A Snowy Scene

Wow, it kept snowing yesterday, breaking long standing records for our area.

12.5 inches in my yard.

Mostly, it was just plain pretty...


The bird feeder in the veggie garden. This snow draped and flowed like fabric in many places. The snow looked lovely here with a ribbon of white connecting the leaves to the bloom.


The pond is round, yet the hole left around it is squarish in shape. Curious.


I keep a string of white lights in the shrubs by the front porch until spring. Last night the snow glowed through like an enchanted village. By morning the heat from the lights had melted the snow...still enchanting.

A white kingdom...

We made snow ice cream yesterday:

Combine milk (or cream) with sugar and vanilla to taste. Stir in heaping amounts of clean, fresh snow. Combine until the mix resembles homemade ice cream.

A friend made snow candy by boiling maple syrup with a little butter, then drizzling the mix across the cold snow. I haven't done candy yet, but it sounds good, don't you think?

Now, will one of you northern gals tell me how to go about shoveling off the driveway? Especially since I don't own a snow shovel?

This is a good time for creative pursuits indoors.

A Snowy Walk

Snowing today...big, fluffy flakes of whiteness... come take a walk with me...


It's a gentle snow, tracing the lacy outline of the metal bench beautifully. See how it's piled up on the lantern? We have a couple of inches and flakes are pouring out of the sky still.

Crepe Mrytles in the winter are beautiful. With snow, their graceful elegance is enhanced.



If we must have winter, then having a lovely snow (and not having to drive in it) is a great way to decorate the day.

Snow
A cup of hot chocolate
A fire in the fireplace.
A Very good day.

Today would be a good day to write snow poetry, don't you think? Let me know what you come up with...I'll post mine, too.

Fresh Herbs

The sweet scent of fresh basil snipped for my lunch is a delightful summer smell in the middle of cold, gray February day. I love having pots of fresh herbs growing in the window during the winter.

Here's a few tips for keeping herbs happy....

1. Light. Lots and lots and lots of light. The herbs I love, basil, rosemary, lavendar, thyme, and oregano, all love the sun. When I remember how they thrive under our brutal Texas summer sun, I know they'll love being in the south window all winter. If the plants look sorched, move them to a place with less direct sun.

2. Water. Just a bit. Not too much. I love my indoor plants to death sometimes by overwatering. During the summer, potted outside, these herbs are thirsty all the time. Indoors, they need a drink once a week. One thing that makes the plants really happy...when we clean out the fish tank. Wow, the plants love fish water.

3. Warm. Even placed in the sunny window, these plants get cold. We had a cold snap several days in length in which the outside temps didn't get above freezing. I scooted every pot away from the window an extra foot. Still in the path of the elusive winter sun, but far enough away that the cold soaking through the double paned glass couldn't touch them.

4. Snip. The joy of indoor herb plants is using them in your cooking. I hope it makes the plant feel loved and useful, too. Mine certainly seem to respond with more growth after I take a leaf or two.

If you don't have a pot of basil or rosemary in the window, grab a bunch the next time you are at the grocery store. Nothing smells like summer like fresh herbs on your pizza. And the taste! Very worth while.

I found these two pieces of writing about basil....

Pounding fragrant things -- particularly garlic, basil, parsley -- is a tremendous antidote to depression. But it applies also to juniper berries, coriander seeds and the grilled fruits of the chilli pepper. Pounding these things produces an alteration in one's being -- from sighing with fatigue to inhaling with pleasure. The cheering effects of herbs and alliums cannot be too often reiterated. Virgil's appetite was probably improved equally by pounding garlic as by eating it.”Patience Gray, cookery author

And a bit of poetic writing.....

And she forgot the stars, the moon, and sun,
And she forgot the blue above the trees,
And she forgot the dells where waters run,
And she forgot the chilly autumn breeze;
She had no knowledge when the day was done,
And the new morn she saw not:
but in peace
Hung over her sweet Basil evermore,
And moistened it with tears unto the core.
-Keats,John Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes and Other Poems, 'Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil', stanza 53. (formatting mine)

Words Wednesday

Nope, not Wordless....Words....thoughtful, funny, or timeless...

An interesting quote for a cold winter's day....

Antisthenes says

that in a certain faraway land

the cold is so intense that words

freeze

as soon as they are uttered,

and after some time

then thaw

and become audible,

so that words spoken in winter go

unheard

until the next summer.

~Plutarch, Moralia

Happy Groundhog Day!

Ever wonder why we hope for a cloudy, no-shadow day on February 2nd?

It begins with an old Scottish myth full of mystery and fog....

Cailleach is the old woman who controls winter across the land. It is said if she wants winter to last a long while (and she does), she needs a bright sunny day in the first part of February to gather more firewood. If the day is cold, gray, and nasty, Cailleach goes back to sleep and does not replenish her firewood supply. When she runs out, winter is over.

Are you ready for spring yet? I am. Shhhhh, it's gray and cloudy here. Let's be quiet and let the old lady sleep in this morning. Okay?


The Chapel garden (where the wedding was held last summer...)

Running Away From Home

The Winter Blahs got the better of us. The Pilot Guy and I fled the (very welcome) rain, gray skies, and cold weather of our home town for sun and a little spring training baseball. (Yay for airline and hotel points!)

All is not perfectly sunny, however. As we touched down in another state, our son called to tell us he had wrecked the car he and The Pilot Guy share. Bummer. He is fine, the other driver is fine, (thank you God!) but the car is not. The photos he sent us were downright scary looking. It's too bad about the car because there are not dollars for another one in the immediate future. Life lessons have commenced. The best part of this is that our son, who had the option of coming with us, handled the situation very well by himself. He had to since we were unavailable, but it is nice to see grown-up-ness beginning to shine through.

In the meantime, I'm going to sit in the stands, eat junk food, and soak up the sun. Blogging will resume after I've recharged by solar batteries.

Winter Blahs, part three

Winter just drags on and on, doesn't it? I never find myself complaining that spring or fall drags on and on. I hardly ever gripe about summer, but I know others who do. Winter takes so much effort from us to stay warm, focused, productive, and even safe. These last tips on surviving the winter blahs are important.

Eat right. That's right, eat with care, concern, and wisdom. When the blahs hit, we often reach for a sugar high to boost our energy. Sugar may give us a high, but it also quickly lets you slide once more. Highly processed carbohydrates react in our bodies as pure sugar...quick boost, no long term help. Think of these carbs or sugary treats as straw in a campfire. A bright blaze and quickly gone.

Instead of a sugar boost, reach for a complex carbs like oatmeal and other whole grains. Fruit gives you a quick sugar high, but also a helping of fiber and nutrients. Even better is a small amount of protein...string cheese, a hard-boiled egg, some chicken, a hand full of walnuts or almonds. Protein stabilizes your blood sugar so you aren't craving a quick fix. Imagine a well seasoned oak log on the fire place...long burning and heat generating.

I can't tell you how much I crave comfort foods during cold gray days. If I eat well, I feel better and I'm more able to cope with the depression of the season. If I don't eat well...let's just say the cycle spirals downward.

A quick word about supplements. I'm reading a lot about the benefits of Vitamin D supplements these days. It seems that even if we spend time outdoors, many of us aren't producing enough Vitamin D, especially in the winter. This vitamin is not only good for bones, but may play a role in depression as well. Not enough means more depression. Consider adding a supplement to your diet.

Exercise. When eat well came up on the list, you knew exercise wasn't far behind. Exercise, deep-breathing, heart pounding, sweaty exercise releases feel good endorphins in our brains. Fresh doses of oxygen bathe our brain cells. Exercise warms muscles, flushes toxins, and burns calories. It just plain feels good to exercise. If you dislike getting out in the weather, invest in a piece of exercise equipment...and don't hang your laundry on it. Buy a few work out DVDs. Thirty minutes a day is all you really need. Load your iPod with great music or an audio book to listen to as you work out. I have friends who strap a laptop to the rack of their treadmill so they can watch a DVD or download of a movie or TV show as they stride. I prefer getting outside, even on cold days. I just flat out need the sunlight. So, if you are like me, invest in quality workout gear for outdoors. Layers are everything because as you walk or jog, you will get warmer and warmer. Don't forget to slather on moisturizer to protect your skin, too.

Lastly, do something. Travel--(St. Martin, anyone?) Take a class. Host a book club. Throw a party. Start a new project. Create. Keep yourself busy and active. Spring will be here before you know it!

Thanks for all your comments on these posts. It comforts me to know I'm not the only one.

Winter Blahs, part two

Frosty Frog Fowl Feeder

I hope you've had a chance to revel in some color in the past few days. It helps to notice something besides the cold and the dreary, doesn't it? I've enjoyed all your terrific comments. It seems I'm not the only one who gets the winter blahs.

Here are a few more tips for surviving the winter blahs. None of them will turn an avowed heat lovin' summer person into a winter lover, but hey, if it helps a person get through........

Light. This probably should have gone first. If you are affected by gray skies, turn on the lamps inside. We've actually gone through the house and replaced 60 watt bulbs with 100 watt bulbs just for the light boost during long winters. Open the curtains and let in the light. In Belgium, where the skies are often cloudy all day, the homes and apartments are designed with huge windows to gather every bit of sky light. It helps. There are professionally made lights just for people with SAD. I've never used one, but instead taken the idea and modified it for my own benefit. Look into getting one if you need more of a boost than ordinary lights can give.

I go as far as to light the darkness outside as well. After the Christmas decor is taken down and packed away, we put a couple of strands of white lights in the shrubs near the front porch. It's not Christmas decor, its winter wonderland decor. It stays up until near the end of February. This year, my son's girlfriend gave me a strand of flower garland patio lights for Christmas. We've wound those into the Japanese maple potted near the front door for a warm, quiet light. Every thing is on timers, so the lights come on at dusk and off sometime during the wee hours. This year, we also made the shift to LED lights for energy savings. Can I just say LED white lights are not white, but blue...and rather ghastly? I'm not sure I like them.

Get out in the sun when ever you can. One January in Belgium there were exactly five, count 'em, five days with an hour or two of sun. The rest were typical gray, cloudy days. Short, gray, and cloudy. For years, I've told my family and friends I'm solar powered, so you can believe that I was out in that sun every single time. Same applies here...Bundle up and take a walk. Drag a patio chair to a protected location and bask. Pretend you are a cat and stretch out near a sunny window.



Embrace winter. Yes, it's cold, gray, snowy, icy, and windy. But some days it's crisp with sunlight glistening through ice crystals or glinting off snow. Some mornings are ethereal with foggy frost. Enjoy the stark beauty that is winter. Learn to dress warmly and well so winter doesn't lock you inside. My friend in upper NY state, Rose, purchased snowshoes for her family. Together they can enjoy a nearby park with a path that leads to a lake. It sounds enchanting to me. I like to take a camera or sketchbook outside to capture some of the fleeting beauty of this season. The beauty is there if we look for it.

Make a list of the things you like best about winter. Don't say there isn't something you like....everyone likes hot chocolate don't they? Or hot coffee? Okay, then, hot chocolate/coffee/tea goes on the list. My list includes snuggling under a lap quilt with a fat book someone else has slaved over. A fire in the fireplace. Hot tapioca pudding. Icicles. Snowmen. Cozy sweatshirts. Flannel pants. Soups and stews. Cardinals at the bird feeder. Seeing bird's nests from last summer in the leafless trees. Make a list of what you do enjoy and post it on the fridge or in your journal. Can you get one hundred things on your list? Make sure you take time to savor those instead of hurrying past them.

Go make your list and we will compare in a day or two. I have one more set of tips for winter survival to post in a few more days. Until then, stay warm, turn up the lights, and focus on the pleasures of the season.

Jolt of Color

In my last post, I told you to add a jolt of color to your gray winter days. Here's mine:



I found these at Tuesday Morning. Love them. Bright, cheerful colors that remind me of tulips for some reason. Even the insides are glazed a pretty color. Seeing them in the cabinet makes me happy.


More tips on beating the winter blahs coming in my next posts. In the mean time, the daffodils are doing their darnedest to usher in spring. Like sunbeams on the ground.

Winter Blahs, part one

The mid-winter blahs have me in their cold, gray grip. It seems a bit pathetic since we haven't had a long or significantly cold winter. Lethargy, a surfeit of ideas, and a craving for cheap carbohydrates are some of the symptoms. Every problem presses down, every goal seems too hard, and the siren call of mindless TV beckons endlessly. Plain and simple seasonal affective disorder or SAD. The acronym sums it up nicely.

I wonder if creative souls are more sensitive to seasonal depression than other folks. I've fought with this all my life. Over the years, I've learned to cope with the winter blahs without resorting to mayhem or drugs....too often anyway. Over the next few days I'll share things that keep me afloat during this season.

1. Color. When the landscape is dead grass brown and the skies are gray, I crave color.

Wear something bright...a shirt, a favored piece of jewelry, or a happy scarf. My purple and sunflower lap quilt was designed with damp, gray days in mind. A perfect jolt of warmth and color.

Put up some bold art.

Print out your favorite flower or beach photos and hang them where you can see them every day.

Paint your fingernails.

Paint the walls.

Buy the big box of crayons and use every one.

Eat colorful vegetables and fruits and pretend you are eating sunshine.

Visit an art museum or a favorite shop and notice color.

Winter is the only time I buy flower bouquets since I grow my own the rest of the year. A bunch of purple tulips, the happy faces of yellow daisies, or sweetly scented hyanciths add so much life to a room. A five or ten dollar grocery store bouquet can last a week or more and give me much pleasure. Living green plants add a touch of life to a room, plus they actively filter the air of many toxins.

Erase the gray....How many ways can you add color to your life today?

Winter is a season of our lives. It can be a time of joy and creativity if we know how to approach it wisely. In the next few days, I'll post more tips on coping with this season.

Icy Days and Comfort Foods

When the weather is cold and damp, I love to cook up some comfort food.

Cherry Turnovers


Homemade bread


The Pilot Guy made these


Icy




Besides cooking, I worked on a writing project and did some hand stitching on the wall hanging.

The Weather in Texas

Last Saturday, the temps were a delightful 83 degrees here. Monday, it barely got to freezing.
My gardens were draped with crystal.