Out in the Snow

We survived the Blizzard, lots of wind, maybe a foot of snow? too drifted to tell. Knee deep on the ramp when I shoveled this morning. We lucked out here in RI, just enough snow to have an excuse to stay home and go sledding

Laughing collision



I wish I could bottle that joy....



aimed at me!



First snowstorm for the kittens...he hated it, hid under the ramp, meowed, finally I had to pick him up and carry him into the house. The houdini cat who manages to sneak out the most narrowly opened door....I'm guessing he doesn't make a break for it anytime soon.



Snuggly lap kitty who doesn't really like to go out...she loved it, stayed outside rolling around it, flicking it with her paws, only came in because she was cold.



It's almost dark and still blustery cold..time for cocoa.

Merriment

Farm Boy



The elusive adolescent smile makes a yuletide appearance



Sharing! a Christmas gift for mom



Cookie Elves



A very Merry Christmas to All!!!!!!!

Angel in a Box

Angel in a box....
This was the angel on our families Christmas tree, from 1960 until the mid 1990s. After many repairs (like the button on the wing), miles of scotch tape, and very careful handling it finally fell apart. I hung onto it for years, unable to throw it away. It sat in a box for more than a decade. The first Christmas that I spent back home with my mom I finally took it out of one box and put it into another. It was our first Christmas without my dad, my first Christmas after leaving my son's father, just not a happy time. At least it shouldn't have been. My mom and I managed to pull it together for the sake of the kids. We had a tree straight out of Charlie Brown, a ton of gifts for the kids, (thanks to the generosity of friends), and family and friends nearby.




A craft store shadow box, some white paint. pieces of fake holly, a couple of bows, and a lot of glitter brought it back to shiny life.
And every year our Angel in a Box gets hung on the wall.


I hope she makes it another 50 Christmases.....

Frida is finally finished

I had to redo the hem and the side seams (including cutting some off) but after letting it sit for a couple of weeks I finally finished.
The green spirals are from and old t-shirt
the red is scrap fabric
the black is sweatshirt material from the remnant bin.
So a bit of old and new mixed together.

The Front


The back


Paired with a sweatshirt from Old Navy that I have had for years.
I'm trying to decide if I want to put strips of the red fabric around the bottom.
?


It's very warm and comfy, but hand sewing sweatshirt fabric is a pain in the butt.
Next time I'll have to break out the machine.

Nomads under my table

What's a kid to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon? If you're Joe you pull every blanket off of every bed and drag it into the living room.
And then get hard to work building a shelter from the weather.



With a little help from big sis, all the throws become rugs...



Grab some books and a cup of hot chocolate and you're set for the day.




Everytime I don't feel like folding the blankets and re-making the beds I remember all the forts I made with sheets and blankets thrown over kitchen table when I was their age. It's hard to resist that much fun. Impossible even...

Winter Pantry Soup

Last nights dinner, soup from the pantry



One box of organic beef stock
one box of organic mushroom stock
one large sweet onion - diced
one 13 oz can of canellini beans
one 13 oz can of small white beans
one cup uncooked brown rice

combine all ingredients except rice in a stock pot - bring to a boil - simmer until onions are translucent

cook rice separately - rinse with cold water - add to soup - simmer until rice is heated through

cooking the rice separately and rinsing it keeps the soup from getting thick and starchy
(I learned this the hard way)

little toasts with Cheddar cheese on the side
(350 degrees for 10 minutes)

easy winter yumminess

Decking the Halls

Deck the Halls with happy kitties
fa la la la la, la la la la
they think they sure look pretty
fa la la la la, la la la la




See them napping in the branches
fa la la la la la la la la la




while the ornaments do some dances
fa la la la la la la la la