Snowstorm Linus . . . . .

  With a name like Linus this storm just conjurs up images of wrapped up in quilts reading books and drinking tea or cocoa.  Although the thoughts danced through my head . . . the driveway was calling to be shoveled and the dinner made . . .  I love the night or day immediately following a big storm.  It is very quiet outside and the earth is blanketed in such thick white downy snow.  Often there are not any animal tracks yet and it is pristine.  This was definitely the case with this storm.  I only wished I had more time to be out in it but work was calling early the next morning . . .   all said and done I think we got about 18 inches, then we keep getting 2-3 inches each day on top of it.  The piles are getting pretty big.  The wood pile is bigger still though so we are in good shape.   We do not have a snow blower so we shovel the old fashioned way, a little at a time and the it is all done. 
Hoping everyone is snug and safe for a 3 dog night-  the opposite of the dog days of Summer I think .

Just now . . . .

Just now . . . .

         The Weather  -  it is very cold 21 but getting colder - temperatures will fall to 0 degrees by tomorrow night.  90% chance of snow tonight and tomorrow- but only like 2-5 inches.   We get a lot of snow here in total but often in smaller amounts but like every day at times and then we don't see the sun for days . . . .

        The sounds here at the computer  just now are:  are the hum of the washer and dryer running, the tea kettle on the wood cookstove  hissing,  Edna the yellow lab  huffing and her collar jingling.

           What we are eating just now . . . . Dinner was Turkey, roasted green beans, mashed potatoes, fresh strawberries and cranberry Jelly.  Making cookies and muffins for work tomorrow morning, and for weekend Robotics.

           Life is full just now, work, medical appointments, kids doing midterms, starting the college semester after moving home, pets with medical issues, family and friends passing on, un-relenting cold and snow, paperwork . . . . .

           I am creating just now . . . . not very much- not much time for that.  I am participating in a Intl. Multimedia postcard swap, a very little knitting, and dreaming of all that I want to sew, draw, paint . .
           Just Now, I am reading  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

What are you doing Just now?

Hoping to get back to semi-regular blog posts . . I never mean to step away, life just steps in.

Cat antics . . .

“Have patience with all things, but, first of all with yourself.”

—Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Roman Catholic Saint

This is after Thanksgiving and after the kids left for college- I was trying to have patience as I do not want cats sleeping on my table . . . . she must have been plum tuckered out as this is not a regular spot for Maggie.

Thanksgiving 2014

So many things to be thankful . . . . good food, family, warm house, health, jobs, college kids at home. . . . Winter weather, feeding chickadees by hand.  . . . .  especially glad for wood cook stove- 2nd oven for pie baking . . . . Hoping to be present on this here ole blog more in December . . . and hoping that every one had a Happy Thanksgiving.  Blessings to all.

Cats . . . just pictures . . .

Oren

Oren & Sol

Sol

Maggie

Maggie

Oren

Maggie

Maggie

The three independent minds of the house that keep us hopping!   This one of many posts caught sitting in Drafts . .. .

Late Summer . . . .

Late Summer the shadows start to fall in the afternoons, the leaves of the Horse Chestnut and English Walnut are falling too.  The Thistle is in fluff, the Hops have formed and are curing on the vine before we can harvest them .  The Kale is coming into its fall beauty, the fields are a gorgeous brilliant golden hue.  They are especially beautiful in  the  early morning light. The crickets are singing non-stop night and day.  There can eb a chill in the air late night and early morning and things are starting to die off.  It seemed like a short summer in the North east.   We had a hot sunny June but then a rainy July and cool August.  It has been a wet summer up until just now.  Today I am watering a few things as every thing is dry dry dry. I am not sure that I am ready to change seasons just quite yet- need some more of summers beauty and charms- roasted corn, sweet peaches, mouth watering tomatoes.  Are you done with summer yet?  What does late summer look like where you are?

Garden Mid- August 2014

Hibiscus Flower

Rose of Sharon - Bush

Main Garden

Walkway colorful and filling in

Lots of red tomatoes and orange marigolds

Hops are making blooms - ladybugs have arrived as well.

Coleus are bright and bold.

The garden in Mid-August is full of color.  The Tomatoes are ready, very sweet adn juicy.  The strawberries are producing again.  Many of the flowers are mature and in full bloom.  Zinnias, Marigolds, cosmos. The Hops are beginning to flower as well. The crickets can be heard chirping all day long.  Oddly we are having September weather , cool, dark, cloudy, rain and feeling like Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup days.  We are busy packing up 2 kids to head off to College this next week. I was just thinking today that it will be bulb planting season soon- it seems to early but September is but on our footstep.  It is headed our way whether we like it or not. While I miss the sun and its warmth- these days can be reflective too.  I am busily trying to finish a Quilt for one of my kids to take to college  - I am in the quilting stage . . .  Hoping I can finish it!!!
 Be well and enjoy your gardens. 
I need to do some serious weeding- just one week away and the sweet clover has taken over.   This year the birds have dropped Poison Ivy seeds in my garden and they are causing me havoc.

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday's look at 12 years ago. .  .some things have changed a lot and some have not changed at all.  We are still carving Pumpkins at Halloween, but Blonde hair is darker and we are much taller! Grew 6 inches this past year alone. This little one is now taller than mom.  Wow time sure does fly.  These were good times they were.

Garden- late last week . . . .mid July 2014

Hops looking out in the early morning light

The first - oh so sweet cherry Tomatoes!

Coming soon . . .

Love this bright magenta Cosmos

These Hostas dominate more of my garden than I would like, but right now they are lovely.

These petunias - just say summer!

Well here are some close ups of what is happening in the garden in Mid- July.  There is lots of color in the garden. We are close to the point where I start to see nature shift towards fall, hate to say it but in early August there is this ever so subtle shift of change. It starts off slow and then as time marches on- it speeds up .  We are so loving dinner out on the front lawn every night. Last night it was really still.  It is fascinating to watch the cars go by- last night was a night - that every one driving by turned to look . . . some nights no one notices us eating together.  The kids called us iconic - a family actually eating together- hamburgers fresh corn , watermelon . . . I suppose they may be right but I sure hope not.