The Beauty of January

Winter makes me happy. There's something about it's cold crisp air that makes me smile. The first day of January was a beautiful day with a gorgeous sunset. Just look at all that golden color! 

Even grey misty days brought magic. I only have to look for it.

This year we've had our share of freezing days. In central Arkansas our average January daytime temperature is in the low 50's. As you can tell by the ice on this small lake, it's been well below that. It's not easy going out when it's bitterly cold, but I go out everyday looking to see what's new. 

Today I found water dripping off the corner of the house, creating tiny ice sculptures around blades of grass. Yes, I know it's very weird, but the grass is still green in spots!

I went to check the small creek in the woods behind the house. It's swift moving water has kept it from freezing solid, but there is a thin layer of ice on top that makes fascinating patterns.

January has brought pretty days with blue skies, grey days with drizzle, cold days with sleet and ice, but the best day arrived on Tuesday! It snowed! It finally snowed! I didn't get to stand at the window with a mug of hot chocolate and watch the falling snow because it began about 9 p.m. and quit before morning, but there it was when I woke up and rushed to the window. It was a fine, powdery snow and the wind was gusting, so it didn't stick to many of the trees. 

There was no way I was straying inside even if it was only 13 degrees and the wind was really blowing. I put on plenty of layers, snow boots, and a toboggan and was ready to endure the elements! I wasn't the only one wearing a cap, so was this rock in the creek, only my cap was warmer than his.

There's so much to love about winter in Arkansas. I hope wherever you are, you're enjoying your winter whether your inside or out!

An hour of winter day might seem too short.

~ Robert Frost

Busy Hands

While everyone has moved on to the new year, I seem to be stuck at Christmas. That's most likely because I spent almost the entire month of December stuck home with a viral upper respiratory infection. I didn't feel horrible, I was trying to be wise and not spread this horrid infection. 

I've reached the other side of my down time, but still deal with fatigue. The fatigue was worse than all the other symptoms combined. I don't think I've every experienced anything like it. Taking two naps a day pretty much explains how bad it was!

All was not lost though, in between coughing and napping I dug around my craft room looking for something to occupy my time. I uncovered a small stack of Christmas ornaments that needed finishing. Some were completely stitched and just needed assembled, some were partially stitched, and then I began a couple of new ones.

In the past I was an avid stitcher. A day didn't go by when I wasn't putting needle and thread to fabric. Then, my interest waned and I developed other passions; first scrapbooking and then photography.

Recently I've been inspired to pick up needle and thread again. The reason for my inspiration? I discovered Carol's wonderful blog, Stitching Dreams. I was fascinated when I read that she stitches one Christmas ornament a month and has been doing this for several years. I love her choice of ornaments and her creative finishing ideas. If you'd like to visit the blog post where she shares her 2017 ornaments you can click here. I've set a goal for myself to do likewise; stitch an ornament a month in 2018. The ornament below is my January 2018 finish. It's hard to tell from the photo, but there are a lot of beads on this and a sweet little bear charm hanging off the back of the sleigh. Toyland Sleigh was a kit from Mill Hill that I picked up a while back.  It was easier to start with all the needed supplies together, since I've been unable to get out and shop.

These are by no means the first cross stitched ornaments on my tree, after all I began stitching in 1972. As I took my ornaments off the tree to pack them away, I decided to count them. I have . . .

65 cross stitch,

27 others handmade by me,

55 ornaments I've been given,

6 ornaments in memory of loved ones,

6 from my childhood,

12 Old World glass,

and

???? miscellaneous ornaments.

(I took off the miscellaneous last and
forgot to count them!! I just know
there's a lot!)

Not only did I enjoy stitching the ornaments, I enjoyed taking pictures of them. It gave me something to do on a very cold rainy day! I must also give Carol credit for great ways to photograph ornaments!

Now that the Christmas decorations are boxed away, maybe I can move on to the new year!

As we begin this new year,

I wish you hope, joy, love, and peace!

Scene & Story - December 2017

Sometime in the late 30's or early 40's my grandmother, Nanny, clipped a recipe out of the paper. Betty Crocker published a cake recipe and ran a contest to name it. Nanny never heard what they actually named the cake so she called it The Nameless Cake. She added candied fruit, white raisins and nuts to the recipe and it became the family's traditional fruitcake for the holidays. After Nanny died my mom took over the tradition of baking the cake even though she and I were the only ones that liked it. I always felt a special closeness to mom as we ate our pieces of cake together. After my mom died it seemed pointless to continue the tradition, since I was the only one that would eat it. I certainly couldn't eat the whole two-layer cake myself. 

I'm not sure why, call it nostalgia or the fact that I'm missing my mom, but this year I needed to bake the cake. I wanted it to turn out just like mom's, so I was a little nervous as I mixed the batter. After putting the cake in the oven, I stood back and smiled. The house began to smell of fruitcake and I was flooded with memories of past Christmases.

My daughter and daughter-in-law did eat some of the cake with me, but I don't think it's a favorite for them. Will I bake the cake again? Probably, but it won't be a family tradition as it was in the past. Things change, I accept that and we do have other desserts that are a holiday tradition . . . Fudgie Scotch Ring, Iced Sugar Cookies, and Candy Cane Cookies. 

My Nameless Cake turned out beautiful and tasted delicious, just like I remembered it. I'm glad I went with my heart's tug and made the cake this Christmas. As I said, I just needed to make it.

* * * * *

I'm linking with Scene & Story hosted

by Sarah and Lee.

This will be the last time that Sarah and Lee are hosting the linkup.

It's been a fun year sharing and reading stories.

I will miss this group.