for us winter weary folk

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!

            ~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;
To-day the glint of green is there;
Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;
I know no thing so wondrous fair,
No miracle so strangely rare.
I wonder what will next be there!
            ~L.H. Bailey

It is freakishly cold again

Here we are with wind chills below zero again and no end in sight thru next week, good grief! The amazingly clear nights, however, allow a super view of Venus at dawn, as a bonus.

everything is white again

More snow, oh my.  In and warm and snug, enjoying the Moda quilt bloghop, quilting the baby girl quilt, and dreaming of spring.

A quick sketch

A new week

The quilting on the baby quilt is coming along nicely.  The sweater has lagged, need to get moving again on it.  New and old classes this week, busy, busy.

My latest crush

The crocheted lorenz manifold model.

Sunny and warmer

A lovely day after all the snow storms and ice storms and so on.  A day to quilt and write and bake.

And again

And another

More studies

Finally some photos

Class was cancelled due to snow in the forecast, another few inches, but finally above freezing.  Here are some practice sketches from previous class.

Relief

Sun, no storm, hot water, heat and light, hooray!  We are all tuckered out, but hoping to recuperate.  Finished the April quilt top, "The Secret Garden", baby quilt, now on to quilting and binding.

More snow

A warm sunny break to lift out spirits a bit yesterday and today more snow.  But a quieter lesser storm so far, though we may have another 5 inches on the pile by tonite, putting at least 2 feet or more on the ground.  Definitely knee deep or higher.

The feast day of love

What a lovely expression of this celebration.  Though we are blanketed in deep snow, the idea of celebratory feasting to celebrate love in the world can warm us and remind us winter passes.  May all know sharing and caring.

It's offical

A Nor'easter has arrived, 6 inches on the ground and still blowing and snowing and quite a steady rate, looks like it is going to be a deep one, so far the power is holding.

Again!

We are all getting a bit winter weary and running out of places to shovel the snow and worrying about trees falling on wires and the extreme cold, all a bit much.  Gathered provisions, food and reads, readying for this next storm, predicted as the most snow of the season and still 5 weeks until spring.
On another note started piecing the quilt for the next grand niece due in April, a bit of spring cheer amidst this winter.

aack

Below zero tonite, a foot snow possible thru the next couple of days.  We are getting a bit worn out from all of this. 

oops

Where did yesterday go?
Was going to post photos, but they didn't turn out too well, today's sun should help.
3-4 more inches of snow yesterday, the final Masterpiece Sherlock was watched and our son's birthday dinner was takout, delayed from the power outage.
A couple more single digits nights and then hopefully we move into warmer weather for awhile!

Roller coaster

Life is full of so many ups and downs, and all arounds.  Hope all are well, and warm and fed.
More snow in the forecast for today; yesterday the snow and ice looked like waves frozen along the streets and in the yards, all sculpted and frilled and lacy.

Normal

How I love "normal".  Worked on the knitting, within an inch of starting the collar, auditioned baby quilt designs, reviewed sketch ideas, made a hearty pot roast and baked bread to celebrate our return to "normal."

Off line, off the grid

Phew, quite the day yesterday, with power restored just in the nick of time as we were readying leaving the house with zero windchills in the forecast.  All the food that could freeze had been lugged to the basement, we were getting ready to turn off the water and clear the lines and lo and behold a light shined in the oven hood and we were saved.  13 hours until power was restored in a particularly nasty ice storm, reading this morning maybe 20% of neighboring county's population still without power and it may be days.  Not to get above freezing today and very cold again tonite, our thoughts are with them.

A short break

For once, Tuesday was the break day, so could get to class and hopefully to my meeting tonite, before the next round of snow and ice due later this evening.  Photos from today's class hopefully to follow.

Snow is falling fast and thick

The snow melt came just in time for this next heavy fall.  Rain/snow today, not the powder of the other week, heavy to lift, flocking all the branches and wires, the juncos called for their seed first thing, now all is white even the air.

50 degrees

A respite before the next storm, we had a bit of a thaw and saw the bulbs appearing as soon as the snow melted, but they will be under 3-8 inches of snow again tomorrow if the forecast is right.

Happy Chinese New Year

The year of the horse began yesterday, my nephew turned 32, I remember so clearly the day he was born and we went to his house and started the fire and I lay my newborn down on his brother's bed while the house warmed.  The years have flown by faster and faster but all good wishes and warmth remain.