Snow and Ice

It snowed overnight Saturday and for the whole day on Sunday, it had stopped by Monday and perhaps two inches had fallen. Nothing has fallen since. These photos are taken on my return from school Monday morning and I still have two inches of snow in my garden, brrr!

The temperature hasn’t risen above freezing all this week, and despite the fact that it is February I’m rather glad of it, it’s about time we actually had some ‘winter’. I truly believe we need clear delineation of seasons and to have missed such a beautiful thing as the winter out would have been a shame for more than just missing out on its aesthetic value, to me there is something soothing about watching your home environment move through the seasonal changes, and it does me good to know that the rhythm of the world that surrounds me and my family is doing, well, what it should be doing really.

Although I’m less fond of it on a work day morning when the car won’t start……..

Returned…

From a few days of glorious sunshine and dry earth, to wake this morning to the drumming sound of heavy rainfall on the garden room roof.

I just managed to rescue the soft toys hanging on the line, a little worse for wear after their antics outside.

Bless this much, much needed rain, the allotment was badly parched and as most of my potatoes are in full flower, this is a well needed drink for them, our soil was dry down several inches and there is only so much that can be done with a watering can.

The picking of Elderflower heads will have to wait until the rain stops, and a little warm sun comes again to bring out that heady scent at it’s best, this year I’m brewing a whole dustbin full at a time as it is the most drunk wine in our household, so I’m hoping to get up a good stock.

Birthday projects for family members are nearing completion, but no thanks to an ancient sewing machine that’s feeling rather temperamental of late, perhaps todays indoors activities will involve more pattern cutting than actual sewing.

I’ll be along real soon with some photos to share…

Spring begins (?)

:: I only question it as although Saturday was a wash out, Sunday was a day of glorious warm sunshine and a barely noticeable breeze, whilst we were down the allotment Mr GT dared to give the local ladies a treat and stripped off to his vest! (swoons were to be heard as far off as Hemsby and Potter Heigham!!) The Girls needed only their cardi’s and were content to play while we stripped the plot of any remaining crops, removed weeds, and burned the dry woody stems and clippings from the winter greens. ::

:: Even the Tallest was eager to help and sat on a wood ring stool sorting out dried beans from their pods for us to bring home and replant for this years crop, a dwarf variety of Borlotti for those who are interested, why oh why did I forget the camera? ::

:: Spot the woman who needs to moisturise those hands…for someone with a tube in her bag, the kitchen and bathroom you’d think I’d manage to keep my dry old hands from chapping and cracking even further wouldn’t you? ::

:: Disaster has struck in the form of a broken washing machine, which will remain broken until the first day of April, due to the (in)availability of parts, a bit more on how I am tackling this problem some other time, let’s just say that I am grateful for the warmer weather! ::

:: This beautiful cherubic face is the other cause of woe…look closely between those baby blues…oh yes there they are, Chickenpox, and spreading over her like wildfire. She’s generally in a good humour and not irritated by them in the least but is far more prone to a fit of the miseries than usual and oh! so clingy, a cuddly girl anyway she’s now glued to my side, which in so many ways is beautiful, the mere fact that my presence can cure this girl of her tears and grizzling, is a wonderful feeling, but on the other hand. I had become used to being able to wash up, clear away and all those other boring household necessities with both of my hands, but nevermind, once it’s done with it’s done with. Although I am slightly suspicious that judging by the Tallest’s mood, it won’t be long before she is struck down. Watch this space! ::

A Hint of a Real Winter?

:: Just like others, we in our little enclave over here in the East have been touched by some not insignificant weather. It’s actually felt like winter and with an overnight temperature of -3 C last night, it felt like winter in the house :: All of our wood seems to be a little frozen, which has meant trying to get it as dry as possible before it gets onto the woodstove :: So the front room alcove is looking more like the wood shed than the wood shed is…but if it keeps us warm and dry you’ll hear no complaints from us! ::

:: This was the view from the Smalls bedroom window at dusk last night :: There was just a small tickle of snow and ice that had frozen and not thawed from the day :: I noticed the snow falling at about 9.30pm ish and we had had an inch fall within the hour, and got up this morning to find that our Christmas Tree, which has been moved back out into the garden for the year has had the best type of decoration ::

:: Never a finer suit for a tree I think ::

:: The hands haven’t been idle in the wake of all the weather, and the emphasis being on getting warm! ::

:: I have crocheted myself some stripy Wrist Warmers ::

:: And now have an friend who is after a pair, and I am currently in the process of crocheting a more muted pair for my Darling Mother who has a birthday next month, I hope to do her a little brooch / badge in the same colours so I’ll keep you posted ::

:: In the current (read lifelong) obsession with all things stripy, Mr GT and I parted with some hard earned cash and bought ourselves a new digital camera, nothing fancy I might add, something with only two numbers in the price, but none the less something which means we shouldn’t have an imageless Christmas this year! :: And a camera pouch was duly made, following form of all the other projects, I’m thinking of making a pouch for the laptop (might take me slightly longer than an hour though!) As it is subject to a bit of abuse by the kids and it could be an effective way of diverting their attentions if it wasn’t out for them to see all the time – well nice theory we’ll try the practice and see where it gets us::

:: A simple little thing done in an hour or so, but well worth the effort ::

:: I’m signing off now as the Tallest is currently blinding me with the flash of the new camera, and I’m thinking of a new rule which involves her NOT having the new camera, or it’ll never survive to see Christmas! ::

:: Enjoy the weather, I’m hoping that the snow will last long enough for the Girls to get out and make a Snowman! ::

Just a dusting…

:: Unlike so very many of my Easterly compardres these past two days have seen very little snow on it’s Eastern edge, and life here at GT Towers has continued on its merry path ::

:: You will be pleased to hear that I have finished my beloved’s Cairn hat and when I can convince one of the Smalls to keep it on long enough for me to snap it then I will manage to share it with you all at long last ::

:: The Tallest finished Nursery for the Christmas break today and came home clutching a budging bag of Nursery Crafted goodies, a calendar, her own nativity scene, a special card for Mummy and Daddy no less, but we also appear to be sporting an extra Angel (made by a wee girl that shares the Tallest’s name no less) and also someone else’s Nativity Star – are there many other mothers like me who are now worrying that these things get given to their respective owners, or am I just one of those people who place ‘trivial’ importance on the things that my offspring produce? That I can ‘tell’ that something was not made by my four year olds hands? We will see ::

:: I must confess to feeling a bit below par just of the moment, so I’m going to love you and leave you for the now, and hopefully after an early night (read film on the laptop and embroidery in bed!) I’ll feel well rested and ready to face the weekend, if all things go according to plan I should have plenty of  bits to share with you on Monday (even if I am off to work !) ::

:: A peaceful evening to you all ::

Rain Rain Go Away!

::Need I say more!??::

Barbeque Summer My A**e!

Okay, so perhaps I am being a little harsh, and I have to admit that this is really only the second week that we have had persistantly bad weather, but still…it does get on your nerves rather doesn’t it?

I’ve had two stir crazy kids, particularly in the cases of the Smallest who isn’t able to be bundled into a waterproof and left out in the puddles as is the case with the Tallest, as currently we can’t find any wellies to fit her rather dinky size 4 feet! Poor love.

Last week I spent the majority of my ‘spare time’ down the allotment trying to get things looking something like again, and virtually every session we had down there was rained off before I had really finished the job that I was doing.

So to top it all yesterday, after having cleared a patch for the seriously overdue planting of some brassica plants, the clouds rolled over, we were cast into gloom, the thunder started, and then the heavens open with a cast of hail stones the size of peas no less.

As I still here typing this morning (the clock having just chimed to tell me that my lay about children need to be woken up as they haven’t roused themselves!) With the top of the kitchen door open, having just completed ‘poo patrol’ and hung the laundry out in the blazing sunshine!

Now I’m not complaining about the rain you understand…on no! As every good grower wouldn’t. I just wish that it could discipline itself to only falling when I’m in bed, and not disrupt the weeding and hoeing that always needs doing at this time of year.

Nevermind, we have a day off today and a trip to visit my Grandfather planned, so some time to devote my mind to other things, enjoy your day whatever you are up to.