Starts and Finishes, What I Have Been Working On

 I have really been enjoying my new sewing machine. The dining room table is perpetually cluttered with a work or two or three in progress. Today I sewed the binding on the latest quilt I got back from the quilter. I adore these Tilda Christmas fabrics I bought last fall. I used four of the prints to make this variation of an Irish Chain pattern. This quilt will be tucked away until Christmas when we will keep at the foot of our bed. It doesn't scream, "Christmas". The duck egg blue border is the only thing that gives away a holiday theme. So, it should be able to stay out for a good long while around Christmas time.

Without the binding.

 

I also pieced a sweet 30"x30" quilt with little baskets on it. This one will be made with a flannel layer rather then a batting layer. This way it will be floppier for use as a table topper or some such. I plan to hand quilt this one while I am away at a hand crafting retreat in a couple of weeks. Boy did I struggle with the points on these baskets. I managed to do okay with the bottom points but I really lost the side points in the sashing. I worked and re-worked a few of them to no avail. My motto regarding quilting needs to be, "Good enough."

These little baskets are just adorable!

 Lastly, I just finished a cross stitch for Blake. I thought it was sweet that my son-in-law should want a stitched item made by me, his mother-in-law. Blake chose this racoon pattern but asked that the pink flowers be replaced with blue. I found an older frame in the basement (from my hoarded picture frame stash) that fits perfectly. I ordered glass and backing and once that arrives I can truly finish it and gift it. 

I have no active rugs on my hooking frame although I do have one started. There are so many other things I want to dabble in which take away from time I would normally spend on hooking. I am sure I will come around to working on the rug again. It will probably be when I have to clear the dining room table of my sewing machine, etc.
 

The April Garden

 

Not much to see yet. But it is tidy and that is the nice thing about the garden in April.

 When we purchased those pepper and tomato plants in Raleigh, NC earlier this month, it set into motion a domino effect of gardening tasks. At first we thought we could hold them until planting time in our zone, which is May 15th. But they couldn't wait that long. So, we went ahead and planted them in the raised beds a month before our average last freeze date. We bought hoops and row cover fabric as insurance just in case we did get a freeze. Sure enough, a freeze warning came. Steve drilled holes in the raised bed frames and inserted the half-round hoops. All we had to do was unroll the row cover over the hoops, clip it on wit the clips provided and secure it with rocks and bricks at the ground. The plants stayed cozy and nothing died. During the cold day, I opened the up the ends of the row cover and let the air circulate through then shot it up again at night. Once it warmed up for good, I removed the row cover and stored it in a plastic box in the shed. It is now ready for use at any time. 

The weather has been swinging between very hot to cool and breezy with very little "normal" in between. We finally had some good rain but it has not alleviated the drought conditions yet. Last week Jack and Matthew came to spend the night. The three of us took the truck and got a load of mulch and the boys helped me spread it. It was really nice to have the help! 

Our little chipmunk friend that came to live here last summer still makes appearances. We still only see the one, as far as we can tell. He makes holes and then fills them in after a while and makes a new hole. I can only guess that he wants to confuse the cats, snakes and whatever else wants to eat a chipmunk. 

Return to Warm Springs

 

We booked an Airbnb for the weekend in Warm Springs with Tim and Kay as we had done last year in May. The Airbnb was a little cottage called "Cordwood Cottage" located right on Sam Snead Highway. It was four minutes away from the baths and similar distances to eateries, etc. On Friday night we dined on pub food at Bacova Brewery. On Saturday we dined at Country Cafe. I was surprised at how good the food was at Country Cafe given the simple and dated interior. I ordered Mediterranean Chicken, Steve has a prime rib, Tim ordered fried catfish and Kay had a salad with chicken on it. Everything was delicious. We ordered two desserts which were just ok. 

 Warm Springs is only about an hour away from home so we decided to mosey along back roads on our drive up and stop for a picnic. It is beautiful country in these mountains with gorgeous vistas and farms at every turn. We stopped at Falling Springs Falls to listen to the water tumbling over the fall. I would have loved to see the original two hundred foot falls as Thomas Jefferson saw it but alas, we only have an eighty foot waterfall now.

 

 

 We decided to have our picnic lunch at Lake Moomaw. The drive into the lake took us on a narrow gravel road that ran alongside the Jackson River. It was a secluded road with only a cabin here and there. Otherwise, I watched the sparkling river water scurry over pebbles. With water levels apparently low, it looked to be the perfect place for wading. Temperatures were hot, in the nineties, at home. But up here there was a brisk breeze coming off the lake and we donned our jackets while we ate lunch at a waterside picnic table. There was a nice camp store at the entrance to the park and after lunch, Kay and walked over and bought ice cream from the freezer chest. What child doesn't love the treat of choosing an ice cream from a camp store freezer chest?! It was still early in the season for the lake so it was quiet and peaceful on this day.

 

  

We took the baths on Saturday afternoon and it was very crowded. Because of the large number of bathers, they split us alphabetically into two groups with our group assigned to the Gentleman's bath. This is the original, smaller bathhouse with a rushing flume on one end in which you can sit and let the water give you a massage. We all agreed that the baths were not as relaxing in a crowd. Even though voices are to be kept at a whisper, some people cannot help but chitchat away. The ninety-eight degree, naturally heated water temperature was very soothing and I felt all my tensed muscles relax as I floated with my pool noodle. 

It was a nice getaway for all of us but especially for Steve as he has been working hard and traveling a lot. He is beginning to count the months to retirement and it seems that it cannot come soon enough. 

 

Spring Time Walks On Our Road

 

It is a good year for the crab apple blossoms.

Baby Christmas trees.

My favorite holler behind the old Cahoon farmhouse.

A red bud tree blooms in front of an old garage. 

A beautiful sculpture. A ten-foot tall tree stump that has been here for more than the twenty-three years we have lived here.

Easter Triduum

 The Easter Triduum Masses are the most holy Masses of the Catholic church. They begin with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday evening, followed by the Celebration of the Lord's Passion on Friday evening, and end with the "feast of feasts" of all Masses, The Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night. What a glorious weekend it was! Adults who are entering the Catholic faith and have spent the year studying and preparing will receive their Baptism (if not already baptized) and their first Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil Mass. This takes place in every Catholic church, on this night, around the world. It is deeply meaningful, a powerful witness, and a joy to behold. 

Steve and I have participated in the Easter Triduum Masses since our return to the Catholic faith in 2018. (Steve and I chose to worship in the Protestant faith for thirty-five years prior to our return to the Catholic church. Both of our backgrounds are fully Catholic.) This year was especially meaningful for us because our youngest daughter, Tess, made the decision to join the Catholic church. She was raised in the Christian faith but now made the decision, as an adult, to fully embrace the Catholic faith. 

 To add to the joy, I was able to get to know all four of our candidates throughout the past year and to share in their journey as one of their OCIA teachers. It was a time of learning, many questions, moments of discernment, and personal examinations of the mind and soul. In the end, I saw their faces filled with joy and excitement during the Holy Rite of Full Acceptance into the Catholic Church. They were anointed with the Chrism oil,  prayed over, and received their First Holy Eucharist. It was truly a celebration!

Our four candidates (Tess on the right) with their sponsors and Monsignor McCellan.

 

The Easter Vigil Mass is long. It is two hours for our parish and longer in larger cathedrals. But every  part of it is worth it. It begins after sunset and everyone stands outside near a small fire. After a prayer, the large Paschal candle is lit from the fire and the priest begins to lead everyone in procession into the church. The lights are off, it is dark and everyone is carrying an unlit candle. The priest stops three times along the way and sings, "The Light of Christ". All in the procession stop and respond in song, "Thanks be to God". When we stop for the third time, which is in the center of the church aisle, the priest turns to those who are joining the church this year and are positioned right behind him. He uses the Paschal candle to light their specially decorated candles. They, in turn, light the candles of those behind them and the flame is passed down throughout the entire procession. Everyone then slowly enters the sanctuary by this candlelight and takes a seat. 

The Mass proceeds with readings from the Old Testament with the telling of creation, man's first sin and the need of a Savior. The readings are alternated with responsorial songs from the Psalms. And then comes the moment that I anticipate every year. After the last Old Testament reading, the altar candles are lit and the priest begins to sing the "Gloria". At this precise moment, all the lights of the church come on, the sanctuary is filled with light and music and bells ringing throughout the entire singing of the "Gloria".  This year in particular, Tess was seated next to me in the front pew. We turned to each other in wide-eyed happiness and our eyes filled with tears. I turned back to the front and caught the eye of Monsignor McCellan who was watching us. He nodded and gently smiled a knowing smile. There is that much joy and meaning in that moment of light and song. To know in our hearts what it means for us and for all mankind. It is indescribable. 

Raleigh, NC Farmer's Market

 

We had a fun weekend visiting Claire and her family in Raleigh last weekend. The purpose of the trip was to take Steve's grandmother's Cushman Colonial dining set for Claire to sell. We were given the table, chairs, and hutch in 1989 when we had our first house in Saratoga. I was overjoyed to receive it at the time and it served our family for many years. But the chairs were never comfortable for Steve and we replaced the set several years ago. No one in his family wanted it nor did any of our children. So off it went to sell. I hope finds a home with someone who will enjoy and appreciate it.

Spring appeared to be an entire month ahead of us in Raleigh. Trees, shrubs and flowers were blooming and the weather was warm. We had movie night with popcorn, as is the tradition in Claire's family, on our first night there. On Saturday, Claire took us to the Raleigh flea market and then on to the farmer's market. I have been to the farmer's market a few times before and it is always impressive. There are so many stalls with plants, shrubs, little trees, vegetables and fruits, and baked goods. I paused at one stall that only sold mushrooms. They were so beautiful and varied in shape. We did not make it to the indoor building but spent all of our time at the outdoor stalls browsing plants. Steve made a beeline for the pepper plants and I chose a few tomato plants and two lavender plants. There were more varieties of tomatoes and peppers than we normally see back home. We are still a good six weeks away from safely planting them in the ground in Virginia so we will need to bring them in at night until our last frost date in mid-May

Saturday evening we went out to dinner at a Lebanese restaurant called, Sasool. The food is served cafeteria style and everything was delicious. I had a four item plate that included beet salad, spanakopita, pearl couscous, and grilled vegetable medley. Steve had grilled shrimp kabobs over a bed of rice and ratatouille on the side. They had a wonderful variety of desserts and I chose traditional baklava. It was perfect. After dinner we went on to see the North Raleigh Christian Academy production of the Broadway musical, Frozen. Wow! Their production was outstanding! It was of a professional quality in every aspect. They even had a live orchestra performing all of the music. The talent of the entire cast was mind-blowing. What a treat that was! The entire weekend was delightful and I look forward to another visit before too long. The cultural advantages to living in or near a vibrant city like Raleigh are numerous. We prefer the country life but we will foray into the population centers now and then to sample all it has to offer.

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Updates While Winter and Spring Duke It Out

 The swings in the weather have been dramatic. Eighty degrees one day and forties the very next. The shifts brings high winds, power outages, confused blooms, and a wide array of wardrobe changes. We are riding it out in good form and making the best of whatever is thrown at us. On a warm day I cleaned up the step bed of its weeds. Another day and we warmed up our dinner on the grill and played Scrabble in the dark during a power outage. 

We have continued our walks but now the fields are green and bright and the trees are all flowering. It became an entirely different landscape overnight.The time change affords longer light in the evening and it feels luxurious to have it.

 My "Cut the Mustard" quilt (Pattern by Jo Morton) is bound and finished! I also passed along the two "Merry Little Christmas" pillows to Audrey and Tess. The new sewing machine has made it a joy to sew. Kay and I drove out to Julia Quiltoff's studio and I dropped off the next quilt I pieced using more of the Tilda Christmas fabrics. It is a variation on an Irish Chain and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

 In the midst of sewing, hooking and cross stitching, we are celebrating the Easter season and Lent. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) at church is finishing their studies and will formally join the church at Easter Vigil. It is exciting to help them prepare and to see them embrace this meaningful time in their lives. I offered to lead this program at our church and it has become a highlight of my week. There will forever be so much to learn and contemplate about our faith that it remains fresh and new with every chapter.

For down time or for listening while I hook and stitch, I have listened to a few good books and watched some good programs. I enjoyed Books One and Two of the Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries and Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett. I took a break before beginning Book Three of that series and listened to East of Eden by John Steinbeck.  The twenty-five hour audiobook on Audible flew right by with Steinbeck's masterful writing. I will pick back up at Book Three of the Faeries Trilogy, "Compendium of Lost Tales" for my next read.

My favorite streaming channel is Britbox.  I am still following the 1970's edition of "All Creatures Great and Small" as well as the newer version on PBS. I love the happy vibe and the stories about vets, animals and the wide array of quirky farmers and animal owners. Steve likes to watch a show called, "Dangerous" It is a crime drama with a tiny bit of humor sprinkled in. I also follow "Father Brown" and a few other crime shows that I call "cozy murder mysteries" because I do not like blood and gore.

So, all caught up! Not much going and yet life feels like a lot. 

A Picnic..of Sorts

 The weather is so beautiful and mild that I decided to eat my lunch on the porch today. Just outside the porch, the ornamental plum is beginning to open its pink blossoms. I can hear insects buzzing everywhere and birds calling in the trees. It is quiet and peaceful and strongly spring! 

A memory came to mind of a similar, pretty day fifty-five or sixty years ago. Winters were so long where I grew up that we would revel in those first days of spring. We explored farther, ran harder, and generally leapt with joyful exuberance in those early spring days. 

Our little Woodlawn Avenue was cut right smack into the middle of a corn field on May's land, between two other farms. Graham's farm, May's farm, and Morford's farm all sat in a row of acreage on Third Avenue Extension. Our street was hemmed in with horses on the May's side, cows on the Morford's side, and woods and streams at the far end where the pavement dwindled into a tractor path at the dead end. The possibilities for childhood exploration were endless. We stayed closer to home in the summer and winter with plenty to do on our own street. But, spring and fall put into us the wanderlust. 

On one such mild spring day we kids decided a picnic was just the thing. We ran to our respective homes and asked our mothers to make us a picnic lunch. I still remember that mine was a tuna fish sandwich. We may have brown-bagged it or used our school lunchboxes and thermoses, I do not recall how we carried our lunches but we did not own backpacks in those days. We decided that Morford's Hill was to be our picnic destination. To get to the hill, we had to crawl under Morford's electric fence and across the field where their bull lived. It was a bit of excitement to first get under the fence without touching it and then across the field without the bull noticing. I knew the fence hurt because one time I hit it with the back of my neck and got shocked. I did not cry but it smarted. We flattened ourselves as close to the earth as we could in order to snake under that low wire. Usually one of us would keep an eye on the bull and tell the others when to run. The lookout job was usually given to an older cousin while we littler ones made the dash. We never did have an issue with the bull but that did not keep the fear of it out of us. 

Once atop Morford's hill, we found a good, grassy spot and sat down to eat. The hill gave us a birds eye view of our little street down below. I pictured my mother way down there in our house. I saw the trees and yards laid out from a different perspective than when we were there down in it. If we raised our gaze above our street's tree line, toward the west, we could see the top of the Capital building in Albany, poking up above the skyline. At that time, the Capital was the tallest building in Albany. (It would later be dwarfed by the South Mall buildings which stood much taller and were built in the 1970's). I did not like my tuna fish sandwich that day. I remember it tasted too fishy and it was a slight disappointment on an otherwise perfect expedition and picnic. I hope there was a cookie or something to compensate for it but I do not recall. I also do not recall what we talked about while we picnicked. My guess is that we were making plans for what to do next on that glorious day. 

Life was so simple then. Children had nothing to do but play to the limits of their imaginations. We played outside from sunup to sundown and went in only for meals or bedtime. So much has changed. Morford's Hill is gone as well as the entire farm. The hill was blasted down flat and paved over with the installation of Interstate 90. Cars and trucks flow at breakneck speed twenty four hours a day over our picnic spot. Graham's Farm and hill was plowed down and a townhouse community built on its acreage.

I live in a new peaceful place now, imagining picnics of long ago. I am glad for the quiet and the ushering of contemplation and memores it allows. In my memory, Morford's Hill will always be there to visit any time I like with a picnic. Today's visit was with a cheese sandwich rather than tuna fish and I remember those cousins and childhood friends at the picnic who were my entire world at one time. It is time to come out of my reverie although I do think I feel the need for an expedition coming on. 

March Enters As a Lamb, Daughter #3 Has a Birthday, and Little Chipmunk Lives!

 

Spring has arrived early with temperatures in the upper 70's and low 80's. Steve was away for two weeks and the time flew right by. I spent the entire first week on the new sewing machine (yet unnamed). It was a pure joy to create this and that. One evening, late in the week I sat down to watch a program and my right foot ached so, I could barely walk. I could not think how I injured it. The next morning when I sat back down at the machine I realized immediately that I had strained it by pushing on the pedal all week. I laughed it off. I will have to see about adjusting the fit of that pedal. 

Claire and Daniel took the boys on a cruise and Mari came up to spend the week in Virginia. She spent part of the week with her cousins and part with me. On Wednesday we went downtown and browsed the little shops. Then we went to Too Many Books and to Mellow Mushroom for lunch. It was a lovely afternoon and so fun to have one-on-one time with Mari. Usually Mari is fairly quiet but she chatted about all of her goings on and it was wonderful. On Friday we baked a birthday cake for Audrey following this recipe. It was an amazing cake and so delicious! Mari made the cake and I made the frosting. We did add a seedless strawberry jam between the layers. Audrey, Jared, Violet, Tess and Blake all came for dinner the next day. It was so mild outside, it reminded me of the week before Christmas when Cheslea's family was here and we were outside all day long. The kids took a walk, folded oragami, we all played Apples to Apples and ate food. The cake was a big hit and there was enough to send some home with each family. 

I sure do love this girl!

 

 

 Lastly, we finally had a sighting of our little chipmunk this week. We knew where it's winter burrow was and hoped it was fairing well all these months. After seeing it daily last summer and fall, it was strange to have it disappear the winter. I decided today to call it Charlie. Our grandson Charlie told me he was sad that I was alone (with Steve having been away and now out for the day) and how he wished he could keep me company but he lives too far away. I told him the chipmunk was keeping me company and making me smile and so I would name it Charlie.

Snail Mail, A New Sewing Macine, and a Dear Friend

 It took forever, but all of the grandchildren finally received my Valentines. I do not understand why the mail to New Hampshire takes so long. My last two mailings, which were only envelopes, took fourteen days and nine days, respectively. Anyway, I had so much fun making them and writing messages on the inside. Six year old Eliot exclaimed how much he liked his card and described all the details of it. Finally he exuberantly announced that I was his "second favorite grandma". Wait a minute...second favorite? I cracked up laughing. I told his mom I guess second place wasn't so bad except that with only two places to be ranked, it meant that I was last place. Lol! I said children's emotions are like the wind and ever changing. I expect I will be favorite another day.

A super big event this week was my purchase of a new sewing machine. I have been sewing on my Singer Fashion Mate 360 for forty-nine years! My sister Charlotte and I went in halves on it all those years ago. It still runs okay but like Steve said, I had been sewing with a stick shift and now I have an automatic. It is definitely an upgrade. I have had a few days to get to know the new Janome and I like it more each day. It is much more cooperative to work with and makes sewing more of a joy than a task. I finished piecing a Kim Diehl quilt pattern using fabrics from the Tilda Merry Little Christmas line. The dining room table hasn't gotten much of a rest these past few weeks.

 Lastly, I went to Eleanor's house this week as I always do. I realized that I have been going there every Wednesday for the last ten years (with the exception of illness or travel) . We get together for rug hooking but it is really so much more than that. I am between hooking projects so I had nothing with me to work on this week. That doesn't matter and I go anyway. Eleanor put the tea kettle on and said, "Tell me a story!" I always seem have plenty to tell and she is always amused. Eleanor will turn ninety-three next month and her husband, Frank will be one hundred this year. I love to hear their stories too. 

 

Pillow Finish, Signs of Spring

 

The 'Birdies' pillow is finished and went home to live on Tess' office chair. It was a fun little pillow to hook. (Pattern on linen by Maggie Bonanomi.) I piped it with some of the pinkish wool and stuffed it very firm.

Steve and I started taking walks again. If we walk up to Cahoon's old farmhouse and back it gives us two and a half miles. It was very cold on our first walk last week and we were all bundled up. The last two walks we only needed light, fleece jackets. Robins are gathering in flocks in the fields. It is encouraging to hear the birds singing in the morning. How is it that spring enamors us each year? We have lived it over and over so many times and it never gets old.

 

The end goal of our walk. This barn hasn't contained cows in decades but it still smells so good- like hay and manure.

I thought the silhouette of this cow looked like a primitive painting. to the right of the barn on the left is the chimney of the log building that used to stand there. Sadly, the log building fell down a couple of years ago.

 

This lovely horse lives across the road from us.

Le Creuset: Grief and Relief

 

Last August we bought an eight quart Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven as an anniversary gift to ourselves. We already owned a smaller, round Dutch oven but we wanted a larger pot when cooking for family and friends. We believe that the meals cooked in enameled cast iron cook better and taste better. These pots cook more evenly, flavors blend better, and these pots can go from stove top to oven without question. These are investment pieces for a kitchen and we were excited to add this larger size Dutch oven to our one-piece collection.

We used it once or twice before the Christmas holidays and used it twice more when the family was all here in December and January. A couple of weeks after Christmas everyone was coming for Sunday dinner. I would be cooking for twelve so decided to make a large pot of beef stew. I also decided to cook it the day before, when I had more time and the flavor would be even better the next day. After the stew was cooked and cooled, I brought the pot to the basement refrigerator where there was more room to store it. I set the heavy, stew laden pot on top of the dryer so I could open the refrigerator door. In a split second the pot slid off the dryer and fell into an empty laundry basket on the floor, spilling the stew into the basket. My first alarm was the loss of the stew, which took all day to cook! Also, what would I serve the next day? Steve heard me yell and rushed over to help. We knew the laundry basket was clean, so we scooped the stew back into the pot as best we could. As I tipped the pot upright, I noticed blue enamel chips off the pot. Looking closer, I saw that not only was the enamel chipped but the pot had a crack all the way through! I was so mad at myself and felt sick over the permanent damage I had caused by setting the pot on the dryer top.

That evening, when the kids returned home, I told them what happened. Daniel Googled Le Creuset's warranty and it said that although this type of damage was not covered under the warranty, some people claimed that Le Creuset gave them a discount toward a replacement purchase. Given what it would cost to replace this pot, I decided to write Le Creuset and tell them what happened. My hope was that they might give me a coupon towards a new Dutch oven like some other customers had claimed. I emailed them photos and told them what happened. After three weeks I received a reply. It reiterated what the warranty does and does not cover and instructions on how to care for Le Creuset cookware. Finally, the sender wrote that they decided to extend a one-time only (their bold letters) replacement to me for my pot. What?! This was not what I expected. At most I had hoped for maybe a discount coupon. I was extremely grateful and wrote back to tell them so! They gave me two colors to choose from, peach and white. I chose the white and within three days, our replacement arrived. 

In a time when customer service from many companies is at a low, Le Creuset treated us better than we deserved. My friend asks me why I would ever spend so much money on a cook pot. I always tell her about how wonderfully they cook. Now I have two reasons; One, Le Creuset pots cook food better than anything. Two, customer service. I already know what recipe I am going to cook for our friends in our new, white, eight quart Dutch oven the next time we host dinner. It will include tomatoes and I know the white pot will wash up just fine. And I will never, ever set a pot on my dryer, ever again.

Still Not Too Old, A Note From Jack, Surprise!

 

I was relaxing in the living room when a quick movement out the window caught my eye. I got up to investigate thinking maybe an animal had run through the yard. But, there was nothing there. A few minutes later I got up and went to the kitchen window and I saw Steve walking back up the field pulling the sled he made. So that was him flashing by the window! I had no idea he was outside. He sledded all the way back at the top of the little hill and went all the way to the road! Those slippery skis on the bottom of the sled glide along on top of the frozen snow so nicely. He made a couple more runs before he crashed into the Viburnum shrubs with his head. What a goof. I told him he should not be riding head first. 

We got a note in the mail from grandson Jack to thank us for his birthday and Christmas gifts. We so rarely receive handwritten mail any more. I loved seeing Jack's handwriting and our address written out in his own hand. Handwriting is so personal and unique. It was almost like having a little visit from Jack himself.

We went to granddaughter Violet's basketball game. It is really fun to watch her little self play on the team. So cute! On the way home, we popped into Kroger for bread and happened to see fresh  rhubarb in the produce department! I was so excited that we had to buy some...and strawberries. The young man checking us out did not know what rhubarb was. I told him of all the delights of strawberry rhubarb pie or rhubarb compote and Steve warned him not to bite into it raw or it would be like a Warhead. He asked us if there was more for sale over there and that he might have to go and get some for himself. I made a pie as soon as we got home. Lucky for us we had vanilla ice cream in the freezer to go with it. We shared that pie with Tim and Kay and then I made another one on Sunday to share with Tess and Blake. That rhubarb made a lot of us happy. 

 

How to Fill a Week

 

Deer racks to the back of the property.

A round patch of hay for a bed.
 

 When Steve is away I envision the time home alone as a blank calendar to fill as I wish, until he returns. In reality, the week is not much different than when he is home, except I am doing for one instead of two.  Regardless, I try to make the best use of time and fill it up so the days pass in a productive way. It is a luxury to not have to stop and cook. This week I ate sandwiches, salads, and mini chicken pot pies I had put up in the freezer. I spent zero time cooking anything this week.

It is still snowy, cold, and frozen outside. We did have one sunny day in the upper 30's and it felt nice. I was surprised by the gentle snowfall we had all afternoon today. I wanted to be outside in it so I bundled up and put cleats on my boots and went for a walk around the property. It was peaceful and quiet and I was very happy to walk around in the snow. For a moment I longed to be standing on frozen Lake Morey in Vermont. I recalled standing there last winter on that vastness of ice and hearing nothing but the solitude of nature in winter. Back on on our snowy patch, I saw rabbit tracks and cat tracks. There were also many deer tracks, as usual. The snowy footprints made it easy to see how the deer follow a set path to and fro. Huge swaths of field contain no tracks at all and only a set area contain all the tracks. I followed these across the field to see where they led. They went into the thicket at the back of the property, near the graveyard. I found a bare patch on a grassy knoll and it was clear that some deer had bedded down there. 

My walk was over too soon and I went back inside. I finished working on Valentine cards for the grandchildren. I made a big, crafty mess on the kitchen table, even spreading supplies onto the floor. There was only myself to clean up after! I used You Tube video tutorials to cut, fold, and glue all sorts of colorful paper and trimmings into cards. It was fun! Some of the grandchildren are getting older but I hope they still appreciate a note from Nonni expressing my love.

 Earlier in the day I dropped off three items to be quilted to a local lady who does custom quilting. We discussed my ideas and I gave her pictures of how I would like them quilted. I felt like I was handing over my precious children to her, trusting that all would be well with them. I hope to write good things about the quilts when they are returned to me in a couple of weeks.

 

Slow Winter Days

 The side roads and driveways around the county remain blocked by chunks of snow or treacherous with thick ice. Schools were closed all last week and everything for this weekend was canceled again. The pause in social activity is welcome but only so because we know it is brief. Time at home stretches before us in a luxurious way. The routine may shift in order but the activities within it are the same every day. Steve works most of the day. In between tasks he ventures out to the wood shed and builds fires in the wood stove. In his spare time he downloads music, plays his saxophone, and researches tractors. I do light cleaning in bits and drabs, hand embroider or sew at the machine, read, and cook meals. We have given up looking for good movies to watch. 

It has been fun to spend more time on meal prep than usual. Yesterday I made dinner using King Arthur Flour's recipe for a deep dish Chicago Pizza. It was delicious! We have made deep dish pizzas before but this was the first time I made the dough from scratch. I enjoyed the process and I will definitely make it again.

 The crust is pre-baked a little bit and then layered with mozarella, sauteed Italian sausage, sauteed vegetables (I used red pepper, onion, mushrooms), seasoned tomatoes, and finally Parmesan cheese. The crust is big but it is light, airy, and crisp on the outside.

Since church was canceled today, we decided to make our own "coffee social hour" by brewing an extra pot of coffee after 10:00am. I reached way back into the recipe archives for the cinnamon buns I learned how to make in Junior High School Home Ec. class. These were the first thing I learned how to bake on my own. I felt so grown up baking these and I would make them on weekends for my parents and sisters. After Steve and I married and had children, I continued making them for all of us. It had been years since I last made them. Eating them today was a treat and it brought back happy memories from weekend breakfasts long ago. They are made with a basic biscuit dough, rolled into a rectangle, spread with melted butter and sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon. Then rolled up and cut. It was an indulgent treat for us today both in body and spirit. : )

 
 

Snowbound

I was able to focus an entire day on piecing this quilt. 

 We weathered the snow storm just fine here in the mountains of Virginia. If measuring by standards of beauty and playability, it was not a great snow. But, if measuring in terms of being snowbound, it was grand.

On Saturday, before it started snowing, Tess, Blake, Audrey, and Violet all came over to visit. I baked a New York Crumble coffee cake, Steve brewed coffee to order and we had a good visit. We were all excited for the change of routine that the snow would bring. Everyone was safely home before the snow began falling later that afternoon.

The snow was too fine and dry to stick to trees or anything. It fell for more than twenty-four hours and had it been large fluffy flakes, we would have measured it in feet. But this fine snow was dry and compact. At first it was powdery but it quickly turned into a solid mass the next day after being mixed with sleet. The snowblower could not cut into it and Steve spent hours just churning up chunks. I went out and tried to clear the front and back steps. I found the best strategy was get the shovel underneath it and lift it in huge pieces and toss it aside. It is forecast for temperatures to remain frigid for another week so nothing will change anytime soon. 

We are now on day five of staying at home. The roads are clear but our driveway is still covered. We can drive down the driveway with the all-wheel-drive vehicle if we need to so we are not concerned. Steve works from home and there are otherwise no pressing needs to go out.  I decided to take one more indulgent day to sew, read, and cook. It is so rare to have this many days in a row to be at home and I am not ready to let go of it yet. 

"Enclosed in a Tumultuous Privacy of Storm"

 

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,
Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields,
Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air
Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven,
And veils the farmhouse at the garden's end.
The sled and traveler stopped, the courier's feet
Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit
Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed In a tumultuous privacy of storm.

Ralph Waldo Emerson 

I am getting very excited about the storm they have forecast for this weekend. There is nothing as exhilarating as a good snow storm. Steve and I will sit "around the radiant fireplace" (wood stove in the basement) while the snow is "driving o'er the fields". I just love this poem. Have you ever looked up into a heavily falling snow? It rushes at your face just as if "announced by all the trumpets of the sky". And the coziness of being inside the house looking out into the white, it is a wonderful feeling of privacy. I have been a little sad that we are not going to Vermont this winter. But now a little bit of Vermont is coming to us.

I already shopped for our weekend's food needs and Steve will fill the gas can tomorrow in case we need the generator. I have some projects in the works and a few books to read. I hope to capitalize on being shut in to use the time for crafting, sewing, and cooking comfort food. We will make some forays out into the white too, I am sure. 

 

I have one little rug to finish: "Birdies" by Maggie Bonanomi. This will be sewn into a pillow for Tess's office chair. I am also plugging along on a border for a largish cross stitch, "Newcastle Bouquet" by Teresa Kogut. I lost a great deal of time counting and double counting the brown border to get it to line up. What a beast that border was! I do love the saturation of color in this pattern and I have a feeling it will be one of my all time favorites. 

I also have three quilts and two pillows to get going on. I laid out a few rows of the "Cut the Mustard" quilt by Jo Morton on the floor last night to encourage myself. I also washed and ironed all the Tilda "Merry Little Christmas" fabric so it will be ready to cut.

I will shuffle the squares around to get a good placement before I sew them.

 

I was enamored by this whimsical line of Tilda "Merry Little Christmas" fabric. This will all become two quilts and two pillows.