coloring Book and Cookie Cutters

I hope all of you are well and will have time to enjoy the holiday season. If we get snow I'll be back to post some pictures. 

Take care all! ~ Diane & Guy


Sunday, February 28, 2021

Snow Moon

Did you see the Snow Moon? I saw it early Saturday morning around 6 AM. It was lovely sitting behind the trees. Still high enough in the sky for a nice view. The Snow Moon is just as the name implies, a moon in the snowiest month of February. And almost as if by magic we just received some lovely snow!

The bitter cold that had been lingering for several weeks is finally gone and we have had much warmer winter weather. The sun has been shining and melting much of our snow. It was nice to have a bit of the fluffy stuff come down and then to have the sun come out this afternoon and melt it off the sidewalk and drive.  It's much easier to take the cold weather when the promise of spring is just around the corner!



Enjoy your week my friends! ~~ Diane

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

New Year Musings

A New Year has begun and everyday is a day to reflect on the past while moving forward in the moment.  Somehow looking back helps me to set new goals for the future and that's what I plan on doing for this year.

Right now we seem a bit overwhelmed by the weather. Cold and snow keep us busy just clearing out the paths and driveway to  continue on with our regular activities. Oh how simple it is to just jump in the car and drive away without thinking about all the snow that has settled overnight onto everything you just cleared off the day before! The joys of winter!

But there's this....

The beauty of winter and fresh snow at a nearby park.



I know I'm a bit late in wishing you all a Happy New Year, but I wanted to share this gorgeous vintage card I came across. I love the blue and gold color combination and I think it's such a sweet composition. 






Anyway, I hope you have wonderful plans for your 
brand New Year!
I'll be checking in on your blogs to see what you're up to! ~~~ Diane

 


Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Extreme Weather

Remember the Polar Vortex we had a few years back? Well it has returned!





It's official!!!



Minnesota can now lay claim to some of the most extreme weather in all of the USA! And just to prove it, the temperature is supposed to be 37 degrees on Saturday. It will feel like spring!



It must be bad, even the USPS isn't delivering the mail today. I'm very happy I closed my shop for the week!  Due to projected deteriorating weather conditions, USPS  delivery operations are suspended Wed Jan 30, for the following locations:
 * No. Dakota * So. Dakota * Eastern Mont. * Iowa * Minnesota * Portions of E. Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas. 

It is the coldest cold I've ever felt. My office is freezing even with the space heater blasting under my desk. Now excuse me while I get a hot cup of tea, a blankie and a cat.

😼☕🐱 Stay safe and warm out there! 😼☕🐱
Diane




Sunday, May 27, 2018

Spring was Short ...



Yes it's me! This is a super long post, so you might want to grab a beverage and settle down for a bit.  I'm trying to catch up on what's happened since I last posted, so here goes.

Maybe you noticed, but spring was really short.  One month ago it looked like this in our backyard!




Even my Norwegian Forest Cat was sick of the snow! Guy was not amused by the late snow fall and our really long winter!



But then we started to see some changes and a few thunderstorms crept in to get rid of the final traces of snow! The image below does not even come close to how gorgeous this rainbow was!

The image below was taken about a week later, and shows the trees just budding out. The sun made them glow like gold!


Not sure if you have ever watched the show "The Big Bang Theory", but I always pause the DVR so I can read the notes at the end by Chuck Lorre. This one really sums up my feeling about the current occupant in the White House and the past year.


Above: The lake thaws and the plums bloom.
Below: Out for a walk I saw this pretty Flowering Almond shrub.


The lovely lilacs bloomed like crazy this year and the scent always take me back to my childhood.


The crabapple blossoms don't last long but add a needed color infusion to the backyard!
After months of white and gray it's nice to see color again!

Guy waits for a chipmunk...

Pink geraniums and Dame's Rocket....

Suddenly our temperatures are 20 degrees above normal and it feels like August. Don't tell me there's no global warming because it should be pretty obvious to everyone by now that our climate is changing and not in a good way.... Anyway, as I said spring was short, and now it already feels like summer, not just hot, but sticky humid too.  It feels like Kansas City weather to me, it's not supposed to feel like this in Minnesota.... So yes, I'm already complaining that it's too hot! Yes it was too cold and now it's too hot!! Apparently there is no "Normal" anymore.

Dot enjoys a little salad. She loves to chew on this wild grass next to the lake and we walk her out there and let her free range a couple times a day for her greens!



So finally, all caught up. 
What say you?
~ Diane ~



Sunday, March 11, 2018

Back to Winter

I'm back with some photos of our recent vacation. I was in Florida with the husband for almost two weeks! Now most of you know I'm a home-body, so it was about 3 days too long for me! Anyway, it was a nice break from the never ending cold that has been Minnesota this year!

Fort Myers Beach


While we were gone the house/cat sitter got stuck shoveling snow twice! Hahaha! Don't worry, they were paid well for their troubles! Of course I had to spend a week cuddling and coddling the kitties, and a week doing laundry to catch up! Then a few more days to try and get my shop back on track, and finally I'm here writing this post!


It's always a shock returning back to the cold climate when you've been in such a tropical place. Florida was actually warmer than usual and was almost 90 degrees on some days. I hate to say it, but it was too hot for me! The beach lovers were flocking to the beach to lay there and cook themselves, but for me even with sunscreen, I can only tolerate about an hour before I start to burn. I spent most of the time in the shade after getting a bit pink on my shoulders from too much sun!

Lovers Key
We really had no agenda and just kind of drifted around the area and stopped in when we saw something we found interesting. Here's a pretty white sand beach on Lovers Key.


We did find a great natural area to explore and it was a wonderful walk on a raised wood walkway. The Six Miles Cypress Slough Preserve has a host of birds, plants and animals. We saw a few, but as I said, it was hot, so many of them were not out and about. We did see the cormorants, ibis and a fantastic owl, who posed for us!

Cormorant drying it's feathers, with a fish in it's bill, 6 mile Cypress Slough Preserve



Cypress Preserve






Owl at Cypress Preserve



White Ibis at Cypress Preserve







Shrimp & Grits, Doc Ford's Restaurant
We ate about as much seafood as we could stand! My favorite meal was the Shrimp & Grits from Doc Ford's restaurant on Sanibel Island! It was fantastic!



Pink Sitting room at Gasparilla Inn
One of the days we were there we drove up to Gasparilla Island.  My husband had been to a business meeting in this gorgeous old Florida hotel. He knew I would love to see the place and even though we weren't guests they let us check out the first floor and take pictures.  If I lived in Florida, this is how I would decorate my cottage! This was a favorite place of the Bush family, in particular George H.W. and Barbara. 



I loved everything about this place! The artwork which consisted of mainly natural things, like birds, fish etc. The calming mostly pastel and organic tones of the furniture and walls... the seashells and the real orchids..!  I noticed real orchids were in almost every room!





I loved the gorgeous seashell mirror! Notice those beautiful orchids! I could move right in and be very happy! It was nice to see how the 1% vacation! Actually, their prices are not that outrageous and for a very special occasion, I think it would be worth every penny to stay at this historic and fabulous inn!

Well, back to reality! Snow! We are starting to turn the corner though, and with warmer temperatures this week, a lot of that white stuff will be melting away. Spring will be here soon enough!

Thanks so much for stopping in to visit!  
~~ Diane ~~

 


Monday, February 5, 2018

Midwinter R and R

The house/cat sitter has been arranged and will be here in a week. The packing will start soon and the anticipation of a warm getaway is in my thoughts. We've had way too much really cold weather this winter and I'm ready for a change!

Sorry Guy, you and Dot have to keep our house sitter entertained!


I'll be closing down my Etsy shop for a few weeks for some rest and relaxation. I'm going somewhere warm and hopefully sunny.


Trading ice castles for sand castles!





I'll be back posting sometime in March. For many of you, the signs of spring will already be arriving. Winter for us here in Minnesota lasts till May!










I'll try and drop in on your blogs when I have time. 
Here's where I'll be,  in a chair like this sipping on a cool refreshing cocktail .... ahhh....

Bye for now, see you in a few weeks!
Diane

Saturday, January 13, 2018

January Thoughts, It Could Be Worse

Hello friends. Well here we are once again, the beginning of a new year. I started preparing for the new year back in the old year during the month of November. My computer was almost 9 years old and seemed to be really slowing down, so my Christmas present to myself was a new PC and it was lightening fast!

I moved all my images and files over to the new PC and customized everything the way I wanted. And loaded all the programs and browsers and etc, etc. I started to feel at home and thought how much progress I would make by being ready to really get going on loading new listings on my online shop, it took no time to upload photos etc...

And it worked great!! For about two months... and then Christmas eve day I was checking some emails and all the sudden it just blinked. Then it gave me the blue/black screen with the weird message about go to HP something or other... and of course I thought oh it's some spam thing. So I googled on my phone and sure enough it was a valid Hewlett Packard message that basically told me how to run a couple of tests on my PC, which I did. Sadly it told me that the hard drive was dead, well it didn't say dead, but that's basically what it meant. I have to say, I almost cried!

Fortunately it was still within the 90 day return period and Costco took it back and refunded my money. Of course I then promptly turned around and bought another HP, slightly different but almost identical to the other one.

So I had to start all over with moving the files etc. It was not nearly as much fun as the first time! I have most everything moved over and customized again and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't just quit on my again. A tech friend of mine says that it happens now and then. Guess I've been lucky all these years!



My best laid plans have been derailed temporarily but I'm starting to get  back on track again. Besides it's been too cold to do much else than work on indoor projects so I'm trying to make the best of it. If anything catastrophic happens with this PC I will be saying goodbye to any more HP computers.

Sorry to complain, I know that some of you have been going through much worse things than just technical failures. Chuck Lorre, one of the producers of the Big Bang Theory always  writes a little post after each of the shows, I of course have to pause our DVR and read them.  He wrote one not long ago about Complaining, and I tend to agree that it's our human nature to complain. Even though we sometimes say "I can't complain." in response to "How are things with you?", we generally then follow up with a list of complaints anyway. We are flawed and whiny humans....
xo Diane

So, how are things with you?



Friday, December 30, 2016

A New Year Soon Begins





The moving song below was performed on one of the Christmas specials I recently watched.  I was first drawn in by the beautiful melody and then the lyrics.  

I was unable to locate a recording to post, but I hope you enjoy the lovely, but bittersweet lyrics. They reflect my feelings about this past year and the new one that is almost upon us.  It's a nod to the past and a glance towards the future. Let's hope there are more bright moments and fewer dark days ahead. So while our futures are still unknown, perhaps if we all hold strong together we'll get through it.





Thou Gracious God


Thou gracious God, whose mercy lends
the light of home, the smile of friends,
our gathered flock thine arms enfold
as in the peaceful days of old.

Wilt thou not hear us while we raise
in sweet accord of solemn praise
the voices that have mingled long
in joyous flow of mirth and song?

For all the blessings life has brought,
for all its sorrowing hours have taught,
for all we mourn, for all we keep,
the hands we clasp, the loved that sleep.

The noontide sunshine of the past,
these brief, bright moments fading fast,
the stars that gild our darkening years,
the twilight ray from holier spheres.

We thank thee, Father; let thy grace
our loving circle still embrace,
thy mercy shed its heavenly store,
thy peace be with us evermore.


Words/lyrics - American Poet - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. 1869 
Music/English Folk Tune - Wareham


Monday, February 1, 2016

The Hunger Moon

Welcome February...




In February there are days,
Blue, and nearly warm,
When horses switch their tails, and ducks
Go quacking through the farm.
When all the world turns round to feel
The sun upon its back...
When winter lifts a little bit
And spring peeks through the crack!

Dorothy Aldis


  
Poem and artwork (by artist Robert J. Lee) borrowed from my personal collection of vintage books and book art.

February is sometimes referred to as the Hunger Moon due to the difficulty obtaining food at this time of year. Of course that was before supermarkets and Costcos. However, me must not forget that there are still many people that do not have enough food for their families.


Food insecure—At times during the year, these households were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food.

  • 14.0 percent (17.4 million) of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2014. (source)



Another more common name used now days is the Snow Moon, for obvious reasons, the snow piles that get even higher in the month of February.

In fact we are expecting more snow this week, just a little bit, most of the heavy snow is going to blanket the states south of us. We still have yet to see a real blizzard here this winter. I'm actually a little disappointed!

Stay safe and warm wherever you are, 
and thanks again for stopping in to visit! 
If you are able to donate to your local food shelf this month, 
I'm sure they would greatly appreciate it.

~~ Diane ~~




Friday, January 1, 2016

Happy New Year 2016






May the stars above sprinkle upon you all the joys of heaven.




May you reach the moon on all your journeys.




May your days be filled with happiness and joy.





Wishing you fun times with friends and family.






May you enjoy fond memories of those loved ones who are gone, 
but never forgotten.






"...and after the crimson light has fallen, when only the lavender hue of first night remains, as the stars begin their ritual twinkle, let our hearts touch and be full of thanks, because the gift of time is all we have." 
 ~ Susan Florence ~ A Gift of Time



May you make the most of your precious gift of time, 
and use it wisely.




Wishing you all Happiness and Peace in the New Year!
~~ Diane ~~