Stay Warm!

I hope everyone is staying toasty warm on this coldest of cold days.  My girl and I are hunkered down at home... school was cancelled yesterday and today due to the extreme temps/windchills expected -- and we are all too happy to be spending the day with one of our favorite "littles" from church.  It's been fun to dust off some old toys, favorite books, and a naptime blanket for him.  I'm looking forward to some great adventures... indoors.

Stay warm!

And for your viewing pleasure: frost on one of our windows.  God's handiwork.

Sunny Days Inspiration

SUNSHINE.  

I just googled and found out there is an average of 164 days of sunshine where I live.  164 out of 365.  That's only about 45% of the days in a typical year.  That puts our city at 44th of the list of the top 101 cities with the lowest average sunshine amount.  BOO.  Also - I just did all that MATH before 9:30AM.  If my calculations are wrong, don't tell me.  This is NOT a math blog - *wink.

Okay, so this is an average.  I get that.  That means there are some years where we have lots of sunshine, and other years... not so much.  Well, this has been one of those "not so much" years -- at least so far.  My south-bound mother teased me a little about my dismal outlook this year.  To that, I can only say, "Talk to the hand... You weren't LIVING it."  LOL.  Just teasin' ya back, Mom.  {By the way, nice tan!}

Anyways, I'm here to tell you that there have been a handful of sunshiny days in the last week or so, and... all record-making, taking, or breaking aside... I'll TAKE 'EM!

It was a dreary January, but as soon as the sunshine showed up, I felt like my brain was finally open for business.  I even went so far as to do a little crafting, resulting in some Valentine decor.  Kind of blew my own mind, since I've been in a long dry spell.

I also was inspired to do some picture-taking -- which I haven't done [just for fun] in a long time.  Most of the pics showed up on Instagram, as you know if you follow me there.  As usual, I'm way behind the curve when it comes to technology.  I've only recently "inherited" my daughter's old iPod.  It takes ridiculously crummy pictures, but I'm having fun with it nevertheless.  Someday, I will have something even "smarter."

But I digress.  

It took a fellow-blogger's comment to snap me out of the doldrums after THIS POST.  Amanda and I have become blogging buddies since we both participated in the "This Week in My Kitchen" bloghop.  She chided me, saying, "...really [pictures] are what jog our memories when we look back on life... TAKE MORE PICTURES, and stop wishing the winter away. ;)"

Thanks Amanda.  You were right.  {You can find Amanda's blog HERE.}

Picture-taking can really change your perspective on things.

The other day, I was downtown at a stop-light that was taking forever to change.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and all of a sudden it occurred to me that I might get an interesting "urban" shot of the red traffic light with the sunlight behind it.  So, instead of sitting at the red light tapping my fingers, I was taking pictures.  BOOM.  Perspective changed.

Try it.  You might be surprised.  Also: some of the best picture-taking happens on days without sun!  NO SHADOWS!

Don't forget: #LoveIsWorthCelebrating

Be Safe. Be Smart. Be in Prayer.

I hope you all are staying cozy today.  We are on our THIRD inclement weather day, and our daughter is still waiting to finish up her second day of exams to end the semester.  It seems it's the semester that will not end.

Yesterday, we used our day off wisely, and went to get my girl her "temps."  She will be 16 on Sunday, and has been waiting patiently for the right moment.  Yesterday was finally the time.  She is desperately wanting to get out and do some driving.  I'm trying to encourage her that these days are better for snuggling under blankets at home.  I'll let you know who wins.

                                     

           

The roads around here are not bad.  It hasn't snowed since Saturday, so road crews have [for the most part] had time to catch up.  This morning's news reports were not particularly encouraging when it came to the roads between here and Florida, though.  My parents will be traveling those roads at the end of the week, and I would appreciate your prayers for them.

There are so many others that need our prayers as well.  Many are stranded on the highways, while some have slept somewhere other than their own beds in order to stay out of harm's way.  Strange highway scenes abound on the news.

All photos: Colony Cottage Recreation Center at The Villages, Florida

One friend's hubby is a Georgia teacher that stayed overnight at school with children that were not able to be picked up in the storm.  Power is now out.  Prayers would be appreciated.

Another [southern] friend's hubby abandoned his car after seven-plus hours in traffic and walked home.  While she was thankful for his safety, this friend reminded us to pray for those who are still stranded -- be it on the roads, or in schools... wherever.

Be safe.  Be smart.  Be in prayer.

God's Winter Paintbrush

The other week when it was so snowy, my daughter and I were out shoveling the driveway as the snow fell.  We stopped to look at individual snowflakes on our sleeves, indescribable in their beauty.  How amazing to think how many of those little beauties it takes to cover the world in white.  More amazing to think of them each being a unique creation!

The snow was falling too quickly that day to take in-focus pictures of the snowflakes [believe me, we tried], but on one of the most frigid days, I took these frosty photos from the comfort of my home.  Very "sporting" of me to go to such lengths, right?  Well, I just knew you wouldn't want me to be too cold...

Hoping you are warm & cozy today!

Just one more sleep, and it's "wheels up" for my sis and I.  We'll be off to "sunny Florida" while our sweet families hold down the fort here at home.

I don't know what next week will bring here at the blog.  I'll try to keep you in the loop at some point along the way, but it may turn out to be a vacation "review" when I get home.

I am planning to share a family tale one day next week while I'm off being a tourist.  I hope you'll stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, enjoy some examples of God's winter paintbrush!

(Winter) Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away

Christmas is long over, and our family is [for the most part] long past the days of TOYS at Christmastime.

It's a bright, sunny, and cold morning.  As I'm sitting at the kitchen table reading some blogs, the sun streams through the sliding glass door meeting our homemade suncatcher in it's path.  It brings a smile to my face as I recall our Christmas morning, and the kitchen "toy" my hubby received.

You see, this year for Christmas, my sweet hubby wanted... a mandolin slicer.  And so, on Christmas morning, after all of the gifts were opened, and everyone began the serious business of checking out their goodies, our girl made her way to the kitchen with Daddy's new mandolin.

Slowly and carefully (man, the blades are SHARP!) she cut an orange into thin, thin slices.  She sprinkled some spices on each slice, and baked them on a cookie sheet at a low heat until they were dried out.

As I write this, the morning is snowless, with green-ish grass and leftover leaves whirling in the breeze.  Though all of the Christmas decorations are long-since stored away, I am sitting here with a smile on my face remembering our Christmas morning... and the slicing of an orange.

New Year. Same God.

^^ That's what the sign outside a neighborhood church read the other day.  It reminded me that whatever comes our way in this new year, it won't surprise God -- including this crazy-nuts* weather.

My.  Word.  It's cold!

I have to admit... today, I am so thankful that we are all tucked in at home.  My hubby is working from home. My son is off today.  School was cancelled for my daughter, and my Tuesday baby-rocking doesn't start until next week!

Our son was having some car issues that have been resolved.  On Sunday, he dropped the car off for an appointment on Monday.  I took him to work Monday afternoon, and he was able to drive home a good-as-new car on Monday night.  [thankful!]

As I write this, it is hovering around -10F with a wind-chill somewhere around -30 -- which is actually a warm-up from the-15 I saw on the thermometer at midnight..  Hard to believe that Sunday evening it was a balmy 36F and raining.  The rain melted a lot of the snow, and by Monday morning, there was only a dusting more, so SNOW hasn't really been an issue.  They say there will be more blowing than accumulation at this point.

Last night, my daughter came and gave me a hug saying, "everyone will be tucked in together tomorrow."  Not literally, of course [although we'll see where those temps go!  LOL] --- but she sure does think like her mama!

Oh, and another thing to be thankful for?  I live in NE Ohio -- where we like to say this [in one form or another]: 

 "Don't like the weather?  Wait a minute."

Right now?  The wind has died, and the sun is shining.  Who knows what's coming next.  [God does.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the way, if your house has been making strange noises during these extreme temperature transitions, you might be interested to read THIS ARTICLE shared by a friend on Facebook.  We've definitely heard some noises around here!

Two Winter-Weather Tips

Many of your are facing Arctic-like temperatures, and word around here is, ours are going lower too.  I don't know about your house... but at our house, winter brings its own unique set of... issues.

The first is that my fingers tend to split open at the end because of all the dry air, and my constant washing of hands while cooking and baking.  Though some of you have thoughtfully provided solutions, this girl is on a budget, and big-ticket moisturizers are not included.  While I was in Carlisle with my nieces, the "season" officially began as THREE of my finger-tips split.  In desperation one day, I covered them with Blistex Medicated Balm, usually used on my lips.  I am a long-time fan of this product, and let me tell you... it healed up my finger-tips faster than any other product I've used.  Sometimes the thing that WORKS will not be the most obvious, but trust me on this one!  It works on split lips, right?  I use this all the time now -- and have a tube of Blistex set aside for just this purpose on my bed table.  (Cost: under $1 at Target.)

The second issue is that my daughter's throat is perpetually sore due to... (well, I'll just say it) allergy drainage.  If you were around here last winter, you know that we dealt with some health issues during our daughter's first year in public school.  Apparently her body could not stand the onslaught of germs, and she was sick [missing school] a LOT.  This year, she is doing a lot better, but we are also trying to be more proactive, not letting things spin out of control.  While I was surfing around on Pinterest the other day, I was reminded of a tip that our doctor gave us... gargling with saltwater.  Most of you are probably saying "of course" -- everyone has heard of this.  But, how many of us put it into practice?  We have become better garglers around here lately, and I think it has made a difference in how much my daughter's throat bothers her.  [Please: do not ask HER.  She despises this, and only gargles when I insist.  Oh well.  This is a battle I'm willing to fight!!! -- and I gargle right along with her!]  IN FACT, we keep this cup and measuring spoon at the ready, and as a reminder.  ONE CUP of warm water to 1/2 TEASPOON of salt.  Dissolve salt & gargle away.  My daughter and I usually split the cup, and gargle till it's gone!  (Cost: minimal)

Sometimes, people... it's the simple things that do the trick, and I'm all about sharing what works -- so, MERRY CHRISTMAS.  May your split fingertips be healed, and your throats be clear of.... well, you know.

Winter...So Far

The other morning, it had snowed just a little bit, and was very cold.

The sun came out, and the world was sparkling.

I couldn't resist running outside (what am I, crazy?)

to snap a few shots.

I love these two little snowflakes huddled together

on the latticed seat of a garden chair.

As much as I hate to admit it,

there are treasures to be found outside in the cold.

Visions of Narnia

It started to snow during the early afternoon hours yesterday, and snowed for a good long while.  The snowflakes were big and wet.  They clung to everything.  Thankfully, not much stuck to the pavement, so there was no shoveling involved (yes!) -- but this is what we woke up to this morning -- visions of Narnia!

Photos From a Snowy Morning

Last week, it seemed as if spring had arrived here.

Crazy teenage boys (never saw him before in my life) were seen hanging out car windows and "WooHoo-ing" with joy.

We knew, of course, that it was way too early -- but one can hope, right?  With the exception of the rather large piles of snow plowed into our front yard, all of the snow had melted!  The driveway was officially no longer a skating rink.

But -- yesterday was "back to reality."  We got hammered.  The roads were covered, slippery, and slushy.  A normally twenty-minute drive took me fifty minutes.  The expressway traffic was at a slow crawl - about 10mph.  Parts of the interstate were later closed due to so many jack-knifed trucks.  One article called it a "jack-knifed truck forest."  There's a mental picture for you.

Of course, this morning, the tendency was to want to stay in jammies inside where it was warm.  But...that's not where the pictures were.  Outside, it is a beautiful, sunny day.  And, the more that sun shines, the quicker all the icy pictures melt away and get missed.  I couldn't let that happen now, could I?  Here are some of the shots I was able to get.

My Sweet Shot:  Love the untouched snow below, the pattern above.

And...just for fun!

Stay warm wherever you are, and have a great day!

Color Therapy

Monday was just black and white.  Well, there was gray - come to think of it.  And a little bit of the blues.  And it's not just me.  I've seen it on other peoples' blogs.  It's in the air.  Winter Blues.

My word is JOY.  Not BLUES.

Nevertheless, blues is what I've got.  I need some balance - some other colors.  Are you with me?  Here {from the archives} is some COLOR.

Red.

Orange.

Yellow.

Green.

Blue. {Can we agree that we've got "the blues" covered?}

Purple.

Pink.

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable,

and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.

Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

Philippians 4:8 [New Living Translation]

Winter, Spring, Summer, & Fall

I am not especially thankful for winter.  There.  I said it.

It does, however, have it's beautiful moments

-- this one from an icy morning last year around this time.

Winter does give me a stronger appreciation for spring, summer, and fall.

(really strong)

Since I woke up this morning, the temperature has moved
from a bitter 5°F to a balmy 15°F.

We're only looking for a high of 18 for today.

So, these are the images I choose to hold close today:

Spring buds.

Summer thunderstorms.

Fall foliage.

If, like me, you're not a "winter person,"

what is it that helps you get through this season?