WInter's Grip

THis has been a  very s trange spring so far....   the  forsythia  has     forced itself to open , yet this is a  very pale version of its usual   golden    springy    allure...

    The daffodils   have  spent most of their   beautiful blooms  hanging   down   trying   very hard to     keep their   life force  pumping    during   temps that  hug the  freezing  mark more days a week than not...

   The perrenial  hyacinths  seem  to   never mind  about  the   cold,  cold days,   

  but the pansies  seem to be   gathering  in,   instead of  spreading  forth their   beauty!

Meanwhile ,   dark clouds  continue to gather   overhead,  blocking out the sun's warmth...

til finally, once again, today the skies  darkened and   snow   blew in   bringing  another  4 inches of   snow   to blanket the   earth...

The new life  and renewal of spring  cant seem to break through this barrier of   winter's   freeze....

Here We Go Again

The Lull in the Night

About 4 pm this evening the storm subsided as the precipitation turned to sleet and the accumulations came to a halt... Lynn took advantage of that time to do a bit of shoveling and then a grand idea took him over. He donned his summer landscaper's hat and decided to drag out the grill and cook up a batch of savory burgers.. I wish you could have seen the steam... oh they were tasty indeed!!!




So as of 6pm when I was locking up the back door I was romanced by the play of light upon the quiet scene.


As darkness descends and the temps fall the snow will redevelop bringing another several inches of snow. No church again this week... more cabin fever in the offing... but certainly time for other wonderfully satisfying endeavors one might not have thought of before... I thank the Lord for this gift of time, reflection, remembrance, and revelation.

The Big One of February 2010

Yesterday I had to take mom and dad to the grocer, like hundreds of others who were flocking there to load up the pantry in anticipation of this storm...

The aisles were almost impassable, the parking lot... a nightmare... the shelves were quickly becoming depleted. Thankfully, I had taken my emergency brain soother with me just in case.

One thing about it... the weatherman hit it on the nose this time....


We are in the light blue 10-18 inch range and it has been surely and steadily coming down all morning since around 4am. Not only this but there is talk of another storm due to arrive mid week! Glory to God.... He is definitely getting my attention....

January Storm

As I peer out the window I see 9 inches of fresh, fluffy, beautiful snow falling so ever so lightly yet constantly accumulating over all.... It is gorgeous.... and thankfully easy to shovel.. praise the Lord!! We are so fortunate not to have gotten the freezing rain and inches of ice before the snow started last night like so many localities to our west. Just the recipe for a quiet, restful Saturday here at home!

Baby, it's Cold Outside

Yesterday about 2pm it started to snow! Lynn had come home early from work to load up some firewood on the front porch for easy accessibility.

About an hour later it was really coming down!

I was glad I remembered the birds!

I beleive they are happy, too!

Dinner last evening was so joyous as we absorbed the beauty around us!

Yesterday was the perfect day to finish decorating the sunroom!

As evening came upon us the snow continued to pile up like so much whipped cream!

Then it was morning.. with 15 inches on the ground!

Some neighbors were much more industrious than we! But they are expecting family this weekend... maybe!

We have little reason to tackle that!

Besides...we can't open the door!

So why not just sit back,relax and contemplate ...Christmas!!!

Snow!!

And here I have been thinking spring for over a week now! It is really coming down this afternoon. We were having a wonderful time last evening with our guests when it actually started to snow just enough to make them feel a tad antsy about driving home, so the evening was over by 9:30. Our time together was precious though, as we shared about how God's miracles have been manifest in our lives. Sharing testimonies is so very encouraging and builds faith. One dear friend, Fran, a teacher in the next county, was really hoping for a snowday! I think she is experiencing an answer to her prayer!

Out the dining room window!

Out the kitchen window!

Out the back door through my spring wreath!

Out the Gathering Room window!

Out the front door!

They said 2-4 inches this morning, now 3-5. It will be interesting to see where it ends! I say we'll get more!

SNOW

It is snowing outside! I am always excited about the first snowflakes of the season. It really thrilled me when I was teaching and the hopeful prospect for an unplanned day off. My school system was rural and we got called off at the drop of a hat compared to the city schools where Amanda attended. Amanda used to love to come home to a warm home with a pot of something simmering on the stove. Poor child had to come home every other day of the school year to a cold house with a cranky mom who didnt want to fix anything for dinner. I always loved to make the snowday arrival home from school something special for her.