Winter Walk

We hiked a place I had never been before. As most places in the area we came out to a lake with a view. That ice was so clear you could see to the bottom. Not sure how thick the ice was but I was not stepping out on it. I hope we have thick ice for next weekend it is pond hockey weekend. There are so many people that go onto the ice. They sell food and drinks on the ice all weekend.

The rock in the back was covered in a thick coating of ice so maybe the lake's ice was thick.

Yesterday we headed to Maine to celebrate my sweet Aunt's 96th birthday. Several family members met us at her favorite restaurant and we had lobster rolls and just the best time with her. She is amazing she is very self sufficient, walks right along no cane nothing! and she crochets every day! I aspire to be her! But on the way home the bad weather started. Freezing rain with sleet. This is a picture of the melting that was taking place this morning. It sparkled on the tree like ornaments.

Today we headed to see Sweet B and family. We went to Black Mountain to see the snow sculptures. Most were lost in the rain and wind last night but this one cracked me up. An outhouse with a hand coming out looking for the toilet paper roll.

Easter bunny!

Space ship

Doggy bubble bath. So cute!

And here we are with our sweet B!

I have been working on my stair risers. 

And David got a new puzzle.

***

The sad news of Kobie Bryant and his daughter is heart breaking.

I was never a basketball follower but he had one amazing career and had his whole life in front of him.

***

The week ahead is suppose to be quiet weather wise.

Not much planned but hopefully I will get to a guild meeting this coming Sat. 

Have a wonderful week!!!

A Weather Man Rant....

It was all planned 5 hookers (rug) from Maine,NH, Vermont, and   up state New York would meet at the our friend and rug hooker in NH. We would meet on Friday and leave on Sunday. 

We had our food planned, we had our rug hooking planned, and we had our wine planned. Then the weather man said "SNOW, LOTS AND LOTS OF SNOW AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS MOST OF THE DAY SUNDAY HE SAID!!! So they all dropped out and I was left at home. And guess what? We got 4 inches and it was sunny and beautiful by Sunday morning!!! I was so mad!!! We live in New England why in the H_ _ _ was it made into such a big deal??? Why is it ever made into a big deal???

No wonder everyone has anxiety! just listening to the weather and the news will throw you over the edge!!!

I swear they get a kick back from the grocery stores.

So I hooked. This is number 10 for my stair risers 4 more to go.

I like them, I am just ready for them to be done. This one is in honor of my husband who was a firefighter for years.

And husband worked on his puzzle...Yep a fire truck.

I got the pile of wool of the spare bed and into the bins. Yep this is an organized as it will get.

And this is the other half of the closet. My aunt turned 96 on Sat she crochets everyday. I hope I live that long to use up some of this wool!

Husband put together my new suitcase?? If I was British I would call it a trolley  ( I think I have watched way to much Acorn TV) I will use it to transport my wool to hook ins etc. It has larger wheels. 

My amaryllis is in full bloom for the second time.

The only bright spot in the house. 

I shoveled the back deck, the front walkway, roof raked the porch roof and shook the snow off my burning bushes as they were all bent down from the snow. I took a shower and called it a day.

Yep I never went anywhere! 

I also made these for little gifts for my peeps but again 

we didn't make it. So I will keep them for hopefully next time.

wine corks with acorn tops for your plant pots.

***

Have a great week!

Rant Over 

Enjoying Winter,,,

This was one morning when it looked very overcast.

I turn around and the sun was shining on the trees on the hill behind me.

Wed I get out of work at 3 so I hurried and met my friend and we did a quick hike into rainbow falls. You could hear the water running but you couldn't see it. On our way out it started to snow.

By the time I got home it was a white out! This is the second time this year we have had these squalls. We do not usually have them. Scary to drive in.

One of the mornings we had red skies. It didn't last long but it was beautiful.

Sat my friend and I met up and had breakfast and headed out again to Mead falls. It was unusually warm. By mid day we had temps in the 50's!

The road in was very icy but on the way out everything had softened up. 

 

We had rain and fog so there is not much snow left. We are still in the 40s which is crazy warm for us. I feel bad for the skiers and snowboarders and all of us who have been enjoying the snow.

My newest ornament from my sweet friend.

Yes I still have my tree up! I really like it! and when I walked I saw the neighbor still has her tree up so I am going to enjoy it for one more week.

I dyed wool today, now this is a horrid picture but I took brown and green wool and over dyed it with Reseda green. I didn't stir it much it came out ok I am much more likely to use it than flat colored wool. I do not shade when I hook so the more mottling the better to give it more life.

I have never met an olive that I didn't like. I am such a salty eater,

between sweet and salty, it is salty every time. I just found this kind of olive and I love them but they are a bit pricey. Husband is doing the grocery shopping lately and he bought me another bottle of them as a treat. Now this is a man who gets me, flowers or olives? I would choose olives every time lol.

***

I am still working on my vision board. I will show it again when it is done.

I also have a fun weekend coming up with 5 other rug hookers

a nice way to break up the winter. also my women's group is getting together soon. Such a wonderful group of women.

Have a great week.

Welcome 2020..

I try to count my blessing at night before I go to bed. It truly is amazing how blessed we all are if we really think about our blessings.

My amaryllis is in full bloom. Such a lovely spark of color. 

A friend and I took a nice long snowshoe on Thursday.

My new year goal is get in shape. Of course I would love to lose some weight but I am not making it about that. The older we get the more important it is to keep strong. I know a woman who is at least 20lbs less than I am, but she can not walk as far,or get herself out of a kayak, and she told me if she fell she could never get herself up. To me that is very scary I would rather have extra pounds and be strong. 

The days are getting longer yeah. We have had snow and ice but not the horrid cold. I will take snow over ice any day.

I am doing a vision board for the New Year. I want to grow heirloom tomatoes, etc. I will post it where I can see it daily when it is done to keep my goals in mind.  

I love to read and want to make more time for it. I just finished this book it is a true story of a murder in NH. I have quite a stack to tackle but if you have any to recommend I would love to hear about them.

I bring this rosemary in every fall and my goal is to use it more often in my cooking. It is getting so large.

My dad is on the right he is there with his cousin doing what he loved to to best! He was very young here. My dad died when I was 19 not enough years with him. But one of my goals is to organize and print family pictures. 

 

I will close with my candle I got for Christmas, acorns of course.

I like to burn a candle each night after I am done cleaning up.

It gets the food smells out and the house smells lovely.

And it casts a lovely light in the dark kitchen. 

Have a wonderful week everyone

Happy New Year!

That's A Wrap!

Another Christmas is just a wonderful memory.

My husband and son-in-law got drones for Christmas.

I think they both love them. It has a camera on it so it is fun to see things from another prospective. 

It does get pretty high.

Then my daughter and son-in-law hosted the larger family party..

I believe there were 25 of us. Such a fun gathering.

We did the plastic wrap ball game. There was lots of laughs and we will do this again next year. 

I got an amaryllis as a gift and it is just starting to bloom. Much needed in the winter gloom. The sun shone for a few hours this morning I got myself up and out and took a 3 mile walk up one hill and then another. I was beat when I got back but so happy I did get the walk in.

***

We are in for some pretty bad weather for the next two days.

Lots of ice, I would rather have a foot of snow than ice.

I hope your Christmas was a good one and you had time to relax.

I will have more on the new year in my next post ,I do not do New Year's resolutions but will show you what I plan on doing.

Happy New Year!  

Christmas Cookies

T'was the night before Christmas. We read it every Christmas eve even when my daughter was in college. Now she reads it to her daughter one of my favorite traditions. 

I baked today. I take a lot to work to share as gifts. and I enjoy every minute of it.

 My first try at biscotti it came out pretty good.

I think I finally found my grandmother's molasses cookies recipe in a very old cookbook from Maine. She lived in Downeast Maine and I have such wonderful memories of those cookies. Super soft and yummy.

My house is decorated, this little wonky tree is my newest addition

Funky but wonderful!

My mantel is so happy and fun with layers of lights.

Our stockings are hung by the chimney

With care.

While I love a glass of wine or baileys now and then I am not a big

drinker and very glad of it, it is expensive!

Here is a toast to a Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year!

We have passed the winter solstice so each day gets a bit long always something to look forward too!