I won’t even share a photo of what’s happening today.
No, I won’t. The shades are drawn, allowing me to live in a fantasy where everything is green, it’s warm outside and there isn’t 4 inches and counting of wet snow on the ground.
I’m not kidding. I worry about my plants as there was a hard freeze last night. Late yesterday, I saw icicles hanging from my climbing hydrangea; caused, no doubt, by water dripping from the shed roof. I ran outside to break off as many of the icicles as I could without damaging the plant even more.
I stressed much of the evening over my garden and the lilac buds and the leaves on the rose bushes and the daffodils and then I just had to let go. There’s nothing I can do.
It’s friggin’ April 4th and there’s snow on the ground!!!
Okay. Deep breath.
I’ve been slaving away up in my office, working on the Russian names and pronunciations, chomping on no salt potato chips, drinking lots of water because Don is always on me to keep hydrated, stopping every so often to look at my pottery…
because it makes me happy. The wind was relentless yesterday. It was gusting up to 50 mph for over 12 hours. This little hideaway on the second floor is beautiful, but it is in the same place in the house as the den and that means that the winds whip across the front of the house, rattling the windows and generally making me feel like I’m in a wind tunnel.
After several hours of this (and this is part of a string of days where the wind has blown like this for hours and hours) I cried uncle and came downstairs.
What would calm me down, I wondered?
Aha!
So, I grabbed all my coloring paraphernalia, and went at it. Coincidentally, Don was doing the same thing in the living room. (He’s sick of ‘elevating his leg.’ I don’t blame him.)
Finished. I just do the basics, you know. Some of the coloring I’ve seen is incredibly intricate, with subtle shading and layering of colors. Gorgeous work, believe me. But I have basic skills and the whole idea is to relax, right? So I don’t allow myself to feel any pressure to expand my skill set. I just color.
It’s for me, after all. I quite like it.
I still haven’t heard from the book giveaway winner. I’ll give it a couple more days before I pick someone else.
Happy Monday.
We don’t have snow here but some cold temps. I’m hoping to plant some things later this month. Never trust April. I hope your garden survives this snow. I’m going to visit my Mom today and do a few little things for her. I also have to stop at Target and get a Birthday gift for a certain little guy. He told me just what he wanted (of course). I have a surprise or two also. At least the sun is shining. I hope you and Don both have a good day.
hugs,
Linda
I hope you’re feeling better, Linda! Never trust April, indeed!
Hello Claudia, I think Mother Nature sure has a funny sense of humor! Sure hope she is going to take care of my plants here in Ct. We have 3 to 5 inches predicted and I can only see the tips of my plants now.
I hope she will take care of everyone’s plants! Seems unfair, doesn’t it? Not to mention, a wee bit depressing, Doris!
These cold, damp days are becoming tiresome. We have been fortunate not to see any snow. I hope those who have will see warmth and melting move their way very quickly. It is a crazy beginning to spring to say the least.
I hope Don’s leg is improving and that both of you have a more relaxing day today.
Me too, Sue, thank you. This weather is not making us happy, but we’re doing our best to stay positive!
Dear Claudia – I almost hope you don’t look at my garden post from yesterday! You just might get green with envy, BUT I would rather think it might cheer you up during this stormy day in your area and further north. You too will have lovely blooms soon I know – and when I’m here moaning about living in the hot, humid south come July, you can be happy enjoying perfect days as I melt and get cranky.
I’ve been enjoying coloring now and then since getting those lovely books for Christmas – just wish I had more time for it because I love doing it and it is so relaxing. My life is far too hectic at present – I almost wish I could run away!
Hugs to you both – and guess what, we are due a cold day tomorrow with the possibility of below freezing overnight. I hope my lovely blooms survive.
I hope they survive, too! And July can be quite humid here, too – but hopefully, it won’t be. Take care, Mary.
The snow must be a challenge, but I would rather have that than the tornados that we have already had here. From now until June we will be on mild alert.
People here don’t build houses with basements, which is a real puzzle to me, so it makes for even more anxiousness. Somehow camping out in the hall closet or bathtub is not my idea of feeling safe.
I grew up in heavy snow country and always knew that you can’t trust the weather in March and April.
I wish you could wrap all your pretty flowers so they would be safe and toasty.
Hold fast, this will soon pass and we will all be concerned with how Hot it is.
Tornados aren’t fun at all. We’ve had to deal with hurricanes a couple of times in the past few years and they are frightening as well. You’d think every house would have a basement in that neck of the woods!
High winds always tend to unsettle me…they make me nervous. Sorry to hear about the white stuff! Mother Nature seems to enjoy playing tricks on us, doesn’t she? We have to maintain our balance, and our sense of humor! That page you showed us is so pretty…glad you have your coloring to settle you down! Hopefully it will melt quickly, and be just a bad memory. Enjoy your day! ;)
Only 37 for a high tomorrow, so I think we’re going to have to wait until Wednesday for any melting.
Oh, ugh. We had snow and wind all day on Saturday. Then, yesterday the temp here was 72*. Back to a high of 38* today. Incredibly ridiculous. I don’t find a thing about it to be funny, or interesting, or even slightly amusing in any way. Just ridiculous.
The calendar says March 20 is the first day of Spring. In reality, what most of us consider to be spring-like weather doesn’t happen until much closer to May 1.
However, we do know, that this, too, shall pass.
WHEN is the question to which we wish we had the answer.
I would like when to be immediately. But I don’t think I’ll have my way on this one!
Claudia,
We did not have snow in Central Pennsylvania, but we did have another day of strong cold wind. While I do find the wind a bit unsettling after a bit, strangely the weather is one thing that never gets to me. It is the one thing I’m able to accept that I cannot control or change, so I always try and make the best of it and am thankful I can be in a warm house looking out. I’ve been happy to read about your coloring. I loved to color as a child and still love it. There are children in my extended family so I’ve been able to color with them when they were little and I must say I like those coloring books more than the adult ones. I can lose myself and relax and don’t feel the need for perfection that I do with the adult coloring books, if that makes any sense. Also, I did not comment on your recent blog about your grief, I do often think of it. I too well know the feeling. Grief doesn’t go away as you know. It becomes part of who we are and there are days it drops us to our knees. Take good care.
Susan
Thank you!
Thankfully, I don’t feel the need for perfection in coloring, even in these books for grown-ups! I just have fun with it. And I have a tendency toward perfectionism!
I’m so sorry about your weather back there Claudia. We had a lovely weekend but today we have heavy rain and wind. I’m glad we were camping over the weekend and not today. Your office area looks so cozy and welcoming. When the wind howls it give me an eerie feeling. Your coloring looks good. I wouldn’t be fancy at it either. I don’t have a fancy bone in my body! Ha! I hope the day gets better for you.
Blessings,
Betsy
Me either, Betsy! No fancy here!
Normally I love the sound of wind – in all seasons – and what it does to the wind chime right outside my front door. But it has actually been SO relentless in the past week that even I’ve become a little tired of it. No chiming at all right now, and that’s strictly OK with me. I’m enjoying the quiet calm. PS – I’m still shopping around for a coloring book. I’ve even downloaded myself a color wheel so I can start putting together some really beautiful color combinations. I’m guessing I’ll end up with some type of quilting theme, since the creative possibilities there must be literally unlimited. I wish the online book previews were a little more extensive than they are – more sample pages etc.
I wish they were too – especially with something like a coloring book. The wind has stopped, but the snow keeps falling. I’m guessing we have more than 4 inches on the ground. Don and I are not happy campers, and he, of course, is sick of being laid up. The mailman almost skidded into my car because the driveway was so slippery!
Yikes! Here along the Lake we have wet pavements and sidewalks, and a few crusty white inches covering lawns and branches. Since learning I’m gluten-sensitive, I’ve been tossing out spoon-size Shredded Wheat at intervals for the birds, who seem very appreciative to have it. Not much else around for them at this time, poor little things. I also read recently to toss out dryer lint for the birds – who’ll use it to line their nests! Does sound cozy, doesn’t it? ?
The tiny little birds were trying to find some areas of dry ground – mostly up against the house. I felt bad for them. Shredded wheat sounds like a good idea! I’ve heard about the dryer lint, I often leave it on the ground for them.
I got my big bag of top soil delivers Saturday. Garden green…tulips poking out….then the snow started. I fully support the choice of closed drapes and potato chips. Just might do that myself!
Join me, Kat! Maybe some hot chocolate, too?
hey, pretend you’re IN Russia – Russian weather outside and Russian words inside – does this help?
Most likely I’m in Siberia, Diana!
The images of your cozy home are delightful, Claudia. And I love the *BAM* of the colored pencils in the next photo.
Is it possible you have a case of cabin fever? Why not go out for a cup of soup or something tomorrow? (Please note that I did not suggest doughnuts.)
I’m going out today, but it’s to take Don to the doctor. Actually, I’ve been out a lot lately, as I’ve had to drive D everywhere and run all the errands. So, no cabin fever! Just spring fever that has been stomped on.
We have the cold temps and high winds here but not the snow…thank goodness! Sounds like a good time to stay in and color..
It’s frigid here today and there’s still about four inches of snow on the ground!