A Very Good Sign

Thought we still have snow on one side of the house, look who showed up this morning, singing his song.

It's spring!!

Endless Winter

All summer I spend every free moment outside, soaking up the sun, feeling the warmth. I love, love, love walking out of an air conditioned building into the heat. Oh, it feels so good.

I should have been a cat. Or a lizard. Love that warmth.

Around August I start getting that feeling of dread. I know what's coming. While fall is beautiful in Idaho, winter isn't far behind. And, while I don't mind winter during winter,it just lasts so long here. A friend of mine said once that each season is given three months. It's rude and inconsiderate for any season to take more than it's share. In Idaho, winter is a greedy girl, taking much more than it's allotted three months.

Really,I can only take so many gloomy, gray days and so much windy, snowy weather. My spirit starts to wither. I feel like the old brown leaves on the bushes outside my house, covered in ice.

Let's see....this is February, so I figure we've got a good month of winter left, then it's supposed to be spring but Idaho spring is really just more winter.  It's cold. It's blustery. It snows. And the snow turns to muddy slush.

So, here I am. Quite frankly, I'm tired of it. I'm tired of the snow. I'm ready for the sun to come out. But winter in Idaho just seems so e...n...d...l...e...s...s.

I'll admit it  - I'm whining and complaining and I'm not much fun to be around. I'm trying to find the beauty in it but it's hard to find beauty in day after day where everything is gray - the sky, the ground, the trees, my mood.

I know it will eventually warm up. I just have to be patient. Maybe that's the lesson.....be patient. Live the day. Have hope. I found this video that helped me remember that winter is a time for quiet, for stillness which we all need. And spring and summer will come again.  So, if you're like me and are pining away for some warm, sunny weather, I hope this video lifts your spirits. It did mine. At least a little bit.

Here Comes the Sun

There are a lot of negative things to say about winter in Idaho. But when the sun comes out and the wind isn't blowing it makes everyone feel so much better about life. I couldn't help taking some pictures today to capture the beautiful sunshine and how it makes winter just a little more bearable!





Everything seems warmer, inside and out....even though ice and snow remain.



Spring is still several weeks away, but days like today make us remember that there is hope!

Destiny?

So, my Dad sent me this "blast from the past" last week, which is a picture of my brother and me in 1973 (I was 12 years old) playing in a freak 6" snowfall in South Carolina. We were so excited!



What's funny to me is:

1. That's a pretty good snowman for a couple of southern kids!
2. I still have that stocking hat on the snowman - my son loves to wear it.
3. My brother looks like he's freezing and I'm looking totally cool (so to speak) with the whole snow thing.

Perhaps, this was an omen of things to come. Because this is how I spend winters now:



Yeah - that's a lot of snow.

Favorite Things - Monday

This week, I'm thinking on my "favorite things". You know, the whole "raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens....." idea. What better way to start a new year than by remembering the little things that bring us joy every day? So, today's favorite thing is.....


...an old pink barn.

I took this picture in the fall, right down the road from where we live. It was such a great Idaho picture that I couldn't resist it. And pink!! Now, that's a farmer with style.

What's your favorite thing today?

Just for Katie - an update to the blog

Katie (a.k.a. Mommy-To-Be) said I needed to update my blog. And, lately, when Katie says we need to do something we all get it done. (Don't argue with the Queen of Hormones.)



Therefore, here is the update.

The tree is put away and, while I'm still vacuuming glitter off the sofas, Christmas has come and gone. We're under a foot of snow which is a good thing this time of year, but I do know that it will be about 4 months before we see the grass again.

Sigh......

Given that it's a New Year, full of hope and promise, there are just a few things I'd like to happen this year, if possible.

First, I don't want to hear any more stories about Tiger Woods, his wife, or any of his erstwhile acquaintances. That goes for Michael Jackson histories, pictures of Kate Gosselin, and....could I possibly hope.....Nancy Grace?

Second, I'd like to be able to actually open the door of the closet in my piano room. I know you have a closet like this - it's where everything goes that you don't know where else to put it. Currently, it contains:

1. Back issues of National Geographics
2. Stacks of music
3. Boxes of scrapbooking, craft, and floral supplies
4. Sewing patterns
5. An old turntable and about fifty LP's
6. Primary chorister visual aids, posters, etc.
7. Jarom's trumpets (two to be exact), a guitar case, and a dulcimer case
8. A two foot stack of old cross-stitch patterns.
9. A large basket of miscellaneous cables, cords, and accoutrements that we have collected from various electrical devices over the years.
10. The vacuum cleaner.

I'm going to get it cleaned out. It might take the whole year, but it's going to happen.

Finally, I'd like to be able to look back a year from now and say, "2010 - that was the year I made a difference". There are so many opportunities. Which to choose?

October Goes

The month of October flew by and here it is already halfway through November. It seems that so many things have been going on that I haven't had a chance to post a blog. But today I'm nursing a cold/sinus infection and I refuse to go out in the cold, so this is a good time to catch up.

The first weekend in October found me watching General Conference and crocheting a baby blessing blanket for Katie and Matt's little one. Thank you, thank you to my mom and Aunt (Miss?) Margaret for teaching me how to crochet. It is such a fun hobby and I was able to learn from them the skills to create this lovely work of art. It is soft and cozy and I can't wait to wrap up my first little grandbaby in it!



The following week was a milestone for Joshua - he got his braces off. What will I do now that I don't have to make payments to an orthodontist!! Here he is before...



....and after.



Every year at work the hospital volunteers have a Tree and Wreath Auction. They give every department a wreath and we can do what we want with it. I was nominated to create our wreath for Nursing Administration and, after several internet searches and looking through books, I decided to create a "Southwestern Christmas Fiesta". I think it turned out really nice - if I say so myself.



And, finally, Halloween (and Katie's birthday) was soon upon us. We had a fun little birthday party for Katie - including a supper of Worms and Blood Sauce (spaghetti), Salty Bones (breadsticks), and Pizza Mummies. I sponsored a pumpkin carving contest for Joshua and his friends that was very messy and very fun.



Finally, October brought life lessons that have been difficult - getting used to change, struggling to keep the faith, and always remembering that it is more important to be kind than right. Life is good. Family is most important. And summer is short, so never waste a moment of it.

Gardening - Idaho style

It's kind of funny this time of year here. We have a couple of good, spring-like days with temperatures in the 60's and people go NUTS. They're flocking to Home Depot and the nurseries, buying all kinds of plants for their gardens.

(I confess, I'm guilty....)

Then it snows. Just like it did on Sunday.

And the funny thing is - we act like we're surprised about it! It's like, People!! How long have you lived here!?

Which is why my little tomato plants were placed in portable, inside-friendly containers. Like a topsy-turvy. I've never done a topsy turvy before, but since I am a tomato freak (the greener the better for frying), I decided to try it. What I didn't realize is how doggone heavy that little topsy turvy would get with all that dirt in it! So, when I brought it in from the patio I had to figure out a place to put it. The only place I could find that would hold it was the front room closet. So, there's a tomato plant hanging in the closet in my music room.

And that, folks, is how you garden in Idaho.